# cortisol/adrenal testing?



## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

Has anyone ever had their adrenal function and/or cortisol output tested? From what I've read, adrenal function can play a large role in depression (and anxiety). From reading some of the symptoms, I've suspected that I'm in some stage of adrenal fatigue - right now, I can't figure out if my body/brain is suffering from too little cortisol or too much (for the past year or so, I've been leaning toward "too little" - but events of this past week have made me wonder if my brain is being sieged with _too much_ cortisol). If I could get tested a.s.a.p., I would - but I just don't have the money (hard to have money when you have no income).

For a few weeks, my 3 tablets per day (1.5g total) of tryptophan was working o.k. (perhaps I could have used a higher dose, but at least the 3 tablets kept me from the awful depths of "rebound depression" that steadily creeps in whenever I withdraw from Effexor). Suddenly, early this week - the 3 tablets became (much) less effective, and that awful, helpless depression started creeping in. Now this could "simply" be becuase more of the Effexor is washing out of my system, with the predictable serotonin/mood plummet - but I have wondered if it is also something else. I have wondered if the various stresses of looking after my very feeble grandmom have "accelerated" my decline - if things were as usual around my house (meaning, if I didn't have that level of responsibility and could "relax" more) - perhaps the 3 tryptophan tabs would (still) be more effective than they have become. I wonder if the stresses of having these duties have intensified some kind of "cortisol surge" within me that is destroying my serotonin. Just a theory that I have...one which I'm wondering is valid.

Anyway, I have added some GABA to my regimen to try to stave off my free-fall - but in the meantime, I'm scrambling for an answer. I wonder if many depressed/anxious people suffer from too much cortisol in the brain? I sure do wish I could have my adrenal function tested - now. Then I could possibly correct the underlying imbalance and prevent another awful crash.


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## Prolix (Apr 16, 2006)

Hey there...

Your question caught my eye. I've been researching the adrenal/cortisol link myself. I have been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, but the symptomology I'm experiencing may well be from excess cortisol as I'm discovering. I used hydrocortisol for years which may have led to Cushing's/excess cortisol. Do you have a tummy you can't lose for the life of you? ok..so the point is, I've had some blood taken to determine results...should find out this week. Somehow you need to get tested. I'm in Canada so the system is different. Excess cortisol and adrenal failure are serious, possibly also stemming from a pituitary disorder. Anyhow, I'm no MD, just frustrated with total anxiety and weird changes in my body. I hope that this in some small helps. You must be proactive...Dr's need to be pushed. If you suspect this...get this done...push for a referral to an endocrinologist if you can...Best, Prolix...


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## Panic Prone (Mar 5, 2006)

yes, my cortisol was really high the last time I had it tested. Stress causes poor adrenal function not the latter.


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## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

Yes, it can be tested via the... something or other. I don't remember anymore. Whatever, I had mine tested (along with lots of other stuff) and it was normal.

All else fails with whoever your normal "psycho med" doctor is, see an endocrinologist. That's what they DO is stuff like that.

There is a lot of info out there on the HPA axis, CRH, inflammation, depression, anxiety, etc. Just start searching.


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## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

*Re: re: cortisol/adrenal testing?*



Prolix said:


> Hey there...
> 
> Your question caught my eye. I've been researching the adrenal/cortisol link myself. I have been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, but the symptomology I'm experiencing may well be from excess cortisol as I'm discovering. I used hydrocortisol for years which may have led to Cushing's/excess cortisol. Do you have a tummy you can't lose for the life of you? ok..so the point is, I've had some blood taken to determine results...should find out this week. Somehow you need to get tested. I'm in Canada so the system is different. Excess cortisol and adrenal failure are serious, possibly also stemming from a pituitary disorder. Anyhow, I'm no MD, just frustrated with total anxiety and weird changes in my body. I hope that this in some small helps. You must be proactive...Dr's need to be pushed. If you suspect this...get this done...push for a referral to an endocrinologist if you can...Best, Prolix...


Yeah in Canada, they may treat adrenal/cortisol issues more seriously, and doctors (and insurance companies) may not be as "discouraging" to patients who want to get their adrenals tested as the medical system down here is. Down here I've heard "horror stories" about patients who had to jump through hoops to get tested and, once they _were_ tested...the right tests weren't performed and an accurate diagnosis often wasn't made.

It sounds like this area of heath care has come a long way in recent years, but only in the "alternative" heath care field. Conventional health care doesn't really have a clue - and if these docs _do_ have a clue, they don't acknowledge to patients the full significance of optimal adrenal function.

Anyway, I have also had a lot of "weird" changes in my body over the years - a lot of weird, annoying symptoms that may indicate some kind of hormonal imbalance. And yes, I've had "stubborn gut" problems - this was most revealed back during the time when I obsessively "ate healthy" and exercised - I got down to 118 pounds, which was pretty skinny/underweight for me...and I _still_ didn't have a flat gut! It was definitely too protruding and "chunky" for someone who was otherwise thin all over.

But since money is _very_ much an issue for me, I've been searching the internet for testing which I don't have to go through a doctor to take. In my search, I found what appears to be an excellent website put together by wonderful people who have suffered through thyroid and adrenal issues - and want to share the knowledge they've gained while experiencing the many ups and _downs_ of trying to get diagnosed and treated. This website provided the link to "The Canary Club" - some health/environmental club that you can join and order home saliva adrenal/thyroid testing for a discounted price (btw, I've read that saliva testing can be far more accurate in determining "active" levels of adrenal hormones than blood testing...saliva testing seems to be the way to go when testing cortisol levels).

This isn't the homepage - but this page is where I started...this is someone's "blog" about her adrenal issues...

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ja ... l-fatigue/

This is a link to the "Adrenals and Thyroid" messageboard from the same website (they also have lots of other informative forums, and the messageboard appears to use an identical format/server as this messageboard  )

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/co ... bf1e8eeea8

Here's a link to the Canary Club website where you can order home hormone tests for a good deal...

http://www.canaryclub.org/


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## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

Oh, and - after reading some of the treasure of info on this site - it would appear that I _may_ also suffer from low thyroid issues. I had kind-of ruled this out since I don't have a couple of the major symptoms of low thyroid - cold hands/feet and feeling cold all the time - plus when I had my TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) tested, it was within normal ranges. But apparently several symptoms I _do_ have fall in line with low thyroid (I've attributed these symptoms to other possible causes, but it could be low thyroid too) - and the particular thyroid test that I've ordered _may_ reveal a thyroid problem. A lot of people suffering from low-thyroid symptoms have failed to be diagnosed...it is possible to have low thyroid and have "normal" thyroid tests - some thyroid tests are "outdated" and are woefully inaccurate in determining if your body is actually benefitting from adequate "active" thyroid hormones.


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## quat (Sep 27, 2006)

Blood tests are free in australia, don't know if you have to pay for them where you are, but they should be pretty cheap.After reading a lot in the past couple of weeks on adrenal fatigue, you can get a pretty good idea of the health of your adrenal gland by measuring the sodium/potassium ratio in your blood. High potassium levels usually mean a fatigued adrenal gland and high sodium levels mean a hyperactive adrenal gland

I'll post a whole heap of junk on it later. I've got 5 hours to sleep  but i'm going to be taking these tablets

http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/products/ ... uilder.php

and

http://cgi.ebay.com/Adrenal-Cortex-Glan ... dZViewItem

Apparently worst case scenario....probably me it will take 3 months of these to build up the adrenal gland. People who are slightly stressed or have had a short anxious period can benefit from within a couple of weeks. People with social anxiety who have suffered their whole life will have more stressors placed on them , therefore the adrenal gland cannot heal itself and it will take a lot longer to repair.


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## Zephyr (Nov 8, 2003)

*Re: re: cortisol/adrenal testing?*



kintrovert said:


> Prolix said:
> 
> 
> > Hey there...
> ...


What kind of symptoms did you have?


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## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

*Re: re: cortisol/adrenal testing?*



quat said:


> Blood tests are free in australia, don't know if you have to pay for them where you are, but they should be pretty cheap.After reading a lot in the past couple of weeks on adrenal fatigue, you can get a pretty good idea of the health of your adrenal gland by measuring the sodium/potassium ratio in your blood. High potassium levels usually mean a fatigued adrenal gland and high sodium levels mean a hyperactive adrenal gland
> 
> I'll post a whole heap of junk on it later. I've got 5 hours to sleep  but i'm going to be taking these tablets
> 
> ...


From a healthcare standpoint - you're lucky that you live in Australia. From the "anecdotes" I've heard from people living in other countries, healthcare in the U.S. is a flat-out nightmare (in a lot of ways) compared to healthcare in other fortunate nations.

Blood and saliva tests certainly aren't cheap here - especially for people with little-to-no income. And it is often exceedingly difficult fighting the doctors, and, above all, the insurance companies - to try to get the tests and treatment that you feel you need. So far, I've been doing my testing and "investigation" independent of doctors and the medical system - I dread the day when I'm going to have to start dealing with the medical "establishment" to get help for my possible adrenal/thyroid abnormalities. And that day may be very soon - as my mom says that she won't pay for anything unless an actual doctor diagnoses me (and maybe not even then :sigh ). But with the outdated tests/ranges that many in the "medical establishment" uses, it seems that it will be very difficult getting diagnosed by "conventional" means.

One of those adrenal supplements appears to be made/sponsored by the author of "Adrenal Fatigue: the 21st Century Stress Syndrome" ( http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... R&v=glance ). I had been thinking about purchasing this book.

So far, I haven't looked up any info on measuring my sodium-potassium ratio - I'd have to find out how easy/practical (not to mention economical) this is.

So did you find out that you were adrenal-fatigued through a blood test (sodium-potassium, or cortisol)? Good luck with the supplements.  Yeah, based on the amount of lifetime stress that my social-anxiety-disorder alone has caused me - it is a good bet that my adrenals are pretty messed-up.


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## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

*Re: re: cortisol/adrenal testing?*



Zephyr said:


> What kind of symptoms did you have?


Well (trying to organize my thoughts and recall all of my symptoms), let's see:

~Feeling stressed-out/overwhelmed at the slightest "provocation": I have a severe inability to cope with stress, and a _very_ low stress-threshold. I'm talking _very_ low - taking a shower and washing my hair is stressful to me. (Whereas they used to be able to do these things with relative ease.) Just the daily chores of living stress me out - even the "simplest" ones. God forbid if I have to do more than one or two "chores" in a single day. For the past 11 years or so, I've seemed to be incapable of doing little more than sleeping, eating, and "vegetating". I also get too easily frustrated - i.e. if the Internet is down, that can provoke tears of anger/frustration.

~"Brain fog"/cognitive-slowness/cognitive decline: I've never been "quick-witted" and it's always taken me longer than others to generate/compose my thoughts (it's the general "nature" of being introverted, I think)...but these traits have gotten worse and worse in recent years. I just haven't been able to think as well - it's as if I've even lost intelligence. Concentration has gotten worse (it's never been good).

~Itchy skin: I have a particular skin-itch problem that is mainly caused/provoked by showering. This problem suddenly developed when I was about 22. For a long time, I've suspected that this itch problem stems from some kind of hormonal imbalance related to adrenal and/or thyroid issues.

~Enormous weight-gain: I've attributed the vast majority of this weight-gain to the psych meds I've had to take over the years, as many people seem to gain massive weight on these drugs. But recently, I've been wondering if my weight problems are related to adrenal/thyroid issues - which the psych drugs made worse. (I could be very wrong on this - maybe the psych drugs were 100% responsible.)

~Hair loss: I've noticed hair loss (on my head) that accelerated when I was about 27 or 28 years old. I'm now 33 and have only a mere fraction of the hair-fullness that I had at age 26 (I'm female). In recent years, I've learned that this could be something other than "androgenetic alopecia' - although my apparently excessive androgens may certainly be playing a role in this hair loss.

~Hirsutism: I've had to fight pesky hair growing on areas of the face where women shouldn't be growing hairs. I don't have a full beard or anything like that - but I have had _way_ too many hairs growing underneath my jaw and chin that I've constantly had to pluck. (I know men are disgusted to hear this - they like to think of women as these perfect creatures with lots of hair on their heads, but none on the rest of their bodies.) I've read that adrenal and/or thyroid problems can cause sex-hormone imbalances.

~Irregular and/or heavy periods: There have been "phases" during the past 11 years when I'd go w/o a period for 3 months or something like that, then get these massive periods that would last for 3 weeks (or more). Talk about a baffling inconvenience! A time or two, I was put on birth control pills just to stop my never-ending periods and to get them back regular. (This may be _way_ too much info for some, lol - but I'm just laying all of my "weird symptoms" out there.) And even when my periods have been regular (and they have actually been more or less regular the majority of the time within the past 11 years) - they have been heavier than they used to be (during my teen years and early college years). This, also, would indicate a significant hormonal imbalance. What has been causing this imbalance? Could it be my adrenals and/or thyroid - as I've read it could be?

~Irregular sleeping schedule: my sleeping patterns have been all over the place - for the past 11 years, I haven't been a "sleep at night, awake during the day" type of person. Part of this may be circumstantial - I've mostly been jobless, and haven't had to be on a regular sleep-wake cycle. Plus I'm battling an internet addiction (seriously, lol). But seems like there are some biological factors at work too - as to why I tend to gravitate toward these irregular patterns.

Some of these symptoms have been thought of as symptoms of depression - but what if some of the symptoms of depression (not to mention anxiety) are actually caused by ravaged/malfunctioning adrenals?


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## quat (Sep 27, 2006)

I actually saw my doc today and was talking about adrenal fatigue, he immediately said addisons disease, which is hard core adrenal gland loss where you waste away and have skin hyperpigmentation etc. He totally dismissed the concept of adreanal fatigue.


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## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

*Re: re: cortisol/adrenal testing?*



quat said:


> I actually saw my doc today and was talking about adrenal fatigue, he immediately said addisons disease, which is hard core adrenal gland loss where you waste away and have skin hyperpigmentation etc. He totally dismissed the concept of adreanal fatigue.


Sounds like yet another ignorant doc steeped in the mentality that your adrenals have to be at the Addison's Disease level of failure in order for you to have a legitimate illness. There has been a lot of progressive research in recent years that reveals that there are _definite_ levels of Adrenal fatigue that are not as "extreme" as Addison's Disease that affect sufferers in major ways. I'm far from a expert myself, but CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), for example - isn't a stage of adrenal fatigue that is at the abject level of Addison's - yet it is a very real insufficiency of the adrenal glands.

This page, for example, contains this paragraph (among lots of other helpful info):



> Adrenal fatigue should not be confused with another medical condition called Addison's disease where the adrenal glands are not functioning. While Addison's disease is often caused by auto-immune dysfunction, adrenal fatigue is caused by stress. Adrenal fatigue is the non-Addison's form of adrenal dysfunction. Unfortunately, conventional medicine only recognizes Addison's disease as hypoadrenia, despite the fact that adrenal fatigue is a fully recognizable condition. As such, do not be surprised if your doctor is unfamiliar with this condition.


http://www.drlam.com/A3R_brief_in_doc_f ... atigue.cfm

It's a shame that people who are suffering from possible adrenal fatigue have to fight through layers of ignorance by the "medical establishment" (it's especially unfortunate since adrenally-fatigued patients don't have the energy or the stamina, and/or are often depressed and have low stress-coping capacity. All of this comes in handy when trying to be persistent in the face of doubt/denial, and when trying to deal with ignorant, hard-headed doctors!).

This is why the medical system can be a "nightmare" for people in our position. You have doctors who only recognize adrenal failure in the form of Addison's Disease or Cushing's Disease - when research has shown that there is a very real area of disease/dysfunction between these two extreme states.

Seems like you may have to find a doctor who is familiar with non-Addison's hypoadrenia and the various stages of Adrenal Fatigue, and who takes these conditions seriously. I wish I could be of further assistance to you, but I'm struggling with finding the energy to deal with my own related problems. You might want to check out those links I gave above - there is lots of helpful advice on that website and on the "Adrenals" messageboard (and you may find someone who can help you find a knowledgeable doc in Australia).


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