Autoimmune Disorders :: Adrenal Stress Test
Jul 7, 2014
I was diagnosed Hashimotos this year.
Here are my adrenal stress test results:
Sample 1 - 3.4 (12-22)
Sample 2 - 6.1 (5.0-9.0)
Sample 3 - 4.8 (3.0-7.0)
Sample 4 - 3.2 (1.0-3.0)
DHEA:Cortisol Ratio - 2.62 (within range)
Latest thyroid function test results:
TSH - 2.50 (0.2-4.2)
Free T3 - 4.6 (3.9-6.7)
Free T4 - 15.7 (12-22)
Apparently my doctor says these are normal, yet when I am taking the Levothyroxine my Free T3 drops and my hypothyroid symptoms return. Am I missing something or am I the only one in the world with this problem? I presume the latter.
I am currently dairy and gluten free and my fatigue and constipation have cleared up since on the diet, however I retook my Levothyroxine and within 2 hours I was constipated. The only change I had made was retaking the Levothyroxine but I did increase my fluid intake, too. The reaction I had from the medication is making me doubt the benefits of it. Or could I be undermedicated at 125mcg? The nurse taking my blood last time said 125mcg is a lot for a little person like me to be taking!
So, in order to wipe the slate clean and start afresh with my care, I have since changed doctors and will be asking for the following at my first appointment:
Sex hormone profile - not just the testosterone, FSH, LH and prolactin my endocrinologist carried out but I would like to include the ones she has *missed* - the oestrogen, estradiol and progesterone. I am sure there are others in there...
Full mineral/vitamin profile - but excluding the folate, Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 which were done recently and including a full iron panel.
Repeat thyroid test - why oh why am I experiencing hypothyroid symptoms AFTER I take the Levothyroxine? When I reported this to my previous doctor they have told me they will end my script for Levothyroxine since they are under the impression I get no ill effects without the medication! Are they right?
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I was just wondering what comes after a cortisol stim test for diagnosing Addison's Disease ?
I had 2 Cortisol stim tests done one in the afternoon and one in the early morning .
Afternoon test read 2.8 out of 5-15
Morning test read 3.8 out of 5-25 Both low
Do i now have a Acth test done to see if its the adrenals glands or Pituitary or Hypothalamus Producing such low cortisol ?
I have abdominal cramping , hot flashes , constipation . tired , weak and major weight loss 35 + pounds in 8 months .
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My Cortisol level after doing dexamethasone test is below normal at 1.2
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I had an acth stim test about two weeks ago. I have been having a lot of health problems but they had calmed down some on the day of the test and the day before. After the test, everything went to heck, ( body feeling "jerky", involuntary body movements-primarily at night, muscle weakness at times- even causing me to limp around during the day, and lean on the wall one night due to weakness and fatigue, head ache like crazy-especially behind eyes/back of head, problems thinking, among other things). I had those problems before the test but was feeling ok for that 1.5 days then bam. I am wondering what bad effects people have had. Also wondering what all is affected from the stim test (what other parts besides adrenal/cortisol could it have aggravated. I haven't gotten results but don't think they did the test right anyway. I would be afraid to get it again cause how it affected me :(.
ps They recently found a pituitary cyst on my posterior pituitary gland (they said its fine).
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I am 38 Year Old male, Have been an athlete and or worked out since the age of 12 (super active). For the last 10 years or so I have been super fatigued/tired, don't recover well from exercise, terrible reactive hypoglycemia, muscle twitches, tan year round (i used to be white/pail as could be, now I carry at tan year round) short temper, sleep like crap. I can't seem to handle heat or a ton of direct sun. I will get sick for a day or 2 nauseous/fatigued/headache (it is not water usually i will drink 2 liters of water while out hiking for the afternoon.
I have taken 3 different Saliva cortisol test and all 3 looked the same, cortisol was in the tank upon waking and slowing rose throughout the day. The complete opposite of what it should look like. I finally talked my doctor into doing an ACTH Stim test. I have only got back the Cortisol results at this point, But they are very interesting??
From all that I have read on intercepting ACTH results your baseline Cortisol should double at 60 minutes. According to this test is should be >18 at 60 minutes I only rose 8!!! Please see results below.
Baseline Draw- 19.7, Standard > 5
30 Minute Draw- 26.4, Standard >7 Above Baseline Result, JUST UNDER BY .3
60 Minute Draw- 27.7, Standard >18 Above Baseline Result, 10 UNDER THE BARE MINIMUM IT SHOULD HAVE RISEN!!!
I am a little confused on how to interpret these results?? Like I said I should have the rest of the numbers in a few days.
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Is there a blood test that is done to determine if someone has Autoimmune disorder?
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Does anyone else have these with addison's , or is it mostly cushing's?
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I have always enjoyed salty foods but over the past few years I really crave them all the time. Could it have something to do with my adrenal glands?
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I have Addison's disease for 10 years. Every once in awhile I feel very run down and sort of out of it if that makes sense? For the past 4 days I am having a hard time staying awake. I cannot stay up for more than 2 hours at a time and have just basically slept the days away. I have a headache and feel nauseated on top of this. A couple times I have even felt dizzy. I have been doing a lot of reading (while I am awake) on the subject of addisonian crisis and was just wanting to see what some other people think that have gone through this. I have doubled my meds but it hasn't helped yet. Although I just started that yesterday.
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I am male and so likely have had less severe autoimmune manifestations than females since they seem to have stronger immune responses. However, I have had some difficult times with autoimmunity. It started in 1972 with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome which caused deep vein thromboses in both legs. I started taking coumadin at this time but the dosage was not high enough to prevent some further clotting and a number of the clots travelled to my lungs causing pulmonary hypertension. Eventually, in 1994, this became severe enough to cause heart failure and the clots were removed via a pulmonary thrombo-endarterectomy. Subsequent to this, I developed lupus symptoms and lost both my adrenals and thyroid to it. The other lupus manifestation was regular pleurisy attacks. Also by this time, despite the coumadin, I was getting regular small blood clots on the skin on my feet and ankles, many of which subsequently turned into painful ulcers. In 2006, after reading an article on the internet by a doctor in charge of a hospital ward who was giving his patients 5000 units of vitamin D3 to prevent them getting sick, my wife and I started taking 5000 units of D3 ourselves hoping to avoid colds and flus. The vitamin D3 worked in stopping the colds but, in my case, it had another even better effect. The blood clots on my feet stopped and I have had none since.
In addition the pleurisy attacks almost ceased. With some additional experimentation, I found 10000 units of vitamin D daily (in split doses morning and evening, stopped the pleurisy attacks altogether. I remain free of the autoimmune effects since I started on the higher D3 dosage. I discussed the dosage with my hematologist and he felt up to 15000 units a day should present no problems in causing calcium over-retention (stones). I would recommend to anyone with auto-immune problems to try at least 5000 units a day of vitamin D3 to see if it reduces autoimmune problems. If you are concerned, you can discuss it with a doctor first but I have been taking 10000 units a day for several years now with no ill effects.
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I am concerned about my test I have had recently...my blood pressure is a little low and when I am sleeping it is dropping to 81/51. My cortisol is 357 at a 9.00 in the morning. I have been having some very bizarre symptoms.. I started with sudden dizziness and numbness in my arms 6 months ago they tested me for stroke tia but it was clear.. then the symptoms started to get worse fatigue, pains in my legs, back pain, feeling sick, dizziness just feeling generally unwell... does any on no what is normal for the cortisol level is at 9.00 in the morning.. I think they are testing me for addison disease.
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My daughter is 19. About 18 months ago she started having panic attacks, feeling nauseous and shaking and becoming quite distressed. After counselling and medication it became controlled. She still suffered episodes of shaking and feeling as if her blood sugar was dropping. She has had episodes of lightheadedness and passed out at work , being out for about 10 minutes. All her tests have shown as normal to now, however something is suddenly causing these events. She has had bp, eeg, fasting bloods- glucose and thyroid function, all normal. She is awaiting a 24 hour eeg now. I read about adrenaline crashes and Addison's disease recently and its connection with irregular periods, which she gets and Vitiligo, which she has a small patch of. Is it worth discussing tests with her GP? they seem quite happy to put her regular visits there down to anxiety though.
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I am a 29 year old female and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis at the start of the year. I have been having problems with my right eyelid in that over the course of the day it progressively becomes droopy and the only thing that relieves it is when I close it. When it becomes droopy it makes my eye feel like there's something in it and I end up rubbing it. It's only when I look in the mirror that it's droopy.
In January my endocrinologist ran an autoimmune profile (but not for every single antibody) and rheumatoid factor and these are the results of it:
Rheumatoid Factor - 9IU/mL (<20 negative)
HEP2 - Positive
Type - Speckled
Anti-DSDNA - 7IU/mL (<30 negative)
(Positive antinuclear antibodies but no significant disease association found)
ENA screen - Negative
Autoimmune profile
Antinuclear Abs - Positive
Anti-Smooth muscle Abs - Negative
Anti-Parietal Abs - Negative
Anti-Mitochondrial Abs - Negative
Anti-LKM Abs - Negative
Anti-Thyroid Peroxidase Abs (Anti-TPO) - 141 kIU/L (<34 negative)
I am posting here because I have a suspicion that I have Myasthenia Gravis. Not only have I got the problem with my eyelid but I tried to follow some physical tests for muscle weakness such as holding my arms out straight in front of me and deep knee bends.The results of these home tests I did:
Holding out arms stretched in front for 60 seconds - pain in both arms when it came up to the 60 seconds and left arm dropped slightly
10 deep knee bends - did all 10 knee bends but the last 3 made my legs feel weak and shaky
5 sit-ups (sitting from lying down) - could only manage 4 sit-ups
I have an appointment with my GP on Friday and since this has now appeared I'd like to mention my concerns to them.
My main concerns are :
Wouldn't my endocrinologist have tested me for Myasthenia Gravis if it's an autoimmune condition? If so what antibodies would she have tested and would any of the ones I had tested have shown I have Myasthenia Gravis?
Who do I need to request to see to get a confirmed diagnosis?
If it is indeed Myasthenia Gravis would it be because my current autoimmune condition made it worse? I have read that this is possible and I became very hypothyroid yesterday as I had very bad Reynaud's flares when out and about.
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So now I feel like a complete hypochondriac. Ladybud (who is fabulous, btw) has helped me tremendously. I am wondering if any of you have had your ANA patterns change. I am having muscle aches, dx with small fiber neuropathy and Raynaud’s, my RBCs and C-reactive protein have been low throughout the last 3 years. I now have been dx with a reactivation of the Epstein Barr virus and alopecia due to “granulomatous Dermatitis” (getting 2nd opinion later this month).
These are my titers and patterns over the years:
10/2011 ANA Titer: 1:320 Pattern: Homogeneous
11/2011 ANA Titer: 1:320 Pattern: Homogeneous
10/2013 ANA Titer: 1:320 Pattern: Homogeneous
5/2014 ANA Titer: 1:160 Pattern: Homogeneous
AND NOW:
6/2014 (AVISE SLE 2.0 TESTING (1st time with this test) ANA Titer: 1:80 Pattern: Diffuse fine speckled
Negative on all markers. I am HLA-B27 Positive, but negative for ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
Now my rheumatologist stated all my blood work appears to be normal and I have ZERO autoimmune positivity.
Huh? I feel like such a hypochondriac.
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I've just heard from my GPS surgery that my most recent blood test shows I have virtually no iron! As I have several autoimmune diseases including autoimmune hepatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, SLE (lupus), Raynauds, Sjogrens, acquired autoimmune hypothyroidism) , I'm rather afraid that this could be pernicious anaemia or hemolytic anaemia, as I've never had a low iron level until now. I was taken off methotrexate due to respiratory problems (side effect) and am on prednisone 25mg/day. Does anyone have any experience of sudden iron deficiency please?
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I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia years ago due to constant and sometimes debilitating muscle and joint pain. I am seeing a new PCP and she ordered some blood tests. The first was just a general screening but my c-reactive protein came back as elevated (also my platelets) so the doc ordered an ANA with reflex if positive. ANA came back positive (no titer information - it was just a positive/negative test I guess) and anti-SSA came back at 8.0 (negative range is 0.0 to 0.9). But RA factor, anti-centromere B antibodies, anti-dna (ds) qn, anti-jo-1, anti chromatin, anti scleroderma-70, rnp, anti-SSB, and smith antibodies are all normal.
Besides my muscle and joint pain I have had periods of alopecia (losing quarter to half-dollar sized patches of hair on my head), full-body rashes during especially hot times, asthma, and suspected endometriosis (currently controlled by depo-provera). I also used to never get sunburnt but my face especially gets really red now if I am in the sun for more than a little while. I have darker skin so its sometimes hard to see but lately my cheeks and nose seem constantly flushed.
All of these symptoms have been spaced out and gradual so I never thought anything of each individual symptom. The alcopecia was blamed on "stress" when I went to the doctor for it. The rashes I blamed on a simple "heat rash". My pain was diagnosed at first as carpal tunnel and then as fibromyalgia. But now with the ANA and anti-SSA tests I am thinking it all may be related. But I don't know and my doctor is out of town, and although I know she will refer me to a rheumatologist now as we have talked about that, who knows when I will actually be able to see the rheumatologist. So any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I am thinking maybe SLE (lupus) but with only that one anti-SSA and none of the others I don't know. Also I do have flares 2-3 times a month where my pain gets much worse but it constantly hurts and aches the rest of the time regardless, which doesn't seem like typical lupus. Oh and I also had severe fatigue until my doc put me on Savella which helped with the fatigue but not the pain. So now I am on gabapentin also but it doesn't seem to help too much either.
I would do almost anything just to be pain-free for even just a day. I am hoping with the ANA results now the doctors will not only maybe be better able to treat me but also will take my pain seriously.
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I was just told by an opthamologist I saw ystrdy for a new patient visit, that my blood work that's been coming up positive for ANA since 2012 just means there's inflammation in my body. Not an autoimmune disorder.
last week a vessel broke in my right eye and it felt weird under the lid. It disappeared the next morning. Then I noticed one a few days later in opposite eye in the morning putting on my mascara, So my husband told me I MUST see an eye dr.
I brought copies of my labs and said that I'm referred to see a rheumy dr.because of positive ANA's.
I had to write down my whole history upon a first patient visit so he knows I have osteoarthritis throughout my body in different parts.
BUT, I didn't mention the strange rashes and how I just out of the blue mopping a floor tore and blew out 60% of my knee meniscus and needed surgery. The right knee feels like something is growing in it. and it clicks when I go down the stairs as if it's catching on something. so when I saw my family dr. for my knees, he only ck'd out the injured one and said he doesn't think it's rheumatoid arthritis but thinks it may be lupus, and referred me to see a rheumy dr. but I can't get in right away. I had to wait 3 months, but the day I went my car didn't start which wound up being a dead battery. I called the office and told them what happened and they couldn't put me in for ANOTHER 3 months. so I'm now waiting almost 6 months to see this so called excellent dr.
I get strange pulls and inflammation in muscles or tissues, like out of the clear blue sky I had pain that radiated down the right side of my buttock and it got to the point where it ached all the time. My rheumy dr. who no longer is in practice, sent me for MRI and it wound up being the psoas muscle. I had to see a radiologist in my local hospt. to get a special injection put thru the hip to get to the psoas. IT HURT LIKE you know what!!!! next day too.
never had it come back. How on earth did I pull my psoas?? the largest muscle in the body. it keeps you from falling off your chair.
My left hip hurts so bad at night that it wakes me up and an old mri says there's a sprain in it??? plus arthritis.
I also have had raynauds syndrome which started during my divorce in 1998. plus numbness in hands, arms, fingers at night and even the scalp.
keep losing hair and breaking off at the edge of my scalp and going bald on sides of head. I have osteoporosis diagnosed many years ago which I refuse to take medication for cause of side effects. I just take calcium.
the list goes on. I used to have a lot of pain everywhere and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia back in 2004. but I don't get those symptoms any more like I used to. so did I actually have it or not? wouldn't I still have the symptoms?
My c-reactive protein level was positive one time only. but the ANA started in 2012 till now. I get blood work done each year.
So Is it just inflammation because of my osteoarthritis? do all people with osteoarthritis have positive ANA tests?
The opthamologist made me feel like I shouldn't even bother going to the rheumy dr.
am I just making a big deal out of nothing?
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Wonder if anyone has been diagnosed with AIHL and finding treatment unsuccessful? I'm on immunosuppressants but now steroids because of extreme flare up and hearing rapidly declining, steroids now too.
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How did you discover that you had a autoimmune disease? What were your symptoms prior?
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I have psoriatic arthritis and sjogrens. I take methotrexate injections weekly and remicade infusions monthly. I still am having pain and swelling in between all of this. Does anyone else experience a lot of pain?
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I am 54yrs of age. Today was the first time I had chest (burn) pain while walking up steps. Cannot jog or run due to MS, so I climb steps for exercise. Along with the chest pain I was wheezing. Do I have a blockage?
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