ADRENALS - Home Testing

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Going through my bits of "Useful Information"I have saved, here are some tests you can do yourself to see if you could have an adrenal problem. Also, don't forget to answer the questions in our "Adrenal Questionnaire" which you can find in our FILES SECTION from our Home Page of the Forum website..Luv - Sheila____________________________________________________________ADRENAL HOME TESTING.TEST ONE:

Take and compare two blood pressure readings—one while lying down and one while standing. Rest for five minutes in recumbent position (lying down) before taking the reading. Stand up and immediately take the blood pressure again. If the blood pressure is lower after standing, suspect reduced adrenal gland function. The degree to which the blood pressure drops while standing is often proportionate to the degree of hypoadrenalism. (Normal adrenal function will elevate your BP on the standing reading in order to push blood to the brain.)TEST TWO:

Another test uses the eyes. From the side (not the front), shine a bright light like a flashlight or penlight towards your pupils and hold it for about a minute. Carefully observe the pupil. With healthy adrenals, your pupils will constrict, and will stay small the entire time you shine the light from the side. In adrenal fatigue, the pupil will get small, but it will soon enlarge again or obviously flutter in its attempt to stay constricted.TEST THREE:

Are you very sensitive to bright light? That could be a sign of adrenal fatigue. And this can also be true if you have searing headaches along with the sensitivity.TEST FOUR:

You can determine your thyroid and adrenal status by following Dr. Rind with a temperature graph. You simply take your temp 3 times a day, starting three hours after you wake up, and every three hours after that, to equal three temps. (If you have eaten or exercised right before it’s time to take your temp, wait 20 more minutes.) Then average them for that day. Do this for several days. If your averaged temp is fluctuating from day to day more than -0.2 degrees, you need adrenal support. If it is fluctuating but overall low, you need more adrenal support and thyroid. If it is fluctuating but averaging 98.6, you just need adrenal support. If it is steady but low, you need more thyroid and adrenals are likely fine. (We note that mercury thermometers are the most accurate.) EVEN MORE CONCLUSIVE:

A 24-hour adrenal saliva test. Doctors tend to recommend a one-time blood test, or an ACTH STIM test, but patients have found both to be inadequate measures to discern sluggish adrenals. The ACTH will tell you how much stimulation your adrenals are getting, but not how much cortisol they are producing. Instead, we have relied on the 24 hour adrenal saliva test, which tests your cortisol levels at four different times of day and allows you to view your daily cyclic adrenal function. (And note that if you are very hypothyroid, you readings may actually be even lower than your saliva results will show, since being hypothyroid results in a slower clearance of cortisol from your body.)