RE: tell me more about this swab test-Adrenal Fatigue test please

[Guest guest]

Hi C:

It's the 24 hour salivary cortisol/DHEA test by Genova Diagnostics, you can

find it here in the files:

thyroid treatment/files/GENOVA%20DIAGN\

OSTICS%20INFO/

You take four swabs at 4 different times of the day to determine what your

levels are......it's an overall view.

Cheers,

JOT

> I saw " swab test-Adrenal Fatigue test " on a list of tests to get along with

aldosterone. I can read up on the latter but could only find one site mentioning

the swab test. Is that what the GP would call it? Can anyone tell me more

about this please?

>

> thanks

> Carole

>

[Guest guest]

I have never heard of a swab test to check adrenals Carole.

Luv - Sheila

I saw " swab test-Adrenal Fatigue

test " on a list of tests to get along with aldosterone. I can read up on

the latter but could only find one site mentioning the swab test. Is that what

the GP would call it? Can anyone tell me more about this please?

thanks

Carole

[Guest guest]

hi carole

" swab test " is the american vernacular for the saliva test to see how the

adrenals are doing at four specific times in the day.

the adrenals have a " normal " ultradian rhythm (cortisol cycling)...cortisol

should be at its highest at 8am and then it tapers down slightly as the morning

goes on, then i think it is supposed to raise just a little (or maintain its

level) and when we go to bed at night it should be at its lowest.

due to prolonged stress (for any reason, even if it's just too hot or too cold)

it seems the natural cortisol production gets disrupted ..e.g. if people stay up

late at night (and in adrenal terms this means after 10 to 10.30pm) and stay up

late every night, then eventually the cortisol production gets stuck in

producing too much cortisol at night so as to keep the body going because the

mind of that body has decided it needs to be awake far too late!!!

trouble is that too much cortisol at the wrong time in the 24hour cycle causes

all sorts of other things to try and compensate for the abnormality ...our

bodies are incredible at compensating ...for example the mineral zinc will

effect more than 200 enzymes in the human body but if there isn't enough zinc,

then magnesium can partially substitute but at the expense of where mangesium

should and needs to be...and so it goes on.

regarding the aldosterone test (and i agree with jot that it would be a good one

to have)..i have a feeling that getting the nhs to authorise that would be very

difficult. a symptom of low aldosterone is frequent urination; too much causes

sodium retention (causing water retnetion). excessive aldosterone is produced

in response to insulin i believe. i think renin also needs to be checked if you

test aldosterone, they are interlinked.

http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/aldosterone/tab/test

trish

>

> I saw " swab test-Adrenal Fatigue test " on a list of tests to get along with

aldosterone. I can read up on the latter but could only find one site mentioning

the swab test. Is that what the GP would call it? Can anyone tell me more

about this please?

>

> thanks

> Carole

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

the message number is 83855. I thought maybe a new test was available I hadnt

heard of, but it must be just a mistake. Copied and pasted the list again here

for you. I havent gone into where aldosterone testing fits in yet will soon.

Its like a massive jigsaw lol. I think the list was really well set out, great

for everyone and makes it all nice and clear what to ask for.

TSH

Free T4

Free T3

RT3 (Reverse T3)

Ferritin (Iron reserve - very IMPORTANT)

CBC (Complete Blood Count)

Serum Iron

Anti-TP

TgAb (Thyroid Antibodies)

Adrenal Cortisol levels (swab test-Adrenal Fatigue test-4 swabs)

B-12

B-6

Folate

Magnesium

Potassium

Vitamin D3

Copper

Zinc

Selenium

Vitamin C

Aldosterone

Carole

>

> I have never heard of a swab test to check adrenals Carole.

>

> Luv - Sheila

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

They're not swabs, which would be a bit of saliva on cotton wool, you have to

spit into a test tube and collect about 1 ml of saliva. If you've not had a

drink beforehand, (it tells you not to) you wouldn't believe how much that

is.... Took me about 10 mins to collect enough saliva each time....

Jot is American, they probably call it something different over there?

.

>

> Hi C:

>

> It's the 24 hour salivary cortisol/DHEA test by Genova Diagnostics, you can

find it here in the files:

>

[Guest guest]

If you get your index finger and thumb and place them under your

chin either and feel around, you will actually feel your salivary glands, gently

massage these to produce saliva, thinking of bitter lemons at the same time.

This helps a lot.

Luv - Sheila

They're not swabs, which would be a bit of saliva on cotton wool, you have to

spit into a test tube and collect about 1 ml of saliva. If you've not had a

drink beforehand, (it tells you not to) you wouldn't believe how much that

is.... Took me about 10 mins to collect enough saliva each time....

Jot is American, they probably call it something different over there?

.

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Trish..... :0)

We tend to use the term swab as a VERB...

*To swab* means *to collect.*

I once used the term Vial/tube instead of swab and it freaked people out so I

just went back to the term SWAB. LOL

It's the same as swabbing a dog's mouth for a DNA test, or a Pap smear

swab...the device used looks like a mascara brush..... it's just a term to

include all types of devices for collecting samples.....

I always include Potassium and Aldosterone on the list of labs because they go

together. Potassium and Magnesium both need to be at the top of the range or

you'll be out of balance. If you're using the toilet 8 times after drinking a

glass of water, then this may suggest your body is not holding enough water....

and you'd want to check Aldosterone levels for that.

It's always fun to hear that Medical Advisors have no idea what Aldosterone

is... you can just see them squirming in their seat, trying to figure out what

it is and what it does :0)

And just a reminder that this is an INTERNATIONAL site now, not just a UK site.

Cheers,

JOT

> " swab test " is the american vernacular for the saliva test to see how the

adrenals are doing at four specific times in the day.

[Guest guest]

Oh Eurrrgghh! I couldn't do that!!!! I'm soooooo squeamish...

xx

>

, you will actually feel your salivary glands, gently massage

> these to produce saliva,