Guest guest Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 I am not an expert but you may have third or forth stage adrenal exhaustion. At this stage one need to slow down HPA axis overstimulation to lower cortisol levels,If I am correct and if you are at third level and if you go on without controlling your HPA axis overstimulation you may move into further stages at which cortisol levels also start getting lower. You may wish to take an opinion of naturopath on your test results. One of those help sources might be www.chronicfatigue.org bw Nil Cortisol/DHEA levels >I just did the saliva test and discovered that although I've been using >25mg DHEA for almost a year, I still have a deficiency. The doctor >increased the dose to 40mg a day. But my question is really about the >cortisol levels, which were " normal " in the morning " high " at lunchtime > " high " at 4pm and " very high " at 8pm. I had been lying around on a fairly >ordinary day the day I did the test. The lab suggested I might have >hypoglycemia. The doc has ordered a 24 hr urine test,over three consecutive >days, results in a few days to check for nasties. > Now, I would have thought that I'd have adrenal exhaustion - the doc was > convinced I did, yet here I am in overdrive, but exhausted and wondering > how this all fits in with CFS. I finished work back in March, then after > some weeks of bed rest began to improve brilliantly. I though (silly me) > " this is it, I'm going to get better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 Thanks BW I've got a doc and a naturopath - the doc organised the tests, but I like to cover all the possibilities as I've been misdiagnosed before. I have also read that CFS can include adrenal exhaustion, and having had some big thyroid problems before it was diagnosed, I want to be sure I understand exactly what these test results mean. What I don't understand is that the worst of my stress is over, I'm going on holiday, and now my cortisol levels pop up. Meantime I'm taking it easy. Cortisol/DHEA levels >I just did the saliva test and discovered that although I've been using >25mg DHEA for almost a year, I still have a deficiency. The doctor >increased the dose to 40mg a day. But my question is really about the >cortisol levels, which were " normal " in the morning " high " at lunchtime > " high " at 4pm and " very high " at 8pm. I had been lying around on a fairly >ordinary day the day I did the test. The lab suggested I might have >hypoglycemia. The doc has ordered a 24 hr urine test,over three consecutive >days, results in a few days to check for nasties. > Now, I would have thought that I'd have adrenal exhaustion - the doc was > convinced I did, yet here I am in overdrive, but exhausted and wondering > how this all fits in with CFS. I finished work back in March, then after > some weeks of bed rest began to improve brilliantly. I though (silly me) > " this is it, I'm going to get better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 Hi , The reason the DHEA you are takaing is not raising your DHEA levels MAY be the DHEA is being converted to estrogens, testosterone, DHT, etc. or maybe you are not absorbing it. It is a good idea when monitoring hormones to monitor all of these, to see which ones are changing. One thing that virtually everyone with CFS has is their levels of cortisol plumit after physical exertion. The dynamic reponse is lost. This doesn't show up on standard saliva tests. I don't recommend you place too much focus on adrenals, as they are a secondary issue. Issues such as heavy metals, gut health, glutathione and chronic infections are where the real answers lie in my opinion. Blake Cortisol/DHEA levels >I just did the saliva test and discovered that although I've been using >25mg DHEA for almost a year, I still have a deficiency. The doctor >increased the dose to 40mg a day. But my question is really about the >cortisol levels, which were " normal " in the morning " high " at lunchtime > " high " at 4pm and " very high " at 8pm. I had been lying around on a fairly >ordinary day the day I did the test. The lab suggested I might have >hypoglycemia. The doc has ordered a 24 hr urine test,over three consecutive >days, results in a few days to check for nasties. > Now, I would have thought that I'd have adrenal exhaustion - the doc was > convinced I did, yet here I am in overdrive, but exhausted and wondering > how this all fits in with CFS. I finished work back in March, then after > some weeks of bed rest began to improve brilliantly. I though (silly me) > " this is it, I'm going to get better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 Any kind of excitement is stress for the adrenals including happy events. bw Nil Re: Cortisol/DHEA levels > > > I am not an expert but you may have third or forth stage adrenal > exhaustion. > At this stage one need to slow down HPA axis overstimulation to lower > cortisol levels,If I am correct and if you are at third level and if you > go > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 Okay, deal, no excitement about my first holiday in years. Re: Cortisol/DHEA levels > > > I am not an expert but you may have third or forth stage adrenal > exhaustion. > At this stage one need to slow down HPA axis overstimulation to lower > cortisol levels,If I am correct and if you are at third level and if you > go > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 Issues such as heavy metals, gut health, glutathione and chronic infections are where the real answers lie in my opinion. Blake ***** I'm inclined to think the same Blake. I've got plenty of mercury, nickel and copper in my system. My thyroid, melatonin and sex hormones were doing nicely for the first time in years until I took this dive. I was walking every day, doing housework. I'm still inclined to think that a break away will do me some real good. The doc I'm seeing is terrific with the hormones but really knows very little about CFS, which is why I'm asking all these questions. Cortisol/DHEA levels >I just did the saliva test and discovered that although I've been using >25mg DHEA for almost a year, I still have a deficiency. The doctor >increased the dose to 40mg a day. But my question is really about the >cortisol levels, which were " normal " in the morning " high " at lunchtime > " high " at 4pm and " very high " at 8pm. I had been lying around on a fairly >ordinary day the day I did the test. The lab suggested I might have >hypoglycemia. The doc has ordered a 24 hr urine test,over three consecutive >days, results in a few days to check for nasties. > Now, I would have thought that I'd have adrenal exhaustion - the doc was > convinced I did, yet here I am in overdrive, but exhausted and wondering > how this all fits in with CFS. I finished work back in March, then after > some weeks of bed rest began to improve brilliantly. I though (silly me) > " this is it, I'm going to get better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 > > Hi , > > The reason the DHEA you are takaing is not raising your DHEA levels MAY be the DHEA is being converted to estrogens, testosterone, DHT, etc. or maybe you are not absorbing it. It is a good idea when monitoring hormones to monitor all of these, to see which ones are changing. > > One thing that virtually everyone with CFS has is their levels of cortisol plumit after physical exertion. The dynamic reponse is lost. This doesn't show up on standard saliva tests. > > I don't recommend you place too much focus on adrenals, as they are a secondary issue. Issues such as heavy metals, gut health, glutathione and chronic infections are where the real answers lie in my opinion. > > Blake > Hi Blake I cannot agree with your last statement because in my case my CFS/ME was caused by Sheehan's Syndrome which caused secondary adrenal insufficiency and hypothyroidism together with low oestrogen. I am sure I am not the only women this has happened to and it took 28 years to get some treatment but 32 years to be told I need complete replacement for cortisol and need to adjust my thyroid meds too. In addition it is known that there is hypo function of the HPA axis in CFS and in some people it is so bad they benefit from physiological doses of h/c. Again this is very difficult to test for because the problem might lie in the pituitary but it affects the adrenal's production of cortisol. Giving low dose h/c does not cure people with CFS but it at least gives them some quality of life. There are quite a few studies in Pubmed which shows the benfits of low dose treatment of the adrenals in CFS. Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 > > I just did the saliva test and discovered that although I've been using 25mg DHEA for almost a year, I still have a deficiency. The doctor increased the dose to 40mg a day. But my question is really about the cortisol levels, which were " normal " in the morning " high " at lunchtime " high " at 4pm and " very high " at 8pm. I had been lying around on a fairly ordinary day the day I did the test. The lab suggested I might have hypoglycemia. The doc has ordered a 24 hr urine test,over three consecutive days, results in a few days to check for nasties. > Now, I would have thought that I'd have adrenal exhaustion - the doc was convinced I did, yet here I am in overdrive, but exhausted and wondering how this all fits in with CFS. I finished work back in March, then after some weeks of bed rest began to improve brilliantly. I though (silly me) " this is it, I'm going to get better now. I just had to get out of that stressful job. " And then down I went again (must have been all that excitement) and have continued thus since June/July. My blood pressure's been consistently high, now under control more or less if I don't exert myself, with Norvasc 10mg. It bothers me that I have this constant pressure on my chest. > Is this all part of CFS? Or should I be looking for other options. > Can someone can help me understand all this and how it relates to the test results, and what I can do to make me better. I read about doing things like relaxation (I do that every day), taking supplements, especially C (tons of it, plus IVs from time to time), hormones (you name it). > Hi It occurs to me from what you have written above that it might be that you might have a thyroid problem. Have you had a full thyroid panel done to include TSH, free T3, free T4? Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Yeah Pam did all that, and I'm taking thyroid extract, and extra (65mcg) T3. The T4 has been going down again so I top up with an extra thyroid extract every couple of days. I had very high reverse t3 results but they've reduced to the normal level now. I'm told by the doc that because it has been so long undiagnosed it'll take a while until it is all running smoothly. Since I've started taking the extra 15 mgs (now 40 mgs) the last day and a half have been decidedly better. DHEA seems to be very very important to my body. If I vary it in any way, in dose size or time of taking I really plunge. I read that DHEA doesn't work for everyone, but for me it's been a life saver, along with, of course, those glorious thyroid hormones. Re: Cortisol/DHEA levels > > I just did the saliva test and discovered that although I've been using 25mg DHEA for almost a year, I still have a deficiency. The doctor increased the dose to 40mg a day. But my question is really about the cortisol levels, which were " normal " in the morning " high " at lunchtime " high " at 4pm and " very high " at 8pm. I had been lying around on a fairly ordinary day the day I did the test. The lab suggested I might have hypoglycemia. The doc has ordered a 24 hr urine test,over three consecutive days, results in a few days to check for nasties. > Now, I would have thought that I'd have adrenal exhaustion - the doc was convinced I did, yet here I am in overdrive, but exhausted and wondering how this all fits in with CFS. I finished work back in March, then after some weeks of bed rest began to improve brilliantly. I though (silly me) " this is it, I'm going to get better now. I just had to get out of that stressful job. " And then down I went again (must have been all that excitement) and have continued thus since June/July. My blood pressure's been consistently high, now under control more or less if I don't exert myself, with Norvasc 10mg. It bothers me that I have this constant pressure on my chest. > Is this all part of CFS? Or should I be looking for other options. > Can someone can help me understand all this and how it relates to the test results, and what I can do to make me better. I read about doing things like relaxation (I do that every day), taking supplements, especially C (tons of it, plus IVs from time to time), hormones (you name it). > Hi It occurs to me from what you have written above that it might be that you might have a thyroid problem. Have you had a full thyroid panel done to include TSH, free T3, free T4? Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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