Chris can you help on this? Re: Lab results back, dr wanted lab 1 hr after HC dose

[Guest guest]

philip georgian wrote:

Dawn this is great and proves why I feel the need to test this I don't do

my meds first and my Cortisol came in at 15 this is good. Shows I am not

shut down and that my levels are better then my first test at 6.

Phil

dawnfurlong wrote:

I got my lab results back! Quick refresher, my doctor has insisted

on labs to measure cortisol levels since I went on HC. In December

I deliberately went to take labs BEFORE taking my HC dose, which I

was slightly over due for. I thought if my cortisol level came back

low, there would be no issue with her keeping me on HC. They did

come back low, and she freaked out (very worried my adrenals are

shutting down...first person she is treating adrenal fatigue with

HC). The level was a little lower than the labs she took in

October. I told her about the timing of the lab, wondered what

would happen if I had labs drawn AFTER an HC dose. I agreed to the

labs, and also to do the same 2 labs in one month (same timing as

first two labs).

These were the results of lab work taken 1 hour AFTER my second dose

of HC for the day. I thought they would come back much higher as it

would be measuring the HC in my system (my doctor said she would

surmise lower as the adrenals would be surpressed by the HC and not

be putting out any). I was correct, results were higher. This to me

says that the bloodwork, while on HC, is reflective of what is

floating around in the body due to the medication more than

anything. I thought this fascinating, so wanted to pass it on, for

whatever meaning it has.

Hi Dawn and Phil (and Chris!):

I personally don't see how you can tell whether the blood work is showing

suppressed adrenals or not. You could make an argument for either:

The docs want to figure out whether my low/high cortisol is b/c I am or

am not taking h.c. Since the hpa is effected for up to 2 weeks by the

h.c. dosing, I'm not sure how one would be able to tell by a.m. cortisol

blood levels while on h.c. whether the h.c. was 'shutting down' the

adrenals?? And even if the hpa axis were not effected, how would you

know how to intepret the a.m. cortisol levels?

Does anyone share my confusion? This is a really important question for

those of us with docs who want to 'monitor' what the h.c. is doing by

taking a.m. cortisol blood levels. My doc for example wants me to take a

cortisol level between 8 & 9 a.m. without my having had any cortisol yet

that day. This is still different from what your docs did, I think. If

it comes out low, will he interpret that my adrenals are shut down and I

need to get off h.c., or that I need h.c.? How will he know?

Thanks,

Dahlia