Re: What is best lab for saliva test?

January 5, 2005

> My question: What is the best lab, in your experience, for saliva

testing of adrenal hormones?

In my experience, ZRT labs. Janie in 4 degrees Colorado

January 5, 2005

> I am going to my doc's on Monday, Jan 10, to get some more tests

done, as I have not improved with thyroid and cortisol

supplementation.

How much Armour are you on and how long have you been on the latest

dose?

How much cortisol?

Have you had your Ferritin tested?

Janie

January 6, 2005

>> I am going to my doc's on Monday, Jan 10, to get some more tests

>> done, as I have not improved with thyroid and cortisol

>> supplementation.

>

> How much Armour are you on and how long have you been on the latest

> dose?

I took Armour for a number of years, and got as high as 10 grains before

getting any hyper symptoms, with no improvement in symptoms of

hypometabolism--the worst being extreme fatigue and poor intestinal

peristalsis. For about the last year of Armour, I was taking between 8-10

grains a day, plus Cytomel 5mcg 4Xday.

Then I went on Thyrolar for about 1 1/2 year. Then I went on

protocol for last 1 1/2 yr. (increasing, then decreasing dosage of

timed-release T3, from 7.5mcg to 90mcg). No improvement. (sigh)

Am on my last cycle of protocol, and began reintroducing Armour 1

1/2 weeks ago. I plan to go back on Armour. Will increase dosage to

tolerance, I suppose.

> How much cortisol?

I was taking 7.5mg 4X day, but I was getting puffy and bloated. So I

backed off, and am now on 5mg 2Xday, and 2.5mg 2Xday.

> Have you had your Ferritin tested?

Yes, 2 or 3 years ago. I don't remember the numbers, but my doc said I

was only a little bit low. Had me supplement Ferritol (?) for a few

weeks. I am glad I only had to take it a short while, because iron

supplementation causes constipation, which slows my intestines down even

more. And no improvement in any symptoms. So the side effects of the

treatment make my life worse rather than better.

I am going to have B12 checked in the next round of tests. I am a

vegetarian. Though I eat eggs and cheese, I could be low on B12.

Should I have my Ferritin checked again? I dread getting that dx again.

I had a hysterectomy in '74. I use an estradiol patch .025mg and non-Rx

progesterone cream.

Thanks1

Deb

Deborah Hobson Leech

dleech@...

January 6, 2005

Deb, I am going to suggest something for you to try . You seem to be very

thyroid resistant, as I am too. The doses of T3 you have tried were paltry! I

am one of the weird ones that has to take T3 with my Armour to feel good. I am

now at 5.5 grains Armour and 75mcg Cytomel. I break that up to four times a day

dosing with the lion's share in the morning then more around 11 AM then again at

4 PM then a little at bedtime. I take 25 mcg Cytomel at a time and can feel when

it drops off. It reminds me when my next dosage is due. Have you had any testing

done while take the higher dosages of Armour? Got any results we could ponder

over? And have you had any adrenal testing done?

*Artistic Grooming * Hurricane, WV

Fat cat? Diabetes? Listowner for overweight or hypothyroid cats

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hypokitties/

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January 6, 2005

> Deb, I am going to suggest something for you to try . You seem to be

> very thyroid resistant, as I am too. The doses of T3 you have tried were

> paltry!

Yes, I tried higher doses, until my doc caved in to the pharmacist, who

said such high doses of T3 were unheard of.

I will try spreading my Armour doses out 4Xs a day. When do you take your

multi-vitamin with calcium if you do that?

Though it seems I have very little response to anything I take by mouth.

I am wondering if I have poor digestive absorption, maybe due to

hypometabolism.

> Have you had any testing done while take

> the higher dosages of Armour? Got any results we could ponder over? And

> have you had any adrenal testing done?

No testing for a while. We've been going by symptoms.

Should I get some thyroid testing done? Are you suggesting I have the

tests done after I get to the highest Armour dose I can tolerate?

I was wanting to have an adrenal saliva test, to check for the other

adrenal hormones, besides the cortisol that I am already supplementing.

Specifically I was wondering, after following some threads on this list,

if I needed Dhea or testosterone or aldosterone.

Thanks for your support and ideas.

Deb

Deborah Hobson Leech

dleech@...

January 6, 2005

I do not take a multi vitamin or calcium. I do drink a lot of milk. I am not a

breakfast eater nor lunch and I know this is a big no no for thyroid folks, but

I have always eaten just once a day. Well maybe a little snack when I get home

for work then dinner an hour or so later. Mornings I do drink Coffee but

evenings I drink milk. I try to not take my thyroid near when I have had ,milk,

but sometimes it just doesn;t work so I dissolve the thyroid in my cheek. This

is supposed to bypass the stomach for the most of the thyroid hormones.