Anyone familiar in Cortisol? I have labs - swab x4

[cleverusername]

I took the swabs as directed, within 30 minutes of waking up, before lunch and so on.

I am waking up around 3 AM for months now, wide awake! If I try to go back to sleep I end up tossing and turning. Only after being up for a few hours am I able to wind down enough to go back to bed. By then its time to get ready for work though. Its a endless cycle and is taking a toll on my mental health. I can literally feel the difference in how much better I feel if I somehow don't wake up at 3 and sleep till 5:30 am or so. This feeling better multiples if sleeping till 5:30 am occurs 2 or 3 days in a row. This was happening Pre-TRT as well, I am sure it contributed to my Low T and thought it would end once I got dialled in, but it hasn't.


Swab 1 - 2:45 AM = 0.185 ranges 0.025 - 0.600 (says 8 am though)

Swab 2 - 11:15 AM = 0.056 ranges 0.010 - 0.330 (says noon)

Swab 3 - 5:15 PM = 0.025 ranges 0.010 - 0.200 (says 4 PM)

Swab 4 - 9:00 PM = 0.012 ranges 0.010 - 0.090 (says Midnight)


To me these look OK. The only thing I see wrong is the timing is off. My "spike" should be later in the AM, not at 3 AM. How does one train the hormones to switch times, or train the body to adjust the hormones?

Any feedback is appreciated, Thanks!

 

[Vince Carter]

To me these look OK. The only thing I see wrong is the timing is off. My "spike" should be later in the AM, not at 3 AM. How does one train the hormones to switch times, or train the body to adjust the hormones?

Any feedback is appreciated, Thanks!

I think that you're correct but you did the testing at most all the wrong times, there's a reason its listed as such, 8/Noon/4pm/midnite, but you deviated from that so I would presume that the clinical results are null and void.

 

[cleverusername]

I think that you're correct but you did the testing at most all the wrong times, there's a reason its listed as such, 8/Noon/4pm/midnite, but you deviated from that so I would presume that the clinical results are null and void.

I was instructed to take swabs within 30 minutes of waking up, before lunch, before dinner, and 1 hour before bed. How would a spike be read if you dont take it at the time of wakening? Also what about those who work PM type shifts and live life on a whole different schedule. Them times are generic. What I meant by timing off is my peek time Cortisol level should not be at 3 AM, it should come at the time I "should" be waking up.

How do I get attn of Dr. Saya? Defy gave me the timing instructions, I even waited a day to call them to be sure on the times.

 

[Vince Carter]

So you called Defy and they told you to take a swab at ~0245? I'm certain that no one told you to take a swab @ 0245, the times aren't generic...that's when you take the swabs but hey good luck, it's an expensive test when you have to redo it. Maybe that brings a certain posture to knowing you may have mucked it all up.

 

[cleverusername]

So you called Defy and they told you to take a swab at ~0245? I'm certain that no one told you to take a swab @ 0245, the times aren't generic...that's when you take the swabs but hey good luck, it's an expensive test when you have to redo it. Maybe that brings a certain posture to knowing you may have mucked it all up.

No, they didnt say take a swab at 2:45. They said take a swab within 30 minutes of waking up. for me that was 2:45. Logic would seem that if one is waking up at 3 AM, then a swab at 8 AM would not read the wake time levels correctly. I really hope its not messed up, the test didnt cost me a dime, but the time it took for me to pick it up and return it was a lot due to where I live.

 

[cleverusername]

Time of Day for Saliva Collection: You must collect saliva four times in one day.
PINK or PURPLE TUBE should be collected about 30 minutes after awakening (even if staying in bed), before breakfast and brushing teeth.
GREEN TUBE should be collected before lunch.
ORANGE TUBE should be collected before dinner.
BLUE TUBE should be collected before bedtime, preferably at least one hour after dinner.

 

[ERO]

All timing arguments aside, I feel for you in your situation as I used to wake at 2:00-3:00am and stay wide awake until my alarm went off for work and then be beat to sh*t all day.

Anyway, here is what worked for me. I now sleep a LOT better. Not 100% perfect, I occasionally still wake at 3:00 and cannot get back to sleep, but I would think it fair to say that I am 95% cured of this.

I take 25 mg of micronized DHEA right before bed. Remember, DHEA opposes cortisol. Now I know some guys have E2 issues with DHEA. I do not, but if I did I would choose a small AI dose over waking at 3:00am every night. I also take about 5 grams (a heaping teaspoon) of L-Glycene power in water before bed. Its cheap and even tastes good. I also take 1mg of time-release Melatonin and 400 mg of Magnesium Glycinate all before bed.

Everybody is different and what worked for me may not work for you, but none of these supplements are inexpensive and I would sure give it a go for a few weeks and see how you feel.

 

[madman]

I think that you're correct but you did the testing at most all the wrong times, there's a reason its listed as such, 8/Noon/4pm/midnite, but you deviated from that so I would presume that the clinical results are null and void.

Completely agree!

 

[madman]

No, they didnt say take a swab at 2:45. They said take a swab within 30 minutes of waking up. for me that was 2:45. Logic would seem that if one is waking up at 3 AM, then a swab at 8 AM would not read the wake time levels correctly. I really hope its not messed up, the test didnt cost me a dime, but the time it took for me to pick it up and return it was a lot due to where I live.

Cortisol has a natural circadian rhythm which is critical to the timing of testing ones levels. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3475279/

 

[cleverusername]

Cortisol has a natural circadian rhythm which is critical to the timing of testing ones levels. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3475279/

Then why was I told to take a swab within 30 minutes of waking up? I didnt make that up, lol. If the times are not generic, all people waking at 7:30 - 8:00 am is true then? I just dont understand why I was told to take within 30 minutes of waking instead of 8 am if it is that critical. And if it is this critical I am highly upset! I waited until I could reach Defy, talked to one of the nursing staff on the phone who clearly told me the timing schedule I needed to follow. How does one get Dr. Saya or medical staff's attention to a thread?

 

[cleverusername]

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[cleverusername]

Just wanted to provide a update...

So Melissa and Dr Saya looked at my results. They are readable, and I am taking a significant drop by 11 am, meaning my peak is coming earlier than it should. I was recommended to take RLC Labs a-Drenal to help get my system back in line. ERO has also provided some good things to take as he has dealt with the same situation and has gotten it straightened out. The messed up sleep scheduling is not doing me any good at all. I get fatigued early in the day, want to sleep after dinner, and if I do fall a sleep it makes that nights sleep that much harder. Put this together and I am suffering mentally from the issue as well. I am not as sharp, I tend to let things go, have a hard time paying attention at times too. When I do manage to get good solid decent sleep for a few nights in a row I can feel/notice the difference in myself. All the above mentioned things vanish, I become on top of my game, witty, and can hold multiple tasks at once. So I should have swabbed at 8 AM, well whatever I was told to do it within 30 minutes, it happened. I still need help advice over how to combat the Cortisol spiking way too early, and that is what Excel is all about.