Can anyone help me with reading my cortisol results?

[Everydaystruggle]

Can anyone give me any insight on these results. I’d feel as the times are not in the order that I labeled them. #1 should be 8am, #2 would be noon #3 would be 4pm and #4 would be midnight. None the less I know it says “Normal” but what’s normal? If I’m understanding it correctly then #1 is 4pm,
#2 is 8am, #3 is noon, and #4 would be midnight. I’m confused.

 

[Blackhawk]

Normal curve starts higher upon waking then decreases throughout the day. The order displayed looks correct for a daily test starting at 8am.

My own numbers were incredibly close to yours with the exception of 4pm:

8am .226, range 0.025 - 0.600
12noon .061, range 0.010 - 0.330
4pm .044, range 0.010 - 0.200
10:00 .010, range <0.010 - 0.090

Dr Saya said the curve is good but the overall level is low. I am starting Thyroid (NDT), and we'll see if it bumps cortisol a bit. To be continued...

 

[Everydaystruggle]

Wow that’s extremely close my levels. What kind of symptoms are you having? Mine are extreme fatigue and a constant adrenaline feeling, like my body is stuck in then flight or fight response. I’m anxious to know if you feel better with the thyroid medicine. Did he said why thyroid medicine and not hydrocortisone?

 

[Blackhawk]

Other than our numbers being close, I don't think it is reasonable to interpret any of my results as similar to yours in terms of symptoms or treatment, There is too much else going on to attribute overall symptoms to just a cortisol curve. That is just one note in a symphony of hormonal reactions and has to be looked at in context of everything else.

I have particular needs and goals from HRT, at this point an adjusting to T cyp, changing doses of DHEA, continuing pregnenelone, and starting thyroid (NDT). Too many variables to be comparable to your case.

The reason for Thyroid is the thyroid blood tests, and that thyroid function affects adrenals/cortisol. The cortisol issue is not isolated from the other aspects of HRT.

 

[Everydaystruggle]

That is s very good point. We’re you having any of the symptoms I described? I’ve actually been thinking of having him due a thyroid panel also. And I’ve been hearing good things about pregnalone also. This is all new to me. So it’s kind of confusing. I’m just trying to be proactive on things I can bring up to Dr. Saya

 

[Blackhawk]

I can't pick anything from my stuff that necessarily relates symptomatically to yours or not.

Here's what I am dealing with:

https://www.excelmale.com/forum/showthread.php?11644-Blackhawk-s-journey-with-TRT

https://www.excelmale.com/forum/showthread.php?12430-New-T-cyp-dosage-Do-I-have-this-right


And I have asked and discussed more about thyroid:

https://www.excelmale.com/forum/showthread.php?12424-Dissicated-Thyroid-Compund-vs-Name-Brand

look into tiredthyroid and stop the thyroid madness websites. I've also found ratbag and vettester chris' knowledge about thyroid helpful on this forum.

And regarding fight or flight, I have PTSD which is not necessarily directly related to all my other stuff though it certainly interplays with hormones especially adrenals. I posted regarding therapy for PTSD here, post #36

https://www.excelmale.com/forum/sho...try-treatments-for-depression-are-there/page2

 

[Everydaystruggle]

Thank you for this info and hope as well for you.

 

[Blackhawk]

You too! I have read some of your posts here and at PEAK, I believe there are solutions for individuals who take the effort to find them!

And just food for thought, I think I may see something we share... anxiety over out health and that we have some difficulties coming to terms with all the different aspects of our symptoms, effects of our treatments etc... hypervigilance.

I constantly catch myself being hypervigilant, and I know it developed in me from PTSD stuff. While I certainly had really big mood swings from hormones being out of whack, I also realize a large part of my anxieties are indeed based primarily in the mind, and that getting hormones right doesn't fix other underlying psych issues. I keep working on the psychological things along with the chemical things.

Keep on man!