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very low cortisol levels 1

 

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low cortisol levels-Joe

Has anyone been told that they have low cortisol levels? What does this mean? What is it caused by? Can it be treated? How? Could it have been caused by a past habit of pot smoking? I would really love some respnse. Thank you.
 
  foggy on 2006-09-09
This is just a forum. Assume posts are not from medical professionals.
it is due to smoking .please reduce your smoking and try arsenic alb 3 or 6C daily one dose for one month go for corisol test and report me.
dr.deoshlok sharma
 
deoshlok last decade
To Foggy

I did not remember what Cortisol was and its relationship to the body and I am copying an article which will answer your questions.

According to this article there is no connection to smoking as mentioned above in the last post. I do agree however that smoking POT is bad for your health.

CORTISOL

Related tests: ACTH, Aldosterone

How is it used?
When is it ordered?
What does the test result mean?
Is there anything else I should know?

How is it used?
Blood and urine tests for cortisol are used to help diagnose Cushing's syndrome and Addison's disease, two serious adrenal disorders. Some physicians are using salivary cortisol to diagnose Cushing's syndrome as well as to evaluate possible stress-related disorders, although these uses are not widespread.
Both the urine and saliva tests are most frequently used to evaluate excess cortisol production.

Once an abnormal cortisol concentration has been detected, the doctor will do additional testing to help confirm the excess or deficiency and to help determine its cause.

Dexamethasone Suppression
If there is excess cortisol production, the doctor may perform a dexamethasone suppression test to help determine whether the cause of the cortisol is related to excess ACTH production by the pituitary. This test involves giving the patient oral dexamethasone (a synthetic glucocorticoid) and then measuring their blood and urine cortisol levels. Dexamethasone suppresses ACTH production and should decrease cortisol production if the source of the excess is pituitary related. There are a variety of dosing schedules, but the medication is usually given every 6 hours for either 2 or 4 days prior to blood or urine collection. Separate 24-hour urine samples are collected prior to and throughout the testing period and then the blood and urine samples are measured for cortisol and evaluated.

ACTH Stimulation
If the findings of the initial blood and/or urine tests indicate insufficient cortisol production, the doctor may order an ACTH stimulation test. This test involves measuring the concentration of cortisol in a patientÕs blood before and after an injection of synthetic ACTH. If the adrenal glands are functioning normally, then cortisol levels will rise with the ACTH stimulation. If they are damaged, then the response will be limited. A longer version of this test (1-3 days) may be performed to help distinguish between adrenal and pituitary insufficiency.


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When is it ordered?
A cortisol test may be ordered when a patient has symptoms that suggest CushingÕs syndrome (obesity, muscle wasting, and muscle weakness) or AddisonÕs disease (weakness, fatigue, increased pigmentation, among others).
Suppression or stimulation testing is ordered when initial findings are abnormal. Cortisol testing may be ordered at intervals when patients are being or have been treated for CushingÕs syndrome or AddisonÕs disease to monitor the effectiveness of treatment.


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What does the test result mean?
NOTE: A standard reference range is not available for this test. Because reference values are dependent on many factors, including patient age, gender, sample population, and test method, numeric test results have different meanings in different labs. Your lab report should include the specific reference range for your test. Lab Tests Online strongly recommends that you discuss your test results with your doctor. For more information on reference ranges, please read Reference Ranges and What They Mean.

In normal people, cortisol levels are very low at bedtime and at their highest just after waking. This pattern will change if a person works irregular shifts (such as the night shift) and sleeps at different times of the day. With CushingÕs syndrome, this pattern is typically lost.
Increased or normal cortisol concentrations in the morning along with levels that do not drop in the afternoon and evening suggest an overproduction of cortisol. If this excess cortisol is suppressed during a dexamethasone suppression test, it suggests that the excess cortisol is due to increased pituitary ACTH production. If it is not suppressed, then the increased cortisol could be due to an ACTH-producing tumor outside of the pituitary, due to a problem with the adrenal gland, or due to a medication that the patient is taking.

If the adrenal glands are overactive, then a patient may have CushingÕs syndrome, with symptoms and signs caused by prolonged exposure to the effects of too much cortisol. This may be due to excess production of cortisol by the adrenal glands (which is frequently due to a benign adrenal tumor) or excess ACTH stimulation (due to a pituitary or other ACTH-producing tumor). It can also be seen in patients who must take corticosteroid medications, such as those used to treat asthma. If insufficient cortisol is present and the patient responds to an ACTH stimulation test, then the problem is likely due to insufficient ACTH production by the pituitary. If cortisol levels do not respond to the ACTH stimulation test, then it is more likely that the problem is based in the adrenal glands. If the adrenal glands are underactive, due to adrenal damage or insufficient ACTH production, then the patient is said to have adrenal insufficiency. If decreased cortisol production is due to adrenal damage, then the patient is said to have AddisonÕs disease.

Once an abnormality has been identified and associated with the pituitary gland, adrenal glands, or other cause, then the doctor may use other testing such as CT (computerized tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans to locate the source of the excess (such as a pituitary, adrenal, or other tumor) and to evaluate the extent of any damage to the glands.

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Is there anything else I should know?
Pregnancy, physical and emotional stress, and illness can increase cortisol levels. Cortisol levels may also increase as a result of hyperthyroidism or obesity. A number of drugs can also increase levels, particularly oral contraceptives (birth control pills), hydrocortisone (the synthetic form of cortisol), and spironolactone. Adults have slightly higher cortisol levels than children do.
Hypothyroidism may decrease cortisol levels. Drugs that may decrease levels include some steroid hormones.

For the blood test, you should maintain a normal salt diet (2 to 3 grams per day) beforehand and fast and limit physical activity for 10 to 12 hours prior to the test.

Salivary cortisol testing is being used more frequently to help diagnose Cushing's syndrome and stress-related disorders but still requires specialized expertise to perform and is not yet widely available.
 
Joe De Livera last decade
Dear foggy,
Mr. joe de livera is pathological he is correct we know about this

A cortisol level is a blood test that measures the amount of cortisol, a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex

but it is not correct in homoeopathy. This may be cause of increasing cortisol by mental anxiety, fear about disease, use of cortigen may increase the cortisol level. I have prescribe only one symptoms that is fear about disease i.e. Ars Alb , peoples are smoking due to mental stress and anxiety i..e will be the cuase of disease.
dr.deoshlok sharma
 
deoshlok last decade
Thanks so much for the response. The Dr. I am seeing gave me two homeopathic medicines.
Supren and Cytozyme-AD.
He hopes this will get my corisol levels up. If not he wants to try a small dose (10 mg) of DHEA. So far I am feeling better and not having the cravings for smoking.
 
foggy last decade
Foggy are you sure supren and cytozyme-AD are homeopathic? These more look like allopathic.
 
maheeru last decade
Oh-I don't know what allopathic is?
 
foggy last decade
The bottles say homeopathic.
 
foggy last decade
I believe in natural remedies whenever possible. However ...PLEASE be advised that low cortisol levels in the blood can be a sign of Addisons disease and without correct and meticulous treatment it can be fatal. If it were me , I would rule out this possibility of adrenal insufficiency before looking for natural treatments. These hormones are essential to life and can't be replaced by an herb or homeopathic remedy. They hormone must be replaced.
Addisons is VERY serious and if you are injured or become ill, without proper and prompt treatment, it can be fatal. Just fyi.
 
wendyh last decade
dear mr murthy, have been taking the kali-phos and don't seemed to have noticed too much difference, except i caught a cold,
started in nose blocked,
itchy ears and blocked,
moved to the throat,
need to clear a greenish flem,
hoarse voice,
wheezing and rattling in- chest oppression in chest,
feels like a claw is clutching my heart, becoming more pronounced,
on menses at same time
ribs,hips,knees ache.

have a little more energy to talk much more coherently and writing seems to be able to actually sit on the page rather than all over it .
BUT NO ENERGY,
XX LOVE NINA
 
nmgdes last decade

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