Hey guys I have been around these boards for awhile, I am trying to get some advice on hormones. I have been battling health issues for years now I am 28 now and the worst of my issues started at 24 years of age after stopping years of bactrim for acne and zoloft for OCD. I have mild hypothyroidism, many saliva test come back low cortisol, my blood cortisol is always around 15 in the morning (except one test came back high at 25 but I had to be poked twice), and my testosterone fluctuates between 400-500 and has on every blood test since i was 23 and started investigating my health.
I have been to so many doctors and taken so many supplements its not even funny I have alot of blood tests but am meeting with a new ND and hoping she can order blood tests and I was hoping I could get some specifics on what to test.
I will post basic thyroid and cortisol tests, please ask for specifics and let me know what tests to order so I can ask the ND.
Also I have been seriously considering trialing Cortef in the 20-30 mg range because I have so many adrenal symptoms and thyroid symptoms (tired in the morning/afternoon, wired at night, cold extremities, I have lost most the hair on my calves and thighs and have very thin sparse hair on my arms, dizziness, constant cold and flu like symptoms that take me forever to get over. etc.) I have been told I need cortef just as many times as being told I don't need cortef, my salivary cortisol levels tanked after an steroid injection in my neck.
I have tried T3 because my T4 is always normal but I'm not converting it but any time I go over 5 mcg a day I feel exhausted. My hope is that by supplementing cortisol my adrenals can handle the extra stress of thyroid.
Here is where it gets tricky I have tested positive for Diantameoba Fragilis, Endolimax Nana,(protozoan parasites) and Lyme, babesia titers were elevated. I have tried so many antibiotics and still no noticeable improvement to my health. I was told that I cannot treat hormones until I eliminate infections but once I eliminate one infection another one pops up, I am sick and tired of trying to get rid of the infections. MY hope is that if I can balance hormones my body will be more equipped to deal with these infections.
(most recent stool test showed no D. Fragillis but overgrowth of yeast and e. coli with e. nana cysts.)
Anyone with advice or experience with Cortef, Lyme infections, low thyroid ect.
I went to a highly reccommended doctor on this site a few years back and was given everything from ssri, anti-psychotics, TCA's, to beta-blockers, I cannot list the medications I have tried needless to say I have spent alot on this doctor and still am no better, if anything the meds complicated my situation. I know he is very intelligent but he did not look at hormones like I thought he would. He did reccommed High Dose DHEA but it made me feel weird and even more groggy in the mornings he said cortisol will just screw up all my other hormones. I don't know what to think really. Would like advice of short term HC use to get body out of a rut.
Thank you for any advice!
Here are some recent blood tests:
Iron: 67 mcg/dL 50-195 mcg/dL
UIBC: 199 mcg/dL 110-370
TIBC: 266 mcg/dL 250-425 mcg/dL
Transferrin Sat %: 25% 15-60%
Ferritin: 120 ng/mL 20-345 ng/mL
Saliva Crotisol
Morning: 5.9 ref. range (13.0-24.0 nM/L) 8 am
Noon: 4.2 (5.0-8.0 nM/L) 12:30 pm
Afternoon: 5.3* (4.0-7.0 nM/L) 5 pm
Nightime: 0.2 (1.0-3.0 nM/L) 11:30 pm
total cortisol: 15.6 (23.0-42.0 nM/L)
DHEA-S Average: 7.70 (2.0-10.0 ng/mL)
T3 Reverse: 20 ng/dL Ref. Range 8-25
T4 Total: 7.2 mcg/dL 4.5-12.0
T3 Free: 2.9 pg/mL 2.3-4.2
T3 Total: 72 ng/dL 76-181
TSH: 5.93 mIU/L .40-4.50
Free T4: 1.3 ng/dL .8-1.8
Testosterone most recent - 488 ( always fluctuates between 400-500 * doc said testosterone levvels are just fine even when i was 25). DHEA always high cortisol always lowish. T3 always low with somewhat high TSH.
* I have random fevers about 100-101 that last a few hours and then subside and mild sore throat. I am so worn out and would just love some advice.
I have been to so many doctors and taken so many supplements its not even funny I have alot of blood tests but am meeting with a new ND and hoping she can order blood tests and I was hoping I could get some specifics on what to test.
I will post basic thyroid and cortisol tests, please ask for specifics and let me know what tests to order so I can ask the ND.
Also I have been seriously considering trialing Cortef in the 20-30 mg range because I have so many adrenal symptoms and thyroid symptoms (tired in the morning/afternoon, wired at night, cold extremities, I have lost most the hair on my calves and thighs and have very thin sparse hair on my arms, dizziness, constant cold and flu like symptoms that take me forever to get over. etc.) I have been told I need cortef just as many times as being told I don't need cortef, my salivary cortisol levels tanked after an steroid injection in my neck.
I have tried T3 because my T4 is always normal but I'm not converting it but any time I go over 5 mcg a day I feel exhausted. My hope is that by supplementing cortisol my adrenals can handle the extra stress of thyroid.
Here is where it gets tricky I have tested positive for Diantameoba Fragilis, Endolimax Nana,(protozoan parasites) and Lyme, babesia titers were elevated. I have tried so many antibiotics and still no noticeable improvement to my health. I was told that I cannot treat hormones until I eliminate infections but once I eliminate one infection another one pops up, I am sick and tired of trying to get rid of the infections. MY hope is that if I can balance hormones my body will be more equipped to deal with these infections.
(most recent stool test showed no D. Fragillis but overgrowth of yeast and e. coli with e. nana cysts.)
Anyone with advice or experience with Cortef, Lyme infections, low thyroid ect.
I went to a highly reccommended doctor on this site a few years back and was given everything from ssri, anti-psychotics, TCA's, to beta-blockers, I cannot list the medications I have tried needless to say I have spent alot on this doctor and still am no better, if anything the meds complicated my situation. I know he is very intelligent but he did not look at hormones like I thought he would. He did reccommed High Dose DHEA but it made me feel weird and even more groggy in the mornings he said cortisol will just screw up all my other hormones. I don't know what to think really. Would like advice of short term HC use to get body out of a rut.
Thank you for any advice!
Here are some recent blood tests:
Iron: 67 mcg/dL 50-195 mcg/dL
UIBC: 199 mcg/dL 110-370
TIBC: 266 mcg/dL 250-425 mcg/dL
Transferrin Sat %: 25% 15-60%
Ferritin: 120 ng/mL 20-345 ng/mL
Saliva Crotisol
Morning: 5.9 ref. range (13.0-24.0 nM/L) 8 am
Noon: 4.2 (5.0-8.0 nM/L) 12:30 pm
Afternoon: 5.3* (4.0-7.0 nM/L) 5 pm
Nightime: 0.2 (1.0-3.0 nM/L) 11:30 pm
total cortisol: 15.6 (23.0-42.0 nM/L)
DHEA-S Average: 7.70 (2.0-10.0 ng/mL)
T3 Reverse: 20 ng/dL Ref. Range 8-25
T4 Total: 7.2 mcg/dL 4.5-12.0
T3 Free: 2.9 pg/mL 2.3-4.2
T3 Total: 72 ng/dL 76-181
TSH: 5.93 mIU/L .40-4.50
Free T4: 1.3 ng/dL .8-1.8
Testosterone most recent - 488 ( always fluctuates between 400-500 * doc said testosterone levvels are just fine even when i was 25). DHEA always high cortisol always lowish. T3 always low with somewhat high TSH.
* I have random fevers about 100-101 that last a few hours and then subside and mild sore throat. I am so worn out and would just love some advice.