How low is low?
HI all,
Where are you drawing the line and calling an 8 am cortisol too low? The reason I ask, is because I know Dr. Teitelbaum treats any am cortisol below 16, which is considerably above what conventional doctors would call too low.
He also draws a major line in the sand between FMS, in which he says cortisol is too high, and CFS, in which he says it's too low. I've always liked Hans Selye's chart of Metabolic dysfunction, and I see this as stages, where you are too high at first, then burn out and become too low later on. You can see the chart at
www.drrind.com, or at least he used to have it.
Like many of you, I have done several ASI's. My pattern is always normal and within normal range, except for my 8 am number, which is too low by ASI standards, but just fine by conventional standards.
I believe that is why I am not a morning person, and I know it predated my illness and is even one of the causes, since I worked a day job when I got sick, which really dragged me down. I only felt good when working second shift.
My serum 8 am cortisols have run between 13 and 18.8.
My ASI 8 am cortisols have run between 8 and 15.
When I did the test that resulted in the 8am reading of 8, the lab called my alternative practitioner from all the way across the country and told her to put me on adrenal treatment right away or I would die. An 8 would elicit a yawn from a conventional doctor.
So, where do you draw the line on low cortisol?
Do any of you think FMS and CFS are the same illness?
If you know of the late Dr. Poesnecker's work, do any of you think he was right?
klutzo