Short Synacthen test.

[justy]

Hi all, i have just got back from having the short synacthen test, an injection of chemical ACTH to rule out Addisons disease. They only took my blood before and then 30 minutes after. I was worried about having side effects but i was absolutely fine. The injection is intramuscular and was VERY painful.

The thing i am interested in is how i felt after the test - i know the NHS wont be bothered but i wondered if it might have some bearing on what is going on with my hormones. I actually became incredibly calm, to the point of feeling unbearably sleepy. Like the saying 'so laid back you could fall over.' Its not that im ususally not calm, just that i had a very enhanced type of calm and sleepiness.

Any ideas?
Justy.

 

[Nielk]

Hi all, i have just got back from having the short synacthen test, an injection of chemical ACTH to rule out Addisons disease. They only took my blood before and then 30 minutes after. I was worried about having side effects but i was absolutely fine. The injection is intramuscular and was VERY painful.

The thing i am interested in is how i felt after the test - i know the NHS wont be bothered but i wondered if it might have some bearing on what is going on with my hormones. I actually became incredibly calm, to the point of feeling unbearably sleepy. Like the saying 'so laid back you could fall over.' Its not that im ususally not calm, just that i had a very enhanced type of calm and sleepiness.

Any ideas?
Justy.

Justy,

Do you know what the result of your test showed? ACTH releases steroids in the body. Many people have a feeling of great well-being while on steroids so that might explain your feeling of calmness.

I recently had to go on two six day courses of prednisone. While on it, I felt much better. When I came off it, I became a mess. It took a few days to get over the withdrawal pain.

 

[justy]

No Nielk, i dont have the results until i go and see the consultant again - in about 3-6 months - although i suppose if they found anything SERIOUS they would contact me.
(I just thought about what i wrote above - as if it isnt serious what i already have. 17 years of ill health and the last 3 unable to work and being bed or housebound, it couldnt be much more serious)

Update - i now feel absolutely terrible. Am having an immense energy drain of a sort that i used to get all the time, but havent had in a while. I can hardly keep my eyes open or read, the page is very blurred. Will have to spend the rest of the day on the sofa/in bed and hope its better tomorrow.
All the best, Justy.

 

[Nielk]

No Nielk, i dont have the results until i go and see the consultant again - in about 3-6 months - although i suppose if they found anything SERIOUS they would contact me.
(I just thought about what i wrote above - as if it isnt serious what i already have. 17 years of ill health and the last 3 unable to work and being bed or housebound, it couldnt be much more serious)

Update - i now feel absolutely terrible. Am having an immense energy drain of a sort that i used to get all the time, but havent had in a while. I can hardly keep my eyes open or read, the page is very blurred. Will have to spend the rest of the day on the sofa/in bed and hope its better tomorrow.
All the best, Justy.

It could be the withdrawal effect from the steroid.

 

[snowathlete]

Update - i now feel absolutely terrible.

I had this test and had the same problem later that day. My result came back 'normal' but i concluded that i probably felt crap after the test because the test is basically putting a demand on your adrenals that wouldnt normally be there, and if you suffer from adrenal fatigue, as i do, then this basically means that adrenals got hammered today.

Normal, just means that they managed to respond correctly to the call for more adrenalin. What it doesnt show is whether they could keep this up under normal load, or that they are being asked to make an appropriate amount. So, it is literally just a test to rule out addisons, which hopefully you wont have!

Unfortunately, in the UK at least, they only seem to care about Addisons, and adrenal fatigue isnt considered serious enough to look into or treat...on the NHS at anyrate!

 

[justy]

Hi Snowathlete, yes i am sure adrenal fatigue is part of my picture too. As you say the test will only rule out Addisons - which is unlikely.
I think my adrenal fatigue was exacerbated by years of high dose inhaled steroids (the maximum dose possible for 8 years) interspersed with oral steroids for lung infections. Now i have a fibrotic band in my lung, but all the work i have doen on my M.E in the past two years has helped my lung problems enormously and i havent had an infection for a very long time.

I also couldnt really tolerate thyroxine - my levels didnt go hyperthyroid but i had the symptoms (racing pulse insomnia etc) which some have said could indicate adrenal problems as well as thyroid.

What are you doing for your adrenal fatigue? could you point me in the right direction?

All the best, Justy.

PS - i was only having the test done because my NHS GP is working hard to rule obvious things out as this was never done for me, so i do appreciate it, but i know i have M.E and if it was a respected disease in the NHS then they would just let me get on with the diagnosis i have!

 

[snowathlete]

PS - i was only having the test done because my NHS GP is working hard to rule obvious things out as this was never done for me, so i do appreciate it, but i know i have M.E and if it was a respected disease in the NHS then they would just let me get on with the diagnosis i have!

Id say your lucky really. My GP just says "you have a diagnosis, so there is no need to rule anyting else out"...but there is, because the diagnosis is by exclusion, so unless everything has been excluded, its not bullet prove. Whereas there is only a small chance of Addisons for example, its so worth testing because if it was that then its treatable, as apposed to ME/CFS.

I understand what your saying though, its a pain.

 

[justy]

Yes, Snow, you are right, its good to have a doctor who wants to make sure.
Ive been mildly crashed now ever since the test and my eye problems and pain have all come back too - could be a coincidence i suppose. With this bloody illness you can never know!
Justy.