Valid medical diagnosis and getting real problems resolved Re: Re: My First Post

[Guest guest]

If find it highly irrational that there is no " medical diagnosis " for

wild changes in cortisol as long as one's morning blood draw remains

within the normal range.

Are you saying their's no such thing, or merely that medicine doesn't

recognize decreasing adrenal output (cortisol) as a problem until it

reaches a crisis?

The way I understand this, they sample the population, take the mean, go

out two standard deviations up and down the bell curve for " normal "

(includes 95% of the population sample) and then call the lower 2.5% of

the population sample 's disease and upper 2.5% Cushing's

syndrome. If your normal cortisol reading were to drop 50% in value,

but not place you into the lower 2.5%, medical science refused to

recognize that as a problem, but, they will happily prescribe an

anti-depressant or other high cost prescription options being some how

" certain " that a dramatic decrease in cortisol output cannot be a

" medical diagnosis " because such things are " fictional " and cannot

produce any of the symptoms that are " purported " to be attributed to

lower cortisol.

It's a good thing vision isn't diagnosed that way, or only 1 in 20

people would be " allowed " to get an eyeglass prescription and if your

vision starting change a lot but didn't move you outside two standard

deviations from the mean, your vision problem would become something

that was " all in your head " .

But, my real problem.

Now, I've got a potassium problem I'd like to " resolve " but apparently

it's not something my cardiologist thinks needs more investigation, at

least, I haven't put him on the " spot " . My heart rate increases on

occasion about 40 bpm above normal and will not come down, even by

doubling my beta blocker medication. Since my heart rate stays below 140

bpm, a point defined as tachycardia (a medical " diagnosis " ) , there is

no " problem " according to the ER doctors even though it's more that 50%

above my normal resting rate. My potassium lab work at the ER is

usually normal but at the very low end. Once it was 3.5 and the low end

was 3.5, and the ER didn't see this as a problem but sent me home with a

resting heart rate 50% above normal. I took the liberty of

supplementing 500 mg that evening of potassium and within 30 minutes, my

heart rate was back to normal. I've since experimented with daily

potassium supplements and found an amount that I need to take to prevent

these random increases in heart rate. That amount is 3000 mg/day in

addition to 2 large glasses of low sodium tomato juice a day which gives

me another 2000 mg/day in addition to my normal diet. My potassium

blood work on this amount is typically in the lower half of the " normal "

range. I've explained this all to my cardiologist before. Do doctors

really hear you?

So, do I have a problem? My potassium remains within the " normal "

reference range yet supplemental potassium prevents my random elevations

in heart rate. Yet, when my resting heart rate increases 50%, since

it's not " technically " tachycardia, there is still no problem from

certain medical angles! It's all seems like so much BS at this point.

A resting heart rate of 110 when it normally is 70 isn't something I'm

willing to live with and call " normal " , regardless of there being an

" official medical diagnosis " . I want solutions, not hand waving and

buck passing.

Now, what do I do? I want my cardiologist to look into this but the only

choice I can think of is to stop potassium supplements, wait for my

heart rate to get " high " , make an appointment, and convince him that I

have a problem. His nurse always asks for an update for prescriptions

drugs and I always include the 3000 mg/day of potassium and I always

point it out to him when he comes in - he's known this for almost two

years now. This could be related to adrenals but as you note, there can

be a number of problems that don't have a " medical diagnosis " and are

therefor imaginary? If this is related to hypoaldosteronism or lowered

cortisol output but not " enough " to meet the requirements of a " medical

diagnosis " , then allopathic medical science will be telling me it's all

imaginary and that perhaps I should be on an anti-depressant since a

high heart rate is not something I'm happy with? (I prefer the

potassium citrate over any anti-depressant medication any day if these

are the only two choices - I think there's more choices if I can get my

doctors motivated.)

Before seeing my doctors again, I'm getting am AM/PM cortisol blood

test, aldosterone blood work, and perhaps an ACTH in addition to a 4

sample saliva cortisol test for comparison from two different labs.

[i've heard the orthodox religion preaching on saliva tests and I'm not

buying it.] A 24 hour urine test for cortisol or aldosterone might be

valuable but I haven't found a place I can order that myself as of yet.

Except for the the saliva tests, all my lab work is done at Labcorp.

Instead of bringing the results to my doctors (they're used to this

since I usually do regular CBC/CMP/Cholesterol/hormones/Uric

tests/etc.), I might need to get them to order these test via my insurance.

What other tests should I consider?

I want this problem solved at least as to why (along with a few others)

if I have to drag my doctors kicking and screaming into real life

instead of assembly line no-need-to-think medicine.

Steve - tired of medical BS buck passing and hand waving

Lowerbp2 wrote:

>

>

> Adrenal fatigue is not a known medical diagnosis

> IMHO

>

> Beware of health care providers

> Selling this

>

> Sent from my iPhone

>

> CE Grim MS MD

> Specializing in Difficult Hypertension

> Senior Consultant to Shared Care Research and Education Comsulting Inc

> Sharedcareinc@... <mailto:Sharedcareinc%40mac.com>

>

> On Oct 5, 2008, at 4:51 PM, Sheilah <beachboyfan1@...

> <mailto:beachboyfan1%40>> wrote:

>

> > Thank you very much for this information.My friend got me to try sea

> > salt a few days ago.I will research what you have told me before my

> > next doctor visit.So,I can kinda guide her along.She's pretty good at

> > listening to me.

> >

> > Maybe I should be the doctor.hahaa.jk

> > Sheilah

> >

> > In hyperaldosteronism

> <mailto:hyperaldosteronism%40>, " ms_sisyphus_00 "

> > <ms_sisyphus_00@...> wrote:

> > >

> > > HI Sheila

> > >

> > > wow, about the edema legs, but also top of foot with Extreme

> > itching/

> > > clear " blister " ! i had that when i got really sick a couple of

> > > summers ago;

> > > i have longterm hypothryodi = hashimoto's autoimmine thyroid

> > disease.

> > >

> > > turns out i did NOt convert the standard thyroid hormone med

> > > (synthroid) which contains only T4 thyroid hormone (vs T3, the

> > Active

> > > hormone) and i remained hypothyroid all the years i was on meds!

> > (IE

> > > i had a below NOrmal Free t3 )

> > >

> > > --

> > > anyway, having hypothryodi /low Free t3 (with a " Normal tsh " ) did

> > not

> > > help my adreanl glands ; because the adrenal and thyroid glands

> > work

> > > so synergistically

> > > and after a lot of life/emotion stress -and the physical stress of

> > > summer (no AC ) i got that blister and also a Ton of other symtpoms

> > > that i had been living with became worse. ]

> > > btw, the itching was incredibly fierce!!!!

> > >

> > > (i had slightly high BP for years , but postural hypOtension

> > > (lightheaded when standing up) got MUCH worse that summer.

> > >

> > > ~*~

> > > my new MD (alternative MD who also knows accupuncture) had me do a

> > > 24hr cortisol saliva test. (and i Googled to learn more about the

> > > symptoms! all of which i had lived with Since childhood!!)

> > >

> > > i have High cortisol on 3 of the readings (they test 4 salivas per

> > > day and one's cortisol Should be in a Diurnal pattern:

> > > highest in morning and decrease by bedtime so you can fall asleep

> > and

> > > stay asleep

> > >

> > > conventional medicine still hasn't learned much about this but a

> > lot

> > > of conventionally trained drs, who are now calling themselves

> > > Alternative or holistic MDs , do use this test

> > > (someone told me one part of medicare will pay for/uses it, But i

> > > have not confirmed that myself!_)

> > >

> > >

> > > can you do a 24hr cortisol SALIVA test?

> > >

> > > *you can order a DiagnosTechs or ZRT labs, IF you live in any

> > state

> > > but NY or CA

> > > (CA you need a dr on the order) but otherwise order yourself via

> > > those sites or thru Canary club (an thyroid patient advocate

> > website_)

> > >

> > > --

> > > basically to help Adrenal Fatigue:

> > > eat a low glycemic, healthy, whole food diet and NO caffeines or

> > > sugars (or basically any fun stuff

> > > and " stress management "

> > >

> > > i also take Vit C now (not megadoses but 500mg in am and pm)

> > > and a good quality* ALL-B vitamin.

> > >

> > > --

> > > turns out for anyone with " adrenal Fatigue " , diet and nutrition -

> > and

> > > glycemic control- is Extremely important to feeling better , and

> > > helping the adrenals to heal.

> > >

> > > the adrenals and cortisol help to control inflammation in the body,

> > > and keep allergies " under control.

> > >

> > > -Carol

> > >

> > > BTW< i have swelling in my legs:

> > > note that Hypothyrodism is known to cause " salt wasting "

> > > but reading even further

> > > you can find studies and different drs saying that ALL the

> > > electrolytes can be affected in hypothryodi patients

> > > --and adrenal fatigue patietns!

> > >

> > > i actually use sea salt now (not a lot ) but it Seems to be helping

> > > water go to the right places (

> > > i also take magnesium and eat calcium/yogurt-plain

> > > and TOns of salads for potassium.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > >

> > >

> > > >

> > > > Now, I have a problem I hope someone can help me with.I am

> > > currently

> > > > taking medicine for my blood pressure and I have been diagnosed

> > > with

> > > > having an underactive thyroid.(I just found out by researching

> > that

> > > I

> > > > have been taking this medicine wrong.So, I guess essentially that

> > > > means,I have not even been taking it.)

> > > >

> > > > Anyway....I have been suffering for a month with my leg swelling

> > to

> > > > about twice its size.Was checked for clots,and that came back

> > > > negative.

> > > >

> > > > Last week I went to the doctor, because at the top of my foot,I

> > > have

> > > > small clear blisters,and an intense..INTENSE itch that is driving

> > > me

> > > > mad.Literally.

> > > >

> > > > I have tried several things, but nothing has worked.My doctor

> > said

> > > > she sees this a lot,and there is nothing she can do about this.I

> > > > found this hard to believe.I always believe that for any

> > > > problem,there is a solution.She did say it could be they thyroid

> > > > problem..so I have to go to the hospital tomorrow for tests.

--

Steve - dudescholar4@...

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