Re: What tests to take?

[Guest guest]

Rie,

Thank you so much, this is exactly what I needed to know!

Liz

>

> I would wait to increase the armour until your ferratin is up to at

least

> 70. Keeping track of your temps is the best way to monitor your

adrenal

> status while on HC although you can take your BP sitting and

standing as

> well. It's my impression that waiting 6 weeks between dosage

increases in

> thyroid meds is fairly standard. It gives your body time to adjust.

>

> The Free T3 and T4 are the important ones for thyroid. It is also

good to

> get the antibody tests done as well to check into Hashimotos and

Graves.

> These are autoimmune disorders where they body attacks the thyroid.

ACTH has

> to do with the pituitary. It puts this out to request cortisol from

your

> adrenal glands. Aldosterone is from the adrenal gland and is

related to

> sodium and potassium. Renin is good to get tested along with

aldosterone.

> Below is my original wish list of tests I wanted my doctor to do.

He did

> about half of them. I'm asking for the other half tomorrow. :-)

>

> Rie

>

> TSH

> Free T3

> Free T4

> RT3

> 24 hour cortisol salivia test

> Ferratin

> ACTH

> DHEA

> Vit. D

> Thyroid Antiboidies ??

> Antibodies for Graves ??

> estrogen

> proestrogen

> testosterone

> B-12

> Aldosterone

> renin

> folic acid

> Potassium

> sodium

>

>

> A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will

annoy

> enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright

>

> > Hi, I started taking cortef 6 mths ago (20mg, now up to 25)

without

> > having any adrenal testing done...based on extreme symptoms of

> > fatigue and irritability (as well as having some of the home tests

> > and read ADrenal Fatigue 21st cent), my doc agreed to let me try

> > cortef (I was starting grad school in a week and needed help NOW).

> > It was great, within a few days and till now it has totally cured

me

> > of the debilitating fatigue and inability to handle

> > stress/irritability etc. Then a couple months ago he tested my

TSH

> > again, and it was 7.9 (had been 2.54 before cortef), freeT3 was

3.5

> > (1.9-3.9) and free T4 was 1.06 (.76-1.7), so I started on armour,

now

> > taking 1/2 grain. My ferritn was 16 so i'm taking about 70 mg

> > bisglycinate (was losing lots of hair too). Do I need to keep

> > increasing my armour? I tried keeping track of temps for a bit,

but

> > I really don't think I can get it to be part of my daily life at

this

> > point...my schedule is crazy, single mom in grad school etc. My

doc

> > says to stay on 1/2 grain for 6 weeks and then get blood tested,

is

> > that a reliable way to see if the armour is working?

> >

> > I'm wondering now what other tests I should take. Is there any

way

> > now of figuring out my adrenal issues without going off of cortef?

> > What are the other tests that would be good for thyroid...I hear

of

> > antibody tests, ACTH, aldosterone etc, but don't know what they

are

> > or if I need them! Besides the hair loss, and some fatigue, my

only

> > other major symptom lately is my memory seems to be getting worse.

>

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