New bloodwork revealed HIGH cortisol - What does that mean? Anyone in the know?

**Renholder** · 09-19-2012, 04:17 AM

Hello everyone,

I finally got my new test results, including a few new tests that I have not had the opportunity to take earlier, but most of it looks fine. I`m stil waiting for pregnenolone and a few others related to the adrenals, but I have most already.

This test was taken 10 weeks after my last Nebido shot, so I had expected my testosterone to be lower, but it was actually still higher than pre-TRT. I had also not taken any HCG for the last months prior to this test.

The obvious surprise here is my high cortisol. Could that explain my symptoms? What does it mean really? I know it suggests Cushing, but I`m not sure if that description would fit me. I used to live a high stress life, but that is a long time ago now. I started suspecting my thyroid was off or that I had low cortisol impairing uptake of my high T3/T4, since I often have cold hands and feet and EASILY gain fat, but I now see that fits with high cortisol as well. My thyroid looks okay to me. Even high.

Other observations is that my TSH is actually lower from the last test and insulin has gone down 28 points as well, so that should be positive. Zinc went up and slightly above range. Vitamin D is still low, but I`m supplementing. I have also started supplementing iron seeing how it`s not really high after donating blood and taking multiple draws for blood the last years.

My doctor just shrugged it off and even gave me the original blood work and said I could look at it myself, so it`s not like I`m getting any help there.

I would appreciate it greatly if anyone has any input for me here. To quickly bring any new readers up to speed, I basically more than doubled my testosterone from bottom of the range on TRT, without any improvement of symptoms at all.

Kind regards,

Renholder

Thyroid

TSH 2,44 mIU/l (0,5-3,6)
Free T4 18,3 pmol/l (8-21)
Free T3 7,9 pmol/l (3,6-8,3)
Thyroxine 110 nmol/l (60-150)
Triiodothyronine 1,7 nmol/l (1,2-2,7)
Reverse triiodothyronine 0,28 nmol/l (0,14-0,54)
TBG 15,1 mg/l (12,0-28,0)
Anti-TPO <10 kIU/l (<35)
Anti-thyroglobulin <20 kIU/l (<40)
TRAS <0,9 IU/l (<1,8)

Gonads

FSH <1,0 IU/l (1,4-12,0)
LH 2,5 IU/l (1,8-12,0)
Prolactin 177 mIU/l (50-700)
Estradiol 0,08 nmol/l (<0,18)
Progesterone <1,0 nmol/l (<3,0)
Total testosterone 15,0 nmol/l (8,0-35,0)
SHBG 15,0 nmol/l (8-60)
Free testosterone index 10,0 (3,0-14,7)
DHT 1,99 nmol/l (0,90-3,10)
Androstendione 3,2 nmol/l (<6,2)

Adrenals

Serum cortisol in blood 08:30 AM 464 nmol/l (138-690)
Serum cortisol in blood 08:30 AM 1034 nmol/l (138-690) (the day after at another lab)
Saliva cortisol 08:30 AM 16,6 nmol/l (4,0-27,0)
Saliva cortisol 10:00 PM 6,6 nmol/l (<6,0)
Free cortisol in 24 hour urine 377 nmol/24h (45-272)
ACTH 08:30 AM 2,6 pmol/l (<10,2)
17-OH-Progesterone 2,5 nmol/l (1,8-10,4)
DHEA-Sulfate 5,9 umol/l (3,4-17,0)
11-Deoxycortisol <2,3 nmol/l (<4,6)
Aldosterone 320 pmol/l (70-800)
Renin activity 1,0 nmol/l/t (<1,5)

Growth
Growth hormone 0,2 mIU/l (<11,5)
IGF 1 30,8 nmol/l (17-63)
IGFBP-3 73 nmol/l (49-176)

Special Tests

Leptin 417 pmol/l (<465)

Iron Panel

Ferritin 175 ug/l (20-300)
Serum iron 11,8 umol/l (9,0-34,0)
TIBC 62 umol/l (49-83)
Transferrin saturation 19% (15-57)

Miscellaneous

Vitamin D 74 nmol/l (50-150)
Vitamin K 0,2 ng/ml (0,1-2,2)
Vitamin B12 749 pmol/l (170-650)
Serum copper 14,2 umol/l (12,0-25,0)
Serum zinc 17,1 umol/l (9,0-17,0)
Insulin 57 pmol/l (18-173)
C-Peptide 337 pmol/l (270-1290)
Fasting plasma glucose 5,3 nmol/l (4,0-6,0)
Parathyorid hormone 3,1 pmol/l (1,2-8,4)

**jimmyinkedup** · 09-19-2012, 07:03 AM

i dont know the answer but i do know 7keto dhea will help reduce cortisol.
Obviously the source is a better solution but i figured id put it out there.
Do you take dhea / pregnenolone ? If not may be worth a look.
I'll let the experts chime in.

**Brohim** · 09-19-2012, 09:35 AM

High stress is probably the culprit. Practice some meditation or activities that lower your stress. I would focus on doing that. You can also supplement with Vitamin C twice a day as it will lower Cortisol and take DHEA and Pregenolone for adrenal support.

**steroid.com 1** · 09-19-2012, 10:43 AM

High Cortisol could be just your anxitey being in the Doc's office getting needles stuck in you...I wouldn't worry about it for now.

BTW, I would highly recommend NOT supplementing Iron.

Men do not need to supplement Iron as it can do very bad things to you....do some research.

**Renholder** · 09-19-2012, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by jimmyinkedup

i dont know the answer but i do know 7keto dhea will help reduce cortisol.
Obviously the source is a better solution but i figured id put it out there.
Do you take dhea / pregnenolone ? If not may be worth a look.
I'll let the experts chime in.

Thanks for the input.

I`ve learned that phosphatidyl serine and rhodiola rosea are also excellent for lowering cortisol. If it`s that simple, I`ll just start supplementing, but of course, I fear that there may be a cause that needs to be adressed.

Originally Posted by Brohim

High stress is probably the culprit. Practice some meditation or activities that lower your stress. I would focus on doing that. You can also supplement with Vitamin C twice a day as it will lower Cortisol and take DHEA and Pregenolone for adrenal support.

I don`t know, really. I led a high stress life in the past, but it`s a year since I quit that life. I`ve been having these issues for a long time now and I don`t feel that my life is very stressfull, unless you count the stress from not feeling well. I sleep sound as much as I need every night and been doing that for over a year now.

I already take vitamin C. What do I need adrenal support for?

Originally Posted by gdevine

High Cortisol could be just your anxitey being in the Doc's office getting needles stuck in you...I wouldn't worry about it for now.

BTW, I would highly recommend NOT supplementing Iron.

Men do not need to supplement Iron as it can do very bad things to you....do some research.

I can assure you that it is not anxiety from the needles, as I feel very comfortable and relaxed giving blood. But even if that was an issue, the saliva cortisol and urine cortisol was tested in the comfort of my own home on a day where I barely did anything and was far away from any needles.

I will not worry about it, but I need to adress it. I feel sick and I don`t see what else it could be. The rest of the tests looks normal, don`t they?

I`m aware that healthy males should not supplement iron, but if it`s low, like in my case, I believe it`s warranted, no?

**steroid.com 1** · 09-19-2012, 12:43 PM

^^^^A good multi with iron is all you should need unless your deficiency is do to something pathological.

**Dukkit** · 09-19-2012, 12:52 PM

Vit C.
I take 4-6gs a day.

Lots of green tea and black tea have shown to help with cortisol.

And look into a supplement called Revamp by Southland Nutrition.

Helps regulate the adrenals.

I use it when I start feeling burned out from over training.

**SEOINAGE** · 09-19-2012, 01:20 PM

Isn't that DHEA-S value a bit on the low end of things? Thyroid values look pretty amazing, TSH may be up a bit but other numbers look really good. I agree with others about not worrying about those cortisol values. the saliva tests look fairly decent actually, and one of the blood results of it was just fine.

**Renholder** · 09-19-2012, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by gdevine

^^^^A good multi with iron is all you should need unless your deficiency is do to something pathological.

Actually, I believe a healthy male should not take iron in a multivitamin either. I have been very paranoid about elevated iron levels due to high ferritin in the past (probably due to inflamation), but after being a blood donor and drawing a lot of blood for the last years, I think that is the explanation for why my levels currently are low.

Originally Posted by dukkitdalaw

Vit C.
I take 4-6gs a day.

Lots of green tea and black tea have shown to help with cortisol.

And look into a supplement called Revamp by Southland Nutrition.

Helps regulate the adrenals.

I use it when I start feeling burned out from over training.

Thanks. Good information. I guess I need to replace the coffee with green tea!

Originally Posted by SEOINAGE

Isn't that DHEA-S value a bit on the low end of things? Thyroid values look pretty amazing, TSH may be up a bit but other numbers look really good. I agree with others about not worrying about those cortisol values. the saliva tests look fairly decent actually, and one of the blood results of it was just fine.

Yes, it is maybe a little low, but at a test I took prior to TRT, it was above the range (had been supplementing with DHEA). I have some DHEA, so maybe I should consider supplementing.

I agree that the thyroid looks great from how I read it, but I still gain fat easily. And that is one of the symptoms of high cortisol.

If it`s not high cortisol that is causing this, I really don`t know what it can be.

**Renholder** · 09-19-2012, 03:04 PM

By the way, I got an appointment with my new GP tomorrow. Any advice on what I should ask him? I`m thinking an MRI or CT scan of body and brain, just to rule out anything. Most likely he`ll probably send me to an endocrinologist, if he can`t help me himself.

**Renholder** · 09-20-2012, 05:15 AM

I just got back from my new GP. I`m naturally skeptical towards every GPs based on past experience, but this man seemed thorough and took his time to listen without being arrogant.

He wanted me to take a new saliva and urine test of cortisol and then he would consult with an endocrinologist and get back to me in two weeks. I don`t expect GPs to know everything, but I expect them to be humble, admit their ignorance if they are not in the know and consult with others or refer me to a specialist. This is exactly what it seems like this guy is thinking, so I`m encouraged by that.

Hopefully, I can get to the bottom of this. I will take the test tomorrow.

After that, I will cut coffee completely for a while and start using phosphatidyl serine.