Blood cortisol test

[amdiegelman]

My doc had suspected cortisol to be a possible diagnosis based off my symptoms... so, Saturday morning I had a blood workup which included that. Here are the results:

Cortisol, Total, Serum     30.1 mcg/dL
AM range 4.0 - 22.0
PM range 3.0-17.0

When he called yesterday - he told me everything was normal and there was no explanation for my symptoms. It's in my head...

I know I'm not very good with math, but isn't that a bit elevated out of the range?

[Doodles_Mimi]

HELLO, I AM VERY SORRY YOU HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH ANOTHER IGNORAMUS DR. WHOM FEELS THEY MUST RESORT TO PLACING BLAME ON THE PATIENT WHEN THEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT OR DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM.. I TOO AS "RUMPLED" (POSTED ABOVE) AM A VICTIM OF THE OVER PRODUCTION OF CORTISOL. IT IS NOT SOMETHING TO BE PLAYED WITH. I AM NOW DISABLED AFTER YEARS
OF SEEKING HELP FROM  INCOMPETENT OR  IGNORANT PHYSICIANS FOR OVER 5YRS. BEST ADVICE I HAVE, IF YOU CONTINUE TO HAVE  SYMPTOMS AND YOU ARE NOT BEING LISTENED TO, YOU LEAVE THAT OFFICE AND GO TO ANOTHER. DONT STOP UNTIL YOU FIND ONE THAT IS WILLING TO DO THE WORK TO HELP YOU.

[amdiegelman]

Yeah - he told me it was all in my head and then told me to start taking Zyrtec and gave me a script for Ambian since I haven't been sleeping well. I have a counter full of pills - that I'm tired of looking at. All pills to cure a symptom, when I know they all have to point to ONE thing. Headed to another doctor tomorrow.

[rumpled]

My elevated cortisol has damaged me to the point where I cannot work anymore. I know people it damaged to the point of death - not common but it does happen. So I find that comment so utterly crazy.

If only there was a high cortisol fairy... grrr... and that doc could be zapped and see just how, um, yeah, it has no effects hah!

[kevieb]

Did he actually tell you it was all in your head, too????

A serum cortisol is just a snapshot in time---and you were not in either range---just wondering how he justified telling you it was normal and there was no explaination for your symptoms??-----your blood test alone shows reason to do further testing.

[amdiegelman]

You will enjoy this... when I talked to my doctor - his exact words were "oh, that's indicative of living in the United States! High Cortisol won't hurt you in any way."

I beg to differ.

[rumpled]

What time did you do the test?

Sadly, doctors are told, in error, that patients have to exceed the range for cortisol by 2x or 3x the range (so, um, the point of the range is what, exactly?) leaving patients to be ill for no reason other than ignorance.

Elevated cortisol would certainly cause fatigue.