Saliva Test Results - Help in understanding

Hi,

I had a total hysterectomy in July of 2002 and have been on many types of HRT since. My new doctor wanted me to have a saliva test so that we could see about bio-identical. Well I received my results and don't understand them and the pharmacy will not be able to see me until July 21st or so. I don't know if I can wait that long - I've been without hormones for about 3 months now and am feeling all effects badly.

Can anyone help me decipher these results?

Estradiol: <0.5 L
Progesterone: 37
Ratio: Pg/E2: 74 L
Testosterone: 26
DHEAS: 15.5 H
Cortisol Morning: 10.5 H

These are the comments:

Estradiol is lower than expected and likely contributes to symptoms of estrogen deficiency (hot flashes, night
sweats, vaginal dryness, low libido, bone loss and/or mood upsets). Progesterone is within range. It would be
worthwhile to discuss bio-identical estrogen and progesterone supplementation with a health care provider,
based on reported symptoms and hormone levels.
Testosterone is within range. High DHEAS is likely due to supplementation with or exposure to an androgens
(DHEA or androstenedione) not listed on requisition form, Stress, athletic training, and/or insulin resistance
triggering release from the adrenals and ovaries (polycystic ovarian syndrome). High DHEAS may create
symptoms of loss of scalp hair, increased facial/body hair, weight gain at the waist, and/or acne.
High cortisol is associated with symptoms of sleep disturbances, anxiety, memory lapses, fatigue, weight gain at
the waist, bone loss, and depression. The ability to produce high levels of cortisol under acute conditions is an
important stress response; however, if cortisol remains chronically high, excessive breakdown of normal tissues
(muscle wasting, thinning of skin, bone loss) and immune suppression can result. Elevated cortisol interferes
with the proper function of other hormones including estradiol, progesterone, testosterone and thyroid. High
levels are often due to a hypoglycemic event between meals. Recommended reading- Cortisol Connection by
Shawn Talbott and William Kraemer. Consider submitting a 4-tube diurnal cortisol to assess the circadian
rhythm and overall function of the adrenal glands.

So my question is does this make sense to anyone out there? Should I wait until the end of the month - my concern is we are leaving on the 23rd to go on vacation for over a week and I was so hoping to start on something to make me feel better before we leave - the lady at the pharmacy that does this is on maternity leave and that is why she can't see me until late in the month. Should I call my doctor?

Also, I've been reading about things that cause High Cortisol levels and that is concerning me. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tammy

hi not an expert or anything but do you take dhea? Just wondering cause your levels are on the high side for someone with a hyst-the only other thing i see and i know this from experience is it is telling you that your cortisol levels could be high because you are having hypoglycemic episodes between meals., which means your blood sugar is out of whack and your body is responding by spiking your insulin levels and when they go to high too often your cortisol levels go up. Have you been diagnosed with blood sugar problems? sometimes women after hyst become insulin resistant. I was always borderline hypoglycemic but once i had a hyst became full blown. Here is a website that talks about the symptoms
http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/diab...poglycemia.asp
good luck!

Sammie Jo,

Thanks for your reply! I do not take DHEA - that is the weird thing. I just recently had a blood test done for my thyroid levels and my doctor said they were normal. No other tests have been done for anything else besides this saliva test. My dad is a diabetic - diagnosed later in life - not sure if I'm following in his foot steps.

This is all so confusing - just not sure if I should wait to go to the consulting pharmacist or if I should pursue another pharmacy or other avenue.

I have another question for you - could it be just my hormones being out of whack that causes these results or from these results is it telling me that it could be hormones AND some other underlying cause?

Thanks,
Tammy

it could be anything but since you have diabetes in your family it might be worth being tested for hypoglyceima if you have any of the symptoms. My grandmother is diabetic- so i am trying to take care of mine and hopefully it wont become full blown diabetes. With yours it could just be unbalanced hormones. with your estrogen dipping the other 2 holding, you could experience some manly symptoms, such as excess hair, acne or voice depening. I know the levels for a saliva test are graded on a different scale. It might be worth going to your md and have a full blood panel done. It is weird usally when your ovaries are removed the adrenals all but shut down production of test- so those numbers should be low instead of high- not taking any progesterone?

No, I'm not taking any type of hormones whatsoever. The last thing I was on (which was about 3 months ago) was Estradiol 2 mg. and Estratest HS. The only other thing that I take is Advair (for asthma) twice a day.

well then it sounds like if you start bio identicals to raise your estrogen and balance the other two then you might feel great. Your adrenals seem to still be working fine- which is good news. The only thing that worries me is the cortisol level which could be from the imbalance of hormones - Hope you get it straight soon!

Just a thought, when your hormones are not balanced and when someone is lacking in one perticular hormone the others try to compensate. Estrone estrogen (the old age estrogen) can be produced by testosterone which could explain why your dhea is high which is a precurser for testosterone which in turn can change into estrogen. This could burden your adrenal gands causing your cortisol to go up. I saw that you where taking 2mg of Estrace and Estratest hs. Did you take 2mg at once or did you break it into 1mg am and 1mg pm. Estrace levels stay an average of 12 to 16 hrs in the body. I would incourage you to go back to the Estrace without the Estratest for a while and when you start to feel better but still lack something, check out bio-indentical testosterone. Remember it takes a little while for our bodies to recognize a new source of something it needs. As far as your Progesterone levels go, its amazing that they are so good, but Progesterone is known to convert. It just sounds to me that your body is struggling to make some estrogen, its robbing peter to pay paul. Estrace is bio-identical estradiol which is the predominate estrogen we produce when we are young, coupled with bio-testosterone should be a good combination. Taking some of the stress off your adrenals by giving your body the tools it needs to work with, drinking plenty of fluids, a good diet and addressing the stress in your life and time should help with your overall healing.