Last month I underwent an Adrenal Stress Test. The test was fairly easy, it was simply collecting saliva into 4 little test tubes and sending them off. Has anyone else had this done ?
The DHEA was quite a curious result, it was below the normal range. I did a bit of reading on different websites and concluded that a low result:
Can be a sign of pituitary trouble (think ’empty sella’, or ‘partially empty sella’, a condition that many of us have that goes undiagnosed)
Is involved in POTS,
Is also involved in poor wound healing
Can contribute to poor memoryHi Barb, I have low cortisol, low DHEA, ACTH, and low free testosterone. I had further testing to see if the problem was located in my pituitary or higher up, in my hypothalamus. My pituitary responded to stimulation, but just barely. It looks more like hypothalamic dysfunction among, other possibilities. A stimulation test is important to know if your pituitary is to blame. I do take DHEA, as it is over-the-counter here in the states. Men need to be careful, however, because there is a feedback loop where if they supplement with too much DHEA their bodies can stop producing a normal amount. Honestly, I haven’t noticed any differences on DHEA but continue to supplement knowing that my levels are low. That is fascinating how your liver enzymes are abnormal after a bad night. Has anyone else noticed that?