Elevated cortisol level- what does it mean?

jaimealmostRN · Dec 17, 2004

What I meant is that when you go see your new dr. they should be there for you, thats one criteria that I would insist on before chosing them as my specialist or PCP. But if your hands are swelling and you don't feel well, then PLEASE go to the ED!!! If posible, go to a university ED that has endos. in house so you can get to the bottom of this!

jaimealmostRN · Dec 17, 2004

What I meant is that when you go see your new dr. they should be there for you, thats one criteria that I would insist on before chosing them as my specialist or PCP. But if your hands are swelling and you don't feel well, then PLEASE go to the ED!!! If posible, go to a university ED that has endos. in house so you can get to the bottom of this!

jetta1 · Dec 18, 2004

Sounds like you may have polycystic ovaries or PCOS.

jetta1 · Dec 18, 2004

Sounds like you may have polycystic ovaries or PCOS.

SarasotaRN2b · Dec 18, 2004

Okay, my question is this...if your "former" doctor ordered this test and received the results, don't they have some responsibility? I don't know, but I feel that the endocrinologist at least has the responsibility of going over the results even if they decide not to continue care.

Take care and I hope that it is as one of the posters suggests just a fluctuation between doing the test night and day.

I will try to be brief here: I went to the endocrinologist and had an extensive workup done for polycystic ovarian syndrome because I am fat, hairy, have bad skin and have a mom and sister with PCOS. The doctor kept scheduling me six weeks in advance and would always schedule me for afternoon appointments when I had worked all night the night before so I had to reschedule my appointment three times (to avoid sleep deprivation induced auto accidents), after which his receptionist informed me that I was no longer his patient. I had no idea there was an upper limit on the number of times you could reschedule an appointment, but I digress...
Anyway, my lab results were sent to my but now I have no doc to help me interpret them. All appear normal, except my 24 hours urinary cortisol level, which is WAY elevated. A normal result is supposed to be 105 or less; mine is 693! Aside from an adrenal tumor, what could cause this? And moreover, what the hell do I do to fix it? I have an appointment with another endo doc next month, but meanwhile I am stressing over this. Anyone shed any light for me? Thanks in advance!

SarasotaRN2b · Dec 18, 2004

Okay, my question is this...if your "former" doctor ordered this test and received the results, don't they have some responsibility? I don't know, but I feel that the endocrinologist at least has the responsibility of going over the results even if they decide not to continue care.

Take care and I hope that it is as one of the posters suggests just a fluctuation between doing the test night and day.

I will try to be brief here: I went to the endocrinologist and had an extensive workup done for polycystic ovarian syndrome because I am fat, hairy, have bad skin and have a mom and sister with PCOS. The doctor kept scheduling me six weeks in advance and would always schedule me for afternoon appointments when I had worked all night the night before so I had to reschedule my appointment three times (to avoid sleep deprivation induced auto accidents), after which his receptionist informed me that I was no longer his patient. I had no idea there was an upper limit on the number of times you could reschedule an appointment, but I digress...
Anyway, my lab results were sent to my but now I have no doc to help me interpret them. All appear normal, except my 24 hours urinary cortisol level, which is WAY elevated. A normal result is supposed to be 105 or less; mine is 693! Aside from an adrenal tumor, what could cause this? And moreover, what the hell do I do to fix it? I have an appointment with another endo doc next month, but meanwhile I am stressing over this. Anyone shed any light for me? Thanks in advance!

jsn43210 · Dec 18, 2004

Anyway, my lab results were sent to my but now I have no doc to help me interpret them. All appear normal, except my 24 hours urinary cortisol level, which is WAY elevated. A normal result is supposed to be 105 or less; mine is 693!

The first thing to do would be have it retested.

jsn43210 · Dec 18, 2004

If it is still high, the differential would be:

- pregnancy, ACTH-secreting tumor, Cushing's syn., pituitary tumor

Burnt Out, ASN, RN · Dec 18, 2004

I think I would have the test repeated.

I also wanted to give you a website with lots of good information on PCOS:

PCOS FAQS

BamaRN · Dec 18, 2004

you may have cushings. its caused by pituitary tumor, adrenal tumor, some meds - corticosteroids. the s/s you listed are all s/s of cushings also may have HTN, hyperglycemia, depression, fatigue etc. i would definately go to another doctor and have more tests ran.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Dec 18, 2004

You have been given some very good advisce here, but I am concerned that the doctor just blew you off. Is it ethical? Don't doctors have a duty to treat once a patient is accepted...and yours accepted by ordering the lab test. If the doctor doesn't want to or can't treat, then isn't there a duty to refer?

I wonder if the doctor actually knew you were dismissed. Sometimes staff (and I have worked for a doctor) make up their own "rules."

vwgirl · Dec 20, 2004

You have been given some very good advisce here, but I am concerned that the doctor just blew you off. Is it ethical? Don't doctors have a duty to treat once a patient is accepted...and yours accepted by ordering the lab test. If the doctor doesn't want to or can't treat, then isn't there a duty to refer?
I wonder if the doctor actually knew you were dismissed. Sometimes staff (and I have worked for a doctor) make up their own "rules."

Yeah, I thought the same thing. I asked to speak to a nurse when I called and the nasty receptionist told me, "We don't have any nurses here," and I thought, well, THAT explains a lot right there! I have an appointment with a new endo doc for 12/29, so I will see. Meanwhile, my hands are out of sight swelling and now my feet and hands are randomly tingling bizarrely. My PC doc ordered me some HCTZ, so we'll see if that helps. :rolleyes: