Cortisol is your main stress hormone; testing helps check adrenal function and daily rhythm.
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Clinicians order cortisol to explore symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, weight or blood pressure changes, easy bruising, or salt cravings. It helps assess adrenal function and the body’s stress response, and guides decisions about follow-up testing. It’s also checked in people using steroid medicines or when Cushing or adrenal insufficiency is suspected. You can test this marker with Aniva across Germany and Finland.
Clinicians order cortisol to explore symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, weight or blood pressure changes, easy bruising, or salt cravings. It helps assess adrenal function and the body’s stress response, and guides decisions about follow-up testing. It’s also checked in people using steroid medicines or when Cushing or adrenal insufficiency is suspected. You can test this marker with Aniva across Germany and Finland.
High: Can reflect stress, illness, pregnancy, certain medicines (like steroids or estrogen), or rare hormone overproduction. If unexpected, your clinician may repeat testing or use urine, saliva, or a suppression test.
Low: Can suggest reduced adrenal output or pituitary signaling issues, or effects from steroid medicines. Confirm with a morning sample and, if needed, an ACTH stimulation test. Keep sample timing consistent when tracking trends.
Common factors include time of day, acute illness, pain, recent shift work or jet lag, pregnancy, and stress. Medicines can shift results: glucocorticoids (including creams and inhalers), estrogen or birth control pills, certain anti-seizure drugs, ketoconazole, and rifampin. High-dose biotin supplements can interfere with some immunoassays. Vigorous exercise, alcohol, and poor sleep near the test may also nudge levels.
Special situations: If results don’t match symptoms, confirm with a repeat timed sample or another method (saliva, urine) and consider an ACTH stimulation or suppression test.
What do my cortisol results mean in simple terms? They reflect how your adrenal glands respond to daily demands and stress. Your doctor considers timing, symptoms, and other tests to interpret them.
Do I need to fast for a cortisol test? No. Timing matters more; early morning or late-night sampling may be recommended.
What can affect my cortisol levels? Steroid medicines, birth control or estrogen, illness, stress, poor sleep, shift work, intense exercise, and pregnancy can change results.
How often should I test cortisol? Test when symptoms are present, after medication changes, or to monitor an abnormal result, as advised by your clinician.
How long do results take? Most labs report results within 1–3 business days.
What should I discuss with my clinician? Share your symptoms, all medicines and supplements, sleep schedule, and ask if confirmatory tests like saliva, urine, or an ACTH stimulation test are needed.
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