Hi everybody,
My natural health doctor has suggested that I get my hormone levels tested using Saliva Hormone Testing, they are supposed to be more accurate than blood tests.
I was wondering whether anyone here has had saliva hormone tests and if your results were readable given that Sjogren's patients have less saliva and fewer enzymes etc in the saliva than healthy people. Given this, would it effect the results of the tests?
I am experiencing bad anxiety and think it is hormone related.
Elaine
Hi
I've certainly heard of testing saliva for cortisol which I believe is stress related. I would think it would show up even though we don't make as much saliva.
Take care - Scottie :)
This test is supposed to be the gold standard.....I wanted it 8 years ago but it wasn't covered by insurance. Our new womens midlife center does it as a basic start to treatment. I called and they said it is now covered even by medicare! When they diagnosed me with severe vitamin D deficiency cause of the amount of pain I was having ( used dilaudid and morphine at times ) and I was treated my anxiety went way down. My doc says now all doctors are supposed to be testing for low vitamin D. You can't possibly get enough just ffrom milk and or fish. What they didn't tell was that when you Vit Dgets low your parathyroid elevates. Look up hyperparathyroidism and you see stuff like anxiety, depression, insomnia and alot more..ALOT!! I was a whole new person after I spent a summer out walking in the sun and in the fall tanning at a salon. alot of people actually get diagnosed with Fibromyalgia who just have Vit D deficiency. Look on line for the research and book by Dr. Micheal Holick.....He's advocated for tesitng for years! Dermatologists hate him..ha ha. One more thing....after Vit D went up another element of my sleep improved. I used to wake up every 45min to 1 1/2 hours. This stopped after the D nomalized.
The Vit D is tested by blood but could throw things off in other hormnones since it is a hormone. This diagnossis was as important than the Sjoegrens in improving my health enogh to return to work. My strenght went up too. I highly encourage everyone to get tested.
Hi Elaine,
I did a saliva test three years ago. I didn't have Sjogren's then (at least it wasn't apparent) but it took me 40 minutes in the morning and 40 minutes in the evening to fill up the little containers with saliva.
Best of luck with a time-consuming little project!
Zayatz
Lainier, I hope you don't mind me hijacking your question.
I just wanted to add a warning about vitamin D - it's a fat soluble vitamin which means that it's stored in your body fat so if you over dose with too much Vitamin D (which can happen if you take too much), it can be toxic including depositing calcium and phosphorus in various soft tissues. Most vitamins, if we take too much, we just pass it through our urine so our body can keep us with in normal limits but Vitamins A, D E and K don't work like that so please be careful). OTOH, some of us probably are low in vitamin D and probably do need additional supplement - I would recommend discussing this with your doctor. Thankfully Kathylee found she had a deficiency and it's wonderful that she is now finding success with additional Vitamin D.
Skylar
Thanks Skylar,
I sure don't want anyone taking vitamin D and getting sick. I am gonna put more specific data on here soon about what to test for all doctors are even clear on how to test for it. It is more and more on the news how impotant viatmin D is to the immune system. Drug companies are even scurrying to make a vitamin D drug so they can make money off the new and growing research. But I still highly encourage eveyone to talk to their doctor. It changed my life.
Hug,
Kathylee
Elaine,
I've been going through the hormone heck for over a year now with my hyster and Sjogrens. Ive been to several doctors and had both the salvia and blood levels done, guessing from my symptoms and my blood tests, estrogen very, very low. But, when I did the saliva, came back very high? didnt make sense...bottom line, I would stick to the blood serum testing. Its hard enough trying to get the saliva...
gursie
Hi Lanier
I have had both the saliva and the blood testing for hormonal levels.
The two do no correlate and you need someone who knows how to interpret whichever you chose to do.
You might want to make sure that the androgen levels are included as the literature says that all with sjogren's are androgen deficient.
I found that replacing the androgens, progesterone and testosterone made a positive impact on my energy level.
Ps. Most people now recommend testing of vit d levels for a variety of health issues. And if it is low, treating it. There is prescription strength vit d which is much more potent than the over the counter. Anyone who does prescribe the vitamin d for you should also be monitoring your blood calcium levels( not parathyroid hormones) as they can be impacted.
Everyone should really know what their vit d level is and what their goal level is.
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These hormones are interesting stuff...but sure do need a Doc that knows what they are doing. Mine tests for both calcium and parathyroid. The calcium monitoring is a big big deal. Yesterday I got the news that what was wrong with my left eye ( see other area info) was a fast growing type of cataract caused by the years of elevated parathyroid from undiagnosed vitamin D deficiency. I was stunned! All these years they were telling me my body pain was cause I was depressed or had Fibromyalgia or both. If the cataract isn't removed the university hospital surgeon said I'd be blind in that eye with in a year. Good news is they are doing surgery as soon as I can get ready.
Hi Kathylee
That must have been a shock to the system! I'm glad they are acting promptly on it. Good luck with the surgery.
Take care - Scottie :)