Adrenal hormone imbalance can cause fatigue, dizziness, sleep problems, weight changes, and body aches.
Using simple, easy-to-collect saliva samples, this adrenal stress test will measure DHEA and cortisol levels within 24 hours: morning, noon, evening, and night. The adrenal hormone test helps assess whether your levels follow the natural 24 hour diurnal rhythm.
You can also order a 24-hour cortisol test (4x) or an AM-PM cortisol saliva test (2x).
Our At-Home Adrenal Test is easy, fast, reliable, and requires just a few steps:
Order Online.
Receive Your Adrenal Stress Test Kit and Collect Sample at Home.
Ship It Back for FREE To Our World-Class CLIA Labs (US only).
Receive Secure, Confidential, & Easy-To-Understand Report Within Days for Your Comprehensive Adrenal Stress Test.
The adrenal glands release two key hormones that are essential to fight daily stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Cortisol, one of the stress hormones, has important role in metabolism to break down carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. A well defined 24 hour circadian pattern is an important characteristic of cortisol. The levels peaks 30-45 minutes after waking up and then gradually drop throughout the day.
DHEA (de-hydro-epi-andro-sterone) is a precursor hormone that eventually converts to testosterone and estrogen. It is being actively researched for potential impact on aging, cognitive decline, and bone and muscle strength.
Change in the normal cortisol circadian rhythm may be due to several issues, e.g., chronic stress, adrenal fatigue, burnout, or problems with adrenal glands. Chronically high levels are especially bad: they may cause weight gain. Excessive levels can cause muscle loss, immune suppression, water retention, and bloating. Cortisol deficiency may result in fatigue, sluggishness, and low energy.
Checking cortisol levels can help identify potential problems with adrenal glands. Very high levels are indication of Cushing syndrome and unusually low levels indicate Addison's disease. Therefore, diurnal cortisol test, to assess the circadian rhythm profile, is crucial to diagnose issues related to the HPA (hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands) hormone balance.
DHEA levels peak in our youth and then slowly decline. A measurement can help assess this natural process of decline.
An easy, low cost method of measuring your levels is with an at-home adrenal stress test. Simply order the kit, collect the samples at home, ship them to our world class CLIA-certified labs, and find out your levels within days. Unlike an adrenal stress blood test, a saliva sample is especially useful to those fearful of needles.
We also offer 4 point cortisol test, as well as Cortisol AM test and Cortisol PM test as alternatives. The Cortisol AM-PM Saliva Test Kit measures levels in the morning and evening.
For a thorough discussion on symptoms of low and high cortisol levels, low DHEA levels, a comparison of cortisol blood test versus saliva test cortisol, the main reasons to get tested, the convenience of an at home saliva cortisol test, the important role it plays in weight gain, adrenal fatigue, muscle loss, and much more, please read: All About Cortisol. You can also learn about DHEA from the experts at Mayo Clinic.
You can also read an overview of stress hormone test at MedLinePlus.gov and at WebMD. ZRT lab has an excellent discussion and plots of diurnal cortisol curves for healthy individuals as well as patients with chronic stress, chronic fatigue, and burnout symptoms. Additionally, you can learn more about the intricate details of a salivary testing cortisol levels for Cushing Syndrome from the experts at Mayo Clinic.
The adrenal glands sit on top of each kidney. They produce five key hormones:
Three steroid hormones: testosterone, DHEA, and aldosterone
Two non-steroid hormones: adrenaline and noradrenaline
Adrenaline hormones have a classic 4-ring backbone structure derived from cholesterol (examples are testosterone, estrogen, progesterone).
There are two types of steroid hormones:
Anabolic hormones: they build muscle tissue and promote fat loss; testosterone is good example.
Catabolic hormones: they act as a balance to anabolic hormones by accumulating fat and helping raise blood sugar by breaking down muscles and bones; cortisol is a good example.
The circadian rhythm of free cortisol in pregnant women starts to change around 20th week of pregnancy. Although the diurnal rhythm remains, mean levels increase 1.5-2-times and morning levels increase to several times higher than normal levels. Another important observation is that the peak levels lag behind approximately 90 minutes, likely due to delayed activation of the HPA axis. The levels return back to normal after 5-7 days of delivery. See the original publication at: Psychoneuroendocronology, Vol. 19, No. 4, 1999 (page 317).
A: Except New York and New Jersey our tests are available in all 48 states. State regulations in NY, NJ, do not allow us to ship the tests to their residents.
A: The kit contains four tubes for sample collection, instructions on how to collect the samples, and a form requesting basic information including date and time of collection. The directions are straight forward and easy to follow.
A: You will receive the kit within 3-5 business days with a prepaid return envelope (US only). After you ship the sample and it is received by our lab, you get the results within 5-7 business days.
A: The report with your test results will be easy to understand and will have all the necessary details. It will mark your cortisol levels on a healthy range for the time of the day and will specify what are the expected low and high ranges. It will briefly discuss what your numbers mean and next steps you should take to maintain healthy levels.
A: You can use HSA (or FSA/MSA/HRA) accounts to pay for the tests since these are prescription tests (for further confirmation, please check the IRS publication#969). However, please make sure you are not going outside your specified max and min deductible limits. We do not have the capability to process the insurance claim. Since insurance plans vary for individuals we can not guarantee your HSA payment will always be processed by your plan. We suggest talking to your insurance provider if you have any questions.
A: Measuring cortisol and DHEA levels using saliva is a well researched and thoroughly documented procedure. If fact, it is reliably accurate and one of the best way to testing cortisol levels.
The variations in results are mainly from two sources: the way samples are collected and the variation from lab-to-lab. Levels are highest in the morning, when we are most energetic, and then drop during the day.
To minimize this variation, you should collect the sample within 30-45 minutes of waking up, without eating, brushing, or putting anything else in your mouth that might contaminate the sample.
To minimize the variation from labs, we have partnered with CLIA-certified labs that are regulated by the states and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Many tests from our labs are FDA approved to ensure they meet regulatory requirements. Additionally, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) requires inter-laboratory tests to ensure the ranges established by each lab do not drift or are not out of acceptable ranges. This is done by regularly testing reference samples between different labs. Finally, the labs test thousands of samples for different age groups and health conditions, and have well established reference data to compare your results against this large pool.
A: Unfortunately, no. As a lab test provider we can only test and report the data from your sample. We are not authorized to provide any medical recommendations. But we strongly encourage you to discuss the results with your doctor for next steps.
It is the first step to understand why you start to feel tired in the afternoon and evening. Our at home adrenal stress test kit can help understand your energy levels throughout the day.
Long term mental or emotional stress can raise the stress hormone levels, which manifest into weight gain and adrenal fatigue. Stress, anxiety, and depression are commonly observed when levels are high. Adrenal stress test is an easy first step in understanding how your body is handling stress and what life style changes might be required to maintain health.
If you are struggling to loose weight, a strong possibility of high cortisol levels should be assessed. It is also the first step to check whether a test for low or high ACTH levels might be required. An adrenal stress test kit is a great way to check adrenal fatigue.
Loss of the natural diurnal cortisol rhythm is a strong indicator of hormone imbalance and serious health issues. As a Cushing's disease test (or Addison's disease test) it enables one to check this risk at a low affordable price.
Better health results in better quality of life, and an at home adrenal stress test from RxHomeTest.com not only offers insight into various health related symptoms, but it can also serve as a motivation to treat each of these symptoms and have a better quality of life.
Still wondering how do you test cortisol levels?
