Question:  I’ve read that lots of common medicines and treatments can raise or lower cortisol.  There’s not much mention of the quantity of these meds that affect cortisol though.  Xanax and codeine lower, for example, and Zoloft, Ritalin, St. John’s Wort, alcohol, and even marijuana raise cortisol.  Growth and thyroid hormones are reported to lower… Continue Reading

Question:  Depending on what you read, some sources think the 24 hour urine is the “gold standard” test for Cushing’s, while others think it’s the dexamethasone suppression test.  Some doctors will only start with a blood cortisol test, and a lot of resources I’ve read say that this is an almost worthless test.  How can… Continue Reading