Intro and questions about saliva test validity, plus female hormone tests

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and in need of advice. I've been dealing with Stage 3 Adrenal Fatigue for the past year. I did a 24 hour saliva test four months ago, and here are the results:

Cortisol - Morning (6 - 8 AM) 9.5

Cortisol - Noon (12 - 1 PM) 2.4

Cortisol - Afternoon (4 - 5 PM) 2.9

Cortisol - Nighttime (10 PM - 12 AM) 3.9

Cortisol Sum 18.7

DHEA-S Average 5.12

Cortisol/DHEA-S Ratio 3.7

So cortisol is low by day and high at night. My symptoms haven't changed since then. I still have EXTREME hypoglycemia and am putting on weight due to having to eat constantly. The only way I can sleep is to take Seriphos, but I'm concerned about that since I've read you're not supposed to take it long-term, and I've been on it most of the past year.

I wasn't aware that I was supposed to stop all adrenal support a few days before taking this saliva test. I was on Adrenotone (contains Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, Licorice and other adaptogens), plus Seriphos. I didn't take them the day of the test, but I now realize I should have stopped them a few days prior. I'm wondering if being on them would have given me inaccurate results? I definitely feel like I have high nighttime cortisol because I'm awake at night. But I've read that overall low cortisol will cause you to lose weight, and I'm gaining. I'm confused.

Also, I was found to have ovarian cysts four years ago when I didn't have a period for a long time. I don't know if I still have them. I'm now menstruating again, but I wonder if female hormonal imbalances are playing a role in the AF. So I'll finally have health insurance again soon, and I want to get an ultrasound to test for ovarian cysts again. What other tests should I run? Do I do a female hormone panel? Anything in particular I should request from the doctor? And what do I do if they find abnormal results? I feel the conventional answer to cysts is to take the birth control pill, which I definitely will not do. But maybe they'd want to do hormone replacement therapy; I don't know if that's a good solution or not.

I'm confused, overwhelmed, and have to work a stressful full time job right now, plus we're going into a busy season at work and I'll have to put in lots of overtime. I know this is not a good situation to be in for AF recovery, but I have no other options at this time. Thank you so much for reading and for offering any suggestions.

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