Night Time Saliva Tests

[Sophia3]

I have had insomnia for 18 years (partially controlled with intermittent melatonin and klonopin the latter nightly)

Now I have a saliva test kit (ZRT) as it's the only way to check very late at night.

My very nice doc, after a week out of the office emailed me Monday night at 10.05pm (long day for him) to say he would fax the script to my friends office (this way Medicare should pay for the saliva test according to the ZRT person I called, AND the pharmacy near me charged me NOTHING for the kit!!! which is unusual. but I digress) They are a compounding pharmacy but I have only used them for pets as they are pricy.

anyway, I ASKED my doctor what TIME to do the saliva PM test and he said "just before your norma go to sleep time"

Well sleep for me is anywhere from 1.30 until 3 am most nights but often 4 am or 5.30 on rare nights.

Anybody ever done a PM cortisol due to insomnia. I hate to email him again though he is cool about it (and I even enclose a chipmunk or squirrel photo cause he used to do dark room work many years ago ) He misses when I don't sent a photograph, lol.

I am thinking I should take it before taking my night time med and during that WIRED up feeling. I am always exhausted but often with wired/tired feeling. and mornings are HORRIBLE for me to wake up. Blood work cortisol is always normal but cortisol can fluctuate all over the place I have believed as does my ans doc, who is a savvy endocrinologist.

Has anybody here done pm Cortisol tests for insomnia issues?

thanks

[wireless]

Don't know much about this, but I would agree with your plan of when to take it. I'd try to take it on a worse-than-average night but not ones that are really worst.

[Sophia3]

thanks wireless.

ALL MY NIGHTS are horrible for sleep..but yea, the PMS nights are the worst (but had partial hyst and don't know when PMS is anymore except by food cravings, LOL) But those could be attributed to female hormones (also normal in blood work but can also fluctuate WILDLY from day to day)

Thus the late night cortisol tests. There are saliva tests for MANY things now but I am going with the stress hormone since being upright can make it rise, along with blood sugar yet BOTH will lower when I lie flat...so who knows of the boomerangs of this ANS..nobody.

I did email my doc and he just said to be sure and do the saliva tests before taking my klonopin...so I am going with the "Extra wired" up nights..when I feel like cleaning my bathroom sink and mirror, or organizing a drawer at 1 am??

Should be interesting, eh?