Supplements and meds that can influence your cortisol saliva results

Over the years, patients learned, or found out the hard way, that if they maintain taking certain supplements and certain medications up until doing saliva testing, they don’t get to see what they adrenals are doing without influence. Thus, they have reason, they don’t know exactly what they need to be treating and how.

Below is a list of more common supplements or medications that can influence your adrenals. Many patients state they stop taking as many of the over-the-counter supplements they can for two weeks before testing.

Some of the below are not easy to get off, or shouldn’t be stopped anyway! For example, if depression would return by getting off 5-HTP, patients might nix getting off that. But most patients make the decision to get off as many as they can….or severely cut down.

A word of caution: this page is for information only as to what can influence our adrenals. Always work with your doctor with this information!

SUPPLEMENTS OR SUPPORTS:

Adrenal glandulars
Adrenal Cortex (Isocort or other brands)
Inositol
Licorice Root
5-HTP
Paba
Progesterone via cream or gel
Phosphatidyl serine (PS)
Astragalus
Ashwagandha
Rhodiola
Kava kava
Holy Basil
Siberian Ginseng (Eleuthero)
Schizandra Berry
Valerian
Zinc
Melatonin
Cordyceps
Theanine
GABA
Magnolia root extract
Caffeine (from your coffee, tea or certain sodas, for example)
Over-the-counter asthma supplements

MEDICATIONS:

HC (Hydrocortisone like Cortef and other brands)
Prednisone or Prednisolone
Medrol (aka Methylprednisone)
Anti-depressants (whether Tricyclic or SSRI)
Anti-anxiety meds, aka Benzodiazepines or Benxo (Xanax is an example)
Blood Pressure medications
ADHD meds (Adderall for example)
Beta Blockers (Lopressor or Toprol XL, Atenolol or Tenormin, Labetalol like Normodyne and Trandate)
Asthma prescription meds or sprays
Sleeping Pills (such as Lunesta, Ambien)
Pain killers for arthritis
Pain killers for Migraines (aka Imitrex)
Compounded Progesterone