The Stress and Hormone Profile (SHP):
The SHP is a saliva test that is done in the comfort of your home. Saliva samples are taken at 4 points throughout the day, in order to measure your cortisol levels and how they fluctuate within the course of the day. This information is very helpful because your cortisol pattern is key in establishing your circadian rhythm and it is also important in making sure your body has the energy you need to get up and get going each morning. When people are under stress, this natural cortisol rhythm often gets very out of whack and this can cause all sorts of symptoms, but it can also cascade into other areas affecting the balance of your other hormones, your ability to digest food and also your ability to detoxify, just to name a few. The SHP is also a wonderful test to measure your other hormones, including Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, DHEA, and Melatonin, all of which are supposed to be maintained in a delicate balance.
Even subtle hormone imbalances can cause all sorts of symptoms for both men and women. This client’s SHP shows us that her cortisol is running low much of the day, but her DHEA is too low relative to her cortisol. This can cause all sorts of symptoms such as fatigue, foggy thinking, sleep disruptions, joint pain, headaches and even depression. This client’s SHP shows that his estrogen and progesterone are both elevated. This can cause symptoms of nervousness, irritability, anxiousness, water retention, loss of muscle mass, weight gain, and decreased libido, in both men and women, when out of balance, just to name a few. To add to his issues, his testosterone is low when we compare his value to what we consider a preferred functional range. This would help to explain his complaints of low libido, aches and pains, fatigue, sleep disruptions and difficulty recovering from workouts.