What are the indications, if any, for trending ACTH and cortisol levels in patients with adrenal insufficiency on steroid replacement therapy?
The only indication is if the patient has steroid-induced adrenal insufficiency and you are planning to wean the patient off steroids. In that case, I usually measure early AM cortisol and ACTH every 8 weeks. An increase in ACTH will be the first sign of HPA axis recovery. During this process, ACTH ...
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We don't usually monitor ACTH or cortisol levels for patients on steroid replacement. We follow blood pressure, electrolytes (if primary) and clinical symptoms.
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If the patient is on hydrocortisone, I hold it for 24 hours and check am cortisol and ACTH to assess the adequacy of replacement, and then also check cortisol 2-3 hours after the morning dose to avoid over-replacement.
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