What Causes Elevated Cortisol Levels In DST?

Posted on Sat, 30 Jan 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 30 Jan 2016 Answered on

Fri, 11 Mar 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : I recently had a dexamethasone suppression test done and the results were elevsted. I am to go back to the endocrinologist soon.what should I expect?

Answered by Dr. Shehzad Topiwala (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Test for Cushings syndrome

Detailed Answer:
The dexamethasone suppression test looks for a fairly uncommon condition called Cushings syndrome.
It results in weight gain and other medical problems.
It is a complex and challenging condition to accurately diagnose and treat.

You should expect to go through a few more tests next, in order to confirm the diagnosis.
Some tests I use are

Midnight Salivary Cortisol
24 hour Urine Free Cortisol
High Dose 8 mg 48 hour Dexamethasone Suppression test

Your endocrinologist will likely proceed with one of these at this point

Note: For more information on hormonal imbalance symptoms or unmanaged diabetes with other comorbid conditions, get back to us & Consult with an Endocrinologist. Click here to book an appointment.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar