ACTH stimulation test

The test is done the following way: Your blood is drawn. You then receive a shot (injection) of ACTH, usually into the muscle in your shoulder. The ACTH may be a man-made (synthetic) form. After either 30 minutes or 60 minutes, or both, depending on how much ACTH you receive, your blood is drawn again. The lab checks…

You may need to limit activities and eat foods that are high in carbohydrates 12 to 24 hours before the test. You may be asked to fast for 6 hours before the test. Sometimes, no special preparation is needed. You may be asked to temporarily stop taking medicines, such as hydrocortisone, which can interfere with the…

When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or slight bruising. This soon goes away. The injection into the shoulder may cause moderate pain or stinging. Some people feel flushed, nervous, or nauseated after the…

This test can help determine whether your adrenal and pituitary glands are normal. It is most often used when your health care provider thinks you have an adrenal gland problem, such as Addison disease , or pituitary insufficiency . It is also used to see if your pituitary and adrenal glands have recovered from…

An increase in cortisol after stimulation by ACTH is expected. Cortisol level after ACTH stimulation should be higher than 13 to 14 mcg/dL (358 to 386 nmol/L) depending on the type of cortisol assay used and, on the dose of ACTH used. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use…

This test is helpful in finding out if you have: Acute adrenal crisis (life-threatening condition that occurs when there is not enough cortisol) Addison disease (adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol) Hypopituitarism (pituitary gland is not producing enough hormones such as ACTH)

There is little risk involved with having your blood taken. Veins and arteries vary in size from one person to another, and from one side of the body to the other. Taking blood from some people may be more difficult than from others. Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight, but may include: Excessive…

Newell-Price JDC, Auchus RJ. The adrenal cortex. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Koenig RJ, Rosen CJ, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology . 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 15. Torpy DJ, Bancos I, Husebye E. Adrenal insufficiency. In: Robertson RP, ed. DeGroot's Endocrinology . 8th ed.…