ACTH test results back -- son's is high

[Christianmom]

My son's "Shoemaker" tests are coming back and here are the results (plus the results of a few other tests).

 

KPU -- positive (30)

DNASE -- high (960)

ASO -- normal

Mycoplasma -- slightly high

C4a -- high (8000+); C3a -- normal

MTHFR -- "a single copy of the C677T mutation"

HLA DR -- "mold susceptible" from one parent

MMP-9 -- normal

ACTH -- high (80.1)

cortisol -- normal (not sure if this test was run correctly, may have to re-do it)

 

My question is about the ACTH result? Shouldn't it be low if there are problems with mold? What does high ACTH mean?

 

Dr. T suggested that the high ACTH may be causing my son's OCD. He said that ACTH is closely related to MSH and that MSH problems can cause OCD. Also, the only thing that has ever really helped my son significantly (though only temporarily) were steroids. And steroids reduce ACTH. Which would explain why my son gets relief on steroids but nothing else.

 

But what is causing the high ACTH? Mold? Dr. T suggested that although ACTH is normally low in mold patients, this would be at the more chronic stage that Dr. Shoemaker usually sees. In other words, my son may have mold problems, but it is only in the early stages so the ACTH isn't being lowered yet.

 

Has anyone's child had a high ACTH? What did you doctor say about it?

 

Still waiting for results from MSH, VIP, TGF-B1, VEGF, and CRP. Thank you!

[justinekno]

I don't have my son's results in front of me but I don't think we tested ACTH. We did all of the other Shoemaker tests which had results suggestive of mold exposure.

 

Is your dr conferring with Dr. S on the mold piece of your son's problem?

 

My son's "Shoemaker" tests are coming back and here are the results (plus the results of a few other tests).

 

KPU -- positive (30)

DNASE -- high (960)

ASO -- normal

Mycoplasma -- slightly high

C4a -- high (8000+); C3a -- normal

MTHFR -- "a single copy of the C677T mutation"

HLA DR -- "mold susceptible" from one parent

MMP-9 -- normal

ACTH -- high (80.1)

cortisol -- normal (not sure if this test was run correctly, may have to re-do it)

 

My question is about the ACTH result? Shouldn't it be low if there are problems with mold? What does high ACTH mean?

 

Dr. T suggested that the high ACTH may be causing my son's OCD. He said that ACTH is closely related to MSH and that MSH problems can cause OCD. Also, the only thing that has ever really helped my son significantly (though only temporarily) were steroids. And steroids reduce ACTH. Which would explain why my son gets relief on steroids but nothing else.

 

But what is causing the high ACTH? Mold? Dr. T suggested that although ACTH is normally low in mold patients, this would be at the more chronic stage that Dr. Shoemaker usually sees. In other words, my son may have mold problems, but it is only in the early stages so the ACTH isn't being lowered yet.

 

Has anyone's child had a high ACTH? What did you doctor say about it?

 

Still waiting for results from MSH, VIP, TGF-B1, VEGF, and CRP. Thank you!

Edited December 2, 2011 by justinekno

[philamom]

Nothing to offer here since I haven't had the chance to do anything regarding dd's results yet, but our ACTH was 20 (normal). Interesting that Dr. T suggested MSH being related to OCD. Dd's MSH was 32 (labeled critical). Although, her OCD is not nearly as bad as it was in the past. Thank you for posting your results. I need to look into this again.

 

Dd's results from labcorp (June 2011):

TGF-b1 5260 H (range is 344-2382)

ACTH, Plasma 20.5

C-reactive Protein 0.3

VIP, Plasma 21.1 L (range is 23.0-63.0)

MSH 32 Critical (range is 0-40) Flagged in red as Critical

Edited December 2, 2011 by philamom

[SSS]

What makes you think there is a problem with mold?

Your high C4a could be inflammation associated with infection-

and you've got high strep titer, and high myco.

Is he on antibiotics to try and bring down those infections?

[Christianmom]

What makes you think there is a problem with mold?

Your high C4a could be inflammation associated with infection-

and you've got high strep titer, and high myco.

Is he on antibiotics to try and bring down those infections?

Oh, believe me I'm not ruling out strep or mycoplasma. Just not willing to stop there either, which is why I'm pursuing, mold, lyme, kpu, etc. My son was on antibiotics for a year with little change. He is off antibiotics right now because I felt his system needed a short break.

[SSS]

Good for you, it is awesome all the testing you have been able to get done-

Sorry, I don't know about the other, didn't mean to just state the obvious.

[Christianmom]

Is your dr conferring with Dr. S on the mold piece of your son's problem?

No, not yet anyway. Still waiting for all results to come back.

[Christianmom]

Sorry, I don't know about the other, didn't mean to just state the obvious.

That's OK. I really do appreciate everyone's input and opinion. The high C4a may be elevated from strep or mycoplasma, and I am keeping that in the back of my mind. I don't want to just assume it is high from mold or lyme.

[susie]

Nothing to offer here since I haven't had the chance to do anything regarding dd's results yet, but our ACTH was 20 (normal). Interesting that Dr. T suggested MSH being related to OCD. Dd's MSH was 32 (labeled critical). Although, her OCD is not nearly as bad as it was in the past. Thank you for posting your results. I need to look into this again.

 

Dd's results from labcorp (June 2011):

TGF-b1 5260 H (range is 344-2382)

ACTH, Plasma 20.5

C-reactive Protein 0.3

VIP, Plasma 21.1 L (range is 23.0-63.0)

MSH 32 Critical (range is 0-40) Flagged in red as Critical

 

I'm interested in what you're saying about MSH and OCD connection. But what I'm not getting is that 32 would be critical when 0-40 is the normal range. Is this supposed to be critically high or low?

 

Thank you,

 

Susie

[Familyof5]

Just looked on my children's lab reports and noted that Shoemaker's normal range for ACTH is: 8-37. For what it is worth. They haven't been tested for this recently and I can't get to their old lab reports to see if it was abnormal in the past. My experience has taught me that the "major" indicators for mold are C4a, MSH, TGF Beta 1, VIP, MMP9, ADH/Osmolality, Anti Gliadian Antibodies, Anticardiolipids. ACTH is one of the hormones that can go wild from mold illness, but correcting the other regulatory hormones will usually correct ACTH.

[philamom]

Nothing to offer here since I haven't had the chance to do anything regarding dd's results yet, but our ACTH was 20 (normal). Interesting that Dr. T suggested MSH being related to OCD. Dd's MSH was 32 (labeled critical). Although, her OCD is not nearly as bad as it was in the past. Thank you for posting your results. I need to look into this again.

 

Dd's results from labcorp (June 2011):

TGF-b1 5260 H (range is 344-2382)

ACTH, Plasma 20.5

C-reactive Protein 0.3

VIP, Plasma 21.1 L (range is 23.0-63.0)

MSH 32 Critical (range is 0-40) Flagged in red as Critical

 

I'm interested in what you're saying about MSH and OCD connection. But what I'm not getting is that 32 would be critical when 0-40 is the normal range. Is this supposed to be critically high or low?

 

Thank you,

 

Susie

I'm not sure about this - hopefully, someone else will chime in. I think Dr. Shoemaker has the results flagged at this level from his perspective. Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong here.

[JuliaFaith]

Dd's results from labcorp (June 2011):

TGF-b1 5260 H (range is 344-2382)

ACTH, Plasma 20.5

C-reactive Protein 0.3

VIP, Plasma 21.1 L (range is 23.0-63.0)

MSH 32 Critical (range is 0-40) Flagged in red as Critical

My sons #'s:

 

TGF-b1 - was 9800; Now==2200

VIP - was <10; Now= still <10

MSH - was 11; Now =17

 

Doctor thought TGF-b1 was probably much higher before we started remediation for mold. Your child's numbers actually look much better than my son's. Thought the comparison would be interesting.

[justinekno]

That's how I understood it too.

 

I'm not sure about this - hopefully, someone else will chime in. I think Dr. Shoemaker has the results flagged at this level from his perspective. Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong here.