$12.00
Priced per marker, with baseline labs included. You’ll see your total before you pay.
Brain & nervous system
Cortisol, total test
Mass-spectrometry cortisol; can be more accurate than immunoassay, especially when other steroids are elevated.
At a glance
In about 5 days
Most results are ready in about 5 days. Some specialty markers can take up to 21 days.
Best at a set time of day or cycle day
Contact us before your draw if you’re not sure.
Walk in at Quest
Your lab order arrives by email. Most Quest locations take walk-ins, so bring it with a photo ID.
What it measures
Measures cortisol, your main stress hormone, with a very precise lab method called mass spectrometry. It’s less likely than standard tests to be thrown off by similar hormones or some medicines.
Why it matters for women
Estrogen from birth control or pregnancy can raise the protein that carries cortisol, so total cortisol can read higher even when your adrenal glands are fine. Cushing’s syndrome, when the body makes too much cortisol, is more common in women. This precise method can help when other hormones can blur a standard result.
You might check it if…
- an earlier cortisol result didn’t match how you feel
- a doctor is looking into high or low cortisol
- you take a medicine that can skew standard cortisol tests
What your result may mean
High Cortisol, total: what it may mean
High total cortisol may point to physical or emotional stress, depression, heavy alcohol use, steroid medicines or Cushing's syndrome. Total cortisol counts the hormone bound to its carrier protein, so estrogen from pregnancy or birth control can raise the number without any adrenal problem. People with Cushing's may develop a rounder face, thin skin, muscle weakness or higher blood sugar. Mass spectrometry can tell cortisol apart from look-alike steroids, which can make a high result easier to trust. Even so, free cortisol in urine or saliva can add detail.
Low Cortisol, total: what it may mean
Low total cortisol may point to primary adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease), secondary adrenal insufficiency from a pituitary problem, or long-term steroid therapy that can quiet the body's own production. Severe liver or kidney disease can lower the carrier protein and pull the total down too. Low cortisol can bring tiredness, low blood pressure, dizziness or darker skin. Afternoon samples can read lower than morning ones, and this precise method may read a bit lower than older tests. An ACTH stimulation test, which can check how the adrenal glands respond, may be the next step.
Get started
Stop guessing. Start testing.
Answer a few questions. We’ll suggest tests linked to how you feel, with a clear price for every test.
No insurance required · HSA/FSA eligible · No subscription
These notes provide context and do not diagnose a condition. Not yet available in NY, NJ, RI, HI, ND, SD or WV.