What Does it Mean If Cortisol Is High in Urine?

The body naturally releases hormones through your urine, however high levels of hormones may indicate potential disease. High cortisol levels in urine may mean that you have a disease that releases high levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ATCH), the hormone responsible for releasing cortisol.

Basics

• A cortisol urine test measures the level of cortisol in your urine. The normal range for cortisol levels is between 10 and 100mcg/24h with mcg/24h meaning the number of micrograms over 24 hours.

High Levels

• If you have more than 100mcg of cortisol in your urine over a 24-hour period, your cortisol levels may be considered high.

Diseases

• According to Medline Plus, high urine cortisol levels may indicate Cushing syndrome, Cushing’s disease, or Pseudo-Cushing’s. It may also indicate that you have an ACTH releasing tumor.

Considerations

• Several medications or severe emotional/physical stress may hinder the results of a cortisol test. Because of this, the test is often administered three times to account for potential interference.

Treatment

• Treatment for high levels of cortisol in the urine is the cure for whatever causes cortisol levels to rise. For an ACTH releasing tumor, the remedy may simply be removal of the tumor.