Adrenal tests: which blood tests exist and what each one shows

An adrenal test is not one test. Your adrenal glands, two small glands that sit above your kidneys, make several hormones, and each one has its own blood test. Which test fits depends on the question you are asking and on what a clinician suspects.

This page sorts the tests by the question they answer. It also says plainly what no blood test can do, including confirm “adrenal fatigue”.

Cortisol AM and PM

A morning result and a later one, because cortisol changes through the day. Follow the times on your lab order.

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Price checked November 2026. Not available in ND, RI, NY, NJ, MD and HI. We earn a commission on sales.

The adrenal hormones and the test for each

MedlinePlus describes the adrenal glands as making cortisol, aldosterone and DHEAS, among other hormones. Here is how the tests line up.

Hormone	What it does	Blood test	Guide
Cortisol	Helps the body respond to stress, reduces inflammation, and helps control blood sugar and blood pressure	Cortisol, usually a morning sample, sometimes with a later one	Cortisol test guide
ACTH	Made by the pituitary gland; tells the adrenal glands how much cortisol to make	ACTH (a plasma sample)	ACTH blood test
DHEA-S	An androgen made mostly by the adrenal glands	DHEA sulfate	DHEA-S blood test
Aldosterone	Helps balance sodium and potassium and keeps blood pressure stable	Aldosterone, often paired with renin	Aldosterone-to-renin ratio

Names you may see for the same group of tests: adrenal blood test, adrenal gland test, adrenal function test, adrenal panel. None of these is a single standard test. If something is sold as an “adrenal panel”, look at which hormones it actually lists.

What “adrenal function test” usually means

In a clinic, testing adrenal function usually means cortisol and ACTH levels and, when needed, a stimulation test. NIDDK describes the ACTH stimulation test as the one used most often to diagnose adrenal insufficiency. A health care professional gives an injection of man-made ACTH and takes blood before it and 30 or 60 minutes after. That is a procedure done in a clinic, not a test you can order from home.

Which test fits which question

Your question	What usually fits	Who usually arranges it
Are my adrenal glands making enough cortisol?	A morning cortisol, often with ACTH. See low cortisol.	A clinician
Is the signal to the adrenal glands working?	ACTH, read alongside a cortisol level. See ACTH vs cortisol.	A clinician
Do I make too much cortisol?	Not one blood test. NIDDK says doctors usually do two of: a 24-hour urine collection, a late-night saliva test, a low-dose dexamethasone suppression test. See high cortisol.	A clinician
Why do I have extra body or facial hair or a deeper voice?	MedlinePlus lists DHEAS among the tests for this. See DHEA-S.	A clinician
Is an adrenal hormone behind my blood pressure?	MedlinePlus says the aldosterone test is considered for high blood pressure that comes with low potassium, doesn’t improve with usual medicines, or starts young. See aldosterone-to-renin ratio.	A clinician
I’m tired and don’t know why.	Several tests come before an adrenal one. See thyroid or adrenal.	A clinician, or you
Is stress or “adrenal fatigue” the cause?	No blood test answers this.	Not applicable

Adrenal fatigue, stress hormones and what a test can say

Searches such as “adrenal fatigue test” and “cortisol test for stress” usually come from a reasonable place: you feel worn out and want a number that explains it. The evidence does not support that route.

• Cortisol is called the stress hormone because it helps your body respond to stress, according to MedlinePlus. A cortisol blood test measures how much cortisol is in the sample. It does not measure how stressed you are.
• “Adrenal fatigue” is not a recognized diagnosis. A 2024 paper in the Journal of the Endocrine Society says it has never been scientifically proven to exist. A 2016 systematic review of 58 studies reached the same conclusion: there is no substantiation that it is a real medical condition. The review also notes that no endocrinology society recognizes it.
• The tests sold for it are not validated. The same 2024 paper says the symptom scores and multi-sample saliva cortisol profiles used for adrenal fatigue have never been validated for judging adrenal function. It adds that the accepted tests (serum cortisol, plasma ACTH and the ACTH stimulation test) are usually normal in people given the label.
• “Adrenal extract” supplements are a risk. That paper says they can contain real steroid hormones and can cause adrenal insufficiency.

None of this means your tiredness isn’t real. MedlinePlus says fatigue is a symptom with many causes, such as thyroid disease, anemia, sleep disorders, diabetes, depression and anxiety, and that if it lasts for weeks you should call your provider. Our page on adrenal fatigue goes further.

What an adrenal blood test can’t show

• It can’t diagnose by itself. A single cortisol can’t diagnose or rule out Cushing’s syndrome or adrenal insufficiency, which includes Addison’s disease. NIDDK says no one test is perfect for Cushing’s syndrome. MedlinePlus says ACTH and cortisol are used together, and that other tests are often needed for a final diagnosis.
• It depends on timing. Cortisol and ACTH are both highest in the morning and lowest late in the evening, so a number means little without the time of the draw. See AM and PM timing.
• It can’t say why a level is unusual. Medicines, stress, illness, pregnancy and other things change these hormones. Sorting out the cause is what a clinician does with the full picture.
• It isn’t comparable everywhere. Reference ranges differ between labs and methods. Use the range printed on your own report.

Before you order any adrenal test

1. Tell your clinician and the lab what you take. That includes steroid medicines of any kind, skin creams, birth control pills and biotin. Some of these change results. Never stop or change a medicine for a test unless your prescriber tells you to.
2. Check the timing. MedlinePlus says ACTH samples are often taken early in the morning, and that cortisol blood samples are usually taken twice in one day, in the morning and again around 4 p.m. Aldosterone results change with body position, and your provider may give extra instructions on salt, licorice or medicines.
3. Read the order, not just the name. Sellers describe the same test in different amounts of detail. Where a page doesn’t state fasting, timing or sample handling, follow the instructions on your lab order.
4. Compare sellers. Prices for the same type of test vary widely, and it is worth comparing. See cost and where to buy.

Two of the single-hormone tests, if a clinician has suggested them:

• ACTH $49 See this test at HealthLabs
• DHEA sulfate $169 See this test at HealthLabs

Sold by HealthLabs. Prices checked November 2026. Not available in ND, RI, NY, NJ, MD and HI. We earn a commission on sales.

When not to wait for a test

Vomiting that won’t stop, severe weakness or fainting, especially if you have a known adrenal condition or take a steroid medicine, need urgent care. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Don’t wait for a test. See adrenal crisis.

Book a visit with a clinician soon if you have long-lasting tiredness with weight loss, loss of appetite or muscle weakness, or signs MedlinePlus lists for too much cortisol such as easy bruising and wide purple stretch marks. If you take a steroid medicine, ask your prescriber how it affects any adrenal test.

Questions people ask

Can I get an adrenal test at home?

Partly. You can order blood tests such as cortisol, ACTH and DHEA-S yourself and have the blood drawn at a lab. The stimulation tests that clinicians use to confirm a problem are done in a clinic. MedlinePlus also notes that cortisol can be measured in saliva and urine, but those are separate tests with their own instructions.

Is a cortisol test the same as an adrenal test?

A cortisol test is one adrenal test. It looks at one hormone. See the cortisol test guide.

Keep reading

• Cortisol test guide

  Which cortisol test answers which question.

• ACTH blood test

  The hormone that signals the adrenal glands.

• DHEA-S blood test

  An adrenal androgen and who gets tested for it.

• Aldosterone-to-renin ratio

  The adrenal hormone linked to blood pressure.

• Thyroid or adrenal?

  Tests worth considering when you are tired.

• Adrenal fatigue

  What the term means and what the evidence says.