Cortisol Stress Blood Test
A private cortisol blood test that measures your body's main stress hormone, best taken in the morning, when cortisol is at its natural daily peak. Use it to investigate persistent fatigue, unexplained weight gain, poor sleep or feeling constantly under pressure. From £45 with a finger-prick kit at home, £75 at one of 250+ clinics or £89 with a nurse home visit. Results emailed in 3 to 5 working days.... Read more
A private cortisol blood test that measures your body's main stress hormone, best taken in the morning, when cortisol is at its natural daily peak. Use it to investigate persistent fatigue, unexplained weight gain, poor sleep or feeling constantly under pressure. From £45 with a finger-prick kit at home, £75 at one of 250+ clinics or £89 with a nurse home visit. Results emailed in 3 to 5 working days.
Key facts
- Price: from £45 with a finger-prick kit at home; £75 at a Goodbody clinic; £89 with a nurse home visit
- Measures: serum cortisol
- Timing: a morning sample is recommended, ideally before 10am, when cortisol is naturally highest; most people book a morning appointment or take the kit sample soon after waking
- Fasting: not needed, but avoid caffeine and strenuous exercise beforehand
- Results: emailed within 3 to 5 working days with a GP report
- Kit covers: all markers on this page are measured from a finger-prick sample
Your questions answered
How do you test cortisol levels?
The standard first test is a morning blood sample, because cortisol follows a daily rhythm that peaks around 9am and falls to its lowest around midnight. A single morning blood cortisol shows whether your level is within the expected range at its peak, which is the screening test used to pick up both high cortisol (Cushing's syndrome) and low cortisol (adrenal insufficiency). If the result is unusual, your GP may follow up with a 24-hour urine collection, a late-night saliva test or a stimulation test.
Can you test cortisol levels at home?
Yes. Our finger-prick kit lets you take a few drops of blood at home, ideally in the morning, and post the sample to the laboratory in the packaging provided. The result is the same serum cortisol measurement as a clinic sample. If you would rather not do the finger-prick yourself, book an appointment at one of 250+ clinics or a nurse home visit, ideally in the morning.
What time should a cortisol blood test be done?
In the morning, ideally before 10am. Cortisol is highest shortly after waking and falls through the day, so a sample taken in the afternoon will read lower even in a healthy person and is harder to interpret against the morning reference range. Wake at your normal time, avoid caffeine and exercise before the test, and try to be relaxed; a stressful rush to the clinic can push the reading up.
What are the symptoms of high cortisol?
Weight gain around the middle, face and upper back with thin arms and legs, a rounded or flushed face, purple stretch marks, thin skin that bruises easily, muscle weakness, high blood pressure, raised blood sugar, poor sleep, low mood, anxiety and irregular periods. Persistently high cortisol from the body itself is rare; more often it comes from steroid medication. Milder, stress-related patterns cause fatigue, sleep problems, cravings and difficulty losing weight without the classic signs.
What does high cortisol feel like?
Wired but tired: difficulty switching off at night, waking unrefreshed, feeling on edge, craving sugary or salty food, gaining weight around the stomach despite effort, and catching every cold. These symptoms overlap with poor sleep, thyroid problems, low iron and depression, which is why a blood test helps. A normal morning cortisol makes a cortisol disorder unlikely and points the search elsewhere; our Tiredness and Fatigue test covers the common alternatives.
What are the symptoms of low cortisol?
Profound tiredness, weakness, dizziness on standing, low blood pressure, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, salt craving, low mood and, in Addison's disease, darkening of the skin. Low cortisol is uncommon but serious, and can also occur when long-term steroid medication is reduced too quickly. A morning cortisol clearly within range effectively rules it out; a low reading needs prompt GP follow-up and the report will say so.
How do I lower my cortisol?
Where cortisol is raised by stress rather than disease, the evidence supports regular sleep at consistent times, daily physical activity that is not exhausting, limiting caffeine and alcohol, time outdoors in daylight, and practices that switch off the stress response such as breathing exercises, mindfulness or yoga. Eating regular meals and not over-restricting calories also helps. If your test shows a genuinely high cortisol, the cause needs to be found first: that is a GP and specialist matter, not a lifestyle one.
What is a normal cortisol level in the morning?
The laboratory prints its own morning reference range on your report, and your GP report interprets your number against it. A result well below the range raises concern for adrenal insufficiency and needs prompt follow-up. A result above the range may indicate excess cortisol, or simply an acute stress response on the day, which is why an unexpectedly high result is usually repeated or confirmed with a different test before any conclusion is drawn.
Is a blood test accurate for cortisol?
A morning serum cortisol is the standard, accurate screening test for both high and low cortisol, as long as it is taken at the right time. Its limitation is that it is a single snapshot: cortisol varies through the day and rises with stress, illness, pain and some medications, including the contraceptive pill and inhaled or applied steroids, so one high reading is not a diagnosis. Where the result is unexpected, your GP report will recommend the confirmatory tests to ask your GP about.
How much does a cortisol test cost?
From £45 at Goodbody Clinic with a finger-prick kit posted to your home, £75 with an appointment at one of 250+ clinics, or £89 with a nurse home visit, each including laboratory analysis and a GP report. Cortisol is also included in our broader hormone and fatigue profiles if you want to check several possibilities in one sample.
Does the contraceptive pill affect a cortisol test?
Yes. Oestrogen-containing contraceptives and HRT increase the protein that carries cortisol in the blood, which raises total cortisol readings without changing the active hormone. Tell us if you take them, as the report will take this into account; a result at the upper end of the range on the pill is common and usually not a concern. Steroid medication, including inhalers, creams and joint injections, can lower or raise results and should also be noted.
How long do cortisol test results take?
Results are emailed within 3 to 5 working days of your sample reaching the laboratory, with a GP report explaining your level and what, if anything, to do next.
What happens next
Your results and GP report are emailed to you within 3 to 5 working days of your sample reaching the laboratory. The report explains each marker in plain language, flags anything outside the reference range and says what to do next, including when to take the result to your own GP. All samples are analysed by a UKAS-accredited laboratory.
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What biomarkers do we test?
How our tests work
Book online...
Book online, receive your kit and take to your local Goodbody clinic.
Send it back…
Send your sample in the post to be analysed at an accredited laboratory.
Get results.
Get your comprehensive detailed results report from the laboratory, with guidance from our support team.
Available testing locations for Cortisol Stress Blood Test
Aberdeen Clinic GCI Advanced Aesthetics
Abergavenny Clinic Amatsu Centre
Airdrie Clinic Amiry & Gilbride Pharmacy
Aldershot Clinic Wellington Pharmacy
Alton Clinic Four Marks Pharmacy
Andover Clinic Dr Malaika Clinics
Anniesland Clinic Amiry & Gilbride Pharmacy
Arlesey Clinic Waterloo Farm Wellness
Armadale Clinic Dears Pharmacy
Ascot Clinic Ascot Pharmacy
AshbyDeLaZouch Clinic Aeternum Aesthetics
Ashford Clinic Breakspear Pharmacy
Aveley Clinic Doctor B Aesthetics
Aylesbury Clinic Aura Body Clinic
Aylesbury Clinic Pearlfect Care Pharmacy
Aylsham Clinic North Norfolk Ear & Skin Care
Ballingry Clinic
Barnet Clinic Co Wellbeing
Find More
More Information
How our blood tests work
Have your blood taken in-clinic by one of our skilled phlebotomists and check multiple biomarkers in one go. Many of our tests can also be done in the comfort of your own home with one of our easy-to-use test kits.
Testing
Take a test, either in the comfort of your own home, with a nurse visit, or at one of our clinics nationwide.
Analysis
Your sample is analysed in the clinic, laboratory or using your home test equipment.
Results
Get your comprehensive detailed results report from the laboratory.
Not sure if this test
is right for you?
Enquire via the form and a member of our team will get back to you, they are more than happy to help answer your questions and talk through the best option for you.
Contact us if you aren't sure, we'd be happy to help!
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Experts you can trust
Meet our Goodbody Experts
Our team of professionals has decades of experience so you can be sure you’re getting the best tests and support to understand and improve your health.
Get in touch with Our Team
Dr Lebeth Jacob
BSc (Hons) MBChB
Registered GP & Lead Medical Advisor
Dr Alexandre Akoulitchev
MA, PhD, FRSM
Clinical Support Advisor
Dr Cheng Boon
MBCHB, MRCP, FRCR
Consultant Oncologist
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