Re: lowered night-time cortisol

[Guest guest]

Mo

I have also suffered from bad insommnia. I know that when I am too

low in cortisol I cannot sleep. Blood sugar goes down, I get muscle

twitches, and I can be awake for hours unless I take some cortisol

and eat something in the middle of the night. HC does not last long

enough for me at night - 4 hours and it's over - so I take a small

dose of Pred at night, and this enables me to sleep, sometimes all

the way through. For me, the nighttime dose is one of the most

important. Quality, stage 4 sleep is essential for adrenal healing

and the manufacture of growth hormone.

Nicola

-- In NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS , " Mo Osborne "

wrote:

>

> Hi Val I was talking to a friend about your suggestion that my

recenbt

> bout of severe insomnia might be connected with low cortisol

because of

> the extra stress on my adrenals on the Pred. reduction.

> She asked me what I meant exactly as cortisol normally often

reaches

> zero and undetectable at midnight.

> I don't know the answer to that. Do you?

> Thanks mucho.

>

> Mo

>

[Guest guest]

>>She asked me what I meant exactly as cortisol normally often reaches

zero and undetectable at midnight.

I don't know the answer to that. Do you?<<

Yes! Like all the labs for cortisol they are all skewed as only sick

people are being tested. I like to see a 2-3 on midnight levels. 1-0

means too low an it WILL interfere with sleep. My own drops WAY too low

at night and if I do not take a bedtime dose of HC I do not sleep

through the night.MANY people need a bedtime dose to carry them through.

DOesn;t have to be alot, but you need SOME in your system.

--

Artistic Grooming * Hurricane, WV

My Ebay Jewelry Store http://stores.ebay.com/valeriescrystalcreations

The BEST thyroid website! http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/

[Guest guest]

>

> Mo

>

> I have also suffered from bad insommnia. I know that when I am too

> low in cortisol I cannot sleep. Blood sugar goes down, I get

muscle

> twitches, and I can be awake for hours unless I take some cortisol

> and eat something in the middle of the night. HC does not last

long

> enough for me at night - 4 hours and it's over - so I take a small

> dose of Pred at night, and this enables me to sleep, sometimes all

> the way through. For me, the nighttime dose is one of the most

> important. Quality, stage 4 sleep is essential for adrenal healing

> and the manufacture of growth hormone.

Thanks Nicola.

Last night I took sleeping tablets at 10 pm and 5 mg h/c, slept from

11.30 to just before 3 am. Maybe this was me losing the cortisol do

you think?

Then I slept again for another 4 hours. That was a good night but

still not enough for me, I need at the very, very least 9 hours, 10

is better.

Maybe I should take some Pred. at bedtime. How much do you take and

do you know how longs that actually last? And does that equate with

how long you find you can stay asleep?

Thanks a lot for that info.

Mo

[Guest guest]

> Yes! Like all the labs for cortisol they are all skewed as only sick

> people are being tested. I like to see a 2-3 on midnight levels. 1-0

> means too low an it WILL interfere with sleep. My own drops WAY too

low

> at night and if I do not take a bedtime dose of HC I do not sleep

> through the night.MANY people need a bedtime dose to carry them

through.

Hah I thought you might, lol God bless ya!

Now this friend is suggesting that my recent problems with severe

insomnia (both ends) is because I am likely suffering from Cushings and

she says that one-third of those with Cushings have these kind of sleep

issues even on full replacement dose?

Whatchathunk?

Mo

[Guest guest]

>>Now this friend is suggesting that my recent problems with severe

insomnia (both ends) is because I am likely suffering from Cushings and

she says that one-third of those with Cushings have these kind of sleep

issues even on full replacement dose?<<

While you were on the high doses of Pred sis you have sleep trouble like

this? THAT would have been high cortisol keeping you awake. Now that you

are on a normal replacement dosage, I do not think it is high at night

but NONE at night that is keeping you from sleeping.

--

Artistic Grooming * Hurricane, WV

My Ebay Jewelry Store http://stores.ebay.com/valeriescrystalcreations

The BEST thyroid website! http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/

[Guest guest]

> >

Mo

Difficult to be precise about how much, as I am splitting a 5mg

tablet which is the equivalent of 20mg HC. I guess I aim for a

quarter of the tablet which would be 5mg HC. The thing with Pred is

that it lasts longer in the body, so you are less likely to run out

in the middle of the night. I tried to replace it with 5mg HC the

other night, and was awake from 2am-4am, had to eat something AND

took some Pred in order to get back to sleep. Far better to just

take the pred at the beginning of the night, avoid the need to eat,

and hopefully sleep a good chunk of the night.

I also take melatonin at night to help me sleep. I found some 3mg

sublingual tablets, but was told off by my endo for taking these as

apparently it is way too much, and can drive down blood sugar.

0.5mg - 1mg sublingual is the proper dose - and I have to say I have

been sleeping much better on this.

How have you found the tapering down on Pred? I hope to be doing

this soon too, and am not particularly looking forward to it. The

insommnia is my worst fear. I would rather keep the nighttime dose

and lose some of the day dosage than vice versa!

Take care

Nicola

> >

> Thanks Nicola.

> Last night I took sleeping tablets at 10 pm and 5 mg h/c, slept

from

> 11.30 to just before 3 am. Maybe this was me losing the cortisol do

> you think?

> Then I slept again for another 4 hours. That was a good night but

> still not enough for me, I need at the very, very least 9 hours, 10

> is better.

> Maybe I should take some Pred. at bedtime. How much do you take and

> do you know how longs that actually last? And does that equate with

> how long you find you can stay asleep?

> Thanks a lot for that info.

>

> Mo

>

[Guest guest]

Hi again Nicola

>

> Difficult to be precise about how much, as I am splitting a 5mg

> tablet which is the equivalent of 20mg HC.

You do know that they come in 2.5 mg and 1 mg?

I guess I aim for a

> quarter of the tablet which would be 5mg HC. The thing with Pred is

> that it lasts longer in the body, so you are less likely to run out

> in the middle of the night.

Any idea how long it lasts?

I tried to replace it with 5mg HC the

> other night, and was awake from 2am-4am, had to eat something AND

> took some Pred in order to get back to sleep. Far better to just

> take the pred at the beginning of the night, avoid the need to eat,

> and hopefully sleep a good chunk of the night.

Well I wonder if I should take my 5 mg Pred. at bedtime? Depends I

suppose on how long it is likely to last. Always have trouble

understanding this half-life thingee.

>

> I also take melatonin at night to help me sleep. I found some 3mg

> sublingual tablets, but was told off by my endo for taking these as

> apparently it is way too much, and can drive down blood sugar.

> 0.5mg - 1mg sublingual is the proper dose - and I have to say I

have

> been sleeping much better on this.

I used to take the ordinary 3 mg one and I found it did nothing for

me. I finished the bottle anyway as I believe it has other benefits.

>

> How have you found the tapering down on Pred?

Since March. I went a bit crazy amd stressed dosed, double Pred. 10

mg for THREE months. May have done irreparable damage but I hope not.

I hope to be doing

> this soon too, and am not particularly looking forward to it.

How much are you taking and why are you reducing

The

> insommnia is my worst fear. I would rather keep the nighttime dose

> and lose some of the day dosage than vice versa!

Hmm. What I am doing is trying to get off the Pred. and onto h/c.

<Mo

[Guest guest]

> While you were on the high doses of Pred sis you have sleep trouble

like

> this? THAT would have been high cortisol keeping you awake. Now

that you

> are on a normal replacement dosage, I do not think it is high at

night

> but NONE at night that is keeping you from sleeping.

Hi Val

I jave had trouble getting to sleep since early childhood a result, I

think, of early abuse/PTSD and maybe in inherited weakness. Always v.

sensitive/empathic.

I had my usual trouble getting off to sleep on the double dose Pred,

nothing unusual there. I used a drowsy-making anithistamine and

sometimes 5HTP, or both.

Recently this has not worked. I tried amitryptiline for 10 weeks and

has bad sides and did wonder if this might be some kind or protracted

withdrawal, about 4 weeks or 5 off them now. Taped from 75mg over two

weeks. It took me two YEARS to get off Seroxat.

What is different for me now, sleepwise is waking early. Every day.

Mo

[Guest guest]

>>What is different for me now, sleepwise is waking early. Every day.<<

This just tells me that you are running out of Cortisol at this time.

Try taking your Pred at bedtime, if it doesn't help, you can always move

it back.

--

Artistic Grooming * Hurricane, WV

My Ebay Jewelry Store http://stores.ebay.com/valeriescrystalcreations

The BEST thyroid website! http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/

[Guest guest]

>

> >>What is different for me now, sleepwise is waking early. Every

day.<<

>

> This just tells me that you are running out of Cortisol at this time.

> Try taking your Pred at bedtime, if it doesn't help, you can always

move

Ok Val, worth a shot, thanks.

Mo