Adrenals and hydrocortisone treatment

[Guest guest]

I have not yet seen the new doc I am going to for thyroid tests but

I tried to feel out my pulmonologist on the adrenal issue I think I

have as well as the thyroid issues. He is a very good and caring

doc and does great with asthma but after talking to him I leared he

thinks very highly of the TSH, which I gather is mostly worthless.

On the adrenal issue though he said I needed to do the blood test

for that and if it came back low then I needed to be treated with

cortisone. I have noticed talk on here about taking cortisone. I

have a dreaded fear of anything even close to steroids. I realize

cortisone is different from prednisone but high doses of prednisone

for asthma about destroyed me. It caused many problems including

Avascular Necrois in my shoulders, hips and knees, (that is " death

of the bone " , very painful and very debilitating). The end result

is joint replacements which I have already had in both shoulders.

This disease is caused by steroids and I assume that if cortisone is

a steroid it can also cause it. Any comments on the similarity of

prednisone and cortisone?

I have recently done the saliva test for the adrenals and am being

treated for that by my naturopath and my understanding is that the

saliva test is more accurate than the blood test, any comments??

Lorna