Guest guest Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 Val, my understanding is that low physiologic doses, like 20mg/day of cortisol, help the adrenals to rest and allow them to heal over time. Someone recently posted a link for the book " Safe Uses of Cortisol " by Jefferies. If I remember right, you're in a bigger city, and might be able to find it in a library? There is one by Teitlebaum also, but I can't remember the name right now. The Isocort is supposed to have 2.5mg of cortisol in each pellet, so they say 8 maximum in a day, which agrees with the above info. I have taken a little more on some stressful days, but try to stick to that or a little less. I am still playing with it myself, as far as dosages/timing etc. Jackie T> cortef Aren't there risks to taking steroids? Does this help heal your adrenals or just jumpstart them? I just don't want to do any more damage - but if it would dramatically help me to feel better, I'd try them. vAl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 > > Val, my understanding is that low physiologic doses, like 20mg/day of cortisol, help the adrenals to rest and allow them to heal over time. TK---- This is the correct current understanding fron the docs that know what they are doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 > > Val, my understanding is that low physiologic doses, like 20mg/day of cortisol, help the adrenals to rest and allow them to heal over time. TK---- This is the correct current understanding fron the docs that know what they are doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 > > > Aren't there risks to taking steroids? The risks are associated with taking high pharmacological doses of steroids. Those risks don't exist with physiological doses (if they did everyone with normal adrenal function would have them). (Physiological dose is within the range of what the body would normally produce). There are also risks associated with low levels of cortisol. Too high, not good - too low, not good - the amount the body would usually make, just right. > Does this help heal your > adrenals or just jumpstart them? It helps to give the adrenals a rest so that they can heal. If it is mercury in the hypothalmus, pituitary and adrenals that is causing the problem, the cortef helps to replace what the body cannot make while the mercury is being removed by chelation and the body is trying to heal the damage. >I just don't want to do any more > damage - but if it would dramatically help me to feel better, I'd try > them. First you want to be sure that adrenal fatigue is part of your problem. Do you have any of these symptoms: - low blood pressure - dizziness on first standing - hypoglycemia - frequent infections and difficulty shaking infections - poor response and crashing with stress - fatigue - aches and pains The 4x per day saliva test would help to see if cortisol levels are unusual or if there is an unusual pattern. J > > vAl > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 > > > Aren't there risks to taking steroids? The risks are associated with taking high pharmacological doses of steroids. Those risks don't exist with physiological doses (if they did everyone with normal adrenal function would have them). (Physiological dose is within the range of what the body would normally produce). There are also risks associated with low levels of cortisol. Too high, not good - too low, not good - the amount the body would usually make, just right. > Does this help heal your > adrenals or just jumpstart them? It helps to give the adrenals a rest so that they can heal. If it is mercury in the hypothalmus, pituitary and adrenals that is causing the problem, the cortef helps to replace what the body cannot make while the mercury is being removed by chelation and the body is trying to heal the damage. >I just don't want to do any more > damage - but if it would dramatically help me to feel better, I'd try > them. First you want to be sure that adrenal fatigue is part of your problem. Do you have any of these symptoms: - low blood pressure - dizziness on first standing - hypoglycemia - frequent infections and difficulty shaking infections - poor response and crashing with stress - fatigue - aches and pains The 4x per day saliva test would help to see if cortisol levels are unusual or if there is an unusual pattern. J > > vAl > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 > > > Aren't there risks to taking steroids? The risks are associated with taking high pharmacological doses of steroids. Those risks don't exist with physiological doses (if they did everyone with normal adrenal function would have them). (Physiological dose is within the range of what the body would normally produce). There are also risks associated with low levels of cortisol. Too high, not good - too low, not good - the amount the body would usually make, just right. > Does this help heal your > adrenals or just jumpstart them? It helps to give the adrenals a rest so that they can heal. If it is mercury in the hypothalmus, pituitary and adrenals that is causing the problem, the cortef helps to replace what the body cannot make while the mercury is being removed by chelation and the body is trying to heal the damage. >I just don't want to do any more > damage - but if it would dramatically help me to feel better, I'd try > them. First you want to be sure that adrenal fatigue is part of your problem. Do you have any of these symptoms: - low blood pressure - dizziness on first standing - hypoglycemia - frequent infections and difficulty shaking infections - poor response and crashing with stress - fatigue - aches and pains The 4x per day saliva test would help to see if cortisol levels are unusual or if there is an unusual pattern. J > > vAl > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 > > > Aren't there risks to taking steroids? Very big risks -- but only on high dosages. I just read (OK, skimmed!) Dr. Jeffries's book, " The Safe Uses of Cortisol " , and over and over he talks about how low dosages (> 40 mgs/day in divided doses) do not have *any of the problems that high doses do -- osteoporosis being a big one. > Does this help heal your > adrenals or just jumpstart them? It provides the hormone your adrenals aren't currently making, so the gland gets a rest, but not so much of a rest that it won't work anymore. >I just don't want to do any more > damage - but if it would dramatically help me to feel better, I'd try > them. I got scared off after reading the side effects of HC, and thinking my symptoms were mostly thyroid-related. But the Armour I was taking for that wasn't even getting into the cells becasue of low adrenal function. I second the recommendation another poster made for the naturalthyroidhormone yahoogroup, they are really helpful in explaining how all this stuff works together. Another quick story -- I'm currently experimenting, trying to figure out how much to take and when. I took 2.5 mg this morning, was feeling great, went off to parent conferences at my kids' school. A little ways in, I felt like I fell off a cliff: suddenly a wave of anxiety and weakness came over me (not from anything the teacher was saying, lol). As soon as I got home and took more, I was fine. I know I keep saying this, but it is unbelievable the difference it makes. I go from feeling like an invalid to feeling strong and normal in about 20 minutes. Nell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 > > > Does this help heal your > > adrenals or just jumpstart them? > > It provides the hormone your adrenals aren't currently making, so the > gland gets a rest, but not so much of a rest that it won't work anymore. As soon as I got home and took more, I was fine. I know I keep > saying this, but it is unbelievable the difference it makes. I go from > feeling like an invalid to feeling strong and normal in about 20 minutes. > > Nell =================================== Your experience sounds similar to what I had taking Adderall. It's a stimulant medication for " ADHD " . After taking it for about a month, WOW!. What a transformation. I swear, it felt like I was experiencing a miracle. However, when it wore off I felt like I was crashing. Didn't want to do that to my body over and over again. Can you tell me what test and what kind of doc gave you Cortef? The Doc I saw yesterday is not impressing me much. He gave me a fasting adrenal test script but didn't give me any directions about fasting. Val Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Testing-wise, a low-dose ACTH stimulation test was the winner for me. It might be a bit expensive but it is the " gold standard " test for figuring out whether your adrenals are working, and whether you have any " adrenal reserve " for times of stress. Back in January I had an " morning blood cortisol " sample taken. It was taken after enduring London's rush hour public transport, running up a dead escalator at the tube station, and then running to the hospital (I was a bit late) - so hardly likely to be typical of my morning cortisol level. Needless to say, the result was deemed to be within range and so that particular endocrinologist stopped looking at adrenal function. In fact, he stopped helping me altogether. (he also considered a TSH of nearly 4 and low-borderline FT3 as " within range " and therefore not responsible for my symptoms). Then another " metabolic specialist " (who told me the first endocrinologist was one of the most conservative in the country) took a look at me, did sitting/standing blood pressure, heart rate and tendon reflexes, and immediately suspected adrenal fatigue. He ordered a 4-sample saliva cortisol test and it was fine... even though I felt like crap. Two tests coming back okay threw me off the scent and I stopped even considering adrenal problems. It's taken until now to find out that it really is (at least in part) adrenal-related. As I say, I failed the ACTH test miserably (though it's also quite possible that my adrenals have got worse since the beginning of the year... but something was definitely up even a year and a half ago, when I was so tired I was almost crawling up the sidewalk on all fours). If you do ACTH, they should also check Aldosterone levels, both baseline, and at the same intervals they check your cortisol. Don't ask me what you do if your ACTH test comes back normal though! >> >>> Does this help heal your >>> adrenals or just jumpstart them? >> >> It provides the hormone your adrenals aren't currently making, so the >> gland gets a rest, but not so much of a rest that it won't work > anymore. > As soon as I got home and took more, I was fine. I know I keep >> saying this, but it is unbelievable the difference it makes. I go > from >> feeling like an invalid to feeling strong and normal in about 20 > minutes. >> >> Nell > > =================================== > > Your experience sounds similar to what I had taking Adderall. It's a > stimulant medication for " ADHD " . After taking it for about a month, > WOW!. What a transformation. I swear, it felt like I was > experiencing a miracle. However, when it wore off I felt like I was > crashing. Didn't want to do that to my body over and over again. > > Can you tell me what test and what kind of doc gave you Cortef? The > Doc I saw yesterday is not impressing me much. He gave me a fasting > adrenal test script but didn't give me any directions about fasting. > > Val > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Hi , Andy actually says that most mercury toxic people will pass an ACTH stimulation test, so you were lucky to fail. He says that the gold standard is the exercise stress test. So the answer to the question of what to do if you fail the ACTH would be to do an exercise stress test. BTW what were your experiences with the nhs? Did you manage to get them to prescribe/diagnose you with anything in the end? . Hurt wrote: > > Testing-wise, a low-dose ACTH stimulation test was the winner for me. > It might be a bit expensive but it is the " gold standard " test for > figuring out whether your adrenals are working, and whether you have > any " adrenal reserve " for times of stress. > > Back in January I had an " morning blood cortisol " sample taken. It > was taken after enduring London's rush hour public transport, running > up a dead escalator at the tube station, and then running to the > hospital (I was a bit late) - so hardly likely to be typical of my > morning cortisol level. Needless to say, the result was deemed to be > within range and so that particular endocrinologist stopped looking > at adrenal function. In fact, he stopped helping me altogether. (he > also considered a TSH of nearly 4 and low-borderline FT3 as " within > range " and therefore not responsible for my symptoms). > > Then another " metabolic specialist " (who told me the first > endocrinologist was one of the most conservative in the country) took > a look at me, did sitting/standing blood pressure, heart rate and > tendon reflexes, and immediately suspected adrenal fatigue. He > ordered a 4-sample saliva cortisol test and it was fine... even > though I felt like crap. > > Two tests coming back okay threw me off the scent and I stopped even > considering adrenal problems. It's taken until now to find out that > it really is (at least in part) adrenal-related. > > As I say, I failed the ACTH test miserably (though it's also quite > possible that my adrenals have got worse since the beginning of the > year... but something was definitely up even a year and a half ago, > when I was so tired I was almost crawling up the sidewalk on all fours). > > If you do ACTH, they should also check Aldosterone levels, both > baseline, and at the same intervals they check your cortisol. > > Don't ask me what you do if your ACTH test comes back normal though! > > > > > > > > >> > >>> Does this help heal your > >>> adrenals or just jumpstart them? > >> > >> It provides the hormone your adrenals aren't currently making, so the > >> gland gets a rest, but not so much of a rest that it won't work > > anymore. > > As soon as I got home and took more, I was fine. I know I keep > >> saying this, but it is unbelievable the difference it makes. I go > > from > >> feeling like an invalid to feeling strong and normal in about 20 > > minutes. > >> > >> Nell > > > > =================================== > > > > Your experience sounds similar to what I had taking Adderall. It's a > > stimulant medication for " ADHD " . After taking it for about a month, > > WOW!. What a transformation. I swear, it felt like I was > > experiencing a miracle. However, when it wore off I felt like I was > > crashing. Didn't want to do that to my body over and over again. > > > > Can you tell me what test and what kind of doc gave you Cortef? The > > Doc I saw yesterday is not impressing me much. He gave me a fasting > > adrenal test script but didn't give me any directions about fasting. > > > > Val > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Hi , Andy actually says that most mercury toxic people will pass an ACTH stimulation test, so you were lucky to fail. He says that the gold standard is the exercise stress test. So the answer to the question of what to do if you fail the ACTH would be to do an exercise stress test. BTW what were your experiences with the nhs? Did you manage to get them to prescribe/diagnose you with anything in the end? . Hurt wrote: > > Testing-wise, a low-dose ACTH stimulation test was the winner for me. > It might be a bit expensive but it is the " gold standard " test for > figuring out whether your adrenals are working, and whether you have > any " adrenal reserve " for times of stress. > > Back in January I had an " morning blood cortisol " sample taken. It > was taken after enduring London's rush hour public transport, running > up a dead escalator at the tube station, and then running to the > hospital (I was a bit late) - so hardly likely to be typical of my > morning cortisol level. Needless to say, the result was deemed to be > within range and so that particular endocrinologist stopped looking > at adrenal function. In fact, he stopped helping me altogether. (he > also considered a TSH of nearly 4 and low-borderline FT3 as " within > range " and therefore not responsible for my symptoms). > > Then another " metabolic specialist " (who told me the first > endocrinologist was one of the most conservative in the country) took > a look at me, did sitting/standing blood pressure, heart rate and > tendon reflexes, and immediately suspected adrenal fatigue. He > ordered a 4-sample saliva cortisol test and it was fine... even > though I felt like crap. > > Two tests coming back okay threw me off the scent and I stopped even > considering adrenal problems. It's taken until now to find out that > it really is (at least in part) adrenal-related. > > As I say, I failed the ACTH test miserably (though it's also quite > possible that my adrenals have got worse since the beginning of the > year... but something was definitely up even a year and a half ago, > when I was so tired I was almost crawling up the sidewalk on all fours). > > If you do ACTH, they should also check Aldosterone levels, both > baseline, and at the same intervals they check your cortisol. > > Don't ask me what you do if your ACTH test comes back normal though! > > > > > > > > >> > >>> Does this help heal your > >>> adrenals or just jumpstart them? > >> > >> It provides the hormone your adrenals aren't currently making, so the > >> gland gets a rest, but not so much of a rest that it won't work > > anymore. > > As soon as I got home and took more, I was fine. I know I keep > >> saying this, but it is unbelievable the difference it makes. I go > > from > >> feeling like an invalid to feeling strong and normal in about 20 > > minutes. > >> > >> Nell > > > > =================================== > > > > Your experience sounds similar to what I had taking Adderall. It's a > > stimulant medication for " ADHD " . After taking it for about a month, > > WOW!. What a transformation. I swear, it felt like I was > > experiencing a miracle. However, when it wore off I felt like I was > > crashing. Didn't want to do that to my body over and over again. > > > > Can you tell me what test and what kind of doc gave you Cortef? The > > Doc I saw yesterday is not impressing me much. He gave me a fasting > > adrenal test script but didn't give me any directions about fasting. > > > > Val > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Val, It not only helps you feel better, but it gives your own adrenals a chance to rest and get stronger on their own If you stay within the physiologic dosing range, then the risk are very small to none. THis is 20 mg h/c for most people ..for some it can be a little higher, but for most people it is safest to keep it under 20 mg For myself, I had quite a rough time with my adrenals for awhile...I couldn't even get by with hydrocortisone (h/c) but had to use something stronger...Prednisolone, or I would have griedvous meltdowns. However, about 1 1/2 years down the road , I am happy to report that I am completely off the support for good now. I got off once before, only to need to be back on them for a little while longer, and then after a little while longer (at low doses) I was finally able to stay off with zero problems. It has been about 1 1/2 months now that I am completely off! The thing with steroids that you have to understand is that it makes your brain tell your body to make less cortisol since you are already getting it from an outside source. This means that your reserve pool of cortisol is dimished. When this happens, and you happen upon a period of great stress, your body does not have the reserve back-up it normally has to compensate for this. The way to deal with this, is to take extra h/c when some thing of stess happens...like an illness or surgery (VERY important for a surgery), or highly stressful activity, a near miss in a car accident, a big party, holidays perhaps,.....those types of situations. Generally, you will be able to feel this fro yourself and know when you need extra. If you do some research and study the history of steroid and h/c use, you will understand why so many physicians have the misconception that it is dangerous. They used to give it to some people indiscrimainately, and they did a lot, lot bettter. But then, if they had to have surgery, they were not aware of the fact that they would have to give people extra cortisone becasue their own body had been " resting " in terms of keeping a back-up reserve. Subsequently, they did not give them extra cortisone, and people died. This has given cortisone a bad rap, but it really is safe when taken in small doses. Most of the people who are against it, I think are also talking in terms of the high doses that some folks take for inflammatory conditions, but that is a whole different ball of wax. My take on it is this, and I think Andy says about the same thing: If your adrenals are really stressed already anyway, it is a good idea to take the hydrocortisone to give them a chance to heal. It certainly worked for me. Weaning off of them can be poopy, but it is doable. It took me several months...probablhy about 6 montsh to finally get completely off, but now that it is behind me, I shrug my shoulders and say no big deal...but it can be a bit trying at tiomes. I did a lot of it by lowering my doses, and then keeping extra on hand to take if I felt I couldn't get by without it. ~Inga > > Aren't there risks to taking steroids? Does this help heal your > adrenals or just jumpstart them? I just don't want to do any more > damage - but if it would dramatically help me to feel better, I'd try > them. > > vAl > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Val, It not only helps you feel better, but it gives your own adrenals a chance to rest and get stronger on their own If you stay within the physiologic dosing range, then the risk are very small to none. THis is 20 mg h/c for most people ..for some it can be a little higher, but for most people it is safest to keep it under 20 mg For myself, I had quite a rough time with my adrenals for awhile...I couldn't even get by with hydrocortisone (h/c) but had to use something stronger...Prednisolone, or I would have griedvous meltdowns. However, about 1 1/2 years down the road , I am happy to report that I am completely off the support for good now. I got off once before, only to need to be back on them for a little while longer, and then after a little while longer (at low doses) I was finally able to stay off with zero problems. It has been about 1 1/2 months now that I am completely off! The thing with steroids that you have to understand is that it makes your brain tell your body to make less cortisol since you are already getting it from an outside source. This means that your reserve pool of cortisol is dimished. When this happens, and you happen upon a period of great stress, your body does not have the reserve back-up it normally has to compensate for this. The way to deal with this, is to take extra h/c when some thing of stess happens...like an illness or surgery (VERY important for a surgery), or highly stressful activity, a near miss in a car accident, a big party, holidays perhaps,.....those types of situations. Generally, you will be able to feel this fro yourself and know when you need extra. If you do some research and study the history of steroid and h/c use, you will understand why so many physicians have the misconception that it is dangerous. They used to give it to some people indiscrimainately, and they did a lot, lot bettter. But then, if they had to have surgery, they were not aware of the fact that they would have to give people extra cortisone becasue their own body had been " resting " in terms of keeping a back-up reserve. Subsequently, they did not give them extra cortisone, and people died. This has given cortisone a bad rap, but it really is safe when taken in small doses. Most of the people who are against it, I think are also talking in terms of the high doses that some folks take for inflammatory conditions, but that is a whole different ball of wax. My take on it is this, and I think Andy says about the same thing: If your adrenals are really stressed already anyway, it is a good idea to take the hydrocortisone to give them a chance to heal. It certainly worked for me. Weaning off of them can be poopy, but it is doable. It took me several months...probablhy about 6 montsh to finally get completely off, but now that it is behind me, I shrug my shoulders and say no big deal...but it can be a bit trying at tiomes. I did a lot of it by lowering my doses, and then keeping extra on hand to take if I felt I couldn't get by without it. ~Inga > > Aren't there risks to taking steroids? Does this help heal your > adrenals or just jumpstart them? I just don't want to do any more > damage - but if it would dramatically help me to feel better, I'd try > them. > > vAl > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Val, It not only helps you feel better, but it gives your own adrenals a chance to rest and get stronger on their own If you stay within the physiologic dosing range, then the risk are very small to none. THis is 20 mg h/c for most people ..for some it can be a little higher, but for most people it is safest to keep it under 20 mg For myself, I had quite a rough time with my adrenals for awhile...I couldn't even get by with hydrocortisone (h/c) but had to use something stronger...Prednisolone, or I would have griedvous meltdowns. However, about 1 1/2 years down the road , I am happy to report that I am completely off the support for good now. I got off once before, only to need to be back on them for a little while longer, and then after a little while longer (at low doses) I was finally able to stay off with zero problems. It has been about 1 1/2 months now that I am completely off! The thing with steroids that you have to understand is that it makes your brain tell your body to make less cortisol since you are already getting it from an outside source. This means that your reserve pool of cortisol is dimished. When this happens, and you happen upon a period of great stress, your body does not have the reserve back-up it normally has to compensate for this. The way to deal with this, is to take extra h/c when some thing of stess happens...like an illness or surgery (VERY important for a surgery), or highly stressful activity, a near miss in a car accident, a big party, holidays perhaps,.....those types of situations. Generally, you will be able to feel this fro yourself and know when you need extra. If you do some research and study the history of steroid and h/c use, you will understand why so many physicians have the misconception that it is dangerous. They used to give it to some people indiscrimainately, and they did a lot, lot bettter. But then, if they had to have surgery, they were not aware of the fact that they would have to give people extra cortisone becasue their own body had been " resting " in terms of keeping a back-up reserve. Subsequently, they did not give them extra cortisone, and people died. This has given cortisone a bad rap, but it really is safe when taken in small doses. Most of the people who are against it, I think are also talking in terms of the high doses that some folks take for inflammatory conditions, but that is a whole different ball of wax. My take on it is this, and I think Andy says about the same thing: If your adrenals are really stressed already anyway, it is a good idea to take the hydrocortisone to give them a chance to heal. It certainly worked for me. Weaning off of them can be poopy, but it is doable. It took me several months...probablhy about 6 montsh to finally get completely off, but now that it is behind me, I shrug my shoulders and say no big deal...but it can be a bit trying at tiomes. I did a lot of it by lowering my doses, and then keeping extra on hand to take if I felt I couldn't get by without it. ~Inga > > Aren't there risks to taking steroids? Does this help heal your > adrenals or just jumpstart them? I just don't want to do any more > damage - but if it would dramatically help me to feel better, I'd try > them. > > vAl > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 This sounds like exactly what I need. By the way, I've had 2 major surgeries in my life. The first one left me bedridden for 3 months. I've never felt the same after it and that was a long long time ago. So sad how pathetic our " medical " system is. Anyway, I was diagnosed with adrenal problems by an osteopath but he didn't believe in drugs. I didn't either but now I'll try them. Jeez, I want my quality of life back. If you also have thyroid problems, how does cortef handle that? By the way, I was kneeling at work today, stood up and felt dizzy. Also, I think my blood sugar is all messed up because I go through some pretty wicked moods during the day. Now, how the heck do I get some Cortef?? The yokel I went to yesterday didn't inform me to fast for this adrenal test and he didn't call me back like his nurse said he would today. AAAAAArhg. Val More questions - Did you chelate while you were on Cortef? I really think stress (extreme with 2 surgeries) plus metal toxicity has screwed up my health. So, I guess I support the adrenals while chelating out the metals?? =================== > Val, > It not only helps you feel better, but it gives your own adrenals a > chance to rest and get stronger on their own > > If you stay within the physiologic dosing range, then the risk are very > small to none. > THis is 20 mg h/c for most people ..for some it can be a little > higher, but for most people it is safest to keep it under 20 mg > > For myself, I had quite a rough time with my adrenals for awhile...I > couldn't even get by with hydrocortisone (h/c) but had to use something > stronger...Prednisolone, or I would have griedvous meltdowns. However, > about 1 1/2 years down the road , I am happy to report that I am > completely off the support for good now. I got off once before, only to > need to be back on them for a little while longer, and then after a > little while longer (at low doses) I was finally able to stay off with > zero problems. It has been about 1 1/2 months now that I am completely > off! > > The thing with steroids that you have to understand is that it makes > your brain tell your body to make less cortisol since you are already > getting it from an outside source. This means that your reserve pool of > cortisol is dimished. When this happens, and you happen upon a period > of great stress, your body does not have the reserve back-up it > normally has to compensate for this. The way to deal with this, is to > take extra h/c when some thing of stess happens...like an illness or > surgery (VERY important for a surgery), or highly stressful activity, a > near miss in a car accident, a big party, holidays perhaps,.....those > types of situations. Generally, you will be able to feel this fro > yourself and know when you need extra. > > If you do some research and study the history of steroid and h/c use, > you will understand why so many physicians have the misconception that > it is dangerous. They used to give it to some people indiscrimainately, > and they did a lot, lot bettter. But then, if they had to have surgery, > they were not aware of the fact that they would have to give people > extra cortisone becasue their own body had been " resting " in terms of > keeping a back-up reserve. Subsequently, they did not give them extra > cortisone, and people died. > > This has given cortisone a bad rap, but it really is safe when taken in > small doses. Most of the people who are against it, I think are also > talking in terms of the high doses that some folks take for > inflammatory conditions, but that is a whole different ball of wax. > > My take on it is this, and I think Andy says about the same thing: If > your adrenals are really stressed already anyway, it is a good idea to > take the hydrocortisone to give them a chance to heal. It certainly > worked for me. Weaning off of them can be poopy, but it is doable. It > took me several months...probablhy about 6 montsh to finally get > completely off, but now that it is behind me, I shrug my shoulders and > say no big deal...but it can be a bit trying at tiomes. I did a lot of > it by lowering my doses, and then keeping extra on hand to take if I > felt I couldn't get by without it. > > ~Inga > > > > > > > > > Aren't there risks to taking steroids? Does this help heal your > > adrenals or just jumpstart them? I just don't want to do any more > > damage - but if it would dramatically help me to feel better, I'd try > > them. > > > > vAl > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 This sounds like exactly what I need. By the way, I've had 2 major surgeries in my life. The first one left me bedridden for 3 months. I've never felt the same after it and that was a long long time ago. So sad how pathetic our " medical " system is. Anyway, I was diagnosed with adrenal problems by an osteopath but he didn't believe in drugs. I didn't either but now I'll try them. Jeez, I want my quality of life back. If you also have thyroid problems, how does cortef handle that? By the way, I was kneeling at work today, stood up and felt dizzy. Also, I think my blood sugar is all messed up because I go through some pretty wicked moods during the day. Now, how the heck do I get some Cortef?? The yokel I went to yesterday didn't inform me to fast for this adrenal test and he didn't call me back like his nurse said he would today. AAAAAArhg. Val More questions - Did you chelate while you were on Cortef? I really think stress (extreme with 2 surgeries) plus metal toxicity has screwed up my health. So, I guess I support the adrenals while chelating out the metals?? =================== > Val, > It not only helps you feel better, but it gives your own adrenals a > chance to rest and get stronger on their own > > If you stay within the physiologic dosing range, then the risk are very > small to none. > THis is 20 mg h/c for most people ..for some it can be a little > higher, but for most people it is safest to keep it under 20 mg > > For myself, I had quite a rough time with my adrenals for awhile...I > couldn't even get by with hydrocortisone (h/c) but had to use something > stronger...Prednisolone, or I would have griedvous meltdowns. However, > about 1 1/2 years down the road , I am happy to report that I am > completely off the support for good now. I got off once before, only to > need to be back on them for a little while longer, and then after a > little while longer (at low doses) I was finally able to stay off with > zero problems. It has been about 1 1/2 months now that I am completely > off! > > The thing with steroids that you have to understand is that it makes > your brain tell your body to make less cortisol since you are already > getting it from an outside source. This means that your reserve pool of > cortisol is dimished. When this happens, and you happen upon a period > of great stress, your body does not have the reserve back-up it > normally has to compensate for this. The way to deal with this, is to > take extra h/c when some thing of stess happens...like an illness or > surgery (VERY important for a surgery), or highly stressful activity, a > near miss in a car accident, a big party, holidays perhaps,.....those > types of situations. Generally, you will be able to feel this fro > yourself and know when you need extra. > > If you do some research and study the history of steroid and h/c use, > you will understand why so many physicians have the misconception that > it is dangerous. They used to give it to some people indiscrimainately, > and they did a lot, lot bettter. But then, if they had to have surgery, > they were not aware of the fact that they would have to give people > extra cortisone becasue their own body had been " resting " in terms of > keeping a back-up reserve. Subsequently, they did not give them extra > cortisone, and people died. > > This has given cortisone a bad rap, but it really is safe when taken in > small doses. Most of the people who are against it, I think are also > talking in terms of the high doses that some folks take for > inflammatory conditions, but that is a whole different ball of wax. > > My take on it is this, and I think Andy says about the same thing: If > your adrenals are really stressed already anyway, it is a good idea to > take the hydrocortisone to give them a chance to heal. It certainly > worked for me. Weaning off of them can be poopy, but it is doable. It > took me several months...probablhy about 6 montsh to finally get > completely off, but now that it is behind me, I shrug my shoulders and > say no big deal...but it can be a bit trying at tiomes. I did a lot of > it by lowering my doses, and then keeping extra on hand to take if I > felt I couldn't get by without it. > > ~Inga > > > > > > > > > Aren't there risks to taking steroids? Does this help heal your > > adrenals or just jumpstart them? I just don't want to do any more > > damage - but if it would dramatically help me to feel better, I'd try > > them. > > > > vAl > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 This sounds like exactly what I need. By the way, I've had 2 major surgeries in my life. The first one left me bedridden for 3 months. I've never felt the same after it and that was a long long time ago. So sad how pathetic our " medical " system is. Anyway, I was diagnosed with adrenal problems by an osteopath but he didn't believe in drugs. I didn't either but now I'll try them. Jeez, I want my quality of life back. If you also have thyroid problems, how does cortef handle that? By the way, I was kneeling at work today, stood up and felt dizzy. Also, I think my blood sugar is all messed up because I go through some pretty wicked moods during the day. Now, how the heck do I get some Cortef?? The yokel I went to yesterday didn't inform me to fast for this adrenal test and he didn't call me back like his nurse said he would today. AAAAAArhg. Val More questions - Did you chelate while you were on Cortef? I really think stress (extreme with 2 surgeries) plus metal toxicity has screwed up my health. So, I guess I support the adrenals while chelating out the metals?? =================== > Val, > It not only helps you feel better, but it gives your own adrenals a > chance to rest and get stronger on their own > > If you stay within the physiologic dosing range, then the risk are very > small to none. > THis is 20 mg h/c for most people ..for some it can be a little > higher, but for most people it is safest to keep it under 20 mg > > For myself, I had quite a rough time with my adrenals for awhile...I > couldn't even get by with hydrocortisone (h/c) but had to use something > stronger...Prednisolone, or I would have griedvous meltdowns. However, > about 1 1/2 years down the road , I am happy to report that I am > completely off the support for good now. I got off once before, only to > need to be back on them for a little while longer, and then after a > little while longer (at low doses) I was finally able to stay off with > zero problems. It has been about 1 1/2 months now that I am completely > off! > > The thing with steroids that you have to understand is that it makes > your brain tell your body to make less cortisol since you are already > getting it from an outside source. This means that your reserve pool of > cortisol is dimished. When this happens, and you happen upon a period > of great stress, your body does not have the reserve back-up it > normally has to compensate for this. The way to deal with this, is to > take extra h/c when some thing of stess happens...like an illness or > surgery (VERY important for a surgery), or highly stressful activity, a > near miss in a car accident, a big party, holidays perhaps,.....those > types of situations. Generally, you will be able to feel this fro > yourself and know when you need extra. > > If you do some research and study the history of steroid and h/c use, > you will understand why so many physicians have the misconception that > it is dangerous. They used to give it to some people indiscrimainately, > and they did a lot, lot bettter. But then, if they had to have surgery, > they were not aware of the fact that they would have to give people > extra cortisone becasue their own body had been " resting " in terms of > keeping a back-up reserve. Subsequently, they did not give them extra > cortisone, and people died. > > This has given cortisone a bad rap, but it really is safe when taken in > small doses. Most of the people who are against it, I think are also > talking in terms of the high doses that some folks take for > inflammatory conditions, but that is a whole different ball of wax. > > My take on it is this, and I think Andy says about the same thing: If > your adrenals are really stressed already anyway, it is a good idea to > take the hydrocortisone to give them a chance to heal. It certainly > worked for me. Weaning off of them can be poopy, but it is doable. It > took me several months...probablhy about 6 montsh to finally get > completely off, but now that it is behind me, I shrug my shoulders and > say no big deal...but it can be a bit trying at tiomes. I did a lot of > it by lowering my doses, and then keeping extra on hand to take if I > felt I couldn't get by without it. > > ~Inga > > > > > > > > > Aren't there risks to taking steroids? Does this help heal your > > adrenals or just jumpstart them? I just don't want to do any more > > damage - but if it would dramatically help me to feel better, I'd try > > them. > > > > vAl > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 I emailed you offline with the web address fro H/c ~Inga > Now, how the heck do I get some Cortef?? The yokel I went to > yesterday didn't inform me to fast for this adrenal test and he > didn't call me back like his nurse said he would today. AAAAAArhg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 >>>SO did they diagnose you as having addisons? > As I say, I failed the ACTH test miserably (though it's also quite > possible that my adrenals have got worse since the beginning of the > year... but something was definitely up even a year and a half ago, > when I was so tired I was almost crawling up the sidewalk on all fours). > > If you do ACTH, they should also check Aldosterone levels, both > baseline, and at the same intervals they check your cortisol. > > Don't ask me what you do if your ACTH test comes back normal though! > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 >>>SO did they diagnose you as having addisons? > As I say, I failed the ACTH test miserably (though it's also quite > possible that my adrenals have got worse since the beginning of the > year... but something was definitely up even a year and a half ago, > when I was so tired I was almost crawling up the sidewalk on all fours). > > If you do ACTH, they should also check Aldosterone levels, both > baseline, and at the same intervals they check your cortisol. > > Don't ask me what you do if your ACTH test comes back normal though! > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 >>>SO did they diagnose you as having addisons? > As I say, I failed the ACTH test miserably (though it's also quite > possible that my adrenals have got worse since the beginning of the > year... but something was definitely up even a year and a half ago, > when I was so tired I was almost crawling up the sidewalk on all fours). > > If you do ACTH, they should also check Aldosterone levels, both > baseline, and at the same intervals they check your cortisol. > > Don't ask me what you do if your ACTH test comes back normal though! > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 when you were taking cortef how did you divide the dosage > > Val, > It not only helps you feel better, but it gives your own adrenals a > chance to rest and get stronger on their own > > If you stay within the physiologic dosing range, then the risk are very > small to none. > THis is 20 mg h/c for most people ..for some it can be a little > higher, but for most people it is safest to keep it under 20 mg > > For myself, I had quite a rough time with my adrenals for awhile...I > couldn't even get by with hydrocortisone (h/c) but had to use something > stronger...Prednisolone, or I would have griedvous meltdowns. However, > about 1 1/2 years down the road , I am happy to report that I am > completely off the support for good now. I got off once before, only to > need to be back on them for a little while longer, and then after a > little while longer (at low doses) I was finally able to stay off with > zero problems. It has been about 1 1/2 months now that I am completely > off! > > The thing with steroids that you have to understand is that it makes > your brain tell your body to make less cortisol since you are already > getting it from an outside source. This means that your reserve pool of > cortisol is dimished. When this happens, and you happen upon a period > of great stress, your body does not have the reserve back-up it > normally has to compensate for this. The way to deal with this, is to > take extra h/c when some thing of stess happens...like an illness or > surgery (VERY important for a surgery), or highly stressful activity, a > near miss in a car accident, a big party, holidays perhaps,.....those > types of situations. Generally, you will be able to feel this fro > yourself and know when you need extra. > > If you do some research and study the history of steroid and h/c use, > you will understand why so many physicians have the misconception that > it is dangerous. They used to give it to some people indiscrimainately, > and they did a lot, lot bettter. But then, if they had to have surgery, > they were not aware of the fact that they would have to give people > extra cortisone becasue their own body had been " resting " in terms of > keeping a back-up reserve. Subsequently, they did not give them extra > cortisone, and people died. > > This has given cortisone a bad rap, but it really is safe when taken in > small doses. Most of the people who are against it, I think are also > talking in terms of the high doses that some folks take for > inflammatory conditions, but that is a whole different ball of wax. > > My take on it is this, and I think Andy says about the same thing: If > your adrenals are really stressed already anyway, it is a good idea to > take the hydrocortisone to give them a chance to heal. It certainly > worked for me. Weaning off of them can be poopy, but it is doable. It > took me several months...probablhy about 6 montsh to finally get > completely off, but now that it is behind me, I shrug my shoulders and > say no big deal...but it can be a bit trying at tiomes. I did a lot of > it by lowering my doses, and then keeping extra on hand to take if I > felt I couldn't get by without it. > > ~Inga > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 when you were taking cortef how did you divide the dosage > > Val, > It not only helps you feel better, but it gives your own adrenals a > chance to rest and get stronger on their own > > If you stay within the physiologic dosing range, then the risk are very > small to none. > THis is 20 mg h/c for most people ..for some it can be a little > higher, but for most people it is safest to keep it under 20 mg > > For myself, I had quite a rough time with my adrenals for awhile...I > couldn't even get by with hydrocortisone (h/c) but had to use something > stronger...Prednisolone, or I would have griedvous meltdowns. However, > about 1 1/2 years down the road , I am happy to report that I am > completely off the support for good now. I got off once before, only to > need to be back on them for a little while longer, and then after a > little while longer (at low doses) I was finally able to stay off with > zero problems. It has been about 1 1/2 months now that I am completely > off! > > The thing with steroids that you have to understand is that it makes > your brain tell your body to make less cortisol since you are already > getting it from an outside source. This means that your reserve pool of > cortisol is dimished. When this happens, and you happen upon a period > of great stress, your body does not have the reserve back-up it > normally has to compensate for this. The way to deal with this, is to > take extra h/c when some thing of stess happens...like an illness or > surgery (VERY important for a surgery), or highly stressful activity, a > near miss in a car accident, a big party, holidays perhaps,.....those > types of situations. Generally, you will be able to feel this fro > yourself and know when you need extra. > > If you do some research and study the history of steroid and h/c use, > you will understand why so many physicians have the misconception that > it is dangerous. They used to give it to some people indiscrimainately, > and they did a lot, lot bettter. But then, if they had to have surgery, > they were not aware of the fact that they would have to give people > extra cortisone becasue their own body had been " resting " in terms of > keeping a back-up reserve. Subsequently, they did not give them extra > cortisone, and people died. > > This has given cortisone a bad rap, but it really is safe when taken in > small doses. Most of the people who are against it, I think are also > talking in terms of the high doses that some folks take for > inflammatory conditions, but that is a whole different ball of wax. > > My take on it is this, and I think Andy says about the same thing: If > your adrenals are really stressed already anyway, it is a good idea to > take the hydrocortisone to give them a chance to heal. It certainly > worked for me. Weaning off of them can be poopy, but it is doable. It > took me several months...probablhy about 6 montsh to finally get > completely off, but now that it is behind me, I shrug my shoulders and > say no big deal...but it can be a bit trying at tiomes. I did a lot of > it by lowering my doses, and then keeping extra on hand to take if I > felt I couldn't get by without it. > > ~Inga > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 when you were taking cortef how did you divide the dosage > > Val, > It not only helps you feel better, but it gives your own adrenals a > chance to rest and get stronger on their own > > If you stay within the physiologic dosing range, then the risk are very > small to none. > THis is 20 mg h/c for most people ..for some it can be a little > higher, but for most people it is safest to keep it under 20 mg > > For myself, I had quite a rough time with my adrenals for awhile...I > couldn't even get by with hydrocortisone (h/c) but had to use something > stronger...Prednisolone, or I would have griedvous meltdowns. However, > about 1 1/2 years down the road , I am happy to report that I am > completely off the support for good now. I got off once before, only to > need to be back on them for a little while longer, and then after a > little while longer (at low doses) I was finally able to stay off with > zero problems. It has been about 1 1/2 months now that I am completely > off! > > The thing with steroids that you have to understand is that it makes > your brain tell your body to make less cortisol since you are already > getting it from an outside source. This means that your reserve pool of > cortisol is dimished. When this happens, and you happen upon a period > of great stress, your body does not have the reserve back-up it > normally has to compensate for this. The way to deal with this, is to > take extra h/c when some thing of stess happens...like an illness or > surgery (VERY important for a surgery), or highly stressful activity, a > near miss in a car accident, a big party, holidays perhaps,.....those > types of situations. Generally, you will be able to feel this fro > yourself and know when you need extra. > > If you do some research and study the history of steroid and h/c use, > you will understand why so many physicians have the misconception that > it is dangerous. They used to give it to some people indiscrimainately, > and they did a lot, lot bettter. But then, if they had to have surgery, > they were not aware of the fact that they would have to give people > extra cortisone becasue their own body had been " resting " in terms of > keeping a back-up reserve. Subsequently, they did not give them extra > cortisone, and people died. > > This has given cortisone a bad rap, but it really is safe when taken in > small doses. Most of the people who are against it, I think are also > talking in terms of the high doses that some folks take for > inflammatory conditions, but that is a whole different ball of wax. > > My take on it is this, and I think Andy says about the same thing: If > your adrenals are really stressed already anyway, it is a good idea to > take the hydrocortisone to give them a chance to heal. It certainly > worked for me. Weaning off of them can be poopy, but it is doable. It > took me several months...probablhy about 6 montsh to finally get > completely off, but now that it is behind me, I shrug my shoulders and > say no big deal...but it can be a bit trying at tiomes. I did a lot of > it by lowering my doses, and then keeping extra on hand to take if I > felt I couldn't get by without it. > > ~Inga > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 > Hi , > Andy actually says that most mercury toxic people will pass an ACTH > stimulation test, so you were lucky to fail. Ha ha, that's quite funny, I know what you mean, " lucky to fail " !. When you have so many tests come back " normal " it's a cause for celebration when something finally comes back unarguably bad. Though I suspect they're still going to come up with some dumb excuse for my test result rather than actually investigate the problem. I would presume (I'm hardly an expert) that mercury toxic people fail the ACTH stim test because their adrenal glands are fine, but they have a malfunctioning pituitary, so don't produce endogenous ACTH properly. My test failed because I think I might have actually physically injured an adrenal gland. Even so, Hopkins are insisting on a tremendously expensive MRI to look for pituitary disease. Doesn't seem too likely to me, but if ruling out pituitary problems is the only way we're going to move forward, so be it. > He says that the gold > standard is the exercise stress test. So the answer to the question of > what to do if you fail the ACTH would be to do an exercise stress > test. I haven't heard of that, but sounds interesting. Even moderate exercise knocks me out completely an hour later. I suppose if you measure both ACTH levels and cortisol levels you can get an idea of whether the problem's primary or secondary. > > BTW what were your experiences with the nhs? Did you manage to get > them to prescribe/diagnose you with anything in the end? I gave up on the NHS in the spring. The local NHS gastros I saw were disinterested, stupid, insulting, and of course, slow. No-one seems to hold my local hospital in particularly high esteem though. I've had a couple of investigations at the Royal London in Whitechapel (as seen regularly on BBC TV), which of course is NHS, and they were superb. A whole different experience. The thing is, private treatment in the UK isn't necessarily any better than the NHS, because almost everyone you see privately is also an NHS consultant. Certainly if you go private in my home town, the only people you end up seeing are the same f* & %kwits that work at the local NHS hospital. You might see them quicker, and they might have a nicer office, but they don't get any more intelligent just because you're paying them out of your own pocket. I'm only getting anywhere since coming to the US... and even then it's because I finally worked out what might be wrong, and asked them to do the right test. Hopkins is only a slight improvement over my UK experiences. It's luck of the draw here. Some of their docs have been great (thanks Don , Bruce Bochner, Marshall Bedine), but others behave like you're an irritating distraction that stops them getting on with their real work. (Just got back from another ridiculously unhelpful - and expensive - consultation this morning). Sorry if I'm giving doctors a bad name. But a lot of them suck. You pay them a fortune for their expertise, then end up having to work it out for yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.