1st Hydrocortisone arrived

[Guest guest]

Sorry if this has already been posted - it disappeared when I pressed

SEND so not sure if it went or not. Thank God I remembered to save

it first...

Thank you to everyone who replied about cutting hydrocortisone tabs.

Thank you Bella as well for suggesting the cheaper alternative but I

had already ordered them by the time you had posted... I will bear

it in mind for next time.

The tabs arrived a couple of days ago and I am feeling VERY nervous

about starting so have not yet. It feels such a huge step. I have a

lot of classic symptoms,(but also not others such as chronic

tiredness, Dr P seems sure I need it, I did not show up as having an

adrenal problem when I did the salivary test (although Dr P didn't

seem to think this mattered) yet I feel very resisitant still despite

having ordered it. I am nervous that it will do some damage or that

I won't be able to stop taking it or something. For someone who has

only taken complementary medicine for the last 20 years, this feels

very scary.

I recently bought a blood pressure machine (thanks for the advice - i

got the one from Lloyds Pharmacy) and I am getting the Raglan's test

result - a drop when I stand - how definitive is this? Can anything

else cause that to happen?

One last question, whenever I get quite stressed, I get a pain and

tightness in the centre of my lower back which since getting all the

adrenal info since coming on here, I have thought was my adrenals.

Could this be right? Does anyone else get this?

When I've had very bad periods of stress it's felt as if my back was

going to snap. I only get it when I'm stressed.

Any reassurance would be very welcome. I have read Dr P's chapter on

adrenals and other info but am still feeeling very anxious about

taking this step. Sorry if I'm repeating myself...

Reeta x

[Guest guest]

Hi Reeta,

Try not to get too wound up, but this is a pretty classic adrenal

reaction to stress. Just take the pills and see how you get on. They won't

do you any good in the bottle. Trust Dr.P. He got me well after 17 years of

deterioration till I was nearly a pudding! If you want to stop -please don't

do it all at once, but taper the dose down over several weeks- or better

still ask Dr. P.

Raglan's sign is definitive

One last question, whenever I get quite stressed, I get a pain and

tightness in the centre of my lower back which since getting all the

adrenal info since coming on here, I have thought was my adrenals.

Could this be right? Does anyone else get this?

When I've had very bad periods of stress it's felt as if my back was

going to snap. I only get it when I'm stressed.

Any reassurance would be very welcome. I have read Dr P's chapter on

adrenals and other info but am still feeeling very anxious about

taking this step. Sorry if I'm repeating myself...

Reeta x

Messages are not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always

consult with a suitably qualified practitioner before changing medication.

[Guest guest]

Hi Reeta,

Just to add to what said: if you start the tablets, there is a

period of time where it's pretty much guaranteed that you will get

off them, certainly during the first few weeks of taking them

because you will not have reached replacement dosage during that

time.

I have read of people who are like you in that they doubt they need

them and prevaricate about taking them. They go on them for a

while, wean off, go back on and don't have the dependency on them, I

don't know why. The fact is though, I do believe that if you need

them then they will make your life considerably better than it is

right now. It isn't always a total cure but it's enough of a

blessing that we'd be churlish to complain.

Like , I doubt that I can get off HC now but I do have the

attitude of 'so what' because the alternative is that I go through

the hell you are going through, sorry my love if that sounds harsh.

It's taken me a long time to think this way, about a year of wishing

and praying that the adrenals would fix. What would that year have

been like for me if I hadn't been on the tablets? I don't think I

could have born it.

It could be that you are living on your nerves to the extent that

you still have energy of the nervous variety, perhaps you aren't

hypothyroid but only hypoadrenal. I'm guessing and maybe I

shouldn't because none of us want you to take tablets unless you

truly feel okay with it. I took them because I thought I'd get off

them.

Weigh up the pros and cons Reeta, that's all you can do and ask

yourself what is the worse that can happen if you take them and the

worse that can happen if you don't. Ask yourself if either of those

consequences are acceptable to you.

Hugs to you.

Luv Bella

>

> Hi Reeta,

> Try not to get too wound up, but this is a pretty classic

adrenal

> reaction to stress. Just take the pills and see how you get on.

They won't

> do you any good in the bottle.

[Guest guest]

Quite simply Bella - if you are not making the right amount of hormone (whatever hormone that might be) then you need to replace it - that is ALL you are doing, replacing the hormone that isn't there. If you look at taking your cortisone that way, it should make you feel better. Nobody needs to add hormones if they are making sufficient.

Luv - Sheila

Like , I doubt that I can get off HC now but I do have the attitude of 'so what' because the alternative is that I go through the hell you are going through, sorry my love if that sounds harsh. It's taken me a long time to think this way, about a year of wishing and praying that the adrenals would fix. What would that year have been like for me if I hadn't been on the tablets? I don't think I could have born it.

..