For what events is stress dosing necessary? And what is max dose of cortef?

[Guest guest]

Hey,

Im taking 20mg of cortef and am just wondering when is sress dosing

necessary? I kmow that if you get a cold you need to, but what about

for things like going shopping in the city, or going out clubbing and

drinking alcohol?

The reason I ask is that I feel good on 20mg if I dont do too much,

but if I go shopping in the city then I tend to get tired and my legs

ache a lot. This happened the other day and when I got back I took

2.5mg cortef and felt better about half hour later. The problem is

very likely thyroid too tho as I havnt taken thyroid for about two

months now (giving my adrenals a rest, but am planning to start again

very soon). Alcohol tends to make me very tired which I think is

thyroid as stress dosing doesnt really help.

I am worried about stress dosing when it isnt necessary tho as if I do

it too often I will effectively be taking a higher dose, and am

worried about suppressing my adrenals....although Dr P today said that

this only happens when you take about 60 mg. Can anyone reassure me

that taking 25/30mg per day is ok?

My mum is very worried about me taking cortef and although dr p and

other say it is ok, I hav heard so much about the long term effects of

it, and how most docs dont like to prescribe it.

I think I would feel best taking 20mg (10, 5, 2.5, 2.5) and taking

extra 5mg say if going to city or out anywhere really. Is this ok? And

of course starting my thyoid again

Thanks,

Jonny

[Guest guest]

I think

if you KNOW you are going to get tired after a certain activity, you can stress

dose - but learn to be selective. You have to think ahead with this game and

learn what works and what doesn't. I think also that you now need to get back

onto your thyroid hormone replacement because you have been off it for so long

you are going to be getting back the symptoms you had before you started taking

it, and your legs getting tired after shopping could be a lack of thyroid

hormone Jonny. Start today, don't wait for another time to start. In my

opinion, you have been off it for too long.

20/30mgs

HC is a physiological dose. If you are not putting out the cortisol your body

requires, you need to replace it. Once you get settled on your thyroid hormone

replacement again, you may then gradually cut back on your HC over a period of

time and just take your thyroid replacement. The tales you are hearing from

other people are told out of ignorance. We all know about people taking

steroids and what can happen, but just look at this logically. You have been

diagnosed as being hypothyroid - which basically means your thyroid is not

secreting the thyroid hormones your body needs - you have been diagnosed with

low adrenal reserve which basically is your adrenals are not capable of

secreting the amount of cortisol your body needs - so you take thyroid and

adrenal hormones to replace them. I think what you are worried about is that

you will become 'addicted' and gradually increase more and more until you are

on a dangerously high dose. It doesn't happen like that Jonny. Be guided by Dr

P and stop listening to others who don't know about these illnesses.

I would

try the regime you have set out and see how it works, it seems very sensible to

me.

Luv -

Sheila

My mum is very worried about me taking cortef and although dr p and

other say it is ok, I hav heard so much about the long term effects of

it, and how most docs dont like to prescribe it.

I think I would feel best taking 20mg (10, 5, 2.5, 2.5) and taking

extra 5mg say if going to city or out anywhere really. Is this ok? And

of course starting my thyoid again

Thanks,

Jonny