Re: Hydrocortisone concerns...? ..

[Guest guest]

Very interesting .

I am always interested in hearing about people who have used HC for

as long as you - anywhere over a month or more and been able to taper

off, especailly after a year. I read so often that this is extremely

rare to be able to do. I guess if one addressed the rest of their

issues properly and got on top of it all, there would be more chance

of getting the HPA back online.

How much were you taking for that year, and how long did you take to

wean off?

Also, you say it helped 'get rid of' your problems.. you mean CFS?

What else? Let us know.

~Chris.

>

> I used hydrocortisone (in the form of Cortef) for a year or so

under a physician's care, in treating my adrenal problems, then I

tapered off. I tried all kinds of other things first, but the HC is

what helped me get rid of my problems.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hey . Interesting. Did you have CFS first before adrenal

insufficiency as I did?

Interesting you started on Prednisone. did you change over just

because of stress dosing or because of pred's reputation for worse

steroid side effects? (long term). There are a few people, and

apparently one of Dr Myhill's patients - who take a dose of

Prednisolone in the morning, then use HC for the rest of the day &

for stress dosing. Apparently Dr Myhill thinks this is a great idea

according to her patient i talked to.

I have been designing my own emergency card for adrenal insufficiency

which i will share will ppl soon, noting the condition and to give a

solu-cortef injection in case of emergency etc.

Indeed a difference in supporting and suppressing. However the

article you gave from Dr Myhill.. interesting though it may be.. she

is saying that she gives only 5-15mg a day to people to 'support' the

adrenals and that 25mg and upward would suppress - which is what most

literature also says. So i'm guessing alot of us who dont produce

enough can't use this 'supportive' effect as it's too low a dose

while our own adrenals don't make enough. My baseline levels were OK

for a few months before I crashed and i only attest that to the

licorice root i was taking, which of course eventually wasn't enough.

I see you say you take 30-60mg of HC a day? That's a big variation..

how often would you say you change it? Do you have an 'average' dose

that you take most days? or do you just stress dose it however you

feel and for what you're doing? I always worry on the days i need any

more than 40mg, as i've been 'scared' by the endos telling me

anything above 30mg a day and you're causing long term probs etc etc.

I am on minimum 40mg at the moment, and alot of days im needing 45.

Depends on if i sleep badly and so on (most nights i do). Should i

not worry about going up to say 50-55mg some days if i feel shocking?

I often just lay there feeling dreadful and 'waiting it out' till i

can have another small dose (to keep it to about 40mg etc).

How much activity can you handle in a day if you have CFS as well as

adrenal insufficiency? I am still pretty much housebound since

starting HC. I have seen improvements since i posted this initial

thread, and am more stable most days - not as crashy. However my

energy is shocking and i still can only manage pottering round the

house and laying down most of the day. I am determined to work it out

and get back to being able to drive and shop and so on.. will just be

a journey.

~Chris.

>

> I have been using HC for more than 2 years every day now. I started

on Prednisone but changed to HC because it was easier to stress dose.

> For those who do not know what stress dosing is; if you or your

body goes through a lot of stress is will need more cortisone, like

when you get a cold, the flue or go through a mentally stressful

time.

>

> Those are the days that you will need to take more HC because your

> body needs more. At least this is how my dr. explained it to me and

this is how I use it. Also remember that anyone who takes HC should

carry a card or note with him/her that says you are a HC user in case

of an emergency.

>

> I know that when I had a tennis elbow my dr. explained that

cortisone injections do not fix the problem they merely mask the

symptoms. Which a lot of dr. feel is not right because you will keep

using that arm shoulder instead of resting with it so it can heal.

They help with the pain because it reduces the inflammation but does

not heal the cause.

>

> There is a difference in using HC to support your system or to

> suppress the system, the way I use it is to support my system,

without it I wouldn't have any cortisone at all and I would be very

ill. I had a great variety of cortisol tests and they all flatline in

the morning with a small rise at 11:00AM when I have taken my

cortisol for that morning. I take 30 - 60 mg a day.

>

> The compounded version is IMO no different than the regular tablets

> except that they might have other fillers and no preservatives.

>

> dr.Myhill has an article about Cortisol on her website:

>

> Hydrocortisone - how to use it safely and without causing adrenal

> suppression http://www.drmyhill.co.uk/article.cfm?id=52

>

>

> --

>

> Portland, OR

[Guest guest]

> > Hydrocortisone - how to use it safely and without

> > causing adrenal suppression

> > http://www.drmyhill.co.uk/article.cfm?id=52

> >

> > --

> >

> > Portland, OR

The amount of h/c used in the study was 5-10 mg.

This is the classic amount *after which* some degree of

suppression begins to take place in a dose dependent manner,

i.e. at more than 10 mg.

20 mg h/c is considered a physiologic amount

(what a normal person produces daily).

Many people taking h/c to support adrenal function are

taking 15-40+ mg h/c.

[Resource: adrenalfatigue group.]

Carol W.

willis_protocols

[see also my Links>Hormones>Adrenals folder]