HC Fears-Val

[Guest guest]

Hi Val,

I'm on another list that has a few people afraid of HC. One wants to use

herbs only to support. She is greatly afraid of HC. Her fear is never

being able to get off of it. Then she said that a former list member

couldn't get off it and ended up with 's. I've asked how much HC

she was taking. When you get a chance can you sum up about addiction,

's and the two types of dosing. Please take you time as I'm in and

out today and gone all day tomorrow. I have urged her to join this list.

Thanks!

Kate

[Guest guest]

We are born dependent on cortisol. It is vital to life. This is

not

addiction, it is simply the way our bodies work. Some of us need to

supplement our own production because we're not making enough to

support

life. This may be a temporary or a permanent situation, and there is

no

way to know in advance which it will be for any particular person.

Of the choices we have for adrenal support, Hydrocortisone (HC) is

bioidentical cortisol; Isocort contains natural cortisol from sheep

adrenals, and includes other adrenal cortex hormones plus Echinacea; it

contains approximately 2.5mg cortisol per pellet. Hydrocortisone

appears to be more biologically active than Isocort. Prednisone is

time-released and more biologically active than Hydrocortisone is--1mg

pred=4mg HC.

It is safe to take what you need for as long as you need it, within the

physiological dose, which has no side effects, though stress-dosing

will

probably be necessary. Pharmaceutical dosing is totally different and

is to be used only for brief periods for specific purposes; there are

many possible side effects at these high dosages which can be from 40MG

a

day to over 100MG a day.

It is typically necessary to continue supplementation until the thyroid

hormones have been optimal and stable for at least a few weeks; more

likely a few months. At that point, it is necessary to taper off

slowly. Some people will find that they continue to need supplemental

cortisol for a longer period or for a lifetime. This is not due to

"addiction" to Hydrocortisone, it is due to adrenals that were already

damaged before you started the support.

In addition to taking adrenal support, it is important to minimize your

stress as much as possible, exercise needs to be kept at a mild level

and only about 20 minutes per day, and frequent, small, high-protein

"meals" are helpful. Sea salt is also helpful, as is vitamin C to

bowel

tolerance and B-complex.

Here are some websites you can see that recommend HC supplementation

and tell you a little more about adrenal fatigue.

http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/w/u/wurmstei/Peatfield_Suggest.htm

Adrenal insufficiency is dealt with

by the

provision of the two hormones most likely to be lacking; Cortisone

Hydrocortisone,

and DHEA. (as pointed out above, low DHEA may be used to infer low

cortisone

output). The treatment therefore, is the exhibition of, ideally,

Hydrocortisone. This should be given in divided doses initially of 5mg

qds;

after a week, 10 mg qds may be used. This remains a physiological dose,

not

challenging or suppressing the adrenal function, but supplementing it.

In these

doses all of the usual anxieties associated with

cortisone do not apply, since

restoration of

normality is being aimed at.

This may need to be explained to

patients

long subject to media-induced fears of the horrors of corticosteroids

(Their

physicians may share these anxieties, unnecessarily). Dr McCormack

Jeffries’

papers on the subject are most worthy of study. DHEA has reached

prominence in

recent times as a hormone of multiple, and magic properties. Certain it

is that

the adrenals secrete more DHEA than anything else, and the amount is

inversely

proportional to age. It is metabolized to oestrogen and/or

testosterone, but

also has been shown to play a role in reducing obesity; in reducing

atherosclerosis and cholesterol; it inhibits the glucose

-6-dehydrogenase

enzyme in cancer; it improves immune response, and, possibly, acts as a

neural

facilitator. In physiological doses, there seems to be no problem in

its

long-term use. If levels are demonstrably low, it is reasonable to

provide

replacement therapy.

http://www.i-c-m.org.uk/journal/2006/feb/a02.htm

Extremely valuable is the adrenal glandular concentrate; that made

by Nutri Ltd is widely available (I recommend them because I have found

their products to be very efficacious). One product contains 80 mg of

the concentrate alone and another, 221 mg, together with a number of

vitamins and minerals.

If this proves unsatisfactory, which is uncommon and usually because

the adrenals have been really badly damaged over a period of time, the

use of the adrenal hormone, cortisol (Hydrocortisone), 2.5 mg up to 25

mg, may be considered by the practitioner, together with DHEA 25 mg or

7-keto DHEA 50 mg.

-- Artistic Grooming * Hurricane, WV

My Ebay Jewelry Store http://stores.ebay.com/valeriescrystalcreations The BEST thyroid website! http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/