If you could write the RX.... (advice needed)

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I have a doctor who will write just about any RX that I ask for (if I have a

good reason). I will be seeing him today at 1:30PM EST.

I have 2 questions:

1) what would you RX for cortisol and Cortef based on my labs (which I'll post

below).

and

2) If I decide in the future that I'd rather go to a doctor who specializes in

adrenal/thyroid/hormonal issues (rather than just myself trying to figure this

out on my own with this list's help) and if I'm willing to travel anywhere in

the 48 states, which doctor do you think is the best?

My labs:

RT3 33ng

Free T3 279pg

279 divided by 33 = 8.45

Should be higher than 20 so I need Cortef

HOWEVER

Cortisol 24-hour saliva results:

6-8Am - 12 depressed ref values 13-24nM

11-12N - 4 depressed ref values 5-10nM

4-5PM - 3 normal ref values 3-8nM

10-12M - 6 elevated ref values 1-4nM

my B-12 is fine

my ferritin I've been working on and have it now at 40 (up from 20)

I have been aware of my need for cortisol for a long time, but my naturopath is

EXTREMELY conservative (didn't even want to give Isocort and when she finally

did, told me not to take more than 4 in the AM!) I was starting to think that I

might overcome my fear of gettig on cortisol when I got food poisoning. I

understand about stress dosing and I had an RX of prednisone in the house (for

my son) and I cut a 10mg tablet into 4 pieces and took each 1/4 tablet over the

course of one day and recovered from that food poisoning AMAZINGLY quickly. The

next day I took 1/4 tablet in the AM only. I felt like a NEW WOMAN!!! I

understand stress-dosing and had a very strenuous 10-day show coming up (I sell

Vita Mix machines via demonstration and I'm in the booth standing and

demonstrating from 10AM to 8:30PM with no breaks except to the bathroom and I

have to get to the store by 7:30AM to be ready to demonstrate by 10AM) and after

the store closes at 8:30PM I still have to shop for the next day's groceries -

all of that is to say that I work LONG HARD hours. I had never done a 10-day

show before (I only do 5-day shows) and 5-day shows used to kick my behind, so I

was especially afraid of how I was going to survive a 10-day show. I upped my

Prednisone from 2.5mg in the AM only to 2.5 mg twice a day (first thing in the

AM and around Noon) and felt better at the end of this 10-day show than any of

the previous 5-day shows that I'd done without adrenal support!

Sorry so long.

Now that the show is over I am doing very well on just 2.5mg of prednisone first

thing when I get up.

BUT, I know that Prednisone is NOT what I should be on, and that it is 4 times

stronger than Cortisol, and that is why I am seeing my doctor this afternoon.

So it seems like I'm on the equivalent of 10mg of Cortisol once in the AM. And

I'm feeling great! I know that it goes out of your system and multi-dosing is

better. Since my adrenals are high at night I wonder if I would do good on 5mg

of Cortisol in the AM, and 5mg at Noon? Or, should I try a different schedule?

I am very interested in your opinions!

Regarding the Cortef (that's direct T3 right?). I've always wondered, if you

correct your adrenals, will the RT3 imbalance correct itself over time?

I know that I need to get my adrenals working before I start taking the T3, but

I'd like to go ahead and get the RX for T3 while I'm at this office visit (I

doubt that the doctor will even know that you need to get the adrenals fixed

first). I have done no research on T3 dosing, so would like to hear from you

regarding what I should ask the doctor for and why (how do I explain to him why

I need it).

MANY THANKS IN ADVANCE for your input!

Lea Ann Savage