Guest guest Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Hi all, I just started Cortisol (5 mg hydrocortisone), that is time-released, 3 days ago. It has made me incredibly insomniac, and it is such a low dose! I also feel really nauseous from it and a bit anxious. Anyone else experience bad reactions to cortisol, even on such a low dose? And if so, did trying a lower dose help you, or did you try Isocort? ANY help is appreciated. My doctor is being a jerk in terms of not responding to me. Background: The reason I am starting this is for low adrenals (confirmed by an ASI saliva test as well as symptoms). I was daignosed with hypothyroidism back in July 2007, and tried Unithroid (t4) at the lowest dose. After 3 weeks of awful dizziness and migraines on it, I started developing horrible anxiety/insomnia/hyper like symptoms - even on the lowest dose! I then tried Armour a few months later, and after 4 days my heart pounded so hard and painfully I thought I was having a heart attack. I am no longer on thyroid meds, not until my body gets some cortisol or adrenal healing going. My doc tells me my adrenals are part of the reason for my inability to tolerate thyroid meds. Anyways, I want to know if anyone else has solutions to this seemingly inability to tolerate cortisol. I feel like I can't tolerate anything! My body is hypo and low adrenal and yet I cannot take the medicines! I feel so helpless and sad. I have taken medical leave 2 months ago because I am unable to work, or pretty much do anything, including leaving the house for extended periods of time b/c of exhaustion, lightheadedness, brain fog, depression, etc. Thanks for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 When are you getting the nausea? In relation to when you take the dose? Is it just ONE dose or do you dose several time s a day? Too low a dose can cause these symptms if your body is really lwo on cortisl. -- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 I don't know what to tell you as far as your reactions to cortisol. I am not familiar with the time released and you are on a very low dose. You didn't say how many times a day you take it and in what time blocks? You might try cream and see if you have the same reactions at the same dose. It may be a dosing issue or something in the time released you are reacting to. Do you have your old labs to share? Thyroid, cortisol, DHEA? It is much easier to advise when we can see some labs along with symptoms. Not tolerating thyroid meds due to adrenal issues is very common on this list. I seem to be one of them. Cheri -----Original Message----- I feel so helpless and sad. I have taken medical leave 2 months ago because I am unable to work, or pretty much do anything, including leaving the house for extended periods of time b/c of exhaustion, lightheadedness, brain fog, depression, etc. Thanks for your help. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Really? Too low dose can cause insomnia? I take 5 mg of a time-released hydrocortisone (compunded for me, with no synthetic fillers) in the morning. Just once. I was sleeping just fine before - about 11-13 hours a night, and then immediately after I started the cortisol, I became insomniac again immediately. That is the most bothersome symptom, since my adrenals need to rest during sleep and now I'm not getting any sleep. Now I slept 3-4 real hours last night and feel totally out of whack and exhausted and crazy again. The nausea usually hits in the afternoon. I just left my doc a message that I want to try about 1/4 of this dose to slowly go up on it. And I also asked if he could take me off the time-released dose (in case that is what's hitting me in the evening and causing my insomnia). I am INCREDIBLY sensitive to all things, so I am not surprised even 5 mg is affecting me negatively. Not sure if I really need cortisol, or if my body just needs a lower dose. > > When are you getting the nausea? In relation to when you take the dose? > Is it just ONE dose or do you dose several time s a day? Too low a dose > can cause these symptms if your body is really lwo on cortisl. > > -- > Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV > > http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ > http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 If your doigestion is bacd it could be that it is not hitting you intul WAY later than it should. Thsi is one of my huge things I disliek abotu slow released hormones. it is a guessing game as to how slow or fast you really are getting them and with a time dependent dosing as HC can be.. not ogod. -- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Yes, too low a dose and too infrequent. Yes, it can lower further because once you start taking cortisol you start impacting the HPA axis which also controls sleep. Once you get up to your needed dose, sleeping should improve. For me it took 35 mg and now I am down to 30 mg. The nausea hits in the afternoon because you are too low in the morning and throw it off for the rest of the day. Cheri Re: Cortisol - side effects? Really? Too low dose can cause insomnia? I take 5 mg of a time-released hydrocortisone (compunded for me, with no synthetic fillers) in the morning. Just once. I was sleeping just fine before - about 11-13 hours a night, and then immediately after I started the cortisol, I became insomniac again immediately. That is the most bothersome symptom, since my adrenals need to rest during sleep and now I'm not getting any sleep. Now I slept 3-4 real hours last night and feel totally out of whack and exhausted and crazy again. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Hi, Just to clarify, I only took ONE 5 mg tablet daily. It was time released, so it time-releases on its own (I guess) throughout the whole day. With such a low dose, I would imagine I would be fine but my insomnia was horrible during those 3 days I was on it. I stopped taking it yesterday. Here are the results from my JUNE 2007 ASI saliva tests: Free Cortisol Ryhthm: 7-8 am 5 (depressed), Range 13=24 nM 11-12 noon 5 (depressed), Range 5-10 nM 4-5 pm 8 (normal/high?), Range 3-8 nM 11- Midnight 2 (normal), Range 1-4 nM Cortisol Burden was 17 (range 23-42) Progesterone was 22 (normal) with optimal at 22 - 100 pg/ML and elevated >130 pg/mL DHEA was Normal at 5 (3-10 ng/mL). However, the doctor treating me now is treating me for LOW cortisol (based on symptoms and a JUNE 2007 test). Shouldnt he REtest, as it is now January 2008? Although I feel low cortisol with all my symptoms, and have been unable to tolerate thyroid meds, I still feel he should retest to make sure my levels are low. Again, I feel the symptoms of adrenalfatigue, but there are times when I have bad insomnia (which I would imagine means excess cortisol)? Any thoughts would be helpful. > > I don't know what to tell you as far as your reactions to cortisol. I am not > familiar with the time released and you are on a very low dose. You didn't > say how many times a day you take it and in what time blocks? > > You might try cream and see if you have the same reactions at the same dose. > It may be a dosing issue or something in the time released you are reacting > to. > > Do you have your old labs to share? Thyroid, cortisol, DHEA? It is much > easier to advise when we can see some labs along with symptoms. > > Not tolerating thyroid meds due to adrenal issues is very common on this > list. I seem to be one of them. > > Cheri > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > I feel so helpless and sad. I have taken medical leave 2 months ago > because I am unable to work, or pretty much do anything, including > leaving the house for extended periods of time b/c of exhaustion, > lightheadedness, brain fog, depression, etc. > > Thanks for your help. > > . > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 What that ONE 5MG did for you was lower your ACTh later in the day where LOW cortiosl is what disturbed your sleep probably mixed with hypoglycemia which goes with it. Thsi si not a side effect, btu a normal effect of taking too low a dose. -- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 You have low cortisol in June tests and I don't know exactly how the doc was treating you but 5mg once a day is not helping. It is probably making it worse. I am not sure what the goal of the doctor was but you need cortisol in your morning (which should be highest) and the early noon. 5 mg is not enough to bring a 5 level up high enough, which messes you up for the rest of the day (and night). The reason you are having low cortisol symptoms is because you are still low and the low dose he has you on is not helping. That is also why you can't tolerate thyroid meds. In order to retest you have to be off cortisol for 2 weeks to get an accurate measure. To put it in perspective, I started cortisol in October and by January was up to 35 mg before I got any real results. Cheri -----Original Message----- Hi, Just to clarify, I only took ONE 5 mg tablet daily. It was time released, so it time-releases on its own (I guess) throughout the whole day. With such a low dose, I would imagine I would be fine but my insomnia was horrible during those 3 days I was on it. I stopped taking it yesterday. However, the doctor treating me now is treating me for LOW cortisol (based on symptoms and a JUNE 2007 test). Shouldnt he REtest, as it is now January 2008? Although I feel low cortisol with all my symptoms, and have been unable to tolerate thyroid meds, I still feel he should retest to make sure my levels are low. Again, I feel the symptoms of adrenalfatigue, but there are times when I have bad insomnia (which I would imagine means excess cortisol)? Any thoughts would be helpful. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 You're saying that taking too LOW a dose of cortisol would give me insomnia? This just doesn't feel right, because the other thing besides insomnia i got from just 3 days of cortisol (5 mg only/daily) was anxiety, a slight raciness in my heart feeling, etc. Now that I've been off cortisol for three days, my insomnia is persistent and still AWFUL. I took 2 melatonin and an Ambien last night and could only sleep 4 hours and I'm an emotional and physical mess. I'm INCREDIBLY sensitive to all meds and wonder if cortisol just doesn't agree with some body types, and if I'd be better to take licorice or Isocort. Any thoughts? > > What that ONE 5MG did for you was lower your ACTh later in the day where > LOW cortiosl is what disturbed your sleep probably mixed with > hypoglycemia which goes with it. Thsi si not a side effect, btu a normal > effect of taking too low a dose. > > -- > Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV > > http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ > http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 You're saying that taking too LOW a dose of cortisol would give me insomnia? This just doesn't feel right, because the other thing besides insomnia i got from just 3 days of cortisol (5 mg only/daily) was anxiety, a slight raciness in my heart feeling, etc. Now that I've been off cortisol for three days, my insomnia is persistent and still AWFUL. I took 2 melatonin and an Ambien last night and could only sleep 4 hours and I'm an emotional and physical mess. I'm INCREDIBLY sensitive to all meds and wonder if cortisol just doesn't agree with some body types, and if I'd be better to take licorice or Isocort. Any thoughts? > > What that ONE 5MG did for you was lower your ACTh later in the day where > LOW cortiosl is what disturbed your sleep probably mixed with > hypoglycemia which goes with it. Thsi si not a side effect, btu a normal > effect of taking too low a dose. > > -- > Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV > > http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ > http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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