Re: Low dose hydrocortisone

== reply below

... I am going to have to go on hydrocortisone as I fear that I will experience an adrenal crisis any day. My adrenal fatigue is terrible. I have left my home only 3 times this entire year.

== I am so sorry to hear that. Is this because of fear, overstimulation, fatigue, or other reason(s)?

I am using hydrocortisone cream to prevent an attack. It is working ok. 1/4 tsp = 10mg, but the question is how much of that is really absorbed.

== I have more on that if requested in a PM.

I need to get some tablets somehow

== Have you ever tried pregnenolone, the grandmother of the adrenal cortex hormones.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Steroidogenesis.svg

==It is inexpensive OTC in many countries including US. Economical powder is available at Beyond a Century vitamins. 10mg caps are available online.

== As NYCkid indicated, not everyone tolerates pregnenolone; however if you don't have a history of chemical sensitivities I like your chances of tolerating 10mg x 3 per day. You could then retest it and downstream hormones to see what your body is doing with it. It is nice to be able to do that with a doctor who does hormone balancing.

== I would not expect pregnenolone to be the magic pill in someone with debilitating AI/AF; however it might allow you to reduce your dose of downstream hormones. Preg also has some of its own benefits in the brain, etc.

== Ever had a 4x saliva cortisol test?
http://www.canaryclub.org/adrenal-article-980/706-cortisol-1-or-4.html

and when I do I will start at the lowest dose possible.

== It is smart to avoid overdoing it in the beginning. Some get adrenaline surges from being too agressive.

== Also some people with low cortisol in tests gain substantial weight around the middle on HC. It is not a fix all. A close friend ended up using 5mg HC, 60mg preg and some progesterone cream due to weight gain. Preg really kicks in nicely for her but I think she has more secondary AI.

Do you know of anyone that was able to wean completely off of HC and get better???

== Hear many accounts of people in heavy metal detox groups being able to reduce the dose but not many accounts of people eliminating it entirely. My friend's doctor is able to just use supplements plus some HC when he needs to "stress dose."

== Stress dosing is something you'll want to learn but it seems it is really difficult for patients to do in stressful situations. It seems that their mental function gets foggy and they forget to stress dose. My close friend knows I have a better feel for when she needs a little extra preg or HC than she does. I can see the difference in her personality. I can often hear it in her voice on the phone.

No natural therapies alone are strong enough for me at this point. However, they do help. I just ordered pantethine, licorice, and PABA.

== Be careful with licorice. Maybe it is better used for "stress dosing" situations. Don't forget to consider adrenal cortex glandular or a combo of it and some whole adrenal. Those who have an anxiety problem will likely avoid the latter.

== Joe

20mg to 7.5mg is a big improvement. It seems like your adrenals are getting stronger. :) Tweet