Posted by bleauberry on August 4, 2008, at 21:07:26
In reply to Re: Low Cortisol, Seroquel, Anxiety » Nuala, posted by Jay_Bravest_Face on August 4, 2008, at 0:12:51
> I read about the 'usual' cortisone treatment, but my sister is on that due to a major bowel inflammatory problem, and it has mostly gave her the usual side effects, like weight gain, black under eyes, etc.
That sounds like more than a psysiological replacement dose. Therapeutic doses used to treat disease are higher than replacement doses and do come with dreadful side effects as well as eventual adrenal shutdown. Physiological replacement doses have an upper range of 20mg of oral hydrocortisone pills, sometimes 30mg at an extreme. That just replaces what is missing, and doesn't treat any other disease. I wonder what dose your sister is taking?
>Thing is, that is a bit what I sometimes look like after my years of psych med use. So I wonder, am I sometimes getting too little cortisol and sometimes secreting too much? I've thought about going the 'natural' route, with adrenal extracts and black licorice.
You can find this out pretty easily for a little over $100. It is called Adrenal Stress Index test. Can be ordered on the net without a prescription, but integrative MDs and naturopaths have it also. It is a saliva cortisol test taken in 4 test tubes at 4 different times of a day. Mail them in, results in about a week. You'll see if/when cortisol is too high or too low and how it compares to where it should be at that time of day. Also shows DHEA and compares cortisol to that.
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poster:bleauberry
thread:843806
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080727/msgs/844221.html