Posted by mylilcappi on July 2, 2009, at 18:57:48
In reply to Re: hydrocortisone, posted by bleauberry on July 2, 2009, at 18:31:32
> HC is contraindicated in infectious diseases, a primary cause hypoadrenalism and psychiatric diseases, because it is immunosuppressant. So if you are not absolutely sure you do not have Lyme, Lyme-like, or one of the several co-infections, it would be no surprise bad things happened on HC.
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> The other thing is that HC should only be supplemented to the level that restores what is natural. Going for 20mg is probably exceedingly overshooting the goal. I realize it is a common target dose. That doesn't make it ok. If 24 hour 4-sample tests were not used frequently to monitor restoring levels to normal, then it was pure guesswork and probably went too far too fast.
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> 20mg is enough to cause the adrenal glands to slow down. So it is no surprise that symptoms are bad following abrupt stoppage of HC. A proper stoppage period should involve several months in tiny steps. I realize you had to stop faster though because of the bad things happening.
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> The speed of dose escalation is also extremely important. It needs to be slow, as in real slow.
> For example, 1/4 of 1.25mg for a week, then 1/2 of 1.25mg for a week; then 3/4 of 1.25mg for a week; then 1.25mg for a week, shooting for a goal of 2.5mg, at which time you will stay for a month or so to allow the thyroid and everything else to catch up.
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> I know someone who had severe hypoadrenalism secondary to pituitary dysfunction who stayed on 1.25mg for an entire year, felt a lot better, and weaned carefully off that dose and remained well.
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> I see it often in the antidepessant world where doctors and patients shoot for the supposed therapeutic dose rather fast. In my opinion, that dose is usually much too high, even though considered the minimal effective dose (by flawed standards), and the speed getting to that dose much too fast. But since it is routine and commonplace, it is accepted as norm. I differ with that.
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> HC can be very helpful, but it has to be respected with extremely small doses and long titrating periods, because it can be very powerful when the body and mind has been so accustomed to being weak for so long.
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> An herb helpful at balancing the entire pituitary/adrenal axis is Maca root. It needs to also be respected in small doses. Licorice root will prevent the degredation of your own cortisol and make it last longer. It is kind of like a mild MAOI of cortisol, so to speak. You might consider milder versions of adrenal support such as adrenal cortex extracts or Isocort.Thank you. When it is coming from lack of ACTH from the pituitary, Iscort does not work. It has to be a steroid of some kind. It is not adrenal fatigue. secondary adrenal insuffiency cannot be cured. On the best pituitary website there is, it says to take 15-to20 mgs of HC. That is what you body diurinal rhythm would be. But that is besides the point. It did not matter whether I took 2.5 or 20 the pyschosis still happened.
And there is a reason for this, because I need HC. I am very weak because I do not have enough natural cortisol. And cannot stay awake. I have to force myself and sometimes I just cant.
I know many many people who take HC for adrenal insuffiency (not fatigue) who do not have this problem. that is why I am grasping at straws to see if the Klonopin is doing this to me while mixing it with HC. Either that, or I just went into steroid psychosis. However, I do need it.
But cannot live like that. I weaned off of it also. But still having effects such as apathy. not depression apathy.
thanks
Mamie
poster:mylilcappi
thread:904285
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090630/msgs/904590.html