Aa
hydrocortisone effects
Q: Having dizziness - could it just be my adrenals, and could it subside as my adrenals heal?
Or could it be too much hydrocortisone?
Q: Should I take hydrocortisone for my adrenals the rest of my life?
Brief history:
I'm 62 and retired, low-stress lifestyle, eat auto-immune paleo diet and only drink filtered water.
**I have Hashi's and stage 3 adrenal fatigue syndrome with hypoglycemia.
**The only daily prescription medication I'm taking is 15 mg of bioidentical hydrocortisone - 10 mg. at 7:30 a.m. and 5 mg. at noon. Been taking it since July 2016.
**I take a capsule of 100 mg. of bovine adrenal tissue at 3 p.m. daily.
**Also take 20 mg. of DHEA daily, split doses, 10 mg. of pregnenolone every other day.
**I daily supplement adeno B12, methyl B12, 5000 IU D3, 1000 mg. krill oil, 1200 mg. vitamin E, 4 tablespoons of coconut oil, Doctor Wilson's Sustained Release Adrenal C formula, Doctor Wilson's Super Adrenal Stress Formula (with A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6 as pyridoxine HCI and P-5-P, zinc, magnesium, pantothenic acid, copper, selenium, manganese, potassium, chromium).
**Stopped taking thyroid medication because it had begun having negative effects on me: depression, dizziness, even more fatigue.
Or could it be too much hydrocortisone?
Q: Should I take hydrocortisone for my adrenals the rest of my life?
Brief history:
I'm 62 and retired, low-stress lifestyle, eat auto-immune paleo diet and only drink filtered water.
**I have Hashi's and stage 3 adrenal fatigue syndrome with hypoglycemia.
**The only daily prescription medication I'm taking is 15 mg of bioidentical hydrocortisone - 10 mg. at 7:30 a.m. and 5 mg. at noon. Been taking it since July 2016.
**I take a capsule of 100 mg. of bovine adrenal tissue at 3 p.m. daily.
**Also take 20 mg. of DHEA daily, split doses, 10 mg. of pregnenolone every other day.
**I daily supplement adeno B12, methyl B12, 5000 IU D3, 1000 mg. krill oil, 1200 mg. vitamin E, 4 tablespoons of coconut oil, Doctor Wilson's Sustained Release Adrenal C formula, Doctor Wilson's Super Adrenal Stress Formula (with A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6 as pyridoxine HCI and P-5-P, zinc, magnesium, pantothenic acid, copper, selenium, manganese, potassium, chromium).
**Stopped taking thyroid medication because it had begun having negative effects on me: depression, dizziness, even more fatigue.
I'm impressed!
You seem to be doing all the right things... well almost.
It is understandable that recovery from stage 3 AF is very challenging.
The thyroid medication was likely incorrect, in light of the AF.
That's where the gap in the conventional medical system, not recognizing AF and its effects, becomes an additional challenge for the sufferer.
The adrenals for their own recovery, down-regulate thyroid function, by means of Reverse T3 production, which puts you in a thyroid-resistance state (Type 2 hypothyroidism)
Levothyroxine and Synthroid are synthetic T4, which is the direct source of reverse T3 (RT3).
Natural desiccated thyroid like Armour consist of T1, T2, T3 and T4, thus still contributing to RT3!
It is recommended in case of impaired adrenal function
and AF to do a trial of Cytomel -which is only T3- starting with the minimum dose and increasing very gradually while monitoring it closely until your thyroid function is properly regulated.
You have both Hashi's and type 2 hypothyroidism, which cannot be ignored!
My opinion is that your DHEA dose is too high.
Pregnenolone can also increase your DHEA levels.
I would taper down to 10 mg daily and 5 mg every other day respectively and see how that works for you.
If necessary you can gradually increase the dose
These hormones are very powerful substances and could cause arrhythmias, dizziness and other unwanted effects in many patients.
Make sure that you take frequent breaks from DHEA, like weekends or a couple days off here and there on a regular basis.
Now, the trickiest part and perhaps the most challenging to tweak is cortisol.
The jury is out on the subject of taking supplemental cortisol or not for adrenal fatigue.
It is by far more potent than the aforementioned
hormones and potentially the one with the most side-effects.
The dose you're on is reasonable, if it meets your body's needs however, I would cut back just a bit and pay attention to any changes.
My opinion is that you risk developing dependency issues, when taking cortisol long-term.
If I were in your situation, I would continue tapering down very gradually and eventually discontinue the cortisol supplement completely, if possible.
This might take up to a year or two, considering you have stage 3 AF.
It is important to stay well-hydrated (some patients need hydration supplements), monitor your blood pressure
as it tends to fluctuate widely in AF, check you minerals and electrolytes and beware of low blood volume*
(common in AF).
*Should your blood volume be lower by let's say a pint, it would be equivalent to having lost a pint of blood in a car accident injury, considered a medical emergency!
Add meditation and yoga to your regiment and you will eventually experience increased well-being!
If you need any details, let me know.
Best wishes,
Niko
You seem to be doing all the right things... well almost.
It is understandable that recovery from stage 3 AF is very challenging.
The thyroid medication was likely incorrect, in light of the AF.
That's where the gap in the conventional medical system, not recognizing AF and its effects, becomes an additional challenge for the sufferer.
The adrenals for their own recovery, down-regulate thyroid function, by means of Reverse T3 production, which puts you in a thyroid-resistance state (Type 2 hypothyroidism)
Levothyroxine and Synthroid are synthetic T4, which is the direct source of reverse T3 (RT3).
Natural desiccated thyroid like Armour consist of T1, T2, T3 and T4, thus still contributing to RT3!
It is recommended in case of impaired adrenal function
and AF to do a trial of Cytomel -which is only T3- starting with the minimum dose and increasing very gradually while monitoring it closely until your thyroid function is properly regulated.
You have both Hashi's and type 2 hypothyroidism, which cannot be ignored!
My opinion is that your DHEA dose is too high.
Pregnenolone can also increase your DHEA levels.
I would taper down to 10 mg daily and 5 mg every other day respectively and see how that works for you.
If necessary you can gradually increase the dose
These hormones are very powerful substances and could cause arrhythmias, dizziness and other unwanted effects in many patients.
Make sure that you take frequent breaks from DHEA, like weekends or a couple days off here and there on a regular basis.
Now, the trickiest part and perhaps the most challenging to tweak is cortisol.
The jury is out on the subject of taking supplemental cortisol or not for adrenal fatigue.
It is by far more potent than the aforementioned
hormones and potentially the one with the most side-effects.
The dose you're on is reasonable, if it meets your body's needs however, I would cut back just a bit and pay attention to any changes.
My opinion is that you risk developing dependency issues, when taking cortisol long-term.
If I were in your situation, I would continue tapering down very gradually and eventually discontinue the cortisol supplement completely, if possible.
This might take up to a year or two, considering you have stage 3 AF.
It is important to stay well-hydrated (some patients need hydration supplements), monitor your blood pressure
as it tends to fluctuate widely in AF, check you minerals and electrolytes and beware of low blood volume*
(common in AF).
*Should your blood volume be lower by let's say a pint, it would be equivalent to having lost a pint of blood in a car accident injury, considered a medical emergency!
Add meditation and yoga to your regiment and you will eventually experience increased well-being!
If you need any details, let me know.
Best wishes,
Niko
3 Comments
Niko,
THANKS for that answer and advice. Are you a health-care professional? Do you offer services for pay?
THANKS for that answer and advice. Are you a health-care professional? Do you offer services for pay?
Niko,
Also - How do I check blood volume?
Thanks!
Also - How do I check blood volume?
Thanks!
You are welcome MsKlagh.
No I'm an independent Medical researcher and presently studying
Functional Medicine.
To have your blood volume tested
you need to be referred to a doctor knowledgeable in this field who will do the testing.
Most doctors unfortunately do not have the training.
There are two parts.
1st: 5 cc of your blood is drawn, in which a tracer is added and re-inserted back into the body.
One hour later another 5 cc of blood is drawn again and checked. If the tracer is found to be more, it means thicker blood and lower blood volume.
2nd: A red cell mass study is conducted.
The normal average is 25 ml per Kg of body weight so anything lower by 20% may put one at risk, since there's less blood than necessary for the body to function well.
Having said this, in stage 3 AF, usually Aldosterone is low, causing a deficit in sodium, reduced fluids , cellular dehydration, sending blood pressure lower.
One side effect of these imbalances
is lower blood volume, so should
you find it complicated to get the proper testing done, you can actually
improve* your blood volume levels by increasing your sodium intake VERY gradually along with increasing hydration at a similar rate.
You may need a good intra-cellular
hydration supplement, if improvement is not experienced in a few weeks.
*In lieu of testing blood volume you may do the above as a trial.
Please monitor your blood pressure by taking readings multiple times daily, as the need for sodium inversely co-relates to increased blood pressure, which calls for less salt. If you have salt cravings now, they should eventually subside, as you're improving.
Always average out BP, over a week
and try to use mostly real sea salt, which is naturally balanced compared to commercial salt.
The body is very confused at stage 3 AF and wild swings anywhere in the body, are common, so any interventions/changes have to be
extremely subtle and be patient when your body is going through a re-balancing act.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Niko
No I'm an independent Medical researcher and presently studying
Functional Medicine.
To have your blood volume tested
you need to be referred to a doctor knowledgeable in this field who will do the testing.
Most doctors unfortunately do not have the training.
There are two parts.
1st: 5 cc of your blood is drawn, in which a tracer is added and re-inserted back into the body.
One hour later another 5 cc of blood is drawn again and checked. If the tracer is found to be more, it means thicker blood and lower blood volume.
2nd: A red cell mass study is conducted.
The normal average is 25 ml per Kg of body weight so anything lower by 20% may put one at risk, since there's less blood than necessary for the body to function well.
Having said this, in stage 3 AF, usually Aldosterone is low, causing a deficit in sodium, reduced fluids , cellular dehydration, sending blood pressure lower.
One side effect of these imbalances
is lower blood volume, so should
you find it complicated to get the proper testing done, you can actually
improve* your blood volume levels by increasing your sodium intake VERY gradually along with increasing hydration at a similar rate.
You may need a good intra-cellular
hydration supplement, if improvement is not experienced in a few weeks.
*In lieu of testing blood volume you may do the above as a trial.
Please monitor your blood pressure by taking readings multiple times daily, as the need for sodium inversely co-relates to increased blood pressure, which calls for less salt. If you have salt cravings now, they should eventually subside, as you're improving.
Always average out BP, over a week
and try to use mostly real sea salt, which is naturally balanced compared to commercial salt.
The body is very confused at stage 3 AF and wild swings anywhere in the body, are common, so any interventions/changes have to be
extremely subtle and be patient when your body is going through a re-balancing act.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Niko
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