cortisol

[boochay]

has anyone with fibro had theri cortisol levels checked?
is anyone taking steroids..corteff or prednisone  for fibro?

[boochay]

do you take hormone meds for the estro, testost?
I am on 20mg pred for a year and just went down to 15mg few weeks ago.
I stopped taking my HRT because i thought the estrogern was  messing with
the prednisone in in the liver. I read some where that the estrogen makes it harder
for the prednisone to convert to prednisilone .  I was IMAGINING maybe that I felt worse
whe Idid take the estrogen.   I am so messed up. do you take HRT

[kitonthemoon]

I read about cortisol level being low for both FMS and ME/CFS patients.

Mine cortisol was below close to -0- even at peak hours when I first had it checked. I've developed full blown Addison disease 6 yrs ago.  I have both diseases.

Some doctors do recommand low dose hypocortisone (I take Cortef) for FMS, ME/CFS.

[Totie]

My levels were low, but I only know that from looking at my labs from Aug. when I was being tested for Addision.  I guess it is not anything to be concerned about, the Endo never mentioned it.

[ohanamama]

My doctor strongly suggests testing DHEA levels.  Many people with low levels of cortisol and other hormones also have low levels of DHEA - the building block of all hormones.  Mine, to my surprise, was "0" - but not a surprise to my doctor.  He is finding more and more Fibro patients w/surprisingly low DHEA levels.  I take 100 mg/day, much higher than recommended at health food stores, but it did the trick for me in bringing my DHEA up to proper testing levels.

[boochay]

I don't have my blood test in front of me but cortisol was below normal, also estrogen, progest and testosteronews very low. I am taking prednisone 15mg a day for over a year now and can't get off of that.  It's a mess. everything is short circuiting.  

[PlateletGal]

What was your cortisol level ?

[VaBreeze]

Since FMS isn't considered an immune disease (at least this is the thinking of most physicians) nor inflammatory disease, I don't believe steroids would be given as an off-label treatment.  I haven't heard of anyone taking this for their FMS, unless they also had another disease like RA or Polymyalgia rheumatica (where inflammation is indicated).