alternative to florinef?

[alice111]

does anyone know of an alternative to florinef? I am asking because I have a very high level o fluoride, and it seems difficulty clearing it out. I am therefore hesitant to add to my load with the fluoride that is in florinef...
is there such a thing as bio identical aldosterone? or another equivalent to florinef?
I am already on cortef which does not seem to be helping to pots/salt wasting side of things.

 

[BadBadBear]

How much salt are you consuming? Are you adding it to everything, including water?

 

[girlfromeurope]

licorice root

 

[alice111]

@BadBadBear i have at least about a 1/2 tsp in cup of water twice a day. plus salt on food

@girlfromeurope how much licorice and what form? I have tried this before and not noticed anything.. but maybe it was not enough?

 

[girlfromeurope]

Hmm I don't know exactly, but you can buy licorice extract capsules online.
I've tried it before and they did help with low sodium symptoms.

 

[invisiblejungle]

Bio-identical aldosterone is available, but's quite expensive, and it needs to be obtained from a compounding pharmacy.

This website also sells it, but they're out of stock right now:
http://www.antiaging-systems.com/33-aldosterone-hearing-loss

Although I understand your concern for fluoride, if you have no other choice, I don't think Florinef would be the end of the world. The fludrocortisone molecule is the same molecule as hydrocortisone, only with a single fluoride molecule added. And since you only take 100 mcg of Florinef per day, it's not a huge amount. You probably get many times more fluoride in a single shower.

 

[BadBadBear]

You can probably go up on your sodium intake - check w/ your doc. 1 TSP per day isn't really very much - maybe 5 grams from a quick check on my scale. For OI, I've taken 10-12 grams per day. Some people go up to 20. Again, check w/ your doc & be safe.

 

[Ninan]

Yohimbe helps me.

 

[Valentijn]

Yohimbe helps me.

Me too, quite a lot. My OI is pretty bad, so I still have to be careful, but it's certainly made the difference between mostly house bound versus couch bound or bed bound.

 

[PNR2008]

Florinef did not work for my OI, but midodrine and electrolytes work very well along with eating more salt.

 

[alice111]

yohimbe? interesting... i have come across this before. is this the herb? because there is also a drug called yohimbine.. im not sure what the difference is though? @Ninan and @Valentijn how much do you take?

 

[Valentijn]

yohimbe? interesting... i have come across this before. is this the herb? because there is also a drug called yohimbine.. im not sure what the difference is though? @Ninan and @Valentijn how much do you take?

Yohimbine is the active ingredient in Yohimbe, which is the bark of a certain tree. It's the most potent and specific ADRA2A antagonist, which is likely relevant because research has shown that ME patients over-express ADRA2A following exertion.

And ADRA2A can suppress norepinephrine, leading to low levels and low blood pressure or pulse pressure issues, causing orthostatic intolerance.

Prior to Yohimbe, I used low doses of an NRI (Strattera) which was likely helpful for much of the same reason. Though it didn't help with as many symptoms as Yohimbe does, and was hella expensive.

For the Yohimbe, I split the capsules from TwinLab Yohimbe Fuel into 4 capsules (100mg Yohimbe, 2mg Yohimbine), and take two of those per day. For the Strattera, I bought the 60mg dose since it's the cheapest per milligram, and split it into 6 doses (10mg each) and took 3 per day. Though another ME patient only needed 2 doses of Strattera per day.

 

[DeGenesis]

I am not going to shoot down your concerns about fluoride but as another poster pointed out the doses of Florinef are miniscule. 25-100 mcg (not mg). Compare that with a fluoride containing med that is in the 100's of mgs.

 

[SickOfSickness]

If I am remembering correctly, licorice root shouldn't be taken by people with an autoimmune disorder.

Yohimbe doesn't work for me. It's too stimulating.

 

[Valentijn]

Yohimbe doesn't work for me. It's too stimulating.

It is for me too if I take a normal dose. I have to split the capsule into 4 doses, about 100mg yohimbe (2mg Yohimbine) per dose.

 

[Tired of being sick]

licorice root

Thank you soooooo much for posting this!

 

[Tired of being sick]

Thank everyone who posted in this thread for that matter!!

 

[Ninan]

I need more yohimbe than @Valentijn. Maximum or half the maximum dose. But keep an eye on your blood pressure.

 

[Ema]

If I am remembering correctly, licorice root shouldn't be taken by people with an autoimmune disorder.

Yohimbe doesn't work for me. It's too stimulating.

I've not heard that licorice is contraindicated in those with autoimmune diseases. A quick google doesn't turn up anything either.

 

[SickOfSickness]

I've not heard that licorice is contraindicated in those with autoimmune diseases. A quick google doesn't turn up anything either.

I looked back to where I read this. She says deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) is okay because the "immune-stimulating glycyrrhizin has been removed". Avoid regular licorice root that is not deglycyrrhizinated.