Has anybody tried Hydrocortisone therapy?

[Dreambirdie]

How much hc were you taking?

I took 2.5 mg to start with and was supposed to work myself up to 25 mg. I got severely ill at that point.

HC destroyed my adrenals and caused the worst crash I have had. I am still in it--since 2009.

I've written about it many times, so that's all I want to say about it at this point.
It's very painful to remember how much better I was before I took HC.
HUGE mistake.

 

[Dreambirdie]

Also, if you're intent on raising your cortisol levels, a lot of people have found success taking licorice root (de-glyzzeried) (spelling?). It contains a substance that prevents cortisol from breaking down in the body, thus keeping cortisol levels higher.

@roxie60

Deglycyrrhizinated licorice has a very different effect than regular (non deglycyrrhizinated) licorice. The former is used for stomach issues, particularly for ulcers. The latter is used to help boost the adrenals by preventing cortisol from breaking down in the body, as Wayne mentions above.

"Licorice has been used in many forms throughout the centuries by many cultures. Traditionally, the licorice root is used for hormonal issues, gut and throat issues, respiratory issues, and fatigue issues. We know now that the glycyrrhizin in licorice root can cause issues with hypertension, edema, and possibly effect a hormonal component of our renal regulation called aldosterone regulation. So, there is definitely a concern for long-term use in regards to licorice root.

But the deglycyrrhizinated licorice version has the substantial parts of glycyrrhizin removed, therefore is a safer option for long-term use if needed.

One main reason I use DGL in my patients is for gastrointestinal issues. In my clinical experience, patients who have heartburn, peptic ulcer disease, or gastritis find great relief from DGL. There was a study published in the British Medical Journalcomparing an over-the-counter medication for peptic ulcer disease and DGL for 82 patients who had endoscopically healed peptic ulcer. Patients were given two tablets of DGL twice daily compared to a regular dosage of the over-the-counter medication for peptic ulcer disease. After two years on this regimen, the recurrence rate for gastric ulcers for the two groups was relatively similar. However, after both groups went off the medication or DGL, the recurrence of peptic ulcers occurred."

For more read this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-chen-md/dgl-supplements_b_2976260.html

 

[roxie60]

Wayne it has not been stimulating at all. Im taking 10-12.5 per day. I have spent the last 9 days so sleepy during the day and once afain my sleep messed up so that im awake at night again. It has made me less functional. I dont understand and wanted to know if ithers had this reaction and if so did it get better with time.

Hi Roxie,

I've taken low-dose (20 mg/day) Cortef for about 15 years now, with no ill side effects. For me, it was truly a miracle, and gave me a much better quality of life. I was at such a low ebb before I started taking it, I estimated my body and cellular functionality at perhaps 4%. Before drifting off to sleep, I often wondered whether I would even wake up in the morning.

But I did have to start slowly. I don't know what you're starting out at, but if it feels like too much, or too stimulating, I recommend cutting back until you feel like it's supporting you without it burning you out. Also, if you're intent on raising your cortisol levels, a lot of people have found success taking licorice root (de-glyzzeried) (spelling?). It contains a substance that prevents cortisol from breaking down in the body, thus keeping cortisol levels higher.

Best, Wayne

 

[Wayne]

Wayne it has not been stimulating at all. Im taking 10-12.5 per day. I have spent the last 9 days so sleepy during the day and once afain my sleep messed up so that im awake at night again. It has made me less functional. I dont understand and wanted to know if ithers had this reaction and if so did it get better with time.

Hi Roxie, I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with so much sleepiness and messed up sleep. Do you think the sleepiness is related to the messed up sleep, or do you think it has to do with the HC? I do just OK in the sleep department these days, but have discovered that if I wake up around 4:00 a.m. or after and don't feel like I'm going to get back to sleep, I'll take my first dose of Cortef at that time. It has the (perhaps paradoxical) effect of relaxing and calming my body, so that I can get back to sleep again. And often some of the best sleep of the night.

This HC supplementation is such an individual thing, that I think it's hard for anybody to figure out, whether yourself, your doctor, or from drawing on various literature on the subject. From what I can gather however, it's important to pay attention to your body, and if it isn't responding the way it should, proceed with caution. I do know that 10-12.5 per day would not be enough for me to sustain my increased functionality. But it also seems clear from others' testimonials that taking that much or more would not be advisable for others.

I guess at this point I would advise patience. Trying to figure this all out in a short time frame may not be the best approach. Looking at it from a longer time frame would most likely imply that you proceed cautiously. My own take on your situation would be that it might be best to focus on what it would take to normalize your sleep rhythms, and then take it from there--perhaps easier said than done.

All the Best, Wayne

 

[roxie60]

I believe thd sleepiness is totally due to introduction of HC.

 

[soxfan]

When the doctor put me back on Cortef maybe a year ago It made me very sleepy...I read up and found that is sometimes the case. It can have the opposite effect by making you sleepy. I didn't last long on it because I felt that if it was making me tired then just maybe I am getting too much cortisol going which can also make you sleepy...

 

[Santino]

After reading the book from Jeffries I was quite confident that I wont harm myself if I try out taking 5mg in the morning and 2x2.5mg later during the day but now I feel like this could be dangerous as many report lasting problems after trials. I thought if it causes trouble then leaving it out will result in the state I was before the trial.

Is it really so dangerous??

I took 5mg yesterday and today 10mg spread over 3 doses, 5mg in the morning. I dont feel any bad or good effects so far. Maybe it made me a little more relaxt. On the other hand it somehow seems to lead to more sinus congestion. Many antiinflammatory agents do that.

I want to use it to get an more antiinflammatory profile in my body as I have ongoing mast cell reactions and saliva testing once showed that my cortisol are below normal later in the day (only morning spike was normal) and a second testing showed all values normal but in the low normal range (morning cortisol was perfect though).

UNfortunately I dont have many alternatives as I tried anything on earth including FMT or HT and many other things.


I am not sure if I am happy that read that here or not. It somehow made me nervous, that I can get worse by testing out the HC

 

[foxy loxy]

Santino I am about to try it too, but after reading all this, I am suddenly creeped out!! Is it really this dangerous? I am starting out at five and possibly another five if I can handle it... And yes... this is the Holtorf clinic idea.... seems nobody likes them.... am I crazy???

 

[Ninan]

If HC helps, shouldn't you notice that right away? I'm thinking of trying (have low cortisol) but I tried Florinef a few years back and that lost effect after a few weeks. Needed more and more so I guess the same might happen with HC.

 

[hamsterman]

I tried Prednisone about 5 times for an unrelated condition. The first 3 times were amazing... my energy was through the roof.... the next two times I felt almost nothing. I've also tried 20m HC... and the first week was good... and then it just stopped working. I was tested with low, (but in the acceptable, non-addisons range) cortisol function... so I thought it might help to supplement it with a little HC. But apparently not.

 

[stridor]

I have been on hydrocortisone 5 mg x 5 daily for over 5 years. I also need to stress dose from time-to-time. This was not my first choice and I spent a lot of money on IV ACE and vitamins in an effort to revive my adrenals.

Being truly low on cortisol was a truly horrible experience. It felt like I was dying. My wife was helping me to stand and I had to use the banister hand-over-hand to pull myself up stairs. Thinking is not possible either and at my worst I was having a hard time to process what people were trying to say to me.

An email or posting could literally take hours some days back in 2011.

The air never seemed to have enough oxygen. I would lose my breath over nothing....even just trying to talk.

HC was a big step forward. From the first dose it was clear that it was going to be part of my recovery. Every day I hope that Jefferies is right and that I am not at increased risk for osteoporosis as there is some history of this in my family.

I am not sure if it is relevant but I have 7 ++ SNPS for the glucocorticoid receptor and 5 ++ or +- for the corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor.

I have a little bit of adrenal function as evidenced in that I do not have to stress dose for low to intermediate activity.

 

[foxy loxy]

I have lyme and co's which causes a mild case of POTS. I also went to Holtorf and was put on 5 mg of hydro. It has helped me tremendously with the POTS. WAAAAAY better than Florinef!!! It doesn't make me feel wired or weird at all, in fact I can't tell I am on it and if I miss my daily dose I can't tell a difference unless it is a few days in a row, then the POTS comes back.

It hasn't helped with any other symptoms, but I feel is worth it for POTS. I too am very hesitant and scared about using Hydro, but my lyme md seemed to think it ok, at this level and so far it hasn't made any of my symptoms worse, on the contrary it strengthens me.