posted
My adrenals came back extremely low from a saliva test. My LLMD wants to put me on 5 mg.s of Cortef three times a day. I am resistant to getting on Cortef.
Anyone with recent experience? Any real alternatives to Cortef?
"Illnesses, hover constantly above us, their seed blown by the winds, but they do not set in the terrain unless the terrain is ready to receive them."---Claude Bernard. Posts: 131 | From US | Registered: Dec 2006
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MariaA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9128
posted
I did this when i first started treating my Lyme- he had me use lower doses, though- 2.5 mg twice a day (basically I had to split a 5 mg pill to even get it at that low a dosage).
I think it helped a lot with energy. I eventually stopped because after a month or so it felt like I was getting a bit 'edgy'- not sure if I was imagining it or not.
The alternative is siberian ginseng, or eleutherococcus- (NOT regular or American ginsengs, though). I'm using that now and it really helps with energy and with ability to deal with stress. My LLMD suggested originally that I could either take the cortef or use eleuthero, but I assumed that there'd be slower initial progress with the eleuthero. now that I've taken the eleuthero and seen how it's worked for me I wouldn't go on cortef again for this condition.
I have since then been taking the eleuthero (after having a bad relapse) and at first it made me 'high' for a few days, and since then it's all evened out and there aren't side effects.
There's a lot of information about eleuthero in Stephen Buhner's book Healing Lyme, and eleuthero has a long history of use (and several long-running studies on large numbers of people) for conditions that damage adrenal functioning.
-------------------- Symptom Free!!! Thank you all!!!!
posted
Maria, Thanks. This info is so valuable to me. I am looking for herbal alternatives to Cortef. Can you post which brand you use of the Siberian Ginseng annd the dosage?
"Illnesses, hover constantly above us, their seed blown by the winds, but they do not set in the terrain unless the terrain is ready to receive them."---Claude Bernard. Posts: 131 | From US | Registered: Dec 2006
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Rianna
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Member # 11038
posted
An alternative to cortef is Isocort each pill gives 2.4mg Cortisol in a bound 5mg pill (other 2.6mg is made up of adrenal herb formula) Ginsing is great but it may stimulate your already exhaused adrenals and you probably need cortisol replacement - Remember although cortisol is suppressive in large dosages it actually ugments immunity in dosage 15mg and under
MariaA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9128
posted
Siberian ginseng is not the same as 'regular' ginseng in this regard (in fact I think they're not even related but I could be wrong).
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Here's what I told Lalalu in PM's, sorry if it's redundant as I didn't have the original thread in front of me:
I don't have Stephen Buhner's book Healing Lyme in front of me, but there are two or three dosage options depending on the strength of the tincture you buy and which way you want to approach taking it. Sorry I can't give you a simple answer, I just don't remember the options.
I use Herb Pharm brand of tincture because it's stronger than normal and more like what the longterm Russian studies on eleuthero used (Buhner suggests this), also I think Herb Pharm actually grows the plant rather than importing it from abroad so I think quality control is highest- and for 3 weeks I was using huge dosages (Buhner recommends doing that, I cant remember for how long, but then taking short breaks of a few days without eleuthero, I just can't remember how often the breaks come). There's also an option of taking lower dosages and not having to take breaks, outlined in his book.
High Russian dosage is something like three dropperfuls at a time, a couple or three of times a day- a lot more than you normally take of a tincture- and that's what I felt relief from when I had a big Lyme flare recently, and it's safe to do this if you're not allergic to the plant or something like that.
I order it several bottles at a time or buy it in the larger bottles when I can find them.
It's probably best if you get the book and check out that section- even if you don't want to treat anything else in your Lyme with herbs, there's so much good information in there about how the disease works that it's a good reference to have.
Changes may take more time with herbs than with cortef alone, I don't know, as I started with the Cortef and I"m sure it helped with my initial gains in energy when I started treating my Lyme.
I also felt high at first when taking the eleuthero, and later that feeling 'evened out' to the point that I even take it before bed with no problems (not possible at first)
-------------------- Symptom Free!!! Thank you all!!!!
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