Holistic doc found that I have low cortisol levels and wants to prescribe low dose cortef for 6-8 weeks to bring it back up.
I know how steroids in general effect lyme and the immune system but he says at the low dose (20-25) mgs per day it will be ok????
So far he also found that I have a hypothyroid issue, hypoglycemia, and the other docs wouldn't even check my thyroid since I'm a male.
This doc seems good but what do you think about the cortisol?????
Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :
I did fine on 30mgs of Cortef. Got a great night's sleep & energy from it. LLMD said it's a "physiologic" dose & much lower than roids for pain asthma etc.
Posted by Health (Member # 6034) on :
Several years ago, when I was under really bad stress for a couple years, I had an adrenal collapse the ND said.
I also believe that this is when my lyme became really bad.
I was taking licorice root tea, which is a natural cortisol, taking it 2-3 times a day in tea, and all I can tell you is...
it CHANGED my life for the better. It helped me within a day, a little bit, by the end of the 2nd week I was driving around town in my car, and
jogging again. It was astounding, what it did for me back then. I tried to take it again about a year ago, and it made me very ill, I was then
tested by an Internist and was told I had high cortisol, not sure why, maybe lyme.
So, it worked for me back then, the natural form one of the miracles in my healing back then.
Trish
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I used to take 15 mg a day. Now I'm down to 5 mg. It helped me with pain.
I would take as small a dosage as possible. And....I'm skeptical that you'll be able to get off the cortef in 6-8 wks.
Posted by improver (Member # 8380) on :
Thank you for the responses, it's great that I have you all to turn to for advice.
Posted by serendipity (Member # 8474) on :
Improver,
A holostic doctor prescribed low dose cortef for me in 2004. This was before my lyme diagnosis. I was on cortef (5-15mg) for 5 months. The cortef did not help with the fatigue, memory, or sleep disturbances. I'm not sure why I continued, other than the security of taking a medication.
Actually, my symptoms became much worse during the time I took cortef. My LLMD thinks it lowered my immune system and allowed the microbes to grow.
If you are on cortef for 6-8 weeks, your blood levels of cortisol will increase. The amount of cortef that your adrenals are producing will in response decrease. Another reason doctors are hesitant to prescribe cortef.
Licorice is an herb that increases cortisol levels naturally. It is not a steroid and does not have immune suppressive qualities. I have been on Licorice along with other herbs for a year now, and my adrenal fatigue symptoms are resolving.
Also, in my case, it took much longer than 6-8 weeks to heal my adrenals. I've been treating for over two years, but my adrenals were quite weak at the start of treatment.
Posted by improver (Member # 8380) on :
up
Posted by Boomerang (Member # 7979) on :
Found this thread......any more thoughts on the cortef??
LLMD wants hubby to start low dose cortef, along with florinef. His adrenals were all out of whack....very low.
For some reason, I'm just nervous about him starting on something else.
Thanks!
Posted by WildCondor (Member # 434) on :
if you used the saiva tests, don't rely on then and get a blood test, fasting cortisol and then one on the afternoon.
30 mg of cortef is not a low dose, it is = to more than 5 mg of prednisone. Low dose of cortef is 2.5-5 mg per day.
Make sure your blood levels are actually low before you add steroids to an already bad situation.
Cortef does not help the adrenals, it shuts them down so they do not need to produce their own cortisol. What you need is to kill the bacteria that are wearing the adrenals down, then they can recover naturally.
Posted by Boomerang (Member # 7979) on :
Hubby was tested with the 24 hour urine test. Is that considered accurate?
I trust my LLMD, but am still nervous about this. Hubby took 1/2 pill this AM....and also had a bad day today.
Could be coincidence.....21 days in on IV, so could be Herx.
I guess I don't understand what the cortisol does. LLMD said it would help with fatigue??
I dunno. Sigh.
Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :
ACTH Cortrstym test supposedly more accurate than saliva according to my Endo.
Do a search on Lymenet, lots of Corted info. It helped me allot, & helped insomnia, too.
Posted by Boomerang (Member # 7979) on :
I've searched and read quite a bit, that's what worries me........
I don't think he'll take it tomorrow. I can't tell yet if he's having a herx from IV ABX or the cortisol made him feel bad.
Thanks a bunch!
Posted by efsd25 (Member # 2272) on :
I took a holstic cortisol for a 4-5 months, and towards the end my lyme chest pains started to come back. So I stopped. It did help me sleep, so I miss it.