posted
Ok I have posted before that I am cortef due to severe adrenal problems.
Does anyone know what a SAFE dosage of cortef with Lyme - My LLMD says anything under 20mg as the body makes 40mg and cortef is a natural replacement, things only go wrong when people take high dosages of Perdnisone?
I take 3 dosages a day following my natural output and get the circadian rythum run bi-monthly and LLMD keeps me at top of refererence range otherwise I crash
I take 12.5mg - 15mg a day in 3 divided dosages
Posts: 52 | From Ireland | Registered: Nov 2009
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posted
I recommend not taking cortef at all. I was given it from my LLMD in Oct 2006 and started at 20mg per day. It really didn't make me feel any better or less fatigue but I kept taking it anyway.
Now my adrenals are suppressed and my new doctor is trying to wean me off and it is pure torture. My body can't make what it needs now when I am under any kind of minor stress and I end up bedridden.
Most people don't need cortef unless their adrenals are totally supressed like in Addison's disease.
I never would have gone on this if I had known the facts and now I am truly suffering trying to get off it.
This is just my opinion and what has happened to me.
Posts: 343 | From North Carolina | Registered: Oct 2008
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I have Addison's and take 20mg a day-I need to though. Before taking the hydrocortisone my ACTH levels (the hormone your pituitary makes to stimulate cortisol production in your adrenals) were 600+, normal range is 10-25 according to my doc.
My ACTH levels have gone back down to 14 since treatment(yay!), but I was also given an ACTH stimulation test before taking any hydro to see if my adrenals would respond at all to the normal hormonal prompting-but the test failed to raise my levels of cortisol even slightly. So basically, my adrenals are dead.
I had all of these tests done before going on steroids though. I also need to take .1mg of Florinef every two days or my salt levels plummet and I get bad low blood pressure. What kind of testing did you have done?
Posts: 594 | From NJ/NY | Registered: Jun 2006
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
I have Addison's too.
I take 2 mg a day - 15 in the am, and 5 with lunch.
Also - I take higher "stress" doses when acutely ill.
My LLMD Rx'd this, and it's helped me turn the corner to becoming well again. Huge help. I'm at about 90% most days now.
Guess we're all different.
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Your LLMD is correct. Under 20 mg. a day (usually in divided doses to equal no more than 20 mg.) for Cortef/Hydrocortisone.
Some people can do better with less; some have to take less as their body may tell them so in a variety of ways. And, there may be a few patients who need just a touch more, but the LLMD is best to determine that.
Usually, other adrenal support herbs are also taken as those help to nourish the adrenal glands, just like good food nourishes cells of the body.
Also correct: Prednisone can cause major trouble for lyme patients.
If you want to read more, there are also MANY past threads on this very topic. You can search here:
I dont have addisions but my Blood & Saliva sits all day right at the bottom of the chart all day so forme I need cortef and Isocort (isocort has 2.4mg Cortisol per pill - its a natural Adrenal Gladular) so I am now on just under 15mg taken in 3 divided dosaged at 7am, 11am, 3pm this is to match my day curve.
Although my naturaloutput is very low in a stress situation I do make cortisol, so strangeley they have reserves but just wont function properly.
Posts: 52 | From Ireland | Registered: Nov 2009
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posted
[QUOTE]Originally posted by kim812: [QB] I recommend not taking cortef at all. I was given it from my LLMD in Oct 2006 and started at 20mg per day. It really didn't make me feel any better or less fatigue but I kept taking it anyway. Now my adrenals are suppressed and my new doctor is trying to wean me off and it is pure torture. My body can't make what it needs now when I am under any kind of minor stress and I end up bedridden. ---------------------------
Sorry to hear this Kim, That was a high starting dose, it takes a long time to wean of but it can be done so hang in there - I have been on Cortisol for some time but never exceed 15mg but I need that much to keep me functioning - but I as I say I take it in 3 divided dosages to match my natural output.
Posts: 52 | From Ireland | Registered: Nov 2009
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posted
I was also taking it three times daily. It never seemed to help me and several times I asked about coming off it.
My saliva cortisol was also very low basically flatlined but I was told later that if I were to take cortef it should be for a very short period of time.
I am just going through this awful nightmare of trying to wean off..as if we all haven't been through enough.
I hope it does help you..as I said it never made the fatigue any less and now my body can't recover from any kind of stress for days and I am bedridden.
I am only down from 15mg to 10mg and it has taken 4 months just to do that.
Posts: 343 | From North Carolina | Registered: Oct 2008
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