Comments on: Beware: major hormonal changes can affect your adrenals!

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:10:40 +0000

Janie/Anyone:

I am suffering from adrenal fatigue-2.5 is the score from my doctor. I do not want to go on steroids-Cortisol as I am terrified of it. Has anyone tried a course of acupuncture and herbs to combat this? Also, what are the side effects of Cortisol? How long do you have to be on it? I don’t hear anyone commenting on this. I appreciate any and all feedback. Many thanks.

(Mary, many many many people are on cortisol to treat their adrenal fatigue. Your fear is actually being fueled by your low cortisol. Time on it varies, but it does the job like nothing else. Herbs don’t do it. Go to the following link and join the adrenals group: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/talk-to-others

By: Tina

Tina — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:52:58 +0000

Hi Lari from London. I’m in London too and am trying to find a Dr who can help me with my adrenals as my current Dr who prescribes Armour to me won’t prescribe HC. I’ve made an appointment with Marion Gluck based on the posting above and hopefully this will help but I’d still like to know if there is anyone else if my options fall through.
Thanks!

By: tealady

tealady — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:23:44 +0000

Hi Janie, I was searching for an old doc who first prescribed “armour” to me, and google brought up this page! I see catherine also was lucky to find a good doctor in Germany. I saw her in 2001 in Sydney and note she also practices in London. Catherine, could you say hello to Marion from Jan in Sydney. She was so wonderful in treating me and hasnt been here since August when I missed her visit due to a truck writing off my car (with me in it). Back to adrenals.. yes it is a very BIG part of the picture I think, for MOST of those with autoimmune or other issues. I also note a huge change in my need for progesterone after menopause.. before I just couldn’t take it, and probably didn’t need it.. now, sigh, that’s why I was looking for Marion! I’m also about to give a low dose cortisol another intake period. I think now though I prefer methylprednisolone cream..Advantan is the brand name in Australia. I do go too high in cortisol too easily though..at least after a couple of months, even low dose and tapering!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 23:23:34 +0000

Adrenal Fatigue and / or Burnout !!!
I have suffered from C.F.S. for over 10 years and have visited more doctors in more fields than I care to think about. Recently I had a very bad chest cold and my doctor put me on prednisone. I have long suspected an adrenal connection when it came to my chronic fatigue, and now I am very sure this IS IT !!! I have been on either Prozac or Zoloft for over 10 years to combat panic attacks that I now know are a result of my adrenal problems !!! It is very sad that in this day & age that doctors are soooo very closed minded. Not all though… there are doctors ( mostly alternative ) out there that are open minded enough to listen to the patient and also to new ideas in medicine. It is definitely worth it to seek them out.

I urge anyone that is suffering with C.F.S. OR FIBROMYALGIA to consider a trial dose ( tiny amounts ) of cortef ( cortisol ). It will be difficult to find a doctor that is willing to let you try this med because of past mistakes with larger doses. Also read “Safe Uses of Cortisol” by William Mck. Jefferies.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 22:21:48 +0000

Hi. Hearing your symptoms is a mirror image of mine. I spoke to Dr Barry Peatfield today and am seeing him soon. He has written about adrenal failure in Hashi patients and is well aware of the links between hypo AI and Adrenal issues. Thank goodness I am going to see him because other doctors don’t know what to do.

I am starting the Vitamin C/ Licorice and taking 100 Thyroxine . Because of high AI readings and 18.96 original ~TSH . He is sure that I have adrenal probs and what I cant understand is why no doctors understand any of this important information. Isn’t it important enough or what?? I was verging on complete collapse by the time I was told that I had thyroid probs and that was because I went to see Dr Marion Gluck privately who specializes in menopausal hormone balancing and she recognized that I was very ill.

Keep up the good work on your great site. We need you! Herin

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sun, 27 May 2007 16:26:17 +0000

I can empathize! When the hormones lowered at menopause, along came thyroid and adrenal fatigue. After being sick for 4 years I FINALLY am making slow progress. Something for thought….I could not tolerate Cortef or compounded Hydrocortisone as it gave me awful head rush feelings. So I started taking Mil-Adregen first which I found unfortunately did NOT raise my actual cortisol numbers. My morning saliva cortisol continued to slip from 15 to 7 to 5 to 3. I did a saliva tests while ON Mil-Adregen and saw no increase in cortisol. Then I started Isocort. I decided to pay for some more saliva tests. I did a baseline morning saliva, which was 3.4. Then took 2.5 mg. of Cortef…..it raised my cortisol 1 1/2 hr. later to only 4.5.

Then a week later I did another morning baseline saliva cortisol. It was 3.4. I took 2 Isocort pellets and meassured again in 1 1/2. It raised my Free Cortisol to 7.5.

If there are folks out there having a tough time on Cortef, I might suggest they run their own experiment to see how it affects their own body, assuming of course the pellet dosage is consistent, which is always a concern.

By: Tasia

Tasia — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 03:03:01 +0000

Thank you for sharing your experience! This website is truly a life-saver for me. Your information encouraged me to seek a doctor who understands my needs. Finally diagnosed as hypothyroid, low progesterone, low vitamin levels…I KNOW I am on the right path for wellness but there are still some minor kinks to work out. I am not premenopausal like yourself (I’m in my 20’s), but your hormone levels do sound strangely familiar to me…

By: sally

sally — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 05:28:44 +0000

Abbie …PLEASE read What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause by Dr. John Lee. It will change your life! He has one on breast cancer also! Prayers are with you!

By: abbie

abbie — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 03:59:09 +0000

I too entered memopause and low thyroid at the same time. They put me on Synthroid, after two years of night sweats,waking up every night at 2:00 I went on a HRT and finally decided to use Prempro. It helped me to be able to work with the public and sleep all night. I learned about T3,then Armour… this stopped body aches and my not wanting to learn new work task. I now have gone through stage1 breast cancer, now doing radiation treatments The HRT and gaining weight was my only risk factors. I believe taking hormones is not safe. We have been told lies about HRT.

You will get better and your body will adjust in time. Just dig your nails in and hang on. Life is an experience that is not always easy. Each time we make it through. It makes you stronger with knowledge to help others.

By: Paulette

Paulette — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 21:29:37 +0000

I have been hypothyroid for probably most of my life, since puberty, but not diagnosed until about 8 years ago. Fortunately, I have a great endocrinologist and was put on Armour, which changed my life immensely. I was put on Paxil, which helped with the bowel issues I had. I’ve recently gotten off of that but am aware that my adrenals are tired. No, my doctor doesn’t recognize it either. I do take Isocort and for me, at least right now, it does help. I have noticed though that if I eat foods high in magnesium and get a lot of calcium, it really does seem to help, not just my thyroid but my adrenals and entire body. Magnesium also seems to help with body aches. I often take magnesium on an empty stomach in the morning or in the evening. If you take it with food, it may cause diarrhea. It may take a while for the body to start noticing that it helps. But for me, it does help. I take B complex, Vitamin C, Pantothenic Acid (B5 in high doses than other B vitamins), eliminate people that cause stress, including family. I used to be one of those health nuts that stayed thin, ate right, exercised and was a size 2-4, and ballooned up to a size 20. Certain people around me gloated. It was an added stressor as it was painful. I not longer associate with them or as little as possible. Getting some sunlight into the eyes does help the pituitary, which in turn helps the thyroid, thus, the entire body and endocrine system. I eat lots of beans, grains, green vegetables, organic eggs, some fish and occasionally chicken. I only eat red meat at that time of the woman’s monthly cycle. I do deep breathing and stretching, which does help. I have eliminated alcohol, as much sugar as possible, stressful people, stressful lifestyle and anything that causes me problems. I do not watch TV as half the time it is bad news. I do use it for classical music or my bible studies. I do not visit sites online that do not support a healthy mind/spirit/soul/body. Consuming foods high in antioxidants often works better than in vitamins – so lots of foods with lots of color. The body absorbs it better, something no company will tell you, although B vitamins, magnesium and even calcium seem to be okay. But even those, the body does do better if it’s a whole food, the way God made it. I really don’t know if any of this will help anyone. But I do know that most of the help I came across that has helped me came from others who had been down similar roads. I stil have to take Armour, my vitamins. And the doctor has me on Ambien to help me sleep, especially since I work shiftwork that changes every darn day. I have on occasion had to take Xanax. But I don’t need the Ambien or the Xanax if I’m doing everything else. And of course, my bible studies and prayer are what have kept me sane and continuing on when everyone left me behind because I couldn’t keep up, and I lived in almost completely isolation for 17 years. If this in any way helps anyone, I will be truly happy for your benefit and improvement in life.