IsoCort is a popular over-the-counter cortisol supplement with patients. It’s advertised as providing a standardized, stable, and “gentle” dose of the adreno-cortical substance Cortisol. According to the company that makes them, each tablet provides 2 1/2 mg. of cortisol (**See below), and patients can better regulate how much they need and when.
Ingredients of Isocort are listed are as follows: All compounds wildcrafted or organically grown. Freeze-Dried Adrenal Cortex (soluble fractionation) from New Zealand Sheep. Echinacea Extract (trace amount). Prunus and Lomatium dissectum root isolate (kreb concentrate-2%) in pellet base of lactose and lactase. A favorite place to order Isocort is www.vitaminmd.com, among others.
Isocort may be a fine product to start on if you simply want to support your healthy adrenals during stressful times, or if your adrenal fatigue is quite mild. If you have a more serious problem with flagging adrenals, most patients state that using HC (aka Hydrocortisone, cortisol or brand name Cortef, which is by prescription), an oral synthetic corticosteroid, worked far better for them. So you’ll want to consider that switch eventually after you have started on Isocort.
Additionally, the Echinacea may not be an extract you want to be on long term, though short term may be fine. PDF article here.
**We are suspicious that each tablet does NOT contain 2 1/2 mg cortisol. When someone on 8 tablets of Isocort (which should be 20 mgs. cortisol if you do your math) switched to 15 mgs HC, the 15 mg HC was FAR more potent!
Bottom line…though we think it’s fine to start on Isocort, switching to Cortef or Hydrocortisone should be considered down the line. To find other places to order Isocort, just Google “Isocort”.
