Tracy

I wrote out a long response to this last night and then lost it!! So here goes with a shortened version! I was put on 5mg Prednisolone by my endo (this is synthetic cortisol, rather than hydrocortisone, which is identical to what the body produces itself. It is stronger and lasts longer in the body than HC, which only lasts four hours). I had an adrenal crash last Christmas due to taking T4 only thyroid meds, which crashed my already very weak adrenals. I was bedridden for four weeks, and housebound for months after. It was my bleakest time.

I did 24 hour urine and blood tests, and from that he was able to put me on a physiological dose of cortisol, that it, I am only replacing what my body cannot produce itself, because of the mercury. Horror stories about steroids have come about because of people being put on pharmacological doses, ie doses way in excess of what the adrenals produce themselves, which effectively shuts the adrenals down, sometimes for good. It is this fear of suppression which makes steroids the big baddie in many peoples' eyes. Weight gain and high blood sugar are the side effects of too much cortisol. On the other hand, too little cortisol is also bad - it weakens your immune system, leaving you open to viruses and bugs, it affects digestion and absorption, meaning that most hypoadrenal people are skinny and can't put on weight (that was me), and obviously, causes fatigue and depression.

I am not saying I am happy taking steroids, but I can say it has given me my life back to some extent. I have gone from being housebound, may be able to do one thing a day, to being out and about with my young children (albeit carefully, and slowly). The constant fluey muzzy feeling has gone, as has the bleakest depression I have ever experienced - the one that made me want to commit suicide. It has also enabled me to increase my Armour to two grains, which is also helping my body and slowly returning me to greater functionality. Adrenals and thyroid work in tandem - when the thyroid is underperforming, the adrenals take the strain. Cortisol is necessary to drive the thyroid hormone into the cells - if you aren't producing enough, you are not using your thyroid hormone. You must do the one with the other.

Of course I have concerns about coming off i t (you have to slowly wean off AFTER you have found your optimum thyroid dose, and allowed the adrenals to rest and heal from constantly taking the strain of the underactive thyroid) - this can take 9 -12 months. And that is if your adrenals are not too damaged. It is possible that I may need to take them for the rest of my life if mercury has damaged my adrenals beyond repair. This would not surprise me.

I tried the glandulars and other forms of adrenal support before going on the Pred. It wasn't enough, and I kept crashing. But if you're thinking about taking HC, I would get some saliva cortisol tests done, and post your results on this forum to get a view on whether you need to take HC

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/

It is a big decision, and, in my view, not one to take without proper testing, or proper awareness about the consequences. However, there are good stories over on the Natural Thyroid Hormones website about people taking HC to increase their Armour dose, getting to the right dose, and then weaning off HC completely.

Hope this helps.

Nicola