Adrenal Fatigue- Should I go on hydrocortisone? Any experiences? Dangers? CS or others

Paradox wrote:I have a high metabolism already (too thin), so for me 0 carbs is a no-go. Out of that list Goten- Eliminate everything on it except rice and only brown rice. Complex carbs are ok in moderation- it's the simple sugars you want to get rid of. Main offenders outside the obvious are fruit/vegetable juice (carrot) and potatoes. Brown rice is great. A potato here and there won't kill you. Eat protein with every meal: example= eggs for breakfast with buckwheat, turkey on rice cakes with hummus for lunch, chick/fish/meat with vegetables or salad and brown rice for dinner. Switch up the seasonings on the protein and teh cooked vegetables and salads/dressings, and you still have a good variety. The only thing I keep the same is breakfast- eggs and buckwheat or english muffins/waffles (because I'm not doing 0 carbs). Limit bananas. Some fruits have a higher glycemic than others. Apples are good as well as some others. Eat nuts to snack on or seeds.

tooyoung wrote:abc - Are potatoes not good if you suspect AF then?

Paradox wrote:They hard question is: when is it time for the last resort? The catch for me is that I take medication for depression/anxiety that probably affect cortisol levels, but I was suicidal not too long ago without them. So the adrenals may be causing this, and the meds may be exacerbating the situation (catch-22). I've tried the adrenal cortex, and the other natural approaches. I avoided sugar almost completely for a long time. This was all when I was tapering off the drugs though. Now that I'm back on them, I'm drinking mass amounts of coffee and still can't stay awake. Of course extreme drowsiness is a side-effect of one of them- which confuses the situation further. I've chelated metals for a while now as well. About 2 years ago now I was at a stage 5 on the adrenal stress scale. That is pretty severe, and I don't think the natural fixes work as well or as frequently when you've reached that level. I just can't keep living off coffee and recently cigarettes.

More opinions, feedback would be great! CS?

randle20 wrote:I havent been able to find any serious study correlation but using 5000IU of Vitamin D3 + K2 combo consistently for a month and a half completely fixed my adrenal pain. I have more energy etc.

tooyoung wrote:CS, what would you suggest for AF if someone is reluctant to take D3?

CausticSymmetry wrote:

randle20 wrote:I havent been able to find any serious study correlation but using 5000IU of Vitamin D3 + K2 combo consistently for a month and a half completely fixed my adrenal pain. I have more energy etc.

I agree, I think this combo is great for AF.

Wouldn't be that worried about low dose hydrocortisone. It is needed only temporarily.

The following article isn't targeted specifically for adrenal fatigue, but there is information related to it, as well as
hydrocortisone.

http://healthyfixx.com/19/defeating-allergies-naturally

Wouldn't be that worried about low dose hydrocortisone. It is needed only temporarily.

CausticSymmetry wrote:

tooyoung wrote:CS, what would you suggest for AF if someone is reluctant to take D3?

The basics for AF are magnesium, Vitamin C, and specific B Vitamins mentioned in the allergy article linked above.

Any reason you're cautious about taking D3?

tooyoung wrote:Severe cases eat nothing but fruit? I think my case is mild to moderate, I've started drinking a glass of oj with every meal, what foods should I avoid?

tooyoung wrote:

CausticSymmetry wrote:

tooyoung wrote:CS, what would you suggest for AF if someone is reluctant to take D3?

The basics for AF are magnesium, Vitamin C, and specific B Vitamins mentioned in the allergy article linked above.

Any reason you're cautious about taking D3?

The jdp threads made me hesitant to take it.

I've just ordered a higher quality vit c and magnesium as well as ordering a kilo of brewers yeast, good to hear.

Paradox wrote:

CausticSymmetry wrote:

randle20 wrote:I havent been able to find any serious study correlation but using 5000IU of Vitamin D3 + K2 combo consistently for a month and a half completely fixed my adrenal pain. I have more energy etc.

I agree, I think this combo is great for AF.

Wouldn't be that worried about low dose hydrocortisone. It is needed only temporarily.

The following article isn't targeted specifically for adrenal fatigue, but there is information related to it, as well as
hydrocortisone.

http://healthyfixx.com/19/defeating-allergies-naturally

THanks CS,

I've been on 5,000iu D3 for a couple years now daily, with some K as well for a while. Good article. You might warn against the danger of raising cortisol too high with licorice, taking it when your body is low (testing required). They also say not to take it for long periods of time. I think it increases aldosterone too? Of course if you're in early stage AF and your cortisol is too high, then you would want to avoid licorice root.

Wouldn't be that worried about low dose hydrocortisone. It is needed only temporarily.

That's a relief. I figure I can always try it just to see how I feel. I have a pdf on two bipolar patients showing that clonazepam (which i take) does lower cortisol- either directly or indirectly from reduced anxiety. I'd hate to treat a drug-induced condition you know? I've tried isocort with no noticeable effects. Cortef should be different.

JDP, If you're following this... Weren't you on HC as last resort and doing well on it?

ABC, I don't know how you came to that conclusion about sugar, but it really should be the other way around. Sugar can reek havoc on the adrenals as well as fuel candida- which also affects adrenal fatigue by craving more sugar. Keeping your blood sugar balanced should be the aim.

Insulin release is also stimulated by amino acids such as leucine, and insulin stimulates cells to absorb amino acids and to synthesize proteins. Since insulin lowers blood sugar as it disposes of amino acids, eating a large amount of protein without carbohydrate can cause a sharp decrease in blood sugar. This leads to the release of adrenalin and cortisol, which raise the blood sugar. Adrenalin causes fatty acids to be drawn into the blood from fat stores, especially if the liver's glycogen stores are depleted, and cortisol causes tissue protein to be broken down into amino acids, some of which are used in place of carbohydrate. Unsaturated fatty acids, adrenaline, and cortisol cause insulin resistance.

The free fatty acids released by the stress hormones serve as supplemental fuel, and increase the consumption of oxygen and the production of heat. (This increased oxygen demand is a problem for the heart when it is forced to oxidize fatty acids. [A. Grynberg, 2001]) But if the stored fats happen to be polyunsaturated, they damage the blood vessels and the mitochondria, suppress thyroid function, and cause “glycation” of proteins. They also damage the pancreas, and impair insulin secretion.

When glucose can't be oxidized, for any reason, there is a stress reaction, that mobiles free fatty acids. Drugs that oppose the hormones (such as adrenalin or growth hormone) that liberate free fatty acids have been used to treat diabetes, because lowering free fatty acids can restore glucose oxidation.