Where I'm At - January 2008

The Isocort didn't last. I decided it wasn't doing anything and quit taking it. I had a doctor's appointment about a week ago and my doctor agreed to let me try Hydrocort (oral hydrocortisone) after I told her about my results with the Pupil Test*. She wanted me to take 5 mg. 3 times a day and increase my Cytomel by 12.5 mcg daily. I started the Hydrocort at 2.5 mg once per day to make sure I wouldn't have a "thyroid dump"...but according to a moderator at the Real Thyroid Help forum...I did have a dump. I was expecting a super hyper awful feeling ..but instead it was absolutely wonderful. I had more energy that 1 day then I have had for several years. It was the fastest I've ever cleaned my house. Unfortunately, even though I still feel better on the Hydrocort (up the the full 15 mg a day now), I am not having any more days quite like that. I am sleeping better, feel more energetic during the day, less constipation, the heel pain and itching is gone again. No complaints.

Hydrocort and Cortef are both very weak steroids. They can be taken in doses as high as 30 or 40 mg per day without any of the side effects one would get from Prednisone. The amount taken is only to replenish your body with the amount that your adrenals are no longer making. Most people can take quit taking the hydrocortisone after a few months, which is long enough for the adrenals to rest.

The saliva test for adrenals is the recommended test for adrenal fatigue. The test will show your cortisol levels at different times during the day. My doctor did not do the test as she says she does not know how to interpret the results.

* The Pupil Test (copied from STTM website)
This is called the Pupil test. You need to be in a darkened room with a mirror. From the side (not the front), shine a bright light like a flashlight or penlight towards your pupils and hold it for about a minute. Carefully observe the pupil. With healthy adrenals, your pupils will constrict, and will stay small the entire time you shine the light from the side. In adrenal fatigue, the pupil will get small, but within 30 seconds, it will soon enlarge again or obviously flutter in it’s attempt to stay constricted. Why does this occur? Because adrenal insufficiency can also result in low aldosterone, which causes a lack of proper amounts of sodium and an abundance of potassium. This imbalance causes the sphincter muscles of your eye to be weak and to dilate in response to light.