Just starting.....

[Sewingmom]

Good morning. Over 8 years ago, I was diagnosed with secondary adrenal insufficiency and have been on hydrocortisone since. My bones are thinning and it is time to ween off this stuff and stay off!! I am currently on 15 milligrams a day. I got licorice root yesterday to replace the steroid and need help titrating everything.

w

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Before you start messing around with the HC dose you need to discuss this with your doctors. If your secondary adrenal insufficiency required HC, it suggests it is pretty severe and stopping the HC could put you at risk of developing an adrenal crisis - which would require medical treatment and could be life-threatening. You cannot rely on liquorice root to replace the steroid.

There are other ways of dealing with low bone density if it is severe enough to get you into the osteoporosis range - what are your t-scores from the dexascan?

[Sewingmom in reply to PMRpro]

I am on Fosamax for osteoporosis that was brought on by the HC use. I am confused, because I have weened off the HC, under my doctor's care, in the summer. That's when I realized that my hips were so bad that I needed them both replaced. I was hoping the licorice root would help stimulate my adrenals back to working.....

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sewingmom]

That isn't how it works - the only way your adrenals start to work again is with a low enough dose of steroid to stimulate them to produce it if they can. The effect of liquorice (as I understand it) has been shown to improve absorption and metabolism of cortisol in patients on replacement therapy, not to persuade the adrenal glands to produce cortisol themselves.

If you have weaned off HC before, surely that means you have adrenal function?

[Sewingmom in reply to PMRpro]

That is what I was thinking. Did I ween off too soon this time, since I'm still recovering from my 1st hip replacement (done late September)?.....

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sewingmom]

I'm not clear if the problem you have is PMR symptoms returning or adrenal insufficiency

[Sewingmom]

I had a hip replacement in late Sept. I'm still recovering from it. Could my body still need the HC?.... I don't understand, since I went from the Fourth of July to my surgery HC free and felt fine.

[Sewingmom]

I was off the HC for 6 days after my surgery. I felt fine - no symptoms that I had before. I had a blood test that showed a low cortisol level, and the dr put me back on the HC. Both during the summer, and after surgery I had no symptoms when off the HC.

[Sewingmom]

My cortisol level was .6 . I realize that is very low, however he had me stop my dose (10mg in am, 5mg in pm) cold turkey. I didn't ween off at all this time. I have not had any other steroid, I figured they were all the same. I'm sorry - what are PMR and GCA?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Sewingmom]

Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis - autoimmune diseases and it’s what’s this forum is all about.

[Sewingmom in reply to DorsetLady]

OK thanks