If you know where I can get hydrocortisone without a prescrip, please private-message me. The situation is that I am trying to assist a woman here in the U.S. who is on SSDI (disability) and has been kicked in the teeth by the Medicaid system. She currently has no doctor, no immediate hope of getting one, and a Medicaid M.D. probably wouldn't help her with HC anyway. She has almost no money and is in danger of becoming homeless. She responds in an atypical, negative way to increased dosage of T3 and NDT; the T4-equivalent dose is well below her full replacement dose for her weight. We want to try HC using the Jefferies protocol (less than 20mg per day) to see if she will feel better, which will tell us that her adrenals are creating the problem because they are hypo.
I have asked her to test cortisol first with either a 24-hour urine or 4-sample saliva test, but she is so weak and exhausted, that she won't go there.
This situation is occurring in Phoenix, Arizona. If you know of any resources there which might help with this problem, please let me know what they are.
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Eddie83
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I wouldn't recommend supplementing Hyrocortisone without proper stress testing. Your friends problem with thyroid meds could be down to a number of things such as a deficiency in iron, T4-T3 conversion issues or cell receptor problems.
Your friend needs comprehensive testing and a health plan to eliminate possible issues that could be the cause of medication intolerance.
Do you have recent thyroid hormone test results complete with ranges ( numbers in brackets) that you could post for members to comment.
Because I was recently diagnosed with it by a lab in the States. I suspect Lyme and its co-infections are the root cause of a large number of illnesses in people "diagnosed" with ME/CFS or whose endocrine problems are complicated. The NHS test, as I understand it, only detects relatively new infections not chronic ones.
Lyme can cause endocrine problems, neurological problems and a range of other problems.
Thank you rosetrees the reason I ask is that 2 years before I had my thyroid removed I had tested positive for Lyme and was given antibiotics. No idea how I got this as I live in the city and now wonder if it related?
I was recovering from Miller Fisher syndrome and blood tests came back showing I had Lyme. I was under the impression that the antibiotics had cleared it as nothing that I know of has come back on future blood tests. Then again I have never asked!!
I did read a recent twitter post from Kent Holtorf about Lyme. He claims a trio of antibiotics (don't remember which ones) are effective in eliminating Lyme.
I have great sympathy for your friend. In 1995 I was told by a private doctor in 1995 that as well as severe hypothyroid, my adrenals were extremely low and was put on 5mg cortisone every day. To cut a very long story short, I increased the dose to 10mg a day thinking I would have more energy - very stupid in hindsight. Over this last year, I've increased my T3 dose (unable to convert T4 to T3) to 40mcg daily, have slowly come off the cortisone by 1mg a month; and feel wonderful. However my bones and body have suffered greatly from the longterm steroids and would certainly not recommend it. My view now, after 34 years of hypothyroid illness, is that the adrenals should be brought back up by other means. The adrenal glands can be supported through use of glandulars or adaptogens, both which are powerful and should be used with caution. Have checks for levels of ferritin, vitamin D, B12 and folate. Very best wishes
Pregnenolone in small doses (10 mg sublingually each morning upon waking, before anything goes into the mouth) is a wonderful way to help boost adrenal function. It's very inexpensive to buy, no prescription required, and it gives the adrenals the raw materials they need to make more hormones, as opposed to hydrocortisone, which suppresses adrenal function. I have been using pregnenolone without any side effects and recommend it highly. She is under EXTREME stress - she needs additional help for sure. It makes sense that thyroid hormones aren't working because her adrenals can't handle it. I recommend she also takes, if there's any way possible for her to afford all this - high doses of vitamin C (at least 5g per day, split into morning and nighttime doses), vitamin B complex - Thorne Stress B is perfect for adrenal support, Nutri-Meds Adrenal Cortex Plus tablets ( nutri-meds.com/Nutri_Me... ) , salt water - just water with Himalayan or Celtic sea salt - with breakfast - about 15 minutes after taking the pregnenolone, and again before bedtime, magnesium glycinate, glycine (either by means of supplements, gelatine, or bone broths, daily if possible), and turmeric curcumin. This is the bare minimum of what she needs. Additionally, lots of vitamin D3 (she can get this freely from 1/2 hour a day of sunlight), and vitamin K2.
She also needs to make sure she is eating every 3-4 hours, and plenty of calories and macronutrients. This is crucial for her adrenals, keeping her blood sugar balanced. I suggest eating something salty, sweet, and a little fatty before bed as well. Like cheese and crackers with a piece of fruit, or a bowl of ice cream. This will help keep her blood sugar balanced through the night, which will help her get the sleep she desperately needs.
You're saying hydrocortisone suppresses the adrenals. I was put on hydrocortisone by a well known private doctor in 1994 and it has given me osteoporosis, 2 replaced hips. I'm seething!
I'm so sorry you went through that Marigold. I understand completely the anger and betrayal you're feeling.
If you're not already taking magnesium, vitamin D3, vitamin K2, and boron, you might want to give those a shot. Eat calcium rich foods, like broccoli (cooked in plenty of butter if you are hypothyroid), cheese, kefir, yogurt, milk, sardines, spinach, etc. If you add calcium supplements, make sure it's bioavailable - read this:
I'm sorry to hear that you were treated by a doctor who obviously did not know what he was doing. (This is shockingly common in American medicine.) What sort of dosage did this doctor put you on, and how long were you on it? I am betting that this doctor never read William Jeffries "Safe Uses of Cortisol", probably used a dose greater than 20mg, and didn't wean you off periodically to see if your adrenals had improved so they could take up the slack.
She can try eating the 1% cream...I'm serious. A dab under the tongue will do the trick if she's low. How big of a dab? Well, let's say you have a 10 gram tube. With a 1% solution, 1 gram equals 10mg HC. So one tenth of the tube is 10 mg. Try a dab about the size of a pea, or bigger. Let it sit under the tongue for 10 minutes and see how she feels in an hour or two.
Eddie..sorry, but i would never recommend HC without proper testing. You can order a test kit, saliva to do at home. Her ill response to thyroid, may be improper dosing, increasing to fast or the wrong medication for her. I know, because i have been on HC and Pred, self medicating t3. I have tried every dose and med out there. I am still not well. Autoimmune disease, if she has it, is very involved. You are going to have to believe that HC may not be the answer and by supplementing without testing, HC will shut down her own production, leaving her open to an Adrenal Crisis, if she even misses a dose. You don't want to go there!! You don't want to be liable if something happens and you are medicating her, without a doctor's prescription.
I am so sorry to hear of the sad situation of the lady that you are are trying to help,
but feel that I have to say please,please be very careful with her
.My mother had to spend the last 23 years of her life on Hydrocortisone but was prescribed by a hospital consultant and used to be very carefully and regularly monitored to make sure that her dosage was exactly the correct amount needed and no more.
Therefore I wouldn't advise using this medication without professional supervision.
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Self-medicating with hydrocortisone 
Hydrocortisone, please help
Help to understand. 
