I've posted several times on this and potential thyroid issues over the past 6 months or so. I'll cut straight to the chase, I've had symptoms of adrenal insufficiency with low saliva cortisol testing that the NHS are deaf and blind to. Currently unable to afford private GP consults, licorice root powder has several unwanted side effects and ashwagandha lowers my cortisol further.
Can anyone recommend whether adrenal glandulars are safer/more effective than hydrocortisone?
If someone has found a successful, 'alternative' self-treatment regime, can they PM details of what they use and where they buy from please?
Yes, it seems most GP's are really good at diagnosing the physical things (operations, breaks etc) doctors/surgeons have 100 years + experience of, but when it comes to hormones, metabolism and mood/neurotransmitter issues, they are dabbling like arrogant teenagers who claim to know everything and refuse to admit when they are mistaken.
Case in point, my GP finally agreed the other week to recheck some bloods I had done privately including GH and SHBG. I asked will the GH be a stimulation test? They didn't know (single sample draws for asssessing GH are not that helpful, so the NHS rarely do them, GH Stimulation testing requires an afternoon at the local endocrinology department). I asked if they had been able to order the SHBG on the system, she said "It usually comes as part of the testosterone". It doesn't but she was starting to get arsey/stressed at this point so I left it.
Go to get the results today - no GH and no SHBG. Dissappointed ? Yes, Surprised ? No Frustrated? Yes. At least I have some leverage now for when I see them next week.
It comes as a surprise when we find that doctors seem to have missed out in some way through their training. For instance they only seem to look at the TSH and pronounce that we're normal, despite it being towards the upper part of the range. We don't feel normal as we have so many clinical symptoms which are usually diagnosed as a single problems instead of the whole body.
I have only ever taken Nutri Adrenal extra (contains bovine adrenal & pituitary) & my body seems to respond well to it.
I've have also been taking Nutri Thyroid as I have Hashimotos.
Although these products contain no hormone (or who knows perhaps maybe even a little), all I can say is I am feeling better for it. They must be helping my adrenals & thyroid to help themselves.
I have been under the care of Dr Peatfield & he recommended I take these. If you'd like his details then I'll gladly reply.
Thanks for the pointers towards the Nutri brand, which I've seen before, but forgotten about over the past 6 months.
Both contain a small amount of glandular as you say - the Nutri Thyroid is sourced from NZ, so BSE free. I'll be putting these on my investigation list.
Can anyone recommend whether adrenal glandulars are safer/more effective than hydrocortisone?
For someone with low cortisol, I don't know which are safer. But it is far easier to get adrenal glandulars like Nutri Adrenal Extra (NAX) than it is to get hydrocortisone.
If you are desperate the adrenal glandulars are worth trying.
There are two popular adrenal supplements that I know of :
Nutri Adrenal (NA) contains an adrenal supplement (100mg per tablet).
Nutri Adrenal Extract (NAX) contains an adrenal supplement (200mg per tablet), a pituitary supplement, plus various minerals and vitamins.
Some people struggle with the pituitary supplement in NAX, so they use NA, but then you need twice as many tablets to get the same dose of adrenal supplement. If you have low cortisol I would suggest NAX first, then if you don't tolerate it, try the NA.
There are also adrenal supplements called Adrenavive. See the choices here :
And be careful of spelling. There is another product called Adrenevive (e in the middle instead of a). I don't know anything about that either, other than that it exists.
thanks for the links to the Nutri advanced range and Adrenavive, that's the second time both of these products have been mentioned since I posted, so that says something about their usefulness
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Low cortisol/adrenal insufficiency
Does this supplement contain anything that could RAISE cortisol levels?
Cortisol 
Hasimotos and cortisol
Can taking Nutri adrenal supplement damage my own cortisol production?
