I'm hoping someone can help me regarding the taking of my adrenal cortex capsule around mid- day? I particularly ask as I take my morning capsules after breakfast, so that I don't get a sudden spike, and mornings are not my best time of day!!
So Is the cortex just as effective if you take it after lunch ?
Or is it best just before lunch ?
I'd really appreciate some guidance from you lovely people, as I'm just starting to increase my ThorneACE by an extra two capsules, and it's not very comfortable as my head is so very, very heavy and sometimes feels like I've got a tight band around it !
So I'd really appreciate some help?
Thank you so much !!!!!
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C70rol
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I take my morning capsules after breakfast, so that I don't get a sudden spike, and mornings are not my best time of day!!
Morning capsules of what?
I would imagine that mornings are not your best time of day because your adrenals aren't working properly. Early morning is when they work the hardest, getting you out of bed and ready for your day. It would seem to me that that is the time to take your adrenal supplements, not after lunch. But, what does it say on the bottle?
Oh! Thanks for coming back to me Greygoose, I'm sorry i didn't make myself clear. The instructions on the side of the Thorne container says:- Take I capsule one to three times daily or as recommended by your health care practitioner,(who is Dr P)
So as I already take 3 Thorne Caps, plus some Nutri Adrenal in the morning after breakfast. I thought I'd take a Thorne capsule at mid day. ( 4 caps recommended by Dr P).
But I wondered whether people found it more comfortable/ effective to take any mid day adrenal capsule before or after food ?
No, there is no mention on food. Just the wording as above. And these tablets are not vitamins. They are adrenal cortex tablets for feeding the adrenals. So they would be more active taken before food. But if taken after food it would dilute their potency.
Well I guess that would be your answer! Eating with food helps absorb (I think because your digestive system is going already). If you're taking them before food, I'm seeing it should half an hour before food. If in doubt, try taking with food for a bit, then before food for a bit and see what makes you feel better.
At my worst I took 500mg of Adrenavive on waking and I would have a spoonful of yogurt or at least a small amount of food with it as I find it can upset my stomach. However, Adrenavive has suited me better than others I’ve taken in the past. I then take a 200mg 4 hours later. Occasionally, I’ve added 100mg of Thorne at 4pm depending on adrenal symptoms or a stressful day..
Thanks for your reply Lynn-2. it looks as though your adrenals may well have been much worse than mine. As I was taking 200 Nutri Adrenal and 100 ThorneAce. But when I got to that level I started to get shaky and Palpitations. So I've cut down a touch now. The symptoms are still there a bit but my body is trying to adjust to a new protocol !!!!
I find I can get quite low at times because of the length of the journey and no one really understands what you're dealing with.
I did take my lunchtime adrenal capsule before food yesterday and it was fine. But had an awful headache an hour after lunch. At present I'm still taking most of the adrenal caps after breakfast to soften the effect, as I take the largest amount in the morning!
Diana, I couldn’t tolerate Nutri Adrenal I had a burning sensation in my stomach after taking it and I became a bit breathless. I found I could tolerate Adrenavive much better hence was able to take the maximum dose. I took this level of adrenavive for approx 6 months dropping the afternoon dose of Thorne after a few month. I’m now taking 200mg Adrenavive in the morning on waking. If I feel shaky or having a bad day I take one at lunchtime. I’ve never thought my adrenals were bad enough for HC and still don’t.
I have low morning cortisol and high night cortisol. I’m working really hard on cleaning up my sleep pattern and trying to look after myself where stressful situations are concerned. Imy adrenals feel a bit better on Levo as opposed to T3 only.
Thank you so much for your reply Lynn, and it's interesting to hear of another person who couldn't get on with Nutri Adrenal. I took ages slowly increasing my Nutri Adrenal until I got up to 200mg, whereby I started to have shaky hands and Palpitations. So guessed this was too much and slowly reduced down to 125mg,
At this point I brought in some Thorne (100mg) to mop up some of the N.A reduced the N.A, to 50 mg. (just this week actually).
The Thorne suits me well as it is more gentle. BUT, I am still having the shaky hands and night time palpitations .
So I don't know whether that means I should cut out the N.A completely , or what I should do ?
I know that palpitations and shaking hands usually means too much medication. Or at least they are the symptoms I have had on too much NDT ?
Previously Now
125mg N.A 50mg N.A
100mg Thorne 200mg Thorne.
So as you can see I've left a small amount of N.A, but thought that that little amount would be O.K? And Dr.P told me that Thorne is the weaker of the two products !?
I'd welcome any thoughts you might have on this matter Lynn ?
The only symptoms I had on Nutri Adrenal was breathlessness and a burning feeling in my stomach. How is your temperature? I ask this because mine was not consistent when I was taking NA, they became more consistent when I switched to Adrenavive. When I’m not feeling well I take my temps 3 times a day and divide by 3 to get an average daily reading. I do this for 5 days at a time. I’m led to believe low temps are a thyroid issue and inconsistent temps are usually adrenal related. Either way my temps smoothed out on Adrenavive.
I would agree with Dr P that Thorne is gentler and maybe weaker. If you think your symptoms are from the small amount of NA my advice would be to change it for another brand or stick with Thorne for a while and see how you feel. When I make a change I only change one thing at a time. So I’d advise staying with Thorne. You can always up the dose if you feel you need more. It’s a bit trial and error.
My instinct is to stick with the Thorne. As you'll see below
Previous. now
100mg Thorne -------------- 200mg Thorne
125mg N.A ------------------ 50mg N.A.
So you'll see I'm trying to let Thorne be the main support.
I operate the same temp method as you, and my temp is usually low in the morning (36.1). But lunchtime and 5 ish is always the same (36.6). So my average for the last 5 days now has been 36.5 each day.
I want to stick with the Thorne, because it is gentler I just wish I knew why my hands are shaking, and still have palpitations at night, (albeit that they are lighter and for less time)--. Could even the small amount of adrenal support be too much now?
I haven't changed anything else. My thyroid could be better, but every time I tried to raise it (when just on N.A) I got the palpitations. So went back to where I was. So I'm hoping if I can settle in the right place with the Thorne, raising the thyroid will be easier.
It's such a minefield Lynn, I'm just so low about it all at present, and I do thank you so much for coming alongside. It has meant a lot !
It sure is a minefield C70rol, i can relate to how you feel, I often get very low.
I think most people can tolerate Thorne. Are you sure it’s the adrenal cortex which is causing the palps? Could it be thyroid meds. Have you done a cortisol test to warrant taking ACE? If so what are your levels? How is your sleep pattern? You mention Dr P, did he do a reflex test on you for adrenals? He once told me to take adrenal cortex only when I need it, such as if I had a stressful day or dealing with a difficult situation or if my day was busier that usual. It’s a different way of taking it but maybe you could take a little more on those days that you feel stressed.
Do you know if your potassium and sodium levels are in a good place. Mine can often be low in range and I’m sure this was one of the reasons I was feeling very ill at one point. I remember having palpitations which seemed to get worse at night or when I lay down to rest. I now add a teaspoon of salt to my drinking water throughout the day and I’ve not suffered with palpitations for a while.
It’s a good idea to focus on your adrenals. I’m very aware my adrenals struggled a lot when I was raising T3 meds.
Also remember cortisol levels can vary from day to day. If you aren’t sleeping well they can be disrupted. I take a small amount of melatonin before bed if I’m struggling to sleep, if I get a good nights sleep I don’t get as much adrenal fatigue.
If you were to do a cortisol saliva test you would have to be off ACE for 2 weeks prior to the test. Have you ever gone without it? Do you think it might be worth dropping NA and just take Thorne for a week or 2 and see how you are?
Wow, that's so much helpful advice and such a huge effort on your behalf. I'm taking photos of your replies so that I can keep them ! - I will give you some bullet point answers to your questions, as you have so kindly given me so much time !
1) yes I took a saliva test and all my results were in range, but lowish in range. DHEA was really bad.
2) sleep is not wonderful- get between 4-6 hrs a night.
3) yes Dr P did a reflex test. But didn't suggest taking adrenal support only when needed.in fact he didn't seem very well and Yvonne was the one who prescribed the dosage which it turned out was too much
4) my last blood test said that my potassium and sodium were o.k. But I'm definitely going to go back to having salt in my water.
5)I agree that the more sleep you can get the better the adrenals are. I use different things to help.
6)yes to do another saliva test I would have to stop the ACE for 2 weeks.
7) yes I have thought of dropping the N.A and just taking the Thorne, but as I've only just increased it,I'm trying not to do too much at one time, and if I drop what's left, will I have enough support ?
We are all here to help each other C70rol and my journey seems to be a bit similar to yours, I’m happy to share what’s been helpful for me.
If you have saliva and DHEA results I would do another post on healthunlocked and ask for advice. I only know that morning cortisol should be the highest reading of the day. Thereafter levels drop.
There’s good information on the following site:
rt3-adrenals.org
Dr P has given you the same advice as he gave me. After taking the maximum dose of adrenal cortex for over a six months period I now take 250mg on waking each day and the odd dose if I’m feeling over worked or stressed.
I was also advised not to take any more that 100 mg of ACE after 4pm as it can interrupt sleep. However, I didn’t have sleep problems when I was on a maximum dose of ACE. But what suits one might not suit another!
It might be wise to take the same amount in milligrams of Thorne as you take with NA. Therefore, you aren’t lowering your dose. I’m not sure if Thorne is weaker than NA, I think it’s less harsh on the body.
Good luck C70rol, it’s very interesting to see a few on here have shared their own story regarding cortisol and adrenals...great information!
Sorry to be coming back to you again Lynn, but I had my saliva testing done last August, so I don't think it would be worth putting it on a new post now , do you?
By the way how long have you been dealing with your adrenal problems and are you much better?
I took 4 Thorne caps( this morning), and have felt very drugged since. But the morning is my worst time, so thought I'd take them all then, plus 50mg of N.A of course. However I'm only 5 days into this new mix of meds, so I guess it's got to settle in!?
Didn't stop my N.A yet as I'm concerned I then might not be taking enough.
Definitely my final email to you ! So if you reply to this email, don't worry I won't come back again.
C70rol...we are all here to help each other. I can only share my experience and I’m happy to do that at anytime. I’m not a doctor, however, my husband is a scientist in healthcare so he’s been an enormous help to me. I’ve been dealing with adrenal problems for over 5 years..I think it goes back further than that but I couldn’t put my finger on what was wrong with me.
It’s all trial and error, I can only say, stick with any change you make before making another. Give it a week unless you really feel it’s having adverse effects.
I would advise you to get another cortisol saliva test ASAP. Cortisol levels can change quickly, also if you have adrenal insufficiency, Addison’s or Cushings you need a doctors help. Im not saying you have these illnesses but you do need to do an updated test, I do one every 3 months. If your doctor won’t do it Medichecks have offers on on Thursdays but they don’t check DHEA alongside cortisol, I don’t think so anyways, but worth looking on their site. You could do a test with Genova but it’s more expensive. If you’ve produced results out of the normal range in the past I’d be knocking on my doctors door for another test. A lot of Gp’s will do a 24hr urine test, it’s worth asking.
Have you ever had a cortisol early morning serum test? Endocrinologists usually go by this blood test to discount adrenal insufficiency. If it’s out of range they would have to test further.
I would still post this cortisol results from August. There are some good brains on here and I’d hope someone would reply to give you advise.
Of thanks for that. I just don't want to weaken the amount that the adrenals need. But I must admit that yesterday I took the capsule I hour before lunch and I had a headache all afternoon.
But today I was rushed and needed food so took the capsule after lunch , and so far no headache !
Thanks again janisjlo, I need help from people who are walking this not very comfortable path, if only to convince myself I'm doing the right thing !!!!
Sorry for this second reply, but I meant to ask on my first reply :- what adrenal support do you take and how much do you take, also are you feeling well on it ?
I too have seen Dr P & have Nutri Adrenal Extra & Nutri Thyroid. I was advised to take my NA Extra first thing on rising, half hour before breakfast. Apparently taking adrenals supplements after 12.30-1pm isn't advisable as they can keep you awake at night.
The Nutri Range can be more potent than others, for instant Adrenavive & Metavive.
Thanks for replying Paula. I'm trying to come off the Nutri Adrenal as it's definitely that, that has given me shaking hands and Palpitations. So do you take your adrenal supplement before your thyroid meds
I'm not going to take my adrenal supps at mid day again as it makes me feel exhausted in the afternoons.
In fact I'm wondering if I need even less adrenal support, as I still have shaking hands and palpitations .
It’s called Adren Al that’s the name. I don’t know if it’s made me feel better I’m taking so many other supplements. I suffer from hair loss as well, it’s been a nightmare
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