Low cortisol levels thyroid hormone levels, especially on T3/NDT

I find this article on low cortisol, and the interaction between thyroid hormone and cortisol, very interesting, especially since it was written by a doctor able to think outside the box:

hormonerestoration.com/Cort...

A few months ago, I weaned myself off Medrol (put on 4 mg daily by hormone doctor in 2011, along with NDT and other hormones). I did it because I was afraid of long-term side effects, and mostly because most articles by conventional doctors condemn the use of steroids if it's not for short-term use and only to treat acute inflammation (the only exception seemed to be rheumatoid arthritis). But the author of the article above is right: most doctors don't know that low cortisol levels can mess you up pretty badly, especially if you are on NDT and other medication containing T3 and not feeling good, or feeling good at first and then suddenly get worse.

I wanted to share this with others in the same situation as I have done some pretty stupid things in recent months. Since going off Medrol, I have felt worse and worse on NDT, to the point of going off it completely and back on T4 only. I was convinced the T3 in NDT was the problem as it felt my body could no longer handle it (before that, I had done well on NDT for years). Lately, I have had an enormous appetite and have put on quite a lot of weight, most of it probably from overeating. I just had no way of controlling it. I have self-diagnosed with estrogen dominance and leptin resistance and was on the verge of self-treating with T3 only when I stumbled upon this article and decided to go back on Medrol as see what happened. After two days only, taking 4 mg of Medrol daily, my appetite has all but normalised. I cannot explain it - especially since I've always read that it's high cortisol levels that cause an increase in appetite and weight gain - but there it is. Nothing I have done so far has helped - not taking DIM for estrogen dominance, no supplements to lower blood sugar and insulin levels, African mango for leptin resistance was a complete waste of money. But when you're desperate, you just don't think rationally.

If I feel better already, after only two days back on Medrol, I tell myself that there must be a reason for it. As I said, I cannot explain it, but the decrease in appetite is striking. Also, my sugar cravings are all but gone, and they have been horrible lately, to the point of considering asking my doctor for Metformin.

The next step, provided I continue to improve, will be to slowly reintroduce NDT.

[Nico101]

Is Medrol better for metabolic conditions than prednisone (which is what I'm taking?).

[Hidden in reply to Nico101]

I don't think so as I've often read that you can use either hydrocortisone, predinosolone or Medrol. The reason my doctor chose Medrol was because it's longer-acting, but as far as I know Medrol and pred are equally effective. It even seems more common to use pred for adrenal fatigue than Medrol, at least that's my impression from visiting a number of blogs.

[Nico101 in reply to Hidden]

Dr Peatfield told me hydrocortisone was the best for my condition - but my GP wouldn't prescribe it without me seeing and endo. Waiting to see one now.

[Mallard2059]

It did nothing for me because I was lacking in both T4 and T3 and Thyroxine only replaces T4 ...It also did not agree with me in other areas and in fact made me very ill. The Doctor agreed I should try natural pig or bovine hormone replacement (he was one of the few who would even suggest it, apologising that he couldn't prescribe it on the NHS) They have now made a synthetic Thyroxine for T3 but apparently its very expensive and the latest thinking is they might go back to natural hormone replacement therapy once more since overall it will be cheaper. around sixty years ago they only ever offered natural hormone replacement therapy since thyroxine hadn't been invented. Unfortunately the Pharmaceutical industry has all the power here and it is they who dictate what can or cannot be prescribed and NOT the Doctor as it should be. The whole thing is a money making sham. If it were me I wouldn't touch thyroxine with a barge pole since it is a truly awful drug.