Would like to hear about other people's experie... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

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Would like to hear about other people's experiences with adrenal fatigue

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I'm currently waiting for the results of my adrenal stress test (saliva) but would like to hear more about other people's experiences when it comes to dealing with adrenal fatigue.

I was diagnosed with this condition seven years ago by a Hertoghe doctor in Belgium and put on Medrol. I was told a usual maintenance dose would be 4-6 mg daily, but that I could go up to 8 mg in times of increased stress as that would still be a physiological dose. However, I never took more than 6 mg daily, and remained on 4 mg daily during most of the time I was on it (a total of three years).

A couple of years ago, I managed to wean myself off it very slowly. However, I have not felt quite all right since.

First of all, I have had to decrease NDT and add T4 as I no longer seem able to handle the amount of T3 in NDT. This was after feeling great on as much as 6 grains of NDT daily for several years. I was convinced I had found the right drug for me, and that only the occasional dose adjustment would be needed in the future.

According to the STTM, inability to handle T3 is indicative of a cortisol problem (either high or low).

I recently filled in a questionnaire linked to here and the results indicated "severe adrenal fatigue". Almost every symptom mentioned caused me to tick either the "frequently" or "always" box. There were even symptoms mentioned I had not associated with adrenal fatigue.

I have tried glandulars which I find overstimulating, and adrenal cortex which I find ineffective/insufficient.

The Hertoghe doctors seem to treat patients indefinitely for adrenal fatigue, whereas other doctors, such as Drs. Durrand-Peatfield and Skinner, recommend HC/prednisolone for short-term use.

I took T4 only for ten years and never felt optimal on it. My maintenance dose was 200 mcg daily, yet my FT3 levels remained below midrange and I gained tons of weight while on it. Of course, back then, I did not know as much as I do today about the importance of vitamin and mineral optimisation.

But, what I am beginning to wonder is if adrenal fatigue is always a reversible condition, or if some people have found they need to stay on prescription drugs such as hydrocortisone, Medrol, or prednisolone indefinitely?

I am also wondering if HC has any benefits compared to pred/Medrol? My doctor prefers me to take Medrol as it's longer-acting and also because, when I first went to see her, I tended to retain fluid (no doubt caused by years on T4 only treatment so basically hypo) and she said HC would worsen that.

She made the diagnosis based on a 24 h urine analysis which showed suboptimal cortisol levels and T3 levels.

I understand that pred and Medrol act the same way as HC in the body, but the latter needs to be multi dosed.

If my saliva test results show I do indeed still suffer from adrenal fatigue, I have been wondering if it would be a good idea to try Regenerative Nutrition Adrenal Max Support Plus (which contains HC) or go back on Medrol?

I understand they are equal when it comes to adrenal suppression. But the argument I sometimes see that HC is more natural than pred/Medrol, is that about as valid as the argument that NDT is more natural than synthetic thyroid meds (inaccurate)?

I have always believed that adrenal fatigue was a reversible condition requiring only short-term treatment, but the fact is that I have not felt as good since weaning myself off Medrol. Since then, I have had to decrease NDT slowly but steadily while seeing hypo symptoms reappear (weight gain, fatigue, dry, itchy skin, high blood pressure currently treated with perindopril, just to mention a few).

I have felt better since adding T4 to NDT, but still think that it would be better to be able to take a higher dose of NDT than I am currently able to tolerate (3 grains), since I have always been a poor converter. I have not been on NDT + T4 for long, and am not sure the added T4 is going to be beneficial in the long run if I cannot convert it properly.

Some claim that adding a little T4 to NDT makes sense as that brings us closer to what a healthy human thyroid gland would produce, but if I'm not converting it well enough that is not going to do me any good. I am now assuming that the extra rT3 that could be produced from the extra T4 will NOT block free T3 from entering cells (which is often claimed, but I have seen compelling evidence here lately that the rT3 dominance myth has been debunked)?

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All I will say that if you start taking Hydrocortisone without full testing to see if you need it then you run a very high risk of your adrenal glands stopping working & then needing steroids to keep you alive - please don't take that risk. I am steroid dependent due to a pituitary tumour & my adrenal glands giving up, I would die if I didn't take my steroids. I have to take an emergency Hydrocortisone injection with me at all times in case I need it & take HC several times a day. It's not a life I would wish on my worse enemy!

in reply to

Well, I've already been on Medrol (4-6 mg daily) for three years. I'm alive since weaning off it, not just feeling as good as I did while on it.

My father has some kind of rheumatoid disease they were never able to diagnose. Initially, they thought it was Bechterew's, then after some tests were inconclusive they settled on polymyalgia rheumatica (sorry if the spelling is incorrect!). After suffering needlessly for years he was put on 5 mg of prednisolone daily and got his life back. He stayed on it for five years, were then told by this rheumatologist to wean off it. He did and felt fine for a c couple of weeks, then symptoms such as back pain and stiff joints returned. But he never felt the way I did after weaning off Medrol for adrenal fatigue (he does not have thyroid disease, nor any other metabolic disease).

He eventually switched doctors and his new doctor was wiling to put him back on prednisolone which he remained on for another few years until they put him on once weekly injections (Benepali; a very expensive but highly effective drug).

But, what I'm trying to say is that my father took 5 mg of prednisolone for ten years and never had any of the symptoms after weaning off it that I did. His only returning symptoms were related to his rheumatic condition, but not symptoms such as increased fatigue and a host of hypo symptoms.

So, I am wondering if the fact that I have Hashimotos' and probably did for many years before being diagnosed messed up my endocrine system in a way that would not happen to a metabolically healthy individual...?

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