I have read several articles by Dr. P where he stresses that treating and optimising adrenal health is crucial before adding thyroid hormone.
He recommends using glandulars or HC/prednisone (depending on how severe the condition is) for 8-12 weeks and then trying to wean off it and see if the thyroid hormone replacement works. He stresses that T3 is particularly difficult for the body to handle if the adrenal glands are weak.
I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue in October 2020 and prescribed Medrol instead of HC or pred (as I am on blood pressure medication and Medrol doesn´t affect blood pressure). I bought it but have not yet taken it as I felt it was kind of a harsh treatment...surely I would be able to treat my adrenal glands in a more natural, more gentle way?
Dr. Isaac is a colleague of the late Dr. Gonzales who formulated Thyroid and other supplements by Allergy Research Group. What she says made a lot of sense so I decided to try adrenal cortex. She recommends ACE instead of whole adrenal for patients with salt cravings which I have. Unfortunately, I was also diagnosed with low aldosterone but told I could not supplement it as I have hypertension (diagnosed ten years ago while on levo). I recently read, though, that perindopril arginine that I take for hypertension lowers aldosterone levels...no doctor has ever mentioned that connection.
I have tried several ACE supplements, incl the Allergy Research Product, but so far with disappointing results, I feel some slight improvement initially, then worse again. So now I am wondering if I should take Dr. P´s advice and try the prescription alternative for a few weeks?
Levo stopped working for me after 20 years. I developed hypo symptoms, yet felt hyper with every increase. So I switched to NDT and new symptoms appeared, such as heat intolerance. For the past few weeks, I have needed to sleep with my bedroom window open and a fan next to my bed...when it´s freezing cold outside...!
I opted for Thyroid-S because the doctor prescribed Erfa which is ridiculously expensive IMO and said to work less well nowadays. I raised TS slowly, starting on 30 mg, adding 30 mg every other week or so, while decreasing levo at the same time. At the time, I had no bad reactions. They came after a few months.
Four days ago, I´d had enough, so I went off thyroid hormone. Now, I am beginning to feel normal again and don´t need the fan. SInce it´s only been four days, I know that I am reacting to the decrease of exogenous T3 as T4 levels won´t have had the time to budge that much.
I know hypo symptoms will reappear eventually, but am tempted to follow the advice Dr. P gave to one patient - that is, to go off thyroid hormone for several weeks, treat the adrenals, and then restart thyroid hormone.
When I described my symptoms on levo only - a strange mix of hypo and hyper symptoms - the doctor said it sounded like my thyroid gland had started working again which would make me hyperthyroid...but that is not very likely after +20 y on a full replacement dose of levo (150-200 mcg daily) and a TSH of 0.05. Anyway, he prescribed an ultrasound which showed atrophication of the thyroid gland. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto´s in 1999 but think I technically have Ord´s thyroiditis since I never had a goiter.
If anyone has gone off thyroid hormone completely for several weeks to treat adrenal glands, I would like to hear about your experiences. So far, I feel so much better without thyroid meds, but I know it´s not going to last. But I also don´t feel like going back on them as long as I feel fine.
Dr. P says that weak adrenal glands are often the reason people are unable to tolerate thyroid hormone replacement, and why they feel worse as the dosage is increased. I recognise myself in his description; the patient is told to increase the dose and feels worse, then told to decrease it and feels worse, etc etc.
Some doctors, like the one I visited in 2020, think that adrenal fatigue is a life-long condition so treatment is permanent. I´d hate the idea of having to take prescription cortisone for the rest of my life. I like Dr. P´s approach, that is, to nurture the adrenal glands back to health. He considered adrenal fatigue a reversible condition in all but the most severe cases. However, in some people, the adrenal glands are so exhausted that glandulars/ACE won´t be enough, and HC or pred or Medrol is needed to kickstart them again.
I know that adrenal fatigue is not a recognised medical condition, but Dr. P was adamant that it is real and can wreak havoc on people with thyroid disease once they are put on thyroid hormone replacement.
Yes, I wish I knew then what I know now. Dr Wilsons 'Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome' was my bible and I didn't even know where a thyroid gland was.
Low thyroid hormone, low adrenal reserve, low sex hormones, low nutrients, atrophied thyroid gland, and so bringing the metabolism back into line with thyroid hormone replacement equaled a rubbish outcome ….
as detailed exactly as in Dr P’s book complete with palps, difficulties with thermostat control, blood sugar issues and ongoing energy limitations. And I wasn’t knowledgable enough, nor capable of acquiring this knowledge at that time.
Dr Peatfields protocol was to come off Levo for between 5-10 days and then introduce glandular support, then reintroduce Levo sometime over the next few days whilst monitoring temps & pulse. If glandular support wasn’t enough then steroids could be taken in physiological doses early morning when those wake-up high cortisol levels remained insufficient. Steroid duration varied but the aim was for for 6 - 8 weeks with flexibility of another 6-8 weeks if symptoms reappeared after reducing.
T3 is particularly difficult to handle in the presence of adrenal fatigue and iron issues. I had both (but as in iron overload-haemochromotosis). I was also diagnosed with low aldosterone, low sodium, low BP, proteinuria and many other weird symptoms, some of which I have never recovered from such as constant thirst. BP is now high since my stroke.
I could never take whole adrenal glandular or ACE . My head would start going all swimmy and I actually suffered 3 days of psychosis during that time. Stopping meds that aren’t working will bring initial relief and then you will feel decidedly worst. You have the knowledge and a Medrol presciption so should start asap, and then reintroduce NDT as per Dr P’s protocol.
Thanks a lot for your input, Radd! I see you have first-hand experience with adrenal fatigue…it`s such a mess, isn`t it?! I think Dr. P is right that many don`t realise they have it until they take T3 and their bodies cannot cope with it.
People who need to take steroids lifelong have Adrenal Insufficiency/Addisons Disease, not fatigue (which incidentally is not considered to be a diagnosis by the medical establishment- your adrenal glands either work or they don’t.) Those of us who do have a diagnosis of AI/AD would die without hydrocortisone or prednisolone.
MY question was about adrenal fatigue, not Addison´s disease.
in reply to
However you are saying that you have salt cravings which is one of the symptoms of adrenal insufficiency - have you ever had your cortisol levels checked by your GP, it needs to be done between 8-9am & should be between 350-550nmol/Ls. As someone who has adrenal insufficiency & am on steroids for life, I'm totally with Barrister! Something that puzzles me is why aren't other organs described as "weak" just the adrenals?
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in reply to
Salt cravings are said to be a symptom of adrenal fatigue as well, not just Addison´s. They can also be caused by low aldosterone. I only recently found out that my blood pressure medication lowers aldo levels. I had cortisol tested in blood at 8 h and in 24 h urine. My levels were in range, although not optimal according to doctor.
The saliva test is much more accurate. I had no idea that the cortisol blood test my GP ordered was a waste of time. The saliva test involves spitting into separate vials on waking, then 30 mins after waking, then midday and so on throughout day until you have six samples, if memory serves me. The test I took, CAR (cortisol awakening response) was recommended on here and is available from Genova, Regenerus and others
I've heard it applied to the thyroid too. And I know that adrenal issues are contentious and there is a lot of rubbish written about fatigue, but if the brain for example isn't getting stable oxygen and glucose the signalling to/from hypothalamus-pituitary, or vagal, or pituitary itself such as with low B12, may be affected, so thyroid, adrenal, sex hormones could all be low. Dr P told me to take adrenal glandular and thyroid glandular, and I tried for a bit, but my problem seems to be upstream so I am trying to fix those. Best wishes
If Adrenal Fatigue - or whatever you like to call it - doesn't exist, then why do some people - me included - have very low cortisol early morning, but don't have Addison's, take HC for a few years, and are then able to come off it. What would you call that? The doctor who diagnosed me, and prescribed the HC, had it himself.
As I've said Addison's is an auto immune condition where you body destroys your adrenal glands. I have secondary adrenal insufficiency because following surgery my pituitary gland didn't make ACTH to stimulate the adrenal glands to produce cortisol. Possibly your cortisol was only suboptimal so you were able to recover adrenal function when you came off the steroid?
I wouldn't wish Addison's or adrenal insufficiency on my worse enemy, being at risk of going into adrenal crisis through an accident or illness or getting the correct treatment in hospital (many doctors are ignorant of it) plus needing to always carry an emergency injection is no fun at all! Dealing with trying to get the right dose of steroid, needing several doses through the day to having to updose if I do any extra activity, coping with the crippling fatigue, dealing with stress of any kind both good & bad which can use up my cortisol is tough on a daily basis.It's why I am so passionate at pointing out the risks of taking steroids when perhaps you don't need them & I'm not going to apologise for that. People do die from it & it's why a patient safety alert was published in 2020, along with a new more comprehensive steroid alert card by the Society of Endocrinology to raise the awareness of the negative side of steroids.
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Just curious: why don`t you ask for prednisone or Medrol instead which can be taken once daily?
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I've tried Prednisolone however I didn't do well on it, those on it for SAI find that they need to take it at least twice a day as it only lasts in the body for 6-8 hours so doesn't give enough cover for the 24 hours.
Possibly your cortisol was only suboptimal so you were able to recover adrenal function when you came off the steroid?
My cortisol was a lot more - or rather a lot less - than suboptimal. It was very, very low.
But, you haven't answered my question: If Adrenal Fatigue - or whatever you like to call it - doesn't exist, then why do some people - me included - have very low cortisol early morning, but don't have Addison's
I know what Addison's is. And I know how it's treated. And I know it's a bad thing to have. But that is avoiding the question. And I would suggest that my adrenals were fatigued, by long-term untreated hypo-Hashi's, and all they needed was a rest and a helping had with HC, and they were able to recover. If that's not Adrenal Fatigue, I don't know what it is. My doctor called it Adrenal Fatigue. But, if you have another name for it, I would like to know.
Do you know we are never going to agree & there are more things to be concerned about. I've just heard about the death of a member of my Cushing's group who died following surgery to remove a pituitary tumour due to high cortisol, so you're very blessed that you recovered many others don't.
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I know your reply is intended for greygoose and not me, but I cannot help but react: Greygoose never had a pituitary tumour, never had surgery for that and never had Cushings. So where is the connection between her and the member of the other group? First, you say that taking steroids will cause Addison´s, but now you seem to imply that it will cause Cushings...which is the very opposite.
There's a lot I could say about that reply. But I won't. I'll just say that telling people they're 'lucky', when you have no idea of their other problems, is tacky. We all have our problems, to a greater or lesser degree, and who's to judge what is 'lucky' and what is not.
Purplecat71, reading your story really resonates with me. I too have hypothyroidism (I take NDT) and adrenal insufficiency which started after 2 miscarriages. I did have Addisons but now my Cortisol levels are generally low, especially morning Cortisol. Aldosterone and Renin are also both low and I have gut issues (likely leaky gut). I have been extensively investigated both privately and in the NHS and aside from taking Pred or Hydrocortisone, little else has been recommended and recently I have suffered a severe hip fracture after a bad fall and have been trying to cope without the Cortisone to aid bone recovery. I have read extensively on the subject, and it is difficult to determine whether I have an autoimmune Adrenal issue or more central problems with Pituitary/ HPA Axis. It is something I am having to try to live with, although fatigue (especially morning), joint pain and anxiety are issues. My private Endo previously stopped all my Thyroid meds and I became VERY unwell with severe clinical depression. This resolved when I gradually built back up to my usual NDT levels. As I am now in perimenopause, I will probably need to think about HRT going forward given my poor adrenal function. Would love to know the experience of other members- to be honest this forum has been an invaluable support and resource. Best wishes
Thank you for this interesting account!I am hoping too for others to chime in as I know quite a few members have seen Dr. P or Dr. Skinner. I know their approach to adrenal fatigue differed - Dr. S said thyroid hormone and especially T3 would help support the adrenal glands, whereas Dr. P recommended treating the adrenal glands before adding thyroid hormone, but there are quite a few people here who have consulted with either one of them and I have been hoping for their input!
Thanks Ginny. I did bleed a lot during both miscarriages, but not enough to go to hospital. I will ask my Endo about Sheehan's. After extensive testing, he believes that the issue is a brain pituitary issue, but he mentioned something to do with the pituitary expanding in some pregnant woman, and ? haemorrhaging. Is that the same thing? If so, what is the treatment? After years of tests and investigations-I am still in a sea of questions with no real resolution to my problems. Any further information would be most welcome
It’s the swelling of the pituitary during pregnancy that makes it vulnerable to damage from haemorrhage. I think it may be from a sudden drop in blood pressure, but l’m not sure. If your pituitary is compromised, you can lose any or all of your pituitary hormones, and treatment is based on replacing them. I belong to a great Facebook group called I Have Sheehan’s syndrome, where you can get lots of information, and the Sheehan’s Syndrome Wikipedia page is good. It’s worth noting that MRI isn’t helpful in diagnosis- although the pituitary is sometimes visibly damaged, it can look ok and still fail to make hormones, or it can look damaged but still function. Doctors’ awareness of this miserable problem is extremely patchy! Xxxx
If you had Addison's then that can never be resolved as it is an auto immune condition where the adrenal glands are destroyed by your own body, you would need to be on steroids in order to live. You may have had secondary adrenal insufficiency then it is possible to recover adrenal function in some cases however it can only be achieved from a slow taper of steroids but only in a few number of cases depending of the cause of the secondary adrenal insufficiency. I am steroid dependent (SAI) from removal of a pituitary tumour, my pituitary didn't produce ACTh following the surgery & my adrenal glands are now atrophied & don't produce cortisol. If I stop taking my steroids then I will die.
If you had Addison's then that can never be resolved as it is an auto immune condition where the adrenal glands are destroyed by your own body, you would need to be on steroids in order to live.
The original observation and naming of Addison's was when the adrenals were destroyed by tuberculosis. It seems perfectly acceptable that as the number suffering adrenal destruction by tuberculosis dropped, and the number suffering from autoimmune or other causes of adrenal destruction rose, the name would be carried over to cover these additional causes of adrenal destruction.
However, I am not aware that tuberculosis falls outwith the current definition of Addison's. That is, I think that Addison's is not an autoimmune disease - it is destruction of adrenals, almost however caused.
Tubercular Addison's might improve a little by treatment of the tuberculosis, but it too can never be resolved.
Thank you for clarifying this, Helvella! I have read that Addison´s is often caused by pituitary dysfunction, for instance a tumour and, more rarely, by a tumour in the glands themselves. That would not be autoimmune in origin either.
'If you had Addison's then that can never be resolved as it is an auto immune condition where the adrenal glands are destroyed by your own body, you would need to be on steroids in order to live.'
Whilst a large proportion of Addisons Disease results from autoimmune disease, I agree with helvella that TB was the primary cause which now a days extends to HIV AIDS, fungal infections, etc. It seems 'Addisons' also covers secondary & tertiary adrenal insufficiency as stipulated under organisations such as NHS and Addisonsdisease.org.uk.
I would also suggest if you have nothing helpful to add to Hidden 's post regarding adrenal fatigue, then don’t join in the discussion because your reluctance in accepting adrenal fatigue as a condition experienced by many forum members is disrespectful and insulting.
We are sorry you suffer Addisons Disease and pleased you receive the correct treatment but please consider many members have their under-range cortisol/DHEA & even aldosterone levels ignored by the medical establishment and may suffer in varying degrees for their whole lives.
Thanks so much for sharing Pauline. I think I must have had adrenal insufficiency although the doctors called it Addisons at the time as my cortisol levels were so very low after my first miscarriage. I now have persistent chronic adrenal insufficiency where my adrenal produce less than optimal amounts.. My Endo told me that with Adrenal Insufficiency, the more cortisone one takes the less the glands produce themselves. For this reason, I have tried to cope with taking the least possible..
My Endo told me that with Adrenal Insufficiency, the more cortisone one takes the less the glands produce themselves. If your adrenal glands are not producing enough cortisol, you need to replace it. It´s like saying to a hypothyroid patient that she should take as little thyroid hormone as possible to avoid shutting her own thyroid down.
I was treated by Dr P (who I am forever indebted to )who diagnosed Adrenal exhaustion & Hashimotos.
He told me to stop my T4 for a week then I was started with NutriAdrenal Extra, working up to either 4 or 6 a day, along with NutriThyroid (again worked up from 2 to I think 6 or possibly 9 a day; it’s some time ago now so would have to double-check the exact numbers) along with B12 with intrinsic factor, B complex, vit C, CoQ10. He also said I was Oestrogen dominant and so I used natural progesterone. He also recommended relaxation/meditation and yoga.
I took basal temp & pulse every day & noted symptoms
I tested levels regularly and dosage was adjusted accordingly during follow-ups with Dr P
Over the course of about a year I felt so much better energy wise & my brain fog was much improved. I gradually came of all the Nutris but kept up the vits (albeit at maintenance levels) and yoga
I subsequently moved to combo of T4/T3 (self medicating the latter) and haven been pretty stable ever since
Dr P along with the lovely people on this site gave me my life back basically.
I’m not saying that we had exactly the same presentation but if you are prepared to spend the time monitoring your self carefully, taking control of your own health can be life-changing
Ok, thank you, that is very interesting info!Did Dr. P say why you should take thyroid glandulars instead of levo? Did he think thyroid glandulars had any additional benefits that levo doesn´t?
Can I ask how old you were when Dr. P diagnosed you with estrogen dominance (pre-, meno- or postmenopausal)? I am asking as all doctors I´ve seen claim that women over 40 need estrogen, period.
I’d really have to go back to my health diaries to be 100% sure when I saw him, but I’d guess at around 40. I was pre-menopausal for sure.I agree that Oestrogen is beneficial once hormones decline, but needs to be balanced and from what I understand not taken without Progesterone.
When Dr P suggested Progesterone it was because my levels were out of whack, and the oestrogen was blocking thyroid uptake.
He didn’t suggest that glandulars were better than Levo, but that my adrenals needed to be treated/recover before addressing my thyroid. I have always needed thyroid meds, but he advised to have a short rest while i started the glandulars & nutrients
What I forgot to mention is that I also went totally GF was the final stage of my recovery.
OK, thank you, that makes sense! Estrogen dominance seems more common in the mid-30s to early 40s as progesterone levels decline so much more rapidly than estrogen levels at that age. I think Dr. P is right about treating the adrenal glands first, especially if you plan to take T3 at a later stage. Thank you again, this info has helped me a lot!
Very interesting about Estrogen. I had Estrogen Dominance a few years ago, but am now 49 and Estrogen levels have dropped considerably but Progesterone seems to have dropped less. How does one know when to take Estrogen?
Estrogen dominance is mainly a problem during perimenopause. If you are close to 50, it´s likely you are also estrogen deficient. Different doctors have different ways of telling you when you need estrogen. Some will use lab results only, some will go by symptoms as well as labs. I was put on it when the night sweats and hot flushes became unmanageable with supplements such as red clover and sage.
Hi PurpleCat71,About four years ago I too crashed with Adrenal Fatigue. I had the salt cravings but even tho blood tests and cortisol tests were low ,the short synthacyn test was not low enough for me to be diagnosed with Adrenal dysfunction and was actually classed as normal. (Just over the threshold for normal)
Sort of dismissed by my endo, Dr Wilson's Adrenal Fatigue book becane my bible too and I began to eat really healthily to try and increase vitamins and minerals levels naturally. I also addressesd my stress levels, which meant giving up my sressful full-time job and going part time.
I still become exhausted quickly after being busy, but I am aware of strategies to try ,and I try and avoid stress. I am so much better, even tho thyroid levels are not yet quite optimal, they are much better than they were. I can work full time again but only for a term at a time, then back to part time to try and rest a little.
Good luck. I believe Adrenal Fatigue is very real condition. Try the book. I really don't know what I would've done without it.
Are you familiar with Paul Robinson and his CT3M method to support adrenals? I believe the circadian rhythm accounts for when we need cortisol to be high and our demand for T3 is also at the same time…about 4 hours before we wake. Paul solved his issues by taking some T3 some hours before rising. His book is very detailed in this and how to go about it. I believe a lot of people have had success with this method. Can also be done with NDT and there have been some success stories. Suggest you look at this as well.
Yes, there is a lot of chicken and egg sadly and also my issue with deciding what to do (I’m currently doing a diet change before moving meds around). However, I’d rather give the CT3M method a trial over adding in lots of different types of other meds which have to then get weaned off whereas if you’re already taking some T3 in your thyroid hormone anyway, it feels more of a natural progression to try to tweak things with this. Just my opinion though! I believe I read a success story on his webpage of someone moving their morning NDT dose to CT3M and their afternoon one a bit earlier and just simply doing that (and not changing up the dose) helped them. Sadly it’s a trial and error though! Good luck!
And I strongly believe that T3 is needed by the pituitary in order to deliver enough ACTH to stimulate the adrenals. T3 is needed by every cell in our bodies to function so it figures that if there is some HDA axis dysfunction, then giving the pituitary some more T3 when it wants it (around 4 hours before waking) may naturally support it in starting its engine to produce the ACTH our adrenals need as a signal to produce themselves! I also understand that one of the gene defects plays a large part in the conversion of T4 to T3 in the pituitary cells so if you have this, then your pituitary might not be getting enough T3 as it is which causes the signalling issue to the adrenals. Basically the pituitary (the CEO) is sitting with its feet up on the desk and not telling anyone what to do!!
I have also read that NDT can be taken at bedtime for this very reason, since the T3 in NDT is bound to transport globulin so not immediately available to the body (unlike synthetic T3), so that T3 levels will peak in the early morning hours, thus achieving the same result as with the C3TM.
'that means that T3 supports cortisol and not the other way around, as Dr. Peatfield claims'.
No, when I saw Dr P he said each supported the other. And when he suggested we stop meds for 5-10 it was associated with Levo which was very much the mainstream med for hypo then.
Thyroid glandulars were taken to support Levo in converting more T3, and not replace thyroid meds. Adrenal glandulars were taken to support adrenal hormones. The other stipulation he said for health to improve was the importance of DHEA & cortisol balancing.
Yes, in one of his articles, Dr. P says that levo can build up to toxic levels if it cannot be effectively converted to T3 but instead stays in the blood...he states most doctors will then conclude the patient is hyper and reduce levo which only results in short-term relief as the patient is basically hypo due to low hormone levels at cellular level. Why are so few doctors like that today?!
My very low in range cortisol is now much better thanks to following Paul Robinsons CT3M. Im taking ndt and can only tolerate a small amount at this moment but 1/2 grain in the cortisol production window has got my once bottom of the range cortisol 3/4 of the way in range. Ive tried several different times within the four hours before I get up and you can clearly see how it affects my cortisol.
I have tried ace and similar all of which made me feel worse and CT3M has been far easier than I expected.
I should add Im not well yet and I went to discover that for T3/ndt to work you must have optimal iron, thats serum iron , mine is much too low.
I bad reaction or failing to respond to T3/ndt is frequently down to low cortisol and or iron.
Paul Robinson explains it all in his book Recovery with T3.
T3/ndt needs cortisol and cortisol needs T3.
From what Ive read low cortisol and iron problems are common in hypothyroidism as well as other key nutrient deficiencies.
OK, thank you, glad to hear you are having such a positive experience using Paul R´s method! It does sound easy enough as it does not involve meds or glandulars.So, in your experience, is anywhere in that four hour window ok, or any particular time that works best for you?
Thank you so much for this post Purple, lots of useful replies!
I have horrendously low morning cortisol and low late afternoon cortisol and keep running into issues taking NDT. Only one that sort of agreed with me was Nature thyroid, which it seems may never be back. I believe that worked because it put me in deep sleep, allowing my adrenals to recover over several months, but this doesn't appear to happen with the other brands (besides other issues with them) and despite a few actually giving me great test results and eliminating many other symptoms. It's frustrating. I cannot do the tinniest bit of exercise without real issues. I always end up going two steps back for every one forward. Diet changes helped but I still couldn't get to 'normal'. Still experiencing poor muscle tone and poor sleep.
Well I caught covid for the second time with ongoing chest inflammation in early December and a couple weeks ago was given steroids. rAnd guess what?
On 1 a day, better sleep, 2 a day better get up and go, better stamina. Still not brill, but I actually started working on a project I started for my mother two years ago. Even fancied a short exercise routine.
I wasn't meant to be on this dose, but thought I'd take advantage to try it. Had to raise to 8 a day now and now feel very off.
But I'm going to ask my doctor if I can stay on prednisone at a lower dose long term.
I may not have Addison's, but adrenal fatigue is real. When you can't even carry a bag of potatoes and a carton of milk home without feeling exhausted to death, day after day, month after month...when you take 3 days to recover from a moderate 15min pilates session. When a walk to the corner shop has to be thought about, or you have to work out how many bus changes it takes to get somewhere, because you will be too tired by the second change, then you know how real it is.
Frankly - and I know this sounds crass - but I reached the stage where I thought if I had classically presenting Addison's at least I'd be treated. Instead of getting fobbed of by every doctor and basically written off like I don't deserve a life.
I see what you mean, some people only discover they have adrenal fatigue after trying to add T3/NDT. I know that some people need steroids (not glandulars) to feel better. I think that depends on how severe the adrenal fatigue is.
I believe Dr. Peatfield was right when he said that there is a groundless fear of prescribing any amount of steroids, not matter how small, when in fact cortisol is essential for life.
It is a highly contentious subject - as demonstrated by the discussions on this thread - but the fact remains: some people never seem to feel right on thyroid hormone replacement, no matter what they do. When they end up with an alternative physician who puts them on steroids, their lives can change just like that. Given my own experience, and everything I´ve read on the subject, I am personally convinced that there is a condition between optimally functioning adrenal glands and true adrenal insufficiency. Whether we call it adrenal fatigue, adrenal exhaustion, tired adrenal syndrome or something else, the fact remains - adrenal glands can be slugghish without being permanently damaged.
Completely agree. I wish Dr P was still practicing although I have the excellent book.
My GP has me on the steroids and is likely to refuse me continuing even on 5mg daily.
My private doctor seems - I haven't delved - to be wed to the idea of adaptagens as being wholly curative. Not sure he would prescribe hydrocortisone.. Note to self and anyone reading: always ask in advance how any private doctor would treat very low cortisol as well as testing and treating low sex hormones if necessary.
He did say do another saliva test again after being stable on ndt for several months. So when I get more cash I'll book another appointment and tell him my experience.
Theres isnt one time that suits everyone, its what ever time gives you the best response. The earliest in the four hours before you get up gives the biggest response the closer to getting up gives lower results.
Changing ndt/T3 dose also alters the response.
Ive tried several different times and sure enough you can see it rise and fall according to time changes.
I recommend Recovery with T3 , and CT3M handbooks by Paul Robinson. I got mine from Amazon.
He also has a website and fb page.
He has youtube vidoes, if you search Paul Robinson CT3M theyre easily found.
Im sorry but I cant the links to work.
Remember to check the full iron panel, ferritin isnt enough and T3 relies on serum iron being 50-75% in range.
With out this T3 will not work, several reasons why which he explains in Recovery with T3.
Remember Im not well yet but thats because I didnt test iron so working in fixing that. Simply passing on what Ive found to help.
Forgot to say that Stop the thyroid madness have some youtube videos on the importance of cortisol and iron. It only talks about ndt but its exactly the same for T3.
Theres a couple of good videos, although I dont agree with statement “ pooling of T3”
All pretty much means the same, with out optimal cortisol and serum iron T3 doesnt work.
Apologies again for the lack of links, having problems with my phone.
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