Posted by Idelle on May 7, 2011, at 21:03:12
In reply to Re: Low Cortisol, Seroquel, Anxiety, posted by Nuala on August 4, 2008, at 19:22:49
> Thanks for your story, I am glad someone can relate.
>
> I did go on a trial of hydrocortison 3x daily in June. At first, I had trouble tolerating the HC. My dr figured that I might be extra sensitive after being so low on cortisol for so long.
>
> However, the in-between does crashes and especially at night after I took my Seroquel, I had incredible anxiety, at levels I had not seen since before psych treatment. One day, I decided that I just could not tolerate the effects of the HC, especially the racing heart, and surges of adrenaline feeling, so I took nothing. I had just been on for 2 weeks and was at 20 mg.
>
> Well, that night I had a nightmare from which I would not wake and felt that "weird" feeling that I felt quite often before being put on psych meds. It was a form of psychosis. I was soooo scared. Of course, I immediately went back on the HC and it did not happen to that degree again.
>
> My dr thinks I will need a long -acting steroid, to avoid these dips and re-visits into depression and anxitey when I am at low periods of cortisol throught the day.
>
> Before I want to go this route, which is likely a life time committment, to being on steroids, I thought I would try to taper off the last 25 mg of Seroquel and see what hapens.Maybe I can go back on my thyroid meds if I am lucky just by cutting the Seroquel.
>
> The literature says that Seroquel SIGNIFICANTLY lowers ACTH and cortisl, and the study I found was using doses of 25 and 50 mg!
>
> I was too scared to go off the last 25, but I feel I have nothing to lose. My experieence with the HC has shown me that in addition to my thyorid issues (depression, anhedonia, etc), the adrenal issue has been much more prominent in my "mental illness" that I had realised. It is the main source of the panic and extreme anxiety.
>
> Right now I am tapering off the HC as well. I just need to get a new baseline before I make any decisions. I definately need to address the encodrine situation first. But if all else fails, I will have to go back on some different psych meds.
>
> I wanted ask you how you came to be diagnosed with adrenal issues and if your psycician sees a link between the Zyprexa? Did you have thyroid/adrenal issues all along and get put on the psych meds because it had been overlooked? What did your prescribing psyciatrist think of your situation. Finaly, have you been able to get off and stay off psych meds?
>
> :)
>
>
> > I can relate to your story bigtime. Sounds like me. It was zyprexa with me, but hey, there is no way to know if it was med related or not.
> >
> > I've spent a great deal of time at other forums involving mercury chelation, adrenal, and thyroid issues. Honestly, the best way to reset the faulty HPA axis and get the adrenals healed is...Cortef, or hydrocortisone, in doses ranging from 1.25mg to 20mg per day. The physiological replacement dose is up to 30mg. The body will not heal as long as cortisol is too low. People who do this usually are not on it for life. The time period is more in the range of 1 year, sometimes 2.
> >
> > The adrenals and thyroid are closely intertwined, so you'll have to keep an eye on both.
> >
> > Some people do fine with Isocort or Adrenal Cortex Extract, but when those aren't enough, cortisone is the only option and is medically approved for cases like yours. The herbs, such as Siberian ginseng, Ashwaghanda, and Astragulus, and helpful also.
> >
> > Mine is now in its 3rd year without much progress. Herbs and extracts made me feel worse. I tolerated hydrocortisone ok, but am waiting to see my doctor again to evaluate where to go from here. The primary benefit I noticed with daytime HC was it stopped the nightime peak which had caused racing anxiety at waking, so I know it was doing something to even things out.
> >
> > Keep in mind that no matter what therapy works for you, it will take minimum 6 months to work, likely a year, and it is uncommon to feel any benefits before 1 to 3 months.
> >
> > I agree with you...this is a highly under-researched syndrome/disease. I believe, as does my doctor, that it is closely tied into bipolar, anxiety, and depression, not to mention fatigue. All the focus is on the neurotransmitters. But meanwhile, the master controllers of those neuros, such as cortisol and thyroid, go ignored.
>
>Nuala, how are you feeling now?
poster:Idelle
thread:843806
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110502/msgs/984849.html