hydrocortisone dosing - Addison's Disease Message Board

lindsay79 · 12-28-2008, 08:52 PM

how much hydrocortisone is too much? I am taking a slow release compounded hydrocortisone. I am currently taking 10mg in a.m. 10mg midafternoon then 5mg in p.m. What is the maximum safe dose to take with each time frame?

harka · 12-28-2008, 09:23 PM

Generally, except in very special cases one doesn't need more than 30mg of hydrocortisone in a day for chronic treatment for Addison's. The most common dosing regimen is 20mg in the morning and 10mg in the evening. In times of illness patients are often told to go by the 3x3 rule. In other words three times the dose for three days then back to the normal dosing again. So this would mean 60mg in morning and 30mg at night.

With hydrocortisone it's not the one or two days of drug that is the problem; rather, it's a problem when taking too much for a long period of time.

In the ICU when people are given stress dose steroids for acute Addison's disease they can get almost 400mg of hydrocortisone in one day!

harka · 12-28-2008, 09:26 PM

Your dose of 25mg in one day is quite consistent with regular glucocorticoid replacement.

Are you on Florinef as well?

blueize · 01-19-2009, 09:38 AM

I take 20mg in the am and 20mg in the pm, and I,ve been on this dose for 4 years and it works well for me, If I go to a lower dose I get sick. So you are lucky you can take a lower dose. You won't have so many side effects down the road.