Flourinef alternatives

[CSGJ]

Thanks I ordered some.
What were you diagnosed with? Usually with adrenal shut down they prescribed about 15-20mg of hydrocortisone

[itskt2u]

We both have adrenal insufficiency, and I was prescribed 20mg/day of hydrocortisone, but as I mentioned, the active component of licorice, glycyrrhizin or glycyrrhizic acid, reduces the action of 11-BHOD liver enzyme; this is the enzyme that inactivates cortisol in your body. Thus, the active life of your natural cortisol or supplemental hydrocortisone is extended, and you will need LESS supplementation to attain the same level than you would if you were not taking licorice. My endo is not familiar with using licorice; it's prescribed by my naturopath, so we are pretty much on our own to determine how much less HC is optimal for us.
-KT

[CSGJ]

Originally posted by itskt2u:
We both have adrenal insufficiency, and I was prescribed 20mg/day of hydrocortisone, but as I mentioned, the active component of licorice, glycyrrhizin or glycyrrhizic acid, reduces the action of 11-BHOD liver enzyme; this is the enzyme that inactivates cortisol in your body. Thus, the active life of your natural cortisol or supplemental hydrocortisone is extended, and you will need LESS supplementation to attain the same level than you would if you were not taking licorice. My endo is not familiar with using licorice; it's prescribed by my naturopath, so we are pretty much on our own to determine how much less HC is optimal for us.
-KT

Wow, that's great. Has your Naturopath had good results with other people? What's his name? Is he from the Clymer website? Were you diagnosed with primary or secondary adrenal insuffienciey by your endo? How low were your levels?

[CSGJ]

Sorry another question...If you were on 20mg of HC, how did you go down to your present level with the licorice root?
Thanks

[itskt2u]

Yes, our naturopaths are Dr Poesnecker and Dr Nevill from Clymer Healing Research Center (which is nonprofit and in PA). Dr Poesnecker died in June; he was in his 70s and had been treating adrenal patients for about 45 years. They do treat people who have had an ASI (adrenal stress index test) by email/phone (which my son and I did before we were inpatients there for a couple weeks last Jan). I was originally Dx with adrenal insufficiency by a family Dr back in 1989, by way of cortrosyn stimuation test. I was inadequately treated, then not treated at all for years until a couple years ago my adrenals just crashed pretty much. Now been treated naturopathically almost one year, and recently been seen by a new endocrinologist who put me on hydrocortisone when she saw my 1989 test results (she is not sure whether primary or secondary at this point and I am having more tests run, ACTH etc, but I do find I must have mineralocorticoid- am taking licorice for that instead of florinef). When I started the HC I was already on licorice, so I started very low on HC, only 1mg and gradually upped the dose to 20mg, during which time I was off the licorice for 10 days. It became clear by then that I could not do well off the licorice, as I was having orthostatic hypotension and other symptoms (even while taking 20mg HC). So, I started the licorice up again, and reduced the HC to 2.5, then up to 5... tried 7.5mg but that seems to give me insomnia after a few days, so am back down to 5mg; we'll see how it goes on this dose.
-Katie




[This message has been edited by itskt2u (edited 08-17-2003).]