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What is your 'average' cortisol level and Prednisone 'breaking point'?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/14/2013 1:50 AM (GMT 0)
So I'm trying to taper off of Prednisone and doing a very slow taper. Basically I taper every few weeks (whenever my BMs are back to 'normal' for a week and I feel my body is used to the current dose).  I'm on an every other dose right now - 12.5mg one day/10mg the next. As soon as I get below 12.5mg my body seems to really notice I am tapering.

This got me wondering a bit about cortisol levels and what the 'average' is. I've read many times that 7mg is about what your body produces, but I could swear mine has to be around 12.5mg. I've tapered several times now but never this slowly so its been hard to tell in the past. But now that I'm below 12.5 and have been for a week, all the 'low dose' side effects are coming on. I am just curious what dose others feel is their 'Prednisone breaking point'?

On a side note, I've been doing a little research on natural ways to increase your cortisol levels. Licorice root is one of them, which I know some people on here take.  Also sleep (duh!) and even exercise raises the levels. Funny how I alwyas feel better, UC-wise, after I do a hard workout. I feel worse after it seems to wear off though. This is especially true while on Prednisone I've noticed. Just wondering if finding natural ways to increase my cortisol levels while trying to get off Prednisone might help me taper easier. At this point I'll try anything to just get off of this Prednisone for good!

Posted 3/14/2013 12:38 PM (GMT 0)
Just a warning that licorice can have very dangerous side effects related to blood pressure and the heart.
Posted 3/14/2013 12:54 PM (GMT 0)

MNBeachgal said...
So I'm trying to taper off of Prednisone and doing a very slow taper. Basically I taper every few weeks (whenever my BMs are back to 'normal' for a week and I feel my body is used to the current dose). I'm on an every other dose right now - 12.5mg one day/10mg the next. As soon as I get below 12.5mg my body seems to really notice I am tapering.
This got me wondering a bit about cortisol levels and what the 'average' is. I've read many times that 7mg is about what your body produces, but I could swear mine has to be around 12.5mg. I've tapered several times now but never this slowly so its been hard to tell in the past. But now that I'm below 12.5 and have been for a week, all the 'low dose' side effects are coming on. I am just curious what dose others feel is their 'Prednisone breaking point'?



On a side note, I've been doing a little research on natural ways to increase your cortisol levels. Licorice root is one of them, which I know some people on here take. Also sleep (duh!) and even exercise raises the levels. Funny how I alwyas feel better, UC-wise, after I do a hard workout. I feel worse after it seems to wear off though. This is especially true while on Prednisone I've noticed. Just wondering if finding natural ways to increase my cortisol levels while trying to get off Prednisone might help me taper easier. At this point I'll try anything to just get off of this Prednisone for good!

It has to be a looooong workout, so intense but an hour or longer to kick in cortisol release. Maybe its 45 cuz I remember reading to get it all done in 30 and get out for regular body builder wanting to avoid cortisol.

But its a zero sum game you need more because the workout generated more inflammation.

Also I read prednisone is 4 times as powerful as cortisol but I know 8mg is what we produce in cortisol, last week taper from 15 to 10 resulted in a bit of edema so I know think it is important to ride the brakes on taper from 15-0 not 10-0. Picking up enough to do that taper going down 2.5 drops from 10 on down. Trying to hurry to get into surgery so may drop every 5 days not sure. See surgeon today.
Posted 3/14/2013 1:07 PM (GMT 0)
I do a pretty hard workout, longer than an hour and easily zone 3-4 for an hour in my cardio classes with short cooldowns. I agree, workouts cause inflamation but only in the muscles you breakdown while working out, not in your colon (unless you are working out your colon somehow!). 

I'd never taper pred faster than 2.5mg now, at least not below 20mg.  Don't hurry too much, although if you already having surgery you probably don't care much if it makes things more inflamed with a quick taper. I had my first normal BM this morning after starting the 12.5/10mg taper almost 2 weeks ago. So I'll try to get a week of normal BMs before tapering down to straight 10mg.

I still feel like 12.5mg is some sort of even point for my body. My hair is shedding alot now which seems to happen when I get down to a lower dose. Also my heart stopped racing at night now.  I do feel it takes my body 1 1/2 to 2 weeks to realize I've dropped the dose, I'm sure from being on it for so long now.

I'll stay away from the licorice root for now!

Posted 3/15/2013 3:52 AM (GMT 0)

MNBeachgal said...
Licorice root is one of them



It does not increase actually, it blocks the removal enzyme in the liver so it 'sustains' cortisol levels but it does not trigger a more awake adrenal gland.
Posted 3/15/2013 1:11 PM (GMT 0)
I discussed this with the clinical trial doc and he told me its equivalent to 10mg oral Pred. We were actually discussing about adrenal suppression and rectal hydrocortisone, if rectal hydrocortisone can be absorbed to a level of adrenal supression (or putting adrenals to sleep, happens when we are on high Pred dose). It turns out system concentration of rectal hydrocortisone is equivalent to 5mg of oral Pred only and the body's average levels are equivalent to 10mg oral Pred, so even if you take rectal hydrocortisone for months (like me), it will not affects the adrenals (and the study).

Now if you ask what blood levels will be otherwise, I have no clue. Since your question was referenced to Pred tapering, I thought this might be useful.
Posted 3/15/2013 1:55 PM (GMT 0)
I feel 10 is my limit. Going below that my colon starts acting out. Can't be on 10 forever can i? Also are there not cortisol supplements for bodybuilders?(i may be thinking of sonething else entirely).
Posted 3/15/2013 4:25 PM (GMT 0)
You are doing the wake up the adrenals method by daily alternating higher and lower doses.

My trouble spot was 7.5, so I did alternating 7.5 and 5, 7.5 and 2.5, 7.5 and 0, then 5 and 5, 5 and 2.5, etc...

I got well, but my adrenal function didn't come back for a long, long time. I was just on prednisone quite a while.

I don't believe in any of those cortisol supplements.

It could be that you need more than mesalamine to heal... or you just need more time.

It's good you're really trying to figure out this pred taper thing.
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