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Adrenal Fatigue And Celiac Disease


gointribal

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mm54 Newbie

I was wondering if anyone else had adrenal fatigue syndrom before they found out that they had Celiac disease? What I've been reading is that one of the stressors that can lead to adrenal fatigue is gluten intolerance. I had adrenal fatigue syndrom for about 2 years, started feeling better then found out that I had celiac disease. Is it possible to have not known that I had celiac disease and got the adrenal thing from that? Because I also read that a lot people don't know that they have celiac disease until something major happens in their life (which is what happened with me)

So I'm kinda confussed, if anyone knows about this I would love some tips:-)

I have been treated for adrenal fatigue for a little over a year. I have DH and was diagnosed three years ago. I believe the adrenal fatigue was due to alot of things. Problems with insomnis my whole adult life, pushing myself too hard, major losses, too much sugar, ongoing allergy problems, and I'm guessing an underlying gluten intolerance that I did not know about for a long time. I was tested by a doctor using a saliva test that looks at a number of hormone levels over the course of a day. The important thing is to find information about adrenal fatigue and start the treatment. Slow down, eat the right kind of meals on a regular basis, cut out all sugar and alcohol, cut way down on foods with high glycemic index, etc. etc. Also, take adrenal supplements. I have been taking something called Adrenogen by Metagenics and Adrenal by Pure and these have helped me tremendously. When I first was diagnosed I had to take alot of supplements to keep me going. My health has improved and now am taking about a third of the supplement with no slowing down. Good luck!


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  • Replies 64
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sickchick Community Regular

I have adrenal fatigue (not adrenal failure)

I take Metagenic's Adreset

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Good luck I am still learning too lol :)

georgie Enthusiast
I have adrenal fatigue (not adrenal failure)

I take Metagenic's Adreset

Open Original Shared Link

Be careful. Some of these herbal medications can raise Blood Pressure and be of variable strengths. According to the Australian Addisons Society there is no medical condition called Adrenal Fatigue although - yes - people with Adrenal Insufficiency will feel fatigued. Adrenal Insufficiency is a medical condition that must be treated by an Endo and medications - especially during surgery and in case of trauma or accident. To not do so is life threatening in those situations. Adrenal Insufficiency or Addisons is caused by an autoimmune condition in 70% of cases - therefore could in theory be linked to Celiac and PolyEndocrine Syndromes. From what you are saying - you may have mild Adrenal Insufficiency at the lower end of the scale - but it still should be measured and checked by an Endo. Be careful.

pele Rookie

I hope someone knowledgeble is reading this and will reply. I am seeing a Nurse Practitioner who has limited knowledge about gluten intolerance/celiac disease, and who strongly believes in hormone supplementation. When I told her I wasn't sure if hydrocortisone is small oral doses was safe for celiacs she got upset because she truly believes I need it for adrenal fatigue as diagnosed by saliva testing. However I have also been told that cortisone is very dangerous for unhealed celiacs. Can anyone shed more light on this? Thank you to those who have already shared on this subject. And BTW this is my first post. Hi everyone!

truthsearcher Rookie

Hi Pele.

I have the same question as you do. I have a script for Cortef sitting here 5mg and I'm afraid to fill it and take it for fear of what it will do to me.

I take Adrenogen by Metagenics and ADR by Pure Encapulations and don't notice much of a difference, maybe a little help with the way I handle stress but I just have this "feeling" I shouldn't touch the cortef until I've exhausted the natural adrenal supports.

I also have Lyme and have come across some tidbits here and there about not taking steroids when one has Lyme.

hope you get the answers you seek.

pele Rookie

I too was prescribed 5 mg cortef and decided to try it. After 5 weeks and a few cautions against it, I stopped cold turkey. I felt sick for about 2 weeks and now feel fine.

I also wonder about DHEA, an over-the-counter adrenal hormone, anyone have info on that one?

Sugarmag Newbie

I also have adrenal fatigue. It started about a year and a half ago, when I had a very invasive surgery. I had already been gluten free for about two years. I went back to work too soon, I have my own business, and work 6 days a week on my own. Apparently that was a bit too much! (Both surgeons wanted me to take over a month off work to recover.) I've been taking this:

Open Original Shared Link

It's gluten, soy, dairy free. I honestly started to feel the difference in the first few days. I was always so tired (I also have Hashimoto) and was freaking out about every little thing imaginable. I've been taking it for over 6 months now, and will continue for about a year, and then try to cut back. After my doctor did some blood work, he thought I could try the cortef, but I really was against it. So I found this supplement, and asked his opinion. He thought it was a very good supplement, and I trust him. Good luck!!


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sneezydiva Apprentice

I too have adrenal fatigue. I am self diagnosed after reading Dr. Wilson's book--Adrenal Fatigue. I also have a very high a.m. cortisol level from a test my doctor ordered, which according to Dr. Wilson is a sign of it. Dr. Wilson's adrenal rebuilder supplements help me tremendously. They are what kept my head above water before I discovered I had a wheat allergy/gluten sensitivity.

I respectully disagree that adrenal fatigue is not real. If you read Dr. Wilson's book, adrenal fatigue was routinely diagnosed in the 1930s and it was treated with adrenal supplements until Corticosteroids were developed, and the the pharmaceuticals worked to get the supplements and diagnosis phased out.

Cortef is a natural hormone and much safer than Predisone and other Rx corticosteroids. Based on how wonderful I felt the two times I was prescribed prednisone, if I could afford to go to an alternative minded doctor, and he prescribed Cortef, I would take it in a heartbeat. Of course, I wouldn't take it indefinitely, just enough to let the adrenals rest and rebuild. But the only risk IMO, is if it works, it may mask a gluten reaction as it will lower the body's inflammatory response. So I would be well-versed in the diet before taking it.

  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Maggi315

Just thought I'd jump in here and give my opinion and experience.

Whomever it was that posted that adrenal fatigue was not real that the adrenals either work or don't,well,that's simply not true,sorry you are being misinformed. When someone is diagnosed with adrenal failure, either primary (addison's) or secondary (pituitary misfunction) that means that 80-90% of their adrenal gland has stopped functioning.

Now,yes that can happen very suddenly,from a virus or sudden stress. But more often,this is a slow,steady process.

Just like heart disease for example. The heart isn't either perfectly healthy or not functioning. Or the lungs, or really any other organ. There are huge areas in between of function. As a nurse,that's what we see all the time in the hospital,people who are there because one of their systems is not functioning properly,most of the time, it's not a total shut down,but a certain degree of malfunction.

For me,mine has slowly been shutting down,for how long we don't know. Have I had adrenal fatique? yes, I think so, but what has been shutting down my adrenals is a pituitary tumor. We found out that it is growing in the area of the pituitary that controls cortisol production. And I became very sick in November and had two crises in one week (two hospital visits, two different hospitals,neither much help!) and finally discovered what was going on. Once I was started on the hydrocortisone, I almost immediately developed diabetes insipidus,which is like being pregnant times ten!!!

But although all the doctors assure me my adrenals are fine, it's the pituitary malfunctioning, I don't believethat, how do they know that? My blood work for aldosterone and DHEA have come back low, I am told it is because of the hydrocortisone, but common sense tells me that whatever the reason, if they are low, shouldn't they be replaced? Wouldn't I feel better?

And so,like the person who posted who doesn't believe in adrenal fatique,I have to carry around my extra meds and worry about extra stress, injury, incompetent doctors, and injectables, because my pituitary no longer sends any signals out and I am told the damage is permanent and my adrenals will never again get those signals.

I am reading Dr. Wilson's book though,because it is full of common sense and I think that it is helpful to me and to anyone with any signs of adrenal fatique,which I think is so overlooked and discounted simply because the medical community doesn't understand it and doesn't have the proper testing,so they dismiss it. In a few years, when the testing is there, it will be considered a mainstream diagnosis and people won't needlessly be suffering like they are today.

Like I said,just my opinion and experiences....

  • 1 month later...
huevo-no-bueno Apprentice

This is a very interesting and informative thread. Thanks :)

I have a question. I have had adrenal issues for a long time--eventually the bovine adrenal cortex quit working for me and I was still very tired.

I was prescribed bio-identical cortisol, 5mg three times per day. I have been taking it for a week.

Normally, whenever I would resume or increase my adrenal cortex supplements, I would feel better in about two days! But I am not noticing much at all with the cortisol.

  1. I am wondering if it is absorbed differently than the adrenal cortex, or if it takes longer to kick in--which doesn't make intuitive sense to me, because straight cortisol should be stronger and more direct than the adrenal cortex supplement.
  2. I read in this thread that if one is an unhealed celiac, cortisol can be dangerous. I'm wondering if I am just not absorbing it. (I am currently eating gluten and am in the middle of the diagnostic process.)

Thanks for any information you might have!

LoriG Contributor
This is a very interesting and informative thread. Thanks :)

I have a question. I have had adrenal issues for a long time--eventually the bovine adrenal cortex quit working for me and I was still very tired.

I was prescribed bio-identical cortisol, 5mg three times per day. I have been taking it for a week.

Normally, whenever I would resume or increase my adrenal cortex supplements, I would feel better in about two days! But I am not noticing much at all with the cortisol.

  1. I am wondering if it is absorbed differently than the adrenal cortex, or if it takes longer to kick in--which doesn't make intuitive sense to me, because straight cortisol should be stronger and more direct than the adrenal cortex supplement.
  2. I read in this thread that if one is an unhealed celiac, cortisol can be dangerous. I'm wondering if I am just not absorbing it. (I am currently eating gluten and am in the middle of the diagnostic process.)

Thanks for any information you might have!

Hi there,

I also have adrenal fatigue and went down the road of cortef and natural adrenal extracts etc. Nothing worked for me and the cortef actually made me worse! I think my multiple food allergies and lack of absorption is the problem. So right now I am working on those. Anytime you have a food allergy, it wrecks havoc on your adrenals. Hope this helps.

huevo-no-bueno Apprentice

Thanks LoriG,

Allergies are an immune response, and of course if your immune system is under attack the adrenals are working overtime. I'm on the path now of trying to remove as many aggravations to my immune system as possible and give myself a chance....:)

pele Rookie

Since my last post I discovered

stopthethyroidmadness.com

This is a site previously mentioned here. It has considerable information on adrenal faigue. I found links to articles that answered my questions about the safety of small doses of Cortef and also explained why most doctors do not believe in or treat adrenal fatigue (in a nutshell, 50-70 years ago they overdosed people --100-200 mg per day instead of, say 5-10 mg per day, and caused a lot of damage. And there isn't much money to be made selling hydrocortisone).

The site also has links to simple tests you can do at home to help you decide if you need further testing.

I happen to have hypothyroidism and wish this website had existed 30 years ago.

My nurse practioner was trying hard to help me but I have been on the receiving end of bad advice from doctors so many times that I am very skeptical of any treatment involving pharmacutical companies. However, I am now convinced that trying to fix adrenal fatigue with cortef will likely improve my quality of life, so here goes.

Lizz7711 Apprentice
Since my last post I discovered

stopthethyroidmadness.com

This is a site previously mentioned here. It has considerable information on adrenal faigue. I found links to articles that answered my questions about the safety of small doses of Cortef and also explained why most doctors do not believe in or treat adrenal fatigue (in a nutshell, 50-70 years ago they overdosed people --100-200 mg per day instead of, say 5-10 mg per day, and caused a lot of damage. And there isn't much money to be made selling hydrocortisone).

The site also has links to simple tests you can do at home to help you decide if you need further testing.

I happen to have hypothyroidism and wish this website had existed 30 years ago.

My nurse practioner was trying hard to help me but I have been on the receiving end of bad advice from doctors so many times that I am very skeptical of any treatment involving pharmacutical companies. However, I am now convinced that trying to fix adrenal fatigue with cortef will likely improve my quality of life, so here goes.

Because of this website, and from reading "Adrenal Fatigue: 21st century syndrome", I was able to figure out that I for sure had adrenal fatigue, and my holistic doc was willing to let me try Cortef for a month to see if it relieved my symptoms of EXCESSIVE fatigue and extreme irritability/impatience, among other things. (this was last September). After 3 days on 5mg/4xperday, I felt sooooo much better, patient, and calm...I thought it was a placebo effect so I waited a couple weeks before knowing for sure that Cortef totally saved my life. I'm a different person, i'm still hypothyroid and just started on Armour thyroid about 6 weeks ago, but I feel so much better. I also no longer get car sick, of all things. Then in November started Gluten-free Casein-free diet. Don't feel much different since starting it, except for some digestive improvements, but also some things worse (think i'm uncoverning more sensitiviites).

I think the body's stress in having to constantly fight against the alien invaders of gluten and casein which it sees as the enemy, put the adrenals and thyroid under too much stress --so after 40 years of this, they finally started to conk out and show overt obvious symptoms. I believe gluten is the instigator.

I'm all for people resolving adrenal fatigue by means other than cortef IF THEY CAN...but i'm telling you I was at a point of not being able to function in my life/society anymore, I couldn't wait the six months to a year it takes to heal naturally.

good luck to all!

Liz

Ursa Major Collaborator

I am somewhat confused here. I take Cortef because of very low aldosterone. Cortef is fludrocortisone to supplement your low aldosterone, and hydrocortisone is taken when your adrenal glands won't put out enough cortisol. I take both, 20mg of hydrocortisone, 0.15mg of Cortef, and 150mg of Armour a day to keep functioning.

I have never heard of anybody taking 5mg of Cortef a day, supposedly that should cause very high blood pressure! Before taking Cortef, my blood pressure was slowly but surely going down, until it was 85 over 55, dangerously low. Aldosterone will control things like blood pressure and sodium levels in your body. Within a few days of taking the low dose of Cortef, eight months ago, my blood pressure went to be within normal limits again.

For stressful situations, your adrenals need to be producing cortisol and adrenaline. Fatigued adrenal glands make way too little cortisol, and try frantically putting out adrenaline instead, until they aren't able to do that any more and collapse.

For those of you that take Cortef instead of hydrocortisone, what are your aldosterone levels? Do you now have high blood pressure?

Lizz7711 Apprentice
I am somewhat confused here. I take Cortef because of very low aldosterone. Cortef is fludrocortisone to supplement your low aldosterone, and hydrocortisone is taken when your adrenal glands won't put out enough cortisol. I take both, 20mg of hydrocortisone, 0.15mg of Cortef, and 150mg of Armour a day to keep functioning.

I have never heard of anybody taking 5mg of Cortef a day, supposedly that should cause very high blood pressure! Before taking Cortef, my blood pressure was slowly but surely going down, until it was 85 over 55, dangerously low. Aldosterone will control things like blood pressure and sodium levels in your body. Within a few days of taking the low dose of Cortef, eight months ago, my blood pressure went to be within normal limits again.

For stressful situations, your adrenals need to be producing cortisol and adrenaline. Fatigued adrenal glands make way too little cortisol, and try frantically putting out adrenaline instead, until they aren't able to do that any more and collapse.

For those of you that take Cortef instead of hydrocortisone, what are your aldosterone levels? Do you now have high blood pressure?

Cortef is hydrocortisone, taken at a physiologic dose of 20mg/day (5mg-4 times a day) to help the adrenals rest from having to produce cortisol when they are not doing that in the severely adrenally fatigued person. Since it is just a low dose and doing what our adrenals should be doing, it does not have any side effects, does not raise blood pressure other than that your blood pressure will be more regulated by having adequate cortisol levels (no more hypotension, dizziness when standing up from sitting).

I've never had aldosterone tested so can't commnet on that. Perhaps you are taking a different cortef, there may be a few varieties? I googled cortef just now and came up with hydrocortisone, but I didn't check all the listings.

Liz

moldlady Rookie

Once everything is taken care of, can the adrenals and thyroid bounce back?

ML

Ursa Major Collaborator
Cortef is hydrocortisone, taken at a physiologic dose of 20mg/day (5mg-4 times a day) to help the adrenals rest from having to produce cortisol when they are not doing that in the severely adrenally fatigued person. Since it is just a low dose and doing what our adrenals should be doing, it does not have any side effects, does not raise blood pressure other than that your blood pressure will be more regulated by having adequate cortisol levels (no more hypotension, dizziness when standing up from sitting).

I've never had aldosterone tested so can't commnet on that. Perhaps you are taking a different cortef, there may be a few varieties? I googled cortef just now and came up with hydrocortisone, but I didn't check all the listings.

Liz

Oops, I guess I've had one of those brain fog moments, since I got glutened yesterday. My fludrocortisone is Florinef, not Cortef. You are right, Cortef is a weaker form of hydrocortisone (not strong enough for me).

Still, it would be good for you to have your aldosterone level tested.

Ursa Major Collaborator
Once everything is taken care of, can the adrenals and thyroid bounce back?

ML

Yes, it has happened for some people here after being gluten-free for quite a while.

georgie Enthusiast
Cortef is hydrocortisone, taken at a physiologic dose of 20mg/day (5mg-4 times a day) to help the adrenals rest from having to produce cortisol when they are not doing that in the severely adrenally fatigued person. Since it is just a low dose

Whoa !!! Sorry to disappoint folks but 20mg hydrocortisone is a total replacement dose for most people with Addisons Disease. TOTAL replacement. So .... you must understand that you are TOTALLY replacing your own normal ( or fatigued ???) adrenal function. Google Addisons Disease ....... and all the warnings apply to you then .... I totally understand that people with Addisons Disease have to take this dose but just want to make it known what a normal dose of TOTAL replacement is and how easily people can atrophy their own adrenal function by taking too much of a med that is not suitable for them. There are websites out there saying otherwise but check out emedicine.com ,and Addisons Disease at merck.com if you need the correct answer.

Lizz7711 Apprentice
Whoa !!! Sorry to disappoint folks but 20mg hydrocortisone is a total replacement dose for most people with Addisons Disease. TOTAL replacement. So .... you must understand that you are TOTALLY replacing your own normal ( or fatigued ???) adrenal function. Google Addisons Disease ....... and all the warnings apply to you then .... I totally understand that people with Addisons Disease have to take this dose but just want to make it known what a normal dose of TOTAL replacement is and how easily people can atrophy their own adrenal function by taking too much of a med that is not suitable for them. There are websites out there saying otherwise but check out emedicine.com ,and Addisons Disease at merck.com if you need the correct answer.

Sorry but anything with merck.com at the end is not of interest to me.

You seem to be very sold out to regular medical establishment...believe it or not there is plenty of "evidence-based" medicine that just won't get approved by the establishment because it doens't profit anyone and they prefer old standards.

REad "Safe Uses of Cortisol" by William Jeffries, he dedicated his career to studying adrenal issues and is probably more knowledgable on the subject than all of those great endocrinologists you speak of.

covsooze Enthusiast

Amazingly, this is the first time I've come across this thread!

I have just been diagnosed with adrenal exhaustion by one of the UK's experts in it, Dr Peatfield. He diagnosed it by saliva test. If anyone in the UK needs contact details etc, please pm me.

Georgie, I don't know if you remember, but you referred me to stopthethyroidmadness.com many months ago, and that's what led me down the track to diagnosis, so a big thank you to you :D

My story is that my health started to decline when I had glandular fever at university. I've not been right since. Chronic fatigue came after that, then stomach problems started to emerge. I believe the glandular fever triggered my ceoliac genes into action. Then after a difficult birth of my son, my stomach issues got really bad and I was eventually diagnosed with coeliac disease. I believe I had had symptoms for many years before it's diagnosis. I was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism, but now understand that that has not been treated correctly.

Having had 2 miscarriages last year, my health has detriorated further. Eating most things causes me problems and I've had virus after virus.

I am now on an adrenal replacement (bovine) available in the UK. My test results were bad enough for Dr Peatfield to say that I may well have to have cortef very soon, but he likes to try more natural stuff first. He believes that the glandular fever was the initial trigger for my adrenals to start getting fatigued, which reflects what I've always said that that was the point my health started to decline.

It is Dr P's view that adrenal fatigue can't be treated in isolation. You need to look at the causes and many other things go alongside it - for me, there's also hypothyroidism, low progesterone and a severe candida imbalance.

Haven't got much time to post more at the moment, but I look forward to joining in this discussion :) In the meantime, here's a UK thyroid website which has loads of helpful links, as well as lots of info about adrenals. The second link I'll post below is a very good article on adrenal fatigue:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Susie

georgie Enthusiast
Sorry but anything with merck.com at the end is not of interest to me.

You seem to be very sold out to regular medical establishment...believe it or not there is plenty of "evidence-based" medicine that just won't get approved by the establishment because it doens't profit anyone and they prefer old standards.

REad "Safe Uses of Cortisol" by William Jeffries, he dedicated his career to studying adrenal issues and is probably more knowledgable on the subject than all of those great endocrinologists you speak of.

Sorry that you seem to not wish to understand. I have many other links as well - yahoo Addisons groups etc - but did not wish to post them all. There is no dispute - I am merely saying that people with Addisons and total failure of the adrenal glands take 20mg of HC - so why on earth would a person with normal ( or fatigued ?) adrenals wish to take the same high dose ? Take that high dose long enough - and you will 'give' yourselves Addisons. Or Cushings Disease.

'Safe Uses' has many errors. It is not completely on track. And remember he was working with Cortisone Acetate which is weaker than HC.

I am now on an adrenal replacement (bovine) available in the UK. My test results were bad enough for Dr Peatfield to say that I may well have to have cortef very soon, but he likes to try more natural stuff first. He believes that the glandular fever was the initial trigger for my adrenals to start getting fatigued, which reflects what I've always said that that was the point my health started to decline.

It is Dr P's view that adrenal fatigue can't be treated in isolation. You need to look at the causes and many other things go alongside it - for me, there's also hypothyroidism, low progesterone and a severe candida imbalance.

Hi Susie - Yes I remember you. Great news for finding Dr P. His treatment plan sounds good - treat all the patient. Ideally before you start Cortef you should have a Synacthen Test but I understand that it is hard to find a Specialist over there that would agree to that ? And Dr P would understand the safe way to use cortisone. The Progesterone balancing will make a huge differance to you. Google oestrogen dominence - its scary.

Lizz7711 Apprentice
Sorry that you seem to not wish to understand. I have many other links as well - yahoo Addisons groups etc - but did not wish to post them all. There is no dispute - I am merely saying that people with Addisons and total failure of the adrenal glands take 20mg of HC - so why on earth would a person with normal ( or fatigued ?) adrenals wish to take the same high dose ? Take that high dose long enough - and you will 'give' yourselves Addisons. Or Cushings Disease.

'Safe Uses' has many errors. It is not completely on track. And remember he was working with Cortisone Acetate which is weaker than HC.

Why would 20 mg cause Addison's, when people regularly take HUGE doses of corticosteroids, prednisone etc, and do not develop Addison's? 20 mg is an extremely low dose. And I do not intend to take it forever...hopefully no longer than a year, giving me time to support my adrenals in other ways (going Gluten-free Casein-free as of NOv 07 should help), and am also treating hypothyroid with Armour.

I'll look at the Addison's info, but it would not surprise me if they are underprescribing Cortef due to exagerated fears of hydrocortisone that Dr. Jeffries mentions in his book. There is no danger in a physiologic dose short term. I agree that going up to 30 or 40mg could definitely cause the adrenals to not have to work much if at all and could create dependence.

Liz

georgie Enthusiast
Why would 20 mg cause Addison's, when people regularly take HUGE doses of corticosteroids, prednisone etc, and do not develop Addison's? 20 mg is an extremely low dose. And I do not intend to take it forever...hopefully no longer than a year, giving me time to support my adrenals in other ways (going Gluten-free Casein-free as of NOv 07 should help), and am also treating hypothyroid with Armour.

I'll look at the Addison's info, but it would not surprise me if they are underprescribing Cortef due to exagerated fears of hydrocortisone that Dr. Jeffries mentions in his book. There is no danger in a physiologic dose short term. I agree that going up to 30 or 40mg could definitely cause the adrenals to not have to work much if at all and could create dependence.

Everybody reacts differently to cortisone and where some may take a huge dose and not develop total adrenal failure - another may. I have known of some that completely switched off their own adrenals after a few weeks of 30mg HC.... Osteoporous is a risk for being Celiac - being on HC as well may double that risk ( or more)

I can only suggest you research physiological doses a little more before you take the major step onto a drug that may be with you for life. Has your Holistic Dr explained the dangers of surgery, traffic accidents, major dental work - while you are taking HC ? Do you have a treatment plan in place for those events with letters of documentation for the ER people ? Do you wear a Medic Alert bracelet ? Have you researched 'addisons crisis' and have family and friends also trained to recognise the symptoms ?

This is another site where you will learn a lot if you spend the time to scroll around. I hope its not 'Dr like' for you but it is all good basic knowledge. Read particularly how to dose for surgery, dental work - what a crisis is - and you will see that HC is not a simple drug to take .....and I know for me - this was my first alert that some web sites and books had it a bit wrong.

Open Original Shared Link

I am not saying that people don't need physiological doses of HC to help their recovery. Just be aware that Addisons people work their doses out to the mg - and 20mg is about it for a pharmalogical dose. Some take 18mg - some take 22mg, some 24mg etc. And these are people that in some cases have had adrenals removed by surgery! Yes - they may feel better for a time if they take more - but Cushings features develop and over years - they work the dose out with their Dr - the fine balancing act between maintaining life function and over replacement.

Hope this helps.

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      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
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