chris,

you sound extremely informed, which is someting i wish i was more of! i've had
addison's going on 6 years now and who knows how long i was sick before i was
diagnosed, but i figure for what was leading up to years before i finally went
into "crisis".
I'd love to talk to you more if you don't mind the mail and questions etc. i'm
going to check out the site tonight when i get home...can't really do it at
work, but quickly let me give you a summery of me.

i'm 27 was diagnosed when i turned 21- ended up in the hospital because i
finally blacked out- about 3 months of dizzyness, exuastion, headaches, weight
loss, and my skin was orange- i couldn't remember things and would only be
comfortable when laying down.
i was misdiagnosed serverl times with ovarian failure, (which actually has
occured as a result) thyroid problems, inner ear infections and of course
everyone told me it was all in my head and i was anerexic.
turns out one of my cousins has addisons and we asked to be tested for it while
i was in the hospital and they couldn't find anything wrong.

so that's what i had and was put on meds and for the most part...haven't been
that sick....however, there has got to be a better way than this...
i've seen so many docters, they all tell me i'm fine and on the right meds...but
i just don't feel fine.
i've been told to change meds, change doses, time to take them so on.
basically i'm still really tired all the time, lacking energy, depressed, having
trouble concentrating and having alot of trouble with motavation and keeping
extra wieght off...i've gained about 20 pounds since the age of 24 on the meds.
i take corteff, toperall (for mygrain's and shakes and blood pressure), desogen
(for estrogen) and zolaft for anxiety.
i don't know weather something else can help me with my energy...but i have
shortness of breath, chest pains, weakness and cramps all the time.
any words of advice...can it really be possible to feel like crap all the time.
don't get me wrong, i'm so thankful for being diagnosed and without the medicine
i don't know what i'd do, but i'm sure i could be doing more to help myslef.

thanks for listening...let me know if anything rings a bell...o and vision
getting really bad too. take care, and i look forward to hearing from you.

heather

Chris Jackson <chrisgj@...> wrote:
I have also researched the heck out of DHEA. Until I found a doctor
that knew what they were doing I took huge doses to help boost my
cortisol production. You can get it over the counter at walgreens.
I started with 25 mg (the 25 is cheaper per pill than the 50 mg, go
figure)and increased it by 25 mg every month. When I reached 100 mg
daily, I decided that it wasn't doing anything for me so I lowered it
to 75 mg. Two days later (for me if I increased or stopped taking
because of tests, I noticed it took 2 days for the difference to kick
in) I collapsed on the floor and could not move for 1/2 hour. I
thought something is not logical here. I thought maybe I was
deficient in DHEA too (test later said I was very defiencient). I
decided to take 100 mg every hour until I felt better. After about 4
hours I was almost back to where I had been before the collapse. In
the past if I took a leap backward, it took a couple of days easy to
come back up. I started taking 300 mg per day and felt like it was
really helping me. (100 mg hardly noticed a thing) I increased
withing a month to 750 mg per day. With 25 mg pills thats a lot of
popping. I take 400 mg right when I wake about 6am (before DHEA you
couldn't get me up before 9 am) 200 mg at noon, 100 at 6pm and 50 mg
at bed time. This new doctor tested my DHEA level last week (I had
been off it completely for a week) and found it at the very low end
of the range) He gave me prescription for Cortef and DHEA and I
start the Cortef tomorrow morning.

If you are going to doctor to doctor and getting no where try the
DHEA like I decribed and DON'T give up. Also I have trying going
much higher (1000, 1500 2400), but found that one day is all that you
should do. Too much will suppress cortisol production and then you
will feel maybe worse than before. For example if you have a death
in the family you might take 1500 for a day or two but then go back
to where you were. I found taking 100 mg immediately after a near
miss in my car helped me too. I used to shake and felt like my spine
disapeared and my muscles turned to jelly. The megadoses of DHEA
helped eliminate that. If you find yourself collapsed on the bed
then take 400 mg the first hour and 100 mg every hour after that
until you feel better. This is beside you regular doses.

You will not become superman but you will probably be able to
function enough to do your job and be a little more use to your
family. This is to hold you until you find a doctor to prescribe the
hydrocortisone.

Important to note that super doses of DHEA is hard on the liver so
you MUST take Milk Thistle 2 but not more than 3 times per day to
help the liver metabolize the DHEA. Also start with 50 mg the first
week and add 50 mg every week the first month to make sure things go
all right for the first month. Then if you feel like going higher
then the second month add 50 mg every 2 weeks. Don't be in a hurry
go slow and pay attention to your body. Remember 750 is the abolute
max I take. If you starte feeling bad, then maybe stop for 24 hours,
then continue at a lower dose.

This information is from my knowledge and experiance. You can't hold
me responsible if something goes wrong. I have researched DHEA
heavily for 6 months and have heard of no one dying or hurting
themself with it but that doesn't mean this hasn't happened.

I recommend reading "The Super Hormone Promise" same authors as
of "The Melatonin Miracle" William Regelson, M.D., & Carol Colman.

Four other books I highly recommend you get your hands on.

Adrenal Fatigue The 21st century Stress Syndrome James L. Wilson
N.D.,D.C.,Ph.D.

From Fatigued to Fantastic Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D.

Dhea A Practical Guide Ray Sahelian, M.D.

America Exhausted Dr. Edward J. Conley

Don't be afraid to read about similar things like CFS. Also read
about nutrition, leaky gut syndrome and if you have taken enough
antibiotics then you probably do have a problem with your gut
absorbing nutrients (Candida yeast overgrowth can happen with too
much anti-biotics. If you have trouble with a white coating on your
tongue and bad taste that oral hygene doesn't help that that is
probably what it is) I have spent 12 hours per month on the internet
for two years and have read a dozen books. It paid off in knowlege
and I found my current doctor on the I net.

Once I figured out my problem was endocrin I set out to learn
everything about how the glands work alone and with each other.
Don't for get to learn about the sex glands and thymus gland. The
more you know the more power you will have over your own health.
Take the power away from the doctors. Don't be passive, be agressive
and proactive. Look for a specialist in Environmental medicine along
with the endocinologist you will thank me. In my case the Environ.
doctor is acting as both the endocrin and environmental. He is
trained in both.

Good Luck
Chris in St. Louis


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Heather B. Fiocchi


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