This is Dr. Lam, founder of drlam.com.
And today’s topic is, when is it absolutely
necessary to go on to hydrocortisone or HCTZ?
Well this is a very interesting question because
the way the steroids are used are different
from practitioner to practitioners.
There’s no set and hard steroid facts that
I can present to you because everybody’s
very different.
Practitioners that tend to be aggressive with
steroids may use it very early on, while I
have a tendency to try to avoid the use of
steroids unless the body really needs it.
And the reason is quite simple.
While hydrocortisone and steroids have amazing
qualities they oftentimes is very hard to
get off if you’re not careful.
At the same time the body can have not only
dependency issues but also withdrawal issues.
Lastly, many people don’t realize is that
if you are at the very early stages of advanced
adrenal fatigue some people will not even
be able to tolerate steroids.
Of course part of it can be dose dependent
and part of it is not.
So there is no absolute time when you have
to be on.
Suffice to say that if your body is in really
a weak state and everything else has failed,
and the doctor’s trying to prime the hormonal
pump then steroid can be a suitable consideration
in the appropriate time.
It should be used as a short-term measure
and because it is a prescription medication
it should always be followed by a physician
at all times.
The inappropriate use of steroids can set
the body up for major problems on a long-term
basis.
Now some people has been on steroids for a
long time, going on years or even decades,
and they may do well, relatively speaking.
However, it does not mean that it is not without
its downfalls.
So knowing the pros, the cons, and the body
and its reaction is critical before one starts
into the steroid regimen.
And your doctor should be able to explain
to you when, how, what to use, dosage, frequency,
and what to expect.
Sometimes these steroids can be very, very
helpful in the beginning but tend to lose
its effect as time goes on.
So you need to look long term.
It’s not about starting steroids and hoping
for the best results, which may or may not
come.
But you have to know when to start getting
off the steroids with an exit plan well before
you sign up.
