Adrenal support--steroid dependent -- Update

Anyone tried or thought to try some sort of adrenal support to help kick-start the adrenal gland after prolonged steroid use? My Doc hasn't specifically said I'm steroid-dependent, but after being off and on the past year, continuously since June 07, and having troubles when tapering, I'd consider myself steroid-dependent. I've found some natural remedies out there specifically for the adrenal glands. Any thought?

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UC diagnosed Dec. 2006
Azathioprine 200mg/day
Prednisone 2.5 (trying to taper-started at 60mg 6/1/07)
Multivitamin, B complex vit., fish oil, calcium, fiber supplement, probiotic, adrenal support

Post Edited (cycling_sasquatch) : 5/29/2008 9:23:23 AM (GMT-6)

I'm on my third bottle of Ginseng Adreno-Build 4050 by Rainbow Light. I take one a day and there's 60 in a bottle, so that means I've been taking them for about 5 months.

Not sure I've noticed a difference, sorry to say. I'm pretty much my usual slug of a self. :-(

You can get some much stronger supplements (I did some research but didn't save it) but some of it sounds a little scary.

Let me know if you try something and what kind of luck you have. I've felt like the stress of my longstanding depression and being a female and 50, my adrenals are just shot. I have no energy, and I used to be a quite energetic person. Sure like to find that energy again.

Good luck!

Mitz

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Sporadic proctitis since about 1985. Mother had J-pouch surgery 1983.
DX'd with clostridium difficile in 2000. Pred, two courses of Flagyl, then Vancomycin finally got rid of it. 2001 colonoscopy dx'd left-sided UC. . Treated with prednisone, Rowasa, Asacol. Asacol not working, switched to Imuran. Three small flares since in 2002, 2005, and 2007, brought under control with steroid and Rowasa enemas. Lap Chole performed October 26, 2007, after gall bladder attack in June, '07.
Daily meds: 100 mg Azathioprine and 225 mg Effexor XR (for chronic, longstanding depression), many vitamins and Primadophilus Reuteri

I started something called "Adrenal Vitality" by Kal a couple of weeks ago.  I haven't noticed anything, but all I'm hoping for is to be able to get off the prednisone.  We'll see in a couple of months.  I'm doing a very, very slow taper.

this topic intrigues me... I've been on my 3rd course of pred for the last 6 months now. I've been tapering super slow also, but for me, it's because I get symptomatic when I taper, not because of the pred withdrawals. So- sasquatch, are you tapering the pred slowly because you flare when you get low, or are you tapering really slow for the adrenal reason? I'd never heard of adrenal support supplements until this post! They kind of freak me out.... I hate the pred withdrawals, the achy joints, fatigue, etc. once you're off pred, but I don't think I'd take any more supplements. I have no energy right now either, but chalked it up to constantly being in a mini-flare state, waking up about 2x a night to use the bathroom, & the Imuran & pred. What a drag....

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diagnosed with UC '02

I am intrigued by this too. I am steroid dependent - have been for years.  I need a supplement if its available.  I can no longer survive without pred.

I am tapering slow because last time I got to about 5 mg and started having symptoms of a flare (bleeding and d.) I figure my adrenal gland isn't working effectively after being fed so much synthetic junk for so long, that maybe I can give it a little boost. Will it help with inflammation of my colon? I don't know. But surely it can help with other problems that would arise from withdrawal. As with most supplements (though, technically not true) I figure it can't hurt most likely.

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Dx Left-sided UC Dec. 2006
Currently:
Azathioprine 200mg/day
Prednisone 2.5; 7.5; 10/7.5mg(trying to taper-started at 60 6/1)
Lialda 2/day
Multivitamin, B complex vit., fish oil, calcium, fiber supplement, probiotic

I finally got off the Pred. after being on it almost exactly 1 year. I've been off totally for a couple of weeks now and things seem to be going OK. I'm also up to 200 mg azathioprine. I continued to take the Adrenal Support and still am taking them, though I will probably stop taking them (or maybe taper off) in the next month. I'm inlined to think it was mainly the aza. that got me off the pred., but maybe the adrenal support helped a little. It seemed worth a try. I'm pretty tired, but I think that is from coming off the prednisone.

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UC diagnosed Dec. 2006
Azathioprine 200mg/day
Prednisone 2.5 (trying to taper-started at 60mg 6/1/07)
Multivitamin, B complex vit., fish oil, calcium, fiber supplement, probiotic, adrenal support

Cycling-sasquatch

Congratulations on getting off the pred. I am still trying to do that..

I want to increase my AZA to 200mg too, but I weigh 57kg so I don't think my GI will allow it. 

How much do you weigh?

Thanks

I weigh 180 lbs.

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UC diagnosed Dec. 2006
Azathioprine 200mg/day
Prednisone 0 ! (After nearly 1 year)
Multivitamin, B complex vit., fish oil, calcium, fiber supplement, probiotic, adrenal support