Question: I’ve read that lots of common medicines and treatments can raise or lower cortisol. There’s not much mention of the quantity of these meds that affect cortisol though. Xanax and codeine lower, for example, and Zoloft, Ritalin, St. John’s Wort, alcohol, and even marijuana raise cortisol. Growth and thyroid hormones are reported to lower… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Leslie Edwin
Exogenous Cushing’s From Past Steroid Use?
Question: Can I develop exogenous Cushing’s from steroid use that stopped several years ago? I had a series of injections between 2010-2014 and this year I’ve been noticing some symptoms I suspect are Cushing’s. Answer 1: The effects of exogenous glucocorticoids can be subtle at first and are generally slowly progressive. It typically takes several… Continue Reading
Discovering Your Voice: Advocacy After Cushing’s
The Merriam-Webster dictionary has a three-pronged definition for the word advocate: one who pleads the cause of another; one who defends or maintains a cause; and one who supports or promotes the interests of a cause or group. From that definition alone, you can probably think of many things for which you are an advocate… Continue Reading
Confidence in Testing Methods
Question: Depending on what you read, some sources think the 24 hour urine is the “gold standard” test for Cushing’s, while others think it’s the dexamethasone suppression test. Some doctors will only start with a blood cortisol test, and a lot of resources I’ve read say that this is an almost worthless test. How can… Continue Reading
FIND THE RESOURCES YOU NEED AT EVERY STAGE
Connect
Contact Us