Safe Uses of Cortisol

The Safe Use of Cortisol by William McK Jefferies MD is a medical classic, and along with its companion classic by Broda Barnes, Hypothyroidism, the Unsuspected Illness, both books should be required reading by every medical student and MD and deserve a prominent place in every medical library. I have read both numerous times, and plan to re-read both again.This book contains a condensation of clinical knowledge from the career of a medical giant, and a wealth of knowledge not found anywhere else, and is complete with references to the medical literature, case histories, laboratory studies and dosages.In this slim volume, Safe Use of Cortisol, Dr. McK Jefferies points out an important distinction which is not widely known by mainstream doctors or the public. This is the distinction between the lower and completely safe, physiologic doses of cortisol, and the dangerous higher pharmacologic dosage levels commonly used by mainstream doctors to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other auto-immune diseases.While the lower cortisol doses below 40 mg per day are safe, above this dosage level is increased risk of adrenal suppression, and increased risk of adverse side effects including moon face, osteoporosis with spontaneous fractures, thinning of skin with easy bruising, striae, subcutaneous hemorrhages, fluid retention with edema, and cataracts.Cortisol is widely available as inexpensive Cortef from the corner drug store, and is the bio-identical hormone secreted by the adrenal gland. Since it is a natural hormone, it cannot be patented, explaining the lack of funding for research by the pharmaceutical companies.Chapter 4 of the book discusses generally accepted uses of Cortisol, starting with the most logical use which is adrenal insufficiency, also called Addison's disease. However, McK Jefferies also discusses mild adrenal insufficiency, which is not usually recognized by mainstream doctors, and should be. Other uses of low dose cortisol include ovarian dysfunction with infertility, chronic fatigue, allergies and auto-immune diseases.McK Jefferies relies on the Cortrosyn ACTH stimulation test to evaluate adrenal function, as well as urinary cortisol metabolites and serum cortisol tests. He also addresses thyroid function as part of the overall clinical picture; hence the connection with Broda Barnes and the continued advocacy of McK Jefferies' work by the Broda Barnes Institute.I found Chapter 5, Gonadal Dysfunction and Infertility, to be the most fascinating and clinically useful chapter. McK Jefferies used low dose cortisol to successfully treat thousands of young women suffering from irregular menstrual cycles, ovarian dysfunction, hirsutism (facial hair, and acne, both signs of elevated testosterone).Nowadays, teenagers with irregular menstrual bleeding are routinely given birth control pills with synthetic hormones to regulate their cycles. The synthetic hormones in BCPs are associated adverse side effects and do not address the underlying fertility issues.Unknown to the mainstream medical system, the real treatment for irregular menstrual bleeding is found in this medical classic book, namely low dose cortisol and thyroid which successfully normalizes menstrual cycles and restores fertility. Dr. McK Jefferies suggests that the cause of the infertility and irregular periods in these patients is usually excess adrenal production of either androgen (PCOS) or estrogen, and the low dose cortisol serves to suppress this excess hormone production by the adrenals and allow normal ovarian function.Now recognized as the most common genetic disorder in the population, (CYP21A2) non-classical 21-hydroxylase deficiency is associated with menstrual irregularities, hirsutism and acne from elevated testosterone. Rather than low dose cortisol, current practice is to use similar low dose dexamethasone (See the 2006 review in J Clin Endo & Metab Vol. 91, No. 11 4205-4214, by Maria I New). Perhaps non-classical 21-OH should be renamed McJefferies Syndrome to give proper credit to this great clinician.McJefferies stresses that normalization of thyroid function is also required for menstrual regularity and fertility. Broda Barnes agrees with McK Jefferies on the importance of thyroid for normalizing menstrual cycles, and both treat with thyroid medication even though the thyroid blood tests may be completely normal. They have found the blood tests to be unreliable. This is at variance with mainstream medical practice which clings dogmatically to the thyroid blood tests. Most mainstream doctors would refuse to offer thyroid medication unless there is a documented "out of range" lab value.Chapter 9 deals with using low dose cortisol for viral infections such as influenza. Although there was some initial concern that low dose cortisol would reduce immunity in some way, Dr. Mc Jefferies was surprised to find in clinical practice that his patients maintained on low dose cortisol typically reported fewer common colds and other viral illnesses than their family members, suggesting an enhancement of immunity. Another practice he used was to increase the cortisol dosage when patients felt a common cold or viral influenza coming on. He found that this enabled the patient to ward off or recover from the illness more quickly. Of course, he also points out that excess doses of cortisol would have the opposite effect and impair resistance to infection.The final chapters of the book discuss the use of low dose physiologic cortisol for rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, auto-immune disease, chronic fatigue.In addition to the ACTH stimulation tests still in use today, we now have the newer, salivary cortisol testing which I am sure Mc Jefferies would have found useful in his day. What he would have written about the use of salivary cortisol testing ? Unfortunately we will never know. Perhaps a future medical author will build on McK Jefferies work and incorporate salivary testing and other new developments in a future book.I reviewed the third edition which was published in 2004. The first edition was published in 1983. Other books recommended along side this one are, Adrenal Fatigue by James Wilson, Hypothyroidism, the Unsuspected Illness by Broda Barnes, From Fatigued to Fantastic: by Jacob Teitelbaum, Your Thyroid and How to Keep it Healthy by Barry Durrant Peatfield.Jeffrey Dach MD

This exceptionally unique book is written by a medical doctor with a page long impressive credentials and fifty years of experience studying "the safe uses of cortisol", the most important hormone in human body and " the only hormone that is absolutely essential for life", in treating different illnesses. The book starts telling the story of the initial success of treating patients with R. Arthritis with cortisol and how and why the by cortisol use has fallen from grace after the medical community discovering the devastating side effects of cortisol use in large doses. According to the book, at the time, the optimal levels of this hormone or how patients should take it were not known. Instead of giving patients, whose bodies' would normally make 35-40 mg cortisol daily if they had fully functioning adrenal glands, the optimal amount of cortisol of 2.5 mg-10 four times a day, patients were given hundreds of mgs of cortisol daily resulting in terribly side effects giving the steroid treatment the bad reputation it has today. The book also covers safe use of cortisol in treatment of gonadal dysfunction/infertility , R. Arthritis, allergies, autoimmune disorders, such as lupus, hyperthyroidism with diffuse goiter, chronic thyroiditis, diabetes mellitus, regional enteritis and ulcerative colitis and multiple sclerosis (they are listed in the chapter headed "Other Autoimmune Disorders), viral infections including common cold, influenza, infectious mononucleosis and shingles. Also the author reports that "it is a known fact that the influenza virus attacks the human body by impairing the production of ACTH which in turn, impairs the production of cortisol." There is another part in the book mentioning his suspicion about hypertension is also being related to adrenal dysfunction.Each chapter of the book has relevant case studies of patients which are reported in a scientific research format and the book is very technical at times. Although the thirty percent of this book went over my head, I was able to get the one hundred percent of the message.In my opinion this is an excellent book to read for someone suffering from chronic illness. You may also benefit from reading the part I and the part III of Dr. Pamela Smith's book, "Women's Hormones" (The part I lists the names and the function of the chemical messengers called hormones in human body and symptoms/treatment of the deficiencies) and watching Dr. Frank Shallenberger's free educational video, "Healing Chronic Disease. How to Keep Your Adrenals and Thyroid Happy." Unfortunately, mainstream medicine and doctors are not informed about this subject at all. That's why what was really helpful for me was to go to the American Academy of Anti-Aging and Metabolic Medicine website(4a) and find a doctor who finished a two year fellowship. By the way, if you can't tolerate cortef (bio-identical cortisol), isocort (bio-identical plant based cortisol) or licorice as a cortisol replacement (I had severe side effects with every one of them), one of the most commonly used herbs in TCM(Traditional Chinese Medicine), schisandra or schizandra, works just like cortisol without the side effects, yet it has steroid like qualities.

Excelente livro traz todas informações necessárias a prática da fisiologia humana e a utilização segura do Cortisol.Torna mais fácil a clínica

I purchased the book because members of my family have adrenal insufficiency and use cortisol for the condition and I needed to understand how to use HC safely. The book provides very clear information on how to use cortisol safely, and without bad effects, for many medical issues. If spomeone in your family needs to use cortisol then Safe Uses of Cortisol is a classic and you shouldn't hesitate to purchase it.Just a word of advice if you are considering buying it - check the prices on Amazon.com as well as Amazon.uk as you may find it is cheaper to buy it on the US site. I purchased my copy from a market place seller on the UK site and the book was sent to me from the US site and when I checked the prices I found I could have paid £15 less (inc delivery) had I bought it from the US site. There are market place sellers playing the difference in prices between items on the UK and US sites.I have spoken to Amazon about this but they aren't interested.

Very informative studies on various immune disorders. Dr. Jefferies debunks the universally held thought that cortisol is bad for you - the magic is in the dosing. And finally, I found the price of this book to be very inflated.

As I am required to take steroids on a regular basis, I was eager to discover more about them. After much searching I came across this book. Given there is so much confusing information floating around about corticosteroids it really seemed a no brainer to read the conclusions by an undisputed expert in the field, following a lifetime of research. Unfortunately I was not been able to find a copy of the book for less than a criminal price - Amazon being the cheapest on offer. However, I took the plunge and purchased it. Indeed the contents are worth their weight in gold. Why this book remains priced out of the market is beyond me - given the invaluable knowledge it contains for anyone either on, or considering taking corticosteroids. It should be standard reading for any one taking or administering these drugs (take note GP's). Now it's the first point of reference I advise anyone to go to!

Nothing short of excellent! I wish I'd have had this to refer to this time last year.. but if you're taking or considering taking hydrocortisone medication, you can't afford not to read this. Doctors (and I thought I had the best guiding me) know so little about hydrocortisone, I was terrified of it and as a result spent MONTHS on a dosage far too low. It is essential to educate yourself. I really really wish this was compulsory reading for medical students and doctors worldwide. It would save an awful lot of unnecessary suffering. Don't hesitate to buy this. Worth every penny!