Antibody Tests on Prescription Hydrocortisone
 

Perhaps this is one of those questions with a perfectly obvious answer, but I'm going to ask it anyway: will 20 mg of hydrocortisone daily affect results from antibody tests? I got three negatives (one a very nearly positive) from tests done recently. I was diagnosed quite a number of years ago as having adrenal insufficiency and take hydrocortisone daily. The hc really does seem to help, but each dose only works for about 3.5 hours. I also take levothroid and Armour Thyroid for hypothyroidism.
Best,
Laurie

Dyankee, Whether it's ingested, inhaled, or rubbed on, steroids do have an effect on antibody production!

Do you have adrenal insufficiency or Addison's disease? It might be time for a recheck with an endocrinologist!

This is archived prescribing information for levothroid. I don't know which brand you take. It has a lot of potential drug and food interactions, including steroids.

http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed...b-0a05d41f0012

Is there a reason you take both that and Armour Thyroid?

I really think a consult with an endo would be a good idea. No question is stupid, especially when it comes to drugs!!

Annie

Hi, Annie: Thank you for answering so promptly. Believe it or not, I just came from my doc who claims that hc absolutely, positively CANNOT interfere with antibody tests. Ugh! I've taken thyroid medication for over thirty years, but in the last fifteen or so levothyroxine alone didn't seem to be effective anymore. My free T3 level kept going down and finally bottomed out well below the range. We added Armour in and retested over and over until we finally got both T4 and T3 in range, but ever after TSH came in at the bottom of the range. I've gotten into more upsets with endos over this. Even the doc who prescribed this regimen has his doubts from time to time and we go back over the same ground. As to the hc, it was prescribed for adrenal fatigue. Once again (as I have before) I'm giving serious thought to weaning off...except that I don't want to give up MORE of my life to exhaustion. Caught between a rock and a hard place.
Best,
Laurie

The whole point of taking the corticosteroids is to decrease the production of antibody. Those people are being paid way too much for what they do.......

You're too funny....but the truth is, I've found very, very few doctors who actually seemed to be medical professionals; most practice "One size fits all" protocols they learned in medical school. And danged arrogant about it, too. If your problems don't fit within their personal knowledge you must be a hypochondriac. I live in Massachusetts, a state the went with universal health care a couple of years ago. One truly frightening result is that you have a fifteen minute (or less) appointment and if you aren't diagnosed in that time you are out of luck. "NEXT"!

I don't know too much about hydrocortisone affecting antibody tests - I'm on 25mg HC daily for Primary Addison's Disease and have had antibody tests (for Sjogren's & R. arthritis and both came back negative. Re the hypothyroidism I had see-sawing high-low abnormal results for TSH tests and found an easy (and cheap) solution. 1 tsp kelp flakes (for iodine) daily added to food - I also take 200mg daily Vit E to assist with the iodine absorption. Since starting over 18mths ago my TSH tests have been consistently within normal range. Please note I did not have diagnosed Hypothyroidism but it is fairly common for it develop after an Addison's diagnosis. Also I tried this only after discussing it with my GP. I'm sure you are also aware that you should not stop your HC suddenly - tapered reduction is important. Good luck

Hydrocortisone replacement is different
 

For those of us who have adrenal failure/insufficiency, taking hydrocortisone is actually replacing what our bodies should be producing but aren't. This puts us in the same category as people who have normal adrenal function, and therefore shouldn't cause any suppression of antibody production. I agree that taking corticosteroids on top of normal adrenal function, in high doses, will suppress antibody production--this is why they use it, after all. It also suppresses the adrenal glands, which is why you have to taper off slowly.

But if your adrenal glands don't produce enough to begin with, your life literally depends on taking replacement cortisol. Read about Addison's crisis--this is not where we want to go. I would strongly encourage you to keep taking the hydrocortisone, and find an endocrinologist who can evaluate you for Schmidt's syndrome: adrenal failure/insufficiency plus either/both of thyroid failure/insufficiency and/or Type ONE diabetes.

As Laurie said, there is a very short effect from hydrocortisone--it is not like prednisone. Cortisol is necessary for normal cell function in your body. Adrenal failure/insufficiency is not a condition to take lightly--you can die from it.

Please be careful ... just sayin'.

Rose, I'm sorry, but that is, in fact, incorrect. Hydrocortisone has the same effect on the adrenals, whether you have Addison's or not.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supp...s/drg-20075259

http://www.rxlist.com/cortef-drug/cl...armacology.htm

The bottom line is that it suppresses the immune system, the one that produces antibodies. It can make tests look normal when they actually are not.

Guys, any steroid has far reaching effects and on various parts of the body.

Annie