Adrenal Support While Tapering

If you have adrenal insufficiency from long term Prednisone use then the best thing you can do is to taper down to the lowest effective dose. Prednisone interferes with the normal production of cortisol by the adrenals. My endocrinologist told me 3 mg of Prednisone was a low enough dose for my adrenals to get the signal to produce cortisol again. I was told that it would take time for my adrenals to get up to speed so that my cortisol level would be normal again.

Prednisone depletes many vitamins and minerals. I can't say if it did any good or not but I took a multivitamin when I was on Prednisone. I got tired of various doctors telling me to take various individual vitamins and prescribing them one by one.. It seemed like every medical specialty had their favorite vitamin. I have read research that vitamins are crucial and artificial intelligence says there are several key vitamins to support adrenal function. I don't recall my endocrinologist telling me to take anything specific but I was already taking a multivitamin when my cortisol level was low.

Artificial intelligence says the following but check with your doctor first before treating yourself.

"Key Nutrients for Low/Dysregulated Cortisol
Vitamin C: The adrenal glands have one of the highest concentrations of Vitamin C in the body, using it to produce stress hormones.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): Known as a key nutrient for supporting adrenal function and promoting healthy cortisol levels.
Vitamin B6: Works alongside B5 to help regulate stress-related hormone production.
Magnesium: Helps modulate cortisol regulation, particularly when stress causes fluctuations.
Zinc & Selenium: Trace minerals that support adrenal health and hormone regulation."

I used OTC DHEA 25 mg. It helps with some of the symptoms. Senior levels drop as we age. It also can be subnormal when our adrenals are challenged after steroids. That and slow taper avoided problems.
Exercise?

@seniormed

DHEA supplements are somewhat controversial but I tried that too for a period of time. 🤔
https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/dhea-supplements-are-they-safe-or-effective
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Once again ... I'm not sure if DHEA did any good or not. I only know that after I finally tapered off Prednisone, my quality of life started to improve along with my increased cortisol level back to normal again. I was happy Actemra allowed me to taper off Prednisone. Actemra doesn't suppress my adrenal function.

Heck ... I remember that Actemra for PMR was controversial when I first started taking it. A self proclaimed PMR/prednisone expert on another forum was rather outspoken and was against Actemra. They claimed that Prednisone was the best option for quality of life and I should take it for the rest of my life. That person took Prednisone for roughly the same amount of time as me. Last I knew ... that person is now on Actemra but I don't know how that worked out or if they are still on Prednisone.