LeroyB

Very interesting info. Personally I think that it will be primarily useful to Pseudo Cushing's patients as strong cortisol inhibition effects would have a an effect in not only lowerinf cortisol levels, but also in allowing the HPA Axis to re-set and allow cortisol secretion levels to return to normal. Leroy

Personally I would stay asfar away from soy products as I could! Soy is a "health" food scam that has been hoisted on the consumer's shoulders. Most of the studies done showing its supposed health effects are studies sponsired by the giant soy industry associations. Even the most conventional of medical minds concede that soy slows down your thyroid. But to get a better idea of the full scam behind soy, read the book: "The Whole Soy Story" - By Kaayla Daniel, PhD, CCN Also some links to review: General Info: http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html Studies Done: http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/dangersisoflavones.html http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/soy_studies.html http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/morestudies.html http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/soy-update-wi2004.htm Soy Articles http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/soyconquest.html http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/ploy.html http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/darkside.html http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/isoflavones.html http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/soyandbrain.html http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/soy_controversy.html http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/tragedy.html http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/soy_toxicity.html http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/notmilk.html http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/lecithin.html http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/promotion.html http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/thyroidproblems.html Leroy

What is very interesting is that the field of Neuropsychiatry has been doing trials and clinical studies of Mifepristone in severely depressed and / or several anxiety patients who have hypercortisolism (what would - to us - be a specific variations of Pseudo Cushing's). In those cases (whether you want to call them psychologically induced Pseudo Cushing's or severe depression/anxiety with hypercortisolism), the neuropsychiatrist researchers have had amazing results with Mifepristone in a high-dose but short-term protocol (usually only last 4 - 7 days). In their trials, the researchers have had some very good results in apparently getting the HPA Axis to re-set and effect cures of these conditions. Most of the research has been done by Satnford University and NIH / NIMH. Some links: http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2000...ru486-1108.html http://www.psycport.com/showArticle.cfm?xm...r=Business+Wire http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...t_uids=11593077 http://www2.eclinicalpsychiatrynews.com/sc...&id=aqc04032616 http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/p040592.html http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00048269 http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/gui/show/NCT0...B?amp%3Border=1 Leroy

Will simply post without further comment... http://www.jci.org/cgi/content/full/108/8/...l&pmid=11602619 J Clin Invest, October 2001, Volume 108, Number 8, 1123-1131 Copyright ?2001 by the American Society for Clinical Investigation Retinoic acid prevents experimental Cushing syndrome Marcelo P?ez-Pereda1, Damian Kovalovsky2, Ursula Hopfner1, Marily Theodoropoulou1, Uberto Pagotto1, Eberhard Uhl3, Marco Losa4, Johanna Stalla1, Yvonne Gr?bler1, Cristina Missale5, Eduardo Arzt2 and G?nter K. Stalla1 1 Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany 2 Laboratorio de Fisiolog?a y Biolog?a Molecular, Universidad de Buenos Aires and Argentine National Research Council (CONICET), Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina 3 Department of Neurosurgery, University of Munich, Munich, Germany 4 Department of Neurosurgery, San Raffaele Scientific Research Institute (IRCCS) San Raffaele, University of Milano, Milano, Italy 5 Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy Address correspondence to: Marcelo P?ez-Pereda, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstrasse 10, 80804 Munich, Germany. Phone: 49-89-30622-272; Fax: 49-89-30622-605; E-mail: marcelo{at}mpipsykl.mpg.de. Received for publication August 17, 2000, and accepted in revised form August 27, 2001. ABTRACT: Cushing syndrome is caused by an excess of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) production by neuroendocrine tumors, which subsequently results in chronic glucocorticoid excess. We found that retinoic acid inhibits the transcriptional activity of AP-1 and the orphan receptors Nur77 and Nurr1 in ACTH-secreting tumor cells. Retinoic acid treatment resulted in reduced pro-opiomelanocortin transcription and ACTH production. ACTH inhibition was also observed in human pituitary ACTH-secreting tumor cells and a small-cell lung cancer cell line, but not in normal cells. This correlated with the expression of the orphan receptor COUP-TFI, which was found in normal corticotrophs but not in pituitary Cushing tumors. COUP-TFI expression in ACTH-secreting tumor cells blocked retinoic acid action. Retinoic acid also inhibited cell proliferation and, after prolonged treatment, increased caspase-3 activity and induced cell death in ACTH-secreting cells. In adrenal cortex cells, retinoic acid inhibited corticosterone production and cell proliferation. The antiproliferative action and the inhibition of ACTH and corticosterone produced by retinoic acid were confirmed in vivo in experimental ACTH-secreting tumors in nude mice. Thus, we conclude that the effects of retinoic acid combine in vivo to reverse the endocrine alterations and symptoms observed in experimental Cushing syndrome. Full study report is at above provided link..... Leroy

Jeez, I don't mind the shots (now blood ests and IVs horrify me - yes, a big guy like me - but I can take shts all day).... But I just wished that my endo or someone connected with this would have brought this matter up.... Leroy

I have been informed by multiple people (off Board) that Cushies, especially those with high cortisol levels, are considered "hgighly-at-risk" persons for flu shot persons and very definitely should be getting flu shots. Apparently due to effect of excessive cortisol shi=utting down one's immune system... I noted that by local Endo nor my PCP or my Urologist or my GI specialist mentioned this.... Any standard thoughts or protocol on this??? LeroyB