I recently found out that I am pregnant! Do I need to make adjustments in my cortisol or Florinef during pregnancy?
Generally, no. There may need to be adjustments as the pregnancy progresses. This will depend on any symptoms that develop during the pregnancy. However you will need extra cortisol during the delivery. I have a pregnant patient who has been very symptomatic with low blood pressure (weak, tired feeling, dizzy, unable to work, etc.) Cortisol studies have been normal. Would she benefit from treatment with Florinef? Is there harm in using this? There are several changes in adrenal function occurring during normal pregnancy that make tests difficult to interpret. Measurement of urinary free cortisol during pregnancy usually results in levels which are about twice the normal values. This suggests that cortisol secretion increases during normal pregnancy. Progesterone levels rise dramatically during pregnancy and progesterone has interesting effects on both cortisol and aldosterone. First of all it binds to corticosteriod binding globulin (CBG) and displaces cortisol at the same time that es
