Can You Use Prednisone or Hydrocortisone to Calm the Immune System?

Can You Use Prednisone or Hydrocortisone to Calm the Immune System?

Can you use prednisone or hydrocortisone to calm the immune system? It is done with lots of people.  Prednisone is four times more potent than hydrocortisone.  We usually use hydrocortisone at subthreshold doses for people whose adrenals are not making enough cortisol. You can do a morning cortisol test.  If the patient tests at the bottom of normal we'll give them a little bit of hydrocortisone to fill in the gap. This is also done in hospitals with infections. Prednisone is usually reserved for cases that are out of control because you can only use it for so long.  Prednisone is literally suppressing everything.  The good side is prednisone will stop the big bad symptoms.  The bad side is it deranges your adrenal reserve and you don't know what's going on underneath.  So, yes, if they're clinically indicated they're great tools but they have to be managed pretty specifically.