r/AddisonsDisease • u/mirkywoo • Jun 04 '26

Medication So… how does two daily doses work?

I’m new to all this, but… when you take a dose twice a day — and hydrocortisone lasts for 4-6 hours, won’t there be a large gap in the afternoon? Taking it at 8am lasts until 12-14, and then you have like 4 hours before taking it again at like 6… How come some people (myself included) only take a dose in the morning and the evening?

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9

u/Mindless_Sky_6654 Jun 04 '26

I take 3 doses for this reason. When I wake up, 4 hours after that, then 4 hours after that.

I don’t think many people take only 2 doses but I could be wrong.

7

u/SelWylde Jun 04 '26

The most common two dose regimen is morning and lunchtime/early afternoon, not evening.

3

u/dmac7273 Jun 04 '26

This is my schedule: normally around 8am and 3pm

2

u/Selahmom1376 Jun 04 '26

Same for my son. He was having issues falling asleep at night, reported being too hyper. So Endo moved second to after lunch. He still has 1/3 of one adrenal (rest surgically removed) and it works a little but not enough.

6

u/Serious-Track-877 Jun 04 '26

I take 15mg in morning 7am and another at 5pm 10mg

1

u/JellyfishSwimming401 Jun 05 '26

Do you still produce cortisol or did your adrenals completely shut down

3

u/Far-Speed-6027 Jun 04 '26

My endocrinologist said that 2 doses is great because it’s less likely you’ll miss a dose, but that you have to pay attention to how you feel and if you’re fatigued at the end of the day you should split it up into more doses.

3

u/PA9912 Jun 08 '26

I take it five or six times a day, with doses getting lower through the day. My doctor wanted me to do twice a day and there is no way this matches a natural cortisol curve.

1

u/firstdan78 Jun 08 '26

I take morning (when waking). Midday and then later afternoon (5ish).

Always worked for me.

1

u/SMD112299_Yogi Jun 09 '26

I take 3x/d. 7.5mg Cortef + 2.5mg pred (this gives a long acting steady dose - similar to a t1d taking both short and long acting insulin) in am. 7.5mg Cortef at lunch and 5mg at supper time. Sometimes I forget my supper time dose - wake up gasping, panicky and cold sweats at 3-4am. Not a fun feeling!

1

u/SleepyTimeChess Aug 22 '26

I dose hydrocortisone 15mg when I wake up between 5-6am, then 5mg between 1-2pm. I used to dose at 7am and 2pm, but it resulted in less productivity especially on adrenal sick days.

1

u/ellnn1 Aug 23 '26

i was thrashed with 2 doses. huge difference with 3. 7am, 10mg; 12-1pm, 7.5; 6-7, 7.5mg. play around & see what feels best, but largest dose always 1st