What causes your adrenals to slowly stop working sometimes is if you are on steroids for a period of time. The steroids send the signal to your adrenals that they are covering your problem. So your adrenals start producing less and less cortisol. Some people have turned around their adrenals, but they usually aren't that far into shutting down. When you are at 0-5, like I am in the morning there is no getting them moving again.

Do you know what your cortisol is like toward afternoon? Have you had it measured?

Also, did you tell me you don't take any other hormones and was there a reason like surgical menaopuase? See, my doctor would say that is a reason TO take at least pregosterone. Migraines can be made worse by estrogen, but I truly wonder how you would do on some progesterone and see if you could stop those blasted migraines. I thought you told me you had surgical menopause to stop migraines but from you are now saying it did not work. Gosh, I feel so badly for you, hon.

I have no cortisol usually, I test every 3 months for my endo. It's usually under 1. When they tested me recently because I was so sick they wanted to know my afternoon from the steroids, I was 22 at 2 in the afternoon and could barely walk I was so sick.

I did have surgical menopause in my early 40's and no HRT. The reason was to try and stop the migraines, so no hormones at all. It turned out I was born with celiac and gluten plus lack of cortisol made my headaches terrible. Got so bad I had a small stroke and two TIA's from the pressure in my head. I took morphine for a few years, didn't touch the pain. But I was working somehow then. You do what you have to do for the family.

I did have steroid shots in my occipital nerve in the back of my head to try and stop the headaches. Might be part of the reason I got this this disease. I had the shots for at least a year.

For Lynn and any other women who suffer from migraines, I have copied some info on the use of natural progesterone. Even if you hae had a hysterctomy, you can use progesterone. My mother does still at the age of 91. Any doctor who says you can't doesn't know what they are talking about. Anytime menopause takes place it is in our best interest to replace our hormones if possible with bio identical hormones only. These do not carry the risks of synthetic hormones. But here is the info on progesterone and migraines
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A migraine is a vascular headache that involves the excessive dilation or contraction of the brains blood vessels. Migraines are classified into two major types: classic and common. The common migraine slowly produces a throbbing pain that may last from two to seventy-two hours. Often centered at the temple or behind one ear, the pain is severe. Alternatively, it can begin at the back of the head and spreads to one entire side of the head (the word "migraine" comes from the Greek hemikrania, which means 'half a skull'). Nausea, vomiting, blurred vision and tingling with numbness in the limbs can last up to eighteen hours usually accompany a full blown-migraine.

A classic migraine is preceded by a set of symptoms referred to as an aura which can consist of speech disorder, weakness, and disturbances in the senses of vision and/or smell.

Causes of Migraine Headaches

One factor behind higher incidence of migraines in women may be fluctuations in the level of the hormone estrogen. Around the time of menstruation, when there is hormonal fluctuation, women typically get migraines. Any number of things can trigger a migraine in a susceptible individual including allergies, stress, constipation, too much or too little sleep, liver malfunction, emotional changes, sun glare, hormonal changes, flashing lights, lack of exercise, and changes in barometric pressure. Low blood sugar is frequently associated with migraines and studies have shown that blood sugar levels are low during a migraine attack and the lower the blood sugar level the more severe the headache. Dental problems may also be a factor.

Smoking can cause an attack because the nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke affects the blood vessels the nicotine constricts them while the carbon monoxide tends to expand them. Foods may also precipitate an attack. Some of the most common offenders are chocolate, citrus fruits, alcohol (especially red wine), and any food that is pickled, cured, aged, fermented, yeasty, or soured.

Natural Progesterone Cream and Migraine Headaches

Transdermal application of topical progesterone immediately at the onset of a headache, has successfully aborted significant numbers of migraines. A suggested amount is up to 1 teaspoon of progesterone cream. This simple and often effective treatment, is worth trying with most female migraine sufferers.

Migraine headaches that occur with regularity in women only at premenstrual times are most likely due to estrogen dominance. Estrogen causes dilation of blood vessels, and thus contributes to the cause of migraines. One of the many virtues of natural progesterone is that it helps restore normal vascular tone, counteracting the blood vessel dilation that causes the headache. Progesterone is safe and treats the cause in a normal, physiologic way. The more dangerous pharmaceutical drugs can be reserved for the rare case that does not respond completely to progesterone.

Natural Alternatives for Migraines

Bioidentical Progesterone Cream

Natural bioidentical progesterone cream provides significant relief from symptoms related to shifts in the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. It is known that transdermal application allows for easier absorbtion also, with any oral medication or supplement the health and state of the colon can compromise its effectiveness. Natural bioidentical progesterone provides a safe alternative to regulate PMS without the use of artifical pharmaceutical hormones.

This is why I have adrenal insufficiency. I have a cervical spinal cord injury. Weird case. My injury occurred 30 yrs. ago with no physical symptoms. I was assaulted by my ex husband with a direct slam to the neck. Six years ago symptoms from both upper and lower body arise. As they proceeded to get worse I landed in ER. Steroids would help,so I was medicated off and on with them. But doctors still didn't know what my problem was until I landed in the hospital with out of control pain. Again getting high doses of steroids. I'm in my 2nd yr. away from that and my blood pressure dropped so low I couldn't get up. This happened several times. My doctor tried several therapies. Not responding he tested my adrenals. My Endocrinologist said the trauma my body has gone through, steroids and narcotics exhausted my adrenal system. It still works but too puny to support good organ function. I'm taking Dexamethasone. I asked if I can get better and she told me we have to wait and see. My spinal cord can't get better but my nerves can if they didn't suffer too much damage. My injury left me with a spasticity component. I'm having some paralysis issues that come and go . Since the discovery of my adrenal problem I'm hoping that was impeding my progress and now I will improve without so much down time between. For sure I was getting a double whammy on fatigue.