Step I HPA axis feedback, exogenous cortisol

[aspiringmd1015]

with those questions that we see with arrows going up and down, if im giving exogenous glucocorticoids, will the level of cortisol be increased in the patient, even though he's endogenously not producing it, but its being provided exogenously

 

[dorster]

I'm pretty sure if someone is prescribed prednisone for example their endogenous cortisol level would probably be suppressed so you would expect cortisol in the serum to be low

edit: just saw that apparently dexamethasone is the only glucocorticoid that doesn't mimic cortisol level in serum so i guess it would depend on which glucocorticoid the patient was given