>Unfortunately, I'm left with adrenal insufficiency as a
>result, I believe, of the physical stress of a long-term
>vegetarian diet and long-undiagnosed IBD (my appendix blew
>into oblivion leaving me with life-threatening peritonitis,
>no terminal ileum and a slightly shorter colon some nine
>years ago).  So low-dose hydorcortisone is a permanent part
>of my future.

don't let the doctors put the idea in your mind that adrenal insufficiency
is an irreversible state,  your adrenals can reconstruct if enough of it is
left . To go into an addison crises you need 90 percent of the glands
destroyed the 10 percent left ,at that point are not enough to produce the
daily dose.
Needs for cortisone are widly variable depending on your life style and
level of stress .
the normal minimum dose for an addisonian ( complete failure of the adrenal
cortex)  is said to be 20 mg, to 30 mg  yet i know at least one person who
manage with 12.5 ( went down from 30 long term ) , i succed myself to go
down to 17.5.
In case of viral infection the requirements can go to 50 or more.
Before going into cortisone supplementation i will have tried DHEA 1rst or
adrenal extract ( from beef origine) if i was with still some adrenal
function.
Don't let them you believe that cortisone therapy in the long run will allow
you to live normally , the experience of the patients is very different ( i
am part of addison disease support group). One of the main risk is
osteoporosis  or polyglandular failure.
How much do you take?
jean-claude