Lisette1281 "Minnie, how long were you on the hydrocortisone after surgery? Did they meause your 8 am cortisol two days after surgery? My level was a bit low and I'm on hydrocortisone for awhile. I'm hoping that will be temporary." Since I had surgery for Cushings disease, my body was making too much hydrocortisone, so I am on a hydrocortisone taper. What that means is post op, my body didn't make any cortisol, because the normal ACTH cells in the pituitary were suppressed from the tumor cells. The normal ACTH cells have forgotten how to tell the adrenals how to make cortisol. In a cushings patient, the hydrocortisone is withheld 24 hrs after surgery to see if the surgery is successful. A post operative surgery that has a cortisol of less than 7.5 indicates a very high level of disease remission. In some patients though, the adrenals are so hyperplaised from years of hypercortisolemia, that it takes time before the cortisol levels drop. In those cases, it is a tough call to go right in and look for more tumor at the pituitary, or take a wait and see approach. So, in answer to your question, I am still on hydrocortisone, 20 mgs right now at 9 weeks post op, and I will know the end of the week if I can drop 5 mgs. I expect it will take a year for me to be off the hydrocortisone, if I can totally ever be off of it. Work with your doctor, and don't just stop the hydrocortisone. It has to be tapered slowly and you need lots of blood tests to tell the doctor where you are at. Hope this helps. Minnie | 