Adrenal Suppression and Adrenal Recovery Induced by Megestrol Acetate
Adrenal Insufficiency
About this trial
This is an interventional health services research trial for Adrenal Insufficiency focused on measuring megestrol acetate, adrenal insufficiency, adrenal suppression
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Elderly males and females
- Age 65-80 years
- With stable (no history of urgent/ emergent care visits with health care provider/s in the preceding 2 months), medical conditions
Exclusion Criteria:
Subjects will be excluded if they have a history of (H/O):
- Dementia
- Adrenal disease
- Thromboembolism
- Diabetes mellitus
- Liver disease
- Electrolyte abnormalities; or
- Vaginal bleeding
- Hypertriglyceridemia
- CAD with CHF
- Unstable depression
- Schizophrenia; and
- Morbidly obese subjects.
Sites / Locations
- University of Arkansas For Medical Sciences
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Experimental
megace treatment
Study subjects will be given 600mg of MA for oral ingestion per day for duration of 8 weeks. They will be monitored every week clinically for the development of adrenal insufficiency by review of symptoms, physical exam, body weight, pulse, and blood pressure. Subjects also will undergo biochemical evaluation of adrenal status every two weeks by measurement of serum electrolytes, serum cortisol, serum adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH) levels, and the adrenal response to a low dose ACTH (1µgm) stimulation test(see methods).