Hydrocortisone is a mild steroid treatment – not to be confused with the type used by body-builders to gain muscle and strength very quickly – that is used to replace or top up cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol is a hormone normally produced by the body that is responsible for the ‘flight or fight’ response that all mammals have in moments of great danger. Sometimes the production of this hormone goes wrong, with people producing cortisol in response to long-term daily stresses instead of for intense moments of fear as it is intended, or not producing enough, which can