Methods and compositions for treating glucocorticoid excess

A method for treating diabetes and lowering intracellular cortisol in a human patient with diabetes and an elevated level of cortisol, comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of an HSD-1 inhibitor compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the therapeutically effective amount of the compound, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, is about 0.2 mg to about 40 mg daily, wherein the HbA1c levels are decreased compared to the patient's HbA1c levels before the compound is initially administered to the patient, and wherein the HSD-1 inhibitor compound does not show tachyphylaxis for HSD-1 inhibition.