Addison's Disease Support Group

Hi MomofDylan,

I'm not sure I can help but I was fatigued for five years off and on and also lost energy. I have now learned that I almost went into adrenal crisis several times but I wasn't diagnosed with Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency until my adrenal glands almost reached complete atrophy. My tests were normal many times that I went to doctors so I asked my doctor who diagnosed me and she said that my body wasn't producing enough cortisol for my current needs resulting in almost adrenal crisis. I finally had my morning cortisol checked and it was a five two days in a row. Mine was getting progressively worse. You might ask your doctor to do a morning cortisol test and perhaps try you on some hydro-cortisone. You should also be checked for diabetes as a symptom of that is frequent unination. I hope this helps. Doctors are so clueless sometimes. Keep reaching out until you find answers.

Hi Again,

I'm not sure this will help but I'm reading The Schwarzbein Principle. She is an endocrinologist and has a website. It's www.schwarzbeinprinciple.com She is very good and it is refreshing to read a book that is both useful and accurate. She doesn't buy into a lot of what we have been told and neither do I.

I WAS DIAGNOSED HYPO LAST WEEK ALONG WITH SEVERE LOW RED BLOOD CELLS.(ANEMIA)ALOT OF DOC'S SEEM TO SHY AWAY FROM ADRENAL PROBS(I WISH I KNEW WHY) MY CHIROPRACTOR IS THE ONLY ONE WHO BELIEVES I HAVE ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY. I'M GETTING DESPERATE TRYING TO GET HELP. I HAVE ALL THE SYMPTOMS AND AFRAID TO TAKE THE SYNTHROID JUST YET BECAUSE YOUR'E NOT SUPPOSED TO TAKE IT WITH ADRENAL PROBLEM UNLESS THAT PROBLEM IS TREATED FIRST. BEEN TO TWO DOC'S SO FAR AND THEY DANCE AROUND MY QUESTIONS ABOUT ADRENALS AND CORTISOL. WHAT'S THE DEAL HERE, I'M THE PAYING PATIENT AND MY FAMILY NEEDS ME. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO RETURN TO WORK FOR 3 WEEKS NOW AND I HAD TO DROP MY CLASSES FOR THE FALL TERM, THIS SICKNESS IS MEESING MY LIFE UP. WHO CAN HELP?

Hello again and Hi Greenstar,

For some odd reason Endocrinologists don't want to see you unless you first get a work up from your PCP that shows something. I ran into this and was so desperate that when I got an appointment I said that I thought I was perimenopausal or pre diabetic. I had been shot down so many time that I didn't dare say too much about my adrenal function even though I knew that was my problem. I go in and tell her why I think I'm having these problems and then I tell her the real reason I'm there. I say I had an allergic reaction for five years to nickel that was in me. I tell her that I had it removed and that the swelling around my neck and a buffalo hump(Cushings Like Syndrome) appeared the day after the first attempt to get the clip out. I then suggest that if my body is fighting an inflamation for five years don't you think that would wear out your adrenals and she agrees. She she sets up some tests and I have a cortisol test done to check and to also check how the pituitary is working. Well the test on two different days comes back a 5 in the am for cortisol. She immediately puts me on hydrocortisone and tells me - this blows me away - you have secondary adrenal insufficiency due to an infiltration disease (like hemochromotosis - body stores iron) caused by the nickel. This means the nickel has infiltrated my HPA axis. In her notes she writes that it happened in the past six months. The funny thing is this was going on for quite sometime but didn't register because I wasn't out of the range. So here is my theory. I believe that when my cortisol was at a 12 for example and my body needed it to be at a 20 I was coming close to adrenal crisis but it never would have registered with the current medical diagnostic tests. All I can say is keep up with the research and keep trying to find a doctor that will listen to you. Good luck.

Wow, I am from NZ and we have a free medical system and reading these posts I feel so lucky. You really need to keep pushing if doctors aren't listening.
An ACTH test is the only test to flawlessly detect Addison's disease, so that is what you need to get.

Even with the free system it took a long time for me to get diagnosed, but in the end I just went to the doctor and demanded she refer me for an ACTH test.

Listen to your body. You are the only one who knows how you feel and Addison's can be fatal. Surely you can demand the test? All the best.

Also Addison's doesn't cause thyroid problems, though Autoimmunity is often the cause of Addison's and Thyroid issues. And if you have one autoimmune disease you have an increased chance of getting another.
Billie

It sure sounds like Addinson's. I was diagnosed with both Addinson's disease and Thyroid disease 10yrs. ago. It took my Dr. 3mos. to finally figure out that i had Addinson's; because the symptoms can come across as being either the Flu; or Pnumonia. I STRONGLY SUGGEST that you Demand that your Dr. does a Cortisol test and fast!!!!

Wanted to let you know that I have had a lot of the symtoms you are talking about. Have you had a CT done? I have had one the last three yrs. but it was due to kidney stones and just this yr. I was burning on my left side and my new doctor order one and an MRI and found a tumor in my adrenal gland. Went to a kidney doctor and all those tests and he said it is a non functioning one. But, I am on a pill to keep me from having a extra heartbeat. Was having chest pains and went through all the tests for my heart and when I read about the tumor thing it all fits. Let me know and check into it : )

WOW!!! You are singing my song! There are lots of side effects and cvommonalities with all allergies and endocrine problems. All of your side effects are possible for your host of issues.

I also have carpal tunnel, allergies, addisons, depression, etc...it is all part of environmental allergies, stress, and illness.

Don't give up. You can find a way to work with your set of issues. Embrace your difficulties and you will inspire others. Sometimes that is all that we can do...especially when we feel awful about our set of circumstances.

Penny

I wanted to give an update her as I have new information. I discovered with the help of a biotoxin savvy doctor that the medical procedure I had (a biopsy) caused mold to grow in my breast. I was then re-exposed to mold in a Sick Building. This is when it was medically determined that I had adrenal problems. At that time my endocrinologist said it happened in the last six months. So for me it was mold. Shoemaker thinks that many people are being misdiagnosed (estimates 10M) that actually have biotoxin disease. Biotoxin disease is a multi-symptom, multi-system disease and most doctors don't know anything about it.

You sound like me, I think you probably have Hashimoto's Disease, It autoimmune thyroid disease, primarily hypothyroid but lots hyperthyroidism too. I read your post and thought the night sweats drove me nuts, low pulse and blood pressure, palpitations, constipation, carpal tunnel, tendonitis. Basically I have had every symptom listed above, You ask Endo TPOantibodies test and he will confirm it. It's complicated and treatment is really difficult. I am a swinging hashi's from hypo to hyper. Bipolar style.