Addison's Disease

[bren22]

Has anyone been diagnosed with Addison's disease? I read a newspaper article and it seem to be me. I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis which I am being treat for. I don't think that my med levels are right as of yet. I had one bad cortisol test (1/3 of the low end of normal). My next test was normal. Can the levels fluctuate like that? Or is a mistake at the lab more likely? I have been gaining weight. I am absolutely exhausted. I have been more dizzy than normal. I am craving salt like crazy and am so thirsty. My blood glucose levels seem normal. Any ideas?

[sue1234]

If you've had mixed cortisol results, it might be a good idea to ask your doctor to do a cortrosyn stimulation test to make sure your adrenals can stimulate. If not, then you would need some kind of treatment.

From what I understand of the adrenals, Addison's happens when something like 80 or 90% of the glands quit working correctly. So, I guess I could see where you could have a low, then a normal, and so on. It could be that your glands are almost there, or if it is a pituitary issue, then maybe hypopituitary. That would mean the glands are not getting the message to put out more cortisol.

Gaining weight is usually not an Addison thing, as MOST people lose weight. But, you never know.

[Kitsakatsa]

I think there's alot of interplay between symptoms of Addison's and POTS. Half the time we think I have that in addition to POTS.

Do you have any areas of darkness on you skin (besides outside elbows)?

I understand that Addisonians have severe leg cramping. These are tale tell signs (along with weight loss as previously said) that separate the cluster of symptoms from POTS. There is such a cross over (adrenals, I believe) that Florinef is used for both.

I wonder if anyone has ever had both.... interesting.

Kits