Addison's disease
Let us continue to speak so that people change their perception that all steroids are evil. Let's raise awareness. Let's make our future brighter - Amber, Living with Addison's Disease

image by: Addison's Disease Self-Help Group
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Do you have Adrenal Disease?
The adrenals are such tiny little things and so is the pituitary gland….so why are they such a BIG problem? I often joke and say that my pituitary went on vacation and never came back, so my adrenals don’t know what to do.
I was diagnosed with Isolated ACTH deficiency in 2001, and haven’t been well since. ACTH is a hormone made by the pituitary gland that signals the adrenals to produce cortisol. But, like I said my pituitary gland is on vacation. In my case, there is nothing that points to why or how I developed this disease.
I am always interested in how other people were diagnosed and how others cope with their condition. Although my doctor is well-informed, and treats a…
Resources
She Craved Salt and Felt Nauseated for Months. What Was Wrong?
She Craved Salt and Felt Nauseated for Months. What Was Wrong? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/magazine/addisons-disease-primary-adrenal-insufficiency.html The other disorder known to cause skin darkening is primary adrenal insufficiency (P.A.I.). The adrenals are triangular-shaped glands located on top of the kidneys. The tiny organs get their instructions from a natural chemical, ACTH (adrenocorticotropin hormone), which is made in the pituitary gland in the brain.
The Boy Had Common Symptoms, but It Turned Out He Had Something Rare and Dangerous
In children, adrenal insufficiency, also known as Addison’s disease, is usually caused by misguided warrior cells of the immune system destroying the thumb-size adrenal gland that sits on top of each kidney. These glands are the source of the “fight or flight” hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, which help the kidney manage the body’s level of sodium, potassium and glucose. When the adrenals are out of whack, patients are sick and tired. They often can’t keep anything down.
Stupid Body
You love to see me exhausted, weak and crying in my pillow. Handful of pills and potions don’t affect you at all.
Think Like a Doctor: Weaker and Weaker Solved!
On Thursday, we challenged Well readers to take on the case of a 19-year-old man who suddenly collapsed at work after months of weakness and fatigue dotted with episodes of nausea and vomiting. More than 500 of you wrote in with suggested diagnoses. And more than 60 of you nailed it. The cause of this man’s collapse, weakness, nausea and vomiting was… Addisonian crisis because of Addison’s disease
Addison Disease
Addison disease usually has an insidious course with gradual onset of symptoms which are non-specific and attributed to other conditions often resulting in delayed diagnosis. In many cases the diagnosis is made only after the patient is presented with an acute adrenal crisis (hypotension, hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, and hypoglycemia) precipitated by a stressful illness or factors such as infection, trauma, surgery, vomiting, and diarrhea. Addison disease can occur at any age but most often presents during the second to third decade of life.
Addison Disease: Early Detection and Treatment Principles
More than 150 years ago, Thomas Addison described a group of patients with anemia and diseased adrenal glands at autopsy, a condition now known as primary adrenal insufficiency. Autoimmune adrenalitis is the most common cause of primary adrenal insufficiency, or Addison disease, in the United States. Less common causes include infection, hemorrhage, metastatic cancer, medication use, and adrenoleukodystrophy. Autoimmune adrenalitis is a disorder in which the adrenal cortex is destroyed, resulting in the loss of mineralocorticoid, glucocorticoid, and adrenal androgen hormone production.
Addison’s and J.F.K.
The cause of Kennedy's Addison's disease, for this indeed was what he had was probably an atrophy of the adrenal due to a type of autoimmune response ' the body against its own tissues. It is a rare and irreversible condition. The cardinal symptom is a progressive weakness and tiredness - hardly desirable circumstances in one of the most powerful men in the world.
Good Videos for Addisonians
Fighting the monsters everyday of my life.
Living with Addison's disease
The disease is normally caused by the body's own immune system turning on the adrenal gland, but cancer and tuberculosis can also trigger the condition. The impact on the body can be significant. One steroid, called cortisol, is involved in controlling how much water there is in the body as well as helping to fight inflammation. Another, aldosterone, regulates salt and water levels and blood pressure.
Thomas Addison's disease after 154 years: modern diagnostic perspectives on an old condition
We make no apology for reproducing a large part of Addison's original description for it remains relevant and indeed accurate even in the era of modern medicine.
Do you have Adrenal Disease?
The adrenals are such tiny little things and so is the pituitary gland….so why are they such a BIG problem? I often joke and say that my pituitary went on vacation and never came back, so my adrenals don’t know what to do.
Addison's Disease Self-Help Group
Supporting people affected by Addison's - together, we're stronger.
Day by Day With My Adrenals
Fighting the monsters everyday of my life.
Addison's Disease Facts
Facts, information and support. Helping you learn about this rare disease and find good sources of support.
Addison's Disease-Rare+Life Threatening Illness
I'VE SET UP THIS PAGE TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THIS RARE CONDITION-for those who have never heard of it +/or those who have only just heard of this illness.hope it will help+inform people alike.
Australian Addison's Disease Association
Educate the medical profession to have a higher awareness of Addison's disease. Make the general public aware of Addison's disease. Supply up to date information to people with Addison's disease. Supply a caring network to give support for people with Addison's disease. In particular, we hope to share information relevant to sufferers of Addison's disease in and around Australia, and encourage mutual support through our growing network of State-based branches.
Finding Lana
Finding Lana is a personal account of a beautiful life even with serious health struggles. I openly share my past & present experiences while attending the University of Life. Join me. My writings combine present day happenings with old journal entries. For those of you with chronic illness, pain or disease, then you will probably relate, even if your condition is not similar, the human condition is often identical. Now, GO CONQUER!
The Canadian Addison Society
The primary purpose of our site is to offer information about Addison's Disease and other forms of Adrenal Insufficiency. Through our various support groups across Canada, we have contacts who may be able to provide information to the many questions a newly diagnosed patient might have, as well as the opportunity of personal contact with somebody who has experienced some of the concerns associated with the disease.
MayoClinic
The failure of your adrenal glands to produce adrenocortical hormones is most commonly the result of the body attacking itself (autoimmune disease).
MedicineNet
Addison's disease is an endocrine or hormonal disorder that occurs in all age groups and afflicts men and women equally. The disease is characterized by weight loss, muscle weakness, fatigue, low blood pressure, and sometimes darkening of the skin in both exposed and nonexposed parts of the body.
MedlinePlus
Lab tests can confirm that you have Addison disease. If you don't treat it, it can be fatal. You will need to take hormone pills for the rest of your life. If you have Addison disease, you should carry an emergency ID. It should say that you have the disease, list your medicines and say how much you need in an emergency.
NHS
Addison’s disease (also known as primary adrenal insufficiency or hypoadrenalism) is a rare disorder of the adrenal glands. It affects the production of two essential hormones called cortisol and aldosterone.
NORD
Fatigue is the most common symptom of Addison’s disease. Another common initial symptom of Addison’s disease is the development of patches of skin that are darker than the surrounding skin (hyperpigmentation).
Patient
Addison's disease is a condition in which your adrenal glands do not make enough of certain hormones. The condition is named after a Dr Thomas Addison who first described it in 1855. Addison's disease is rare. Just over 8,000 people in the UK have Addison's disease at any one time. Most cases first develop in people aged between 30 and 50. However, it can occur at any age.

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