Addison’s disease, also called adrenal insufficiency, is a rare, life-threatening autoimmune disorder that occurs when your adrenal glands (located just above the kidneys) do not produce sufficient quantities of life-sustaining hormones mainly cortisol and aldosterone.

It affects roughly 10 people in 1 million.

Adrenal Insufficiency leaves the person on replacement medication daily for survival for the rest of their lives and every day at risk of a life-threatening adrenal crisis.

In addition to not producing the life-sustaining hormone cortisol people living with Addison's cannot regulate their sodium/potassium levels (electrolytes), which is the electricity of your cells and constantly live in a state of imbalance.

People living with Addison's tend to require HIGH SODIUM diets to maintain these crucial blood levels to sustain life.

They tend to add a lot of salt to their meals & eat a lot of PICKLES!

People living with Addison's disease are lost in a shuffle of lack of knowledge and support in the medical community.

They are desperate for a means to connect, share, validate their journeys and improve their quality of life.

Diagnosis

• Blood tests: These will be done to measure the levels of sodium, potassium, cortisol and ACTH in your blood.

• ACTH stimulation test: This tests the adrenal glands’ response after you are given a shot of artificial ACTH. If the adrenal glands produce low levels of cortisol after the shot, they may not be functioning properly.

Treatment

The most common way to treat Addison’s Disease is the use of  hormone replacement similar to those made by the adrenal glands; for instance, hydrocortisone, prednisone or dexamethasone pills to replace cortisol. 

If you are also lacking aldosterone, you may receive fludrocortisone acetate pills. If you are taking fludrocortisone, your doctor might tell you to increase your salt intake, especially in hot and humid weather and after vigorous exercise. In emergencies and during surgery, the medicine is given intravenously (directly into a vein).

Some individuals use an insulin pump for their medication supplying them with a 24 hour subcutaneous supply of their life sustaining medications (steroids).

An Addisonian crisis is a dangerous event and can be fatal if a person cannot maintain cortisol levels.  Immediate action needs to occur to ensure survival. An emergency injection of hydrocortisone is administered to the individual in the thigh.

A crisis could occur for numerous reasons including illness, injury, physical and emotional stress.

Symptoms of an Addisonian crisis include:

• extreme tiredness and weakness

• confusion, psychosis, and slurred speech

• dizziness and feeling faint

• nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and stomach pain

• fever, chills, and sweating

• sudden lower back or leg pain

• dangerously low blood pressure

• fast heart rate

• skin reactions, including rashes

• loss of consciousness

Convulsions are another possible symptom of the Addisonian crisis. The body’s muscles contract and relax quickly and repeatedly, resulting in uncontrolled shaking.

Someone in ADRENAL CRISIS or ADDISIONIAN CRISIS requires IMMEDIATE medical intervention with an emergency injection.

People who have Addison’s disease will need to take medicine for the rest of their lives.

A medical alert bracelet is essential to identify Addison’s disease in an emergency situation.

It is essential to always have extra medicine on hand in case of illness, injury and a simple need for more. Emergency shots ofcortisol are required quickly to save the individual's life during an Addisonian Crisis.