What is Addisons Disease
Addison's disease (also known as chronic adrenal insufficiency, or hypocortisolism) is a rare endocrine disorder. It is estimated that it affects about 1 to 2 in 100,000 people. It...
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Hi I am new here and have some questions that I hope someone can help me with. Been sick for about 8 months with nausea sleep alot 12 plus hours a day and so on. My Dr. ran a AM Cortisol test which came back 4.7, is this low? Now I have to see a endo.
I saw the endo and they think it may be Addison's and I am worried. I have to do a some kind of stim test to confirm and now I have to wait and boy do I hate to wait when it come to my health. My other question is what it like to have addison's and does it get better with treatment because the sickness is really getting to me. Any help will be helpful. Thank you Bryan Posted on 05/31/09, 12:05 am |
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probd350
Welcome to the group. I sure hope you don't have Addison's because it is a booger to deal with. But, if you do, it isn't the end of the world either. Your AM cortisol level is a bit low. The reference ranges vary from lab to lab, but in general the normal AM level should be 7-25. The test the probably want to do is called an ACTH stimulation test. They check your blood again, then they give you some ACTH, which is what your pituitary gland puts out to tell your adrenal glands to make cortisol. THen they check your blood again after 30 min and 60 min. to see if your adrenal glands responded and put out cortisol like they are supposed to. If they do not respond properly, then you know you have some kind of adrenal insufficiency and they will have to figure out if it is Addison's disease. They may also want to check some other blood tests, like your ACTH level, your aldosterone level, and maybe thyroid function at least. Living with Addison's is difficult, but it can be managed. Once you figure out how much cortisol you need to take to feel ok, you can live pretty normal life. You do have to be aware of when you get stressed, as you have to take extra cortisol then. There is a lot to learn about when you first get diagnosed and we can point you in the right direction to get the information you need - your doctor should help you with that too. If you take care of yourself and stay on top of it, it should not affect what you can do or how long you live. Least that is what the books say. Good luck with your tests and let us know how you make out. Vanyel 
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Thanks for the information Vanyel. I will keep in touch with my results as soon as I find out.
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Have you found out if you have Addison's or not? I've had it for over 30 years and have lead a normal life. I'm here to support you if you need it.
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I'll be thinking of you as you finish with your tests. Sounds like Addison's to me but.... I am also new here. I was diagnosed with Addison's about a year and a half ago. Although I am struggling I feel SO much better now that I did prior to starting treatment. I will happily take a few pills a few times a day for the rest of my life....totally beats the alternative. Good luck.
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Just had my ACTH Stim test done today. Now just have to wait for the results.
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Got my results back from acth stim test and are normal but why do i have such a low AM Cortisol. I had 3 of them done and are were low???
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probd350
I'm glad your ACTH stim test was normal. At least you have some adrenal function to work with. You probably have adrenal fatigue, which means that your adrenal glands just aren't keeping up with your needs. You can try some supplements. My doctor tried me on Adrenal Support supplement that you can buy over the counter. One of these might help boost your adrenal function. If you can avoid ever taking steroids such as prednisone, hydrocortisone etc, that would be good, as taking them shuts down your own adrenal function. I believe this is what happened to me. I had adrenal insufficiency, adrenal fatigue and didn't know it. They put me on prednisone for arthritis and even at very low dose, it shut down my adrenal function completely. Now i have to take it for the rest of my life. What did your doctor say about the test? and your low AM cortisol? Do they want to do any further testing? Or are they satisfied that your adrenal function is adequate? One problem with endocrinologists and other western doctors is that they think any value in the so called normal range is 'normal'. Even if your system is barely functioning, they are likely to call it normal and dismiss it. I am very into integrative medicine in case you couldn't tell. Anyway, I'd suggest the Adrenal Support supplements and perhaps someone should check your vitamin D level. Be glad you don't have Addisons :) vanyel
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Thanks for the reply Vanyel. The ACTH Stim test came back around 34 after the injection which the doctor said was a good responce. The endo said that I need to follow up with my pcp which I have a appt next week. I think you are right about that addrenal fatigue and will ask my doctor about that. Thanks for all your help, and hope that you are doing better with your health. I will keep you posted. Thanks again.
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