I don't personally suffer from anxiety but there have been several topics re: anxiety, a few very recently. You may want to do a search in this group to see what others have said.

Good luck!

- Kristen

Hi there, I do suffer from anxiety, it seems that my hydrocortisone seems to amplify my stress. I often freak out about things like driving on the freeway, or something small. I think one of the challenges I have faced with this disease is to realize that no matter how I feel in the moment, it is not often the reality.

It takes some time I think to manage the anxiety, but with a little practice I have learned to lead a completely normal life.

good luck!

Thank you guys! I will look around more for similar threads and see if I can find any other information. :)

I was diagnosed with Addison's in early March and at that time I suffered from depression and anxiety along with other symptoms. After going on steroids my depression and anxiety greatly decreased. I could not understand the anxiety because it was never a problem until those last year before I was diagnosed with AD.

I hope this is the case for you!

Hi Stephanie,
Anxiety & depression go hand-in-hand. It's rare one will have one w/o the other. I can only imagine, learning you have Addison's, must compound everything.

Just some tid-bits: When you intially begin steroids, your body may react unfavorably, although you are actually replacing what your body was lacking. Since you've had abnormal levels of cortisol for yrs., introducing steroids to an 'unfamiliar' territory, everything seems foreign and reactions become very different. Initially, the body may become hypervigilant and appear to exacerbate pre-existing conditions. It does take a while (~6 mos), for the body to adjust. I know it may seem like a long time, but this will pass, it will.

Many take anti-anxiety meds, for several reasons. If you continue to feel unsettled, maybe your MD could prescibe something to help you get over this initial hurdle. Try to breathe & empty your mind, when all seems overwhelming. Staying busy is a great distraction.

Most importantly, this is a wonderful place to vent, learn, share & teach. So please stay in touch? Beginnings are always the most difficult, always. But, beginnings do fade away & become old.

Hi,
I suffered from depression and anxiety until I was diagnosed. I still take anti depressants and most of the time I'm okay. I did find the same sort thing as Amelia it is not often the reality. Well said. Now I too live a pretty normal life. This site is new for me too and I already feel like I'm not alone anymore. Good luck.

Thank you all so much for your kind words and insight!

I definitely feel so much better since joining this group; I don't know anyone personally that has Addison's and it really makes it so much easier to transition into 'life with Addison's' having y'all here to be able to ask questions and learn more about this. Without, I think I'd feel like I was trying to feel my way through a dark room. My family and friends have been really supportive but I don't think many of them really understand Addison's.

And also, thanks lunarphase, it's good to know about the steroids and how they work with the body. I have been really nervous about the prednisone. I know it's a really tough drug to go off and I know it's hard on the body.

Thanks again for all your responses! It really makes me feel better knowing my anxiety could just be amplified by the Addison's.

Stephanie

In a word , yes , Addisons does lend itself to depression AND anxiety. Not because of the drugs employed to cope with the disease, but because of the low hormone level that characterizes the condition. I have had Addisons since I was fifteen, I very nearly died from it , I am now seventy four, ( so you see, you can make old bones if you take care ) . I have found that whenever I start to get depressed anxious or moody, I can trace things back to tablets missed or to a work load too heavy for my dosage to support. Brain fogging also occurs if you miss tablets or overstretch your resources. It's a bit like trying to run a car with no oil in the engine, sooner or later something has to give. You have to remember that you can die from this thing if it gets out of hand. A twelve year old boy and a twenty one year old girl in the UK both died recently from UN-diagnosed Addisons. You have to respect your limits.I have sometimes wished that I could slip away during one of my periods in hospital recovering from an addisonial crisis , this disease has been a very big handicap for me but you can learn to live with it .The main thing to remember is , always get plenty of rest , don't push things too far and learn to recognize your limits. Good luck.