Addison's Disease Support Group
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 occurs when the adrenal glands, seated above the kidneys, fail to produce enough of the hormone cortisol and, sometimes, the hormone aldosterone
i was diagnosed 6 years ago with AD and i am on 20 mg. of cortef. i have many ups and downs. i feel fatigue sometimes that last 2 to 3 days. they say that the cortef is supposed to fill the gap and you can lead a normal life....but am i crazy or do AD people still have set backs and fatigue?
Having Addison's is a lifelong juggling act of trying to figure out how much meds you need when. There are constant ups and downs, and occasionally a nose dive. Has your doctor not educated you about it all? Do you take your cortef just once a day? Fatigue seems to be a constant companion for most of us. Sometimes we'll feel better and have some energy, but I know for me, fatigue rules the day. Has been that way all my life.
Vanyel
I agree exactly with Vanyel. Although my life is generally "normal" in that I exercise vigerously for about an hour 3 days a week and work full time, I still have to ensure I balance energy use every day and keep a mental check of how I'm feeling. I still have setbacks, case in point I had a really bad week last month, so I rested up and took note of how I was spending my days. As a result, I've throttled back a little on my daily activities and make sure I'm in bed trying to get to sleep at 9:30pm (it was 10pm). Since I generally get up at 4:15am, I need to make sure I get enough sleep, but I'm also having to juggle evening studies with a 21 month old. Having AD is trail and error, but you're not alone in trying to figure it out.
My doctor told me I would lead a "normal" life. Which I do for the most part. They just forgot to mention the part that leading a normal life would sometimes feel like I was walking up hill both ways. I found what worked for myself was being more organized. Having a daily routine and following it allowed me to know what to anticpate for the day. I also started looking into ways to fight fatique and making me more alert (aside from my pills). Herbal remedies, vitamins, healthy diet, proper amount of sleep and exercise all seemed to help me out and get me moving in the right direction. I have a 2yr old and a 3yr so I need to keep on my toes and be able to keep up with our daily activities. If something feels off I adjust my medication and when all else fails I go for a visit to the doctor to make sure everything is alright. Just remember that your not the only one that feels that way. =)
I think it's just the nature of this disease, the good days and bad days, the fatigue sometime and then some nausea. I think when you have to replace something with meds it's just not going to be what nature would be doing. So "normal life" for some of us isn't quite normal.
What herbal remedies are you using? What effects have you noticed?
i don't take any herbal meds. i do drink alot of green tea and black tea. i just take the cortef 2x a day. do take any thing herbal? and if so does it help?