AshleyPooh, that is the way Addison's can work; I minute you are feeling ok and the next you feel crampy or nauseus. Getting tested is not always easy because in my case the testing that needed to be done had to be recommended by an endocrinologist. I hope you find answer soon because Addison's disease definitely needs to be treated with meds.

Good luck!

i am so sorry to hear about your crisis, scarey huh. I have had two adrenal crisis since having both adrenals removed in December Christmas Eve to be exact. Having a crisis is a powerful learning tool. When I had them I did not have a bug or virus, my body just dehydrated and I could not hydrate it back up. You remember the feeling and become very reactive, I keep my water and packets of soy sauce (love the taste) with me at all times.

strangely enough, even though i never linked it to addison's, i seem to have this phobia of not having water nearby anymore. Mainly b/c i get really really dry mouth a lot, but it's just weird how i panic whenever i don't have it near. I found out today that a local clinic will do the blood testing for me for sliding scale fee! So i am definitely going to check into it. i couldn't sleep well at all last night, fidgety and nervous. Now i'm dead exhausted ugh. If i get the test done this week, i'll write back and let everyone know how it goes!

i posted yesterday about the 2 episodes of feeling VERY weak and having to sit/lay while out away from home. today i was helping a friend with her mother who has dementia and i BP shot up and i felt weak with a tightness in my chest. the same thing that has been happening. either my BP will go very low or very high. my sister-in-law took me to the ER because she was scared. they gave me meds for the BP to bring it down all other blood tests were normal. the potassium was right on the line of low but everything else was good. does anyone think this has anything to do with my addison's?? the drs don't seen to know. they want me to wear a hear monitor for a couple of weeks. i was diagnosed with addison's 9 years ago. it is a very hard disease to live with.....it looks good on paper that you take you cortef and should be normal but i have NOT found that to be true.

Webber-

I'm sorry you had to experience a crisis and go through such a scary situation. My husband has Addison's disease and crisis is something we are concerned about. This is still new to us (one year) and we are still learning. Thank you for sharing your story. Your husband's actions and quick thinking will help me in potential situations with my hubby! I hope you are feeling better.

Thank you all for the wonderful posts and caring thoughts! I am definitely doing better and have learned a lot because of the crisis. It did take me about a week + to get my strength back to "normal" whatever that is these days. I feel so blessed to have found this site last year; it is truly a great support group!

this is a strange question, and may have nothing to do with Addison's but i thought i'd find out. Have any of you found that prior, during or after your diagnosis, you became a much more emotional person? What i mean is, perhaps you noticed that you would almost cry over a commercial that had any bit of emotion in it? or things like that. I have noticed for a few years now that i seem to react very strongly to emotional things, even if i know it's just a stupid commercial on tv trying to sell me something, i can still get worked up over it. I don't know why i do it, it just feels like my emotions can't control themselves. Just wondered if anyone ever experienced that maybe before they were diagnosed?

Hello,
My name is Matthew Parrish, and I am a student at Daemen College in Amherst, NY where I am studying Nursing. I am currently taking a class on Navigating Rare Diseases being taught by a patient advocate for patients suffering with Acromegaly. As part of our class, our professor asked us to talk with patients online in a discussion group, and do not want you to feel as if I am just using you for answers. If you are willing to talk with me, I am trying to learn about your condition outside the textbook. If preferred, you can message me in private. It would be greatly appreciated if you would be kind enough to comply with me; thanks for your time and consideration
Some questions are (but not limited to): How long did it take for your diagnoses?
Were there any inconsistencies between doctors opinions?
Did you have any medical struggles?
Were there any symptoms that arent listed that you experienced?
Do people treat you differently than you would expect or want?
Do you think people view you differently after they know you are a patient with your disease?
Was it difficult telling your family and/ or friends?
While in the diagnosis process, has anyone ever not understood or believe your symptoms?
Have you ever participated in any sort of patient advocacy group, even online, where anyone ever said: me too to make you finally feel understood pertaining a certain symptom that you complain about but it is difficult to explain so no one understood?

AshleyPooh, yes to your question about emotions before diagnosis for Addison's! I always felt like I was sort of walking on a tight rope and the least little thing stressed me. Being in a car with another person driving had me in a complete stressed out state. I would also cry very easily for little or no reason.
After taking the meds. I am not as emotional and feel generally more balanced.

thanks webber. I am certainly stressed right now, but mainly b/c i keep feeling queasy and like my stomach wants to get upset! i couldn't sleep hardly at all last night, and now i'm walking around so exhausted i'm short of breath. I get blood tests done tomorrow hopefully that will tell me more about what's going on! Thanks

yeah so my clinic couldn't do the tests b/c they are too expensive. So she did a basic cbc blood panel to rule out infections or whatever b/c it's cheap. What i want to know, was for those with Addison's, did you know something was going to happen for a while? or was it so sudden it was unexpected? Did your fatigue worsen severely over a few weeks or anything like that before a crisis? B/c i feel like I can't get much more tired without .. i don't know, getting sick? Like if i get much more tired i'll start throwing up from the sheer horribleness of the fatigue?

Dear Webber, It was a dreadful experience for you, I have had quite a few crisis's and the last one was a couple of weeks ago, I was on a weekend break with my hubby, in Wales (England) I had been trying to cut down on the fludro hadn't taken it for three days or so, fed up with the weight gain, now I can hear you all say well, what do you expect Lezley?...I started to feel like I wasn't here, Felt as though I was in a cotton wool cell, vision blurry, and feeling like I'd had a lot of wine, which I didn't it was 11 in the morning, so legs wobbly we went to the hospital, just thought I could get a new prescription for the fludro as I forgot to pack them, then I could take a couple and get back on track again. Arrived booked in thinking I would get new script, my husband had to explain as I couldn't even talk with out slurring, couldn't see well either, not to mention concentrate on what I was saying, it was coming out all wrong, I was took to bed, bloods taken, had heart monitor all tests done, doctor gave me hydro injection 100mg iv. came round within minutes, glad I took my pack with instructions on what Addison's is and what to do in a emergency, it explained everything. after a couple's hours they let me go home, they wanted to keep me in. I was thinking this happened because I dropped the fludro, only to find when they gave us the results, that white cells were showing slight infection, ( I had the start of a cold again) that was all, But ALL the electrolytes were spot on!!!! how can that be I thought, as I hadn't taken it three or four days, so the crisis wasn't due to not taking fludro, It really confused my husband and me.I am not telling anyone to do what I did, messing around with the fludro but, it certainly made me feel confused.The nhs service was brilliant, quick , and they were caring.The hardest thing about this disease is I never get a brilliant day twice, any on-else get that too.

Lesley, how terrible for you to have a crisis and be out of the country. I do worry that someday on one of our trip to the islands I will have a crisis and not be near a good hospital. It really makes you rethink where you travel.
I am so glad you are ok and found a good hospital.