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 always have had low cholesterol and triglycerides but after being on cortef for six years...i have seen both of these getting higher. now they are really high, another med to start taking. anyway i was wondering if anybody knows if steroids cause these things to go up. also i always had low blood pressure and after a few years on steriods i know have high blood pressure. i don't know. i only know that i have so many health issues that i get down a lot. AD is not easy to live with.
i had my second treatment for IC yesterday and both times i have had a treatment the next day i was very nauseated.
i hate to whine!!!
i had my second treatment for IC yesterday and both times i have had a treatment the next day i was very nauseated.
i hate to whine!!!
I hate to whine too, but it seems to be all I do anymore. THis body just sucks. Today I walked into my office and took a step and my foot broke. Yahoo. Gotta love steroids. All I do is hurt, break, and feel horrible. So whine away. I understand . . . .
That being said, steroids have alot of nasty side effects. Theoretically we shouldn't get the side effects when we are just replacing what our bodies don't make. However, I seem to get a lot of side effects anyway. High blood pressure is one for sure. I believe elevated cholesterol and triglycerides are also side effects of steroids. So is osteoporosis. Muscle wasting, skin thinning, fat re distribution, weight gain, etc etc. Its a no win situation for us it seems. We can't live without them, and we can't live with them.
Vanyel
I hope that's what you're able to wear. While I had to wear it to sleep for the first three weeks, I could take it off to shower...big relief over the old plaster cast. Another good thing, mine was my left foot, allowing to drive. So, I hope yours is the left one and hope you can take it off when necessary. I also hope it heals fast. At my age and with osteoporosis, I was a very good patient following all the doctor's orders. Couldn't really afford to do otherwise...didn't want to pay for it later. So, take care of your foot!!! If you're like me, you'll hear from everyone you pass telling you what's going to happen to your back, your other foot, your knee, your hip, etc. Don't listen to them. Make sure your other shoe is the same height as your cast, and you should be fine!!!
I definitely have that fat redistribution thing going on and the thin skin...mine is like rice paper...but the wrinkles aren't as bad as they could be!
I know HC (and the like) effect the amino acids and receptors in our bodies. Apparently, the liver is an amino acid recpetor, which breaks down various substances (protein, fat, etc) and if there is a disruption in this process, it can cause a malfunction. So, if otherwise healthy food is not broken down properly, ex: via HC interference, these healthy foods cannot convert in a healthy manner. As a result: elevated LDL, the "bad cholesterol".
I don't know much anymore, but this info is what I recently walked away with, after an MD consult/explanation, regarding the liver. The one of the very few things I am still certain of, is if you can increase your HDL (good Cholesterol), this may balance out, or even negate the high LDL.
I don't know if I provided a clear explanation, as my head was spinning when my MD explained things to me. My brain ultimately shut down...too much!!
This disease certainly does a number on us, in every way possible. I can certainly empathize with you and hope you can get on track, even a bit?
I too broke my (R) foot. I guess this is another common horror of AD & its so-called best treatment, for AD?
I wish you comfort and fast healing.
My HDL used to be really high (hovered around 103) which was great for my ratio. It has come down over the years since AD set in. My HDL is still pretty good but getting lower all the time. One of these days it's not going to be high enough to help my ratio.
thank you all so much for the responces i received. AD really does a number on us in so many ways. sometimes it is hard not to sit down and cry.
i still get nauseated very easily....you would think after over six years and all the cortef i have taken that would be better!!
I feel as though I should just shut my mouth, when it comes to offering responses. After I post them & dare to re-read them, they make absolutely no sense. I hope you're well?
Did you ever get any otc Hyland's Leg Cramps (tablets)? I get the sublingual kind for my purse and my bedside. I like being able to stick three under my tongue in the middle of the night instead of getting out of bed and drinking pickle juice (and usually spilling it down the front of my gown for a delightful smell the rest of the night).
I think it's great that you can drink the salt water. I have not tried that. Not sure I could do it. I put the salt on my tongue and let it dissolve. That burns my tongue and throat, however. I will also drink bouillon. I use two cubes to about six or eight ounces of water. Do you ever cramp on the inside of your arms between wrist and elbow? That's where I'm cramping today.
Speaking of thoughts...I still haven't figured out why I found the loaf of bread in my medicine drawer. When I found it, I had absolutely no recollection of having done it or how long it had been there. My memory is shot! I'll sit down at the computer to look something up. I'll turn it on and stare not knowing why I'm there. Or, I'll go about my merry way checking e-mail never giving another thought to my purpose for turning it on.
I hope you will have a good day! Roll Tide!!!!
I was once a spontaneous traveller, would hop in the car (solo) & let the road take me to wherever. I've discovered some fantastic places & met wonderful people. Those days have since become part of my past - fear.
I've never heard of Hyland's, for leg cramps, but will definitely look into it. Yeah, the salt thing. I don't like the taste either, but just guzzle, out of sheer desperation. I do use the bullion too (beef has more NaCl), but the saltwater is quicker.
OK. Now to more important things :) Bread in your medicine drawer? Hum...There's got to be a more imaginative explanation, rather than a sleep walking event. Now I know how I'll spend my day! I'll let you know if I come up with a creative reason for that one...a classic!
I'm once again glad to hear I'm in good 'no brain' company. It's frustrating, but sometimes laughable.
I hope YOU have a good day, packing cool (literally) clothes, looking forward to tomorrow. Enjoy, take tons of pics & you must fill us in, once you've returned. Enjoy!
Maybe one of these days you will jump in the car and travel again. I hope so. I was never very brave about driving any distance alone. I have grown courage in the last ten years or so. I have a group of friends that I go to the beach with. For a while, they were flying in a private plane. I am not a big fan of small planes, so I backed my ears and drove alone a couple of times. It's very freeing. I felt like an adult, and well I should have!
Whenever I travel with friends, I tell them about my little purple bag that contains my injectible steroids and needles. I also keep Phenergan with me at all times!
The bottle of tablets says:
Hyland's
Homeopathic
Leg Cramps with Quinine.
You can get them at a health food store or online. I'll never be without them as I used to take Quinine tablets until they pulled them off the market. A pharmacist told me they are available again but very expensive. I don't know if that is correct or not.
Yep...bread in the medicine drawer. My medicine drawer is not that deep either. The bread was still fresh, so it couldn't have been there too long. If I did it in my sleep, that would be a first. I'd like to think that was it. That's certainly better than just being crazy.
I guess we do these things sometimes (even though unknowingly)
so we'll have a good story to tell. Making people laugh is always a good thing. Also, in the telling of the bread story, I've heard some pretty good stories in return...like my friend who put her underwear in the silver drawer.