We are all suppose to up dose or stress dose when we get sick. I will up dose as little as 5 mg to double or triple my HC depending on how sick I am, or an emergency injection shot. You burn through your steroids when your body is under stress. Your body needs cortisol/steroids 24 hours a day in every cell of your body. If your making very little cortisol and adding steroids you will go through it more quickly the sicker you are.

You were in the ER? What did the doctor do for you? Why did you go to the ER?

An adrenal crisis is when your blood pressure drops under 90/60. You might then pass out, or start to go into shock. You need IV steroids at this point. But you can usually control getting this sick if you dose right when sick.

The problem is a lot of doctors don't understand how much Addisons effects how badly you feel or how sick you can get pretty quickly. A little virus will hit you very hard. Your daily dose is probably not enough so you don't get sicker. Doctors lack of knowledge with this disease is not good for us. I had one ER doctor told me I was too complicated to treat. He brought down an ICU doctor and they treated me together. I was very thankful he admitted he didn't feel he knew enough to treat me.

Lyn,
Did you see why I was in E.R. in my seperate posting? See now, I felt the doctor was wrong, and I so I upped my dosage. But now here is what I want to ask. I am feleing better but still weak and tired and breathless. Should I keep updosing maybe 5 mg per day till i feel better?
Also, I think u answered my question, if I were in a crisis my b.p would always without question be low? So if my hubby takes my bp and it's not low I can pretty well assume I am not in any kind of crisis?
Thank you so much for your help. This was a very terrifying experience. I was sure it was a crash due to the previous day's nausea. Now I am wondering was that just the virus brewing? But it was strange because it lasted for just an hour or so in the am and then went away. I've only had that with Addisons'.

P.S. Lyn did you start this group on Daily Strength?

Yes, I would take extra steroids for a few days. Any little thing can make you feel a lot worse because of the Addisons.

If you couldn't walk and felt like you were DieIng it sounds like the beginning of an adrenal crisis. But you can feel very bad and just need extra steroids to get over what you have. You do sound like you were dehydrated. You need to keep on top of that. That could be the reason you needed a central line, why your veins didn't work.

I found DS just like everyone else. I needed answers to my questions that I wasn't getting from the doctors. This is a good place to get answers and support. I hope your doing better today.

I just read your post again. Up dose on HC would be 5 mg, not on prednisone. There's a conversion rate somewhere on these posts. Your up dose or stress dose is a different amount on prednisone. Did you feel a lot better after taking 5 mg? Do you have enough to get through the month if you up your dose a little for a few days? My doctor always prescribes extra.

I am updosing the hc by mg. and I feel pretty much the same. I;m still recovering from the virus so I am weak and tired. I do have enough.

Meant to say by 5 mg.

Recovery is slower for me any time I get sick. Even on the higher steroids it takes longer to recover from any thing. just part of the disease. Rest to recover, but try to keep moving at least once an hour. When I'm not feeling well like today I walk the length of my backyard multiple times. I think not moving is as bad as total bed rest. It will help the water retention also, just a little.

What happened to Medical people listening to their patients?? I had a bladder infection that put me in adrenal crises. That was my first crises. What did I learn from it? I learned that infections are a stress maker for my body. I learned my Dr. is ok for me to double up on my medication if a crises starts but! I still have to contact her. I learned to check my blood pressure before doing anything. I learned If my blood pressure is low I can proceed to medicate. If high, I can't medicate because the steriod would raise the blood pressure even higher. My pain management doctor told me I will find out what things stress my body into needing more cordisol.