Hi, Im hoping some people can hopefully give me some advice please regarding treatment. I was advised by someone on the addisons group that it would beneficial to join this group regarding my thyroid..

My history: Im 30, diagnosed with secondary adrenal insufficiency via an insulin tolerance test. I have borderline low hypothyroidism, low prolactin. No cysts. I am 40kg, 5ft tall so I am very petite.

I currently take hydrocortisone after each meal 8am-4mg, 12m-4mg, 3.30pm-4mg, 8pm- 3 mg. I have to take my medication following food to reduce the intensity of the spike. I also cannot tolerate more than 5mg at one time without getting awful side effects of anxiety and panic when the tablet peaks in my blood at 30mnutes. Each dose I take only lasts around 2.5-3 hours.

I feel like I am swinging all day every day. I am still so fatigued, have very bad dizziness and brain fog, light sensitivity, blurred vision, weak and achy. However if I take any more than I do I get awful side-effects. I find the tablet peaks at 30 minutes but i start to feel achy weak, hypoglycaemic, nauseous by 2 1/2 hours. I am also finding that during my menstrual cycle I have extreme dizziness and weakness and cannot leave my house. Can anyone give me any help here please?

I have low blood pressure at 90/45 when i last checked, i also cannot tolerate many carbohydrates because my blood glucose pikes very high at 1 hour post eating and drops every low by 21/2-3 hours.

Ive not had to set up a backup carer to help when am unwell because i am on my own with 2 young children. I seem to also get pain in my left adrenal area which actually only started once i had commenced steroids.

I have had my hormones tested several times. My ACTH and TSH are borderline low. I know that my estrogen goes low, for instance I have come on a period and for the past 3 days I have been getting hot flushes but I am only 29! But I find I prefer having low estrogen symptoms than when my estrogen is higher or is rising because during higher estrogen times I get so unwell having intense brain fog, feeling freezing cold, waking up like Ive been hit by a bus, achy , emotional..Etc.

I get bad panick attacks and anxiety when my estrogen is increasing or high, I was at one point put on the estrogen patch which I had to change every 3 days. Each time the estrogen would peak on day 2 I would have horrendous anxiety and then by day 3 as the estrogen was falling the anxiety would be gone but I would feel drained and weak from low estrogen.


Here are my test results: Ive got a file load of test result so if theres anything you would like I have likely had it tested!

SODIUM 142 mmol/L (135 - 145)

POTASSIUM 3.5 mmol/L (3.5 - 5.1)

CHLORIDE 102 mmol/L (98 - 107)

BICARBONATE * 20 mmol/l (22 - 29)

UREA 4.3 mmol/L (1.7 - 8.3)

CREATININE * 48 umol/L (49 - 92)

I seem to always have low creatine every time this is tested but I have no idea what this means?

I also seem to have low normal potassium and normal sodium and this seems to always be the case with each of my test results aswell. I thought generally the sodium goes low and potassium high with the electrolyte imbalance that can occur?

IRON 19.0 umol/L (6.6 - 26.0)

T.I.B.C 67 umol/L (41 - 77)

TRANSFERRIN SATURATION 28 % (20 - 55)

FERRITIN 33 ug/L (13-150)

Thyroid

Total T4 - 80.6 (58-154)

TSH - 0.910 (0.4-4)

FREE T4 - 12.7 (10-22)

FREE T3 - 4.66 (2.8-6.5)

FT4:FT3 RATIO - 2.7 (2-4.5)

THYROGLULIN TG- 20 (0-40)

PEROXIDASE TPO- 11.3 (0-35)

I have been told my testosterone is low, my progesterone is low to. I also have cysts on my left ovary. I also have had several Glucose tolerance tests and each time had insulin measured and was told I was producing excessive amounts of insulin.

In the past prior to hydrocortisone treatment I tried 25mcg of thyroxin and I started to low tremble, anxious and had to quit it. I also at one point took high doses of kelp and I had a very bad adrenal crash and couldnt leave my bed for about 10 days it was awful

I know that I have written a lot here and if you have taken the time to read this then thank you. I am turning 30 this months and has been ill since I was 21! my whole 20s have been ruined by this illness losing so much along the way and I am hoping that my 30s will be my time to get better and live again.

Thank you