Secondary adrenal insufficiency

My heart rate went up, of course, because I was exercising. I felt slightly light headed but that tends to happen when I exercise and my heart was pounding really hard. The most unusual thing was the pain throughout my chest cavity and back. Basically it’s all been down hill since then. I have such a complicated medical history with auto immune disease and CAD that sometimes it is very hard to tell where my pain comes from. But I don’t remember anything more about getting on the elliptical. I just haven’t really recovered since then. Thank you so much for the contacts.
Jennifer

@lisalucier Hi to everyone. I wrote to you. Lisa, because I didn't know how to address a general "to all" post. I have secondary adrenal insufficiency and was seen at Mayo in Rochester in the fall of 2017 after 10 years of illness without much good treatment. I live in a major east coast city so you think it would be better but it wasn't until I had a Mayo action plan. I'm doing better now but it is a long road back to a more everyday life. I'm trying to learn to live with this illness. I easily go into adrenal and septic shock with infection, usually pneumonia. I often land in the ICU, in critical condition with multiple symptoms, including delirium. It is often life-threatening and I get really scared. I have a good support system and a wonderful husband. The closest hospital has learned how to treat these crises aggressively and I am grateful to them for my life and improving health. I am concerned about the repeated pneumonias which then cause adrenal shock. I have had low IGG and IGG1 levels but the medical debate goes on whether this needs treatment with IVIG. I'm not sure if I should ask Mayo endocrinology about this. They have been tremendously helpful with the action plan and coordinating with my local treaters but I'm not sure whose area of medicine this issue falls into for a plan. It's always hard to write when I often feel so weak and I have always had a hard time asking for help. Does anyone have similar problems or advice for a solution? Thank you so much for listening. Rhoda

Hi Jen you are starting to feel the beginnings of addisons I have been on prednisone for four years at 8 times the required amount I cant taper to the appropriate levels. When you are low on cortisol it is the top of the pyramid it controls your acth which regulates potassium it also regulates adrenaline which could be part of your shaking, when doing things for long periods of time your muscle groups become stressed and you have no stamina to maintain the activity you simply just have to sit and wait to recover most employers don't appreciate that unfortunately. I have now been through four docs and none have done some of the things you have had done. What I can say is the longer you stay on a steroid the less likely your body will return to producing the proper amounts of cortisol on its own. I wish I had better answers for you to find a solution but from all my experiences and research the adrenal system is complex and hard to diagnose. Most of the time the treatments seem to be very set and it ends up trying to fit a square peg to round hole. Learn to pace yourself some how, continuing to exercise somehow helps greatly the cordisone is probably preventing any weight loss.

@spice Hi no it’s not addisons because she has low acth and low cortisol. Addisons and Cushing have one of those low and one that is high

This site is wonderful for medical advice and genuine help. There is another site on Facebook called Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency, it’s wonderful to message others just like you.