← Return to Hydrocort and Dexilant for Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency

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@hopeful33250

Hello @pagray24, I found a couple of Members who have discussed secondary Adrenal Insufficiency, @joj85 and @wesbig. Perhaps they will join in this conversation and share with you. Here is a Mayo Connect discussion group where there has been some talk about diagnosing autoimmune disorders.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/autoimmune-diagnosing-problem-21474a/?pg=1#comment-42281.
What symptoms led to this diagnosis? How long have you been treated with the meds you mentioned and are they helping you?

Teresa

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Replies to "Hello @pagray24, I found a couple of Members who have discussed secondary Adrenal Insufficiency, @joj85 and..."

Hi Teresa @hopeful33250
I am on hydrocort (Cortef). 10 mg by 8 am and 5 mg before 5 pm.
The medication is definitely helping. I started on it just 1 year ago. I do not like the weight gain side effect but truly believe it has kept me alive, as my doctor suggested. Prior to the med I was dizzy, experiencing falls, exhausted, confused, and upon raising quite often I would nearly collapse.
You mention and provided a link to auto immune diseases. Is adrenal insufficiency an autoimmune disease?
Patricia

Hello Patricia @pagray24

I am glad to hear that you are feeling better after a year of treatment. In my original post to you, I found the discussions about adrenal insufficiency in the autoimmune disease group, which is why I directed you to those conversations. I did a little research and found this link on the NIH website, https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/autoimmune-addison-disease.

Did your doctor mention that this is an autoimmune disorder? You might check with the doctor to know for sure.

Teresa

reading through the discussion and not trying to question any of your medical background having none myself but it does sound of lack of cortisol.

Hello Patricia, I was diagnosed with Addison’s disease in 1979 after losing all my energy, and my fair skin became very dark. I have been taking 10 mg hydrocortisone at breakfast, 5 mg at lunch and 5 mg at supper. I also take fludrocortisone every other day. This has maintained me for all of these years. My endocrinologist says my disease could have been caused by TB which I had in 1965. I had been told it is an autoimmune disease.