← Return to Hydrocort and Dexilant for Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency

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@kanaazpereira

Hi @pagray24,
I'd like to add some additional information that I found on the Mayo Clinic webpage about Addison's Disease:

"The pituitary gland makes a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which stimulates the adrenal cortex to produce its hormones. Inadequate production of ACTH can lead to insufficient production of hormones normally produced by your adrenal glands, even though your adrenal glands aren't damaged. Doctors call this condition secondary adrenal insufficiency.
Another more common cause of secondary adrenal insufficiency occurs when people who take corticosteroids for treatment of chronic conditions, such as asthma or arthritis, abruptly stop taking the corticosteroids." http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/addisons-disease/symptoms-causes/dxc-20155757

I'm also tagging fellow Connect members @momij @twinskl as they have written about secondary adrenal insufficiency, and may be able to share their insights with you.

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Replies to "Hi @pagray24, I'd like to add some additional information that I found on the Mayo Clinic..."

@pagray24 some of what you describe does sound of addisons and you have had your cortisol checked? my acth has always been good but the cortisol gland has shutdown have they specifically looked there for a tumor which can cause sparatic results. also have you considered thyroid?

@spice Thanks for your reply. They have found 3 thyroid nodules. They are watching my TSH, free T4, T3 every 3 months. Something must be brewing there based on their monitoring? If so I had a benign thyroid biopsy last year. My most recent cortisol levels have been. 03,.43,3.3 over the last 2 years. My ACH was 7.

Hi, I recently returned from the Mayo Clinic after having a MRI of the pituatary and it showed it is chubby and something but supposedly normal but my ACTH is very very low not working is what they said. I also had the adrenal simulation test a pretest which was 2.2 and 30 minutes was 8 and 60 minutes was 12. so she tested my blood a different way and it showed even lower numbers?? I have not taken corticosteroids for asthma or arthritis. I have messaged my DR. as I have been given no direction in what I am going to do. PLese tell me is this life threatening????