Addison's Disease
Home Treatment
Addison's disease develops when the adrenal glands, located above the kidneys, are not able to produce enough of the hormones cortisol and aldosterone. Home treatment is very important. If you have Addison's disease:
- Take your medicine daily as recommended. Medicine should be taken at the same times of day when your body would normally need the hormones (usually more in the morning and less in the evening). Let your doctor know how you are doing. For example, if your face is puffy or if you are gaining weight or bruising more easily or extensively than usual, the amount of your medicine may be too high. If you are still fatigued, have no appetite, or are feeling generally unwell, the amount of your medicine may be too low.
- Don't restrict salt in your diet. Your body needs a certain amount of salt. With Addison's disease, your body may lose too much salt. You may need to add extra salt to your food during hot and humid weather or when you are exercising and sweating.
- Seek medical help in an emergency. If you have symptoms of adrenal crisis, take your emergency medicine (such as dexamethasone) as directed and seek medical help immediately. An adrenal crisis is caused by a stressful event, such as a severe infection, trauma, surgery, or dehydration. Your body is not able to produce enough cortisol for the stressful condition. If this is not treated, you may die from shock caused by a serious drop in blood pressure. Have an injection of emergency medicine ready at your home, work or school, and in the car. Know when and how to give the medicine. Have instructions written out, and teach someone else how to give you the medicine in case you can't give it to yourself. Replace unused syringes of emergency medicine each year or if the solution begins to look cloudy or colored.
- Carry a medical identification card or bracelet (such as a medical alert bracelet
) that states that you have Addison's disease. This information helps medical personnel decide whether to give you a cortisol shot if you are unconscious, severely injured, or unable to answer questions.
- Monitor your weight regularly, especially if your appetite has been poor or you have been vomiting. Weigh yourself at the same time of day and wearing the same amount of clothing. Ask when your doctor wants to be notified about weight loss or frequent vomiting.
- Monitor your blood pressure. High blood pressure and swelling may indicate that your medicine needs to be adjusted. Also, if you notice that you become lightheaded when you first get up in the morning, your blood pressure may be low. Sit on the edge of your bed for a while before standing. Let your doctor know if this problem becomes worse.
In addition, you need to be prepared for and deal with minor illness or stress. During illness or stress, you may need to:
- Increase your medicine dosage. Talk with your doctor about when and how much you should increase your medicine dosage during a minor illness or time of stress. Have clear instructions written out for which medicine should be increased and how much you should increase it.
- Know when to contact your doctor if you have either stress or a minor infection that won't go away. If you notice signs of a severe infection, such as high fever, frequent cough, or burning with urination, call right away.
- Contact your doctor right away if you are unable to take your cortisol medicine because of nausea or vomiting, or if you have ongoing diarrhea.
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| Author: | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS | Last Updated: February 20, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Alan C. Dalkin, MD - Endocrinology | |
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| Topic Contents | |
| Topic Overview | |
| Symptoms | |
| Exams and Tests | |
| Treatment Overview | |
 | Home Treatment |
| Other Places To Get Help | |
| References | |
| Credits | |