Addisons Disease?

Hormones
1

Hi everyone

I really need some help please if possible it's quite a long story but I've had the following symptoms for a while now and doctors have been going down the crohns route without any success in a diagnosis it only occurred to me whilst posting on here if it is possible I have Addison's disease and that maybe doctors are going down the wrong track I have the following symptoms and conditions I'm 26 years old

. Underactive thyroid diagnosed about 6 years ago 100mg

. Raynauds

. Very low blood pressure

. Extreme tiredness have to nap after work and struggle if I go out at weekends etc - cfs has been mentioned in past

. Very bad dizziness if I move position

. Fainting episodes if I get too hot

. Positive Ana levels

. Positive calprotectin

. Painful joints especially elbows which crack loudly and lock up when moving about 15 plus times a day.

. More recently I've had the following

. Very poor appetite

. Nausea

. Weight loss nearly 2 stone in a few months

. Diarrea especially after eating

. Constant pain in lower right stomach and back

. Irregular periods

. Painful intercourse

. Very thirsty during the night

. Protein in urine

. Low vitamin d levels

I appreciate there is many conditions that can have these symptoms but I've never really known about Addison's disease and just wondering if maybe doctors are missing this I don't think I've been tested and all my colonoscopies, MRI on bowel, endoscopy normal and doctor thinking maybe of doing laproscopy soon if they can't find anything but I don't want to have to go through an operation if maybe this is what's going on.

I've been unable to work the past few months in getting very down and likely to lose my job and just want a diagnosis.

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks so much for listening xxxx

2

You don't mention dark skin. Of course, this is (only easy to) easier to see in a caucasion person, but before my diagnosis of Addisons, my skin became very dark, akin to that of, say, someone from India. However, you do mention the other classic symptom of low blood pressure. For comparison, when diagnosed, my blood pressure went down to 80/50, which is why I take Fludrocortisone (I think it is called something else in the USA) every day, as well as Hydrocortisone. So, for example, yesterday (I measure it everyday) my running average blood pressure was 120/60 - result!  I also lost two stone, but put the tiredness simply down to the low blood pressure.

Pat(rick)

3

Hi Pat

Thanks for your message and explaining your situation it's very kind. I am Caucasian but I haven't noticed any dark skin. My blood pressure is always around 90/60 at its highest it has been lower been in the 80s over 50s before and I think once when I was in hospital lately I noticed the top number was around 85 can't remember exact figure and bottom number was in the 30's lowest I've seen the bottom number ! None of this was standing always when I was lying or sitting.

Thanks for your help and best wishes for the future.

4

Well, most conditions list symptoms which may or may not be present, but certainly this is listed one one 'official' site: "especially hyperpigmentation (darkening) of the skin or gums". Note the word "especially". There is an example here: http://www.medicinenet.com/image-collection/addisons_disease_picture/picture.htm.

Pat