Just got out of hospital for Addisonian crisis

[Hedgehog]

Hi all,
Well I was just getting down on the Prednisolone nicely - down to 5mgs on Monday....when I started to feel a bit crap. At first I just felt a bit shakey and weak but it went away after I ate. Then on Tuesday I had a horrendous headache, weakness, palpitations and nausea. By Wednesday morning I felt very ill and could barely move off the bed. I phoned in work to say I wouldn't make it and spoke to my work colleague. She was so worried by how incoherent and poorly I sounded that she rang for an ambulance!! When the ambulance came they took my blood sugar and it was very low. They wanted me to go to the hospital but I've spent hours on trollies in casualty and didn't fancy it :lol: So they made me agree to see my GP that day. When I saw my GP, he got very agitated when he couldn't find a blood pressure reading and he said, 'You need to go to hospital now.' He diagnosed an Addisonian crisis...
Anyway he was right and they admitted me and gave me an IV infusion of steroids to get the cortisol up. They say it's one of two things:

- An adrenal suppression (Addison's disease) brought on by steroid withdrawal - even though I tapered extra slowly! This might be temporary or permanent..

- An existing Addison's disease (probably autoimmune) that's come to light when I've got to crisis point with my cortisol levels.

They let me out of hospital last night after hiking my Pred dose back up. I've got to have more tests this week to see what's going on. I might now have to be on steroids for life - oh joy!

Anyway, thought it was something to be aware of for Crohnies since it's another thing to bear in mind with the wonderful Pred!

Gail

 

[David in Seattle]

Glad you're getting your problem sorted and are feeling better!

Addison's is an interesting disorder. Until the development of synthetic corticosteroids, it was usually fatal. A famous sufferer of Addison's was US president Jack Kennedy. One interesting manifestation of the disease is a sort of "tanned" appearance to the skin. Reporters & others often wondered why Kennedy always looked "tanned" regardless of the season. At the time, his condition was not generally known.

Addison's can also affect dogs. I dated a woman whose toy poodle Nicole (cute dog) had it. After going from vet to vet for some months, looking for a diagnosis (sound familiar???) Nicole almost died, until she was finally diagnosed at the veterinary school clinic at Ohio State University. Once she was put on medication, she went on to live a normal doggy life span (arf).

 

[dreamintwilight]

Thanks for that uplifting story, David No really, I"m glad the dog was fine (I am an avid animal lover!).

Gail - that sounds like a scary experience. I'm glad your coworkers were concerned enough to have people check on you, even though you refused to go with them, haha. Hope you get things sorted real soon and start feeling better!

 

[ameslouise]

Thank you for the information on this - I had not heard of Addison's.

Sorry to hear you might be on the steroids long term! What kind of a dose would you on?

How long were you on the steroids? What dose did you start at and how did you taper?

Feel better soon - and please remember to seek help when you are feeling that ill!

-Amy

 

[Hedgehog]

Thanks bowel buddies.

David - nice to know Nicole got sorted - bless! I don't have the suntan (bummer) so maybe it is a secondary problem caused by the Pred rather than primary Addison's. Hard to know as these autoimmune diseases often overlap.

Marisa - yeah I told my coworker she saved my ass....and that I owe her a Twix bar or something...:ylol2:

Amy - I started on 25mgs six or seven weeks ago and tapered weekly - first by 5mgs drops and then when I got to 15mgs by 2.5mg drops....until I got down to 5mgs. This sort of adrenal crisis usually only occurs in people who are on a high dose of Pred and then stop suddenly or who are on Pred for a long time and when they stop they find their adrenals have withered with Pred use.
The life-long steroid use for Addison's is smaller than does used for Crohn's. You only take enough to replace what your adrenals should be producing naturally.

Gail

 

[Hedgehog]

Amy - I just read in another post, you're in hospital! Sorry to hear that. How are you doing?
Gail
x

 

[Minxy]

Hedgehog ~ so sorry to hear of your Addisonian crisis, not nice at all. But a relief to hear you are feeling better after your IV.

I had a taste of adrenal problems 5 yrs ago, though nothing like as bad as yours sounds. At the time I was very sick with undiagnosed autoimmune thyroid disease
and it got so bad before it was treated that my adrenals became exhausted
trying to compensate for the low thyroid levels. The symptoms were similar to what you describe, and I felt grim, so I can imagine how you felt.

Sorry you have to go back to a higher dose of Pred, but hopefully you can work it down again in time,

best wishes,

 

[My Butt Hurts]

Hope you're feeling better now Hedge. Good luck with your other tests this week!

 

[Astra]

Hi Gail

God, What a scary time! Hope you feel better soon
Thinking of you xxx HUGS

And Amy! You're in hospital? Aw hope you're ok hun xxx HUGS