You will also need an exam. Tests that can diagnose adrenal insufficiency include:. You will need to take hormones to replace those that your adrenal glands are not making. That mainly means cortisol. But if you have Addison's disease, you may need to take aldosterone as well.
Addison's disease can be deadly. Treatment often starts with IV intravenous fluids and medicines called corticosteroids. You may take these medicines by mouth or by IV. You may have to take them for the rest of your life. You may also need to take other medicines fludrocortisones. These can help keep your body's sodium and potassium levels normal.
You may have sudden severe symptoms. This is called acute adrenal insufficiency, or Addisonian crisis. This can occur when your body is stressed. That can happen for many reasons, such as an illness, fever, surgery, or dehydration.
You may also have a crisis if you stop taking your steroids or lower the amount of your steroids suddenly. But if an Addisonian crisis is not treated, it can lead to:.
This is called secondary adrenal insufficiency. Mineralocorticoid production is not affected by too little ACTH. Most symptoms of secondary adrenal insufficiency are similar to those of primary adrenal insufficiency.
However, people with secondary adrenal insufficiency don't have hyperpigmentation and are less likely to have severe dehydration or low blood pressure. They're more likely to have low blood sugar. A temporary cause of secondary adrenal insufficiency occurs when people who take corticosteroids for example, prednisone to treat chronic conditions, such as asthma or arthritis, stop taking the corticosteroids all at once rather than tapering off.
If you have untreated Addison's disease, you may develop an addisonian crisis as a result of physical stress, such as an injury, infection or illness. Normally, the adrenal glands produce two to three times the usual amount of cortisol in response to physical stress. With adrenal insufficiency, the inability to increase cortisol production with stress can lead to an addisonian crisis.
An addisonian crisis is a life-threatening situation that results in low blood pressure, low blood levels of sugar and high blood levels of potassium. You will need immediate medical care. Addison's disease can't be prevented, but there are steps you can take to avoid an addisonian crisis:. Some people with Addison's disease worry about serious side effects from hydrocortisone or prednisone because they know these occur in people who take these steroids for other reasons.
However, if you have Addison's disease, the adverse effects of high-dose glucocorticoids should not occur, since the dose you are prescribed is replacing the amount that is missing. Make sure to follow up with your doctor on a regular basis to make sure your dose is not too high. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. Early treatment can help avoid an adrenal crisis.
Different types of adrenal insufficiency have different causes. The most common cause of adrenal insufficiency overall is suddenly stopping corticosteroids after taking them for a long time.
As treatment improved over the years, TB became a much less common cause. The most common cause of tertiary adrenal insufficiency is suddenly stopping corticosteroids after taking them for a long time. The most common symptoms are fatigue, muscle weakness, loss of appetite, weight loss, and abdominal pain. Adrenal insufficiency can be caused by autoimmune disease or suddenly stopping steroid medicines used to treat other conditions, among other causes.
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