Posted , 10 users are following.
Hello, me again I'm afraid.
Just wondering - for those of you diagnosed with adrenal issues - how long did it take you to start feeling better once you were on medication? Roughly?
Thankyou
Rosie
0 likes, 24 replies
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hanny32508 rosie34970
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I experienced a gradual improvement over about a year.
hanny32508
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rosie34970 hanny32508
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Oh my goodness, I hope it doesn't take me a year to feel better! Interesting that you mentioned driving though, I've been struggling with that for a while, feeling out of it and spaced out...
Lorraine_W rosie34970
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Hi Rosie I started to feel better straight away,and have felt stronger every day since diagnosis just over 3 weeks ago. I know my limitations & get tired at times but I'm learning to listen to my body.
Best wishes Lorraine
rosie34970 Lorraine_W
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That's great I'm really glad you've made such a quick recovery. I haven't (yet) had a crisis and just started on a small dose Day before yesterday (just taken 4th tablet). I wonder if that's part of the problem and I needed a 'boost' or something first. Wish they'd take me in and sort it out.,,
patlon rosie34970
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Two or three days, and when I had a recurrence recently due to a bad virus, having been given 600 mgs of Hydrocortisone, I was back on my feet in a day, though still suffering the effect, to some extent, of the virus itself.
rosie34970 patlon
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That's great 2 or 3 days is doable. I just feel so awful in the mornings it's scary! Kinda wish the hospital would take me in to keep an eye on me and get it sorted but I know they're overwhelmed with people...
1941john rosie34970
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Rosie
When my primary Addison's was finally diagnosed after 5 weeks in hospital where I had been getting more & more ill, increasing weakness, vomiting, confined to bed etc it took about 48 hrs for me to feel like a miracle man. By this I mean I had a new appetite, could get out of bed and walk around, was no longer being sick. That was with taking Prednisone 25mg b.d. I seem to remember. After that I got up and made the tea and took it round the rest of the ward - normal practice in the 1960's. I was out of hospital in less than a week and back to work after a fortnight or so having had over 3 months off that year. The only downside was that my weight increased drammatically from 58 kilos at the bottom to over 100 kilos which has left me with stretch marks to this day!
Provide you have no other medical issues, Addison's is no big deal, provided you take your pills, remember to increase the dose by x 3 in case of infection, and have an emergency kit with you when you travel. Make sure you mention that you have Addison's to every doctor/nurse/dentist etc and that they have understood what you said, as well as telling your close friends/family about the possible future implications.
Best wishes
John
kenzii92818 rosie34970
Posted
I felt better after a week...but after a few days I was OK too just felt I couldn't keep still
rosie34970
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Thankyou everyone :-)
I ended up in hospital again today as I was a state, they've decided to double my dose for a while and send me home as they've no beds. Here's hoping it does the trick!!
Roddy999 rosie34970
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Rosie, that is so scary. I've been lucky, only had one 999 call in three years (consultant said I'd be fine 99.9% of the time = once per 1000 days = once in three years!).
Now for the really important bit. You need to ring your GP practice first thing Monday to request a scrip for emergency hydrocortisone, which is 100mg injection. Preferably Efcortisol because it is premixed, otherwise SoluCortef. Then you need to cajole a 2 or 3 ml syringe out of the practice nurse, plus a blue AND a green needle (blue to inject, green to mix/fill) [Don't ask for a scrip for these, it'll take forever and be wrong!]. Hopefully you/your parents won't have to do the actual deed [the paramedic did me but she used my emergency kit] but see YouTube for a how-to.
My reason for saying this is that the NHS is so underfunded and A&E so overloaded that next time might be the time you have to wait even to be triaged and you don't have time for that. Jab first, ask questions later.
I suggest you get yourself a hard copy of "Factsheet to A&E and Hospital staff about adrenal insufficiency" available free to download from www DOT pituitary DOT org DOT uk (go to "Information" then "Publications" then "To A&E and Hospital staff - Adrenal Insufficiency"
. You might need to show it to a paramedic or triage nurse.
Roddy999 rosie34970
Posted
For me, after about two weeks it was like I was on steroids!
I had been tired all the time, struggling to keep up with friends and then pow! friends struggle to keep up with me! I talk about a light switch but to be fair it was more like slowly winding up a dimmer switch.
The ACTH test is just to check if your adrenals are responding to ACT signal hormone. If your cortisol remains low [no response] then it suggests lazy adrenals and primary Addisons, But if they do respond [and push out cortisol], it points at the pituitary not sending out natural ACTH when it should and that suggests a lazy pituitary abd secondary Addisons, So the test is not going to make you better or worse, it just helps your endo decide where to go next.
rosie34970 Roddy999
Posted
Thanks, that is good to know, it would be nice to be a functioning person who can go out and about with friends again soon. I am feeling a lot better now they've doubled my dose today as think I was quite depleted.
I'm not worried about the actual ACTH test, but hate that I've got to go off the meds the day before and the day. Scared I'm going to turn back into the vomiting, shaking, weak wreck again arghhhh let's hope not!
maggie95474 rosie34970
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rosie34970
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