what's a addrenal crisis like? - Addison's Disease Message Board

KFXrider88 · 06-05-2006, 04:57 PM

hey, i was wondering if someone here can explain to me what a addrenal crisis is like? What it feels like to go through one. i'm pretty sure I have a addrenal problem and I think I may have been through addrenal crissis' before and would be really interested in knowing what a confirmed addrenal crisis feels like. thanks for any info!

kjos · 06-06-2006, 11:14 PM

ive had addisons for 13 years and so i take two "cortisones" to help maintain adrenal function . what i call an adrenal crisis is when my electrolytes go out of the normal range , which they used to do quite often . to me it feels like my veins are slowly filliing with lead. its hard to breathe and pretty painful. its also paralyzing , because of the high potassium. it ususally happens because i dont have enough cortisone in my system ... the early warning signs 2 look for are dark patches in the corners of your mouth and on your elbows ... tiredness and weakness. and mood swings.. i hope this helped u out and if not what kind of adrenal crisis do u mean.. take care

KFXrider88 · 06-07-2006, 05:42 AM

Hey Kjos, thanks for replying. What I thought was a addrenal crisis was when I black out. If I get a sudden shock or severe pain, about 10 seconds after that I get really really nautious and then I get tunnel vision, and my ears start ringing so bad I can't hear anything, and If I don't sit down right when this begins, I'll completely collapse if I try to keep moving. Once I sit down for a few minutes, It'll clear up. I thought this may have been what a addrenal crisis was. Iv'e got low normal cortisol levels, and I have the symptoms of low addrenals, so I was trying to figure out what's going on

WandaB · 06-07-2006, 10:02 AM

This may help you a bit. Copied from another site.

Symptoms
The symptoms of adrenal insufficiency usually begin gradually. Chronic, worsening fatigue and muscle weakness, loss of appetite, and weight loss are characteristic of the disease. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea occur in about 50 percent of cases. Blood pressure is low and falls further when standing, causing dizziness or fainting. Skin changes also are common in Addison's disease, with areas of hyperpigmentation, or dark tanning, covering exposed and nonexposed parts of the body. This darkening of the skin is most visible on scars; skin folds; pressure points such as the elbows, knees, knuckles, and toes; lips; and mucous membranes.

Addison's disease can cause irritability and depression. Because of salt loss, a craving for salty foods also is common. Hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose, is more severe in children than in adults. In women, menstrual periods may become irregular or stop.

Because the symptoms progress slowly, they are usually ignored until a stressful event like an illness or an accident causes them to become worse. This is called an addisonian crisis, or acute adrenal insufficiency. In most cases, symptoms are severe enough that patients seek medical treatment before a crisis occurs. However, in about 25 percent of patients, symptoms first appear during an addisonian crisis.

Symptoms of an addisonian crisis include sudden penetrating pain in the lower back, abdomen, or legs; severe vomiting and diarrhea, followed by dehydration; low blood pressure; and loss of consciousness. Left untreated, an addisonian crisis can be fatal.

fernan1 · 06-07-2006, 08:06 PM

i experienced two addison crisis, the first one i experienced severe pain on my abdomen and was nauseated. the second one was the gradual type in that i lost energy and was passing out everytime i stood up. the lost of energy was quite noticeable. it took everything i could muster just to perform simple everyday tasks, for example walking from my bed to any where in the house became a "do i really want to go there" type of scenario. the weakness i felt was nothing like i have ever felt before.