I've had Addison's for about 7-8 years. The medication have taken care of the symptoms and I think I've done well. However, the last 2 years I've ended up in the ER after have diarrhea and vomiting -- my blood pressue gets so low I pass out.
I love to travel but now I'm concerned about going anywhere that might not be near a hospital (hiking trips, camping), or where hospital staff can speak English and are familiar with Addison's disease (not so developed country).
I would like to hear what others have done to prevent any food-borne illness while traveling.
what meds are you taking for addisons? I was on 30 mg of cortef (20 am, 10 pm) .05 mg florinef. I would have occasional episodes of weak, low bp, sometimes sick, cramping. I would increase cortef during these episodes. But, I made a change that seemed to do the trick... cut my PM dose of cortef to 5 mg, and started taking an additional .05 mg of florinef in the PM. What a difference that made! I think that a mineral imbalance was throwing me off. I noticed if I was eating different than my normal (lots of high salt food) was when I tended to get sick, or during the heat of summer exercising and sweating more etc. Since I double my florinef, I haven't been sick since. I also started taking vitamins (flinstones' chewable) and haven't had a cold since then either!
I was always told by the doc to bump up my cortef, but that didn't seem to help when I started feeling bad, but the florinef worked for me!
by the way, I used to be concerned with traveling also. If I went to a multiple day meeting where I was captive and had to eat only the healthy meals (low salt) they were serving, I would start suffering. But again, since I increased my florinef, I have had no problems in these situation and if the opportunity arose again to travel out of the country, i would not hesitate. I would definitely try to smuggle my salt shaker with me tho. I travel every week by car, hotels several nights a week and occasionally by air. I keep a salt shaker in my suitcase and one in my car.
One of the very best things you can do for any sort of bacteria or parasite in your tummy is to be sure to take probiotics/acidophilus (good bacteria) daily. Go to a Wholefoods Market, healthfood store or purchase it online. I take probiotics every day for prevention. With Addison's we already have compromised immunity so it's very important to keep the good bacteria flourishing in your intestines... as this is where most illnesses, infections start.
Thanks. You take about the same doses of hydro and fludro that I do. I started to take more fludro but it seemed to have the opposite effect of what I expected so I backed off. Have you ever been in a situation (food borne illness) where you had to be taken to the ER to get a couple of bags of fluid pumped in you?
Thanks, I'll give the probiotics a try. My sister, who also has Addison's, has discovered it and it has made a big difference in her restless leg symptoms (these are somehow connected to her digestive system).
twice have I been to the ER / Outpatient clinic for fluids. Once, no illness was involved but was just getting weaker and weaker once on a ski trip. Could have been I didn't recognize my dehydration due to the cold. After being so weak for few days, my wife made me go to the ER and I received a few bags of fluids. Second time a few years later, I got a cold or flu or something. I had noticed I had lost my appetite a few days earlier, and was fighting a cold. I had driven 5 hours to a 3 day meeting and that night at dinner, I l felt just ok, but the next morning I awoke and thought I had the flu, very weak. I begged off the meeting, got some Gatorade and bumped up my cortef and stayed in my hotel all day. Finally, at around 4 pm, I decided I was going to try to drive home. The next day I was cramping all over, major cramps in my calves, thighs, back, stomach muscles, extreme pain. That must be what it feels like to get electrocuted. My wife took me to the outpatient clinic and I got the fluids and from then on bumped up my florinef and started taking my Flintstones vitamins. I wondered, was it a cold, was I losing my appetite, so not getting all the salt I need, and that started the onset?)
I did get salmonella once eating an undercooked cinnamon roll, threw up all night, but no issues with addisons.
