Newly Diagnosed |
Apr 15 2009 |
I was diagnosed with hypopituitarism and Addison's five weeks ago. I had been sick for months, possibly years, of not feeling well. Extreme fatigue, muscle pain, etc. This yearI began with extreme, painful coldness. It was a feeling of being cold unlike anything I ever experienced, and I couldn't get warm. I would stand in the hot shower for long, long times just trying to warm myself. My glands were swollen, I had blurry vision, dizzy, the list goes on and on. Sometimes I had some breathless episodes and chest pain. Of course I went for a physical, my heart was fine, I was told it was stress and not to worry so much. Thank goodness I followed up with an endo and he found out I had only 1/3 of the cortisol I needed to function. I also have no growth hormones and no sex hormones, but being 56 I don't need either. We have to watch the thyroid, it's likely to fail next because the pit gland is failing.
I'm having some difficulty wrapping my head around all this, and getting used to dosing with prednisone. I worry about taking too much. I have struggled with weight all my life and don't want to gain. After two weeks the endo put me up to full replacement at 7.5 mg/day, I wasn't happy about that, because he had told me I had 1/3rd so what happened to the 1/3rd? But I seem to need it, get low blood pressure and fatigue when I don't take the extra half-pill.
Just trying to get used to this new way of living.
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I bought a book a month ago regarding the adrenal glands and addrenal fatigue. I have read most of it over the last few weeks. It won't help my condition as my adrenals have given up completely. It mentions taking Vitamin C in large doses. By doing this they tell us the glands will start functioning again. If yours are not completely stuffed then you could give it a go. I take cortate every day. Some take Hydrocortisone. Prednisone is a fast acting long lasting drug. The other two are not. I have been an Addisonian for just over a year. I feel much better than I did this time last year. I take Florinef to help my blood pressure and kidneys with salt and potassium. This may be a benefit for you as well. It will get better.
Caz