Adrenal Insufficiency: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

When your adrenal insufficiency, a condition where the adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol and sometimes aldosterone. Also known as Addison's disease, it can sneak up on you—fatigue, dizziness, and weight loss aren’t just signs of being tired; they could mean your body is running low on critical stress hormones. Without enough cortisol, your body can’t handle physical stress, low blood sugar, or even infections the way it should. This isn’t rare—it affects about 1 in 100,000 people, and many go undiagnosed for years because symptoms mimic other common issues.

There are two main types: primary adrenal insufficiency, where the adrenal glands themselves are damaged (often by autoimmune disease), and secondary, where the pituitary gland fails to signal the adrenals to make cortisol. Cortisol deficiency, the core problem in adrenal insufficiency leads to low blood pressure, nausea, muscle weakness, and darkening of the skin in primary cases. Adrenal crisis, a life-threatening emergency triggered by stress, injury, or missed medication can cause vomiting, severe pain, and loss of consciousness. It’s not something you can ignore—delayed treatment can be fatal.

Managing adrenal insufficiency isn’t about a cure—it’s about replacement. Most people need daily steroid replacement, typically hydrocortisone or prednisone to mimic natural cortisol levels. The dose isn’t one-size-fits-all; it changes with illness, surgery, or even intense exercise. Many patients carry an emergency injection of hydrocortisone because if they can’t swallow pills during vomiting or shock, that shot can save their life. Regular blood tests and working closely with an endocrinologist make all the difference.

You’ll find real-world advice here—not just textbook definitions. Posts cover how adrenal insufficiency interacts with other conditions like gout or high blood pressure, how lab monitoring helps avoid over- or under-dosing, and what happens when steroid meds clash with other drugs. You’ll see how people manage daily life, what symptoms to watch for, and how to talk to doctors about dosage changes. Whether you’re newly diagnosed, caring for someone who is, or just trying to understand why fatigue won’t go away, this collection gives you the practical, no-fluff details you need.