My name is Leanne and I hail from Brisbane. I, like all Addison’s sufferers, know how vital it is to maintain an adequate intake of medication. However I’ve learnt that this level fluctuates with the degree of stress, both physical and emotional put upon us. In 1996, I was barely existing on 2 x 1mgs Prednisone tablets each day when I contracted a viral infection. This wore me out and within 24 hours. I was experiencing severe vomiting & diarrhoea , found it difficult to stand up and simply couldn’t think straight.

Even with the severity of these symptoms, I still thought I simply had a virus which would go away with bed rest. It was only when I fell down the stairs that Mark (my boyfriend) insisted on taking me to a doctor. Even so I forced him to detour to the local Social Security office to lodge a form. On the way I threw up three times in his car (NB always make sure that your plastic bag doesn’t have holes in it!!) Fortunately the G.P. ( who sadly has since left the area) was well versed in Addison’s and recognised the seriousness of my condition. My blood pressure was so low that it wouldn’t register and I was slipping in and out of consciousness (and saying a few choice phrases in between). I was rushed to hospital where a helpful endocrinologist hooked me up to a drip which fed me the much needed hydrocortisone and replaced my fluid sodium loss. I remember waking up the next day still in the soiled clothes (phew!) from the night before. The only spare bed was in the cancer ward and I stayed there for four days and realised that there are medical conditions far worse than Addison’s disease.

Since then I have had three more crisis’s, mainly because, at no time did any doctor suggest I increase my prednisone intake in response to stressful situations.

The summer months in Brisbane are hot and sultry. This climate, together with seemingly minimal exertion greatly depletes my energy levels. One hot day I was working a casual shift in the kitchen of a nursing home. Even before this shift was over, I felt the tell tale nausea of an impending crisis. Mark took me to a local medical centre where the duty doctor refused to administer hydrocortisone saying he was sure I simply had the virus that was going around. No amount of pleading from either of us would change his mind, but he consented to give me a shot of Maxilon to control the nausea. It was too late and I ended up in hospital again, spending the night on a trolley in a corridor.

Misdiagnosis (viral infection and sunstroke) has occurred enough times for me to make the following recommendations:-

1. Locate a sympathetic G.P. who is willing to learn about Addison’s Disease and treat it promptly and accurately.
2. Make sure your ambulance subscription is current (mine wasn’t and I had to pay off the cost of the trip!)
3. Learn to anticipate stressful situations and to increase your medication level accordingly
4. Be optimistic, treat your condition as an opportunity to grow as a person.