The months following the auto accident were painful to say the least. I was going to physical therapy, massage, and chiropractic three times a week. The massage sessions were even painful L. No fun at all.
I became depressed because my low back was so painful. The whole back and neck were messed up, but my low back hurt so much that I’d break out in a sweat just pulling up my socks or putting on pants. I’d have to brace myself for the pain to come just to put on clothes!
I also had PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) after the accident. Miserable!! I found that I would cry over everything! I was nervous, jumpy, I couldn’t sleep, tense, etc, etc. PTSD is terrible and I pity anyone that has it. The PTSD was so bad, I couldn’t watch an action or horror movie without going into an anxiety attack. It was like my mind thought the action or horror was real and I was experiencing it!
This accident was the start of my full blown Addison’s, which by the way can be fatal! Not to mention miserable. I was having anxiety attacks every day that lasted ALL day every day after the accident! I was taking meds for anxiety but even they weren’t making me feel better. The PTSD induced Addison’s was so miserable that my quality of life was in the toilet! But at the time I didn’t know it was called Addison’s or Adrenal Fatigue.
I did a LOT of internet searching to try to find out what was wrong with me. My doctor at the time Dr. Adatia, was completely clueless as to what was wrong with me. But the (quack) doctor Adatia from Federal Way didn’t even bother to have me get an MRI even though I told him repeatedly that I was having muscle spasms all over my body since the accident (CLEAR sign of nerve damage by the way!). I told him I was having anxiety attacks and rapid heart rate (tachycardia) and all he said was “take more blood pressure medicine”. I was thinking “are you kidding me”?? I’ve got a resting heart rate of 160 – 170 sometimes and he says take BP meds?? My blood pressure was not the problem accept when my racing heart rate pushed my BP up.
I was completely exhausted, the anxiety attacks were awful, my tachycardia was scary, my potassium and blood sugar kept going “dangerously low” per the numerous visits to the Emergency Room. I was irritable (wouldn’t you be with all the above?), and so on. I was definitely not having a good time, and on top of it all I was in a lot of pain from the accident.
I finally found info on Adrenal Fatigue and Addison’s on the internet and I made an appointment with an Endocrinologist, but he couldn’t see me for another month and a half. At the same time I also coincidentally made an appointment with a Naturopath in Federal Way. Dr. Beth Dedominico who was able to get me in within the week. I was at a point where I would have tried witch doctors, anything to feel better. My quality of life was so bad that if it didn’t improve I was going to end my misery. Let me say I did NOT want to do that, but the quality of my life was so miserable I wasn’t any good to myself, my kids or anyone else. Dr. Beth identified my “Adrenal Insufficiency” (Addison’s basically) with a couple simple tests. She put me on something called Isocort, a antural cortisol supplement and I can tell you that I started to slowly feel better. I could feel that I was becoming myself again more and more as each week passed. By the time I had my appointment with the Endocrinologist I was pretty much feeling like myself. I told the Endocrinologist all this and he said well if it works keep doing it. My anxiety attacks are all but gone, though when I am under a lot of mental or physical stress I need to take more Isocort. I also take a variety of vitamins to provide my body with the nutrition it needs.
I knew all along that my anxiety attacks were not psychological in nature, and I was right. I got rid of my quack general practice doctor Adatia and I switched to a woman doctor close to my age, and she immediately ordered an MRI when I told her about my auto accident and the muscle spasms & numbness I was having all over my body, and about my neck and back pain. I also told her about the chiropractor that has re-whiplashed my neck while treating me and she took everything seriously and looked at my physical symptoms instead of asking “how much did it cost to fix your car.” Which was Adatia’s first “medical” question to me after my accident! (Adatia is probably an IME for an insurance company, that wouldn’t surprise me at all).
Now that my adrenal insufficiency was addressed and I was starting to feel like a person again, I could focus on getting healthy and healed in all the other areas. More to come later…
I’d like to talk more about Addison’s or Adrenal Fatigue….
Because it is so rare and insidious that it usually takes YEARS of misery and usually a near death, or actual death for doctors to figure it out! I’m no doctor but I’ve read up on this topic so much that I think it’s important to get the information out there so that other people that suffer from Anxiety and other Addison’s related symptoms need to know what it is and what they can do to get their quality of life back!
Addison’s can take YEARS of misery to identify and diagnose, and in my opinion I think more people have different stages of Addison’s or Adrenal Fatigue than what is being reported today by doctors who label it as “depression, or psychological anxiety” alone. Why? Because doctors just do NOT know how to identify the early stages of Addison’s, which is Adrenal Fatigue (your adrenals are getting worn out and not producing the needed hormones to keep you alive and well). In the doctor’s defense, the symptoms of early stages of Addison’s can look like so many different medical conditions, here is a list of symptoms for Addison’s from the Mayo Clinic. Also some people do not have all the symptoms, or have different issues going on, so it makes it very difficult to diagnose. None the less, I am very greatful that “I” finally figured it out and got the help I needed.
Addison's disease symptoms usually develop slowly, often over several months or years, and may include. Keep in mind these are symptoms of Primary Addison’s. Secondary Addison’s may not have all the same symptoms, so don’t rule it out if you don’t have weight loss, or low blood pressure, etc… (And the doctors don’t always remember the difference between primary and secondary Addisons! Even Endocrinologists sometimes don’t remember!)
§ Muscle weakness and fatigue
§ Weight loss and decreased appetite (but no always!)
§ Darkening of your skin (hyperpigmentation) (but not always!)
§ Low blood pressure, even fainting (When you go from laying or sitting to standing. BP DROPS)
§ Salt craving
§ Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) (sugar cravings!)
§ Nausea, diarrhea or vomiting
§ Muscle or joint pains
§ Irritability
§ Depression
§ Anxiety
§ Tachycardia (rapid heart rate over 100 bpm when at rest)
§ Your blood pressure drops when it’s taken when you go from laying to standing. (Normal people’s blood pressure goes up when you stand up).
Acute adrenal failure (Addisonian crisis)
Sometimes, however, the signs and symptoms of Addison's disease may appear suddenly. In acute adrenal failure (addisonian crisis), the signs and symptoms may also include:
Sometimes, however, the signs and symptoms of Addison's disease may appear suddenly. In acute adrenal failure (addisonian crisis), the signs and symptoms may also include:
§ Pain in your lower back, abdomen or legs
§ Severe vomiting and diarrhea, leading to dehydration
§ Low blood pressure
§ Loss of consciousness
§ High potassium (hyperkalemia)
When to see a doctor
See your doctor if you have signs and symptoms that commonly occur in people with Addison's disease, such as:
See your doctor if you have signs and symptoms that commonly occur in people with Addison's disease, such as:
§ Darkening areas of skin (hyperpigmentation)
§ Severe fatigue
§ Unintentional weight loss
§ Gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, bloating, discomfort, heartburn, etc…
§ Dizziness or fainting
§ Salt cravings
§ Muscle or joint pains
Your doctor can determine whether Addison's disease or some other medical condition may be causing these problems.
The website Medicine Net actually explains symptoms of Addison’s a little better believe it or not…The Adrenals put out many hormones that keep the body functioning and alive. One important hormone is Cortisol (hydrocortisone). Cortisol is needed by the body to regulate many body functions and to keep you alive!
What is cortisol?
Cortisol is normally produced by the adrenal glands, located just above the kidneys. It belongs to a class of hormones called glucocorticoids, which affect almost every organ and tissue in the body. Scientists think that cortisol has possibly hundreds of effects in the body. Cortisol's most important job is to help the body respond to stress. Among its other vital tasks, cortisol:
· helps maintain blood pressure and heart function
· helps slow the immune system's inflammation response
· helps balance the effects of insulin in breaking down sugar for energy
· helps regulate the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats
· helps maintain proper arousal and sense of well-being
PTSD Resource
If you would like to find more information on PTSD check out this link: http://namimi.org/post-traumatic-stress?gclid=CPOi9cXSzKcCFRtqgwodoCzACQ
Addison’s Resources
Mayo Clinic - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/addisons-disease/DS00361/DSECTION=symptoms
MedicineNet.com http://www.medicinenet.com/addison_disease/page3.htm
