What Are the Treatments for Adrenal Insufficiency?

Individuals who have an adrenal insufficiency are given the diagnosis of Addison's disease, also known as hypocortisolism. Treatments for this disease are lifelong as there is no known cure for adrenal insufficiency. In addition to treating the symptoms of Addison's disease, people must also monitor their health to avoid addisonian crisis, or acute adrenal failure. If this crisis should occur emergency medical treatment must be given at once.

Daily Treatment

• A person who has Addison's disease will be required to take corticosteroids on a daily basis or they could fall into a coma and die. These oral hormones are given as a replacement to the hormones that the person's body does not produce. Oral hydrocortisone is prescribed to patients who need to have their cortisol replaced. Oral mineralocorticoid is prescribed for patients who need aldosterone.

Treatment for Acute Adrenal Failure

• A person who has adrenal insufficiency may go into an addisonian crisis. The symptoms of acute adrenal failure include diarrhea; vomiting; pain in the legs, stomach and back; low blood pressure; high potassium levels and loss of consciousness. An addisonian crisis can be triggered by things such as injury, illness, infection or stress. A person who goes into a crisis must receive emergency medical treatment or they could die. Emergency medical treatment will involve injecting the individual intravenously with dextrose, hydrocortisone and saline. After the initial crisis has passed the individual will be admitted into the hospital for a period of time until the cause of the crisis is determined.

Injectable Treatments

• Because an addisonian crisis can be triggered by minor things such as infections, minor illnesses or stress, individuals with Addison's disease must keep injectable forms of their medications on hand. In the event that a person is unable to take his or her oral medication because of a sickness that is causing nausea and vomiting, injections will need to be given.

Treatment Precautions

• A person with Addison's disease is dependent on medications to stay in good health. For this reason, patients should keep extra medications, preferably a two-month supply, on hand in the event that there was a weather disaster, financial crisis or other event that would hinder them from receiving their medications.

Treatment Considerations

• Patients should talk with their physicians when they go through major life stressors such as a change of job, death, divorce, change of location and other life events that cause stress. Because stress can trigger acute adrenal failures, physicians may increase a patient's medication dosage until the stressful event has passed.