How to Treat Adrenal Weakness

When your adrenal gland is weak it doesn't produce enough cortisol, a hormone needed by your body to handle stress. This condition is also called adrenal insufficiency, hypocortisolism or Addison's disease and it can be life threatening.

Adrenal insufficiency can occur at any age, but is more common in people from age 30 to 50. Treatment for a weak adrenal gland involves supplementation of hormones to replace the insufficiency and provide your body what it needs to function properly.

Things You'll Need

• Prescription medications (hormones)

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Instructions

Treating Adrenal Suppression or Weakness

• 1

  Supplement your body by taking hormones prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor may prescribe medications such as hydrocortisone (Cortef), prednisone or cortisone acetate to increase your body's production of the hormones.

• 2

  Consult with your doctor if you also need Florinef, a prescription that replaces the hormone aldosterone, which controls your body's sodium and potassium needs and helps to keep your blood pressure normal.

• 3

  If you doctor prescribes medications for the condition, take them as prescribed each day. These drugs, if prescribed, mimic the amount your body normally would make, thereby minimizing any potential side effects.

• 4

  Ask your doctor if you need to increase your dosage of medication if you are dealing with a stressful situation. Because your adrenal glands aren't producing the hormones your body needs to handle stress, you may need more medication than normal. Stress to your system can be caused by any number of things; an emotional stress such as a death in the family or divorce; a financial stress such as a job loss or bankruptcy; or a physical stress such as an illness or condition that requires surgery or hospitalization.

• 5

  Ask your doctor if you need corticosteroid injections if you are nauseous, and can't retain oral medications. Sometime chemotherapy can make you nauseous; and you might not be able to keep a pill down so an injection of corticosteroid will provide your body the supplementation that it needs.

• 6

  For men with adrenal insufficiency, ask your doctor if you need an androgen replacement called dehydroepiandrosterone to improve your libido and sex drive. Surprisingly, women with with Addison's disease who's adrenal glands are weak and malfunctioning may also need androgen replacement therapy to increase their feelings of sexuality.