How to Correct Adrenal Dysfunction or Exhaustion

An auto-immune response can gradually destroy part of the adrenal gland, leaving the patient with an adrenal insufficiency called Addison's disease. The cortiosol produced by the endocrine gland lowers in the blood. Without sufficient cortisol, normal regulation of blood pressure and cardiovascular fitness grows weakened. For the gland to recover to normal, as the patient controls the hormone levels in their body, the damage done by antibodies needs to repair.

Things You'll Need

• Replacement hormones

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Instructions

• 1

  Ask your doctor about hormone replacement therapy that will work for your condition. Patients with primary adrenal insufficiency can suffer from low levels of both cortisol and aldosterone. On the other hand, patients who suffer from secondary adrenal insufficiency, caused by low ACTH secretion by the pituitary gland to regulate the adrenal release of cortisol, lacks only cortisol production. Your doctor can describe therapy with cortisol replacement or both cortisol and aldosterone replacement.

• 2

  Take initial doses of cortisol replacement hormones. The damaged adrenal cortex needs an initial dose to begin the healing process, and raise cortisol levels in the blood toward normal. A patient takes a synthetic glucocortisoid, such as prednisone, 1 to 3 times each day. The treatment in mild cases begins with orals. For serious cases, intravenous supply of both a corticosteroid and large volumes of saline solution with dextrose can help the patient heal during the initial phase. The doctor prescribes the dosage and supervises intravenous supply until the patient's blood pressure and sugar return to a stable level.

• 3

  If aldosterone levels are low, take initial doses of aldosterone replacement hormones. A patient needs to raise aldosterone levels back to normal to regain their regulation of the body's salt balance. The doctor prescribes doses of fludrocortisone acetate to replace the aldosterone.

• 4

  Continue taking hormone replacements until adrenal functioning returns to normal, with normal cortisone release into the bloodstream. With time, aldosterone levels also return to normal. The patient controls blood pressure, and salt balance, with replacement hormones until he can control the pressure and salt using the body's cortisol and aldosterone.

• 5

  If the adrenal gland has become exhausted, ask your doctor about glucocorticoid therapy. Patients with a chronic illness can undergo prolonged stress on the adrenal glands from an inflammatory response to an illness. A doctor gives the patient glucocortisoid treatment until the body recovers from the fatigue and weakness enough for the patient to stop using medications prescribed for regulating the cardiovascular system, including blood pressure. The doctor addresses additional conditions such as hypotension, with additional medication.