Addisons Disease

Question: Addison's Disease - Looking for healthcare help for someone with no healthcare insurance? I'm looking for financial help / assistance for a person residing in Fort Worth, TX who has advancing Addison's disease. He has no health care insurance and is having increasing trouble dealing with the acute episodes that occur and prevent him from being able to work. Can anyone here point me in the right direction to help him get some assistance to get the care that he needs? I know there are grants & funds for various conditions & medications, but I'm not sure where to begin helping in this case. Many thanks in advance for your response.

Answer: I have met the similiar problem before -- still a little bit annoy,here http://www.healthinsurance-onlinetips.in… is a good resource that help me out.

Question: How much will it cost to treat my dog for Addison's disease after the initial vet visit? My dog was just diagnosed as having Addison's disease. I know she will have to take pills or get shots for the rest of her life. I am just curious if anyone has the same problem with their dog, and what it ended up costing them a month. I have read some wildly different prices online. I need to know what to budget every month for the drugs. Thanks! I was asking people who have had the same health issue with their dog or are directly familiar with the disorder to answer. It is useless to tell me that things are more expensive in New York than rural Idaho or that my vet can tell me. I am going to a new vet that I do not know well yet. I want answers from people that know what they are talking about please. I also have heard people were able to cut out the vet middleman and save some money on the pharmacy visits. Thank you for trying to help, but please don't try if you don't have a specific answer.

Answer: I strongly advise you to join the Canine Cushings Autoimmune group on Yahoogroups. They are a wealth of information for people such as you. I had a Cushings dog and learned a hundred times more from them than my vets. I also ordered her meds through a Canadian pharmacy for about half what they are here in the US. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Canin… Best of luck to you

Question: Does anyone have any experience with Addison's disease in dogs? My girl has been very sick and has spent 2 days in the hospital. She's feeling better now after IV fluids, and some steroids. The vet is checking her for Addison's disease and thinks that there's a 90% chance she has it. We'll have the test results tomorrow. Any advice? Thanks - I'll take a look at it. Thanks Ragapple! I'll need all the help I can get. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed her test results are negative, but 2 vets are pretty sure she has it.

Answer: I have a dog that was diagnosed with Addison's 7 1/2 yrs ago and is almost 12 now. My advice to you is to RUN (don't walk) to check out these two web sites www.k9addisons.com www.addisondogs.com these are the home sites for support lists for owners of addison dogs. Besides the sites being chock full of information, they have links to the support lists themselves - which have literally thousands of people in the same situation. They can give referrals to Addison savy vets, sources of discount drugs, advice on what helped them solve medication problems, the latest research, and just plain people to celebrate victories with and shoulders to cry on... I found them a GODSEND and they may well have saved my dogs life when we had a medication problem beyond both the experience of my vet and the specialist she referred us to....

Question: Does anyone have personal perspective with treating Addison's Disease in dogs? I have a 17 year old Aussie mix, who has a tentative diagnosis of Addison's. (ACTH test tomorrow) I know all about the disease, having worked as a vet tech. I've also done some web-based research, so don't tell me what it is, etc... What I'm looking for are personal stories of the practical side of dealing with this: treatment options, tips and tricks, and ESPECIALLY any holistic alternatives/complementary treatments. Update: Please read the question carefully. I have researched this on the web thoroughly, so I don't need copypasta from websites. I need/want PERSONAL anecdotes and/or treatment options, particularly when it comes to alternatvie therapies.

Answer: Treatment for this disease is usually done by oral administration of fludrocortisone acetate (Flurinaf), salting the food, and administration of corticosteroids like prednisone. In a crisis situation this disorder must be treated more aggressively with intravenous fluids, IV glucocorticoids and correction of acid/base balances. You have to pay close attention to a dog with this problem. Don't ignore any changes in appetite, GI disturbances or anything else that makes you think your dog is ill. If you work with your vet and are careful about following his or her directions this disease has a good prognosis when it is discovered before a crisis occurs.

Question: Why do patients with Addison's disease become hypotensive? Why do patients with Addison's disease become hypotensive, if you can answer it will help a lot?

Answer: there is a lack of steroids in the body that are necessary to regulate blood pressure

Question: might a womanizing tendency be a result of suffering from Addison's Disease? addison's disease is a failure to create glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, so their precursors build up and get shifted to the pathway that makes steroids like testosterone. would a build-up cause behavioral changes? hussain, i think you read my question incorrectly. thanks.

Answer: Not likely. Behavior is still, at least in part, a choice.

Question: Does anyone on here have Addison's Disease? Can you tell me about the symptoms and how you got diagnosed? I've had some issues in the last few years...severe fatigue, low blood pressure, joint pain, major allergies, high heart rate, foggy head, salt craving ,etc....just wondering if this may be Addison's? Would like to hear other peoples knowledge and experience of this disease? Thanks!

Answer: Get to a doctor - an endocrinologist. Find a good one - some will not have ever treated a case and will not have a clue how to do the stimulation testing. You will need cortisol, ACTH, sodium and potassium testing at a minimum. ACTH is a very hard thing to test. Lab error keeps a lot of people from getting testing accurately. It should be in a chilled lavender topped EDTA tube, drawn promptly, spun as soon as it is drawn and frozen as soon as it comes out of the centrifuge. Busy lab (or not knowing the procedure) keeps the sample from being processed correctly and the results are then not accurate. Urine cortisol samples also need to be kept cold no matter what they say. I had Cushing's (too much cortisol) and then had my adrenals removed so now I have none. I take salt tablets daily and florinef (fludrocortisone) to keep my blood pressure up and my pulse moderate. I take replacement steroids, hydrocortisone, and have to adjust for illness. Too little steroids is dangerous - too much and it damages the body (hence why I had to have them removed) so it is a balancing act. You need to find out the source of the issue - be it pituitary or adrenal. The ACTH test is the best way to know that is why that test needs to be accurate. In the end, make sure you get ongoing monitoring as when one hormone goes awry, others tend to go awry as well. Watch vitamin D, ferratin, calcium and all... cortisol eats bones and you need to be careful.

Question: What to expect with Addison's disease? By tomorrow I will have the final diagnosis, but as of right now the vet is pretty sure my wonderful doggie has Addison's disease. If you have a dog with the same condition will you please tell what to expect? All I know so far is that she will need monthly steroid injections. She only seven years old and we love her dearly. Thank you. ETA: Please forgive the typos. It's been a rough week.

Answer: I have a rescued lab mix with Addison's. It varies slightly from dog to dog, but the fact that yours is on a monthly shot is good news. Some need it more frequwntly. Mine was on it every 22 days. Near the "shot time" in the month, let your dog out frequently, as they may be more prone to accidents as their body runs out of regulating chemicals and the shot is needed. In personal experience: The disease has also compromised our dog's immune system and we have to carefully watch what she eats and does. At 5 years old, she is on her last leg so to speak, despite a ton of vetting, different opinions and meds, but she is not a very good case either. Now she is getting her percorten every 20 days to keep her out of renal failure.

Question: My dog has Addison's disease & I am wondering if it is ok to give her those grass saver tablets? Her Addison's had messed with her kidney's during her first crisis so I was a little nervous about changing the PH in her urine for the grass. My vet is on vacation & I have a message in to her but I was curious if anyone knew already? Thanks!

Answer: 1-800-petmeds says to ask your vet before giving this to your dog if it has any kidney problems so my guess is that there can or has been a problem in dogs with impaired kidney function. Also, even in perfectly healthy dogs, changing the ph level of their urine is a bad idea - they can end up with painful bladder stones. It's better for your dog to find other ways to avoid urine burns. If you use nitrogen based fertilizers, stop. The nitrogen in your dog's urine combined with the nitrogen in the fertilizer will magnify the problem. You can also try soaking the areas your dog eliminates in with a hose to dilute the nitrogen. ETA: Shanna - where did you get a bottle of Braggs for $5? I paid way more than that.

Question: What are the risks of taking codeine with adrenal insufficency/addison's disease? What are the risks of taking codeine with adrenal insufficency/addison's disease?

Answer: I don't think there's any problem taking codeine - it relies on the liver for metabolism. But if you are taking corticosteroid supplements, check for interactions with your doctor.

Question: I have Addison's Disease but have not begun treatment yet and my heart is becoming weak, will it recover? I was just diagnosed with Addison's Disease (Adrenal insufficiency) and my biggest problem is that my heart has become rather weak as a result of going undiagnosed for years. I really don't trust any of my doctors to give me a straight answer so that is why I am asking here. I had a normal echo recently, but my heartbeat and pulses are weak and my blood pressure averages 95/60 ish and getting lower as I have gotten sicker. When they start me on the hydrocortisone and florinef and all that can my heart become strong again? I was just diagnosed two days ago and they want to do some more test to check for tuberculosis before they give me the treatment. And to answer about my distrust in doctors, well I saw about 50 different doctors since I fell ill and not one of them was able to figure out what was wrong with me until I met my endocrinologist. Over the last year I was misdiagnosed with DEPRESSION, GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER, CONVERSION DISORDER, IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME, MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE SYNDROME, SOMATIZATION DISORDER, HYPOCHONDRIASIS.......WOW! That is why I do not trust doctors, because not one of them even considered that I may be experiencing Adrenal failure. This includes 3 hospitalizations this year where "no one can figure out what is wrong" took place. Turns out I was having Addisonian Crisis symptoms all 3 times. They had THREE times to figure it out. My blood work showed: Elevated Potassium and BUN. Lowered Sodium and Chloride. I had a resting heart rate of 120. Smart guys....

Answer: It will help, it really depends on how much damage has occured during the period you have not been treated. See link below for info...;

Question: I want to be in touch with people that have a dog with Addison,s disease? I need help in answering questions about the financial aspect of keeping treatments up for my dog with Addison,s...ITs very expensive for the medicine they are giving him and it has to be administered every 25 days. Its costing me $185.00 every vet visit ,, every 25 days... I need some other path to followl. help please!

Answer: The link below is a support group of people with dogs that have Addison's disease. They may be able to help you with the treatments that are cheaper, but still work.

Question: Are kidney stones a side effect of Addison's Disease? I was diagnosed with Addison's Disease 7 years ago. I take flurinef daily. But I am wondering if Addison's can in any way be related to kidney stones? I have had 8 kidney stones in the past two years. Any link?

Answer: There is no link between Addison's Disease and kidney stones. Your situation is coincidental. The Florinef you are taking is not linked to kidney stones, either.

Question: Can a person diagnosed with Addison's disease drink alcohol or get "drunk"? Does taking Hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone interact in anyway with the consumption of alcohol? Those are two prescriptions that are used to treat addison's. What are the possible consequences of an occasional drink or drinking with these at all? Thanks.

Answer: You can get drunk for sure... but alcohol may have side effects that are probably a bit more dangerous for a person with Addison's than the normal person. One drink should not be an issue as long as the person drinks plenty of other fluids. Getting plastered, well... First, you get dehydrated which is not good as it may interfere with the electrolyte levels and as you should know, the adrenal crisis is created when sodium and potassium levels go out of wack. Which is why you want to stay hydrated and have a high sodium diet. Second, if you get drunk and start to vomit - that also can create a life threatening crisis. So, moderation is probably ok - but overdoing it can be dangerous especially if the people around you do not understand your health issues.

Question: How low does cortisol have to be to be considered Addison's Disease? *I know this isn't related to diabetes, but I thought the folks in here might know

Answer: Every lab is different. Talk to your endocrinologist. Good luck.

Question: Is there an alternative treatment for Canine Addison's Disease? Just got the news today. With out treatment, my dog will die from Addisont's Disease. Turns out the treatment will cost around 5 thousand bucks. The vet hydrated him before we left the office but he's still pretty lethargic. Isnt there an herbal supplement that help him out? I dont want to loose my best friend! been doing research since posting this question. there is a specific test they can run then they have to figure out which category of the disease it is. 5k may have been a little high but I'm thinking it includes the test and meds.

Answer: Addison's disease is a condition where the adrenal glands do not produce the normal amounts of steroids. This causes the body to lose sodium, become dehydrated, and have vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy. I'm not sure where the $5000 treatment fee is coming from. The two treatments I am familiar with are Florinef - a human pharmaceutical product that replaces both glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, and DOCP, which is formulated for animals and replaces mineralocorticoids. These are LIFELONG therapies, as there is no way to force the adrenal glands to increase production. Although the cost of either medication is not cheap, I can't imagine that it can cost $5000 all at once. I find that DOCP, which is an injection given every 25 days, works better to control the problem. In the beginning stages of the treatment, there is a fair amount of testing, but again, I can't see it costing that much all at one time. Try checking out K9Addisons website, it actually has some pretty good info. Good luck. The good news is that with appropriate treatment, a dog can live a long, normal life with this condition. But without treatment, it can be fatal.