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Symptoms of Addison's Disease
List of symptoms of Addison's Disease:
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Addison's Disease includes the 61 symptoms listed below:
- Weight loss
- Muscle weakness
- Fatigue
- Low blood pressure
- Hyperpigmentation - dark skin tanning of both external and unexposed skin areas, most noticable on skin folds, elbows, knees, knuckles, toes, lips, and mucous membranes.
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Orthostatic hypotension
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Coldness
- Irritability
- Mood changes
- Lethargy
- Depression
- Weight loss
- Wasting
- Anorexia (appetite loss)
- Craving salty foods
- Amenorrhea
- Irregular menstrual periods
- Hypoglycemia
- Underarm hair loss
- Adrenal insufficiency
- Symptoms of an Addisonian crisis, the most severe result, include:
- Back pain - sudden penetrating pain in the lower back
- Abdominal pain
- Leg pain
- Severe vomiting
- Severe diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Hypoglycemia - low blood sugar
- Hyperkalemia - high levels of potassium
- Low blood pressure
- Collapse
- Loss of consciousness
- Coma
- Death
- Increased bronze pigmentation of skin
- Increased bronze pigmentation of mucous membranes
- Weakness
- Reduced endurance
- Anorexia
- Fatigue
- Dehydration
- Weight loss
- Gastrointestinal disturbances
- Salt cravings
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Restlessness
- Emotional distress
- Reduced tolerance to physical stress
- Reduced tolerance to emotional stress
- Low blood sodium
- Low blood glucose
- High blood potassium
- Darkening of skin
- Tremors
- Reduced blood pressure
Note that Addison's Disease symptoms usually refers to various symptoms known to a patient, but the phrase Addison's Disease signs may refer to those signs only noticable by a doctor.
More ways to research these symptoms: To research other symptoms use the symptom center, or to research causes of more than one symptom in combination, try our multi-symptom search.
Research More About Addison's Disease
Do I have Addison's Disease?
- Addison's Disease: Introduction
- Addison's Disease: Diagnostic Testing to confirm diagnosis
- Home Diagnostic Testing
- Alternative diagnoses and misdiagnosis for Addison's Disease
- Hidden Causes of Addison's Disease
- Treatments for Addison's Disease
- More about Addison's Disease
Home Diagnostic Testing
Home medical tests related to Addison's Disease:
- High Cholesterol: Home Testing:
- High Blood Pressure: Home Testing
- Heart Health: Home Testing:
- Fatigue: Related Home Tests:
- Thyroid: Home Testing:
- Home TSH Tests
- Home Adrenal Function Tests
- Bladder & Urinary Health: Home Testing:
- Diet & Weight Loss: Home Testing:
- Adrenal Gland Health: Home Testing:
- Kidney Health: Home Testing:
- Diabetes: Related Home Testing:
Wrongly Diagnosed with Addison's Disease?
The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Addison's Disease includes:
- Adrenal Cancer
- Adrenal disorders
- Adrenal insufficiency
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
See the full list of 9 alternative diagnoses for Addison's Disease
More about symptoms of Addison's Disease:
More information about symptoms of Addison's Disease and related conditions:
- Other diseases with similar symptoms and common misdiagnoses
- Tests to determine if these are the symptoms of Addison's Disease
- Symptoms that may be caused by complications of Addison's Disease
- Underlying causes of Addison's Disease
- Associated conditions for Addison's Disease
- Risk factors for Addison's Disease
Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms
Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.
- Abdominal pain - see all causes of Abdominal pain
- Adrenal insufficiency - see all causes of Adrenal gland symptoms
- Amenorrhea - see all causes of Amenorrhea
- Anorexia - see all causes of Anorexia
- Anorexia (appetite loss) - see all causes of Poor appetite
- Anxiety - see all causes of Anxiety
- Back pain - see all causes of Back pain
- Coldness - see all causes of Coldness
- Collapse - see all causes of Collapse
- Coma - see all causes of Coma
- Craving salty foods - see all causes of Cravings
- Darkening of skin - see all causes of Dark skin
- Death - see all causes of Death
- Dehydration - see all causes of Dehydration
- Dehydration - see all causes of Dehydration
- Depression - see all causes of Depressive symptoms
- Depression - see all causes of Depressive symptoms
- Diarrhea - see all causes of Diarrhea
- Dizziness - see all causes of Dizziness
- Emotional distress - see all causes of Emotional symptoms
- Fainting - see all causes of Fainting
- Fatigue - see all causes of Fatigue
- Fatigue - see all causes of Fatigue
- Gastrointestinal disturbances - see all causes of Digestive symptoms
- High blood potassium - see all causes of Hyperkalemia
- Hyperkalemia - see all causes of Hyperkalemia
- Hyperpigmentation - see all causes of Hyperpigmentation
- Hypoglycemia - see all causes of Hypoglycemia
- Hypoglycemia - see all causes of Hypoglycemia
- Irregular menstrual periods - see all causes of Menstrual irregularities
- Irritability - see all causes of Irritability
- Leg pain - see all causes of Leg pain
- Lethargy - see all causes of Lethargy
- Loss of consciousness - see all causes of Syncope
- Low blood pressure - see all causes of Low blood pressure
- Low blood pressure - see all causes of Low blood pressure
- Low blood sodium - see all causes of Low blood sodium
- Mood changes - see all causes of Moodiness
- Muscle weakness - see all causes of Muscle weakness
- Nausea - see all causes of Nausea
- Orthostatic hypotension - see all causes of Orthostatic hypotension
- Reduced tolerance to emotional stress - see all causes of Personality change
- Restlessness - see all causes of Restlessness
- Salt cravings - see all causes of Salt cravings
- Severe diarrhea - see all causes of Severe diarrhea
- Severe vomiting - see all causes of Severe vomiting
- Tremors - see all causes of Tremors
- Underarm hair loss - see all causes of Hair loss
- Vomiting - see all causes of Vomiting
- Wasting - see all causes of Muscle atrophy
- Weakness - see all causes of Weakness
- Weight loss - see all causes of Weight loss
- Weight loss - see all causes of Weight loss
- Weight loss - see all causes of Weight loss
Medical Books Online about Addison's Disease
Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Addison's Disease are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Addison's Disease.
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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Patient Surveys for Addison's Disease
- Patient Profile Survey
Take Survey View Results - Survey about the symptoms of your Addison's Disease
Take Survey View Results
Symptoms of Addison's Disease: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of Addison's Disease.
Adrenal crisis:
Signs and Symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Profound weakness, nausea, vomiting, hypotension, dehydration, high fever followed by hypothermia, vascular collapse, renal shutdown, coma
Adrenal hypofunction:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Adrenal hypofunction typically produces such effects as weakness, fatigue, weight loss, and various GI disturbances, such as nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and chronic diarrhea. When primary, the disorder usually causes a conspicuous bronze coloration of the skin. The patient appears to be deeply suntanned, especially in the creases of the hands and over the metacarpophalangeal joints, the elbows, and the knees. He may also exhibit a darkening of scars, areas of vitiligo (absence of pigmentation), and increased pigmentation of the mucous membranes, especially the buccal mucosa. Abnormal skin and mucous membrane coloration results from decreased secretion of cortisol (one of the glucocorticoids), which causes the pituitary gland to simultaneously secrete excessive amounts of corticotropin and melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH).
Associated cardiovascular abnormalities in adrenal hypofunction include orthostatic hypotension, decreased cardiac size and output, and a weak, irregular pulse. Other clinical effects include decreased tolerance for even minor stress, poor coordination, fasting hypoglycemia (due to decreased gluconeogenesis), and a craving for salty food. Adrenal hypofunction may also retard axillary and pubic hair growth in females, decrease the libido (from decreased androgen production) and, in severe cases, cause amenorrhea.
Secondary adrenal hypofunction produces similar clinical effects but without hyperpigmentation because corticotropin and MSH levels are low. Because aldosterone secretion may continue at fairly normal levels in secondary adrenal hypofunction, this condition doesn’t necessarily cause accompanying hypotension and electrolyte abnormalities.
Signs and symptoms vary with the type of adrenal hypofunction.
Addison’s disease typically produces weakness, fatigue, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, and anorexia. Asthenia (constant fatigue) is the cardinal symptom, most evident in times of stress.
The disorder also usually causes a conspicuous bronze coloration of the skin. The patient appears to be deeply suntanned, especially in the creases of the hands and over the metacarpophalangeal joints, the elbows, and the knees. He also may exhibit a darkening of scars, areas of vitiligo (absence of pigmentation), and increased pigmentation of the mucous membranes, especially the buccal mucosa. Such abnormal skin and mucous membrane coloration results from decreased secretion of cortisol (a glucocorticoid), which causes the pituitary gland to simultaneously secrete excessive amounts of corticotropin and melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH).
Associated cardiovascular abnormalities include orthostatic hypotension, decreased cardiac size and output, and a weak, irregular pulse.
Other signs and symptoms include decreased tolerance for even minor stress, fasting hypoglycemia (due to decreased gluconeogenesis), and a craving for salty food due to decreased mineralocorticoid secretion, which normally causes salt retention.
GENDER INFLUENCE: In women with adrenal hypofunction, androgen levels are low, though they may be treated with daily replacement of 25 to 50 mg of dehydroepiandrosterone to improve quality of life and skeletal density. Also, axillary and pubic hair may be decreased due to loss of adrenal androgens. Secondary hypofunction produces signs and symptoms similar to those of primary hypofunction but without hyperpigmentation because corticotropin and MSH levels are low. Because aldosterone secretion may continue at fairly normal levels in those with secondary adrenal hypofunction, this condition doesn’t necessarily cause accompanying hypotension and electrolyte abnormalities.
Besides producing profound weakness, adrenal crisis also causes fatigue, nausea, vomiting, hypotension, dehydration and, occasionally, high fever followed by hypothermia. If untreated, this condition can ultimately lead to vascular collapse, renal shutdown, coma, and death.
The symptoms of adrenal insufficiency usually
begin gradually. Chronic, worsening fatigue and muscle weakness, loss of
appetite, and weight loss are characteristic of the disease. Nausea,
vomiting, and diarrhea occur in about 50 percent of cases. Blood pressure
is low and falls further when standing, causing dizziness or fainting.
Skin changes also are common in Addison's disease, with areas of
hyperpigmentation, or dark tanning, covering exposed and nonexposed parts
of the body. This darkening of the skin is most visible on scars; skin
folds; pressure points such as the elbows, knees, knuckles, and toes;
lips; and mucous membranes.
Addison's disease can cause irritability and depression. Because of
salt loss, craving of salty foods also is common. Hypoglycemia, or low
blood sugar, is more severe in children than in adults. In women,
menstrual periods may become irregular or stop.
Because the symptoms progress slowly, they are usually ignored until a
stressful event like an illness or an accident causes them to become
worse. This is called an addisonian crisis, or acute adrenal
insufficiency. In most patients, symptoms are severe enough to seek
medical treatment before a crisis occurs. However, in about 25 percent of
patients, symptoms first appear during an addisonian crisis.
Symptoms of an addisonian crisis include sudden penetrating pain in the
lower back, abdomen, or legs; severe vomiting and diarrhea, followed by
dehydration; low blood pressure; and loss of consciousness. Left
untreated, an addisonian crisis can be fatal.
(Source: excerpt from Addison's Disease: NIDDK)
These general reference articles may be of interest
in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
The symptom information on this page
attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Addison's Disease.
This signs and symptoms information for Addison's Disease has been gathered from various sources,
may not be fully accurate,
and may not be the full list of Addison's Disease signs or Addison's Disease symptoms.
Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Addison's Disease may vary on an individual basis for each patient.
Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they
are indeed Addison's Disease symptoms.
Next articles: Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Adrenal hypofunction:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Primary hypofunction
Secondary hypofunction
Adrenal crisis
Article Excerpts About Symptoms of Addison's Disease:
Medical articles and books on symptoms:
About signs and symptoms of Addison's Disease:
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