About addison’s disease treatment
The occurrence of addison’s disease is rare. Addison’s disease treatment typically includes intravenous injections of: Hydrocortisone, Saline solution, Sugar (dextrose).
Use of high-dose steroids for more than a week begins to produce suppression of the patient’s adrenal glands because the exogenous glucocorticoids suppress hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). With prolonged suppression, the adrenal glands atrophy (physically shrink), and can take months to recover full function after discontinuation of the exogenous glucocorticoid. During this recovery time, the patient is vulnerable to adrenal insufficiency during times of stress, such as illness.
Metabolic acidosis (increased blood acidity), also due to loss of the hormone aldosterone because sodium reabsorption in the distal tubule is linked with acid/hydrogen ion (H+) secretion.
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