Adrenal Crisis
Overview
Causes
An adrenal crisis can be caused by:
- Stopping long term use of corticosteroid medicine too quickly
- Sepsis—a severe illness caused by an infection in the blood
- Stress from surgery
- Major sickness, such as a heart attack
- Harm to the adrenal glands or surgery to remove them
- Damage to the pituitary gland—it controls the adrenal gland
- Therapy to replace the thyroid hormone
Pituitary Gland |
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SymptomsandDiagnosis
Symptoms
A person with adrenal crisis may:
- Feel weak
- Be lightheaded
- Be very tired
- Have nausea and vomiting
- Not be hungry or lose weight
- Have belly pain
- Have high or low body temperature
- Be confused
- Have diarrhea
Treatments
Treatment
This problem can be deadly. Care is needed right away. A person will need:
- Fluids to replace what the body has lost
- Medicines to replace missing hormones
Prevention
Managing Addison disease can lower the risk of this problem. People with Addison disease should talk to their doctor about what to do when they are sick or stressed. If they are sick or under stress they may need to:
- Take more medicine that replaces missing hormones
- Carry emergency medicine
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
Edits to original content made by Denver Health.
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