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Addison's disease - Symptom

Alternative Names

Adrenocortical hypofunction; Chronic adrenocortical insufficiency; Primary adrenal insufficiency

Symptoms:

Changes in blood pressure or heart rate
Chronic diarrhea
Darkening of the skin - patchy skin color
Unnaturally dark color in some places
Paleness
Extreme weakness
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Mouth lesions on the inside of a cheek (buccal mucosa)
Nausea and vomiting
Salt craving
Slow, sluggish movement
Unintentional weight loss

Signs and tests:

Tests may show:

Increased potassium
Low blood pressure
Low cortisol level
Low serum sodium
Normal sex hormone levels

Other tests may include:

This disease may also change the results of the following tests:

17-hydroxycorticosteroids
17-ketosteroids
24-hour urinary aldosterone excretion rate
ACTH
Aldosterone
Blood eosinophil count
CO2
Cortrosyn stimulation test
Potassium test
Renin
Urine cortisol

Endocrine glands

Reviewed last on: 3/18/2008
Elizabeth H. Holt, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yale University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Stewart PM. The adrenal cortex. In: Kronenberg H, Melmed S, Polonsky K, Larsen PR, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2008:chap 14.

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