Re: How do you know if it's Adrenal insufficiency or Addisons?

[Guest guest]

Doesn't 's affect the entire gland, not just the zone that

the makes the glucocorticoids? There are three layers, so could you

chekc for deficiency in the other layers? If it's autoimmune

('s may technically be ONLY autoimmune), they can test for

adrenal antibodies.

I'm not sure of the dark creases are definitive. This is based on

increased ACTH prodcution by the brain (same biosynthetic pathway as

melanocortin - why it happens in the *creases* of the skin I don't

know..). And we all know that someone can be hypoT with normal TSH,

so why not hypo-cortical with normal ACTH? But the cortisol-ACTH

loop may work differently than the thyroid-TSH loop. Especially

since there are two main thyroid hormones, both of which may be

involved in TSH regulation, and I'm not sure that there is any

'storage' or other form of cortisol that might regulate ACTH as will

the free form.

Jim

> What are the tell tale signs of s that are different than

> Adrenal insufficiency? I already know about the darkness in the

> creases of you arms & legs which I don't have...but I've been told

> that I'm at stage 7 & stage 4 with my saliva test. Thanks... Gail