Could someone please help me? My sis has just been diagnosed with Addison's disease..I need answers?

I have read up on the disease and understand that it is a result of the malfunction of the adrenal cortex.

What I am very unclear about is the cause. From what I've read 70% of cases are due to autoimmune deficiency. My sister is very young (24) and to my knowledge doesn't have any type of immune deficiency.

I'm very worried about my sister because it seems like there must be an underlying, pre-existing problem causing this disease. All of the websites I am checking go into great detail about the symptoms, but not the causes. It says you can continue to live a full life while dealing with this disease as long as you take medication, but how is that possible if the underlying cause is something to do with your immune system.

If anyone knows someone who's dealt with this disease, or experienced it first-hand, please share your experience and/or knowledge with me. My family and I are just beginning to understand and learn about this, it would be greatly appreciated.

My mother has had Addison's Disease since she was in her mid-thirties. She is now 78 years old! So yes you can live a full and long life with it.

As long as your sister has seen an endocrinologist and they have done a full workup with physicals, blood tests, and imaging diagnostics to diagnosis her, I wouldn't worry about what caused it. Knowing how it is treated, danger signs, and other complications is far more important.

When your sister has an illness or injury she'll be most vulnerable to complications from Addison's Disease. Those are the times she must be watched for signs of Addisonian Crisis, a very dangerous condition. If the family members know what symptoms to look for, then they can help your sister seek treatment.

I don't live near my mother. However, with my nursing background, I made it a point to educate each family member with the signs and symptoms of an Addisonian Crisis so they could get my mother the necessary treatment. I found the information on-line and made sure each member had a copy.

When someone with Addison Disease gets complications they usually are NOT aware of the symptoms and consequences of delaying treatment. That's why it's important that family members know the symptoms and get the person to the doctor's office or emergency department immediately.

If there is autoimmune disorders in your family such as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis or Graves Disease or Type 1 Diabetes, they could predispose anyone in your family to autoimmune disorders. Some of these go together as well such as Addison's Disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and Type 1 Diabetes. That's the order my mother got all three.

I have Hashimoto's but not the other two.

basically what happens in addison diseases is either its from adrenal cortex which is producing more hommones more that its normally required or it can be due to pitutiary gland which is stimulating adrenal gland to release more hormones most of cases of addisons are idiopathic but it can be due to small tumor in adrenal gland or a tumour of pitutary which is over stimulating adrenals to produce more hormones an causing addison but chances are 10 % an idiopathic is 90% so go to a good doc if he advice u a cat csan or mri scan get it done if its clear then its idiopathic i am my self a doc but cant help u more than that cause am livinng if a diffent country let me knw what are results hope ur sister gets better