Can People with Secondary Addison's Disease (adrenal Insuffeciency) Take ACTH instead of Cortisol?

I know that cortisol is the stardard treatment for secondary (caused by pituitary) Addison's disease, but can ACTH be used? Steroid treatment has so many horrible side effects.

no

There is no such thing as a substitute for ACTH that can be taken for Secondary Addison's.

You may be thinking of the ACTH Stimulation test you were given to determine if you had Primary or Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency, in which you were injected with a synthetic version of ACTH, to see if your Adrenal Glands would respond by producing Cortisol. This synthetic version of ACTH is used for diagnostic purposes only; it is not mass produced as a prescription item for treatment of Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency.

The only accepted treatment for Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency, at this point in time, is steroid replacement therapy. If possible, you want to take Hydrocortisone, or Cortef, as opposed to Prednisone. Hydrocortisone is a natural substance, and more closely replicates what the body makes naturally; it will be accepted and metabolized by your body much better than Prednisone, thus delivering more predictable results. Try to stay on the lowest dose possible, and work with your Endocrinologist closely to watch for potential side-effects.

Until medicine comes up with a better way to treat Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency, steroid replacement therapy is your only option. Taken carefully, and under the watchful supervision of a good Endocrinologist, many side-effects can be minimized and/or avoided.

Good luck.