Lupus and Addison's disease

[LizTNJ33]

Does anyone have both? My mom has had Addison's for 30+ years but was just diagnosed with lupus. Looking for any tips, recommendations, or encouragement about how to deal with both of these diseases. Thank you!

[helentad]

Hi, yes I have both. I was diagnosed with lupus March 2007 and Addison's Feb 2015. They think the Addison's was caused by taking steroids to treat the lupus.

My only tip is to put an alarm on your phone to make sure you take your Addison's tablets at the right time as this will help you feel better. If your mum starts to feel unwell of start shaking etc then take an extra dose straight away and keep an eye on how she feels because I didn't do this when I was first diagnosed and it caused me to start crashing and I had to take more tablets to counteract the crash. I have joined a couple of Facebook pages for Addison's sufferers also one for families so they can talk and ask questions etc. It takes a while when first diagnosed to start feeling a bit better but with the right dose and times it really helps (I have had 2 daily curve tests to get my dosage right).

[LizTNJ33 in reply to helentad]

Hi there,

Thank you for your response. My mom has managed the Addison's quite well as she has had it for so long, and that's a good tip - she does have an alarm set to take her meds each day. And you're right, it took many years and a few great support groups for her to get to a good place with the Addison's.

It's the Lupus that is brand new to us and I was wondering if there are any complications to having both. I'm guessing when the Lupus flares up you are just sure to bump up the Addison's steroids a bit so as to not cause problems there? I know everyone is different, but it sounds like you are able to pretty successfully manage both?

Thanks again for your response. We got the diagnosis just yesterday, so just trying to get a sense of this combination.

[Hidden]

Hi there,

I am sorry to hear that your mother has just been diagnosed with lupus.

You might find this leaflet, available to download or request on our website, useful lupusuk.org.uk/wp-content/u...

We also have several other publications about the condition that someone who is newly diagnosed might find handy and they can be accessed here: lupusuk.org.uk/publications/

In regards to your query about Addison’s disease, you can find out more information about the condition at nhs.uk/Conditions/Addisons-...