Biological and Addisons Desease

[fossil321]

Are there any RA sufferers who are on a biological drug and gone on to develop Addisons desease.

[oldtimer]

Addison's disease where the adrenals don't produce enough steroid is much more common after long term use of higher dose steroids in chronic illnesses.

It's also possible as an auto-immune disease attacking the adrenals in itself, of course. In which case the treatments are likely to be much the same as for Rheumatoid Disease.

More info here for those who want to look it up:nhs.uk/conditions/Addisons-...

[lilyak]

I mean no disrespect, but Addison's is caused by damage to the adrenals. It's also called Primary Adrenal Insufficiency. When you take corticosteroids, like prednisone, your adrenal glands temporarily stop producing cortisol. If they don't 'wake up' again as you taper your dose down, it is called Secondary Adrenal insufficiency, which is not the same as Addison's disease. In Addison's you are also insufficient in mineralcorticoids, which is not the case in secondary adrenal insufficiency, which is caused by suppression of ACNT, the hormone produced in the pituitary that causes your adrenals to secrete cortisol. The symptoms of any adrenal insufficiency are NOT the same as RA. There might be some joint pain, but the fatigue of under treated adrenal insufficiency is much more extreme, and if it remains understreated you can go into adrenal crisis, and this can be fatal. Very different to RA, with completely different treatments. In both primary and secondary adrenal insufficency the treatment is replacing the hormones that the body no longer produces, or doesn't produce enough of, on its own.

[fossil321 in reply to lilyak]

I know what Addisons is. I was just enquiring whether some people may have developed Addisons AS WELL as RA. I have had RA for 33 years and have also developed Bronchiecstasis and Sjogrens which are not like RA but can be caused by it. I always think of RA as the gift that keeps on giving!

[lilyak in reply to fossil321]

Yes, as I said, no disrespect, but the information from oldtimer wasn't correct. I think it a very important distinction. Addison's is most often autoimmune in developed countries. and as autoimmune diseases tend to travel in packs, your chances of developing another autoimmune is higher if you already have one. But I'm sure you're aware of that.