This is called acute adrenal failure or an Addisonian crisis. It can be fatal if it isn't cared for. The indications may include:

Pain in the abdomen, lower back or legs

Severe vomiting and diarrhea

Dehydration

Low blood pressure

Loss of consciousness (Addison's disease, 2010).

Secondary adrenal deficiency takes place when the pituitary gland fails to manufacture adequate adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), a hormone that rouses the adrenal glands to produce cortisol. If ACTH production is too low, cortisol production decreases. Ultimately, the adrenal glands can get smaller due to lack of ACTH stimulation. Secondary adrenal deficiency is much more widespread than Addison's disease (Adrenal Insufficiency and Addison's disease, 2009).

If a doctor thinks that one may have Addison's disease, they may go through some of the following tests:

Blood test - assessing ones blood levels of sodium, potassium, cortisol and ACTH. This gives the physician a preliminary indication of whether adrenal...
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