What treatment is available for Addison's disease?

Answer 1

Addison's disease is a condition in which the adrenal cortex is destroyed resulting in reduced secretion of adrenal hormones. This destruction could be due to autoimmune disease, tuberculosis, surgical removal or malignant infiltration. The treatment is lifelong steroid replacement taken as tablets.

Addison's disease is usually treated with daily doses of cortisone or hydrocortisone and additional salt in the diet.

Answer 2

There may be no cure for Addison's disease, because the adrenal glands are no longer producing sufficient hormones. The deficiency is normally treated by oral steroids that supplement the body's own production. Other treatments can be used if symptoms do not respond to the increased level of hormones, or where other bodily systems (e.g. the kidneys) have been affected.

Answer 3

The treatment of Addison's disease involves replacing the hormones that the adrenal glands are not making. Cortisol is replaced orally with hydrocortisone tablets that are taken once or twice a day.

Answer 4

Replacing cortisone levels with hydrocortisone and sometimes fludrocortisone for low supine blood pressure helps treat the disease but it can never be fully cured as of yet.