Adrenal Pain/ Back Pain

[ShannonD]

Question for you all.

During this process, I have had fairly consistent LEFT SIDED mid back pain.  For a year prior to developing addison's symptoms, I had thought it was musculoskeletal.  Now I know it is my left adrenal gland.  It gets better with a) salt water b) florinef c) HC (not in order of importance).  It worsens with a) water b) stress (mental) c) anger/anxiety.  I often use this pain as an indicator of when I need to be taking more HC.

My concern is the fact that it is only left sided.  I asked my endo if I needed to have a CT or MRI to rule out an adenoma, but he did not seemed concern.  Any comments? Anyone with similar experience?  

ShannonD

[dollsie]

Hey Shannon,

I read your other post and am glad you've finally gotten some clarity. I'm sure in time you'll find out if the new endo is your "go to" guy! Hope you're still making improvements day by day.

About the pain...I also get pain in one side or the other from time to time. Mine is also worse on the left. Sometimes it almost feels like intestinal/colon pain, will hurt to walk/sit, etc. Very strange. But since the beginning of all of this, the majority of my pain has been in my lower back/back of hips, legs. For the longest time pre-diagnosis, my main complaint to the docs was "pain in my hips". When I had my stim tests and/or went into crisis, that pain became severe and knife-like, but was never really where I would expect it to be (kidney/adrenal area). Whenever I've read about signs of crisis, pain in the abdomen/lower back/legs is always mentioned...I never understood why so many people get achy legs and hips, but they do! Must be nerve pathways or something? I don't know.

Hope the fact that the pain subsides with treatment is reassurring for you...also glad to hear you're still having luck with the testosterone. I think the impact of the sex hormones really is one of the newer trends...most of the endos I've been to were completely unfamiliar with that part of things. In fact, the only doc who's been willing to address that stuff for me was an integrative one (not an endo at all). I'm sure you'll do what's best for your body!!

Take care,
Leigh

[ShannonD]

LeighT
hanks for your input.  
Sometimes my pain is more diffuse or lower in the back, but it is usually right in my adrenal gland (only on left), silmutaneous with a feeling of nausea.  
I have upped my HC since going to the endo, I am now taking 10 to 12 mg (5-2.5-2.5-1.25) a day, and I am feeling better.  I am not getting the side effects from the HC like I was (other than water retention.) but theskin sesitivity is not as bad.  I think this is partly due to being on thyroid and testosterone.

How are you feeling.  Any new knews form the doctors?
Shannon

[Mandy]

Hi,

I dont know if I have addisons yet or hypopitutary, but I get servere pain on the right side, I get it when i do no carb diet (helps with other symptoms) also when i eat fat..would fat cause you problems? or no carb with addisons?  I have major candidas anmd even carbs like potatoe make it much worse..

I also have a spasm face, neck, arm leg on my right side which fluctuates not sure what with but feels a bit better when i drink tea..and i just swell up with water...

I also found yesturday I tried to do the gym used to be an instructor so hard to never go..(I have thyroid problem too just started using Thiroyd) I was tiered, irritable etc..went on teh bike for 25 minutes and felt better my mood etc I know cortisol is raised by excersise do you think thats what happened?  Today though I am absaloutley wiped out..feel like ive been hit by a truck..

xxx

[dollsie]

Hi Mandy,

Just curious about some things after reading your post...

Has your cortisol been checked? Have you had an ACTH stimulation test?

Did your docs start you on thyroid meds without testing you for adrenal insufficiency (primary or secondary)? How long ago did you start the thyroid meds?

I'm not a doctor or anything, but pain in the upper right quadrant of your belly that gets worse after eating fatty foods can be gallbladder. It can radiate to the right shoulderblade or top of the right shoulder, and sometimes hurts more with deep breathing.

Take care,
Leigh

[ShannonD]

Mandy,

I agree with Leigh, pain on your right side, whether front or back, especially with low carb or fatty intake, your gallbladder should be checked.

With facial muscle spasm.....is there an electrolyte imbalance.....low magnesium, high calcium, (low potassium, which is unlikely with addison's, but perhaps possible on low carb diet)

Are you taking meds for AI?  

Is the right sided pain in fron back or both?

Shannon

[Mandy]

Hello..

No ..I have been ill for 4 yars but its been tough finding out what my illness is to do with, now we know its hormones but caught up in hospital politics.  MY tSH 92 o.68 T4 13.2 (12-22) T3 3.5 (4 - 6.8)..I have central hypothroid and my sister having problems too..

I had a bad infection a couple of weeks ago, had antibiotics by drip and then ended up with bad tummy pains, vomiting, dioreah, no appitite and a flu feeling very sore muscles..

I havent been diagnosed yet..but as so sick of it Iam taking one grain of thiroyd..but i do get AI symptoms a little bit but it gives me as little releif..

My right side is muscle weakness which spasms up or is floppy, thought id had a stroke..it came on adfter trying prozac, eating choclate biscuits (I have major food problems) and shock..I had serever dioreah, trembling, headache..pale as a ghost and went into shock..

Iam under a good hospital..but had previous docs say i need mri then never did it so now at another hospital waiting to have proper testing..ACTH, MRI pit gland..Just had GTT test..made me very hypoglycemic..

I think Iam hypopit.....my sister has hump on her back and big face..looks cushy..she has just been refered..so god knows whats going on!!..

Thanks xx

[ShannonD]

Mandy,

It is a bit tricky to say if the muscle symptoms are related to hormonal:adrenal, thyroid issues, versus something else.  If it were related, it very well might be related to an imbalance of electrolytes because of imbalanced hormones.

When you say that you have a food issue, are you overweight?  If so, sometimes you can develop pituitary problems due to an "empty sella".  Do you have headaches, or were you having a headache when you had the weakness?  You say that your sister has a hump.  Has she been checked for cushings syndrome, which requires a 24 hour urine cortisol test.

When you had the one sided weakness, was it possible that you were hypoglycemic then?  Best to eat protein and not sugar and slowly digestable carbs to try to keep the blood sugar steady.

Hope you are feeling better.
Shannon