Something is nagging at me about it.
I don't understand how a healthy kid can all of a sudden have an autoimmune disorder.
Both her and her older sister have anemia too.
The doctor said if they take away the anemia, the symptoms and all her abnormal lab tests results say she has Addison's.
My daughter told me her last two bp readings were... 100/65 & 90/60. Her heart will sometimes beat 3 times vs 1 on the bottom randomly, she'll get hot or cold flashes and dizzy. Other symptoms are nausea, diarrhea, constipation and her heart rate will suddenly elevate and her bp will drop.
Doctor says it's related to autoimmune, no real cause, her body is attacking her adrenal glands, and her body is responding. He put her on salt, potassium supplements and a synthetic drug called Fludrocortisone.
Fludrocortisone:
Fludrocortisone is a corticosteroid (cortisone-like medicine). It belongs to the family of medicines called steroids. Your body naturally produces similar corticosteroids, which are necessary to maintain the balance of certain minerals and water for good health. If your body does not produce enough corticosteroids, your doctor may have prescribed this medicine to help make up the difference.
Fludrocortisone may also be used to treat other medical conditions as determined by your doctor.
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur.
Pediatric
Fludrocortisone may slow or stop growth in children or growing adolescents when used for a long time. The natural production of corticosteroids by the body may also be decreased by the use of this medicine. Before this medicine is given to a child or adolescent, you and your child's doctor should talk about the good this medicine will do as well as the risks of using it. Follow the doctor's directions very carefully to lessen the chance that these unwanted effects will occur.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/fludrocortisone-oral-route/description/drg-20063868
Ok, so, I just read that...
🤔People who have the following autoimmune disease are also at higher risk of developing the autoimmune (most common) form of Addison's disease:
Type I diabetes.
✨Pernicious anemia.
Graves' disease.
Chronic thyroiditis.
Dermatitis herpetiformis.
Vitiligo.
Myasthenia gravis.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15095-addisons-disease
Well, my granddaughter is anemic, so the autoimmune disorder that supposedly would be at risk for Addison's could be the anemia that the doctor "ruled out" of her medical history to say she has Addison's 🤔
The doctor said if they take away the anemia, the symptoms and all her abnormal lab tests results say she has Addison's.
So, how do two young ladies get anemic disorders? They've been healthy all their lives until the last year or two. One with iron deficiency (this one we are discussing here) and the other with a b12 and iron deficiency.
Ok, I feel like I'm all over the place with this 😐need to take a break to clear my head a bit, if you know more about this, please share it. I hate for my granddaughter to be put on pharma drugs if it's not necessary.
Thanks frens!
Please, Dear God, help gdzeus's grandchildren
Amen
Thank you 🙏
I am a grandma too. This makes my stomach clench. There will be more prayers.
Amen.
I don't have an answer and I'm not a doctor, but a few thoughts to share.
Firstly, I'm praying for your granddaughters and your whole family.
Secondly, with the anemia, do they drink a lot of tea? Tea can block iron absorption iirc. Soy products, whole grains, leafy greens, and dairy products also can. So if they consume too much of any of that it may be worth looking into.
Next, I don't know what their doctor has said about the anemia or treatment of it but is simply trying to increase iron consumption an option? Red meat and eggs in particular, imo.
Finally, I really hope you can find an answer. Long term steroid usage isn't great and can cause problems of its own.
I don't believe they drink much tea, if any, hot or cold. My daughter says she doesn't even allow them to have soda at home, they drink mostly water at home. I'm sure they probably get juice at times, but she said mostly water.
Edit - I unfortunately don't live near them 🥺so don't see what their normal diet is like. But my daughter cooks dinner for them most nights, so they get good meals. But you know teenage girls, you never know if/when they decide they don't want to eat what you cook 🙄
Do they have a well? If so has the water been tested?
Just something that may require investigation...
I don't believe they do and if they do, I don't think they would drink the water. They get water bottles and don't drink from the faucet. I mean they do still bathe and wash dishes with water from the faucet, so I guess it could still affect them if the water is messed up. They live in Florida. But, wouldn't it affect the rest of the family then? Big family... my daughter who is pregnant, her 3 daughters (9 month old, 13 yr old & 19 yr old) and her husband & the 3 kids in brought into the relationship.
Not only that, they just moved from one pretty run down property to another run down property less than 6 months ago, and the girls had issues before the moved. And the oldest daughter that is anemic also stays with her dad most of the time now because not much room in this house than the last one and she's always at work, college or hanging with friends.
The only reason I mention the condition of her rental's is because I wonder if the properties (that are both owned by the same owner) are safe because they seem to be very old & not greatly taken care of by the owner. My daughter keeps her house clean, but you can only do so much if the property has something in the walls or floors that is not considered safe.
My first thought could be something the girls have been exposed to if it's not genetic.
Prayers for your precious family dear fren! ☝️🙏🤍
Please keep us updated..
Thanks Joy! ❤️
Do you think it could be lead paint or something like that in the homes they're renting?
That's what my husband and I were wondering if something like that could be affecting them, but wouldn't everyone in the house be getting sick also? I swear my brain hurts from thinking about it. Wish I could just make them better 😢 My daughter said she's been dealing with trying to find a doctor who could figure out what is going on with her daughter, she thought she had a heart condition. Finally saw this specialist that went through all her labs and test results and says she has Addison's.
You know my granddaughter does have pet reptiles (snake & some lizards of some kind 😬). Don't know it that is a factor in any of this though.
I think the lead paint needs to be eaten or chewed on, like a small child putting their mouth on the window frame.
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Thanks konadog!
Father in Heaven give this young lady the strength and wisdom to heal herself. In His name, Amen. I don't trust the health/med system as it is to comment or offer an opinion other than do ones own research and don't believe everything you're told by doctors.
Thank you Mo! 🙏
I do NOT know the answer.
But I do have an opinion.
IMO, the so-called "autoimmune diseases" are claimed to be the body attacking itself. I do not believe this is true. The body does not attack itself. The doctors are taught this, but I believe it is wrong, and the doctors are wrong.
However ... people DO eat shitty diets. And 90% or more of doctors are clueless about nutrition.
It MIGHT be as simple as they are trying to eat vegan, and that is causing their problems. Lots of brainwashing these days about "plant-based" bullshit.
If she is low in iron and B12, then the obvious answer for me is to eat the best food loaded with iron and B12. That would be red meat. Also, beef liver has MASSIVE amounts of the nutrients needed.
If it were me, I would go on a red meat and water only diet -- eating as much as I wanted (even stuffing myself to maximum fullness), and have a SMALL amount of beef liver (raw, or maybe using supplements -- but the real thing is best). Just 1 ounce of raw beef liver per day and otherwise red meat and water.
The meat should be fatty beef -- 80/20 or fattier because you want the fat (not the extra lean stuff). The fat has all the vitamins and minerals.
Eliminate ALL other food AND drink.
See what happens in 30 days, and re-evaluate.
Best of luck in getting this resolved.
I agree with you 100%
Thanks Mag! I appreciate your opinion!
Don't know anything about this,but prayers on the way.
Thanks fren 🙏
Check in to Dr. C. He's a follower of Jesus and supporter of Trump. He's a holistic Dr that has been helping people that Drs say are incurable.
https://truthsocial.com/@InevitableET
https://drchw17.substack.com/
https://youtube.com/@ogchiropractic
Did they get the covid 💉? Not to accuse but to understand. There may be things that can build their immune systems
No they didn't get vaxx or flu shots. That is always my first thought also.
Of course, I’ll be praying, but does this help?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7G_vkzgFJec&pp=ygUkSG9tZSByZW1lZGllcyBmb3Iga2lkcyB3aXRoIGFkZGlzb25z
https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=addison-disease-in-children-90-P01979
Thank you for these resources! ❤️ And most especially the prayers 🙏
Was Mother during their pregnancy ?
Are you asking if my daughter got vaxxed when pregnant? No, she didn't get a vaxx before, during or after her pregnancies. And her daughters are 13 & 19, born way before cvd & the vaxx.
Yes I was . Another tack on the basic idea , "They've been healthy all their lives until the last year or two."
Could they be having a reaction to Spike shedding from their fellow students ? Lots of unknowns in this LARGE experiment they have run on us.
I hope you find some answers.
From Perplexity.ai:
Addison's disease, also known as primary adrenal insufficiency, occurs when the adrenal glands fail to produce enough cortisol and often aldosterone. This rare condition typically develops gradually due to autoimmune damage to the adrenal cortex.
Causes The most common cause is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the adrenal glands, accounting for up to 90% of cases in developed countries. Other triggers include infections like tuberculosis, cancer spread, bleeding into the glands, or genetic conditions such as adrenoleukodystrophy. Symptoms often don't appear until over 90% of adrenal function is lost.
Symptoms Early signs include chronic fatigue, muscle weakness, weight loss, low blood pressure, and salt cravings. Additional effects are nausea, abdominal pain, mood changes, low blood sugar, and darkened skin patches (hyperpigmentation), especially in skin folds, scars, or mucous membranes. Women may experience menstrual irregularities or hair loss.
Adrenal Crisis An acute emergency called adrenal crisis can occur, triggered by stress, illness, or injury, causing severe dehydration, vomiting, confusion, low blood pressure, and shock. Seek immediate medical help for sudden weakness, high fever, or loss of consciousness.
Diagnosis and Treatment Diagnosis involves blood tests for low cortisol, high ACTH, and electrolyte imbalances, plus a cosyntropin stimulation test. Lifelong hormone replacement uses oral hydrocortisone or prednisone for cortisol and fludrocortisone for aldosterone. Patients need stress dosing during illness and should wear medical alert identification. With treatment, most lead normal lives, though about 8% risk annual crises.
Thanks Gimme! You know it's funny, she doesn't have all those symptoms.
She is a very calm laid back chill type of person, which is crazy for a teenage girl, lol. As far as I know from what my daughter has told me, she doesn't have fatigue, muscle weakness, weight loss, salt cravings, abdominal pain, mood changes, low blood sugar or darkened skin.
She does have nausea, dizziness & may throw up when her heart does that crazy beating stuff and sometimes is either constipated or has diarrhea. And she does have low bp.
It sounds to me as though some of those symptoms develop over time, so she may not be old enough to have developed them all yet. That might be a good thing as she may still have a good amount of adrenal function remaining.
I am praying for her.
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Addison's is primarily low cortisol from the adrenals, the low bp and need for electrolytes are downstream of that. I'm assuming they've tasted her cortisol and it's low? There's an at home 4 point saliva test they can order themselves to see where she's at. There's also an additional test they do if low cortisol is confirmed an acth stim test to see how their body is reacting. Both of these tests an endocrinologist would order if Addison's is suspected. The treatment for a serious diagnosis is hydrocortisone and most will need this daily for life if their body isn't making enough cortisol bc without cortisol people will eventually die.
The fludrocortisone helps with salt retention to raise bp but it's not as effective as the hydrocortisone. I would ask about cortisol levels though bc if her levels are ok or only mildly low then this sounds more like pots or adrenal fatigue where extra salt and sometimes medications like fludrocortisone are helpful. That diagnosis isn't as serious as Addison's though. There are also supplements that help the adrenals, like licorice root, adrenal cortex, and vitamin c. These supplements are used when adrenal fatigue is suspected (low cortisol but the body is still producing and responding to cortisol) to eventually bring the levels back up. There are online functional mds and naturopaths who treat adrenal fatigue.
https://www.herballegacy.com/Addisons.html And https://www.herballegacy.com/Anemia.html Has some good information and combinations for specifics. But in my experience blood flow is key and one of the best things for blood flow is cayenne. Cayenne will stop a heart attack and if it is too hot going through, take it with cinnamon.
Thank you for this information BGridd. I really like the use of herbals.
You are welcome, I am happy to be of help when able..
Please, I am not a Doctor, but my Doctor told me my iron was low. She did not prescribe anything, but of course I thought better so I ordered iron supplements. BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE!
I did not know how dangerous iron pills could be. Three days on them and I was a mess. I did look up on why the iron was causing me so much trouble and I found out. Unless a doctor prescribes iron to you, especially to a child, do not do it yourself.
Iron can lead to severe symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and even coma. It is particularly dangerous for children and can result in multi-organ failure if not treated promptly.
Have your doctor tell you what to do. Do not try to find the answer about iron on media platforms.
It is too dangerous.
Thanks for the heads up on iron pills. I'm sorry you went through that, hope you are feeling better now.
No, they aren't on iron pills, but other regular types of supplements.
That is good to know. Thank you.
Iron supplements are very bad, because they use the wrong type of iron.
There are two types of iron: heme, and non-heme.
Heme iron is found in animal foods, and our bodies can recognize what it is, absorb it, and utilize it in the body.
Non-heme iron is found in plants, and has a very low bio-availability for humans, compared to heme iron.
I read that 3 ounces of beef will get you a certain amount of iron (heme iron) that your body will utilize. But to get the same amount from spinach, you would have to eat 10 cups of spinach, as the body tries to convert it to heme iron.
Nevermind that spinach has some of the WORST anti-nutrients that will block the absorption of many minerals.
Come to think of it, maybe she is eating a lot of plants ("plant-based" nonsense, you know ...), which are blocking the absorption of iron. And being low in B12 makes me think this is VERY LIKELY what is going on, since plants do not have ANY Vitamin B12 -- it is ONLY found in animal foods.
The iron pills you get in the store are necessarily made from plant food waste product, because otherwise it would be WAYYYY too expensive to sell in pill form.
The pill maker goes to Purina or General Mills, etc. and buys their waste product (plant substances that are left over after they make their pop tarts or whatever).
This plant waste product is then subjected to hundreds of chemicals to extract the "nutrients" (iron, magnesium, calcium, etc.) and then "washed" in a kerosine derivative.
Yum yum!
THAT is how most vitamin and mineral supplements are made.
And since it is non-heme iron (most likely), your body has a hard time dealing with it.
Probably why you had problems taking it.
The best sources of iron (and ALL minerals) come from animals foods, with beef liver and red meat being at the top of the list. You can eat as much red meat as you want, but limit the liver intake -- some is good, but a lot can be a problem for some people. You don't really NEED liver, but it is absolutely LOADED with vitamins and minerals, so not bad to have a little.
Thank you!
I used to have huge autoimmune issues. After many courses of steroids and no real answers, I decided to research and heal myself. Here is what worked - heal the gut. 100%. Remove anything that inflames, put in all that nourishes and heals.
Probiotics (capsules, cold only, kimchi and good cultured yogurt), and l-glutamine in water twice a day were very helpful in healing damage to my gut lining.
Things that inflame may be more difficult for a child to identify. Start with anything that makes her itch, feel cranky within 24-36 hours of eating or drinking, difficulty thinking, relaxing or sleeping, or causes her heart to accelerate after ingesting. Food diary is helpful in sorting this out.