19th April 2008
Avoid salt? Um, do your doctors have any other patients with adrenal issues? Please do some research and you will find that Addison's is a salt-wasting disease. Do not take my word on it. While, yes, you are swollen, your body is doing all it can to hold on to water - it is saying I need water and salt so withholding either is bad for you in your condition. Florinef does make you fluffy as well. It seems very counter-intuitive but you need to drink as well.
The high pulse rates returned as you went off the florinef. Addison's severely effects how the body handles fluids and you cannot hold on to salt and while all the world seems to want to go on a salt free diet, those with an adrenal issue do not need to worry about it and when your heart is going, you should actually feel a craving for salt and that is your body telling you you need it. Florinef is a mineralcorticosteroid that helps hold on to potassium and sodium - all essential for life. Some do manage to get by with little or no florinef but usually need salt and the need for salt usually increases with hot weather.
Um, auto-immune diseases usually run in families. Perhaps no one in your family ever got so bad to get diagnosed? Renin and aldosterone are not usually tested by doctors...
Please do some research on salt and all - my cardiologist ups my salt and adjusts my florinef often vis a vis my heart and you have to also watch the damage to your kidneys. The receptionist always laughs when I leave the office as she says I get told to take salt and everyone else gets told NO salt.
I hope you start to feel better soon...