What are the symptoms of Adrenal Insufficiency and Addison's Disease ?
Adrenal Insufficiency
                
The most common symptoms of adrenal insufficiency are
                
- chronic, or long lasting, fatigue   - muscle weakness   - loss of appetite   - weight loss   - abdominal pain
                
Other symptoms of adrenal insufficiency can include
                
- nausea   - vomiting   - diarrhea   - low blood pressure that drops further when a person stands up, causing dizziness or fainting   - irritability and depression   - craving salty foods   - hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar   - headache   - sweating   - irregular or absent menstrual periods   - in women, loss of interest in sex
                
Hyperpigmentation, or darkening of the skin, can occur in Addisons disease, although not in secondary adrenal insufficiency. This darkening is most visible on scars; skin folds; pressure points such as the elbows, knees, knuckles, and toes; lips; and mucous membranes such as the lining of the cheek.
                
The slowly progressing symptoms of adrenal insufficiency are often ignored until a stressful event, such as surgery, a severe injury, an illness, or pregnancy, causes them to worsen.
                
Adrenal Crisis
                
Sudden, severe worsening of adrenal insufficiency symptoms is called adrenal crisis. If the person has Addisons disease, this worsening can also be called an Addisonian crisis. In most cases, symptoms of adrenal insufficiency become serious enough that people seek medical treatment before an adrenal crisis occurs. However, sometimes symptoms appear for the first time during an adrenal crisis.
                
Symptoms of adrenal crisis include
                
- sudden, severe pain in the lower back, abdomen, or legs   - severe vomiting and diarrhea   - dehydration   - low blood pressure   - loss of consciousness
                
If not treated, an adrenal crisis can cause death.
                

                
Get Treatment for Adrenal Crisis Right Away   People with adrenal insufficiency who have weakness, nausea, or vomiting need immediate emergency treatment to prevent an adrenal crisis and possible death. An injection with a synthetic glucocorticoid hormone called a corticosteroid can save a persons life. People should make sure to have a corticosteroid injection with them at all times, and make sure their friends and family know how and when to give the injection.   Read more under How is adrenal insufficiency treated?