It all started back in 2017 when I first noticed some health issues. At first, they were small issues like stomach pains, a racing heartbeat over 160 bpm, oxygen saturation dropping below 90%, shortness of breath, blood pressure falling into the 70s, and difficulty speaking as my voice became weaker. Over the next five years, I visited many doctors, hoping for answers, but sadly, I didn’t get any clear solutions.
I ended up in the ER so many times that the paramedics even recognized me. My voice was so weak that people could barely hear me. There were days I seriously thought about moving closer to a hospital, because my body felt too unstable to live an everyday life.
I made an effort to stay active whenever I could, especially on days when I felt better. Still, I noticed that my condition would sometimes unexpectedly worsen right after a workout or just a few hours after having dinner. Doctors suspected allergies, possibly including exercise-induced anaphylaxis. In the ER, antihistamines or IV steroids really helped me recover quickly. That seemed to be the only clear pattern: steroids worked.
However, since steroids are helpful for many conditions, no one considered adrenal insufficiency at first.
As time went on, my health slowly got worse. I struggled with joint pain, muscle aches, fevers, crushing fatigue, sudden sleep attacks, cold intolerance, loss of appetite, weight loss, and consistently low blood pressure. Slowly, I lost the energy to keep up with my daily activities, and I often felt scared to even step outside my house.
At that point, I visited Dr. Miller, a local respiratory specialist, hoping he could assist. He was interested in cortisol levels in patients with asthma, so he kindly tested my ACTH and cortisol. The results came back low: ACTH at 2.3 pg/mL and cortisol at 2.41 μg/dL. This led to more tests and eventually to a diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency.
After I started replacement therapy, things began to change. I no longer needed emergency care, and within a few months, my voice returned to normal.
My weight had dropped to the point that people around me were worried I might not survive. Looking back, I truly believe that if I hadn’t been diagnosed at that moment, I might not be here today.
Adrenal insufficiency can be difficult to recognize early, and in some cases, diagnosis is delayed until symptoms become severe. In my case, I was still able to produce a small amount of cortisol, which made other blood test results look almost normal. This likely made the condition easier to miss and delayed the diagnosis.