Help needed re adrenal insufficiency

[AlexTT]

I was diagnosed with diabetes roughly 5 years ago. Unfortunately, due to lack of medical insurance, they type has never been fully established. I have the symptoms of type 1, but lack the physical characteristics (i have been losing weight, not gaining it). several months ago, i became deathly ill and was in the hospital for a week following getting the run-around from hospitals for about a month with temp's reaching 104 degrees, i blame lack of med insurance again. But this sent me on a quest to find a common cause on my own. so after searching the internet, i discovered addisons. mainly because i have vitiligo, and diabetes, both auto-immune diseases. and after reading about addison's, and possibly schmidt's, i am concerned that this could possibly be the case. Some of my symptoms seem to fit, and some dont. ive been steadily losing weight for the past 5 years or so, lost roughly 60 lbs in the last 5 years. have severy insomnia, muscle twitches(not painful, other people notice them actually), vitiligo, i have high blood pressure (at least since 2002), diabetes (discovered in '04, suspect i had it sooner due to peripheral neuropathy i now have in both feet). I currently take 1000mg metformin 2x daily, 900mg neurontin 3x daily, 25mg amitriptalyne 1x daily, and 40 units lantus 1x daily. I just want to know are there any specific tests i should request from a doctor, i have tried searching, but there are so many results i have trouble sorting them out. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[enzymelover]

Perhaps your potassium was too high because your sodium was too low? Sodium\potassium regulation is an important function of the adrenal glands.

[enzymelover]

  Anxiety and itching can both be caused by low cortisol. I don't know what the side effects of your meds are, however. Be sure to request copies of all test results from now on. This can be extremely important in finding a correct diagnosis, as you can show test results to other professionals, who may see something another doctor didn't pick up on.

Many people post their test results on forums like this one, and get important info, even before they go in to see their doctor again, for treatment.

[AlexTT]

i also forgot to mention that just before i was released from the hospital, the last blood test they did showed i had increased liver enzymes, and my potassium levels were too high. they made me drink something, forgot what the name is, that made the potassium bind in my intestines and pass through my bowels. they released me with a highly elevated potassium level, but they said it would be ok. I am suspecting they just threw me out because i dont have insurance.

[AlexTT]

I guess i could have included more information on my symptoms, i read over it and realized i left some crucial parts out. I suspect some of them may be medicine side effect related, maybe some of you will know. As well as my previously stated symptoms, i also have newly acquired anxiety, which may or may not cause my tachycardia. It was ranging from 90 to 130 in the time it took a nurse to gauge my blood pressure, which is also high. If im sitting or lying down for more than 5 minutes, and get up even moderately quickly, i get very light headed. i have gotten to the point where my vision has gone black and i nearly collapse. And i have also become very very itchy. im always scratching all over my body, sometimes to the point where it gets raw and bleeds occasionally. And the most suspicious thing of all is that this all started after a serious illness i had in august of 08'. i had temp's up to the 104's, extreme dehydration, extreme lethargia. i could barely get out of bed. The hospital must have taken 100 vials of blood to test, but never gave me any results..who knows what they even tested..i got no results..only a huge bill. I eventually got better, then my feet started BURNING! it was an unbearable pain, till they finally gave me neurontin, which helps take the edge off at least, but i suspect that med gives me some wierd side effects. Im sorry for the long post. i just have a lot of questions, and a doctor is a luxury that i dont have too much of. I just want to know what to bring to his attention on the few occasions i get to see him.

[enzymelover]

The adrenal glands are involved in insulin regulation, and a lesion on an adrenal gland can cause high blood pressure. Have you had a scan done of your adrenals, to check for lesions?
you might ask  a doctor about this possibility.  

[rumpled]

Except for the weight loss, I hate to say it but diabetes, insomnia,, pain are symptoms of high cortisol, not low. I know this as I used to have Cushing's disease (pituitary) and then had my adrenals removed to cure it - so I get to live both sides of cortisol - high and low. Ironically, the symptoms are not too far apart with fatigue and a few others.

There is a type of cyclical Cushing's that can be so extreme that you go from Addison's to Cushing's so you get the symptoms of both. Unfortunately, since most doctor's do not believe in the cyclical form of Cushing's, this is a harder sell and many of the tests will come out normal even though you can be sicker than most. I have a couple of cushie buddies that have had that form.

I offer it up as a possiblity - that you need much more extensive pituitary testing.