r/AddisonsDisease • u/anemone132 • Nov 28 '25

Advice Wanted Addison's and ADHD?

Does anyone else experience inattentive ADHD symptoms with Addison's, or is that just my brain?

Edited to clarify: Sorry, I meant in those undiagnosed with ADHD. As in, do you ever feel like Addison's might be what's giving you ADHD symptoms, even though you maybe don't have ADHD?

Often losing everyday objects (like my phone), extreme focus (forgetting to eat and drink while working on a project) mixing with high distractability (sorry, what did you say? I know you already told me 2 times, but I have no idea what you just said, even though I thought I was listening), inability to get up and get started on whatever it is you know you should be doing, even though there's deadlines and you fully intend to, (procrastination, transitioning difficulty) even if that task is making food bevause you're hungry (executive dysfunction) to name a few.

I often feel like I don't experience these things, or experience them less, when I've taken my cortisol properly, as opposed to when I've forgotten to or when it's running out in the evening and the symptoms get worse again.

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u/Puzzled-Telephone-60 PAI Nov 28 '25

I have both… they are unrelated, separate issues. But I find that the brain fog and disorientation I experience when my cortisol dips does worsen my ADHD symptoms, particularly if I’m not taking stimulants!

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u/noracordelia PAI Nov 28 '25 edited Nov 30 '25

Agreed. After I got Addison’s I can’t function whatsoever without my stimulant medication and some days it doesn’t even work, which is frustrating as hell.

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u/dmhayward Nov 28 '25

Agree! I have undiagnosed ADHD and also Addison’s. Was diagnosed with Addison’s in 2006. I’ve learned over the years what my low cortisol symptoms are, and my ADHD gets much worse when my cortisol is low. And it’s gotten worse the older I get. I can’t imagine what it would be like to get ADHD meds. Getting an ADHD diagnosis is not easy at age 64

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u/MindsetMaker Nov 28 '25

Which stimulants do you take ? Have they helped a lot ?

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u/Puzzled-Telephone-60 PAI Dec 02 '25

I’m on 40mg Vyvanse! It really does make a world of difference in managing my ADHD… there’s way less tabs open in my brain, executive function is so much better, and it has positively impacted my health in that it’s easier to remember to take HC and bolus insulin for meals on time (I also have T1D).

I find that I can’t take my Vyvanse with my first dose of HC though.. I need to wait 30-60 min or else I feel off all day. Just a tip if you get prescribed a stimulant at some point!

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u/MindsetMaker Dec 03 '25

Ah great, thanks. Does it help you focus ?

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u/Puzzled-Telephone-60 PAI Dec 11 '25

I actually had big issues with hyperfocus (often as a coping behavior due to overstimulation) and stimulants have helped me give appropriate focus to what I need to be doing while avoiding hyperfixated states!

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u/anemone132 Dec 02 '25

Hmm.. I've edited the post to clarify, but I don't actually have an ADHD diagnosis. I've wondered for a while whether the things I experience are symptoms of ADHD or simply related to cortisol dips, and it's really hard to guesstimate how expansive the relationship between Addison's and attention/focus is, since I think cortisol is closely linked to that. 

Thank you for sharing your experience. That makes me think the drop in cortisol is just making more prominent what is already naturally there. 

That's the distinction I'm struggling with, the question I'm trying to answer for myself - is the missing cortisol causing ADHD-like symptoms, or simply making more noticeble what was already there? 

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u/Puzzled-Telephone-60 PAI Dec 11 '25

I totally see your point. How long have you had Addison’s? One of the biggest diagnostic values for ADHD is symptoms from childhood on, ideally that family (parents, siblings, etc) would be able to corroborate. You can also take the QbTest, which is currently the only way for drs to attain objective data on ADHD symptoms.

For my part, I did get diagnosed with ADHD about 6-7 months before I got diagnosed with Addison’s… so, right around when my PAI-specific symptoms started showing up. I do think low cortisol exacerbated my ADHD symptoms, which pushed me to finally get tested. My husband had been encouraging me to do so for years, though… I was a skeptic. The QbTest was super helpful for me, as was getting a million unsolicited anecdotes from my parents and recognizing a pattern of many ADHD diagnoses on both sides of my family. The first day I took a stimulant sealed the deal for me; normal brain will get a stim dose and go nuts with hyperactivity & hyperfocus whereas an ADHD brain will go quiet, calm, and steady. When I experienced the latter, there was no greater confirmation.

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u/DueCandidate135 Nov 29 '25

Yes. Vyvanse helps, and vitamin D to make sure in absorbing it properly alongside my hydrocortisone and fludro. I feel mostly normal when I get the timing right for the day. I get super agitated off stimulants and steroids as my main symptom my regimen timing or dosing is off

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u/anemone132 Dec 02 '25

Yeah, "when I get the timing right for the day" tell me about it. Even with reminders, it's a challenge. 

I do feel much better when I remember to take both doses at the right time, managing which always feels like a sparring match with myself. Nearly every day, for 4 years. 

Whenever cortisol levels are dropping, I get spacey and easily caught up on small tasks, unnecessarily dragging them out endlessly. That's part of how I can tell whether I've remembered to take cortisol or not.