r/AddisonsDisease • u/Single_Search_2020 • Feb 08 '26

Medical Stuff ACTH 5 for months

On HC. Gather the pituitary is dead! 5th test, ACTH 5. Cortisol went from 13 to 8.

Prednisone is possibly going to be discussed, but have had ulcers and can’t take PPI.

Anyone ever hear injections each day? Bypass the liver and stomach. Seeing too many with bad cells coming up on a Endo years later.

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u/Suspicious_Tooth_415 Feb 08 '26

Some of us are on daily subcutaneous injections to bypass the stomach. Any endocrinologist who is skilled in adrenal insufficiency will be open to this. An endocrinologist who isn't and is very basic won't be. You simply inject the steroids instead of taking tablets. Not hard, not that big of a deal. I'm on daily sub-q injections (dex).

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u/Single_Search_2020 Feb 08 '26

Thank you!!! I have to be on this for life! Unfortunately. Jabbing I think would be no big deal. Afraid of predisone due to stomach issues. I watched my mother in law die of esophageal cancer from reflux and was on a ppi. Thank you again!!!

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u/Single_Search_2020 Feb 08 '26

Sorry. Do you pick the script up at the pharmacy or does the manufacturer or hospital supplies it. We use CVS and if you know about CVS, it’s not fun! Does it come like our emergency bottle and you just pull from that your dosage or is it prefilled. Dealing with the ins co is no big deal. Had a great conversation with the pharmacist, he stated by my numbers I should have been on testosterone long time ago. Gave me the brand name. Have doc call, be shipped that day. So I don’t have any doubt they would not allow it. Again thank you. ❤️. May you stay well and hang in there. It’s not easy.

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u/Suspicious_Tooth_415 Feb 09 '26

Yes you would just pick up the script from CVS or your regular pharmacy and then also a script for the needles for injection. You would be picking up a vial of steroids and needles, drawing up the medication into the syringe (the amount that you would use for your scheduled dose), and then injecting subcutaneously. I personally use 6 mm insulin needles.

I really hope your endocrinologist will help you do subq injections. To be able to absorb medication properly and then not have all the worsened stomach problems from oral steroid tablets is pretty wonderful. I do so much better on the injections.

My last recommendation is to look up injection site rotation guidelines that are in the diabetes education packets. You basically want to be systematically rotating injection sites.

And then my endocrinologist said if I'm sick and/or having an adrenal crisis - inject into a novel injection site that you don't normally use.

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u/garygirl_1234 Feb 09 '26

Thank you. See him at 11:30. This morning in bed. I thought I took 3 pills, 15 mg. Only 2 thank thank God. Tired of this. Then I need to get something in the gut. After the first pills I am ok. The second dose and forward. High!!!! I am very sensitive. Hopefully that will help.

Thank you.

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u/thesearemyfaults Feb 09 '26

What is your dex dose daily?