Addisons Disease

GR Sridhar, Endocrine and Diabetes Centre, Visakhapatnam - 530002.
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Important Notes for patients on Corticosteroids (Including Addisons)

  1. You should carry on your person a 'steroid card' giving details of your dose of steroid tablets and the names, addresses and telephone numbers of your family and hospital doctors
  2. The tablets of the day should be taken immediately on waking, before getting out of bed. They should therefore be left by the bedside. The evening dose should be taken normally no later than 7 PM
  3. What to do if you are unwell:
    1. If you have had mild illness (eg cold) with little or no fever, then no change in tablets is necessary.
    2. If you have a fever and are more unwell, then you should double the dose of prednisolone, by taking twice your normal number of tablets, until you are well again, normally 48-72 hours. During this period you should see your local doctor.
    3. If you are seriously ill, especially with vomiting or diarrhea, the tablets may not work because they are not absorbed adequately. You should have an ampoule of HYDROCORTISONE (100 mg) stored in your refrigerator for this possibility. At these times, contact your local doctor and arrange to receive an intramuscular injection of this hydrocortisone as soon as possible. Show this sheet to your doctor.
    4. If in doubt, or the above advice has failed to control your symptoms, you should immediately contact ...............................................
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