Abdominal pain
from failed adrenal gland, Addison's disease or adrenal failure, adrenal insufficiency
Adrenal gland sits on top of each kidney. It is of walnut size but punches above its weight. It produces hormones for blood pressure, salt and sugar use, reproductive functions, nerve, muscle, joint, and much more in our body. These hormones are essential for our body's up keeping. It receives signals from the brain to produce/or stop produce these hormones. In other words. the brain controls its production.
When the adrenal gland fails, either from its own disease/drug or due to not receiving signals from the brain, it stops produce hormones. Without these important hormones, our body gradually or quickly lost its function. There can be serious illness.
1. General health/feeling: fatigue, lack of energy/strength, malaise, weight loss
2. Blood pressure: Low, fainting.
3. Sugar in blood: low
4. Salt (sodium) in blood: Low but has salt carving
5. Brain: difficulty with concentration, sleepy, depression, irritable, sluggish
6. Stomach: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, no appetite, diarrhea
7. Joint: pain
8. Muscle: pain, weakness, lack of power
9. Skin: loss of body/pubic hair, darker skin, bronze color in lips, palm, eyelid, chest, etc
Wide spread of muscle, joint, arm and leg pain with abdominal pain and headache.
Acute adrenal failure is an acute worsening and much severe version of above chronic adrenal insufficiency. The adrenal gland totally stopped producing any and all hormones. The patient then is in life threatening illness.
1. General health/feeling: acute sick, in crisis, death
2. Blood pressure: very low, in shock, not responsive to pressers.
3. Sugar in blood: low or very low
4. Salt (sodium) in blood: Low sodium (salt) but with high level of potassium
5. Brain: confusion, delirium, coma
6. Stomach: severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, dehydration
7. Joint: severe pain, back, neck and leg pain
8. Muscle: profound weakness, may not be able to stand against gravity
9. Death ensures without prompt hormone replacement.
Causes of adrenal insufficiency:
Infection such as tuberculosis
Tumor destroying the adrenal gland
No brain signal for adrenal gland- such as hypo-pituitary syndrome
Treatment: cortisone steroid (the hormone) supplement either IV or by mouth.
Seeking medical attention immediately from primary care doctor and endocrinologist.
Abdominal pain
from adrenal gland infarction injury, left
Adrenal infarction can result from arterial blockage, vein thrombosis/clot, direct infection/abscess. There can be adrenal insufficiency and pain.
Acute adrenal insufficiency due to bilateral adrenal haemorrhagic infarction in antiphospholipid syndrome, Endocrine Abstracts (2009) 19 P97 D Sharma, U Srinivas-Shankar, R Malipatil & J Vora
Symptoms of visceral disease, a study of the vegetative nervous system in its relationship to clinical medicine Pottenger, Francis Marion, 1919
Symptoms of visceral disease, a study of the vegetative nervous system in its relationship to clinical medicine Pottenger, Francis Marion, 1919