Addison’s Disease Diagnosis and Evaluation

A critical part of the evaluation is the differential diagnosis, which means ruling out other conditions that look like adrenal failure.

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Which causes exhaustion but has normal hormone levels.
• Depressive Disorders: Which can mimic the mood and energy changes of the disease.
• Malabsorption issues: Which can cause weight loss and electrolyte shifts.
  

By systematically ruling out these “lookalikes” through laboratory tests and clinical history, our expert team ensures that the diagnosis is 100% accurate, preventing the use of unnecessary medications.

In complex clinical cases where the source of the insufficiency is unclear, a more intensive test may be required.

• The patient is given a dose of insulin to lower blood sugar.
• This “stress” should trigger a massive release of cortisol from the brain and adrenals.
• Frequent blood samples are taken to monitor the body’s response.
  

Because this test is physically demanding, it is performed in the high-tech diagnostic suite at Liv Hospital under constant medical supervision, ensuring the patient’s safety while gathering vital data about their stress-response system.