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What Causes Mood Swings And Irritable Behaviour When Diagnosed With Addison's Disease?
Question: My 47-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with Addison's disease. She has big mood swings and can be very irritable. What causes this?
Brief Answer:
Read below
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
There can be several causes to her mood issues.
First Addison's itself can manifest with depression and irritability among its other symptoms, so in some patients can show mood swings as well.
Another possible cause if those are more manifest after the treatment initiation may be the treatment itself. Cortisone which is substituted, is among the main stress hormones, released to cope with situations where increased performance and alertness is required. As such it can cause anger, anxiety etc when administered. You have to remember that replacement therapy while it is tried to imitate the natural hormone release, can not be as precise as our own biological titrating mechanism which releases it in the required quantities at different times of day and different situations.
Another possible cause is due to other hormonal imbalances. You say for it to be caused by a pituitary gland tumor. The pituitary gland is the gland which controls the release of many other hormones, sort of like a central command station. So usually if there is a tumor it is not only the cortisol levels affected, other hormonal levels are altered as well, which can very commonly cause mood swings on their own, such as thyroid hormones, LH and FSH (sex hormones), you do not give much information about what has been done on that regard. Their levels must be checked and monitored regularly and appropriate treatment instituted.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Read below
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
There can be several causes to her mood issues.
First Addison's itself can manifest with depression and irritability among its other symptoms, so in some patients can show mood swings as well.
Another possible cause if those are more manifest after the treatment initiation may be the treatment itself. Cortisone which is substituted, is among the main stress hormones, released to cope with situations where increased performance and alertness is required. As such it can cause anger, anxiety etc when administered. You have to remember that replacement therapy while it is tried to imitate the natural hormone release, can not be as precise as our own biological titrating mechanism which releases it in the required quantities at different times of day and different situations.
Another possible cause is due to other hormonal imbalances. You say for it to be caused by a pituitary gland tumor. The pituitary gland is the gland which controls the release of many other hormones, sort of like a central command station. So usually if there is a tumor it is not only the cortisol levels affected, other hormonal levels are altered as well, which can very commonly cause mood swings on their own, such as thyroid hormones, LH and FSH (sex hormones), you do not give much information about what has been done on that regard. Their levels must be checked and monitored regularly and appropriate treatment instituted.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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