Some patients also suffer from nausea and diarrhoea. You will need to attend a specialist clinic as a day patient for tests referred to as 'dynamic'. This means that you will have a blood test initially and then several more after you have been given something to stimulate the hormone. Most clinics either use an artificial version of the ACTH hormone or a test which reduces your blood sugar level. The test will show you how your hormone level reacts over a period of time.
Treatment is by taking the adrenal hormone, cortisol.
You will often hear this referred to as hydrocortisone. It is taken in tablet form, usually two or three times daily. Your GP will prescribe these, but you will still need to see your specialist from time to time for monitoring. Some clinics take blood samples in a way similar to the dynamic tests described above, and other rely on a normal medical examination with blood pressure checks and so on. Occasionally other drugs are prescribed as alternatives to hydrocortisone.