Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
Addison's Disease Self-Help Group
Emergency Help Join Us COVID-19
Menu
  • About Addison's Disease
    • Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
      • Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance
      • Vaccines and Adrenal Insufficiency
    • What is Addison's Disease?
    • Newly diagnosed?
    • Living With Addison's Disease
    • Information for patients
    • Children and Young Adults
    • Information for employers
    • Downloadable publications
    • Research
      • Research Grants
      • 2020 Research Awards
      • Research Application
    • A-Z of Addison's Resources
  • Medics
    • COVID-19: Clinical Management guidance: Adrenal Insufficiency
    • Information for Paramedics and A&E
      • Emergency Treatment Information
      • ADSHG Paramedic Training in Adrenal Crisis Management
      • JRCALC 2017 guidelines on adrenal crisis
    • Information for clinicians
  • Membership latest
    • Membership help
    • Renew your Membership
    • ADSHG Member Online News Feed
    • Magazine
      • Magazine - Winter 2021
      • Magazine - Summer 2021
      • Magazine - Winter 2020
      • All Magazines
    • Online forums (members-only)
    • Member's Social Meetings
    • Events
  • About us
    • Contact us
    • What we do
    • Our team
    • Meet our Founder, Deana
    • Our history
    • Addison's Ireland
    • Our clinical advisors
    • Useful links to other organisations
    • Our Annual Reports
    • Privacy Policy
  • Get involved
    • Fundraising
      • Fundraising for the ADSHG
      • Fundraising ideas
      • Set up a fundraising page
      • Support one of our fundraisers
    • Become a member
    • Volunteering
    • Research
      • Research Grants
      • 2020 Research Awards
      • Research Application
    • Leave a legacy
  • News
    • News Homepage
    • Blog Homepage
    • Magazine
    • ADSHG on Facebook
    • ADSHG on Twitter
    • ADSHG on Instagram
    • ADSHG Press Releases
    • Events
  • Shop
    • Shop
    • Shop terms & conditions
  • Donate
    • Support one of our fundraisers
    • Donate to the ADSHG
    • Donate while you shop
  • Forum
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • Information for patients
  1. About Addison's Disease
  2. Information for patients

Information for patients

The Addison’s Disease Self-Help Group, with the support and guidance of its Clinical Advisory Panel, publishes a range of education materials for people with Addison's regarding the treatment and management of their condition.

These resources complement the charity's extensive range of publications for healthcare professionals.

Living With Addison's Disease : A Guide For People With Addison's, Supporters & Professionals

Everything you wanted to know about living with Addison's - but were afraid to ask. This ground-breaking, unique book covers a wide range of aspects of Addison's from both a medical and patient perspective. From causes, diagnosis, treatment options, how to work with your doctors through to advice for navigating life's journey including sports/active life, pregnancy, the menopause. Co-authored by Professor Simon Pearce and Sarah Spain, the book marries evidence-based clinical best practice with the practical day-to-day hints & tips to not just survive, but thrive with Addison's Disease. Highly recommended! 

The book is available in paperback and for Kindle at Amazon, globally.

Buy At Amazon

Emergency Wallet Card

The adrenal crisis emergency wallet card is credit card sized and contains advice, authored by the ADSHG Clinical Advisory Panel, on the treatment required to prevent an adrenal crisis in the event of serious injury or illness. It is available in printed form and is sent free to every member when they become a member. Additional cards can be bought in our shop.

Adrenal Crisis Care Letter

This adrenal crisis letter gives emergency medical treatment guidance for paramedics or hospital staff in the event of a person with Addison's suffering an adrenal crisis. This letter should be signed by your doctor. This document is also available in eight foreign languages for those who live or travel abroad.

Personal Emergency Plan 

This Personal Medical Emergency Plan template is a useful way of summarising your personal medical needs in the event of an emergency, for friends, family or work colleagues.

Medical Summary Form

This medical summary form is an easy way to record the medications you are currently taking.

Drugs Chart Steroid Stickers

The ADSHG drugs chart steroid alert stickers are intended for people with Addison's to take with them for day case and inpatient surgical procedures to alert nursing and medical staff to their steroid-dependence and their time-critical need for steroid medication when unwell.

Practical Advice 

These articles provide practical advice for people with Addison's Disease

  • Travelling
  • So just how do you tell your family & friends...
  • Coping with... psychological stress
  • Words for feeling better - or worse
  • How to stay on top of exercise

Managing Your Addison's Disease

This leaflet, Managing Addison's disease, has been developed for the ADSHG by our Clinical Advisory Panel. It provides a summary of the key points everyone with Addison's needs to know to manage their health. It is designed primarily to assist those who have been recently diagnosed and is ideal for hospitals and endocrinology units to give to their patients with Addison's.

When An Employee Has Addison's : information For Employers

The 'When an employee has Addison's' leaflet was written to help people with Addison's disease who are newly diagnosed – or changing jobs – to explain their condition to an employer. It was written by members of the ADSHG with input from our Clinical Advisory Panel.

What Is Addison's Educational Booklet

This educational booklet, 'What is Addison’s?' was written with school projects in mind and provides some basic information on the condition. It gives a little history of Addison’s, from its discovery by Dr Thomas Addison in 1855, through the scientific and medical advances that occurred in the twentieth century, concluding with an overview of what life is like today for people with Addison’s.

Published: 12th March, 2019

Updated: 16th March, 2022

Author: Anonymised User

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Latest

  • Twitter Chat - Don’t Wait, Educate

    Twitter Chat - Don’t Wait, Educate

    Join our latest #AddisonsQA Twitter Chat on Addison's Disease Day for this year's theme 'Don’t wait, educate'. Our medical experts and others living with Addison's and adrenal insufficiency are ready to share their tips and answer questions.

  • Addison's Disease Day 2022

    Addison's Disease Day 2022

    Join us on Sunday 29th May for Addison's Disease Day 2022! We're asking everyone around the world who is affected by Addison’s disease and adrenal insufficiency to join us in a day of raising awareness.

  • My fundraiser for the Addison's Disease Self Help Group

    I'm raising money for the Addison's Disease Self Help Group so that they can continue to support people with Addison's and adrenal insufficiency. Addison’s is a rare endocrine condition where the adrenal glands do not produce enough steroid hormones and can be life threatening. It affects approximately 1 in 10,000 people, meaning an estimated 300 - 350 new cases are diagnosed each year across the UK, this makes it roughly 300 times rarer than diabetes.

  • ADSHG community shares tributes to former chair Katherine White

    ADSHG community shares tributes to former chair Katherine White

    Earlier this week members of the Addison’s community were dismayed to learn of the passing of Katherine White the indefatigable chair of the Addison's Disease Self Help Group for many years.

Most read

  • Sick Day Rules

    Minor ailments can affect anyone with a steroid-dependent adrenal condition very differently. Things like vomiting, diarrhoea, colds and flu could cause an adrenal crisis. It’s important that you spot the early symptoms of a bug or cold and adjust your steroid replacement medication.

  • Coronavirus Vaccines and Adrenal Insufficiency

    Coronavirus Vaccines and Adrenal Insufficiency

    Everyone with a steroid-dependent adrenal condition should get the coronavirus vaccine to reduce their risk of getting coronavirus. This is because people who are steroid-dependent are at increased risk of needing hospital care if they get coronavirus, due to the risk of adrenal crisis.

  • Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) - 24/02/2021

    Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) - 24/02/2021

    Our medics have been keeping an eye on pandemic developments. This page is up to date but we will continue updating it regularly as we find out more information from the government.

  • The Emergency Injection for the treatment of Adrenal Crisis

    The Emergency Injection for the treatment of Adrenal Crisis

    Understanding what an Emergency Injection kit is, how to inject and how important it is to use the injection during an Adrenal Crisis.

  • Adrenal Crisis Can Kill

    Adrenal Crisis Can Kill

  • What is Addison's Disease?

    What is Addison's Disease?

    Find out more about Addison's disease and adrenal insufficiency and and how they are treated.

  • Why Salt?

    Why Salt?

    Why do people with Addison’s and adrenal insufficiency crave salty, acidic and sour foods at diagnosis, and then salt remains our “pick me up” when diagnosed? Professor Simon Pearce explains the connection between aldosterone, fludrocortisone and why you should always listen to your salt cravings.

  • Updated NHS Steroid Card Released

    Updated NHS Steroid Card Released

    Following the early release of the new NHS Steroid Emergency Card back in March to keep patients with Addison's or adrenal insufficiency safe during the COVID-19 crisis, the NHS steroid card has been updated and physical copies will be available to order from Tuesday 18th August 2020 for hospital teams!

  • Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine - Personal Stories

    Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine - Personal Stories

    The COVID-19 vaccination campaign has kicked off - but what does it feel like to receive the COVID-19 vaccine? People with Addison's and adrenal insufficiency share their experiences of receiving the vaccine.

  • Surgical Guidelines

    Surgical Guidelines

    The ADSHG surgical guidelines are intended for the information of your medical team or your dentist and have been developed by our Clinical Advisory Panel.

Tag cloud

AGM Conference Ireland sidebar
Research Grants

Research Grants

Our charity is at the forefront of medical research into Addison's Disease. Help us fund medical researchers working in this important field of endocrine research. Read more

Published: 22nd February, 2019

Updated: 10th November, 2021

Author:

Find us

Our Registered Office 
Starling House
1600 Bristol Parkway North
Bristol
BS34 8YU

Links

  • Contact us
  • Media Centre
  • Sitemap
  • Accessibility
  • Shop terms & Conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Our policies

Follow us

  • Search
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

Genetic Alliance logo Rare Disease logoESE Affiliated

Copyright © Addison's Disease Self-Help Group Registered as Charity number 1179825

The information contained within this website is not intended to provide clinical diagnosis and/or personalised medical advice. It should not be treated as such. Always seek the advice of your doctor or a health care professional before starting any new treatment for your underlying condition. While we have taken every care to compile accurate information to reflect the current state of knowledge, we cannot guarantee its correctness and completeness. The information provided in this website does not constitute business, medical or other professional advice, and is subject to change. In no event will the Addison’s Disease Self-Help Group or any of the contributors be responsible or liable directly or indirectly, for damages or liabilities relating in any way to the use (or misuse) of information contained within or referred to in this website.

Manage Cookie Preferences