Understanding Steroid Medication and Sick Day rules

Understanding Steroid Medication and Sick Day Rules

The Sick Day Rules page on our website is our most viewed webpage, and we know from your regular enquiries that it is always a topic where it is reassuring to read and re-read the information.

This has prompted us to pull together this comprehensive, 18-page leaflet that will help you to better understand your replacement steroid medication regimen for your Addison's or other type of adrenal insufficiency.  This includes an explanation of the time-critical nature of your steroid medication and the need to increase your dose at times when your body needs more cortisol than usual due to physical or extreme psychological stress.

Contents:

• Treatment
• Adrenal Crisis
• Sick Day Rules
• FAQs
• Extra Doses

This leaflet's helpful FAQs section helps to address some of the questions we are frequently asked, as well as giving you the basic information you need to be more confident in managing your medication each day, and in following Sick Day Rules. 

This booklet has been authored by the ADSHG in collaboration with Dr Alessandro Prete, Consultant Endocrinologist, University Hospital Birmingham, and Specialist Endocrine Nurse, Lisa Shepherd.  Both Dr Prete and Lisa Shepherd are members of our Clinical Advisory Panel.