Anorexia means the loss of appetite. To the public, anorexia more often refers to girls who restrict their food intake willingly. That disease is called anorexia nervosa. Loss of appetite and resulting weight loss should always be investigated until a cause is found.
Typically the nutritional symptoms of Addison’s disease can be hypoglycemia due to the body’s inability to create new glucose from amino acids and fat. Sodium levels in the blood may also be low which may have to be corrected immediately using intravenous solutions. Weakness, feeling faint when standing up quickly and pigmentation, where the tissue-overlying skin is thinner, are early symptoms. Weight loss is one of the later developing symptoms. Because the disease can be slow to develop, a misdiagnosis of a psychological cause may be made. The treatment is usually with cortisone or steroid compounds and no specific dietary recommendations unless the steroids cause secondary problems.
By the way, the information in my nutrition topics is the result of people asking questions. No one has asked about Addison’s disease before. Thanks for asking.
