I know I had Cortisol Blood testing that confirmed WHY I had lost 30lbs, felt like death warmed over, felt dizzy when I stood up = low BP and developed a tan in January - even tho I live in snow country!
Most Drs won’t send you for tests unless you have some symptoms.
You will know if you develop Addison’s. Altho my endo just kept saying that I was depressed, and my sugars were 2 high! It took her a year to actually pay attention and only when I said I had a tan. I lived a year of hell without diagnosis!
So demand your endo check into it if you feel symptoms - otherwise they don’t routinely check for it.
Yeah, this is why I looked up symptoms just so that I know what they are. With Graves’ the symptoms are all quite obvious, too, if you know what the symptoms of hyperthyroidism are, which I had no clue. I spent a month feeling increasingly horrible before winding up in emergency one night and finding out that all the symptoms I’d been experiencing were connected. Just like diabetes, in hindsight the symptoms were all there and obvious, and I definitely notice them these days, but before being diagnosed I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
Good to know it’s a simple blood test. I don’t think “screening” is done often in Canada unless you have specific symptoms. Although many Type 1s are screened for thyroid issues every year, but my Graves’ developed so quickly that the yearly tests didn’t catch it.
I’m glad you eventually got the treatment you needed, though sorry it took a year.
Hi Everyone, I’m another long term type1 only 53 years for me though 
I also have Addison’s disease, under active thyroid, coeliac disease and just been diagnosed with MS. Besides that lot I’m fit and healthy with no signs of heart disease at all and still manage to walk my dog for two hours a day.
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Hi Jen,
They should definitely be monitoring for antibodies associated with Addison’s, given that having T1 and Graves’ puts you in a very high risk category for APS (and, thus, developing Addison’s or other glandular disorders). The standard monitoring regime for Addison’s (which is, I believe, the most “dangerous” of the autoimmune endocrine issues along with diabetes) involves bloodwork: sodium, potassium, cortisol, and ACTH levels; antibodies associated with autoimmune attack on the adrenal glands.
They can also do a “challenge” test where they inject ACTH and then see how your body produces cortisol (or not), but this is usually only done if you’re already experiencing symptoms of Addison’s.
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OMGosh you certainly have a lot of health issues. U must have inherited some GOOD genes tho, if you feel healthy. Good for You!!
Don’t forget - I didn’t have ANY signs of heart problems either and felt fine. If it hadn’t been for my high Potassium, no Dr would’ve thought to look at my heart and I wouldn’t of thought to ask about it.
Since I’ve learned about this the hard way - I realize that long term D1s should be looking into getting some heart tests done.
BTW, my annual EKG never showed any signs of problems. The ultrasound also looked absolutely normal. Thank God the Dr sent me for the Nuclear Heart test = totally blocked arteries to the heart!
Not sure why but my neck arteries are normal for now = yeah!
My PCP sent me to a cardiologist years ago for a screening. He orders the nuclear stress test every 5 years. I just had another test recently and he charged $2845. My co-pay was $20.00
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U have a gr8 Dr and gr8 insurance!!!
Do u mind me asking how old u r and how long you’ve had D1?
At my endo’s request, I did a Calcium Scoring CT scan this past summer – hoping for a good result. Normally, a $300+ test not covered by insurance, a local hospital system was running a promotion on the test (don’t ask me why! 
). I did the test, but I did NOT get the good result I’d hoped for – lots of calcification, apparently (score something lie 310?). So… off to see a cardiologist.
Cardiologist wanted me to start taking high doses of statins ASAP, which I do not want to do… He sent me for a Nuclear Stress test and a Carotid echo. The results were, thankfully, quite good. No blockage. Both tests showed no blood flow impedance and, though the carotid echo did indicate some calcification, it is apparently limited to artery walls and not causing any problems for now. I also did much better than the doctor expected on the exercise portion of the stress test.
Where to go from here? I’m not sure – I have a strong family history of bad side effects from statin medications, so I want to avoid them. Stepping up my exercise routine and adding some, hopefully, helpful supplements, so far. follow-up with the cardiologist in October (around the same time as my next endo appointment…)
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@Thas, so glad to read that (a) you were prescribed a test that would produce the right info and (b) the results were good 
Mazel Tov.
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So glad u got such good results with the 2nd tests! Hooray
And glad some Drs are paying attention 2 some of our hidden side effects!
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