A number of our Social Security Disability clients suffer from Addison’s disease. Individuals suffering from this disorder frequently experience the following symptoms:
- fatigue,
- dizziness, and
- muscle weakness with difficulty standing up.
The course of prescribed treatment can include hydrocortisone tablets or prednisone to replace missing cortisol, fludrocortisone to replace missing aldosterone. While not all individuals who have been diagnosed with Addison’s disease will be found disabled under Social Security rules, one source of information for people with Addison’s disease that we recommend is Addison’s Disease Research Today. Addison’s Disease Research Today is a monthly online journal summarizing recent findings on Addison’s disease.
Recently we have assisted individuals with Addison’s disease in getting Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income. Their cases were among the more severe of those suffering with the disorder. The degree of frequency and severity of individual symptoms are unique in each case and will determine, to a large degree, whether an individual claim will be granted benefits.
Some diseases are included in Social Security’s Listing of impairments and some are not. In some instances, a disease, while not Listed, is addressed in a Social Security Ruling. The Rulings offer guidance but do not set out specific criteria for an award of benefits. Other diseases are not in the Listings or recognized in a Social Security Ruling.
Regardless of the disease, you or your lawyer should have the following:
- a good working list of your symptoms,
- a knowledge of the degree of certainty of your diagnosis,
- a general understanding of the consistency between your symptoms and your diagnosis,
- a good understanding of what evidence might best support your contention that your symptoms are disabling, and
- which legal theory will most likely be accepted by the Social Security Administration given the particular facts of the entire case.
If you, or someone you know, is suffering from severe Addison’s disease, consider contacting Addison’s Disease Research Today for additional information on the disorder. If you are considering a Social Security Disability claim, we advise you to speak with an attorney. We handle cases throughout the state of Texas, but we are always happy to give you a referral if we are unable to assist you.
Hey, I was reading this artical and have been wondering about this for quite some time. I suffer from Addisons Disease and hypothyroidism. I work with children and become so sick with all their illnesses. I was hospitalized in Oct. for it and now I am suffering from Mono. I keep getting sick due to my compromised immune system. My husband thought I should look into this. I am a 52yr. old college educated woman. I look forward to your comments.
I also have Addisons Disease and hypothyroidism. I have been unable to keep a job due to excessive absences. I also pick up any virus that is going around from co-workers. It takes me twice as long to get over illnesses than any normal person. I am also looking into disability. The stress of the job makes it worse. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find a good-paying job that has low stress. My last job I was absent 5 weeks out of 7 months due to illness. I was on short-term disability twice, but that didn’t seem to make any difference to them. It is a very tough situation to deal with. I have had 7 jobs in the last 14 years of working in IT.