Addison's disease. Adrenal insufficiency should be excluded before thyroxine replacement is started.

EDITOR,—We strongly agree with C M Brosnan and N F C Gowing's comment that Addison's disease remains the unforgiving master of non-specificity and disguise.1 We report two cases of Addison's disease in which the finding of a raised thyroid stimulating hormone concentration during investigations of weight loss prompted inappropriate treatment with thyroxine and precipitated an addisonian crisis. Case 1—A 58 year old woman presented to her general practitioner with persistent nausea, vomiting, and weight …