hi all! i have been reading the threads about older people with cah and the troubles some of them have faced. of course, reading this frightens me for my 1 yr old swcah son.

i am an icu nurse and have been for  a long time. i know for a fact that oversupression of cah (meaning too high of a dose of steroids) is not a good thing. there are MANY disorders that the population faces that can cause a person to be on high doses of steroids and if ANYONE is subjected to that over the years there will be problems. no question. disorders such as autoimmune conditions, transplant patients, respiratory diseases, etc. those adults do feel ill a lot and do have the cushingoid look, bad joints, etc. just like some people have mentioned. another point is that as we age, we all will begin to potentially face more medical conditions.

i guess what just dawned on me is that b/c it appears that everyone over 30 or so was overtreated with glucocorticoids, in 2005 we can not accurately know if certain health ailments are a result of simply having cah or a result of being overtreated with steroids and having cah.

for those of you adults with cah, i thank you so much for your input on this board. i hope all of you realize that you all’s unique insight into this is so appreciated and valued by us parents. i hope that as my son becomes an adolescent and then an adult with cah, he will contribute his knowledge to future cah children in the hope that someday there will be better treatment and possibly a cure!!! thanks again!

louise