Since our very first Addison’s Disease Day on 29 May, we launched the #ShareYourKit campaign, inviting people with Addison's disease or adrenal insufficiency around the world to share pictures of their hydrocortisone emergency injection kits.

It's important to talk about kits, be confident in using them, educate friends, family and those who support you and of course - to have prepared your own kit.

It was reassuring to see so many people had been prescribed the injectable hydrocortisone, needles, syringes, vial snaps, water vials and printed instructions they need to self-manage an adrenal crisis if they have to wait a long time for an ambulance or are not able to quickly reach an A&E department to promptly provide them with the extra hydrocortisone and other care they need to recover. 

• Getting Started
• How do other people store their kits? Read others #ShareYourKit!
• Take part in #ShareYourKit

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Keep reading to see other #ShareYourKit stories from our community!

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Getting started

We estimate that at least 1,700 people in the UK are without a kit. Many people are told by their GP or Endocrinologist that they don't need a kit as they live close to a hospital - this is not true. But unfortunately, this assumption can lead to delayed treatment and worse consequences for people with adrenal insufficiency. 

Provision of a hydrocortisone emergency injection kit is standard practice for the prevention of an acute adrenal crisis. It is the advice given in the NICE Guidance: Adrenal insufficiency: identification and management, by the ADSHG Clinical Advisory Panel, Society for Endocrinology, and on the NHS page for Addison's disease, 

Note: The NICE guidance includes that a minimum of two emergency injection kits should be prescribed, so spares are available for travel or in case a vial shatters and becomes unusable in an adrenal crisis.

Emergency injection kits

From tupperware boxes, labelled glasses cases to purpose made personalised bags and wallets - we've seen lots of great examples with storage solutions to suit all! Depending on your budget or how creative you are, there are so many options.

Expiry Dates

Once put together, check the expiry dates on your medication, and set a calendar reminder for when you would need a new prescription. This is to make sure your medication is never out-of-date.

Save any unused vials so you can then use these for injection practise with friends, family or colleagues. Remember to also check your kit regularly, especially before travelling, to make sure none of the vials have broken and need replacing - always carry spares!

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Not prescribed an injection kit?

Please share our resources with your health professionals and bring the subject up again, even if they've said no before. Click the button below to be take to our step-by-step guidance on what to do next.

What to do if you are refused an injection kit

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Scroll, have a browse and get some inspiration!

Below we've brought together a range of kits our followers have shared on social media as well as our blog posts. Click on an image below to be taken to individual #ShareYorKit blog post and have a look at how others have tackled the challenge, with kits varying depending on your needs. A big thank you to everyone whose brilliant kit post is featured below.

#shareyourkit
3 crises in 3 weeks, 3 vials.
My kit saved my life.🦋@AddisonsUK #internationaladdisonsday pic.twitter.com/fqKZW8HNFs

— Corrinne (Reenie) (@reenie_rocks) May 29, 2020

#shareyourkit #addisonsdisease #invisibleillness #chronicillness #InternationalAddisonsDay my little kit I keep at home. Never needed it so far. The little red tub is what I carry with me everywhere with additional meds pic.twitter.com/WgSNd6J3jf

— Emma Guy (@fairy_el) May 29, 2020

today is #InternationalAddisonsDay

to raise awareness, we are sharing our emergency kit. it comes with us all the time in case we have a crisis

mine contains all of my daily medication, 2 pill pots and my injection supplies (I carry 2 needles and vials) #ShareYourKit pic.twitter.com/3zbOVzTBOf

— Ru 🍒 (@roofulness) May 29, 2020

@AddisonsUK @NHS @TeamYgc
#InternationalAddisonsDay #29thMay#emergencyinjectionkit
Mine consists of an excellent folder from https://t.co/zrUMpowcD3 and a red padded holder - on line auction pic.twitter.com/xOdB9R5c5g

— Jane (@janefcassidy) May 26, 2020

This Friday is #InternationalAddisonsDay, raising awareness for all types of adrenal insufficiency. Join in and #ShareYourKit - Show others how you store your emergency injection kit and normalise this potentially scary situation @AddisonsUK pic.twitter.com/N6zj3HMOJz

— The Pituitary Foundation (@Pituitary_org) May 27, 2020

#shareyourkit pic.twitter.com/MfjI2rJc54

— Claire Plumb (@ssunflowersgirl) May 29, 2020

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Take part in #ShareYourKit

Through #ShareYourKit, we feature a member of our amazing community as they show us how they store and carry their kit, to help encourage us to keep our kits with us at all times and normalise this potentially scary situation.

Do you want to take part? Share with our community how you manage your Addison's disease or adrenal insufficiency, why carrying an emergency kit is important, what it means to you and what you've learnt from living with the condition. Help raise vital awareness!

If you don't want to feature online but would still like to take part, we can include your #ShareYourKit just in our members' magazine.

Submit your #ShareYourKit

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