'Watching Manchester United nearly killed me,' says female fan suffering from rare medical stress disorder

58-year-old woman hit by anxiety and panic attacks

Blood tests confirm rare and life threatening disorder

She must take daily medication for life



The stress of watching her favourite football team in action nearly killed a woman blighted by a rare medical condition, doctors have revealed.

A 58-year-old woman was forced to seek medical advice after she experienced severe anxiety and panic attacks while watching Manchester United matches.



Tests confirmed that she suffered from 'Addisonian crisis', a rare and life threatening disorder caused by lack of the stress hormone cortisol.

A woman was forced to seek medical advice after she experienced episodes of anxiety and panic attacks while watching her favourite sports team

Without treatment it can cause various complications including cardiac arrest, stroke, coma and death.

The Red Devils supporter said that symptoms were worse towards the end of high-profile and crucial games.

Dr Akbar Choudhry, who treated her at Trafford General Hospital said: 'On these occasions, she considered leaving the stadium because she felt so unwell.'



Since discovering the condition, the woman now takes daily medication to replace the lost hormones.

To date the treatment has alleviated the symptoms although doctors said this coincided with a number of comfortable wins for her team so she hasn't been exposed to the most stressful situations.



Addisonian crisis is a particularly serious manifestation of Addison's disease, which results from the adrenal glands not producing enough cortisol.



The condition is difficult to diagnose because the main symptoms, such as fatigue, lethargy and low mood, are often experienced by 'healthy' individuals.

But blood tests confirmed the woman had dangerously low levels of cortisol and she was immediately treated.



Dr Choudhry and his team concluded in the British Medical Journal : 'We believe our patient was having difficulty mounting an appropriate physiological cortisol response during the big games and therefore we present this as the first description of Manchester United-induced Addisonian crisis.'

Addison’s disease is named after Dr. Thomas Addison, a British physician who first described the condition in 1849.



Due to advancements in treatment, the average life expectancy for sufferers has improved significantly over the last 50 years.