Adrenal fatigue? page

[sbhikes]

Anybody have this? Have you sought treatment? What kind of doctor? What kind of treatment?

[seaweed]

i think i have it but denial is that restruant in manhatten or maybe the river in africa lol i wouldnt know where to start getting treatment as i have a nasty caffeine addiction which is where the denial comes in. i think conventionally they do blood tests maybe to diagnose it? then they prob give you some pharmaceuticals to "fix" it. what i will say is i manage it with cutting down the caffeine. i have also read a snippet in an old medical research paper from something like the 1930s which talks about the role of vitamin C in diptheria and diseases of the adrenals so i have extrapolated that and if i supplement with at least 5g of sodium ascorbate a day as well as keeping the caffeine right down. avoiding sugar and grains. i am under control. bump up the caffeine and it all starts to go haywire.

[jkr]

If you do a search, you'll find several threads, even one from last week.

[sbhikes]

I am trying to figure out how to get a proper diagnosis. I have been looking up naturopaths locally but they all seem to delve into homeopathy, which of course is total woo-woo, so I'm skeptical about their services. A lot of them are also chiropractors and I admit to being skeptical of chiropractic. I'm pretty sure my regular doctor would never bother to do any sorts of tests for such a thing. He's pretty useless, as is my HMO. I also kind of wonder if adrenal fatigue actually exists or if it's one of those woo-woo diagnoses that aren't based on real science. The list of symptoms include just about everything in the universe. Looks like a lot of the treatment is to avoid caffiene and take supplements, and the tendency for some local clinics to also sell supplements is another thing making me skeptical and hesitant in seeking out answers. So I guess what I'm asking for are some examples of getting an actual diagnosis. What kind of doctor did you see? What were your symptoms? What was your treatment like? What were your symptoms leading you to seek help?

[patski]

Howdy sb,

My symptoms: no energy, ever. Waking up feeling tired as hell, crashing in the afternoons.

My naturopathic doc explained that crap like candida starts because of adrenal fatigue. Your adrenals regulate hormones, regular sympathetic/parasympathetic response, regulate your immune system, keep you happy and uh, horny. LOL It's amazing what they're responsible for!

The basic regiment I'm on is taking liquorice root powder a few times a day on an empty stomach; I'm taking Thorne Research Multi B#6 twice a day, and just started taking 1000mg extra of B5 (or pantothenic acid). Vitamin C is also really important, as your adrenals need them more than any other part of the body. I haven't found a vit C that I like.

If I run out of my multi B#6 and forget to replenish, I FEEL IT BIG TIME. I crash in the afternoons, and feel like shit in the morning. Bone broth is supposed to be excellent for the kidneys, which nourish the adrenals, but I haven't gotten around to making any in a while.

[Rueben]

I thought my lack of energy was from Hashimoto's - but I finally found an "integrative doctor".

He gave me a saliva testing kit and I took my saliva at 8am, 12pm, 4pm and 10pm. My Cortisol was incredibly low and just got even lower through the day. I had to fill out a food and mood diary through the day so he could see if there was any reason if my cortisol had spiked (it didn't).

I started on Hydocortisol which is an artificial cortisol for the first 5 weeks, and then he will change me to "the natural stuff". he is of the opinion that you should not be on Hydrocortisol for a length of time. I only started the Hydrocortisol on Friday. By Sunday I started to notice a huge difference in my energy levels and mood. I am also taking a supplement by "Herbs of gold" - Adrenal and Stress formula, plus Vitamin C. (as well as continuing my other fish oils and B3)

i think the Mood has been the most striking difference in the few short days I have been taking them. I am actually patient with my partner and Kids! No more screaming fishwife!! I can't tell you the last time I felt even half human - but perhaps I am getting "me" back? The urge to exercise is coming back but I am taking it easy as I found any bursts of exercise at all (even running for the bus!) would completely wipe me out - I am no couch potato and this symptom really was the one that highlighted for me that something was incredibly wrong. I thought the bitchy mood was just about being a Mum and spreading myself too thin but maybe it wasn't.

Oh - I should also say he upped my doses of bio-identical hormones as I was still too low on these - I believe you can't look at Cortisol and Insulin without looking at Estrogen, Progesterone, DHEA and Testosterone. Read some books by Suzanne Somers or Dr Jonathan Wright to get the info...

Apparently you can send away your own saliva test kit to a lab in the states - you don't need a doctor. Perhaps google would be the best thing here.

But I would encourage you to try the supplements as a start anyway. I am feeling almost fantastic!

When I was trying to find an integrative doctor in australia, my integrative doctor in New Zealand gave me this website - I hope it helps.

Home - ACNEM - they are all in Australia and New Zealand but I'm sure if you emailed the association they would put you in touch with the "sister" organisation in America.

Edit - this looks promising... http://www.holisticboard.org/

"Reasons to Find an Integrative Holistic Physician

1. Integrative holistic physicians bridge a critical gap between conventional and integrative holistic medicine, blending the best of important schools of thought.

2. They typically spend a greater amount of time you.

3. Integrative holistic physicians are inclined to form close collaborations with you.

4. They treat you as whole people, not your diseases.

5. Integrative holistic physicians characteristically view symptoms in the context of an underlying problem, attempting to treat the cause, rather than to suppress the symptoms alone.

6. They provide a broad array of modalities and options for healing, focusing first on lifestyle.

7. They can prescribe drugs when necessary, after first considering other natural and safe options.

8. Integrative holistic physicians tend to be caring, compassionate individuals.

9. They focus extensively on disease prevention.

10. They have a natural passion for lifelong learning and healing."

[sbhikes]

Thank you. There is an integrated medicine center locally and several naturopaths. I guess the main symptom for me is that I am always in a state of DOMS and I notice that the pain goes away under stress or caffeine. If I rest or take days off and do absolutely nothing, I start to feel worse rather than better, like I'm falling apart.

[Grumpycakes]

Eat sugar. It helps mitigate stress and helps out your adrenals.

[Mamame]

I started on Hydocortisol which is an artificial cortisol for the first 5 weeks, and then he will change me to "the natural stuff". he is of the opinion that you should not be on Hydrocortisol for a length of time. I only started the Hydrocortisol on Friday. By Sunday I started to notice a huge difference in my energy levels and mood. I am also taking a supplement by "Herbs of gold" - Adrenal and Stress formula, plus Vitamin C. (as well as continuing my other fish oils and B3)

It's actually hydrocortisone - not hydrocortisol, and I would really hesitate in recommending someone take it for adrenal fatigue. Taking an exogenous source of cortisol (including any type of corticosteroids) will actually cause your adrenal glands to slow down their own natural production of cortisol and can cause an induced state of adrenal insufficiency which can be really serious!

To the original poster - the first thing to do would be to see your regular dr. Mention your symptoms and your thoughts that it is adrenal related and hopefully your dr. will check your cortisol, ACTH, aldosterone and renin levels to see how your adrenals are actually functioning - then go from there. Most regular dr's will not recognize adrenal fatigue as a medical condition, but I think it is important to rule out Addison's or secondary adrenal insufficiency before you try treating on your own.

[JEL62]

Is adrenal fatigue really a thing? I'm not saying it isn't a thing, but when I search the scientific literature it always comes back that it isn't a thing, despite the nagging feeling that I have this thing.