How do you know if you have adrenal fatigue?
December 25th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under
Peter asked:
There’s a lot of talk recently about hypoadrenia and sub-Addison’s adrenal insufficiency. Since doctors don’t acknowledge this as an actual condition, how do you know if you have it? What are the diagnostic criteria and who’s diagnosing it? Is it one of those diseases that you just have to have an “intuition” about? And finally, if there’s no way to be sure you have it, how can it be safe to treat it?
Comment by Christina on 26 December 2008:
Signs and Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue
Tendency to gain weight and unable to loose it, especially around the waist.
High frequency of getting the flu and other respiratory diseases and these symptoms tend to last longer than usual.
Tendency to tremble when under pressure.
Reduced sex drive.
Lightheaded when rising from a laying down position.
Unable to remember things.
Lack of energy in the mornings and also in the afternoon between 3 to 5 pm.
Feel better suddenly for a brief period after a meal.
Often feel tired betweeen 9 – 10 pm, but resist going to bed.
Need coffee or stimulants to get going in the morning.
Crave for salty, fatty, and high protein food such as meat and cheese.
Increase symptoms of PMS for women; period are heavy and then stop, or almost stopped on the 4th day, only to start flow again on the 5th or 6th day.
Pain in the upper back or neck with no apparent reasons .
Feels better when stress is relieved, such as on a vacation.
Difficulties in getting up in the morning
Lightheaded
Other signs and symptoms include:
Mild depression
Food and or inhalant allergies
Lethargy and lack of energy
Increased effort to perform daily tasks
Decreased ability to handle stress
Dry and thin skin
Hypoglycemia
Low Body Temperature
Nervousness
Palpitation
Unexplained hair loss
Alternating constipation and diarrhea
Dyspepsia
There are test that can be bought to see if you are lacking hormones or if your adrenal function is normal.
There are many different ways to get rid of adrenal fatigue but I would find out first what aspect is causing it.
Supplements
Vitamin C (2,000-4,000 mg/day sustained release) — best taken with bioflavonoids.
Vitamin E w/mixed tocopherols (800 IU/day)
Vitamin B100 Complex
Niacin (125-150 mg/day) — as inositol hexaniacinate. (Although it is recommended to use 125-150 mg each day, I have found it very hard to find niacin as inositol hexaniacinate in less than 500 mg. It is okay to take at this level as the body flushes what it doesn’t need.)
Pyridoxine B6 (150 mg/day)
Pantothenic Acid B5 (1200-1500 mg/day)
Magnesium Citrate (400-1200 mg) — I like this best in the powdered form such as in Natural Calm. This form of magnesium makes sure it is absorbed.
Liquid Trace Minerals — they have a calming effect
Free-Form Amino Acids
Proline (500 mg daily) — Proline is helpful in rebuilding connective tissues. Weak adrenals are often associated with poor quality connective tissues and whatever helps connective tissues seems to help adrenals as well.
Adrenal Glandular — or desiccated adrenal gland is extremely important in the initial phases of adrenal repair since it provides raw materials to support adrenal function. It also contains some important adrenal hormones.
Herbs
Rhodiola Rosea — It enhances memory and concentration. It has been shown to reduce stress-induced fatigue and improve mental performance.
Ashwagandha — It has been shown to have a sedating effect on the body and helps to rebuild the digestive and nervous system.
Eleuthero Root or Siberian Ginseng — It has been used traditionally to stimulate and nourish the adrenal glands and increases mental alertness. Eleuthero is considered an “adaptogen” which means it can help the body adapt to stress.
Cordyceps — This is a Chinese mushroom used for supporting the adrenal gland and can also normalize immune function and support kidney, lung, liver, nervous system and cardiovascular function.
Hormones
As for hormones, it is a good idea to be tested and find out what your hormone levels are before supplementing them. This way you’ll know exactly what hormones are deficient. The three hormones below are most often supplemented when dealing with adrenal fatigue.
DHEA – This is a basic adrenal hormone that the adrenals will convert into other hormones. If someone is very deficient in this hormone they may only be able to tolerate a small amount such as 5 mg. The average adult dose ranges between 10 and 25 mg. DHEA will also go on to become sex hormones such as testosterone and estrogen.
Pregnenolone – This is a precursor to many of the hormones produced by the adrenal glands. It is a raw material that supports basic adrenal function. Pregnenolone is best taken towards the evening but may be taken earlier if it interferes with sleep. The usual dose is 25 mg.
Progesterone Cream – Progesterone is the building block for many other major hormones such as cortisol, DHEA, testosterone and estrogen. If you are under a lot of stress and your adrenals are pumping out cortisol, your body will use available progesterone. If too much progesterone is used to produce cortisol, like with adrenal fatigue, not enough is produced to make testosterone which is needed for a woman’s healthy libido. I recommend progesterone in the form of a skin cream. Always make sure that it says progesterone USP so you know it’s real progesterone.
Life Style Changes
Removal of the stressors. This is the most important step. Emotional stressors such as marital, family, relationship, or financial problems needs to be dealt with and normalized.
Rest and sleep are extremely important. You will need nine hours of sleep and maybe more for a very long time. Also rest after meals, at midmorning and mid-afternoon if possible.
Gentle walking is beneficial but vigorous exercise depletes the adrenals. Deep breathing and stretching is also beneficial. You should exercise to relax rather than to build muscles or lose weight.
Replace toxic cleaning products used around the house with natural products. There are natural alternatives available for cleaning. Hair dyes, shampoos, makeup and skin care products need to be replaced with natural versions. Adrenals are stressed by chemicals and so this is very important.
Detoxification sauna therapy using an infrared sauna will greatly speed up recovery. If you are in adrenal burnout, use the sauna daily for no more than 30 minutes. Once or twice a week is excellent for prevention.
Diet
It may benefit you to add salt to your diet, especially upon rising and at least a half-hour before you have the lowest energy of the day. Take 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoonful of sea salt, Celtic salt or sea salt w/kelp powder, in an 8 oz glass of water.
Comment by Cammie on 28 December 2008:
These sites should help.
Just google Adrenal fatigue and you will find a lot of information.