Recovering From Adrenal Fatigue

[Reesacat]

Recovering from adrenal fatigue: How your body can overcome chronic stress and feel energized again

by Dani Veracity

The easy, relaxed lifestyle experienced by our ancestors no longer exists, and we're not even aware of how much stress we're under. The problem? "Our lifestyles have changed, but our bodies haven't," Dr. James Wilson said in his November lecture at the First Arizona Choices Exposition in Tucson, Ariz. A large portion of our population is feeling tired and stressed out, and we want to know why.
The adrenal glands sit over the kidneys, where they play a significant role in the body, secreting more than 50 hormones necessary for life, including epinephrine (adrenaline), cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), progesterone and testosterone. Since they produce so many essential hormones, the adrenal glands are responsible for many of the functions we need to stay alive and healthy, including:

• Energy production -- carbohydrate, protein and fat conversion to blood glucose for energy
• Fluid and electrolyte balance
• Fat storage

One hormone in particular, cortisol, is extremely important for keeping our body systems in balance, as well as protecting our cells. For example:

• It controls the strength of the immune system: Too much cortisol weakens the immune system, setting the motions for increased susceptibility to infections and cancer, while too little leads to an overactive immune system and autoimmune disease.
• It normalizes blood sugar.
• It regulates blood pressure.

These small but mighty glands also work with other hormones and systems in what Dr. Wilson calls a "symphony." As he points out, when one part of this symphony drops out, such as what happens after menopause for women and andropause for men, the adrenal glands have to pick up the slack by producing larger amounts of sex hormones. Because of this, Wilson claims, good adrenal gland function is linked to longevity.
Unfortunately, the adrenal glands' health is paradoxical. As the manufacturer of adrenaline, they are the "glands of stress," but are also the first glands to fail during prolonged or intense periods of stress. The problem with stressors is that they are "cumulative," in the sense that their impact tends to add up in the body over time until your adrenal glands (and probably your mental state) just can't take anymore. "One more stress is the stress that breaks the camel's back," Dr. Wilson says.
Some people call the time when the "camel's back" finally breaks a "nervous breakdown." However, nerves really don't break down; adrenal glands do. A "nervous breakdown" is actually adrenal fatigue, or when the adrenal glands can't deal with the amount of stress they're given. Adrenal fatigue used to be rare, but is now all too common because of our lack of relaxation and other lifestyle factors, such as smoking, sleep deprivation, poor eating habits and excessive caffeine intake, as well as allergies.

Diagnosing (and misdiagnosing) adrenal fatigue

To make matters worse, doctors often don't diagnose this problem. Dr. Wilson offers the example of a woman who has been to 37 doctors before finally receiving proper diagnosis and a renewed sense of hope. So, why don't doctors recognize adrenal fatigue? In medical school, they are only taught to look for extreme adrenal malfunction -- Addison's Disease, which occurs when the glands produce far too little cortisol, and Cushing's Syndrome, which stems from excessive cortisol production. They check adrenal function by testing ACTH levels, using a bell curve to recognize abnormal levels. This is where the problem occurs. ACTH tests only consider the top and bottom 2 percent of the curve abnormal, yet symptoms of adrenal malfunction occur after 15 percent of the mean on both sides of the curve. In other words, your adrenal glands can be functioning 20 percent below the mean and the rest of your body experiencing symptoms of adrenal fatigue, yet most mainstream physicians won't recognize that you have a problem.
Fortunately, there are ways you can test yourself for adrenal fatigue. To start off, go ahead and "check off" the symptoms you have been experiencing.

Symptoms of adrenal fatigue:

• Morning fatigue -- You don't really seem to "wake up" until 10 a.m., even if you've been awake since 7 a.m.
• Afternoon "low" (feelings of sleepiness or clouded thinking) from 2 to 4 p.m.
• Burst of energy at 6 p.m. -- You finally feel better from your afternoon lull.
• Sleepiness at 9 to 10 p.m. -- However, you resist going to sleep.
• "Second wind" at 11 p.m. that lasts until about 1 a.m., when you finally go to sleep.
• Cravings for foods high in salt and fat
• Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
• Mild depression
• Lack of energy
• Decreased ability to handle stress
• Muscular weakness
• Increased allergies
• Lightheadedness when getting up from a sitting or laying down position
• Decreased sex drive
• Frequent sighing
• Inability to handle foods high in potassium or carbohydrates unless they're combined with fats and protein

In addition to noticing these symptoms in yourself, you can objectively check for adrenal fatigue by using the following three tests:

1. Ragland's sign (blood pressure test) -- (Equipment required: Home blood pressure kit) Take your blood pressure while sitting down. Then, stand up and immediately take your blood pressure again. Your systolic (first) number should have raised 8 to 10 mm. If it dropped, you probably have adrenal fatigue.
2. Pupil dilation exam -- (Equipment required: Flashlight and a mirror) Look into the mirror and shine the flashlight into the pupil of one eye. It should contract. If after 30 seconds, it stays the same or, even worse, dilates, you most likely have adrenal fatigue.
3. Pain when pressing on adrenal glands (located over kidneys)

Though the ACTH laboratory exam doesn't effectively test for adrenal fatigue, a salivary cortisol test can. You don't need a prescription for the exam. In fact, you can even buy the test online, do it at home and send in your sample to a lab for the results. Dr. Wilson is very positive about the effectiveness of the salivary cortisol test in diagnosing adrenal fatigue. It is so valid and accepted that Plan B Medicare covers it and "they don't want to cover anything they don't have to," he quips. If you don't have insurance, rest assured that this non-invasive test is also very affordable.

Treatment of adrenal fatigue

"Optimal adrenal health is one of the major keys to the enjoyment of life," according to Dr. Wilson. If you have adrenal fatigue, you can fully live life again by making the necessary lifestyle and dietary changes to treat your disorder.
Treating adrenal fatigue is as easy as:

• Lying down during your work breaks (preferably at 10 a.m. and again anytime from 3 to 5 p.m.)
• Sleeping until 9 a.m. as often as possible
• Laughing
• Exercising
• Minimizing stress
• Taking negative people out of your life
• Eating regular meals
• Chewing well
• Doing something fun each day
• Combining unrefined carbohydrates with protein and oils
• Avoiding junk food
• Eating five to six servings of vegetables each day
• Taking calcium and magnesium supplements
• Adding sea salt to your diet
• Taking 2,000 to 5,000 milligrams of vitamin C each day
• Supplementing vitamin E with mixed tocopherols
• Taking B-complex supplements that are high in B6 and pantothenic acid
• Adding licorice root extract to your dietary supplement regimen

Taking back your life
If you take your treatment plan seriously, you can expect your adrenal fatigue to heal in:

• 6 to 9 months for minor adrenal fatigue
• 12 to 18 months for moderate fatigue
• Up to 24 months for severe adrenal fatigue

For help along the way to taking back your life, you may want to read Dr. Wilson's book, Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome. You can learn more about this informative book or about adrenal fatigue in general by visiting Dr. Wilson's web site, AdrenalFatigue.org, or by calling 1-888-ADRENAL.
Editor's note: This article is not an infomercial. Truth Publishing was not paid to write this article and receives no money from your purchase of the products mentioned here.

NaturalNews.com
April 6, 2006
http://www.naturalnews.com/019339.html

[Samurai]

Thanks so much for posting this. Conventional medicine barely recognizes this. God help us when Pfizer recognizes this as another selling opportunity.... after all, I read that 75% of the world's population suffers from adrenal fatigue.
I am going to be posting my new results in a couple of weeks, and I hope that you guys are able to help me with the interpretations.
In May, I was in Zone 5. So, I am curious as to where I am 6 months later....

[Islander]

Sam, this post led me to question my own status. For two years after retiring, I have had the same energy fluctuations and bizarre sleep patterns, and adrenal fatigue seems to be the only condition that will cause this. I've requested the salivary panel and am waiting for it to arrive so I can test. Oddly, in the meantime, and unknowingly, I've been following most of the recommendations - but no actual Tx. Interested to hear from you!

[Maurya]

Interesting that I can see myself in this "adrenal fatigue" picture. My question for each of you who have posted on this topic thus far is as follows: When left to my own devices, I normally have followed most of the advice given; however, as I am not yet retired from working, my alarm clock goes off at 5 am to 6 am, depending on the client's requirements. Needless to say, this leaves me trashed for the day. In my job they actually do expect me to think! The physical demands of the job probably would be easy for me, if I just could set my own working hours, involving getting up at 9 am, but this is not to be. These guys begin work at 5 am or 6 am in some cases, so they all think that I am arriving extremely late as it is. I have found the herbs Rhodiola and Holy Basil to be somewhat useful, but definitely not to be the complete answer. As I am reading this, it sounds very peculiar, as though I am unable to comply with ordinary job demands, but the list of "adrenal fatigue" symptoms really fit in with my observations. So I guess I am trying to reopen this line of inquiry to find out if anyone has a solution for this unfortunate collision between my individual biology and the demands of the "real world". Thanks to all.

[Islander]

Maurya, here in Maine everything starts early (farming culture) and for years I was a 9 to 5 girl in reverse: up at 5, in bed by 9. In the 5 years prior to retirement I was working an extremely high stress job (in a locked secure facility for teen felons and mental patients, many of them homicidal and assaultive). Upon retirement I had all the symptoms of adrenal fatigue, though I didn't self-diagnose until I saw the above article a year later. I was able to sleep late, mostly as a result of the insomnia. I can't think what else to recommend given the demands of your job, other than to follow the protocol and try to get a full 8-9 hours of sleep. It's not uncommon here for folks to go to bed at 8 p.m. What do you do for work?

[Maurya]

My occupation is as a boiler and pressure vessel inspector. As an example, tomorrow I am scheduled to inspect the boilers in an Alcoa rolling mill. I have done their pressure vessels a few months ago, so I know how to get there (always a plus, that not getting lost stuff). The plant is about an hour and a half away, and they start work at 6:30. The next day I have a plastics plant about two hours or so away, where they start work at 5:00. Whenever I arrange for my arrival, they will be ready for lunch by that time. My social life is zilch, and even my nieces and nephews have no use for an evening that ends at 9 pm. When I was at sea in the Navy, we stood watch at all hours of the day or night, with a few GQ alarms in between. Of course I was a bit younger at that time. What I find to be interesting is why being in bed from 9 pm to 5 am seems to be so unsatisfactory for my body, although being in bed from midnight to 9 am works just fine. I definitely will stay tuned for more information on this topic, wherever I can find it.