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Does anyone here have any information on/experience with adrenal fatigue? I have not been feeling myself since October and ran across the concept of adrenal fatigue while looking into what may be causing my symptoms (severe exhaustion, increased irratiblity, inability to "wake" up during the day, severe headaches).

 

Adrenal fatigue seems rejected as a diagnosis by Western conventional medicine, which makes me very leary of the idea, but it seems to describe my symptoms perfectly. It would be very new for me to venture out into the world of alternative medicine, but I'm thinking of doing so to get some feedback. Also, I am thinking of going on the grain free, sugar free diet recommended by many who suffer from what they believe is adrenal fatigue. It would be a very big change for me, and I'm not sure I would be motivated to stick with it if I keep second-guessing the whole premise.

 

Any stories/info/ideas to share? I am so ready to feel like my old self again!

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I have adrenal issues, maybe I can help a bit. Mine have progressed beyond adrenal fatigue, but had we caught it sooner, it would have helped.

 

Do you have a doc open to doing some testing? You are in my area, if you need help finding someone.

 

We started with traditional labs. Then went to a 24 hour saliva test through Diagnos-Techs. That was enlightening, and we could see clearly that my adrenals were low functioning, and at the wrong times of day, to boot.

 

Addressing adrenal issues has changed my whole world, so definitely pursue it if you think it's an issue.

 

If I can help, just pm me. We are recovering from the flu here, so I hope this is somewhat coherent...

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Does anyone here have any information on/experience with adrenal fatigue? I have not been feeling myself since October and ran across the concept of adrenal fatigue while looking into what may be causing my symptoms (severe exhaustion, increased irratiblity, inability to "wake" up during the day, severe headaches).

 

Adrenal fatigue seems rejected as a diagnosis by Western conventional medicine, which makes me very leary of the idea, but it seems to describe my symptoms perfectly. It would be very new for me to venture out into the world of alternative medicine, but I'm thinking of doing so to get some feedback. Also, I am thinking of going on the grain free, sugar free diet recommended by many who suffer from what they believe is adrenal fatigue. It would be a very big change for me, and I'm not sure I would be motivated to stick with it if I keep second-guessing the whole premise.

 

Any stories/info/ideas to share? I am so ready to feel like my old self again!

 

I just recently posted this article to my coach page ...

 

 

Adrenal fatigue

 

hth

 

BTW, the recommended strategies aren't really "alternative": eat more frequently, limit stimulants, exercise gently, eat well, and stuff like that.

Edited by LG Gone Wild
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I have adrenal issues, maybe I can help a bit. Mine have progressed beyond adrenal fatigue, but had we caught it sooner, it would have helped.

 

Do you have a doc open to doing some testing? You are in my area, if you need help finding someone.

 

We started with traditional labs. Then went to a 24 hour saliva test through Diagnos-Techs. That was enlightening, and we could see clearly that my adrenals were low functioning, and at the wrong times of day, to boot.

 

Addressing adrenal issues has changed my whole world, so definitely pursue it if you think it's an issue.

 

If I can help, just pm me. We are recovering from the flu here, so I hope this is somewhat coherent...

 

 

So do you think you have Addisons' (sp?) disease?

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So do you think you have Addisons' (sp?) disease?

 

I'm diagnosed with Addison's. We suspected adrenal fatigue, and then a bout with pancreatitis sent me into an Addisonian crisis. Scary stuff.

 

But we have tweaked my meds & I'm pretty on target now, per recent testing. I wear my lovely medic alert bracelet, and stress dose when I get sick, in addition to daily meds. In fact, I am on a stress dose now, due to the flu. I'm not at my best today, so hopefully this makes sense.

 

But I suspect that if I had caught the fatigue sooner... Taken some supportive measures, this might not have happened. That's just a suspicion, though.

 

I'm very pro-adrenal health now. :)

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My naturopath thinks I may have adrenal fatigue so I'm taking a vitamin B and C w/adrenal. I've also cut out a ton of carbs and am virtually sugar free (a serious miracle in itself). I can't believe how good I feel.

 

Why don't you try a health food store and see if you can get some supplements? I doubt they could hurt and, in combination with a change in diet, you might see some positive results. If you didn't, you could always try something else.

 

I'm amazed by how easy the changes I've made have been. I got through my PMS week without even knowing it was PMS week and without even one craving for chocolate. That's a serious dietary miracle :)

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I have adrenal fatigue and am currently on medication. I had to do all the work of diagnosing myself, ordering the tests online, and taking the information to our family doctor before he would take me seriously.

 

Right now, my adrenals are not in as good of shape as they have been (in the past), but we have had a lot of extra stress the last eight months. I'm just now getting back on track taking better care of myself.

 

I really like the book below.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Adrenal-Fatigue-Century-Stress-Syndrome/dp/1890572152/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329517849&sr=8-1

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It's interesting that this thread popped up today when I haven't been on here in a while.

 

I suspected I had adrenal stress/fatigue, possible combined with thyroid issues but my doctor wouldn't listen to me. After doing my own research, I decided to go gluten-free and have eliminated all caffeine and most sugar from my diet. My SIL has her Masters in Herbal Medicine and a week and a half ago she came up with an herbal formula for me (based specifically on my body type) to help my adrenal function. While waiting for it to come in the mail, I went to an acupuncturist to help with a back injury, and when she was done her exam of me, she knew right away that I had blockage in my kidneys and adrenal glands. She agreed with everything my SIL ordered for me and even gave me some additional guidelines for things to add to my diet to improve kidney/adrenal functioning. I still have two more treatments, but I am beginning to feel a little better already. And then today, I saw my midwife for my yearly. She agreed with the acupuncturist and my SIL and she even filled out a script for some lab work to see if the thyroid is contributing at all (since my regular doc wouldn't).

 

So to the OP, don't be afraid to explore other holistic options. Make the dietary changes and see if it helps at all. I hope you get some answer soon, since I understand completely how you feel.

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Here's lots and lots of info that I have.

 

In adrenal fatigue, your body overproduces adrenaline, cortisol and other stress hormones. Eventually, this causes your adrenal glands--your front line stress defense--to become depleted.

 

SYMPTOMS

• Absentmindedness

• Severe Allergies

• Asthma

• Stubborn Belly Fat

• Increased blood pressure and cholesterol

• Unstable blood sugar levels

• Chocolate Cravings

• Chronic Colds

• Unstable moods, depression, and anxiety

• Constant Fatigue

• Hair Loss

• Hormone imbalance

• Chronic Illness

• Impaired immune function and less resistance to infections

• Insomnia

• Irritability

• Panic Attacks

• PMS

• Salt Cravings

• Decreased Sex Drive

• Long Sinus Infections

• Unclear Thinking

• Weight gain

 

May need a salivary cortisol test

 

To test whether your adrenals are overwhelmed, you’ll need a dark room, a mirror, and a flashlight.

In a dark room, face the mirror.

Turn on flashlight and hold it at your temple so the beam passes over your eyes. Your pupils will contract.

Leaving the flashlight on, observe your pupils in the mirror for 2 minutes. If your adrenals are healthy, the pupils will remain tiny.

If your pupils dilate at any point during the 2-minute exposure to light, it means that your adrenals are exhausted.

 

CAUSES

Too much cumulative stress

Adrenal Fatigue is the result of living with a constantly aroused sympathetic nervous system--living in a perpetual state of "fight or flight."

 

Poor diet

 

Perimenopausal Hormonal Shifts

 

Copper –zinc imbalance affects the adrenals and the liver. Zinc is needed for the production of adrenal cortical hormones, so if zinc levels are low or copper is high, production of these hormones diminishes. The adrenals then aren’t able to rise to the challenge of stressful situations and give the body the get-up-and-go it needs.

The recommended daily copper allowance for adults is 2 milligrams – the amount already provided in most multis. Compound that with what you’re getting from copper-rich foods: tea contains about 5 milligrams of copper per 100 grams and cocoa powder is not far behind at about 4 milligrams per 100 grams. You can see how easily your copper intake can build up in the body and interfere with the actions of your hormones and other nutrients. Try to get a copper-free multivitamin.

 

BOOK

“Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome†by James L. Wilson

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NUTRITION

High-quality animal protein

Heart-healthy fats – Omega3s

5-6 servings of vegetables a day

Sea Salt

Complex Carbohydrates

Lightly cooked or raw protein whenever possible to preserve amino acids and naturally occurring enzymes needed to digest food – such as sashimi, eggs, plain yogurt, sushi, goat’s milk and cheese, whey protein, legumes combined with whole grains, seeds or nuts

Licorice Tea

Seaweeds – nori, wakame, kombu, hijiki

Naturally fermented miso without MSG

Sprouts

Soy Sauce without MSG

Carob

Ginger

Beans combined with whole grains

Organic Meats – like lamb, wild meats like venison

Alaskan Salmon

Bone broths with vinegar added

Red and Orange Vegetables

Almond Oil

Coconut Oil

Palm Oil

Olive Oil

Add a vegetable to your eggs at breakfast: sautéed spinach, mushrooms, or sliced tomatoes

Spinach

Red Pepper

Yellow and Butternut Squash

Beets

Carrots

Millet

Brown Rice

Quinoa

Papaya

Mango

Plums

Pears

Kiwi

Apples

Cherries

Black Licorice Tea has adrenal-rejuvenating properties – Traditional Medicinals Organic Licorice Root Tea – only have 2 well-brewed cups every other day since licorice can cause a fatigue-inducing potassium imbalance. After 6 weeks, take a 5-day break before repeating the regimen. 1-3 cycles of this helps most women. Do not consume if you’re pregnant or have high blood pressure.

Eat as much fresh, organic raw food as possible (at least one third of your intake), particularly vegetables.

 

Drink plenty of pure, filtered water every day.

 

LIMIT OR AVOID

Coffee and Black Tea (including decaf)

Juice

Sugar

Alcoholic Beverages

Deep-Fried Foods

Rancid Oils, Seeds, and Nuts

Soda, including diet soda

Processed Meats and Cheeses

Chocolate

White Flour in Breads, Cakes, Pies, Cookies, and Pasta

Cow’s Milk

Artificial Sweeteners and Ingredients

Fast Food

Junk Food

White Rice

Eliminate processed food, junk food, soda, sweetened drinks, sports/energy drinks, and all artificial sweeteners from your diet.

Radically reduce your sugar consumption, and stay away from products containing high concentrations of fructose, such as high fructose corn syrup.

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SUPPLEMENTS

Vitamin C is probably the most important vitamin for adrenal function – found in sprouts, green leafy veggies, tomatoes, red peppers, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and strawberries

 

Magnesium – sea vegetables, nuts, brown sesame seeds, whole wheat (if tolerated), brown rice, peas, beans

The most absorbable forms are magnesium citrate, glycinate taurate, or aspartate, although magnesium bound to Kreb cycle chelates (malate, succinate, fumarate) are also good.

Avoid magnesium carbonate, oxide, sulfate, and gluconate. They are poorly absorbed (and the cheapest and most common forms found in supplements).

Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea, which can be avoided if you switch to magnesium glycinate.

 

B Vitamins – The most important ones are B5 (pantothenic acid) and B6 – whole grains, brewer’s yeast, egg yolks, miso, avocado, liver, soybeans, lentils

 

Calcium – sesame seeds, beans, nuts, collards, kale, broccoli, parsley, sea vegetables, goat’s milk

 

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

When you eat is critical. Don't skip meals.

Have breakfast before 10 AM

Eat lunch around 11 AM

Snack around 2 PM

Have dinner no later than 6 PM

Few bites of a snack at bedtime

 

Regular aerobic exercise and strength training can burn off excess adrenal hormones. But don’t overdo – more than 1 hour, 5 days a week, can overstress your adrenals.

Yoga also helps.

 

Meditation, biofeedback, or take a 15-minute time-out every day to reduce adrenal stress. Make sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night to keep your stress hormones in check.

 

You must find a way to recharge. There are many ways to unplug from your busy routine. But the most elemental requirement for recharging your battery is addressing your body's basic needs for sleep, exercise and nutrition--because without addressing those, your body won't be able to reboot, regardless of how many breaks you take from your routine.

 

If you feel tired when you first wake up, you probably aren't getting sufficient sleep. It's best to observe how you feel immediately upon waking rather than after you're up and moving around.

 

Be sure your exercise routine contains the four principle components--aerobic (cardio), anaerobic (interval), strength training, and core exercises. Variety is key.

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IODINE

More than 90% of us are low in iodine and adrenal fatigue is often linked to an iodine deficiency.

Today's environment makes it almost impossible to get the amount of iodine you need.

1. There's very little iodine in the soil. So unless you're eating a ton of iodine-rich foods like kelp, seaweed and shellfish, you're not going to get much iodine from your diet.

2. Many salt companies have stopped adding iodine to table salt.

3. Food manufacturers have stopped using iodine in baked goods and are using bromine instead. Bromine (a halogen) competes with iodine to get into your cells. So the more bromine you consume, the less iodine you get. Unfortunately, many foods today (primarily baked goods) are loaded with bromine.

4. Our water supply contains chlorine and fluoride, both of which are halogens. Again, halogens compete with iodine to get into your cells.

And you can't avoid chlorine and fluoride simply by drinking filtered water. That's because you get a hefty dose any time you bathe, shower, soak in a hot tub, or swim in a swimming pool.

5. Most conventional doctors never test for iodine deficiency. They figure there's no need to test iodine levels when they can just test your thyroid function instead. The problem with this is that the most widely used thyroid test, the TSH, is wildly inaccurate. Reason: While the TSH measures thyroid hormone, it can't tell the difference between active thyroid hormone with iodine and de-activated thyroid hormone with bromine or chlorine or fluorine. So the test shows you have plenty of thyroid hormone. But most of the thyroid hormone isn't doing its job!

 

CORRECTING AN IODINE DEFICIENCY:

I think it was Dr. Nan Fuchs who wrote: “I've had women come into my office who look like the poster child for underactive thyroid. They're overweight, they're losing their hair and eyebrows, their skin is dry, and they tell me they feel cold all the time. Yet when their doctor gave them a thyroid test, it came back normal!

When I put these women on iodine supplementation, their conditions improve dramatically. Their skin improves, they stop losing their hair, and they finally lose that excess weight — and keep it off.â€

 

The RDA for iodine is 150 mcg. This amount was set based on the amount needed to prevent goiter. This amount will prevent goiter but it will not prevent other serious diseases and symptoms connected to an iodine deficiency.

The average consumption of iodine from seaweed by the mainland Japanese is nearly 14 mg. They have some of the lowest incidence of iodine-deficiency diseases like goiter, hypothyroidism, and cancers of the reproductive system (breast, ovaries, and uterus).

 

Increase your intake with mineral-rich sea vegetables (agar, hijiki, kombu, nori, and wakame) at least twice a week. You can eat as much seaweed as you want. Brown seaweeds are highest in iodine. They include all forms of kelp. Fucus, also known as Bladderwrack, is considered to be the best for underactive thyroids. Hijiki and Sargassum are two other forms of brown seaweeds. Red seaweeds include dulse, nori, Irish moss, and Gracillaria.

Since toasting doesn’t affect seaweed’s iodine content, you can eat it dried or dried and toasted. Toast some in the oven or in a dry frying pan to see if you prefer that taste. You can also powdered seaweed to your food or add larger pieces of seaweed to soups, grains, or vegetables. Seaweed should be an enjoyable addition to your diet, not an unpleasant experience. If you simply don’t like its taste, you can get it in capsules.

Use 5-10 grams of mixed brown and red seaweed for thyroid problems. This is about 1 ½ teaspoons per day. If you’ve been told that your thyroid is borderline-low, eating seaweed makes sense. But remember, you need to eat seaweed every day or take iodine in a different form.

Not all seaweeds are safe to eat. Some come from polluted waters.

Be more cautious and talk to a naturopath if you’re on thyroid meds and want to try seaweed.

 

Use iodine-rich Seaweed Gomasio to season your food.

 

Instead of using seaweed to boost your iodine levels, you might consider taking an iodine supplement. Iodoral is a very good one. I get mine from amazon and love it. :)

You may need 1 to 4 tablets of Iodoral, a combination of 5 mg of iodine and 7.5 mg of potassium iodide. Additional research finds that vitamin C improves the transport of iodine in the body, so it may be best to take Iodoral with Vitamin C.

Studies show that women who weigh about 110 pounds need at least 5 mg of iodine a day for normal breast function. If you’re heavier, you may need more.

Start off slowly over a 4 week period.

Take 1 pill for 30 days

Then 2 pills for 30 days

Then maybe 3 for 30 days

Then 1 in morning and 1 in evening for 30 days

Can then go back to taking 1 or 2 a day to maintain

Your body will know....listen to it...

One Iodoral tablet provides 12.5 milligrams of iodine/iodide which is about the amount the average Japanese consumed in 1964 in their everyday diet.

Iodoral is the best way to get the recommended amount of iodine.

When we take 50 mg of iodine/iodide a day, it acts as an adaptogen, regulating various body functions.

 

Substances that interfere with iodine

Chlorine – present in most city water supplies – unless you de-chlorinate your water, you are being exposed to thyroid-lowering gases whenever you bathe, shower, or have a drink of water.

 

Fluorine

 

Bromide or Bromine – found in some pesticides – try to eat organic whenever possible

Bromide is even used in some asthma drugs

Mountain Dew, Fresca, and orange Gatorade all contain bromide in the form of brominated vegetable oils. Drinking beverages with bromide causes low thyroid function in some people.

 

These toxins are in our water, hot tubs, non-organic foods, and some soft drinks.

If you don’t have enough iodine, chances are you have too much fluoride and bromide. Sufficient iodine pulls these toxins out of your body.

 

Aspirin, blood thinner meds, and steroids can result in iodine deficiency thyroid problems. If you’re taking these, ask your doctor to check your thyroid function.

 

Our cortisol levels tend to be highest in the morning. If you’re stressed, morning is the best time for you to use two stress-reducing techniques: meditation and exercise. But don’t push yourself and over-exercise. This perpetuates your stress cycle. Walking, swimming, biking, low-impact aerobics, gardening, and dancing are easier on your adrenal glands than running. If you’re too tired to exercise, don’t do much. Listen to your body and take a 10-minute walk instead of a longer more strenuous workout. Mild to moderate exercise from 4-6 times a week will help lower your cortisol. And it takes only 10-30 minutes of prayer or meditation to help break the stress cycle.

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Thanks! I was curious and am looking into those products now myself. :001_smile:

 

And apparently I need to exercise. :tongue_smilie:

 

Oddly, I need to reduce my exercise or rather plan it out better.

 

Yes you need to exercise - some. But as LG said, you need to watch how much you exercise. Excercise can relax the body but it can also be a stressor.

 

I've had troubles with my adrenals for some time now. When I had my cortisol levels checked, I had two different doctors say "How do you get up in the morning? You have absolutely no cortisol!" My answer is that sheer will power can do the trick even if it is really really hard.

 

I eat 6 small meals a day. I try (but do not always succeed) at having veggies at each one of those meals. I avoid fruits and other sugars. The goal is to keep my blood sugar even without any spikes or dips because that is stressful for the body.

 

I've had other things checked too and it has helped me to address a vitamin D deficiency and low thyroid problems. Deficiencies can obviously be stressful on the body too.

 

I second the book recommendation above.

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Yes you need to exercise - some. But as LG said, you need to watch how much you exercise. Excercise can relax the body but it can also be a stressor.

 

I've had troubles with my adrenals for some time now. When I had my cortisol levels checked, I had two different doctors say "How do you get up in the morning? You have absolutely no cortisol!" My answer is that sheer will power can do the trick even if it is really really hard.

 

I eat 6 small meals a day. I try (but do not always succeed) at having veggies at each one of those meals. I avoid fruits and other sugars. The goal is to keep my blood sugar even without any spikes or dips because that is stressful for the body.

 

I've had other things checked too and it has helped me to address a vitamin D deficiency and low thyroid problems. Deficiencies can obviously be stressful on the body too.

 

I second the book recommendation above.

 

You have some will power! Thanks for sharing.

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  • 3 months later...

Sorry for the old bump! I just had a bunch of bloodwork done because of my hypotension and hypoglycemia. The doc is thinking Addison's or some other cortisol related issue. I have the intense salt cravings, fatigue, but also joint pain. No idea right now until we get the results back-he did a cortisol workup, full thyroid screening, and insulin levels. Any idea what is safe to do for this while breastfeeding? I already do yoga and some exercise when I can. I eat gluten free but need to kick the sugar to the curb (I try!).

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Sorry for the old bump! I just had a bunch of bloodwork done because of my hypotension and hypoglycemia. The doc is thinking Addison's or some other cortisol related issue. I have the intense salt cravings, fatigue, but also joint pain. No idea right now until we get the results back-he did a cortisol workup, full thyroid screening, and insulin levels. Any idea what is safe to do for this while breastfeeding? I already do yoga and some exercise when I can. I eat gluten free but need to kick the sugar to the curb (I try!).

 

I have adrenal problems and fibromyalgia. I've been adding electrolytes lately to some of my water and it has helped me a lot. I use a sugar free powder called Ultima Replenisher.

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Sorry for the old bump! I just had a bunch of bloodwork done because of my hypotension and hypoglycemia. The doc is thinking Addison's or some other cortisol related issue. I have the intense salt cravings, fatigue, but also joint pain. No idea right now until we get the results back-he did a cortisol workup, full thyroid screening, and insulin levels. Any idea what is safe to do for this while breastfeeding? I already do yoga and some exercise when I can. I eat gluten free but need to kick the sugar to the curb (I try!).

 

Kyo-green helps me. It helps with lack of energy and just helps a person feel better overall. I think it would be safe when breastfeeding.

http://www.amazon.com/Wakunaga-America-Company-Kyo-Green-Tablets/dp/B00012NJ78/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1339258307&sr=8-2

 

Are you going to a doctor who specializes in hormones? Many doctors don't "get it" that the numbers called acceptable are not right for many of us.

 

Find a compounding pharmacy and ask for a list of doctors who use bio-identical hormones. Then check out their websites. Those doctors are more likely to be able to help with this problem.

 

:grouphug:

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