5 Things You Should Know About Adrenal Fatigue

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By Daisy Luther

Adrenal Fatigue is one of those misunderstood sets of symptoms that is denied by the mainstream medical system. Although definitive laboratory tests actually do exist for it, many physicians wait until the adrenal glands are in complete failure before treating a patient who is suffering from it.

And “suffering” is the perfect word for it.

How do I know this? Because I’ve been fighting this debilitating condition for the past three years.

What exactly is Adrenal Fatigue?


Adrenal Fatigue is more formally known as HPA Axis Dysfunction.

The HPA axis is the relationship between the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands.

  • Hypothalamus: This is the part of the brain that sends signals to the organs in your body
  • Pituitary Gland: This tiny gland receives signals from the hypothalamus and produces essential hormones like growth hormone and luteinizing hormone.
  • Adrenal Glands: These two glands produce more essential hormones: cortisol, adrenaline, DHEA, and dopamine. The adrenal glands produce your “fight or flight reaction.”

But when these things don’t communicate correctly, that’s when you can run into Adrenal Fatigue.

Fawne Hansen, a wellness coach who specializes in chronic stress and Adrenal Fatigue explains:

We begin with the stressor. That could be a moment of imminent physical danger, or it could be simply thinking about a public speaking engagement next week. Whichever it is, the reaction from your body is pretty much the same.

Next, your hypothalamus releases corticotrophin-releasing hormone, which sends a message to the pituitary. This stimulates the pituitary’s ACTH production, which then prompts your adrenals to make cortisol. Among other things, cortisol raises the sugar in your bloodstream and prepares your body for the high-energy ‘fight-or-flight’ response that it is anticipating. Your adrenals also release adrenaline, which raises your heart rate and increases your blood pressure.

These interactions continue until your hormones reach the levels that your body needs, and then a series of chemical reactions begins to switch them off. For example the cortisol released by the adrenals actually inhibits the hypothalamus and pituitary (so they stop sending signals to produce more cortisol!). This is just one of the automatic switches that we call negative feedback loops, and these loops are one reason why the HPA axis is so extraordinary.

So what happens when you have severe adrenal fatigue? Well, those signals might still get sent from the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland, and from the pituitary gland to the adrenal glands. But when the message reaches your adrenals, nothing happens. The adrenal glands have become so depleted that they are unable to release or produce the hormones that you need to react to a stressful situation.

In fact, our body constantly needs the hormones that the adrenal glands produce. When they become this worn out, we find that many of our hormone levels begin to drop. Other parts of the endocrine system attempt to compensate for the weakened adrenals, but that only leads to lower hormone and neurotransmitter levels elsewhere. Soon, we start to feel constantly tired and lethargic, and exhibit the typical symptoms of adrenal fatigue. (source)

What are the symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue?


With all of the different hormones involved in this, as you can imagine, there are a vast number of symptoms. But the primary symptom is debilitating exhaustion.

It is an exhaustion so profound that a trip to the bathroom can feel like a marathon through the Sahara. It is an exhaustion that is unrelieved by sleep or rest. It is an exhaustion that, if you “push through it,” lands you in bed for a week after over-exerting yourself.

If you have been pregnant, you may recall the extreme fatigue you felt during certain parts of your pregnancy that forced you to rest because you just couldn’t keep going. Your body just said, “No more” so you rested and then you felt better.

Now, imagine feeling that extreme fatigue relentlessly for years.

That is Adrenal Fatigue.

But there are many other symptoms. Dr. Mercola writes:

  • Fatigue and weakness, especially in the morning and afternoon
  • A suppressed immune system
  • Increased allergies
  • Muscle and bone loss and muscular weakness
  • Depression
  • Cravings for foods high in salt, sugar or fat
  • Hormonal imbalance
  • Skin problems
  • Autoimmune disorders
  • Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
  • Low sex drive
  • Lightheadedness when getting up from sitting or lying down
  • Decreased ability to handle stress
  • Trouble waking up in the morning, despite a full night’s sleep
  • Poor memory

Additionally, people with adrenal fatigue often get a burst of energy around 6 p.m., followed by sleepiness at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m., which is often resisted. A “second wind” at 11 p.m. is then common, which often may keep you from falling asleep until 1 a.m.

Further, those with adrenal fatigue often also have abnormal blood sugar levels and mental disturbances, such as increased fears and anxiety, and rely on coffee, soda and other forms of caffeine to keep them going. (source)

Other symptoms that have been reported are:

  • Increased sensitivity to certain foods
  • Inflammation
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Excruciating joint pain
  • Insomnia
  • Intolerance to physical exertion
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight gain despite low caloric intake
  • “Brain fog”
  • Waking up in the middle of the night with the “fight or flight” reaction despite a lack of stressors
  • Anxiety
  • Consistently low body temperature

In short, it’s completely debilitating and life-altering.

What causes Adrenal Fatigue?


According to many experts, long-term stress, even if it is low-level, can cause adrenal fatigue to begin. People who tend to keep their stress all inside and power through can be more likely to suffer from adrenal fatigue than those who let it out more.

First, you need to understand the action of stress on your body. This is, for most, a normal reaction that shuts off when the danger has passed:

Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain’s use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues.

Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or detrimental in a fight-or-flight situation. It alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes. This complex natural alarm system also communicates with regions of your brain that control mood, motivation and fear. (source)

For someone with adrenal fatigue, this is a constant state over a long period of time, however. It wreaks havoc on the body because those functions that are non-essential in a brief emergency are very essential over a period of time.

There are 4 stages to Adrenal Fatigue, as it is a progressive condition. This infographic comes from the very informative website of Dr. Michael Lam, a physician who specializes in AF.

A chart showing the typical progression of Adrenal Fatigue

This article breaks down the stages in great detail. The more advance your progression, the longer it can take to fully recover.

How do you get treatment for Adrenal Fatigue?


There is a medical test for Adrenal Fatigue called a salivary cortisol test. Most Adrenal Fatigue experts agree that no other method of testing is considered accurate.

You can request this from your doctor, or, if your doctor is one who disregards Adrenal Fatigue, you can order it yourself right here. Saliva samples are taken at 4 specific times throughout the day to measure your cortisol levels. Cortisol should peak in the morning then taper off toward the evening. The results of this test are fairly easy to understand, but a holistic physician can help you create a treatment plan should you discover that you have an issue with your cortisol levels.

It’s important to note that you must know if your cortisol levels are too low or too high in order to determine treatment. In earlier stages of the condition, cortisol is far too high, which is what is causing insomnia and other symptoms. Later on, your body isn’t producing enough cortisol to maintain your energy.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment. You could require a solution that calms the production of cortisol or one that replaces the cortisol that is missing. Don’t just start taking supplements that are labeled “adrenal health” – you may be treating the wrong end of the illness and if so, you’ll make yourself worse.

As well, don’t just guess. You may have adrenal fatigue but you may also have another serious condition. You should have a full physical with a trusted doctor to rule out other causes for your symptoms.

There is a lot of advice on the internet that is extremely unreliable. When I was searching for answers myself, I found so many conflicting treatments that I had no idea which way to turn.

These are some websites I strongly recommend if you think you may be suffering from Adrenal Fatigue:

Luckily, the MD that was our doctor in California had holistic leanings, as does our MD here in Virginia. They prescribed both traditional medications and natural supplements to help manage the condition. However, the real healing began when I started working with a Registered Holistic Nutritionist.

Not everyone is so lucky with their medical care, unfortunately.

Can your doctor diagnose Adrenal Fatigue?


Sadly, you may not be able to expect much from a conventional physician. Often, a sufferer will be treated for a mental illness, like depression or anxiety, while the underlying cause is ignored. Testable symptoms, like hypothyroid or hypoglycemia, may also be treated, but again, until the underlying cause is addressed, a full recovery won’t happen.

Many doctors dismiss Adrenal Fatigue as something that doesn’t exist. They deny the existence of the malfunction until it reaches the stage of nearly complete adrenal failure, Addison’s Disease. This is a life-threatening condition that requires hormone supplementation for the rest of your life.

Perhaps that is because simply throwing medication at the problem doesn’t work. It is a complex issue that can take years for recovery. This article from Fox News and this one from the Washington Post are perfect examples of the medical system that denies Adrenal Fatigue exists.

Just for a quick comparison, it was only this year that the medical community finally admitted that Chronic Lyme Disease exists and that former treatment protocols were completely inadequate. And last year, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome finally gained recognition by the medical community. Sufferers of fibromyalgia dealt with the same denial for many years.

Perhaps it’s merely a coincidence that these mysterious conditions don’t really get recognized until there is money in it for Big Pharma.

Here’s my own adrenal fatigue story. It was not an easy one to write because this has been absolutely brutal, but I wanted to share with you how I began to heal from this condition. Maybe my journey will help you find your own answers.

Picture of Daisy Luther

Daisy Luther

Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites.  1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, 2)  The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived, and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. She is widely republished across alternative media and  Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses. You can find her on FacebookPinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter.

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  • I’m with you on this one, sister! I started this journey about 7 years ago when I felt like a spring unwinding and had ZERO energy. Walking across the room was a major ordeal. It took me 2 days just to unload the dishwasher. My weight plummeted because I couldn’t get to the kitchen to feed myself. The natural doctor put me on thyroid meds and natural hormones. Just recently I started to eat paleo, and now feel normal! The energy is back (though I have a few “off” days, but they are getting rarer) and can function throughout the day. It feels good to feel good!

  • How can you tell the difference between chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and adrenal fatigue? The symptoms are so very much alike?

    • I have no personal experience with the first two, but what differentiates adrenal fatigue is the cortisol involvement. That is why the saliva test is essential.

  • Daisy – I have been on a low level of a cortisone steroid for over three years, for severe allergies and for back and neck injuries. I feel certain I am suffering now from adrenal fatigue. Have just about all the symptoms. And, yes, not only do the doctors deny it, but they keep wanting me to take more and more steroids. I do have very serious allergies and just had more CT scans and MRIs that show seriously pinched nerves in my neck. And I have developed scoliosis so severe that I can no longer stand completely upright, so I do have LOTS of joint and muscle pain. The last two doctors I saw wanted to give me injections of long acting steroids and got pretty upset with me when I declined. For one thing, they make me meaner than a bear with a sore tail, to the point even I cannot stand to be around myself. I have noticed that the skin, particularly on the forearms has gotten terribly thin, and the slightest brush against almost anything will tear the skin and cause copious bleeding or it will bleed below the skin, leaving huge bruises. My hair has gotten incredibly thin and is falling out in droves. I have noticed of late that my hypoglycemia, which I’ve had most of my life, seems to have gotten much worse, with me starting to feel really sick if I’m late eating or have to skip a meal for some reason or another. Last night I was late eating and felt like I was going to pass out. I once actually went into cardiac arrest when I had been depressed and had not eaten for over 24 hours. Luckily I was in the hospital and able to get help as I passed out. Although I was unable to see or talk or respond in any way, I was very able to hear them clearly call for the crash cart since I had no diastolic blood pressure.
    The doctor I saw a couple days ago said I really needed surgery and that anything else, at this point, was a bandage approach. But she told me that she knew my insurance, Medicare, would demand I try steroid injections first. And she wanted to put me on narcotic pain medicine, which I declined. I just honestly do not think that pumping more steroids into my system at this point will do much to improve things, and would be more likely to make them worse. Although they did give me a run with Medrol dose pack, and for a couple days my right arm was almost pain free to the point I could actually use it without unbelievable pain. I already have plates and screws in the neck, and she said that they could tell just from my complaints where the damaged disks were and that the CT scan showed that the problem is right under the existing plates and screws.
    If I agree to the surgery, my landlords have already told me they would NOT take care of my pets, five of which I have gotten from them. I have 10 dogs and two cats, five of the dogs and both cats adopted since I moved here, one purchased from them, three other dogs and both cats are their rejects that I agreed to take in. The other five dogs are all over 10 years old and were adopted when I volunteered at an animal shelter since they were considered unadoptable due to prior abuse with subsequent aggression problems. I worry they current landlords might actually have them put down even if I’m just going to be in the hospital a few days. They have specifically told me they will not come over to the house to feed them for me. That is, quite honestly, more of a concern to me than any other aspect of my own health.
    If I make it another month, I will hit 70 years old in exactly one month from today. My blood pressure is up, my feet are suddenly quite swollen, and I am having other symptoms of the adrenal fatigue you describe. I’m pretty much at a loss. I live way out in the sticks. You cannot find any decent doctors out here, let along nutritionists. You have to go all the way into the big city, over 100 miles away, to get any sort of real medical care. I was paying a young man to drive me down there, and when he took me down Monday, his car crapped out while we were down there and he cannot afford to get it repaired, so I had to call my landlords who came and got me, but really were not all that happy about it. I honestly do not know how I will get back down there. I can drive small distances, but with the pinched nerves in the neck, cannot stand the pain of driving that far.
    Oh, and doing the grocery store – I try to only go once a month. Several times by the time I have been ready to check out I have been so exhausted the poor kids at the checkstand were sure I was having a heart attack and were totally freaked out. I kept telling them it was just pain and the sooner they got me checked out and I could sit down the better off we would all be. I think it was precious of them to be so concerned, but that is how exhausted I get and how much pain I am in by the time I finish the one grocery store trip. I now have to use a cane, and when I’m shopping use the shopping cart as a walker of sorts.
    Anyhow, enough whining. Just wanted to let you know I do know where you are/were at, and am wanting to try to find some of the solutions you have engaged. Would really be nice to turn some of this around, if it is not already too late.

    • Gena ~

      I can completely empathize with your worry over your pets. One thing that you might consider is a consultation via Skype. More and more osteopathic doctors are doing consultations this way for people in your situation. You may want to be certain that the physician with whom you consult is an MD as well as a naturopath or osteopath, particularly with the other health issues you are having. A couple of the websites I mentioned in my previous article on Adrenal Fatigue do consultations. It isn’t cheap. We’re totally on our own with regard to this type of thing. My nutritionist was an internet consult because I couldn’t find one locally who had much knowledge on Adrenal Fatigue.

      I wish you the very best. It IS possible to turn things around. Hopefully some of the steps that helped me will also help you.

      Daisy

      • Daisy,

        Thank you so much for taking the brave step of sharing your struggle with adrenal fatigue. I related to EVERY WORD of your post. I am also very independent, Type A, and terribly frustrated by symptoms that are completely incompatible with how I want to function in daily life much less when the SHTF!! Oh my goodness it is such a relief to see that I am not crazy, lazy, or just aging at a ridiculous speed. It is an even greater relief to think I might be able to heal and feel better. I just purchased the saliva test and the food sensitivities test (yikes that was expensive!). Worth it though if I can find some relief and healing. Anyway– I am pretty confident those tests will just confirm what I already know. I would like to find helpful doctors/nutritionists and am also located in Virginia. How do I go about finding qualified practitioners? Are you comfortable sharing who you use?

  • I just learned of a free online seminar that might be of interest to you and others regarding immune health, thyroid, pandemic preparedness, etc. I thought I would share the link if anyone was interested. Feel free to not post if this was inappropriate for the comments — I won’t be offended. 🙂 And I have no personal connection whatsoever to this seminar. . . just wanted to share. http://immunedefensesummit.com

  • Daisy, welcome to Virginia. I enjoy reading your experiences and information about organic food – they are so similar to what a lot of people are dealing with, me included. My mom reads Lew Rockwell and called me today to tell me about you. We are waking up! Something is not right here and people are noticing.

    There is an epidemic of chronic illness/autoimmunity/autism/neurological issues out there right NOW as a result of mercury poisoning. This includes toxins from mom and her amalgam fillings to baby, vaccines, and amalgams being placed in mouths for cavities.. not to mention mercury in new “green’ swirly light bulbs. The effect of mercury is being exacerbated by chemicals in our foods. All of the autoimmune diseases I see discussed here are caused by mercury – and there is a cure, chelation. Of course eating better food, taking good care of bodies, and supplementing helps a great deal! Andy has the only safe method, please be careful when talking to any doctor about chelation. There is a facebook group dedicated to Andy and his protocol and it is safest to research there, first. If you are experiencing anything like this I strongly recommend to look into Andy Cutler – he saved my life and continues to save many others. My body stopped working right after I had a silver filling placed and now I am chronically ill. Unfortunately Andy passed July 29th and is no longer with us. There is much to learn on the underground railroad of healthcare – the internet!

    Please save your children and save your bodies from the poison placed in our organs! I am still chronically ill and I have a long way to go. It is a very slow process. I would never wish this ongoing illness upon any one, even my own worst enemy. I have had to move back in with my parents at age 27 in order to recover.

    Health and wellness to every one. Please look into Andy Cutler if it is the last thing you do! We don’t deserve this suffering!

    Jess

    • Sorry Jess, but mercury doesn’t work that way.

      Mercury is a bioaccumulative metal, meaning that taking small amounts will build up in your system, eventually causing brain damage and even death. I know of no current safe way to remove mercury from your body, as it is too dense for your body to flush out normally.

      It is most likely that the increase in allergies, obesity etc. is linked to poor diet and not enough exposure to the allergen. You can overcome an allergen by building up a resistance to it (like with some poisons) and you can cut processed foods, especially sugar and artificial colours and flavourings, to help increase health and reduce obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other such lifestyle related diseases.

      So, mercury either isn’t the problem or is not able to be fixed anyway. Sorry. ????

    • Cilantro pesto is a heavy metal detoxer — yeah, cilantro tastes like soap to some people & it ‘goes bad’ very quickly – but try it anyway ! When you buy it don’t wait to use it ! clean it & make it right then–otherwise most will turn to mush – its not like parsley. which is much sturdier. Both of these ‘herbs’ are easy to grow & picking only encourages them to grow more !

      This is basicly a pesto recipe & I don’t measure all things so you will be on your own there –
      not scientific but I wouldn’t go into the kitchen if I had to measure Everything —

      A bunch Cilantro , stems ok, too
      olive oil / lemon juice, fresh best, but use what ya got
      GARLIC cloves-
      a cup or so of nuts, cashews my fav, but sunnies are nice also —
      pinenuts, eh–walnuts strong flavored but they all work — go for the nutrition ! I rinse/soak a few minutes to clean them.

      pestos use cheese but that slows digestion & goos up your ‘works’ some — here we are working to cleanse out something so
      ‘fast acting’ is the goal. I use nutritional yeast to get the flavor w/a little sea salt or tamari (soy sauce has wheat in it)

      put first three ingreds in a food processer & pulse to chop it up –I cover the bottom of the bowl w/ oil & prob use 1/4 or more cup lemon juice–
      add garlic & nutri yeast & pulse – now you’ll want to adjust/add more oil for the nuts you are adding –
      pulse up-add nutri yeast & adjust more – taste for more lemon/salt. & blend to your likeness of smoothness.

      I use up to 1/2 parsley w/this to tone down the cilantro flavor — parsley is a veggie in my cooking –SO many nutrients !

      Use this as a dip for veggies & apples – I’ve heard that 3 tbs a day is minimum for getting metals to ‘migrate’ out – This is the important part ! make sure your doing your ‘number 2’ !! that’s how it will flush out = bowel movements.

      I love the stuff so have no problem eating that much — I like it on toast w/a slice of tomato (summer) for breakfast. I also ‘spiral’
      zukes & yellow squash & use the pesto for the sauce — adding a small amt of broth to thin it a bit & sauté onions for great flavor/nutrition w/it.

      Let your food be your medicine !

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