Adrenal Insufficiency

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Adrenal Insufficiency

http://www.cfs-recovery.org/adrenal.htm

After a period of time allergies, psychological stress and other conditions

can lead to adrenal problems. The Center for Disease Control has stated that

people with chronic fatigue on average have lower levels of adrenal output.

Unfortunately, traditional tests cannot be used to diagnose the condition since

there is a wide variation in normal levels. Traditional tests cannot detect

this until it becomes severe.

The most important substance produced by the adrenals is cortisol, similar to

cortisone. Adrenal problems often get worse when allergies are resolved.

Allergies stimulate the adrenals to produce more cortisol. When this stimulus is

withdrawn, adrenal production drops.

When the adrenal output starts to drop a strange thing happens. The

pituitary gland frantically tries to signal the adrenals to boost their output.

The

result is wild fluctuations with the adrenals overproducing in the morning and

underproducing the rest of the day. Both too much cortisol and too little

cortisol can produce fatigue.

There is good news. A new test available from the Great Smokies Diagnostic

Lab http://www.gsdl.com/ can detect weak adrenals that the traditional tests

cannot.

After I started taking adrenal supplements, my sinus and fatigue problems

showed distinct improvement.

The Test

The Great Smokies Lab offers an adrenal test

http://www.gdx.net/home/assessments/adrenocortex/index.html which is more

sensitive than older tests. It is

a saliva test with four samples taken throughout the day. It is more

sensitive than traditional adrenal tests.

The test is controversial. Most mainstream endocrinologists don't yet know

about it. Others use it only if the patient has been diagnosed with Cushing's

Syndrome.

Treatment

Suggested treatments are available from the lab. Treatment typically

consists of adrenal hormones and supplements.

It can take 2 to 18 months to treat adrenal problems.

Warning!

On another page I discuss 's Thyroid Syndrome. 's Thyroid

Syndrome treatment has some risks associated with it including rapid heartbeat

and

anxiety attacks. Combining the 's medication and adrenal medications may

increase the risks of these problems.

I took adrenal extract for a period of almost two years without a problem. I

then started treatment for 's Thyroid Syndrome. I found that adrenal

extract and the 's Thyroid Syndrome medication don't mix.

I was fine before I started 's Thyroid Syndrome treatment, but then I

had a number of side-effects including anxiety attacks and rapid-heartbeat

which landed me in the hospital for a night. After I discontinued the adrenal

extract, these problems improved (though they did not go away completely) and I

had better success with the 's treatment.

Risks Involved: Consult your doctor.

Doctor Needed: Use of this test to diagnose adrenal insufficiency is

considered alternative and controversial. You will need to find an alternative

doctor to order the test and prescribe the treatment.

Effectiveness: I saw a distinct improvement after about six weeks, but not

more after that.