adrenal fatigue treatment

[sick and tired 47]

Hello all,
Has anyone been diagnosed with adrenal fatigue and used supplements to help them get better??? Have you had sucess? Please tell me what has and has not worked for you.
There are many protocols out there- Dr Teitelbaum, Dr. Wilson, Dr. Jeffries... just to name a few I have found so far.
Thank you for any input.
K.

[sick and tired 47]

Dr M.,
Thanks for the input. I checked out the website but it did not offer any help??
And how do I find a good functional medicine dr in area??
Thank you again... maybe I should come to you.. ha ha!

[drmalhotra]

I am a holistic physician and have successfully tested patients for adrenal fatigue via salivary cortisol and DHEA measurements over a 24 hour period.  Based on the results, I follow a treatment protocol for Levels 1-3 of adrenal fatigue and retest in 6 weeks after the treatment, or 12 weeks if they are in level 3.  The testing provide measurable results of the patient's improvement.  I recommend that you find a "functional medicine" practitioner in your area who follows this integrated approach.

Hope this helps!

Dr. M
www.prescribinginformation.com

[sick and tired 47]

Thanks again Pax.

Has anyone read Dr. Michael Lam's articles on adrenal fatigue?? It is very interesting and detailed. He goes into a lot that I have not read other places.. such as when you take some supplements and it causes overstimulation.

It is hard, what works for one person may not work for another... thus the big medicine cabinet of opened, but barely used supplements.
I guess I am just looking for an exact plan for me that actually works... and yes I do know it is a long road. But it is soooooooo frustrating this trial and error... and then the naturopaths who cost $$$$$$$$!!!!
Have a great day all!

[Paxiled]

Try it twice a day at first and see how it goes -- but do you mean deglycerrized?  That's a special form of licorice called DGL for the stomach that takes out the part of licorice that can raise blood pressure.  Because you have a low blood pressure problem you'd want the regular licorice.  It's also a better adaptogen than the DGL.

[sick and tired 47]

Thanks Pax,
You really are a wealth of information. I am going to get the above and add them slowly into my routine. I am starting with the licrose root, ashwaganda, then eleuthro.
As per the rhodiola, I had a nutritionist give that to me last year ( posted it here). It started out great for energy and within a week had bad insomnia which led to anxiety... which is a shame because it is supposed to be  great for adrenals.
  ( I have some here in my gently used/ tried supply cabinet for anyone else- haha!!)
What is a good dose of glycerized licrorice daily?? I have some here already recommended for digestion before meals.
thanks again.
Good luck all!

[Paxiled]

Try licorice as an adaptogen and for the low blood pressure, and a combination of eleuthero and ashwagandha, and you can take the schizandra as well if it appeals to you.  Don't take them around bedtime, and take them at least twice a day.  I like tinctures, but you might like pills better.  There are a lot of combinations as well, but I don't know if you have anxiety or not.  If you don't and can use some stimulating herbs, you can go with rhodiola as well.

[sick and tired 47]

Pax,
Any herbal supplements remedies you would recommend? If I go this route I would add one at a time week by week....
Lets see if I can add to my "intolerable herb collection". Ha ha!!
We should start a switch and swap here...

And does anyone have ideas to raise blood pressure. Sometimes my gets really low...dr told me to increase celtic salt- but any other ideas?
I started adding just a little salt to a glass of water every morning, but still in afternoon I get the shakey feeling and when I check my BP it is low - 80/50 or 90/ 42... and  I feel terrible.

[Paxiled]

Schizandra is a Chinese adaptogen.  It's usually used in formulas, as are all Chinese herbs.  You'll find it in tons of Chinese formulas, actually, one of the most commonly used herbs in Chinese medicine.  Google it, you'll find out more that way.  Alone, it probably won't be the first choice for adrenals, and like all herbs you'll have to see how it affects you, but it's a very useful adaptogen.  

[laura1967]

Yeah....me too....lol....I have enough to open one on my own! lol

[sick and tired 47]

Peggy64,
Me too... maybe we start a "2nd hand" or already opened  supplement discount store.

[peggy64]

I saw a little something the other day. Have not done an extensive search yet. I am so tired of purchasing all these supplements.

[sick and tired 47]

Schisandra??? Anyone heard of or used it for adrenals?? It was recommended by health food store here. He said non stimulating, fatigue fighting, no serious side effects or interactions?

Thanks.

[sick and tired 47]

Laura,
Thanks for the info on Adaptocrine. I looked it up and it has rhodiola which in the past caused me anxiety, insomnia,ect... but I was on a much higher dose then. I too have had so many things thrown at me and I am to easily "energized" and get anxious, heart racing,no sleep, ect.

Pax,
I may owe you a big apology.... I went off the PS and slept well. I continued on the adrenal support with adrenal complex mixture and felt hyper, shakey, yesterday and today which is days after the PS. I think I will stop the adrenal support for a few days and slowlllly start back up to see what is causing this.. maybe just a few bad days, but I doubt it, something is just not agreeing with me. I may have to take individual supplements  and start adding slowly. The naturopath is stumped at times too, As I said I am a senstive and tough patient although not by choice.
Thanks al you are the best l!!!!!!!

[laura1967]

I take Adaptocrine by Apex Energetics that I get from my Naturopath. It has a good blend and I only take 1 at a time and have never had hyper or bad symptoms from taking it like i have with other things.

[sick and tired 47]

acker,
Thanks sometimes I think its just me!! Just too sensitive to some herbs.
I also read take a little salt in glass of water in am, helps your adrenals. I am doing that and it will probably help me alot becaause my blood pressure is so low.

Pax,
Thanks for the ideas on the other things. I have been off the PS for 3 nights now and last night I fell asleep much easier... so we will see tonight. I read it can be stimulating to some people in higher doses ( I was onlly on 100) . I had difficulty falling asleep ( was told it would help me sleep) but would wake up in middle of night WIDE awake and then go back to sleep after 2 hours or so... I have never woke up at night before although I do have difficulty falling asleep. Seems I am wide awake in late evening after being so  tired in afternoon. I always thought it was all due to my thyroid or hormones..
Thanks all again. Take care.

[acker]

K.: hey - i also found the phosphatidyl serine kept me awake! if i thought i was sleeping bad before, this made it worse! i find it contributes to me feeling better, so i take one in the morning, a couple times a week. it's 'supposed to' assist sleep, but for some, like us, it - er - doesn't. i even took it at noon once and i was still jumping after 8.

i also observed that i was being 'difficult'; in one example, a lab had billed me incorrectly, they'd forgotten an item and billed it separately, so i guess that was annoying; then i found myself wanting the invoice to be re-issued and set out a certain way, with all the tests itemised; a fair enough request, but i feel if i was well, and less anxious, i would've just paid the separate item instead of going through the 4 telephone calls etc etc. so it sounds embarrassing, and i'm not proud, but it's just true. once i noticed this obsession with needing the paperwork a certain way, i do my best now to just NOT NEED things to be a certain way, and find things that are more important to attend to! all this just to empathise and hopefully encourage you a bit.

[acker]

yes, a very gradual process indeed... but today, i feel pretty good!! so go figure.
i will find out more about the adaptogens then...
yes, i'm recovering from hyperthyroid. (that was the 'left' that came after the 'right'; should've stayed down haha.)
thanks for the support. it sure helps

[Paxiled]

Doubtful it would be the PS.  It's probably an adaptogen that's very energizing, like the rhodiola you had a problem with.  Something like Korean or Chinese ginseng, perhaps.  I think you'd do well with eleuthero and ashwagandha or American ginseng, which aren't stimulating but do support the adrenals.  Watch the American ginseng if you have low blood sugar, though -- it's believed to lower blood sugar as well.  Normally, that's a good thing, but not always.

[sick and tired 47]

Thanks for the info. I try to eat healthy... was told to eat more protein so I try. NO sugar, NO caffine, NO chocolate- they all seem to really disagree with me and I feel so much worse as well as food with lots of additives.
  I know it is a long hard road to recovery and there are so many set backs. It feels like two steps ahead and one or two backwards...

Laura,
What was the adaptogen you were on for adrenals?? I was taking adrenal stress formula ( which helped ) but the adrenal support/or the phosphatalyserine made me VERY energetic that I cannot sleep now. I am off both to determine which it is ... and sooooo tired due to lack of  good sleep for days and of course just being so tired as normal.
  This also happened when a natuorpathic nutritionist gave me Rhodiola supplements ( posted that last year here). I was SO tired but wired after a week I felt like I was "losing my mind". She did not believe that was the cause, but after going off I  felt better ( took a week or so).
Not only do  drs/ people some say dumb things ( been there too) but they think we don't know our own body or believe how we are feeling.. ..
I know  I am very sensitive and perhaps "difficult" patient which is very frustrating to me and to the practioner too. It is a fine line between me feeling more energetic and having the anxiety/hyper feeling which  always results in NO sleep too.
  Thanks all for all input.

[laura1967]

I had adrenal fatigue for a long time....it is never a quick fix. In fact all it takes is a bout of illness to knock them down again....I have to be very careful.
Vitamins did not fix mine....they only help support, when you are that bad and chronically fatigued. A person cannot understand chronic fatigue unless they have been there and laid up for months . It is exhausting just to get up to do anything around the house. You never wake up refreshed and you barely drag yourself through the afternoon.
I had a lot of Drs put me on adrenal supplements with glandulars in them...I cannot take those. I jump out of my skin, and get horrible anxiety, etc.
I finally found an acupuncturist who doesn't believe in throwing a bunch of pills down her patients throats and only gives support supplements as last resort. She put me on an adaptogen for my adrenals which seem to work great. It is not blended to stimulate but to support whether they are hyper active or hypo active. I am extremely sensitive to everything and am doing well with these.
Also want to mention that I am a thyroid patient and on thyroid meds, so that will tax your adrenals too if they are at all weak.
Yes I do take my vitamins, a good Liquid Multi with minerals and antioxidants, and extra B complex, and CoQ10 (60mgs) daily. I also give myself B12 shots weekly which really helps my fatigue.
I can even drink my coffee every morning now without crashing myself. :)
I personally think that everyone's bodies are different and you need to keep searching until you find what works for you.
I feel for you....especially the dumb things that some people and drs say.

[acker]

i got diagnosed with adrenal fatigue 2-1/2 years ago. dr put me on high-protein diet. also magnesium, CoQ10, multivitamin, vit. D, zinc, vit. C, filtered water. i think these were all great.

i took some chinese herbs for a couple weeks - don't know if they were any good.

i had acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathic - all good esp. acup and osteop.

these have been ongoing.

a boatload of counselling. learning relaxation. meditation and prayer. living gently. deep breathing. doing things i enjoyed (not that there was much at the time). quiet slow walks in the park. (i know, i'm getting off the track of supplements, but this IS the complementary medicine board!). in the past i had drawn a lot, so i took up drawing again.

i cut out coffee and smokes. reduced tea and sugary. removed myself from stressful environments - chose off-peak traffic/ hours. watched lo-drama telly/ movies.

[here's what didn't work - and these were a couple of drs i saw before finding my current one: (told the dr i was REALLY tired) ... "have an energy drink" (i didn't). another dr "coffee's good" (decided not to)... here's the one that burns me - "go for a walk around the block" - (?? wha?? did i not just say i was TIRED???). what ac ***. this is the same dr that said "i don't like antidepressants, but i think you should take them" - what af ****** stupid piece of advice. this same dr gave me vit. B/ C i.v. drips - i will say i don't think it hurt - might've helped a bit nutritionally, but not in sypmtoms]

so - i have improved - i will say that i could barely have gotten worse, though - it was truly below zero. i was formerly very active and enthusiastic. that's all changed. i do a bit of stretching to maintain any flexibility. i have a daily 'walk' (shuffle) whether it's for an errand for the day, or a short walk in the park, to maintain range of movement.

i got off the track because i found these all contribute towards wellness. i got annoyed when people would ask "are you taking vitamins?" etc - as though that was what was going to fix everything. (well-meaning at least.) (the next person who tells me how someone they know had fatigue and felt better in a week after taking vitamins, i will flat out tell them 'they didn't have chronic fatigue, they had a vitamin deficiency'.)

phew. please lemme know what you've found...

[sick and tired 47]

Thanks all for the info.

hphillips,
I have Dr. Wilson's book and I like his protocol-no steroids  involved, just herbal supplements you can do without prescription. After you started the program how long til you felt some improvement, how long did you continue it, and do you feel fairly "good" now?
Thanks again.

[hphillips]

I'd have some pretty good success with Dr. James Wilson's adrenal fatigue formulas. He wrote the book Adrenal Fatigue: 21st Century Stress Syndrome, and is considered to be one of the pioneers of adrenal fatigue. I highly suggest checking him out:
www.adrenalfatigue.org

[peggy64]

I've tried teitleaums and did not see any results. I was very disappointed. I think with adrenal issues, it is better to go individual supplements as the amount is usually insufficient in most formulas.