Adrenal Insufficiency

[veli3309]

How can I treat my partial adrenal insufficiency without taking prednisone. I'm taking 10mg and want to discontinue it do to side effects. I've been on it for years. I'm also on hypothyroid med. I know that dosage needs to be reduced slowly but withdrawals are hard to handle. Can I start with ginseng, licorice root or bupleurum root?

[Paxiled]

Licorice shouldn't be taken regularly, as it can lead to high blood pressure.  It's most often used for stomach disorders.  Bupleurum is mostly for the liver.  Korean or Chinese ginseng might help with your adrenal problems, but be careful with it, it can be very stimulating.  Most adrenal herbs are balancing, and won't necessarily work quickly.  These include eleuthero, ashwagandha, rhodiola (can be stimulating), holy basil, American ginseng, and quite a few other herbs.  A good person to see for adrenals is a practitioner of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), but a good naturopath or ayurvedic practitioner can help as well.  The herbs for adrenals are called adaptogens, and there a lot of them, some very strong and stimulating, some more relaxing, which is important with thyroid problems as they can produce anxiety.  Some of these are more for reducing adrenal overstimulation, some are more for underproduction, but adrenal insufficiency can be produced most often by too much stress, often caused by thyroid problems, so it's hard to know where the problem lies.

[MelanieD1]

Work with thyroid adrenals and pituitary....

[hava]

To stimulate the thyroid you can do kapalbhati pranayam , thyroid point, Ujjayi pranayam up to 21 times and thyroid exercies. All these are described below.Your adrenal gland will be activated with the kapalbhati.
Note down your symptoms, and when you notice some improvement let me know. You will get to know your body and will be able to review the medication.When the thyroid point does not cause pain, your health will have improved a lot.All this works gradually, so allow months, but do it regularly.

Kapalbhati pranayam
Build up your timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume after one minute.
-(Do it before eating) Push air forcefully out through the nose about once per second. Stomach will itself go in(contract in). The breathing in(through the nose) will happen automatically. Establish a rhythm and do for 20 to 30 minutes twice a day. Children under 15 years – do 5 to 10 minutes twice a day.
Not for pregnant women. Seriously ill people do it gently.

Thyroid point – press (50 times) the fleshy bit on palm between  the base of thumb and wrist on both hands. You will feel pain when you press.

Ujjayi pranayam
Procedure: While breathing in, tighten throat(contract glotis) and there will be sound from back of throat, then drop chin(rest chin on chest), hold breath as long as possible.Then  chin up, close right nostril and slowly breath out through left nostril.
Duration: 5 – 21 times

How to do Ujjayi
When you clear your throat, you tighten your throat and breath out, twice, with a pause in between. . Now if you reverse this, that is, tighten the throat and breath in continuously for abour 8 to 12 seconds, then hold your breath for 4 seconds with the chin down, then  chin up, close right nostril and slowly breath out through left nostril, you have just done Ujjayi pranayam.You will feel like coughing initially.

Thyroid exercises
1 Neck exercise for thyroid.
Breathe in slowly while turning your head to the left, pause and hold breath for 3 seconds,
Breathe out slowly while  bringing the head back to middle position,pause for 3 seconds,
Breathe in slowly while turning your head to the right, pause and hold breath for 3 seconds,
Breathe out slowly while bringing the head back to middle position.
Do this exercise 5 times.
Repeat this 5 times, with the head going up and back, and then head going down.

2 Neck exercise for thyroid
Stand on your knees with hands folded across your chest,
Lean backwards with the head falling back while breathing in, hold breath for 3 seconds,
come back to straight position, while breathing out.
Repeat this 5 times.
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January 20 ,2012