Adrenal Fatigue

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Anyone out there suffering from Adrenal Fatigue? What do you do to cope? Do you have any suggestions for feeling better? I'm reading a book that my doctor recommended to me and I'm trying my best to relax at night to get some sleep, but it's just not helping. I'm interested in talking to some peeps who have also dealt with this and might be able to offer some ideas. Thanks.

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  • lipglossjunky73
    lipglossjunky73 Posts: 497 Member
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    I just posted about this on the sugar craving thread.

    I had this and gained thirty pounds! This was while working out like a fiend, as I was a fitness instructor at the time, some was extra frustrated. I became very ill with it.

    It took about a full year for me to feel healthy and normal again. This was ten years ago. A few years ago, I started noticing some warning signs of getting it again, and nipped it in the bud before it can get bad again.

    For me, joint pain, foot pain, extreme fatigue, and weight gain are always my symptoms. And depression almost to the point f being irrational... Lol.

    The only way I was able to heal it the first time around was, and you may not like this.... I stopped all workouts. I stopped everything. I took a yoga class here and there, but I quit teaching fitness. Quit ever kind of fitness activity. I slept whenever I could. I ate a lot, but I ate very clean. People would comment on how well I looked and I would say I was doing "nothing"... And it was true!!! That was for a year. And then I slowly introduced my workouts back in.

    The second time around was less external, soi just cut back on what I was doing and it took about a month, but I got back on track. Let me know if you have any other questions!!!
  • MrsEb79
    MrsEb79 Posts: 42 Member
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    Right now I'm just walking every day and counting calories here and trying to eat as clean as possible. I should be training for my half marathon in June, but honestly, I don't have the energy or the drive. I'm exhausted all the time. To the point of feeling like I'm going to have a break down. My insomnia is horrible and I never rest well at night. I'm working on reducing my stress level but it's hard to do when I'm so tired and easily frustrated. I just can't seem to get out of this slump. I've read about some supplements that you can take but I'm leery of them and wonder if they will work and it's worth the money.

    At this point, I don't know what to do. I feel so helpless. I was hoping that it was my thyroid that was out of whack. I was hoping for a simple fix, but it's not my thyroid. Right now I take a multivitamin, a b complex, iron (my levels were tested and they are low), magnesium and vitamin c. Is there something else I should be taking that you could recommend?

    Thanks so much for getting back to me. It helps to talk to other people.
  • joypeaceloveall
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    @MrsEb79, How are you feeling now? I hope you are feeling well again.

    I am experiencing adrenal fatigue right now for about the last month. My allergist put my on steroids to help with an ear infection. I believe it was prednisone. It was only for about 5 days, but afterwards I am so extremely exhausted.The allergist did not taper the medicine like he should have and it seems to have zapped my adrenals. It is very difficult to function. I went to see a naturopath and a holistic medical doctor. They did the saliva cortisol test and discovered it was adrenal fatigue. This happened to me last year from overwork and now this year it was medicine induced. Last year it took a good 6-9 months to feel much better. Right now, the naturopath has me on bunches of vitamins and I am also seeing an accupuncturist. I have some vitamin deficiencies and food allergies causing malabsorption of the vitamins. So, I need to work on changing what I eat. I have also cut out caffeine, dairy and sugary foods as much as possible. I do a little bit of leisurely walking every morning and that's about it. I try to work on some meditation to help me relax and get to sleep. Sleep is pretty difficult because somehow I have also recently developed tinnitus and that sometimes keeps me up at night. I had been doing so well and suddenly to have this happen again is very discouraging. My doctor said it could take a full year to feel well again and to never take steroid medications again. I feel very isolated.
  • KelRed
    KelRed Posts: 30
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    @MrsEb79 I too suffer from adrenal fatigue. I had all kinds of hormone testing including the saliva test. I sent you a friend request.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
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    Right now I'm just walking every day and counting calories here and trying to eat as clean as possible. I should be training for my half marathon in June, but honestly, I don't have the energy or the drive. I'm exhausted all the time. To the point of feeling like I'm going to have a break down. My insomnia is horrible and I never rest well at night. I'm working on reducing my stress level but it's hard to do when I'm so tired and easily frustrated. I just can't seem to get out of this slump. I've read about some supplements that you can take but I'm leery of them and wonder if they will work and it's worth the money.

    At this point, I don't know what to do. I feel so helpless. I was hoping that it was my thyroid that was out of whack. I was hoping for a simple fix, but it's not my thyroid. Right now I take a multivitamin, a b complex, iron (my levels were tested and they are low), magnesium and vitamin c. Is there something else I should be taking that you could recommend?

    Thanks so much for getting back to me. It helps to talk to other people.

    Do you need all those micronutrient supplements (other than the iron, which I assume you were prescribed) alongside a multi and a clean balanced diet? Are you eating plenty of oily fish and eating the lowest glycaemic index carbs? Have you considered seeing a registered dietician? Are you avoiding all sugar and white refined carbs?
  • Janelle173
    Janelle173 Posts: 396 Member
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    bumping for later...need to read up on this!!
  • SarahAFerguson
    SarahAFerguson Posts: 250 Member
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    My sister and young daughter have this. We are avoiding all processed foods and refined sugar as well as taking iron and B vitamin supplements.
  • des104gr8ness
    des104gr8ness Posts: 15 Member
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    Have you read Dr. Abravanel's body type diet book? Also Dr. Berg.. they both have a lot to say about the Adrenals..

    I too believe i have this and have not been formally tested. i am going to alter my diet according to both these Dr.'s and see if it works.

    Wish you the best.
  • KANSASGIRL69
    KANSASGIRL69 Posts: 28 Member
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    Spinach Eggs Peanuts Pumpkin Seeds Citrus fruits B vits Salmon Himalayan Sea Salt just a couple things that i am trying...Pau de arco licorice ahsawangda rhodiola
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    I feel your pain. Did you do the cortisol saliva test and if so, how bad were you? I suffered for years before doing the research and figuring out what my problem was. I was so low, I went ahead and went on hydrocortisone(synthetic cortisol) and I finally have my dose down right and I am feeling wonderful. It is a frustrating thing to have because most docs are clueless on cortisol and the cortisol/thyroid connection. I had to teach my doc.

    In a indirect way, it is your thyroid as well. When cortisol is low, your body will cause t3 to reverse which will cause too little thyroid hormone in the body. It's your bodies way of braking your metabolism to prevent more stress to your adrenals. The problem is, when adrenals are shot, your body can get trapped, and it struggles to get back out of the hole.

    There is a method of using t3 meds a few hours before waking to heal adrenals. It works much faster than trying to heal 100% naturally because t3 is needed to heal the body, and if you are low cortisol, your available t3 is going to be low. If you are interested, I can get you more info.