Adrenal Fatigue: Is it Real?

[CoastWatcher]

In an article (heavily referenced) that will certainly spark a great deal of controversy, the authors conclude that: "Adrenal fatigue is not a real medical condition. There are no scientific facts to support the theory that long-term mental, emotional, or physical stress drains the adrenal glands and causes many common problems."

Let the discussion begin...

"Is Adrenal Fatigue Real? (The Ultimate Guide)," The Energy Blueprint, 18 November 2017, https://www.theenergyblueprint.com/is-adrenal-fatigue-real/

 

[Will Brink]

This is an excellent article and a must read for anyone interested in the topic. Personally I have always been skeptical of that diagnosis for the reasons the author goes into great detail over. It's a long article but worth reading in a big way.

 

[meanbreen]

Adrenal Fatigue - Fake. Primary Addison's - Real, though extremely rare. Subclinical Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency / HPTA dysfunction - the likely culprit a lot of "AF" sufferers are dealing with.

 

[CoastWatcher]

Adrenal Fatigue - Fake. Primary Addison's - Real, though extremely rare. Subclinical Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency / HPTA dysfunction - the likely culprit a lot of "AF" sufferers are dealing with.

I'm third generation Addison's, along with other endocrine follies, and agree with this.

 

[KGB197]

I know Ari does extensive research and is a stickler for proven science. He spend a lot of time researching this topic.

 

[Charliebizz]

I never believed in the fatigue of the actual gland but it's been drilled into me that low cortisol levels cause fatigue. Over the years I've been all over the range in am blood cort and saliva has always been low normal. After reading this article am I to believe that this has nothing to do with my symptoms all along. And also it says antidepressants lower cortisol. Yet the best improvements on my health journey so far came from a low dose of lexapro daily. It takes away a good majority of the symptoms I believed to be low cortisol. And I'm only taking 2.5. Nothing else has worked. Hydrocortisone never helped me at all. This can be a game changer.

 

[ratbag]

I'm third generation Addison's, along with other endocrine follies, and agree with this.

I believe most people think addisons is just very low or non existent cortisol. They don't realise addisons is an autoimmume disease that attacks your adrenals. Coastwatcher did your adrenals stop 100% or was your cortisol level just too low when it was recognised?

meanbreen, I couldn't agree more with your statement. What's not acknowledged is that there is a lot more Pituitary / HPTA dysfunction than recognised in mainstream medicine.

 

[meanbreen]

I have started following Ray Peat on his theories on the thyroid, and I believe that fixing the thyroid one can get over their "adrenal fatigue". Here is a quote from the doctor:

[FONT=&quot]“While hypothyroidism makes the body require more cortisone to sustain blood sugar and energy production, it also limits the ability to produce cortisone, so in some cases stress produces symptoms resulting from a deficiency of cortisone, including various forms of arthritis and more generalized types of chronic inflammation.”

I feel a million times better since I started treating my subclinical hypothyroidism. Also, I am very prone to hypoglycemia which requires a cortisol release. Maintaining your blood sugar levels really helps. I sip on orange juice throughout the day.[/FONT]

 

[ratbag]

I was the opposite. Thyroid meds didn't work for me until my MD put me on cortisol. That was after I had a ZRT Labs saliva diurnal test. Morning and lunch were under range and the other 2 were very bottom of range. I am hypopit so for me it's not fatigue it's real. I was really dragging my ass back in those days.

 

[meanbreen]

Gotcha, yeah I think everyone is different. For me and a lot of others, I think that maybe low thyroid is requiring the body to need more cortisol to compensate, in which case it is able to at first but then eventually not enough cortisol is produced. Optimizing thyroid would theoretically require less cortisol. In your case, you truly do have an issue producing adequate hormone production sans proper pituitary function.

 

[ratbag]

Yes exactly. The article coastwatcher posted doesn't take into account those with real adrenal problems resulting from pituitary/hpta dysfunction. So this is a different category.

 

[Charliebizz]

So are we to believe that low cortisol can be the culprit for fatigue in day a person like me. All my blood work is fantastic except low normal testosterone. My cortisol has been all over the map. But mostly it stayed around 12-15. My thyroid numbers are great. Low dose ssri really helped my energy and got rid of a lot of my so called adrenal fatigue issues. So I said why not try trt again. But foolishly I started while getting of the ssri. After a month into trt my cortisol am was 6 I don't feel to great but def wasn't the worst I felt in this 8 year journey. So I went back on the ssri and I feel fine now. So ssri and trt only I'm doing ok. Still have muscle twitching like crazy though. That started when I started trt. And happened 5 years ago on trt. I thought maybe because it seems like trt lowered cortisol for me. I'm really not sure anymore what to think. All I know is I've been chasing cortisol around for 8 years and only thing that seemed to help is low dose ssri

 

[ratbag]

Muscle twitching and spasms and cramping, muscle tightness etc I have those too but it's caused by a thyroid problem. Everyone says their thyroid is normal but do you have the labs to show that? I say that because so many people have thyroid issues and yet they believe they are normal.

 

[Charliebizz]

Tsh 1.89 range .40-4.50
Free T4 1.2 range 0.8-1.8
Free t3 3.7 range 2.3-4.2
rt3 15 range 8-25.

That test was was taken about 3 weeks ago

 

[ratbag]

What about the thyroid antibodies tests? There are 2 of them.

 

[Charliebizz]

Those are negative

 

[ratbag]

Ok so the only items you would need to confirm is cortisol levels via saliva testing and and Iron panel and ferritin.

 

[Charliebizz]

My cortisol was the lowest reading I ever had at 6 range 4-22. But that was also when I was coming off the ssri. When I added ssri back I felt much better. My ferritin is the lowest it's been at 66 range 22-345 iron test was from September it was 70 range was 50-180

 

[ratbag]

If you have low cortisol levels it the first hormone that needs to be working because many times TRT or Thyroid meds won't work if you don't have enough cortisol. It's the same if your ferritin is too low. Your ferritin 66 is likely a little low. Perhaps take more Vit C. Get some saliva tests for your cortisol and find out if you have enough.

 

[Charliebizz]

If you have low cortisol levels it the first hormone that needs to be working because many times TRT or Thyroid meds won't work if you don't have enough cortisol. It's the same if your ferritin is too low. Your ferritin 66 is likely a little low. Perhaps take more Vit C. Get some saliva tests for your cortisol and find out if you have enough.

Like I said I've done everything with cortisol in the past and have had no benefit. I've tried everything short of prednisone and mederol. I've tried diets, supplements,hc,preg,prog all in different combinations. And I'm not joking I tried I went all in on cortisol I read every book on it. I've been on all these forums for 8-9 years going after cortisol and nothing. Like I said only benefit has been from low dose ssri. That's why I'm showing so much interest in this article that the op posted.