How do doctors diagnose adrenal fatigue?
Medicine generally only recognizes Addison’s disease, which is the most extreme end of low adrenal function. Doctors who are familiar with the varying degrees of decreased adrenal function usually test the adrenal hormone levels in your saliva. This is an accurate and useful indicator of adrenal fatigue that is simple and relatively inexpensive. A test kit can be obtained from the lab and the test completed at home by simply spitting into the test tubes 4 times throughout a 24 hour day and filling out an activity sheet to go with the saliva samples. There are other common lab tests that can be used more indirectly to detect adrenal fatigue if the practitioner knows how to interpret them. So if you suspect you are experiencing adrenal fatigue, seek out a healthcare practitioner who is familiar with this problem.
What helps someone with adrenal fatigue?
For most people, a focused program of lifestyle modifications, body-mind practices, specific nutrients and targeted supplementation for adrenal support can help revitalize adrenal function and greatly enhance stress hardiness. In adrenal fatigue, hormone therapy with corticosteroids is usually not necessary or desirable. In fact, taking adrenal steroid hormones suppresses adrenal function and can exacerbate adrenal fatigue. This situation differs from Addison’s disease in which the adrenals are incapable of producing adequate adrenal hormones and an external source is required for continued survival. With adrenal fatigue, the adrenals are still functioning and are capable of returning to optimum with proper support.
What keeps the adrenal glands healthy?
The guidelines for keeping your adrenal glands healthy are very similar to the overall principles of good health but there are a few factors especially important for adrenal support and building stress resilience: Eat regular meals with good quality food that combines balanced amounts of protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates at every meal and snack – including breakfast; avoid sugar and stimulants like caffeine (even though it temporarily makes you feel better, it only depletes your adrenals more); exercise moderately; get adequate rest (go to bed by 9:30 PM and sleep in as long as you can in the morning); learn to manage your stressors. Because modern life is so stressful, nutritional supplements designed specifically for adrenal support may also be a great help.
I am 55! Female & still having periods monthly. Last month I started experiencing hot flashes, mainly at night. I’m very nervous & have anxiety especially around my period. I had vertigo that was diagnosed as BPPV. Could this be adrenals? I take several vitamin supplements & magnesium liquid. Vertigo Is gone but still experience imbalance from time to time.
V
Hi Jan,
Some of those symptoms are common with adrenal fatigue, though there are a variety of things that could be the problem. We recommend seeing a healthcare practitioner to be sure. If you’re looking for one who also deals with adrenal fatigue, you can search our practitioner database here (enter state and click search): http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/find-a-healthcare-provider
Hope this helps – best of luck Jan!
Dr. Wilson’s Adrenal Fatigue Team
Is it possible to have adrenal fatigue with no real symptoms of fatigue?
I have taken two saliva tests in the past year at work and DHEA and cortisol were low-low normal for my age (30). My progesterone was really low, which makes me think I have progesterone deficiency secondary to adrenal insufficiency.
I’ve always been a worry wart-even as a kid- so my ability to cope with stress is probably not great. But when I look at a list of symptoms of adrenal fatigue, I largely do not fit.
Would it hurt to take the Super Stress formula? Would it help?
Thanks for your time!
Ashly
Hi Ashley,
Thank you for your question. It is possible that the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenals are being stressed before someone notices symptoms of fatigue because they are still able to compensate. The hormonal balance is very complex and there are many reasons someone’s hormone levels may be low. We would encourage you to have a professional help interpret your labs within the context of what signs and symptoms you do have, as well as the relationship of each of the hormone levels to one other. The Super Adrenal Stress Formula provides building blocks to create the steroid hormones, including cortisol and progesterone, so even if you are not experiencing fatigue, the product should help your body continue to adapt to and cope with stress.
We hope this information helps!
-Dr. Wilson’s Adrenal Fatigue Team