Realizing you have an adrenal gland problem is only beneficial if you know how to correct the problem, otherwise you’re just going to be more stressed knowing you have something wrong with you. Dealing with this issue can vary greatly depending on the severity of the problem. If high stress levels have only been causing adrenal gland problems for a short period of time, then there may not be much involved in correcting the hormonal imbalance. But if stress has been chronic and lasting many years, then resolution is often very involved and can take some time to fully recover.
Steps to Improve Adrenal Gland Function
- Daily stress -> Though often easier said than done, lowering stress to the best of your ability is a great way to aid in adrenal gland recovery. Decreasing work commute times, making more efficient use of your time, working with people you enjoy working with, and being around positive and influential people will only benefit the health of your adrenal glands and of course your overall health. Sure you may not be able to get rid of a troublesome boss or immediately cut work hours, but managing stressful aspects of your life to the best of your ability will only bring positive results.
- Diet -> Diet plays a huge role in adrenal gland health. Limiting or eliminating sugars and caffeine will help the adrenal glands recover faster. Interestingly enough, sugar and caffeine are the two major substances that people crave when their adrenal glands are stressed. Although these foods are not terrible to consume in moderation, (low moderation that is), at the very time when your body desires them is the same time when you shouldn’t be consuming them as they will fuel the stress cycle and only further hinder your impaired adrenal glands.
Protein is also essential to help aid in the recovery of adrenal gland dysfunction. I believe that a person should consume approximately 1.5grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. So a 125 pound woman would need 85 grams of protein a day. This protein should be high quality protein – grass fed beef or other meats, poultry, eggs, undenatured whey protein, and dairy if tolerated.
Many holistic physicians and nutritionists often advise eating many small meals throughout the day to sustain blood sugar levels. I used to think this, but now I do not subscribe to this philosophy. Eating multiple times throughout the day only fuels the problem many have with blood sugar dysregulation. That’s why people who eat this way always need to eat and they never correct the problem. I teach my patients to eat three to four times a day – a lot of protein and healthy fats – to sustain normal blood sugar levels and help heal/correct hormonal imbalances. Check out the Paleo-Type Diet for more info.
- Exercise -> Exercise can have a positive or negative impact on the adrenal glands depending on intensity and duration. Too much high intensity training (HIIT workouts) eventually will take their toll on the body and especially the adrenal glands. Those participating in long distance training, such as endurance events, (marathons, for example), are at greater risk of adrenal gland dysfunction. More “true aerobic” exercise, rather than cortisol-secreting anaerobic exercise, will help with adrenal gland recovery. For more on this check out the Sock Doc Training Principles.
- Sleep -> Restful sleep will work wonders for healing fatigued adrenal glands. Ideally you should be going to bed (to sleep) around 10-11pm and for most, sleeping 7-9 hours. Sleeping eight hours from 11pm to 7am is much more beneficial than sleeping from 2am to 10am. It’s all about that circadian rhythm that we’ve discussed previously. Lots more on sleep here.
- Nutrients and Supplements -> There are many products on the market which claim to help a person recover from adrenal gland dysfunction. Some of these products contain adrenal glandular substances, (derived most often from a bovine (cow) source). I caution you on such products as many of them are not regulated by any outside agency and they can, and often do, over-stimulate the adrenal glands, especially if used for a prolonged period of time, even just several weeks. Yes, many people claim to have abundant energy taking such products, but they’re simply stimulating the adrenal glands in an unhealthy manner much like if they drank coffee all day long.
The hormone DHEA should also be used with caution. This product is still easily available to purchase at almost any “health food” or nutrition store, often in very high doses of 25-50mg. I only give DHEA to my patients when I have a confirmed lab test verifying such low levels and most often I prescribe 5-10mg a day for just a few weeks. More is not better when it comes to hormones, though so many look for a quick fix pill that provides energy and claims of a youthful appearance. DHEA is even put in many cosmetics today to help give a youthful appearance to the skin. You should be careful taking any hormone especially ones laced in creams, lotions, make-ups, and other cosmetics. Typically if you stick with natural products you won’t have to worry about hormones in your products. Dr. Haushka and Andalou Naturals are two great companies for natural cosmetics.
Vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, and B5 can be beneficial for adrenal gland function. Typically with vitamins there is no harm in taking them for short periods of time at low doses, but of course it is very difficult to figure out which one(s) you may benefit from. B-complex supplements tend to have too high amounts of too many vitamins, and correcting an imbalance of one or two vitamins often doesn’t happen when you take massive doses of them all.
The adrenal glands store a lot of vitamin C, more so per gram than any other organ in the body. Therefore, vitamin C may help aid in adrenal gland recovery as it’s depleted as cortisol is secreted. However, I never use the traditional ascorbic acid which most vitamin C products on the market are. Vitamin C is best taken in a natural, non-synthetic form with all its co-factors and enzymes rather than the isolated, often GMO corn-derived ascorbic acid.
Eating organic fruits and vegetables can greatly help heal the adrenal glands. Get your vitamin C from fruits and your minerals and vitamins from vegetables. Zucchini and squashes are great vegetables to consume for adrenal gland health because they contain high levels of naturally occurring salts – fuel for the adrenals. Put some kale or spinach in your fruit and protein smoothie and make yourself an adrenal gland health shake.
- See a doc -> Finally, seeking out a holistic doc may be your best option when it comes to figuring out what to do to help resolve your health issues. As discussed earlier on, most conventional doctors will not address adrenal gland dysfunction as they feel like these glands aren’t an issue in any health problem. Chiropractors, acupuncturists, naturopaths, and holistically-trained physicians are often your best bet when it comes to helping you figure out and heal your adrenal glands (and often many other health problems too).
This concludes the four-part adrenal gland article. I hope you learned a lot and I’d love to hear your comments!
Dr. Gangemi,
Thanks again for another great article and explanation about the B and C vitamins. I was taking them because I had read that they were supposed to help with adrenal support. They just made me completely wired. My naturopath thinks I’m in stage one adrenal fatigue and am thus creating too much cortisol.
It’s not too late for me to turn it around and much appreciate the information you’re providing.
I found out through the Two Week Test diet you have on your site that my adrenals were fatigued due to my carbohydrate intolerance.
Great article, as always.
I recently had a hair analysis that deemed me to have “extreme adrenal exhaustion” a slow oxidizer and some hypothyroidism. my dr gave me a diet similar to your TWT except no coconut and only non night shade veggies and they have to be steamed and the only exceptable nuts is almonds. this is the dr wilson “nutritional balancing program” by dr wilson
well after several attempts i couldnt make it past the 1st week without a horrible sugar crash… its not even like oh a piece of candy sounds good its like oh my gosh i need this or I’m gonna die its a cellular craving.
I did your TWT got to day 12 lost about 9 lbs and then had some chocolate fondue at xmas party next day i weighed 4.5 lbs! more and felt horrible. this a common reaction to sugar i puff up the next day my hair starts to fall out the days following and i feel awful.
i tried the TWT again i added in mixed nuts and canned 100% coconut milk to curb my hunger. horrible reaction to both i felt bloated, fat and lost nothing on the TWT plan throughout the few days. so those are out as a snack.
so will doing the TWT long term help heal me and my adrenal fatigue and help with insulin resistance and weight loss.
I want to feel healthy and live healthy and lose this excess weight.
I stopped following Dr. Wilson when I read about a recent study showing that too much iodine intake (over 400 mg per day) acutally causes subclinical hypothyroidism. Wilson recommends very high doses of kelp, many times the dosage of iodine mentioned in the study.
The thyroid, adrenals and the rest of the endocrine system need to be in balance to work. If you’re unbalancing your thryroid with too much iodine, this can affect your adrenals (I think, I’m not a doctor).
Yes, many people take way too much iodine. It can also cause right brain/left brain imbalances.
Great articles, Dr Gangemi, but you never covered how to test for adrenal fatigue? Is the 24-hour cortisol saliva test the recommended one?
That’s a good start and one I use often.
I have anxiety disorder. I’m 49 yrs old. I take 40mgs. Paxil/day and xanax .5 mgs. 3 x day. I recently had blood work done. High cholesterol, hematuria, BP is normal, blood glucose high. serotonin levels extremely low. I also have sleep apnea. Problem now is I am craving sugar at night, and after all the meds, I am not getting enough sleep. Maybe 4-5 hours.
What kind of tests should I have? I’m perimenopausal, I feel tired a lot. I take calcium supplem. and fish oil. Do I ask doctor for adrenal function tests or cortisol tests, or both? I must add that I have been on the Paxil and xanax for 13 years. The doctor had to double dose of paxil from 20mgs to 40 a few months ago. he feels no need to change that med. Yet, I feel no better from the doubling of the dose, and still have a hard time with anxiety with the 3 xanax hardly getting me through the days. Help!
This is something I’d need to set up a phone consult or office visit for.
You can probably address both of my comments at once. More of my history is that I have suffered from insomnia for 35 years. I’m currently taking 1/4 mg. clonazapam, which has been reduced after taking 1 mg, then 1/2 mg over many years. If I miss one dose, I don’t sleep at all. The same is now true of melatonin, I started with 3 mg capsules, then switched to a liquid melatonin, but I combine it 50/50 with passion flower, and take only 1/2 tsp. each night, also do not sleep if I don’t have it. The addictions seemed like the lesser evil, rather than continually being sleep-deprived.
Recently, I’ve had several nights when it felt like I was in the middle of a tug-of-war, one factor wanting me to stay asleep, the other wants me to wake up. I’m the loser in this battle either way because the sleep quality is disrupted.
Weight is not an issue, we have used healthy fats for many years and buy organic when we can. Exercise is a challenge because it aggravates an old ski injury to my inner knee. I read your comments on the adrenals affecting the knee, so I have double concerns there. Help is needed!
I can only offer personal advice via consult or office visit; thanks.
I found your site and have even recommended it to others. Somehow I am realizing all my “stuff” is related. Stuff is: Heberden nodes in my fingers (arthritis), bursitis on my ankle (for years), weight gain (thinking blown out adrenals from lots of stress), sleep problems (waking up in mid of night). I’ve read a lot about acid/alkaline for arthritis. I believe you say body needs to be acid (but a different site says alkaline). Very confusing. Would you suggest Boric Acid (Boron) or Apple Cider Vinegar for arthritis? I am a nutritional freak so I eat pretty darn good (fermented, liver, low sugar, etc.) so I’m kind at a loss how to heal my adrenals. A saliva test years ago showed low DHEA but you say don’t supplement DHEA so not sure how to heal adrenals and hopefully solve 15# weight gain.
This is really something I can only help you out with by seeing you or a consult. Hormones are very individualized. Or look for a holistic doc in your area.
Wow! I wish I would have come across your site and articles earlier. It’s like your talking about me! The symptoms describe me to a “T”. I’ve been through a long journey of getting to the root issue of my health problems. The few medical doctors I’ve seen didn’t know what is causing my problems. Finally found a doctor who is willing to try to get to the root of it. Through testing, I’ve discovered I have mild thyroid issues, but reading your article, you explained my scenario, high T4 that is not being converted, and the adrenals being the root cause.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for explaining so well how our adrenals work and relate to our health.
Dr. Gangemi –
What is THE BEST way to test for adrenal function? Who, if anyone, can you recommend in the NJ area – for holistic medical evaluation?
Docs I’ve trained:
What do you think about Magnesium as a supplement for adrenal health?
It can be beneficial to help detox cortisol in the liver and Mg has many many other health benefits. But like anything, it’s not necessarily for everyone.
Could adrenal fatigue cause episodes similar to cataplexy? For a fraction of a second I lose total control of my balance but bounce back quickly and I am able to catch myself before I fall. My doctor prescribed Effexor, which caused the episodes to become less frequent but it caused depersonalization. I am weaning off the Effexor and the balance episodes have returned. Your article describes my other symptoms perfectly except for my episodes which are very bothersome and I haven’t had any success so far in treating them. I am starting meditation and cleaning up my diet. Thank you for your help!
Hard to say but typically adrenal issues are part of the problem to various degrees.
Your article is spot on. Our son is a competitive swimmer. A year ago he went from swimming 1000 of yards to barely swimming 25 yard. His heart was all over the place. He was gaining weight. Having silent seizures. Developed a ton of food allergies. And other things. Traditional Drs wouldn’t listen that is was adrenal fatique or over training syndrome. They told us to seek a psychiatrist for him and us. Well we pushed on and meet a dietician who rain cortisol tests. He was low in the am and high at night. We started supplements and he started to improve. Then we meet a kinesiologist who practices the applied kinesiology (muscle testing). Lets just say he is totally fine now. Has no allergies is back to racing at national. level and is our son again. Our doctor is still learning and would benefit from your articles.
I myself had the mirena for 8 years. I had to beg my doctors to remove it. I was diabetic overweight pain every where, neurological issues, memory issues, you name and I have it. I told them it was the mirena they said no. Finally I found a dr to remove it. Its been over a year now and I am starting to get better, but relapse very often. I am not as exhausted as I used to be. There were days I couldnt function at all due to my energy levels being so low. i feel horrible because I missed out on the last 8 years of kids lives. Not to mention I was a real witch all the time. I dont get angry anymore. I don’t over react to little things an blow up since removing the Mirena. My blood sugar and weight is still an issue. i have done 5 detoxes in the past year. The muscle testing says I have copper imbalance. Too much copper. I just want to lose the weight and have normal blood sugar. I don’t have the pains I used to. But will I ever recover from the Mirena? We live in AZ. IS there any way you can work with our doctor to help guide him? I have also started the electromagnetic machine.
You might do better working with a local AK doc there in AZ.
My question is about vegetarianism and adrenals. I have been a vegetarian for many years. You recommend the Paleo diet and fairly high levels of protein. I average about 65 grams of protein per day (your lbs to kg ratio suggest I should be at about 100) sourced from eggs, sprouted nuts and seeds, hemp, pea and cranberry protein powder, non-GMO tofu, and a very limited amount of plain greek yogurt (all of these organic). You mention denatured whey, but I’ve been reluctant to try that due to a sensitivity to dairy. I also eat a lot of organic vegetables (both raw and cooked), small amounts legumes (mostly lentils), quinoa, brown rice and gluten-free oats, and no sugar (I’ve had not sweeteners of any kind other than organic stevia in over a year). I don’t have an issue with the Paleo diet in theory. My challenge is that my entire being balks at the thought of eating meat, poultry or fish. And it’s a very visceral reaction, not an intellectual one. It seems clear that vegetarianism is not something you would recommend, especially for adrenal fatigue, but do you think there is the possibility of remaining vegetarian and still healing adrenal issues?
Yes you can, it’s just not as easy. I’m surprised you are afraid of the whey but you consume some Greek yogurt?
Thank you for your reply and for all of the information you provide on your website–I’ve been finding it very helpful. I actually did a more precise calculation and realized I’ve been averaging about 85-90 grams of protein on week days (less on weekends, as I tend to eat less), so it’s been pretty easy tweak things and get my level up to 100 grams. As for the whey, I’ve been reluctant to try it partly because it’s fairly concentrated dairy but also because it’s not something I could eat on a regular basis and typically it comes in a larger jar, not a single serving size like yogurt, so there’s a better chance it will languish on the shelf and eventually be thrown away:).
Do you have any experience working with patients exposed to mold? My 22 year old niece has been chronically ill since the age of 14 and housebound for about the past 6 years. She was exposed to mold in elementary school and became so sick she was unable to attend school and only improved after being transferred to another school (BTW, the first school verified that the 100 year old building was high in mold but they couldn’t afford the mitigation so did nothing. The building has since been converted to administrative offices for the school district.). She has been working with a naturopath in our area for about a year and half but has had no improvement, nor with her previous chiropractor/applied kinesiologist nor any of the mainstream physicians she has seen. I did a search on your site and didn’t pull up much on mold. I’m just wondering if you have any ideas for avenues she may not have explored yet — any thoughts you have would be much appreciated.
Yeah I see that and deal with it – where are you located?
Colorado, a bit north of Denver
I know a doc out there in Denver named Robert Blaich. Real nice guy and good doc. He knows a lot about adrenal health so you might check him out.
Great article! However, I am still confused as to when adrenal glands are over-working and when they are under-working.
I have huge sleep problems. My heart beats intensely when I fall asleep, or when I wake up in the middle of the night, my body has problems in regulating its temperature (at the same time my back may feel cold and my stomach/legs may feel hot) and I also wake up several times to urinate (around 4 on average).
My profile shows clearly that I produce too much cortisol at night, which, according to the article, shows that my adrenals are over-working. On the other hand, the frequent urination shows clearly that I produce too little aldosterone at night, which, according to the article, shows that my adrenals are under-working. I understand that the latter means that my adrenals used to over-work and now they cannot continue to work at that pace and started to under-work.
Can these two things happen at the same? What is happening to me? And how should I be treated taking into account that my diet is already very good and I don’t think I am too stressed (at least compared to other people I know that sleep easily 8 hours per night)? I really don’t know what else to do..
Sorry – I can’t give you individual advice on-line. Would have to set up a consult.
Thank you so much for the referral. I will pass this info along to my niece and may look into seeing Dr. Blaich myself as well. Thanks again for your time and for all of the great info on your site!
I can find your articles #’s 2 or 3 or 4, but cannot often find 1, or 1 and 2. where are they, would like to read all you write. Much appreciated, Gloria
https://drgangemi.com/2013/11/adrenal_glands/
I do not know if you’re still reading comments or not- and I do not have to have a reply….so no worries there. It’s long winded-but with a reason.
I wanted to tell you how MUCH I have learned from your website and how sane I feel now!
Right now it is January of 2016- In 2014 I was at work, felt really funny all of sudden. My feet felt like I was wearing concrete boots, and were numb. My hands began to tingle and I couldn’t stop from feeling very very HOT! I could not cool down. I went so far as to sit in the walk-in cooler of the restaurant where I worked. No help. Then the roof of my mouth began to tingle as well and I lost all sense of concentration. I knew what I needed to do but couldn’t get my body to do it. Like call my husband to take me to the hospital. Finally someone called him and by the time he got there I could not even grasp the door knob to open the door. When I got there they immediately took me back and ran tests. My potassium levels were at 2. They said I was pretty close to dying. I never in my life KNEW that potassium was so important!
So I have been taking potassium 20 meq 3x’s a day since then.
Within 4 months of that I started having anxiety issues so severe that I suffered my first episode of panic attacks… the doctors put me on xanax 4 x’s a day… I still didn’t feel right and somehow just knew that that much was wrong for me..let’s just say it got to where I only took it when I knew I’d have an episode. I also suffered severe IBS-D . Then my feet and ankles started to swell painfully. So much so that the skin on the TOPS of my feet hurt so bad…and was then prescribed a diuretic? To take 1 a day every day… So I’m taking potassium to replenish what I cannot seem to keep and an anxiety medication that makes the days a blur and then on top of that a diuretic that causes me to lose water and takes the potassium right along with it! Argh…and none of the doctors would listen to me when I questioned them about an underlying cause!
Fast forward to 2015- I went through a bout of bronchitis. Then pneumonia. And 2 and a half weeks before Thanksgiving contracted pneumonia again and was hospitalized. After 5 days they took me back for x-rays on my lungs. They came back with my lungs looking just fine- BUT I was informed, and I quote : “As we filmed the xrays we ‘accidentally’ got your adrenals in them as well and you have a mass. Our endocrinologist will be in shortly to talk to you.” So I was terrified!
After more testing it came back that it was NOT adrenal cancer but something was up with my adrenal gland. So they took blood and sent me home 2 days before Thanksgiving, with an appointment after the 1st of the year to come in for results. *hangs head*
The entire time I was terrified! I had NO clue what they were talking about. What could be wrong. NO one told me what the adrenal gland was or what they did…
I went in for the results and was told that my cortesol levels weren’t bad and not high. SO I asked if they were low? Could my thyroid be an issue? What about premenopause (I am 47) The doctor actually tilted her head and said, “We didn’t think to check that. Let’s make another appointment we’ll draw blood and go from there.” So from today, I go in tomorrow to have that done.
I had a reason for my long winded rant- and that was that with ALL of my symptoms no one even considered adrenal fatigue or that I could also have gut issues. *Shakes her head* If I had found your site so much sooner I would have known better questions to ask and possibly not have suffered so for the last 2 years.
I no longer feel like I am insane and that it’s all in my head. SO when I do see the ‘specialist’ tomorrow I have so many questions to ask her. *smirks* Because she went to college, I did not. She is the specialist. I am not. And I know my body. She does not. I will be looking for a local doctor such as you very soon. Because I have 5 sons and 3 grand kids that need me around a bit longer! Thank you so much! FOR EVERYTHING! I apologize for any errors as I have been crying the entire time I have been typing-such a weight has been lifted from me you cannot imagine! So with adrenal recovery in my future and following your TWT test plan and possibly the FODMAPS after to figure out my gut issues and gain my life back- I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, FOR EVERY SINGLE ARTICLE YOU’VE PRESENTED – (one last note? You have the patience of a saint when it comes to replying to comments! just Wow!)
Was diagnosed last year with PCOS (10-15 undeveloped follicles on each ovary). Very helpful diagnosis after a lifetime of anxiety and depression. However, aside from the diagnosis I was not given much help. Not that I expected it from someone in the industrial medical system. They wouldn’t even test me for PCOS for years because I didn’t present with the typical symptoms (ie I wasn’t an overweight, balding diabetic with a beard), despite the fact I had a lot of mood imbalances and my cycle was very irregular. I had to go in for something else and they found out by accident when they were taking a pelvic ultrasound.
Anyway, rant of frustration aside, I forged ahead with that knowledge, am seeing a naturopath who specializes in endocrinology. Just submitted my one day salivary test last week and will be going for a follow up next week to see what my results were.
I was intrigued by what you said about progesterone in one of the earlier sections of this series. I have known for some time that my progesterone levels are low, as the only time I feel “right” is during my luteal phase, when the levels are naturally higher. When they decrease at the end of the luteal phase, it is as though I lose my progesterone completely. I definitely have those symptoms where, at the end of my luteal phase just a few days before I start my period, during my period, and during my follicular phase, I have pretty severe symptoms. The symptoms include declining libido, fogginess, irritability, increased sensitivity to sound and light, anxiety, depression, an uptick in OCD symptoms, etc. A psychiatrist had diagnosed me as bipolar for these reasons, as I can fall pretty hard when my progesterone drops.
By working with my naturopath, getting on a paleo diet, and slowly figuring out how to structure my life so that I’m less stressed, I’ve come a long way in getting to something of a “normal” state. I have to re-think how I was raised with exercise entirely, too. “No pain, no gain” totally doesn’t work for anyone, but especially for me, as my underlying hormonal balance is entirely off, and too much stress on my system, even if it’s from exercise, will quickly send me spiraling. Whether my balance is off due to lifelong dietary and lifestyle issues or due to a genetic component (my mother and her sisters all have PCOS and have the exact symptoms I have. They take antidepressants. I tried that route; it was a disaster), or both, I don’t entirely know. I just know that I’m still struggling with sleep, energy, mood, and random weigh fluctuations.
But, this series has brought to light the distinct connection between the adrenals and my “PCOS” issues. I really appreciate all the work you’ve put into it.
Great article ! One question though: Is it fine to drink decaf coffee ?
Depends. I’ve seen some people with significant adrenal issues who can’t handle decaf either.
Hi there,
I have been struggling with balancing my hormones after years on levothyroxine following thyroid cancer. I live in Eugene Oregon, do you know of any docs you would recommend around here or in Portland? Thanks
Sorry I do not.
Hi, I’m very interested in your work.
I had cortisol tests and it was deemed they were high level. And then they gave me a suppression test (deximethsone I think) to test for Cushing’s Syndrome. They did this twice as one tablet didn’t suppress. Second try two tablets did lower cortisol levels.
The test suppressed the cortisol so it was concluded that it wasn’t Cushing’s syndrome.
They told me that it must be Suso cushings due to be being over weight (tired and overweight being the reason I went to the doctors in the first place, so I thought thanks, you think I’m fat because I’m fat, really helpful)
Anyway. A second endocrinologist said that they had a picture of my adrenals and they “looked” normal. So he had no further work to do. And diagnosed me with chronic fatigue syndrome and that there was currently no medical reason for my symptoms. No explanation. Even though my cortisol levels were high and my testosterone was borderline low.
That was one year ago after years of visits.
Then I met an osteopath who tested my urine for sodium excretion and deemed I had adrenal fatigue. That was literally last week.
So I guess my question is what do I say to my doctor? Do I ask for some specific tests. retest cortisol and another hormones you think would be helpful to pin down what is my actual problem?
It’s clearly endocrine related. But I don’t know what tests to ask for.
The osteopath has me on the B6 complex, zinc and Adrenal supplement.
I have to say I have felt better since taking those. But rather than assume that’s correct. Are there specific tests I can have done to confirm everything?
Thanks in Advance.
Ryan
I would do an adrenal saliva test like one at this lab: http://www.diagnostechs.com/Pages/AdrenalStressIndex.aspx
Happy to set up a consult with you to. https://drgangemi.com/consult-dr-gangemi/
That was a very interesting set of articles. I’m a nightshift nurse-cardiac ICU, high stress job at level 1 trauma center and the STEMI hospital, I love my job and don’t see myself changing anytime soon. I sleep daily from about 10-11am to 430-530 pm. Any input on cortisol levels with shift work? My cortisol levels when last checked were 1.5 and 2.8 being the highest. I am horribly fatigued and have zero social life due to it. I take an intermittent adrenal supplement but it works her and there so I go off of it to give myself a break. I’ve tried steroids in the past and of course they give me tons of energy but I can’t take them forever. In 2010 I had steroid induced Cushing’s syndrome and have never been quite the same since then, I gained 60 pounds in a 5 week span. I had an allergic reaction to cipro that caused a DRESS syndrome with multi organ failure. Since then I have chronic eosinophila sometimes with my levels being 30% on my CBC and was hospitalized sereral times in the past year from being sick. My doctors don’t think it’s autoimmune and they recommended endocrine and immunology to see me, I’ll be seeing them in a few weeks. I’m just curious in your take in this whole disaster of life I’m living in.
Thank you for this article. I’ve been dealing with health problems for quite some time now, becoming very emotional and discouraged because I haven’t found a doctor yet that takes me seriously and understands what I’m going through. I’m also only 25 so I feel like that could be some of the reason I haven’t felt listened to. I’ve been told I have fibromyalgia because of the constant fatigue I feel and muscle pain, as well as other symptoms that are effecting my life, such as not sleeping well. I have looked into adrenal gland fatigue before in the past but I have never discussed it with a doctor. I feel like this could be the cause of my symptoms. Yet I do not know for sure. I never feel like I have energy and I’m always needing coffee to wake me up so I can seriously function at my job. But the coffee and any other caffeine makes me a hundred times worse so I have tried to stay away. I also get very fatigued after eating carbohydrates. A long time ago when everything first started I thought I had blood sugar problems, diabetes runs in my family, but the meter would show normal. I was very confused and I have been for a long time. I also experience a fast heart rate all the time and my family doctor prescribed metoprolol, but never explained anything to me. I have felt alone a lot dealing with my health. Thank you so much for this information because it is something I may bring up when I try a different doctor. it could be an explanation to what is going on and help me on a path to feeling like myself again.
Thank you for all this important information. I watched all 4 parts. Confirmed that my dr knows what she’s talking about! I also have a few questions for her. I’m from south Louisiana and the two endocrinologists I’ve see don’t have a clue about adrenal glands. My dr is a obgyn that specializes in adrenal, thyroid & sex hormones. Her name is Dr Patricia Nevils and she is located in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Surprised you never mentioned a potentially deadly Adrenal Disease, Primary or Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency or Addison’s Disease if Primary.
Understanding it versus a fatigue issue could save someone’s life.
This article is extremely helpful. I was recently informed that I have a non cancerous tumor om my adrenal gland and that it needs to be removed, but that they may need to remove the entire adrenal gland. I am young and healthy other than this issue. I detected something myself and asked the doc to draw blood. My potassium was so low that I was encouraged to go to the hospital. Since I have again been encouraged to get the surgery. I don’t like the idea of living with just one adrenal glad and am doing more research to determine what my next move will be. This article REALLY helps me understand the many important functions of the adrenal glands.
I see my doctor tomorrow and have copied these notes to show her as she says I have diabetes and I know i don’t. I have adrenal fatigue affecting the pancreas, liver and thyroid.
I have Lymphocytic Hypophysitis, diagnosed through a biopsy. I do not produce cortisol and I take a 1mg dose of prednisone daily. I suffer from excessive sweating, especially face and scalp. My endocrinologist doesn’t seem to care about that, but I’m wondering if it is in anyway related. I read somewhere that excessive sweating can be indicative of an adrenal problem. Can you give me any guidance?
Conditions such as this require a personalized evaluation and treatment.
I’ve had adrenal fatigue progressing e for many years before I learned about it from your articles. 2.5 years ago I was in stage 4 when I saw a holistic doctor who gave me DHEA and pregnenolone “for energy” and used applied kinesiology to determine the dose. Big mistake. I quickly got worse; I have had maybe 1 complete night’s sleep since then and become fatigued easily. My concentration and focus are suffering, I have no appetite, my muscles are weak & wasting, and I am more discouraged than ever. My flat feet are now so weak that I am having trouble with balance while walking so that I can’t even enjoy walking and hiking like I used to. Do you think I can expect to improve my foot strength and balance with your exercises even before I have overall health improvements? Or will I need to get better first? Thanks
Yeah pregnenolone supplementation is not a good idea as it just supports the stress pathway. Sometimes you need to get healthy to get the feet better, but also the foot pain (and really any pain) can and will make your stress worse, thus impacting those adrenal glands!
I only have 1 working adrenal gland as my left kidney and adrenal gland were covered in cancer in 2004 when I had stage-4 Non Hodgkin Lymphoma. In 2010, I started seeing an Internist who is from Russia and had much different training than those trained only in the US. Knowing my health history, he performed an Autonomic Nervous System test, which confirmed something wrong with my adrenals. Blood work further confirmed this. By the time I started seeing him, I had already had hip replacement and 2 hip revisions due to radiation damage for the cancer in 2004. After each surgery, the doctor would tell me I needed a pace maker because of very low blood pressure and my heart not beating right. A cardiologist tested and confirmed I did NOT need a pace maker. Since January, 2010, I have had many more surgeries and other health issues, and now battling bladder cancer. My question is, will I ever again be able to have normal adrenal function with only 1 adrenal gland that works? I am now 74 years of age. I have been working with a doctor of naturopathic medicine to determine what supplements to take.
Hi Donna, I am unfortunately not able to specifically answer your question due to your detailed health history and not being a patient of mine. I hope the naturopathic doctor you’re seeing can help you with your health issues. Take care!
I loved your analogy about fixing the problem in Atlanta when the real problem is else where. I have been given Thyroxine again (I dropped it 10 years ago because it made me worse) because doctors are just not bothered to make the right connection s. You are a rare breed sir. I have been suffering horrid upper back pain and joint pain and now I know the problem is I have burned myself out finally aftet decades of coping with mental and emotional stress