Adrenal exhaustion (adrenal fatigue)

What is adrenal exhaustion?

Early symptoms of adrenal exhaustion

Late/ long-term symptoms of adrenal exhaustion

Causes of adrenal exhaustion

Tests for adrenal exhaustion

Prevention / remedies / treatment for adrenal exhaustion

References

What is adrenal exhaustion? (adrenal fatigue or hypoadrenia)

Adrenal exhaustion is when the adrenal glands produce too much cortisol, but not enough of the other hormones which the adrenal glands make. This is usually due to stress or poor diet. It is a reversible condition, and should not be confused with Addison's disease or chronic adrenal insufficiency, which are more severe, serious, and unusual forms of adrenal exhaustion.

Adrenal exhaustion is summed up in the phrase "wired and tired". You often lie awake at 2am, and feel sleepy at 7am when it is time to get up.

An adrenal gland sits on top of each of your kidneys, located on either side of your lower back. The adrenal glands secrete a number of hormones that help our bodies respond to stress, in addition to other important functions. These hormones include adrenalin (epinephrine), noradrenalin (norepinephrine), cortisol and cortisone. The adrenal glands also produce aldosterone, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, pregnenolone and DHEA.

Note that the adrenal hormones, particularly adrenalin and cortisol, activate the body's fight-or-flight response. They increase the amount of glucose in the blood, raise blood pressure and increase energy production in response to threats to our life.

Adrenal exhaustion is an ailment often diagnosed by naturopaths, but not widely recognised by doctors in the medical profession. This means that doctors are often not very helpful when someone presents with a selection of the symptoms listed below. Unfortunately, these symptoms are common.

Adrenal exhaustion can occur at all ages, from infants and young children to the elderly.

Initial symptoms of adrenal exhaustion

• Chronic stress initially causes abnormally high cortisol levels (hyper-adrenalism). At the same time, DHEA, thyroid hormones, melatonin and many other hormones will be too low. Low DHEA causes a deficiency cascade of sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, leading to other problems such as PMS, peri-menopause / hot flushes, andropause, hypothyroidism and general poor health.
• High blood pressure.
• Tendency to put on weight, sugar craving, muscle wasting. This is the classic sarcopenia-weight-gain cycle.
• Worsening insulin resistance / diabetes. Disrupted metabolism.
• Irritability, depression and anxiety from altered brain chemistry. Impatience. Low tolerance of small children, slow drivers, and stupid behaviour in other people.
• Difficulty sleeping in the early hours, but waking up feeling tired.
• Sweating / perspiration is excessive, even when inactive or at normal temperatures.
• High stomach acid and stomach acidity in the early phase of adrenal exhaustion. This may cause a stomach ulcer.
• Frequent infections.
• Other ailments depending on the particular individual.

Late/ long-term symptoms of adrenal exhaustion

• Habitual stress. Irritability, anxiety, inability to handle stress, nervous disposition, mood swings, poor ability to focus, low self-esteem, loss of interest in friends, family and work. Relationships suffer. Depression.
• Blood cortisol eventually goes abnormally low, along with most of the other hormones (which were already deficient).
• Fatigue, exhaustion, low energy level, low stamina, brain fog, poor recovery after exercise. It is an effort just to get through the day.
• Children. Sick, depressed and having difficulty at school. Some children develop behavioural problems such as becoming hyperactive, compulsive or obsessive.
• Body shape. Weight gain, inability to lose weight. The classic long-term body shape for adrenal exhaustion is a fat gut and a wasted butt (loss of gluteus maximus).
• Reduced production of gastric hydrochloric acid and digestive hormones, causing a variety of digestive and gut problems and weak digestion. This causes malabsorption, mineral and other nutritional deficiencies.
• Low blood pressure. Feeling dizzy when you stand up too quickly after resting.
• Low body temperature. Red fingertips. Poor circulation, cold hands. Decreased cold tolerance.
• Insomnia, trouble sleeping.
• Low libido (men and women), erectile dysfunction.
• Menopause from hell and female hormonal imbalances such as menstrual problems, hot flushes and PMS. (Healthy menopause should be a non-event).
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level).
• Weak immune system. Prone to colds, flu and other infections.
• Skin - dry, thin, scaly.
• Little perspiration. It takes a lot of heat and exercise to get sweating.
• Salt or sweet craving.
• Headaches, especially with stress or exertion, or in the afternoon.
• Allergies.
• Chronic inflammation.
• Aches and pains in joints and muscles.
• Palpitations.
• Osteoporosis.
• Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Causes of adrenal exhaustion

• Diet 1. A modern, convenient, Western diet high in sugar and carbohydrates. Gluten, wheat agglutinins and other toxins in grains are also primary causes.
  
  Deficiencies in vitamins B1, C and D, and potassium.
• Diet 2. Insufficient saturated fats and cholesterol. Use of low-fat products and avoidance of cholesterol.
  
  The endocrine glands and particularly the adrenals and sex glands produce steroid hormones. The raw materials used to make these hormones are saturated fats and cholesterol. Aldosterone, androsterone, corticosterone, estradiol, estrone, progesterone, pregnenolone, testosterone and other hormones are all made from cholesterol. These hormones strongly affect our behaviour, emotions and sexual / reproductive ability. This is aside from other essential functions such as regulating our metabolism, ability to assimilate minerals, energy production, bone formation, muscle and brain function.
• Stress. Corticosteroids cortisol and other glucocorticoids are normally produced by the adrenal glands in large quantities when the body is injured, stressed or healing itself. Stress can be physical, mental or emotional.
  
  The typical lifestyle for adrenal exhaustion is a fast-paced, high-stress, fear-based life with anger, rage, arguing, hatred, loud music, fearful news and movies full of suspense or violence dished up on a daily basis. Regular use of stimulants. Frequent lack of sleep. Excessive exercise. Pushing the body too hard.
  
  An excessively-stressed mental outlook and over-busy lifestyle consumes a lot of steroidal hormones. The brain and the endocrine glands are big consumers of cholesterol along with many other systems in the body which need cholesterol for good health. It is essential that there are sufficient raw materials available to make these steroid hormones.
• Toxins. In modern foods, especially those that trigger sensitivity reactions. Most personal products, cleaning products, the environment etc. Grow Youthful discusses hidden sources of toxins in detail. (1, 2, 3)
• Caffeine excess / overuse, or the use of other stimulant drugs.
• Drinking too much water or other liquids, and drinking too frequently. I see people who walk around during the day carrying a water bottle, or who are sipping every 15 minutes while they exercise. This is a classic case of drinking too frequently. (5)
• Mobile/cell/cordless phones, close proximity to wi-fi, microwave towers and microwave ovens give off high levels of microwave radiation. See article on 4G and 5G EMF radiation.
• Noise. Loud music, traffic, industrial, etc.

Tests for adrenal exhaustion

You cannot get accurate test results while on any kind of medication or supplement that affects cortisol, including anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medications, herbal adrenal supplements, hydrocortisone, asthma inhalers and prednisone as examples.

• A saliva test that measures the level of cortisol that is free and available (unbound). The saliva test should also measure DHEA. You spit into a container four times throughout the day and then post it off to the laboratory.
• Blood tests to measure cortisol and other hormones are available.
• Ragland Test or Sign. This is a simple test in which someone takes your blood pressure after 5 minutes lying down and relaxed. You then stand up quickly, and your blood pressure is taken again. In those with weak adrenals, the blood pressure goes down (or way too high) and the person feels light-headed, weak, shaky or dizzy. In contrast, a healthy person will have an increase in blood pressure when they stand up.
• Eye test. Shine a strong light like a torch/flashlight in one eye. The pupil should contract quickly. If it does not contract, dilates or flutters, it indicates that the adrenals may be weak.
• Hold your breath. Most people can manage 40 seconds, but if you can only manage 10 or 20 seconds, this may indicate adrenal exhaustion.
• Recovery after exercise. After strong exercise like going up stairs quickly, your pulse should come down to normal within minutes. If it does not, or you are sore in the hours or days after exercise, this is an indication.
• Body temperature. If body temperature fluctuates by more than 0.1C / 0.2F during the day, it is an indication that the adrenals may be weak.

Prevention / remedies / treatment for adrenal exhaustion

It can take a couple of years to recover from severe adrenal burnout. With milder forms of adrenal exhaustion, you can have good improvements in a few months.

• Diet. Eat sufficient saturated fats and cholesterol, the building materials for steroid hormones.
  
  Replace depleted minerals by drinking mineral-rich water (see Grow Youthful), eating organic and high-mineral foods, and using natural unprocessed sea or rock salt.
  
  Avoid high levels of raw food. Raw food is harder to digest, and adds to digestive load.
  
  Avoid gluten, sugar, all grains, especially "white" grains and flour. Eat a low-carbohydrate diet.
  
  Have a little protein with every meal.
  
  Eat foods that provide sufficient vitamin B complex, vitamin C, and potassium.
• Avoid fasting and hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).
• Reduce the level of chronic stress in your life and the excessive drain on your steroid hormones. Be gentle on yourself, physically, mentally and emotionally.
  
  Recognise and deal with ongoing negative emotions, particularly around a perceived lack of power in your own life, or giving away your power to other people, ideals or beliefs. This includes when you keep saying yes when you really want to say no, or living a life in which your values are compromised, doing what is not right or true for you.
  
  Avoid the overuse of stimulants.
• Drink less frequently. Only drink when you are thirsty. Do not sip from a water bottle all day. Early humans did not have water bottles, so that is how we evolved. Thirst triggers the production of oxytocin, the feel-good trust and love hormone. Constant drinking prevents the production of this hormone. (5)
• Help your endocrine glands (and particularly your adrenals) to do their work. There are many herbal preparations on the market for adrenal exhaustion. Useful herbs include tribulus terrestris, maca and slippery elm. Essential oils include Roman chamomile, clary sage, geranium, bergamont, fennel and sage.
• Sunshine and vitamin D.
• Sauna, hot baths. Taking a sauna every day for two weeks increased the level of human growth hormone, according to a study. (4) Levels of noradrenalin, dopamine and serotonin are also increased in the body through the hormetic effects of mild stress created by a sauna or a soak in a hot bath.

Buy organic Maca (Australia only)

• Garlic is a traditional remedy - crush a clove, and take it in a glass of warm water on an empty stomach - on rising, or mid-afternoon.
• Get sufficient sleep.
• Ashwagandha. This herbal medicine is an adaptogen that helps balance and maintain adrenal hormone levels. Ashwagandha helps your body produce testosterone.
• Regularity in your life.
• Meditation.
• Toxin removal. Grow Youthful details a variety of techniques, such as detox clay and activated charcoal.
• Drink plenty of mineralised water for good hydration (as well as the minerals).
• Avoid excessive noise and electromagnetic pollution.
• Enjoy regular gentle and pleasant exercise such as walks and gardening, but avoid vigorous or sustained exercise.
• GABA.
• Urine therapy.
• See details of remedies recommended by Grow Youthful visitors, and their experience with them.

References

1. Kristin J Cummings, M. Abbas Virji. The Long-term Effects of Cleaning on the Lungs. PubMed: 29474796. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Published Online: 23 February 2018.

2. Oistein Svanes, Randi J Bertelsen, Stein HL Lygre, Cecilie Svanes et al. Cleaning at Home and at Work in Relation to Lung Function Decline and Airway Obstruction. PubMed: 29451393. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Published Online: 23 February 2018.

3. O Svanes, RJ Bertelsen, SHL Lygre, AE Carsin, JM Anto, B Forsberg, JM Garcia-Garcia, JA Gullon, J Heinrich et al. Cleaning at home and at work in relation to lung function decline and airway obstruction. Retrieved online from thoracic.org on 10 March 2018.

4. Hussain J, Cohen M. Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 Apr 24;2018:1857413. doi: 10.1155/2018/1857413. PMID: 29849692; PMCID: PMC5941775.

5. Pruimboom L, Reheis D. Intermittent drinking, oxytocin and human health. Med Hypotheses. 2016 Jul;92:80-3. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2016.04.043. Epub 2016 Apr 27. PMID: 27241263.