What is Stress?

Stress does not have to be someone pointing a gun at you or physically attacking you. It does not have to be impending financial crisis or the loss of a loved one. Certainly all this issues may be categorized as very stressful and will dramatically take a major toll on your adrenals. Stress certainly also includes the issues we deal with on a daily basis. They don’t necessarily have to be on the same level as the previously listed issues, but may be a continual pounding on your system. Think of it like this: If I had you hold a bottle of water, you would look at me strangely if I asked if you were having problems holding it. Of course there would be no problem, but if I were to leave and come back after one hour. Would you be tired of holding the water? How about 24 hours later? I suspect at that point, one would be tiring of holding the bottle. Well how about the stress that we carry on a daily basis, on a weekly basis, on a monthly basis? How about adding the inability to sleep because of your worries? The cycle becomes a raging bull that can place a tremendous amount of stress on your adrenals. The same scenario involves patients with chronic illness, and chronic pain issues, and even acute events. So that is stress, and now how does it affect us?

What are symptoms of stress?

Certainly become enraged about something that occurred to you is a form of stress, that will increase your blood pressure and heart rate. However, I would like to focus on issues of more of a long-term or chronic basis, which stress your adrenals and may progress to adrenal fatigue. In adults, fatigue and lethargy are two of the most common complaints of adrenal fatigue. One of the most important questions I asked is: How do you feel in the morning? Often patients with adrenal fatigue are exhausted after a seemingly good night of sleep. They require hours after initial awakening to be able to start on the normal tasks of a day. One man told me that he did okay in the morning… after eight cups of coffee. These are key patient comments that make me think about adrenal insufficiency. Other symptoms may include tiredness, fearfulness, allergies, frequent flu symptoms, arthritis, anxiety, depression, reduced memory and concentration, insomnia, and the inability to lose weight after extensive efforts.

My doctor told me that I didn’t have Addison’s disease so my adrenals are okay. What is Addison’s disease?

During medical school and training, we are told that the only important issue associated with adrenal stress is Addison’s disease. Addison’s disease is the total shutdown of your adrenals. It is manifested by low blood pressure, low blood sugar, muscle fatigue and even loss of consciousness. I would see patients like this in the intensive care unit on breathing machines, but there must be different levels of this illness. The classic patient with Addison’s disease was John F. Kennedy, who developed shutdown of his adrenals after he required very high dose steroids to treat his gastro-intestinal problems (Colitis). The spectrum of adrenal fatigue and insufficiency is unfortunately not well addressed. Physicians only talk of the extreme when it comes to the adrenals and not address the spectrum of this disease process. It starts with mild symptoms, and mild insufficiency and if left unattended or the issues causing the stress on your system aren’t corrected, then the symptoms and the degree of insufficiency progress. Medical doctors always talk about diabetes, and the spectrum, which starts out with elevated fasting glucose levels, that are treated with diet. This progression of therapy, describes attempts at controlling elevated sugar levels by using pills (oral hypoglycemics), and then two separate types of pills (oral hypoglycemics and glucophage). The addition of insulin is required the more severe forms with the inability of the body to produce insulin and that eventually the patients will require higher dose of these agents to avoid all the bad effects of diabetes including Kidney disease, Cardiovascular disease, strokes, and loss of vision. Why does adrenal disease not have a spectrum of disease? It does! In addition, I believe we should address the problem early and not allow it to progress to a dire situation.

Why is Adrenal Fatigue under-diagnosed by physicians?

Signs and symptoms associated with Adrenal fatigue are probably one of the most prevalent issues facing almost every adult at one time in there life. Previously it was felt that it was a condition that had no treatment except to “relax”, get more sleep and eat properly. Certainly all these approaches are important, but there it is much more complex than that. Of course living in the 21^st century is much more complex than a simple response of just “relax” and it will all be better. One of the major reasons for under diagnosing adrenal fatigue was the inability to accurately test for it. Conventional Medicine employs a test and treats methodology where patient symptoms often are secondary to lab results. The development of saliva testing has allowed physicians to more clearly identify the pattern of cortisol production during the course of a 24-hour period. Unfortunately, a large number of physicians are not familiar with this testing approach and despite over 20,000 articles identifying the clinical foundation and effectiveness of this testing, the test is often not performed. I believe that saliva testing for adrenal insufficiency is the best and easiest test to clearly define the adrenal response of a patient during the course of a normal day.

What are some signs and symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue that I should look for?

Tendency to gain weight and unable to lose it, especially around the waist.
Tendency to tremble when under pressure
Reduced sex drive
Increased frequency of getting g the flu and other respiratory illnesses, and these symptoms seem to linger on.
Lightheaded when arising from a laying down position when getting up in the morning
Increasing forgetfulness
Lack of energy in the morning, especially upon awakening.
Lack of energy in the afternoon between three and 5 pm, and a “second wind” around 9 or 10 in the evening.
Need coffee and stimulants to get going in the morning
Crave for salty, fatty, and high protein food such as cheese and meat.
Intermittent pain in upper back or neck for no apparent reason.
Difficulties getting up in the morning, which often requires numerous “snooze alarms”
Increased symptoms of PMS for women.

Are there any other signs and symptoms?

Yes, there are more and it is understandable that adrenal insufficiency might be either written off by the patient and or the doctor as just “normal”. Nevertheless, it definitely is not normal, nor is it healthy or productive.