What is adrenal fatigue and do you have it

I believe that a lot of those health issues people have, that get fobbed off as nothing or worse - depression, may be caused by adrenal fatigue.  I had heard of this adrenal fatigue thing but didn't really know what it was.  You can run some saliva tests with your Naturopath to see if you have it, the Dr can also run a blood test but the results are less accurate. 

The aim of this post is to present a easy to read bullet point overview of adrenal fatigue, what it is, and to determine if you have it.

Adrenal fatigue is my new favourite topic and I've been reading the book "Adrenal Fatigue - The 21st Century Stress Syndrome"by James L. Wilson and I've taken the following info from there and added the extra bits I've learnt on too.  So if you don't fancy reading 345 pages on the topic, skim this.  Apologies to Robyn at the library, I've had this book out way past it's return date and to the person waiting for it to return - sorry.

I'd also like to add that if you have an auto immune disease, gut dysbiosis, leaky gut, chronic fatigue, clinical depression or fibromyalgia then you will more than likely have some level of adrenal fatigue.

What is adrenal fatigue?
It is a decrease but not failure in the ability of the adrenal glands to carry out normal functions and become unable to respond adequately to stress

Why does adrenal fatigue occur?
Adrenal fatigue occurs when stress from any source - physical, emotional, mental or environmental exceeds cumulatively or in intensity, the body's capacity to adjust appropriately to the demands placed upon it by the stress. The adrenals get tired basically and can't continue to respond to the stress.  Spinning a few plates anyone? Been spinning those plates for a while anyone?

Who suffers from adrenal fatigue?
Anyone.  Old or young. Male or female. Any race or culture. We are all individual and respond differently to stress, some cope better than others. You are more likely to suffer from adrenal fatigue if you have:

• Suffered a serious or infectious disease
• Suffered a serious injury or had surgery
• Illness
• Allergies
• Inadequate nutrition (choosing the wrong food OR not absorbing the minerals due to impaired gut health)
• Intense social, emotional or physical pressures including over exercising
• Toxic environment  - exposure to chemicals at work, or sick building syndrome for example

Life choices that lead to Adrenal Fatigue:

• Lack of sleep (are you a parent?)
• Poor food choices and not eating mindfully (scoffing food down on the go)
• Using food and drinks as stimulants when tired (coffee anyone?)
• Staying up late even when tired (must watch MKR!!)
• Being constantly in a position of powerlessness
• Constantly driving yourself
• Trying to be perfect
• Staying in no win situations over time
• Lack of enjoyable and rejuvenating activities - all work and no play!

Lifestyles that lead to Adrenal Fatigue:

• University Student
• Mother of two or more children and little support from friends or family
• Single parent
• Unhappy marriage
• Unhappy or stressful work conditions
• Self employed with new or struggling business
• Drug or alcohol abuser
• Shift workers with adjusting sleep patterns
• All work, no play

Life events leading to Adrenal Fatigue:

• Unrelieved crisis or pressure at work and or home
• Any severe emotional trauma
• Death of a close friend or family member
• Major surgery
• Prolonged or repeated respiratory infections - always getting a cold?
• Serious burns including sunburn
• Head trauma
• Loss of stable job
• Sudden change of financial status
• Relocation without support of friends or family
• Repeated or overwhelming chemical exposure including drug and alcohol abuse

Here are some common symptoms of adrenal fatigue, how many sound like you?

• Difficulty getting up in the morning. Three alarms and you still don't feel awake enough to lift your head off the pillow.
• Continuing fatigue not relieved by sleep. Despite getting a good night's sleep, you still feel tired when you wake up.  Refreshed is a foreign word to people with adrenal fatigue.
• Craving for salt or salty foods. You find yourself eating the whole bag of chips or adding salt to already salty food.
• Lack or energy. Everything seems like a chore, even the things you used to enjoy.  Frequently, just getting up out of the chair requires too much energy.
• Increased effort to do every day tasks. Everything seems to require ten times as much effort as it should.
• Decreased sex drive. The hottest movie start could be waiting in your bedroom and you would ask him for a rain check! Sex is the last thing on your mind when you hardly have the energy to keep you head up.  Cup of tea  and a foot rub instead please!
• Decreased ability to handle stress. Little things that never used to bother you get to you.  Road rage, constant anxiety, yelling at your kids, and compulsive eating, smoking or drug use let you know your adrenals are crying out for help.
• Increased time to recover from illness, injury or trauma.  The cold you got in October is still hanging on in November.  The cut on your finger takes weeks to heal. Two years after your father died you are still incapacitated by grief.
• Light headed when standing up quickly. Sometimes you feel like you are going to pass out when you get up quickly from the bed or a chair.
• Mild depression. Why bother making an effort, it all seems so pointless.
• Less enjoyment or happiness with life. Not much seems to interest you any more.  Work and relationships feel empty and you almost never do something just for fun.
• Increased PMS. Bloated, tired, cranky, cramping and craving chocolate - does it get any worse than this?
• Symptoms increase if meals are skipped or inadequate. You have to drive yourself with snacks, colas and coffee just to keep from collapsing.
• Thoughts are less focused, more fuzzy. You frequently lose track of your train of thought and it is harder and harder to make decisions, even about little things like what to wear.
• Memory less accurate. You are so absentminded, you should be a professor.
• Decreased tolerance. People seem a lot more irritating than they used to.
• Don't really wake up til 10:00 AM.  Afternoon low between 3:00 and 4:00PM. Around three to four in the afternoon you start to feel like you have been drugged with sleeping pills. And you thought it was just cause the kids got home. Feels better after evening meal. After 6:00 PM and supper, you start to feel alive again. And you thought it was just cause the kids had gone to bed, or maybe it's the wine?
• Decreased productivity. It takes you longer to complete tasks and it is harder to stay on task.

Is adrenal fatigue common?
Yes. It is estimated to affect many millions of people in industrialised nations.  This is mainly due to our busy culture.

Can I recover from adrenal fatigue?
Yes, with proper diet and lifestyle changes most people can fully recover.

Can children suffer from adrenal fatigue?
Yes especially if born to parents suffering adrenal fatigue themselves. Pregnant women often experience a relief in symptoms due to the presence of the unborn baby's adrenals. So maybe it wasn't post natal depression?

Is adrenal fatigue common in someone with cancer who is going through chemotherapy?
Yes, the extreme fatigue of this and any other chronic illness is often the result of decreased adrenal function.  Chronic illness and toxic treatments like chemotherapy are both large stressors for the body and the adrenals are directly involved in trying to balance the stressors.

Other points:

• Around 80% of people suffering from adrenal fatigue also suffer from low thyroid function.
• Adrenal fatigue reduces the immune system, meaning you are more prone to illness.
• It can increase allergic responses, this is because cortisol is a major anti inflammatory and you produce less of this when you have adrenal fatigue.
• Most Doctors only recognise extremely low adrenal function called Addison's disease and disregard the rest.
• Smoking increases your chances of getting adrenal fatigue, anything that places a stressor on the body makes it more difficult for your adrenals to function.

I hope you have found this information helpful? I will be writing another post on how to recover from adrenal fatigue and how to keep your adrenals healthy. Can you relate to any of the symptoms listed above?  I know that at different times in my life I have related to many. I hope you have had a few light bulb moments and that you will be able to make sense of some of the signs and symptoms your body is wisely trying to show you.  You can make a full recovery and enjoy life more than you perceived possible, just by eating real foods prepared using methods our ancestors handed down and by honouring your body's rhythms just by making a few lifestyle changes.

If all of this sounds overwhelming I am available for private consultations to guide you to make empowered choices for your best life.  You can email me at primalsoapbox@gmail.com