Adrenal Fatigue: The Effect of Chronic Stress
Donald Aulds, M.D.
Have you ever had a major stress event in your life and afterwards felt as though you could not get back to feeling well? Do you feel that you can not get yourself back together? Do you feel usually tired after you wake up or unable to wind down at night to go to sleep? Do you feel that you do not have the energy to do your normal routines or to exercise? Does it take longer to recover from a simple cold or other conditions? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you could have adrenal fatigue. It has been estimated that as high as 80% of all Americans have some degree of adrenal fatigue. Other names have been applied to the condition including Non-Addision’s syndrome, subclinical hypoadrenalism, and adrenal apathy.
What is adrenal fatigue?
Adrenal fatigue is a condition in which the adrenal glands function at levels that are not high enough to manage stress, or the normal demands of daily life. The adrenal gland produces over fifty types of hormones for the body. We often hear from patients that they do feel the same after some major event in their life. The event could include infections, emotional stress, financial problems, and change in job, change in life situations, change in eating habits, smoking, drugs, and other stressors in an individual’s life. After these events go on, the adrenal glands produce less cortisol which is the body’s main hormone for stress.
What are the common symptoms of adrenal fatigue?
- Fatigue or lethargy – usually described as a lack of energy in the mornings, often between 3-5 PM, and again between 9-10 PM
- Feeling unwell or difficulty recovering from infections.
- Lightheadedness – when rising from laying-down or sitting position
- Craving either salty or sugary foods to attempt to keep going with normal routines
- Difficulty remembering or concentrating – feeling like having a “brain fog”
- Hair loss
- Alternating constipation and diarrhea
- Decreased sex interest
- Mild depression
- Sleep interruptions
- Increased symptoms of PMS in women
- Weight gain and inability to lose the weight – usually the weight is around the waist
- Sometimes pain in upper back or neck
- Difficulty to fight off cold or flu with the infections lasting longer once they occur
How else can the condition affect the body?
Cortisol affects all of the hormonal systems. There is a delicate balance between the cortisol and the functions of the thyroid glands, the ovaries in women and the testes in men, the pancreas and the hormones made by the brain. If the cortisol levels are abnormal, the insulin, produced by the pancreas which controls blood sugars, is altered. This can then stimulate growth hormone which will cause accumulation of weight around the waist. The estrogen and progesterone balance can be altered which will produce sometimes changes in the patterns of the periods and increase symptoms like PMS and hormonal produced headaches. In men, the testosterone levels may be altered which will possibly decrease sexual interest and possibly affect ability to obtain erection or the firmness of the erection. Thyroid levels may be altered and produce symptoms suggested of thyroid disease.
How can this condition be diagnosed?
Tests are available for the diagnosis of adrenal failure and may include:
- Saliva testing – the optimum test would include four measures of cortisol to include morning, midday, late afternoon and prior to bedtime, DHEA-S (dihyroepiandosterone sulfate – which plays a major role in muscle mass and energy) and estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels.
- ATCH Challenge Test – the test is used to rule out the cause of the adrenal low function to an abnormal secretion of stimulating hormone from the pituitary gland
- Cortisol testing – measure of cortisol in the blood with the optimum test being done at the minimum twice during the day or on a 24 hour urine sample.
What therapies are available to treat adrenal fatigue?
Improvement in lifestyle choices are the best approaches:
- Diet adjustments: add omega-3 essential fatty acids with fish and flax, mineralized salt ½ - 1 teaspoon mixed in water on rising, vegetable, fruits, meats cooked in olive oil, and low-glycemic carbohydrates such as brown rice and grains.
- Relaxation – using meditation, yoga, and prayer
- Vitamin C – 2000 mg/d
- Vitamin E
- Niacin – 125-150 mg/day
- Vitamin B complex
- Magnesium citrate – 400-1200 mg
- Adrenal extract – if advised by your physician
If you have questions about this condition or feel that you might have the symptoms suggestive of this, talk to your physician.
More about Dr. Aulds
Donald G. Aulds, MD is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist and currently serves as the Medical Director for both the Women's Center and the Best Start Program of North Alabama. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Dr. Aulds completed his medical education at Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA and his Internship and Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Ochsner Medical Foundation, New Orleans, LA.
Dr. Aulds has been an active member of the Huntsville Hospital Medical Staff since 1980.
