Adrenal Fatigue, Adrenal Failure, Fattest State

Today’s Re-Powering Information – Many women can relate to feeling low on energy, fatigue, insomnia, weight gain, and depression. Does that sound like you? If so, your underlying problem may be adrenal fatigue. Many women think they have a slow thyroid which is not necessarily always the case.

To know if you have adrenal failure or fatigue, you need to have testing which includes checking cortisol levels from saliva – not blood. When I had mine tested last year, they were stressed. Considering the schedule I keep I was not surprised, but with some supplements, less work at night and more sleep they improved.
The effects of adrenal dysfunction can be profound: fatigue and weakness, suppression of the immune system, muscle and bone loss, moodiness or depression, hormonal imbalance, skin problems, autoimmune disorders, and dozens of other. Read the information below to become more informed. I had my testing done at Medical Spa 407 in Bartonville Town Center and this is one of the things they specialize in for women.

Eighteen Overlooked Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue
by Patty Donovan, citizen journalist
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(NaturalNews) More and more alternative health practitioners are beginning to recognize how widespread adrenal fatigue (hypoadrenia) is in the general population. In mainstream medicine, doctors refuse to recognize there is a problem with the adrenal glands unless you meet the diagnostic criteria for Addison’s disease (extremely little adrenal function) or Cushing’s disease (hyper adrenal). These diseases together affect less than 2% of the population, but some experts believe that upwards of 80% of the population suffers from some level of adrenal insufficiency. Besides the usual symptoms of overwhelming fatigue and inability to handle stress, the symptoms listed below provide a more complete picture of adrenal fatigue and are often overlooked even by alternative practitioners.

•ASTHMA, BRONCHITIS or CHRONIC COUGH: Any person with lung problems, especially asthma and bronchitis should be checked for poor adrenal function. The lungs cannot respond appropriately to stress, allergens etc because of lack of cortisol. Asthma is often considered an emotional disease because stress can trigger an attack. Fix the adrenals so the body can respond normally to stress and the asthma will disappear.

•ALLERGIES: Most allergies involve an inflammatory process. As the adrenal function decreases, allergies worsen. Generally, if the adrenal glands were functioning properly, the body would not respond to the allergen. This same anti-inflammatory effect is important in asthma also. As the adrenal glands heal, allergies are markedly reduced.

•RECURRENT INFECTIONS: Severe and/or recurrent infections (especially respiratory) often indicate adrenal problems. The more severe, the more frequently it occurs or the longer it lasts, the more likely adrenal fatigue is involved in the infection.

•MUSCLE WEAKNESS AND BACK PAIN: Dr. Goodheart identified five skeletal muscles which can indicate adrenal function. These are 1) sartorius, 2) gracilis, 3) posterior tibialis, 4) gastrocnemius, and 5) soleus. When the adrenal glands are malfunctioning, there will be weakness in one or more of these muscles. The sartorius and gracilis attach on the pelvis. Weakness in these muscles can cause the sacro-iliac joint to subluxate posteriorally (toward the back) leading to low back pain. In persons with adrenal fatigue, low back pain is frequently caused by instability of the pelvis rather than an actual back problem. These same two muscles also attach to the knee and help provide support. Weakness will cause knee pain, weakness and instability of the joint. Any person with knee problems should be checked for adrenal fatigue. The other 3 muscles mentioned stabilize the feet and ankles. Weakness of any of these muscles leads to complaints of tired, aching feet, weak ankles or aching calves. The symptoms related to the muscle weakness will improve when the adrenal glands are treated.

•SLEEP DISTURBANCES: Cortisol production follows a curve from highest levels around 8am, dropping throughout the day until the lowest levels are reached about 11pm. In early stages of adrenal fatigue the body compensates with high night time cortisol. In this case the person finds it difficult to relax from the stress of the day and has trouble going to sleep. High night-time cortisol results in reduced REM sleep which is neither restful nor restorative. This can lead to depression and reduced energy levels the next day. In later stages of adrenal fatigue, the body may produce adrenaline (“fight or flight” hormone) in an attempt to compensate for low cortisol. This too will result in insomnia.

•DIZZINESS (POSTURAL HYPOTENSION): When a person stands from a sitting or lying position, the systolic blood pressure usually rises about 10 points as blood vessels in the lower body constrict to force blood to the heart, lungs and brain. This is a result of the action of epinephrine on the blood vessels. In people with adrenal fatigue, the blood vessels are unable to respond to the release of epinephrine because of lack of cortisol, so blood pools in the abdomen and pelvis and blood pressure drops. This systolic drop ranges from 10 to 40 points and is present in over 90% of those with hypoadrenia. Dizziness is usually present on standing; however, in some people it is present intermittently or constantly throughout the day as even resting blood pressure is low. Paradoxically, in order to prevent pooling of blood in the abdomen and lower extremities, the body may keep blood pressure extremely elevated. Pressure will still drop when the person stands but only to around 150. Remember, it may have been 180 or higher before standing. Treating the adrenals will lower blood pressure whereas anti-hypertensives and diuretics will make the adrenal problems worse in many cases.

•INFLAMMATION: Cortisol and other glucocorticoids produced by the adrenal glands are the body’s own anti-inflammatory hormones. People who have responded to injections of corticosteroids into joints or to taking them orally are usually those whose adrenal glands produce insufficient amounts of these hormones. Any person who responds to corticosteroids should be checked for adrenal fatigue.

•HYPOGLYCEMIA: As adrenal fatigue progresses, blood glucose levels will tend to fall too low. The body responds to hypoglycemia by causing the person to crave anything that will rapidly raise blood sugar levels, such as a soda, candy bar, a cup of coffee or even cigarettes. Often adrenal fatigue leads to the abuse of alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs because of the need to “fix” recurrent hypoglycemia. Unfortunately, the rapid rise in blood glucose provided by the “fix” only serves to start the whole cycle over.

•HEADACHES: This is caused again by blood pooling in the abdomen and pelvis leading to inadequate blood supply to the head.

•BEHAVIOR AND MEMORY PROBLEMS: Cortisol even regulates the electrical activity of neurons in the brain and thus influences behavior, mood and memory. Behavior changes frequently occur in both excess and deficient cortisol levels. Sleep disorders for example, are common with both high and low cortisol. Symptoms more closely related to adrenal fatigue involve decreased tolerance (quick to anger), decreased clarity of thought, poor memory and memory retrieval.

•SALT CRAVING: The adrenal glands produce many more hormones than just glucocorticoids. One very important hormone is aldosterone, a mineralocorticoid. Aldosterone regulates fluid and electrolytes (sodium, chloride, potassium and magnesium) in the blood, between and in the cells of the body. As adrenal fatigue progresses, the production of aldosterone lessens. This causes “salt-wasting”. As the salt is excreted by the kidneys, water follows leading to electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. Those with adrenal fatigue should always add salt (preferably sea salt with its trace minerals) to their water. Soft drinks and electrolyte drinks like Gatorade are high in potassium and low in sodium, the opposite of what someone with low cortisol needs. Commercial electrolyte drinks are designed for those who produce high cortisol when exercising, not for someone who produces little or no extra cortisol during exercise. You need to add ¼ to 1 teaspoon of salt to a glass of water or eat something salty to maintain fluid/electrolyte balance.

•EXCESSIVE THIRST AND URINATION: A person with low aldosterone may also urinate 15 to 20 times a day and drink excessive quantities of water. Unless salt is added to the water, the fluid/electrolyte balance in the body is further disrupted.

•SWELLING: As the body tries to keep the ratio of electrolytes and fluid balanced, fluid may pour into the tissues and cause swelling. Most doctors will only see the symptom and not the cause and prescribe a diuretic which further compounds the dehydration and electrolyte imbalance and making the patient worse.

•HEMORRHOIDS: Hemorrhoids are basically varicose veins of the rectum and are caused by blood pooling in the abdomen and pelvis. When a person presents with hemorrhoids, it is usually do to adrenal fatigue, but can be caused by liver congestion. Once again, listening to the heart can help determine the cause. If the loud second sound is over the pulmonic valve, it is indicative of adrenal problems, while a loud 2nd sound over the tricuspid valve is indicative of liver congestion.

•VARICOSE VEINS: Varicose veins of the lower extremities result from the same pooling of blood in the abdomen and pelvis that causes hemorrhoids.

•INDIGESTION: The same sluggish circulation in the abdomen can cause symptoms of indigestion and poor absorption of nutrients.

•HYPERPIGMENTATION: Although more often seen in actual Addison’s disease, hyperpigmentation is occasionally seen in adrenal fatigue. This increased pigmentation of the skin may show up as “bronzing” somewhere on the body or as unusual brown patches.

•HEART SOUNDS: The heart normally makes a “lub-dub sound, with the second sound being much quieter than the first sound. In a person with hypoadrenia, the second sound will be equal or louder than the first sound over the pulmonic valve. When the body is stressed, it produces epinephrine which will cause vasoconstriction throughout most of the body, including the lungs. This vasoconstriction decreases the production of mucous in the airways. At the same time, epinephrine will relax the bronchi (bronchodilation) allowing more air to reach the lungs. In those with adrenal fatigue, the body cannot respond to the epinephrine because of lack of cortisol so they experience bronchoconstriction instead, leading to symptoms of asthma. The bronchoconstriction, along with vasodilation and swelling of the mucous membranes create a back pressure in pulmonary circulation (pulmonary hypertension) that causes the pulmonary valve to slam shut, hence the accentuated second sound over the pulmonic valve. Lung diseases such as tuberculosis or tumors can also cause this loud 2nd sound.

The adrenal glands are very complex parts of the endocrine system producing glucocorticoids (cortisol is the most important), mineralocorticoids (aldosterone), epinephrine, norepinephrine and even sex hormones. Adrenal fatigue affects every part of the body and every aspect of life. If you are experiencing the symptoms described above it is imperative you find a practitioner and get tested and treated. It may be helpful to print this out and take it to your practitioner. Saliva cortisol testing usually includes the sex hormones too and can be ordered from several on-line sites without a doctor’s order. If you do it this way though, testing will not be covered by insurance. Saliva testing is the most accurate test because it shows the rhythm of cortisol production and because it shows how much cortisol is present that the body can actually use. Blood tests only show bound cortisol which gives no indication if that cortisol is actually available to enter the tissues. Many people test “normal” on blood cortisol yet very low on saliva.

Sources:
http://tuberose.com/Adrenal_Glands.html
Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome by Dr. James Wilson
End!
I think a lot of women can relate to this condition. Okay – I just found one more great article which goes into details about the function of the adrenal glands and what happens when they are not functioning properly.
Adrenal fatigue
Adrenal fatigue — the effects of stress and high cortisol levels
by Marcy Holmes, Women’s Health NP, Certified Menopause Clinician
Here are the topics covered in this article:
• The role of healthy adrenal glands
• How chronic stress causes adrenal exhaustion
• The effects of adrenal fatigue — cortisol and DHEA
• Should you have your adrenals tested?
• Restoring adrenal health naturally
Our patients’ most common symptoms are fatigue, insomnia, weight gain, and depression. Does that sound like you? If so, your underlying problem may be adrenal fatigue.
Every woman who comes to our clinic with these symptoms gets an adrenal fatigue test, which consists of a series of tests of cortisol levels. And the results — in over thousands of cases — are remarkably consistent: only 1% have cortisol levels indicating healthy adrenal function, while 99% suffer impaired function, ranging from significant adrenal stress to complete adrenal exhaustion.
The effects of adrenal dysfunction can be profound: fatigue and weakness, suppression of the immune system, muscle and bone loss, moodiness or depression, hormonal imbalance, skin problems, autoimmune disorders, and dozens of other symptoms.
The good news is that adrenal fatigue can almost always be relieved. Let’s look at the relationships between stress, high cortisol levels and adrenal fatigue, and then we’ll look at how you can give your adrenals more support.
The original, life-saving role of the adrenal glands
To understand how adrenal fatigue develops, it is important to understand the original, evolutionary function of the adrenal glands. The adrenals are walnut-sized glands located on top of each kidney, and are important control centers for many of the body’s hormones. The outer layer of the gland, called the adrenal cortex, produces hormones including cortisol, DHEA, estrogen and testosterone. The centers of the glands produce adrenaline, the hormone named after them.
The basic task of your adrenal glands is to rush all your body’s resources into "fight or flight" mode by increasing production of adrenaline and other hormones. When healthy, your adrenals can instantly increase your heart rate and blood pressure, release your energy stores for immediate use, slow your digestion and other secondary functions, and sharpen your senses.
Let’s emphasize two points about this healthy stress response. First, it takes priority over all other metabolic functions. Second, it wasn’t designed to last very long.
Stress and the adrenal glands
Unlike our ancestors, we live with constant stress. Instead of occasional, acute demands followed by rest, we’re constantly over-worked, under-nourished, exposed to environmental toxins, worrying about others — with no let-up.
Every challenge to the mind and body creates a demand on the adrenal glands. And the list of challenges is endless: lack of sleep, a demanding boss, the threat of losing your job, financial pressures, personality conflicts, yo-yo dieting, relationship turmoil, death or illness of a loved one, skipping meals, reliance on stimulants like caffeine and carbs, digestive problems, over-exercise, illness or infection, unresolved emotional issues from our past or present and more. The result is adrenal glands that are constantly on high alert.
The destructive effect of high cortisol levels
What is cortisol? In its normal function, cortisol helps us meet these challenges by converting proteins into energy, releasing glycogen and counteracting inflammation. For a short time, that’s okay. But at sustained high levels, cortisol gradually tears your body down.
Sustained high cortisol levels destroy healthy muscle and bone, slow down healing and normal cell regeneration, co-opt biochemicals needed to make other vital hormones, impair digestion, metabolism and mental function, interfere with healthy endocrine function; and weaken your immune system.
Adrenal fatigue may be a factor in many related conditions, including fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, premature menopause and others. It may also produce a host of other unpleasant symptoms, from acne to hair loss. (Please click here to see a list of adrenal fatigue symptoms and related conditions.)
The loss of DHEA production
When the adrenals are chronically overworked and straining to maintain high cortisol levels, they lose the capacity to produce DHEA in sufficient amounts. DHEA (the full name is dehydroepiandrosterone) is a precursor hormone to estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, and is necessary to moderate the balance of hormones in your body. Insufficient DHEA contributes to fatigue, bone loss, loss of muscle mass, depression, aching joints, decreased sex drive, and impaired immune function. (For more information, read our article on DHEA.)
Testing for adrenal fatigue
Conventional medicine is truly wonderful at treating disease-state conditions. Unfortunately its focus on drugs also tends to suppress early-stage symptoms rather than treat their underlying causes. This can have the effect of delaying treatment until a disease state has developed. This is true in the case of adrenal fatigue cortisol testing. In the conventional standard of care, any cortisol level within a very broad range is considered normal, and anything outside that range indicates disease.
In our practice, we measure cortisol levels at several points in the day to track the adrenals’ day–night pattern (called the “diurnal rhythm”) using a panel of simple saliva tests. We hope to see cortisol elevated in the morning to help you get going, lower but steady throughout the day to sustain energy, then fall in the evening to support restful sleep.
In the early stages of adrenal dysfunction, cortisol levels are too high during the day and continue rising in the evening. This is called “hyperadrenia.” In the middle stages, cortisol may rise and fall unevenly as the body struggles to balance itself despite the disruptions of caffeine, carbs and other factors, but levels are not normal and are typically too high at night. In advanced stages, when the adrenals are exhausted from overwork, cortisol will never reach normal levels (“hypoadrenia”).
Conventional medicine will detect only the extremes of these conditions, when damage to the adrenals has already occurred (Cushing’s disease and Addison’s disease). Within those extremes, you can feel miserable and still be told your cortisol levels are normal. But by responding to early-stage symptoms of adrenal fatigue, we can reverse the developing dysfunction.
Should you get an adrenal test?
In general, if you feel happy and well, have steady energy and emotions, sleep soundly seven to nine hours a night, wake up feeling rested, recover well from stress, and maintain a healthy weight without dieting, then your adrenals are probably doing well.
On the other hand, if your energy lags during the day, you feel emotionally unbalanced much of the time, you sleep poorly or less than seven hours a night, can’t lose excess weight even while dieting, use caffeine or carbohydrates as “pick-me-ups” — these are all red flags indicating adrenal insufficiency.
Natural adrenal support — how to restore healthy adrenal function
The first step is to have a full physical exam to rule out disease or other factors. In our experience, women with mild to moderate cases of adrenal fatigue can see significant improvement through these steps:
• Dietary changes to enrich your nutrition and reduce carbohydrates and stimulants. We also recommend the addition of high-quality nutritional supplements, including essential fatty acids from fish oil.
• Stress reduction, including moderate exercise and taking more time for yourself. It’s helpful to make a list of your stressors, especially those that are constant.
• Get more rest. Your body needs time to heal.
Women with more severe symptoms, or those who have reached complete adrenal exhaustion, usually need greater intervention. At our practice we use the steps outlined above with the added natural support of phosphorylated serines, low-dose compounded DHEA, ginseng, and deglycyrrhizinated licorice. We personalize the therapy to each woman’s symptoms and test results. (We urge you not to self-prescribe these substances, as they can have adverse health effects. Please click here to learn more about DHEA supplements.)
It’s important to emphasize the role of emotional factors. Guilt, pain from past hurts, self-destructive habits, unresolved relationship problems — your past and present emotional experience may serve as an ever-present stressor. Dealing with these problems directly is much more beneficial than trying to compensate for the stress they create, in the same way that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
In all but the most extreme cases, we expect to see dramatic improvement within about four months. For mild to moderate adrenal fatigue the turnaround can be much faster. Remember, you may feel too tired to make changes now, but by moving forward in stages, you’ll build the strength you need to stay with it. You will love how you feel when you do!

I’m making up for lost time last week. Heres one more on our neighborning state beign listed among the fattest in the nation!
LA least healthy state. VT most healthy. Southern states lag.
Louisiana has displaced Mississippi as the unhealthiest U.S. state and other Southern states were close rivals due to high obesity and smoking rates in new rankings that deemed Vermont the healthiest.

The overall health of Americans remained static for a fourth year, according to an annual report issued on Wednesday assessing a series of measures also including binge drinking, health insurance coverage, air pollution, infectious disease rates, crime levels and immunization coverage.

Many Southern states were clustered near the bottom of the rankings. The region has some of the highest rates of obesity, which contributes to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer, as well as high rates of smoking, which causes cancer, lung disease, heart disease and other problems.

One in five Louisianians lacked health insurance, while 31 percent were obese. It also suffers from high child poverty, infant mortality, premature death rate and cancer deaths, according to the report.

"We've just not made any improvement in the overall healthiness of the nation," said Dr. Reed Tuckson of UnitedHealth Group Inc, the largest U.S. health insurer, and the private United Health Foundation.
Have a fit day!