Adrenal fatigue is a collection of symptoms, known as a syndrome, that results when the adrenal glands function below the necessary level. Most commonly associated with intense or prolonged stress, it can also arise during or after acute or chronic infections, especially respiratory infections such as influenza, bronchitis or pneumonia. As the name suggests, its paramount symptom is fatigue that is not relieved by sleep, but it is not a readily identifiable entity like measles or a growth on the end of your finger. You may look and act relatively normal with adrenal fatigue and may not have any obvious signs of physical illness, yet you live with a general sense of unwellness, tiredness or "gray" feelings. People experiencing adrenal fatigue often have to use coffee, colas and other stimulants to get going in the morning and to prop themselves up during the day."
What Is Adrenal Fatigue?
Life is much harder when someone suffers from adrenal fatigue. When the adrenals aren't working, the whole body isn't working. The body does its best to make up for under-functioning adrenal glands, but it does so at a price.
Symptoms include:
- ADHD
- Anxiety
- Balding lower legs
- Body fat accumulation
- Brainfog
- Breast cancer
- Chemical sensitivities to paint, fingernail polish, plastics
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Coffee, tea, or energy drinks addiction
- Cold hands and feet
- Constipation
- Cravings for salty or sugary foods, alcohol, caffeine, high protein
- Darkcirclesunder eyes thatdoesnot go away with rest
- Dependence on sunglasses
- Depression
- Dry skin
- Dysmenorrhea advancing to amenorrhea
- Electrolyte imbalance
- EMF sensitivity, including cell phone and computer monitors
- Endometriosis
- Exercise helps first, but then feels worse
- Feeling "wired" and unable to relax
- Feeling of adrenaline rushes in the body
- Feeling tired in the afternoon between 3:00 and 5:00 pm
- Fibrocystic breast disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Grave's disease
- Hair falling, randomly or alopecia
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis
- Heart palpitations
- High or low blood pressure
- Hollow cheeks
- Hormonal moodiness, bad PMS
- Hyper activity
- Hypoglycemia symptoms, though lab results normal
- Inability to handle stress
- Inability to take in simple carbohydrate
- Insomnia
- Irritable bowel syndrome, with more constipation then diarrhea
- Irritable under stress
- Joint pain
- Kidney health issues
- Legs that feel heavy
- Lines in fingernails
- Lines in fingertips
- Loss of healthy facial skin tone color
- Low back pain
- Low energy
- Low libido
- Low thyroid function,hypothyroidism
- Muscle mass loss
- Muscle pain
- Numbness and tingling in extremities bilaterally
- Ovarian cysts
- Pale lips
- Panic attacks
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
- Poor emotional and coping ability
- Post partumfatigue and depression
- Premature aging skin
- Premature menopause
- Psoriasis
- Recurrent miscarriages duringfirsttrimester
- Short of breath
- Systemic Candida
- Temperature intolerance
- Tinnitus (chorionic ringing in the ear)
- Unable to get pregnant
- Unexplained back or knee pain
- Uterine fibroids
- Vertigo
- Wake up in the middle of the night
- Weak immune response
Natural Remedies for Adrenal Fatigue and Chronic Stress
Adrenal fatigue can be treated naturally with herbs and supplements, but diet and good habits have to be in place. Bad habits need to be removed (caffeine, alcohol, smoking anything). The gut and thyroid need to be healed as well.
The following herbs are used to treat adrenal fatigue:
Licorice
Rhodiola
Shisandra
Holy Basil
Ashwagandha root
Astragalus
Ginseng Root
The following vitamins and supplements are helpful in treating adrenal fatigue:
B-complex - especiallyB5
Vitamin C
Adrenal extracts
Candida and Adrenal Fatigue
Candida is the number one cause of poor health in our country. An overabundance of Candida will eventually cause adrenal fatigue (along with many other problems). If you're experiencing adrenal fatigue, cut out stimulants completely. No more coffee. Kill Candida and clean the intestines.