An Adrenal Insufficiency: Adrenal Fatigue and Treatment That Works

November 30, 2009 by drhusbands · Leave a Comment

A common manifestation of adrenal insufficiency is adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue treatment is one of my specialties. I use a highly effective treatment method using the functional medicine approach. You can find do-it-yourself “cures” online or take a pill for it, however, they would likely not cure adrenal fatigue. Why? I’ll answer that in the article and give you an outline of the treatment method that works.

Adrenal insufficiency is an adrenal gland disorder where the adrenal glands are not producing enough of certain hormones. Adrenal insufficiency could either be primary or secondary.

Addison’s disease is referred to as primary adrenal insufficiency. With this adrenal disorder, the adrenal glands are damaged and do not produce the hormone cortisol sufficiently. With secondary adrenal insufficiency, the pituitary gland is unable to produce sufficient the hormone adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), which stimulates the production of cortisol.

In 1998, Dr James Wilson coined the phrase adrenal fatigue. This term identifies a set of signs and symptoms that results from suboptimal adrenal function. Adrenal fatigue is far more common nowadays, and less serious, than primary adrenal insufficiency. A lot of people who suffer from adrenal fatigue remain undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed. Many who suffer from this condition have been to various doctors in their pursuit of diagnosis and treatment. Some settle with living with the condition. Only a few end up properly diagnosed and treated. From those who get properly diagnosed, some do not get the appropriate treatment or are only given treatment for adrenal fatigue symptoms. In other words, they never get cured from adrenal fatigue.

Since one of the chief complaints is chronic fatigue, many give recommendations to increase energy levels and promote rest and relaxation while neglecting to identify the underlying process that caused the dysfunction. Some are addressing the adrenal fatigue symptoms. These strategies are common in do-it-yourself treatments, and unfortunately, in professional treatments from physicians, too. The proper strategy is to identify the underlying unhealthy processes that cause the problem and influence the body towards healthy processes.

During the diagnosis process, one of the most important things to determine is the current stage of adrenal dysfunction and severity of the condition. If you are unfamiliar with the adrenal dysfunction stages, read my article titled, “Got Stress? It May Be Adrenal Fatigue“. Giving a one-size-fits-all treatment may do more harm than good.

In summary, many self-help solutions and some from doctors don’t cure adrenal fatigue because of any of the following reasons:

the treatment only addresses the symptoms of adrenal fatigue
the treatment does not correct the adrenal dysfunction
the treatment does not match the patient’s stage of adrenal dysfunction
there is no one-cure-all solution, the treatment must address the stage of adrenal dysfunction and the severity

So, what is the adrenal fatigue treatment that works? Here are my solutions, one for each dysfunctional stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome, adrenal gland resistance and adrenal fatigue, stages 2 and 3 respectively.

Adrenal Gland Resistance Treatment

The treatment objective is to reset your adrenal gland function, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), to lower the output of cortisol and to bring DHEA to normal levels. A multi-faceted strategy is the best method to return your adrenal system to normal function. For most people, this could take 6 to 18 months, based on the condition of your adrenal system.

Manage Blood Sugar Levels
Restore Cortisol and HPA Axis to Normal Function
Restore DHEA to normal levels
Manage the Body’s Stress Response
Lower Adrenal Hormones to Estrogen Conversion
Lower or Eliminate Food Allergies/Sensitivities and Environmental Allergies
Increase Energy from the Cellular Level
Reduce Inflammation
Balance Structural and Neurological Influences on Cortisol Production

Adrenal Fatigue Treatment

Manage Blood Sugar Levels
Restore DHEA to normal levels
Manage the Body’s Stress Response using relaxation, controlling emotional response, and practicing healthy sleep, work and eating patterns
Lower Adrenal Hormones to Estrogen Conversion
Lower or Eliminate Food Allergies/Sensitivities and Environmental Allergies
Increase Energy from the Cellular Level
Reduce Inflammation
Balance Structural and Neurological Influences on Cortisol Production
Influence healthy cortisol production using diet and exercise, vitamins and minerals, herbs, adrenal glandular extracts, cortisol, pregnenolone and DHEA

For these types of adrenal insufficiency, these treatments work very well because they correct the unhealthy processes. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. If you want to take advantage of our free 10-minute phone or in-office consultation, contact us.

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