Cortisol is essential to life. Laboratory animals that have had their adrenal glands removed can no longer produce cortisol, and they are very fragile creatures. They can function reasonably well if their environment is kept perfectly stable. However, even the slightest variation in their environment–a drop in room temperature, for example–can spell death for these creatures. With the loss of their adrenal glands, they have lost their ability to adapt.

Human beings are not laboratory animals, and the environments we live in are seldom stable. We are exposed to a constant onslaught of stressors–noise, pollution, traffic, inclement weather, injuries, illnesses, emotional conflicts, deadlines, and on and on. We may heap stress on top of stress by smoking, eating refined carbohydrates, drinking coffee, or going without adequate sleep. Chronic, unrelenting stress, whether physical or psychological or both, eventually leads to adrenal fatigue. The adrenals simply cannot produce enough cortisol to meet the demands. The result? We feel “stressed out” because we are.

As you might expect, some of the effects of suboptimal cortisol levels are the opposite of those seen with high cortisol levels. Instead of hyperglycemia, or elevated blood sugar, individuals with mild adrenal fatigue often have hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Instead of high blood pressure, they may have low blood pressure. Instead of feeling mentally stimulated, they may have trouble concentrating. But the number one symptom of adrenal insufficiency is fatigue. Whereas individuals with optimal cortisol levels have energy to burn, those with low cortisol levels drag themselves through the day, feeling exhausted.

If you have adrenal fatigue, you may function reasonably well when your life is stable but fall apart if stress is added. You are likely to be more vulnerable to infections and to heal more slowly than those with healthy adrenal glands. You may suffer from headaches, heart palpitations, or joint and muscle pain. You may develop allergies or chemical sensitivities or experience a worsening of existing allergies or asthma, or even start to experience feelings of depression:

“When we are under stress for prolonged periods of time, it is not uncommon to have a cortisol deficiency, sometimes called “Blown Adrenals”. While this does not directly cause depression, the feeling of always being exhausted all the time can certainly lead to depression. It is something to look at, at least.” (From HealthBee)

Symptoms and Signs of Adrenal Fatigue

Chronic fatigue
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
Low blood pressure (hypotension)
Dizziness or lightheadedness upon standing
Muscle and/or joint pain
Recurrent infections
Allergies and/or asthma
Irregular menstrual cycles
Infertility
Low libido
Headaches
Hair loss
Dry skin
Anxiety or panic attacks
Depression
Heart palpitations
Difficulty “bouncing back” from stress
Cold and heat intolerance

If you think that many of these symptoms sound similar to those of hypothyroidism, you’re right. Some people have only one of these conditions, but many people have both. If your hypothyroidism is complicated by adrenal insufficiency, then it’s important to address this underlying problem at the same time. Although they are clinically distinct conditions, adrenal insufficiency and hypothyroidism are both metabolic problems that result in a slowdown of the body’s functions and a decline in energy, and both are linked directly to hormone activity in your body, a concept that still manages to catch people off guard:

“Earlier this week, I attended a workshop titled: Let’s Talk About Hormones…One of my health workers has just recommended that I get a supplement to support my adrenals. According to him, my current and chronic stresses which include my new peri-menopausal me, are reeking havoc on my adrenal glands.

Well imagine my surprise when low and behold, adrenal glands came up at the hormone talk. Given the glands management position with your hormones…and the fact that menopause is all about hormones, a giant 100 watt bulb of light binged on over my head. HORMONES…ARE RUNNING MY WORLD!! MUST UNDERSTAND HORMONES MUCH BETTER OR ELSE MY WORLD WILL RESEMBLE A TRAIN WRECK!” (From My Menopause Blog)

This entry was posted on Monday, August 14th, 2006 at 3:03 pm and is filed under Dr. Steven Hotze. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.