Worn Out? Running on Empty? Easily Fatigued?

Do you have trouble sleeping? Constant fatigue? Inability to lose weight even with diet and exercise? Crave salty or sugary foods? Have low energy in the morning and afternoon? ......... Did you answer YES? ...........................You may have adrenal fatigue.

Before defining adrenal fatigue, let's review the functions of the adrenal glands.  The adrenal glands are two small glands located on top of the kidneys and their general purpose is to help the body respond to stress.  They produce many different hormones in three major classes-glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and androgens.  These hormones are primarily concerned with controlling you 'Fight or Flight' response to a stressors by stimulating the body so that it has energy to deal with danger or a stressful situation.  This adrenal response involves an initial release of adrenaline, which causes a sharpening of the senses, rapid heart rate, and acute mental alertness.  Adrenaline is quickly converted into cortisol, which circulates in your blood stream for a much longer time.  Cortisol slows digestion, inhibits thyroid function, and increases blood sugar levels, supresses the immune system, and contracts mid-size arteries.  All this is done to help your body deal with a stressful emergency situation.

In modern times these stressors manifest themselves in our fast-paced lives in different ways (see below).  Problems arise when sustained stressors cause the prolonged release of cortisol in the body.  Our bodies were not meant to maintain this 'Fight or Flight' state constantly; and doing so is detrimental to our health.  Eventually, the adrenals are simply not able to mount an effective response to stress, and these excessive cortisol levels decrease to an ineffective level.

Common Causes of Adrenal Fatigue:
Chronic Illness                               Severe/Chronic Stress
Chronic Pain                                    Chronic Pain
Anger                                               Low Blood Sugar
Depression                                      Consistently High Caffeine Intake
Excessive Exercise                        Maldigestion
High Carbohydrate Diet               Sleep Deprivation

Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue:
Imbalance of Sex Hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA)        
Fatigue
Sugar Cravings                      
Shakiness between meals                                           
 Insomnia
High Cholesterol                    
Weakened Immune System                                        
Memory
Weight Gain                                                                                           
Low sex drive                         
Fatigue especially afternoon                                     
Increased insulin resistance

Women especially complain that they are gaining weight despite exercising and eating healthy. I always respond that their hormones and adrenals need to be evaluated.  Both can make it very difficult to lose weight unless they are in the normal range. 

Call me (417-231-4544) if you have any of these symptoms or feel you may be suffering from adrenal fatigue.  I can provide a testing kit to evaluate both hormones and adrenal hormones.  It's simple and you can do it from your own home.

To your good health,
Dr. Sonja