Advice please: Adrenal Fatigue - I am getting nowhere! Please what are the treatment options as followed by other fellow contributors.

[Poppy_the_cat]

I am currently being treated for adrenal fatigue and have been following a course of treatment for over a month and I feel I am only getting worse by the day. I am very confused and very low about the total lack of progress I am making. I am an ex-patient of Dr. Skinner and am now under a new doctor.

This is my history to date:

Originally diagnosed as being hypothyroid in 2010, having begun taking Levo only to have a severe allergic response within less than 3 months- my symptoms initially improved, including weight loss, but only to be reversed, followed by double the weight gain and double the symptoms of low thyroid. With great difficulty I convinced my GP to send me to see Dr Gordon Skinner. I began taking NDT Armour Thyroid and again things started to improve, but with a space of time my symptoms began to return and the weight started to pile on again. As we were in the process of finding the solution, poor Dr Skinner sadly died.

Without anybody to guide me I instinctively felt I had to reduce my Armour until I could find somebody I trusted sufficiently to consult about my condition. From 2 and ½ grains I came down to 1 and ½ gradually as always taught by Dr Skinner. He had the last time I had seen him advised me to cut down if I felt the need.

I was beginning to wonder whether I have an intolerance to thyroid medication? Although my response to NDT was not negative like Levo, I simply experienced a dwindling level of efficacy instead.

I took more than 5 months to find somebody as a new specialist to treat me.

In the interim further blood tests from Genova have revealed that I have Hashimotos.

I also have adrenal fatigue.

I also have low levels of Vit D

I also have very low levels of Iron.

I have also worked out that I am wheat/gluten intolerant and am now following a gluten free diet.

My blood test results were as follows: (while still taking 1 and ½ grains of Armour)

TSH 0.07 mlU/L (0.3 - 5.0)

T3 3.8 pmol/L (3.1 – 6.8)

T4 13.3 pmol/L (12.0 – 22.00)

Thyroid autoantibody level (XE257) Above average >1000 IU/ml (<101.0)

Serum Ferritin level 20 (-) ng/ml range (34.0 – 528.0)

Vit D score of 28nmol/L (>50.0)

New blood test 5 weeks later while on no Armour medication at all, came back as my TSH levels reaching 23.43 (+)

I have been told by the new doctor that is treating me that I cannot have my thyroid treated until the adrenal situation is addressed.

The new specialist has prescribed for me the following:

Nutri Thyroid (3 tablets per day in total)

Balance for Nerves

Serotone 5HTP – 100mg

Phosphatidyl Serine

Ferrous Fumerate ( 2 tablets per day)

Melatonin at night 6mg.

So far I have been taking this complex regimen throughout the day and evening, since the 11th of June. I have to say I cannot testify to any improvement. My symptoms continue the same. If anything the large burning patch of the side of my head is worse than ever. It stops me sleeping. The headaches that follow it keep me awake at night. My head feels like it is resting on a bunch of rocks instead of the soft feather pillow that I purposefully choose. My sense of balance is appalling – I cannot walk a straight line as it looks as though I am permanently drunk. I find my levels of exhaustion plumbing new depths. I am unable to rise in the morning, needing to sleep for sometimes 12 hours! My ankles are swollen to the point where I can no longer judge where my ankle bones are when normally they are so skinny. My feet themselves are so swollen none of my shoes fit me. My weight gain virtually increases on a daily basis- I have gone up 5 holes on my belt in the last 2 months alone! I generally feel as though I am falling apart as the smallest of tasks are just becoming beyond me. I am feeling rock bottom.

My question is:

What are the treatment options for Adrenal Fatigue?

I have seen that people with adrenal fatigue take prednisolone.

I have read Dr Durrant-Peatfiled’s advice upon its usage where he states it must be a low dose in order not to cause harm.

Can anybody advise please as the plan that I am currently on to me seems really only a ‘maintenance plan’ as I feel my situation demands a more energetic kick start approach. I cannot continue in this endless limbo any longer and must get help with this adrenal fatigue as I want to be able to go back on to Armour and improve.

What are the side effects of taking low doses of Prednisolone?

Hopefully not further weight gain as I just don’t know how I would cope!!!

I look forward to hearing of anybody’s experience or advice as I really am at the very end of my tether.

Thank-you.

[Hennerton]

I do think you must urgently talk to your doctor about these symptoms and ask to take some proper thyroid medication, preferably NDT or T3 only, in a low dose and gradually increase. Your TSH is very high. No wonder you feel ill.

I was a Dr Skinner patient and I remember that he once suggested some prednisolone for me in a low dose (I refused) and if I had taken it, I would still have been taking NDT or T3 only. I cannot remember which regime I was on at that time but definitely it would have been added to thyroid meds. I hope you get help soon.

[humanbean]

I'm assuming that you have lower than ideal levels of cortisol since you say you have adrenal fatigue. If that is the case then I'm surprised you have been told to take phosphatidyl serine because one of its effects is to lower cortisol.

You haven't mentioned having an adrenal stress profile done (a saliva test which measures cortisol at four points during the day - it can only be done privately as far as I know). If you have done one it would be helpful if you posted the results. I'm just wondering how your adrenal fatigue was diagnosed.

Another couple of points...

Melatonin 6mg - this, in my opinion, is a huge dose. I know some people do fine with this intake but melatonin is best taken at physiological doses i.e. at low enough doses to be realistic amounts that your body can cope with. I bought 3mg pills of melatonin for my own use. I ended up cutting them into quarters, and I take one bit just before I turn off my light for sleeping. And I try to avoid taking it for more than a couple of nights on the trot. (When I took a whole 3mg pill I developed a thundering headache which lasted for hours and stopped me from sleeping.)

5-HTP - 100mg of this might be fine. Personally I do better with 50mg per night. Occasionally I add a second pill, but if I do this too often I get jittery and anxious. I'm not sure if you are aware or not, but 5-HTP gets converted to serotonin, and that then gets converted to melatonin. So 5-HTP can help sleep all by itself. This may be why I only need tiny doses of melatonin - I've been taking 5-HTP for a few years now.

This is an interesting diagram :

upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...

It shows the relationships between 5-htp (5-hydroxy-tryptophan - the second substance down on the left), serotonin and melatonin.

With reference to the ferrous fumarate - take each pill with 500mg - 1000mg of vitamin C - it helps the body to absorb the iron and reduces the risk of constipation caused by the iron.

You might find something helpful on this page :

stopthethyroidmadness.com/a...

Hope this helps.

[Clutter]

Poppy, while it is likely that your very hypothyroid state may be responsible for your balance/gait it can also be due to B12 deficiency and your B12 levels should be checked.

b12d.org/b12-signs-symptoms...

[cuteyoungchic]

What are the treatment options for Adrenal Fatigue?

There's only one. A Clinical Nutritionist. Not a simple nutritionist, a Clinical Nutritionist.

I had adrenal fatigue for years until I couldn't stand all my weird symptoms any longer. Then

I accidentally found a Clinical Nutritionist, who had me cured in four months.

It's easy to do, but is quite expensive, but oh, such a relief!!!!!

I thought I was going nuts until I met her.

I'm in Australia, so don't know if giving you her name's any help, but I know she deals with

overseas customers, successfully, through Skype & emails from her office in Perth, Western

Australia.

Just get help Poppy_the_cat, NOW! You owe it to yourself

P.S. Just luuuuurve your cat!!

[Cassandra in reply to cuteyoungchic]

Hi

I had tests done privately through Genova and results said adrenal fatigue - recommended vitamin C and DHEA - however smallest amount of DHEA caused really bad palpitations so I consulted a nutritionist - so far no improvement but as you have pointed out you probably need a clinical nutritionist - can you please let me have the contact details of your clinical nutritionist to see if I can get some relief

[Hidden]

I can recommend reading Paul Robinson's books - Recovering with T3 and The CT3M Handbook. They're all about using T3 (and/or NDT) to recover from hypo. There's loads of great advice on adrenal fatigue in there, including dietary and supplement advice.

[sheenah]

Hello Poppy

I went to a private integrative Doc in Winchester - ( £140 for initial visit - then £70 thereafter) - he started me on Nutri Adrenal + Erfa Thyroid (NDT) + Nutri Adrenomax - had quite severe adrenal fatigue and this regime has certainly helped. I found I was allergic to the Erfa and he has changed me to Nature Throid I feel tons better, but not there quite yet. Keep asking questions and getting advice from people here. Good Luck XX

[Churchie]

Hi Poppy

I have just read you post from 18 days ago and I wondered if any of the suggestions helped?

I am interested in how you were on Levo and what you reaction was. I was prescribed Levo (50mg) in May and then upped to 100mg a month later when I told the gp I felt slightly worse not better. I then felt as ill as I have felt in my life and told him that I just couldn't stay on it. He said he never heard of anyone being allergic to it.

In all the reading I have done since I think that I may have adrenal insufficiency but waiting for everything to clear through my system before trying anything else .

[Help15]

Could you give the email contact info for the

Clinical Nutritionist. Thank You.