Adrenal fatigue and underactive thyroid

[kk12]

I'm currently trying to get diagnosed with an underactive thyroid (more blood tests this week) and now the topic of adrenal fatigue has also come up after doing some research and yes I am experiencing a lot of symptoms of both (there's a lot of overlap) plus have been told that I am peri - menopausal as well!

From my research, it appears that many people who have thyroid issues also have adrenal fatigue issues too and that they seem to work hand in hand.

This would certainly fit into my current scenario as I have been dealing with a continual legal stressful situation since before last August which is exactly when I started feeling unwell and this has continued and got worse ever since and is likely to go on for some time

What has really piqued my interest is the salty versus sweet food cravings which is precisely what I am getting (I particularly crave cheese and then chocolate or something else sweet) and this matches adrenal fatigue symptoms 100%.

I have also read that people have helped themselves with adrenal fatigue by taking various herbs such as Siberian Ginseng and wondered if this matches anyone else's experience or if they can tell me what they took to feel better.

[Spanglysplash]

The best advice I can give you is to do a 24hr adrenal saliva test. That will give you a clearer picture of what your adrenals are doing, then you can think about supplements. As many supplements either lower or increase cortisol which can make you feel worse dependent on your results.

Check out Dr Lam, Dr Andrew Neville and I think Dr Sarah Myhill have great informative websites. Also the FB group FTPO - for thyroid patients only (adrenals)

[kk12 in reply to Spanglysplash]

Thank you - I think that the saliva test is going to be the next test after the blood tests.

I have read that taking adaptogen herbal remedies could help a great deal and just want to feel better esp as I am due to go on holiday at the end of June and could do with feeling less fatigued and being awake at this hour doesn't help either!

[greygoose in reply to kk12]

Adaptogens aren't for everybody. They are supposed to 'regularise' hormone levels, but, from what I've seen, they act better when lowering than when raising.

Personally, I've had low adrenals all my life, I truly believe, and ginseng and ashwagandha make me ill. Liquorice does nothing. So, try them if you wish, but be careful.

On the other hand, adrenals love salt! Up your salt intake. Some people take half a teaspoonful of Himalayan Pink salt, or sea salt, in a glass of juice or water, every day. That worked very well for me at one point, when my adrenals weren't too bad. Also, vit C. Tons and tons of vit C. It's also very good for lots of other things, and we should always take plenty. But not ascorbic acid, real vit C from rose hips or arcerola or something.

However, you do need that adrenal test, because if they're too far gone, you will need something like HydroCortisone to get any results.

[Emjaytee]

I tried all sorts of things to support my adrenals over the years with no significant improvement and some that made me feel worse. I recently started taking 50mcg of pregnenolone and that helped, very quickly. Although, I also started B12 injections a month beforehand so it may have been one or the other, or a combination of both.

Not sure if B12 helps adrenals as I haven't read it anywhere, and I've been doing a LOT of reading, but I have read articles and user reviews that support the use of Pregnenolone for adrenal support and in my case, it definitely helped.

[kk12 in reply to Emjaytee]

Thank you both, that's interesting. I have taken Ginseng before and found that it definitely helped my energy levels somewhat but that was some years ago.

I have got that and 2 other well known adaptogens.

I will know more hopefully after tomorrow when I should get my full thyroid plus mineral blood tests back!