Adrenal issues! Needing help fast!

[crazykoala]

Hi all, I'm currently suffering with adrenal issues. I had private testing a year or two ago which showed significant fatigue and I was put on a pig hormone supplement which made me feel worse so I discontinued the treatment. The situation has since got far worse ( last few weeks) I have been struggling to move or talk for at least an hour on waking and have been having terrible headaches along with scary episodes where I'm drowsy and can't talk. I have thought about going to the hospital on a few occasions but my husband works away and I worry as I have children to care for. The doctors did routine test which apparently looked fine! I have hashinotos disease too and take levothyroxine. My question is- with the past results I've had can I try another treatment for the adrenal issue or should I have some tests repeated. Which test is best? (I previously did a saliva 24 hour test) I can go private but live in Norfolk. I'm due to be out of the country soon and feel I can't go like this! Any advice on the quickest way to get anywhere with this would be appreciated so much!

Many thanks X

[startagaingirl]

Hi - adrenals struggle when thyroid is low as they attempt to compensate. If this goes on for a long time they become fatigued and can't do this any more. So the place to start is with the thyroid. I don't see any blood results on your recent posts so and, as everyone here knows, what a doctor calls fine is not necessarily so. So before paying for a private specialist why not get a comprehensive test done covering Tsh, ft4, ft3, ferritin, folate, vit d and vit b12. Both medichecks and blue horizon offer these as home finger prick tests. If you post the results as a new post (with ranges) so it isn't missed, then people can give you more specific and appropriate advice.

Gillian xx

[crazykoala in reply to startagaingirl]

Thanks for your knowledge on the thyroid/adrenal link. I have had some tests done already and do supplement for vitamin d and iron. I havent had a t3 test in some time however and know it was borderline low years ago so it sounds like it would be a good idea to get that re- checked!

[gabkad]

Have you had your vitamin B12 blood test done?

[crazykoala in reply to gabkad]

Yes I did have B12 tested, it was in normal range however I do believe it was towards the lower end. The normal range seemed very wide, I did wonder if a deficiency often goes unrecognised. Thank you, maybe that is something to investigate further..

[gabkad in reply to crazykoala]

WHO and Japan recommend over 500 picomoles/millilitre. Levels between 200 and 500 picomoles/millilitre may still result in neurological symptoms.

[helvella in reply to gabkad]

I can't find the WHO recommendation - do you have a link, please?

[gabkad in reply to helvella]

who.int/bloodproducts/cs/05...

look at ng/ml and convert it to pg/ml. The recommendation for prevention of neuropathy is 480 ng/ml.

[helvella in reply to gabkad]

I must be reading it wrongly.

Isn't the 480 ng/ml a reference standard for ensuring testing procedures are more consistent with each other?

CONCLUSIONS:

Use of IS 03/178 to standardise serum B(12) and folate assays reduced inter-laboratory variability. The World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Biological Standardisation established 03/178 as the first IS for serum vitamin B(12) and serum folate, with assigned values of 480 pg/mL of vitamin B(12) and 12.1 nmol/L folate when the lyophilised contents of the ampoule are reconstituted with 1 mL of water.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/173...

(I think that might be slightly updated as it has a date in 2007 rather than 2005.)

[gabkad in reply to helvella]

Ah, the issues with skimming....

[nonstopmummy]

Are you taking any vitamin c? I am hashis and have adrenal issues (low cortisol) but recently had a very scary turn for the worse with symptoms similar to yours - had to get my chronically ill 70 year old mother in to help me look after my toddler, it was that bad! Eventually it dawned on me the only thing I had changed recently was starting to take a daily dose of 1000mcg vitamin c 10 days ago as I had read it is good for adrenal support.... Turns out it is good for controlling cortisol -by lowering it!!! Which could not have been worse for me as my main problem was low cortisol to begin with! Argh. Stopped taking vit c (and all my other supplements just for a break) yesterday and already the drowsiness, dizziness and nausea has gone - I'm still tired but I not falling asleep every other hour and can actually function again.

[crazykoala in reply to nonstopmummy]

Interesting! I have also been taking vitamin C for a few months to help with other symptoms. Adrenal issues seem to mean we can't tolerate much in terms of supplements - I have found previously that I feel worse for taking them. It's like it stresses our adrenals just to process them. Wow, vitamin C can lower cortisol, thanks so much for this info! I have stopped them today! I hope you continue to feel better X

[Nico101 in reply to nonstopmummy]

I so did not know that. I take loads of vitamin C, as Dr P told me to. My main issue is adrenal, which, after some time running on empty after very long periods of severe stress, then affected my thyroid and I became hypo.

I, recently upped my vitamin C intake - but it was in conjunction with eating massive salads and I have a berry smoothie every morning and home-made lemonade. I imagine I get quite a bit of vitamin C in my food already - plus other supplements often have a bit of vitamin C in them, too. The last week it's a struggle to wake up and get out of bed.

I think I might try giving vitamin C a miss for a few days (only having what's in other supplements and food, as I can do little about that) and see if things improve. Thank for the info.

[Nico101 in reply to Nico101]

Just done some research, and vitamin C lowers cortisol OUTPUT - which is good if you can't produce much in the first place. So, I think I'll stick with taking it for now.

[Russellb73]

Get in touch with the Endo who prescribed the t3 supplement explain what's going on alternatively get to a&e if your feeling that bad you need to get a short synacthen test done but it needs to be done at 9 am ! .

I suffer with adrenal fatigue syndrome "Addisons" I take hydrocortisone daily my cortisol levels at 9 am were <25 the 30 min make they should reach 450 after the actual injection.

Needles to say mine didn't !

Phone your Gp explain what's happened ask for immediate help, bloods, short supply of prednisolone or hydrocortisone to get you through do not hesitate if you suffer with Addisons it can be life threatening!!

.Also check out

addisons.org.uk

I'm in cabridgeshire so not far but do not wait !!

Good luck Russell

[jacrjacr]

remember normal upper range is always what you are shooting for,not falling in normal range which is were a lot of drs mess up. I was low normal is so many things and several drs later, a dr finally said you need to be at the upper end....but ironically she isn't great at thyroid test and anything to do with that.....when I am low normal in b12 I feel terrible...vit c great for adrenals as is holy basil , b complex, b vitamins, going off all sugar, lowering caffeine, I added a bag of green tea to my tea, getting 8-10 hours sleep a night is mandatory or adrenals will never heal, learning to stay stress free and not sweat the small stuff or just let things go....,