The Adrenal Fatigue Solution?

[littlepotofjelly]

Hello, I posted about this the other day but then accidentally deleted the post (technology fail!) so sharing again.

I just wondered if anyone else had read the book The Adrenal Fatigue Solution and seen results from implementing their suggested supplementation routine/lifestyle changes? I've just bought the book and it's interesting/seems well researched, but i'm wary of adding in lots of new supplements if I don't need them.

All of my health issues started alongside quite prolonged periods of stress (several deaths in my family & partner's family) and so it makes sense to me that my low thyroid function (not diagnosed hypo - TSH only 3.1) may be due to low functioning adrenals. Is it worth paying for a cortisol saliva test to confirm? Or better just to begin to implement changes and see how it goes...

Thanks for any advice, interested to hear others' experiences.

p.s. - i've seen the discussion the last few days re. updating profile info, I will spend a bit of time later on this evening to make sure that mine is filled in - sorry, hadn't realised that the info on the profile pages was used for background info but that makes so much sense

[steviecat]

Hi, Little. Hmm. I paid for a saliva/cortisol test and it did show I was below ranges. So, that gave me the knowledge to try and do something about it. Stress is a factor in adrenal problems, I've heard. It can't do any harm to do the test - it has to be the easiest of all of them; just chew on a stump of what appears to be hard cotton four times during the day. It isn't expensive and might ease your mind. Oh, and your TSH at 3.1 (you haven't posted ranges, so one can't be absolute) might warrant you undertaking the full thyroid blood panel - at the very least TSH, FreeT4, FreeT3. If I remember correctly, I was diagnosed as hypo at TSH 3.5 and my doctor is a total wozzok. Of course, I offer this advice as a total layman with three brain cells who once had a toenail removed.

[littlepotofjelly in reply to steviecat]

Thanks. What did you do about it when you found you were below ranges for cortisol? Have you managed to feel better from it...?

Are you in the UK? Amazed to hear of someone diagnosed at 3.5. Were your FT3/FT4 out of range? My TSH is 3.1 (range 0.27-4.2). I have had a full thyroid panel done - my FT3 and FT4 were low in the lower side of the range but not below range and no antibodies so not Hashis.

Thanks for your advice.

[steviecat in reply to littlepotofjelly]

OK. Just to reiterate, I am not a medical thingy. I am, in fact, barely anything at all. But, you ask for my experience, so I shall bring it forth. When I got my adrenal results, my heart sank. This because I know from extensive reading on this site that fixing adrenals is a pain beyond anything one can imagine. These are things I have seen here: Rest - a lot. Eat salt - Celtic sea salt. Take vitamin C to tolerance. Or, if you can find someone who believes in adrenal fatigue, they just might prescribe hydrocortisone. Brrrr! Me? I have just purchased some Adrenavive ii. This is the adrenal cortex from source bovine. Because I am low in cortisol, and also have palpitations, I must not take the whole glandular (apparently) as it contains adrenaline. I've only taken one tab so far...

Nope. I am in France. And I will say this: If your FT4 and FT3 were low in the range - especially FT3 - you may be a prime candidate for hormone replacement. I'm hoping like mad that someone better qualified than me will pile in here, coz, as I say, I am speaking only from experience and with no qualifications other than a certificate in beer mat doodling.

[littlepotofjelly in reply to steviecat]

Thanks that's all interesting to know. And don't worry - i appreciate it's not medical advice, but it's still interesting to hear the experiences of others for sure! Hope you are feeling more well now you're on the thyroid replacement

[steviecat in reply to littlepotofjelly]

Thanks, Little. Although I was feeling a bit poorly before my diagnosis, I am finding that coping with the knowledge of the illness is worse than the thing itself. It is hugely depressing to discover that the quacks and fakirs masquerading as health professionals appear to be hell-bent on keeping us ill.

[judburke]

If you do buy a saliva test do some research about what to do before you do the test. I did one which showed high cortisol but afterwards I found out that it is best to be off caffeine for the day of the tests (and maybe the day before) and other medicines/supplements should be stopped as well. I need to retest to get a better reading as I had been drinking tea all day sadly.

I just looked at your profile showing recent tests and your B12 is very low. We aim for top quarter to help thyroid function

[littlepotofjelly in reply to judburke]

Thank you. I had got my B12 up to the top of the range in December last year (actually a bit over range) and Dr said to stop supplementing then so I did. And in that 5 month time my B12 has dropped back down to that level... so do you think I should supplement it back up again? Thanks for your advice.

[judburke in reply to littlepotofjelly]

Are you having to take supplements to get all levels up? Your ferritin was previously low but now seems higher. There is a B12 pernicious anaemia forum on here that can help with optimal levels.

I would ask your Dr why you are having to supplement to get levels up. Gut absorption problems can be a cause of low levels - this can be due to damage in the gut caused by something like Coeliac or sometimes some drugs like PPI's can inhibit absorption.

[littlepotofjelly in reply to judburke]

Yes, for ferritin, B12, and Vitamin D. I supplemented all of them for six months, then once they were better in range (vitamin D at 144 n/mol so quite high, B12 up at the top and ferritin half way) I stopped and now - 5 months on they have dropped back down again. I wasn't sure if that was normal or if they should have stayed higher in range without the supplementation though?

I re-act to gluten as it coeliac, but it's never been officially diagnosed as when I had blood test done in 2012 for it I had already been gluten free for 6 weeks or so and Dr said that would skew the result. So possible that i'm not absorbing well. I do try to eat well and look after my gut though...

Thanks for your input

[judburke in reply to littlepotofjelly]

If you are actually coeliac and it sounds like you might be, even the smallest intake of gluten can cause damage to the gut which would affect absorption.

Good luck finding your answers