Best supplement(s) for adrenal fatigue?

I have seen many posts here about adrenal fatigue and lots of suggestions as how to heal it.

Quite a few members recommend Nutri Adrenal Extra. It's quite cheap compared to many other similar products, and it seems some homeopaths/naturopaths recommend it. However, online reviews are mixed.

Some have mentioned Dr. Wilson's Adrenal Protocol and especially the product Adrenal Rebuilder. Online reviews are very good. They are quite expensive and seem unavailable in Europe so would have to be ordered from the US (which means extra costs - import duties and taxes plus higher shipping costs).

There are lots of other products as well with more or less good reviews; many seem to like Thorne's Adrenal Cortex.

Regenerative Nutrition manufactures a product containing 5 mg of hydrocortisone per capsule, but since I have weaned off prescription prednisolone ( 5 mg daily) I am not too crazy about the idea of starting another drug that could potentially shut down my own adrenal glands rather than supporting /nourishing them back to health. Some say physiological doses (up to 20 mg HC/5 mg pred daily) won't do this, but I'd like to think there is a way to nourish adrenal glands back to health rather than taking actual hydrocortisone or prednisolone long-term.

Anyway, prednisolone seems to have made me feel better while on it, but did not solve anything as I have felt less energetic since weaning off it. However, as far as I understand it, adrenal fatigue in itself does not require life-long hormone replacement. Also, prednisolone has a lot of potential side effects, and I am not sure they only apply to people on therapeutic (supra-physiological) doses, especially if used long-term. But it seems prednisolone masked the problem rather than solved it, which is why I am looking for a natural solution.

[Twdibwd]

You are right about the side effects of Prednisolone. I have been taking 5mg long term and it has thinned my skin and I have Osteopaenia. You wish to tackle your problem of Adrenal Fatigue as naturally as possible so I would recommend you spend your money and time having treatments from a Clinical Reflexologist, an Acupuncturist, a Massage Practitioner, e.g. Shiatsu, or a Manipulative Therapist, e.g. an Osteopath. All those therapists are able to diagnose and treat accordingly. I have SLE and have regular treatments from a Clinical Reflexologist. She keeps me going and is soon on top of any nuances my condition presents.

I find it difficult reducing my Prednisolone from the 5mg, but considering my initial doses were 20mg+ in the early days, I live in hope.

Although the action of Hydrocortisone and Prednisolone both act on the adrenal system as immune and inflammation suppressants, Prednisolone is 4/5 times stronger. If you decide to go down the hydrocortisone route perhaps you can treat it as short term to help the success of the other natural treatments mentioned above?

[Hidden in reply to Twdibwd]

Thank you a lot for your input and suggestions! I'll see if I can find any of the specialists you recommend.

I just read an article written by Paul Robinson, inventor of the "C3TM" method. He says that all kinds of steroids - hydrocortisone, prednisolone, and glandulars alike - make the adrenal glands work less effectively as they are no longer requited to produce as much cortisol. So, before going down the HC route, I might try the circadian method first...it does not seem too complicated, at least not at first sight. He says to take T3 or NDT about 1.5 hours before normally waking up, then go back to sleep, to mimic the body's own cortisol production.

I will read his book "Recovering with T3" to find out more. But, since I managed to wean off prednisolone, and have since been taking Nutri Adrenals Extra, I realise I am still somewhat dependent on cortisol supplementation (although glandulars are weaker than prescription drugs). Maybe the circadian method could be effective...? If anyone here has tried it, I'd love to hear about it.

The most noticeable improvement since weaning off pred is that my nails are no longer brittle and splitting all the time.