posted
Adrenals work really hard when you are chronically ill. The best way to truly get a handle on restoring your adrenals is probably to read the book, Adrenal Fatigue, so that you can visualize what you are up against and what it takes to heal.
The are quite a few things that can help you recover, but if you don't actually rest and work at sleeping during the key periods when your body is restoring them, etc. it is a losing battle.
It can take from 6 months to a couple of years (from what I've read) to recover, and that requires that you start by dealing with infections, toxins, etc.
-------------------- When I lost my grip on Faith in the maze of illness, Hope gently clasped my hand and led on.
RuthRuth Posts: 478 | From California | Registered: Jan 2007
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I think all of us probably have adrenal fatigue due to the constant infection. Bed by 10 is important, no caffeine. Eat right (meat, eggs, veggies, fruit, brown rice). Eat several times per day starting with breakfast and ending with a meal before bedtime which includes protein. Exercise.
The books have ideas like these.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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bejoy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11129
posted
I also like the Adrenal Fatigue book by James R. Wilson.
He gives you a list of nutritional supplements that help. B complex plus additional pantothenic acid makes a big difference. Loads of vit C - to bowel tolerance. Calcium and Magnesium. Siberian Ginseng, also known as Eleuthero, is very good as well. He gives suggested dosages.
I did his routine for about three years, before I knew I had Lyme, and it helped immensely. Eventually I had to throw in the towel and go for hormone supplementation.
I've read, but can't remember where, that the adrenals come back on line once the major infection is cleared. I'm all for that!
-------------------- bejoy!
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 1918 | From Alive and Well! | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
whats the difference between adrenal fatigue and adrenal insuffiency?
Posts: 217 | From Everywhere | Registered: Nov 2006
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WildCondor
Unregistered
posted
Why were you told your adrenals were shot? Based on what test? It is quite common to hear that the adrenals are shot. This is because our body is spending all its energy battling infection. I'm asking because I was told that my adrenals were "shot" years ago based on a saliva cortisol test. I was placed on steroids for 3 years and they did a great deal of damage. This was prior to my Lyme diagnosis. Even low doses of Cortef messed me up in a bad way! Make sure you get a cortisol blood test fasting early am, and mid afternoon to confirm it.
There are plenty of supplements available that can help with this. Just a warning before you jump into prednisone or another steroid (major bad news when you have Lyme)
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posted
The best way to improve the functions of all your hormones is to kill the infection that is the root of the problem (lyme) .
I think the fatigue is from the bacteria . How can a person have normal energy and feel well when they have a parasite in their white cells ?
The infection does affect brain chemistry in many ways , but treating the symptom without obliterating the infection is as effective as giving a baby aspirin to a late stage cancer patient .
How much Cortef were you taking, and why do you think that it messed you up? Using Cortef to replace what your body is not producing is very helpful and safe as long as the dose is small.
Posts: 134 | Registered: Feb 2005
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clairenotes
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Member # 10392
posted
Brian -- I am not sure they are too different. I think adrenal insufficiency might mean that you are not producing adequate amounts of adrenal hormones for proper functioning. Adrenal fatigue may be a state of lowered function also, but not quite as extreme. Please understand that this is an uneducated guess and you might want to ask a professional. The following is also only from personal experience and not medical advice.
I think Ann is right about reducing the infection. But here are some favorites I took before I knew I had LD and ultimately until a better solution could be found.
My favorite adrenal support herb is Devil's Club tincture made by Herbpharm. It is similar to ginsengs but somehow its' action is more subtle. I began to make the tincture on my own to save money. It now costs about $1.50 per bottle versus $10. Very easy to make. You might google Devil's Club for articles and information.
I used to make nettles tea infusions, which are especially good for women. Great infusion of minerals per Susan Weed's book "Healing Wise." Need to start that again.
Somehow, sea salt has been beneficial as well, in my case. But this could be very individual.
Sometimes one has to go to hormones too, it seems, depending on the case.
Claire
Posts: 1111 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2006
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WildCondor
Unregistered
posted
Even in small doses, steroids cause side effects such as water retention, mood swings, weight gain, stomach ulcers, reflux GERD, and so forth. Low doses, (5mg) gave me stomach ulcers and when i went up to 10 mg Cortef it shut down my adrenal gland so badly that I was dependent on steroids, and had to wear a medic alert tag for Addison's disease and carry adrenaline with me. It was awful! When a blood test was done, my cortisol was low, but by no means shut down, so the extra cortisol was really damaging to my system. I know some folks truly need supplementation. Make sure you do blood tests to verify the saliva tests, that's all I am saying!
The chronic infection weakens your adrenal gland by making it work overtime and produce adrenaline in response to "normal" situations. Adrenal insufficiency and adrenal fatigue are the same thing, low function. When you do treat the chronic infections, it takes time but the adrenals can recover along with the rest of you.
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Foggy
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posted
My Endo gave me an ACTH cortrostym test which showed low cortisol.
A small physiological dose (20 mgs) of Cortef for a few months was very helpful and ironically helped an imbalance caused by too much Prednisne.
Posts: 2451 | From Lyme Central | Registered: Aug 2001
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hiker53
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 6046
posted
Last summer my cortisol levels were too high which means the adrenals are being overworked. Yesterday I had an interesting session with a nurse who has an EPSX SCIO machine. This scans the body for abnormal frequencies and then tries to heal it. She said the first thing that came up was stress, adrenal fatigue, and metabolic problems plus my myoclonus and cerebellum dysfunction (I often have imbalance). The Lyme didn't show up for awhile. I guess the machine works like peeling an onion. What needs attention first in the body shows up first.
But do you address the adrenals first or the Lyme is my question? Hiker
-------------------- Hiker53
"God is light. In Him there is no darkness." 1John 1:5 Posts: 8914 | From Illinois | Registered: Aug 2004
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bejoy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11129
posted
In my opinion, its very important to address both at the same time. Taking adrenal support supplements can help bring your cortisol levels down. That worked really well for me for about a year, and was immediate and amazing.
But I had a lyme baby that wouldn't sleep more than two hours at a time for a couple of years, and my adrenals went the other direction and I stopped producing much cortisol.
So I ended up on Cortef, which in my situation probably saved my life. I'd say to look at the Wilson book and see what makes sense to you in your situation.
BTW Craniosacral therapy can also help reduce cortisol levels.
-------------------- bejoy!
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 1918 | From Alive and Well! | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
hiker, I second the adrenal fatigue site. It was a huge support for me during the summer when Iwas at my sickest.
I also went on a very low dose of cortef which saved my life - literally - because I thought I was losing my mind! Cryinng jags, couldn't get out of bed, nausea - all of which I now know was being made worse by the lyme.
I have been off the cortef since early december. My PCP freaked but a good endo person knows that low doses work very differently in the body. Good luck.
Posts: 104 | From connecticut | Registered: Jan 2007
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runner21
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Member # 1974
posted
I have taken in the past raw adrenal by standard process. 2 two times a day. at one point in my treatment i remember thinking it brought me back to life..
i think it depends on the severity and the person, other alternatives, are licorice root , ashwughanda, rhodiola..
Posts: 1118 | From jacksonville,fl usa/santa rosa ca | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
Runner21, I've used all the items you list (raw adrenal, licorice root, ashwughanda, rhodiola) and then others.
Siberian Ginseng is what Buhner uses to address fatigue. Along with swedish massage, which I think is a wonderful idea... too bad I'm too tired to find a massage therapist .
Seriously, I didn't actually start to get more consistant energy until I took the raw glandulars (the formula I'm using has all types). I only mention this because it might be helpful to someone else.
-------------------- When I lost my grip on Faith in the maze of illness, Hope gently clasped my hand and led on.
RuthRuth Posts: 478 | From California | Registered: Jan 2007
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bejoy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11129
posted
I also have like the adrenal formula Drenamin from standard process.
-------------------- bejoy!
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 1918 | From Alive and Well! | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
hi everyone! After treating lyme with oral and iv abx for the past few years I've now been taking cortisol 20mg for about 5 months to boost my adrenals.
My energy was good for a few months and i was even able to work. however since september my energy levels dropped back down and i stopped working. My energy is seemingly getting worse as time goes by. I am still on cortisol and am wondering whether i could now be on too much cortisol - can too much cortisol cause energy levels to drop?
I have also had quite severe anxiety and depression, however this is most probably due to the fact i am off klonopin for the last 6 weeks.
any thoughts? I would love to hear them!
Posts: 11 | From Doylestown, PA | Registered: Nov 2006
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DebAz
Unregistered
posted
How to treat Adrenal fatigue
1 Removal of the stressors. This is the most important step. Emotional stressors such as marital, family, relationship, or financial problems needs to be dealt with and normalized.
2. Sleep. The most important is to have enough rest. It is important to go to sleep by 10 p.m. every night. Why? This is because our adrenal glands kick in for a "second wind" to keep us going from 11 pm to 1 am. This puts tremendous stress on the adrenals. When we rest early, our adrenals are fully rested and the high gear is avoided. Between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., our adrenals work the hardest to repair the body. We should also try to sleep in until 8:30 a.m. or 9: 00 a.m. if possible. This is because our cortisol level rises to its peak from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. in order to wake us up and get us going for the day.
In later stage adrenal fatigue, the level of cortisol falls and we feel tired. It will be more difficult to wake up. If we were to wake up too early, this will only increase stress on the adrenal glands, which will have to produce more cortisol when it is already exhausted.
A good night sleep is therefore mandatory. Without a good sleep, our bodies cannot regenerate itself to deal with stressors the next day. We should also rest in a completely dark room to maximize melatonin production.
If you are unable to fall asleep, take oral melatonin (0.5 mg to 3mg) 30 minutes before bedtime. You may begin with a low dose (0.5 mg) and gradually work upwards. If you start with 3 mg, the common over-the-counter dose and find it not helpful, go to a lower dose instead. The right dosage varies from person to person.
If you have a tendency to wake up at 2 to 3 a.m. and find that you are unable to fall back to sleep, that is a sign of excessive stress. In this case, you may wish to consider a time-release melatonin. You may also wish to try other sleep aids such as 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) 50-100 mg, adrenal extracts, and trace mineral tablets. Another wonderful relaxant and sleep aid is magnesium. Some common herbs that enhance sleep are valerian (root), hops (whole plant), and licorice (root).
3. Avoid Coffee or Caffeinated Beverages. Coffee and tea act as stimulants and interrupt sleep pattern. Herbal tea is acceptable because it does not contain caffeine.
4. Avoid TV and Computers. Some people may be photosensitive. Watching television or working at the computer may prevent the melatonin level from rising to induce sleep. If you are one of these people, you should turn off your television or computer by around 8 p.m. at night.
5. Exercise. This is a wonderful stress reducer and a tremendous oxygenator. Exercise reduces depression, increases blood flow, normalizes level of cortisol, insulin, blood glucose, growth hormones, thyroid, and makes you feel generally much better. The key is to adjust the level of exercise in accordance to your capacity. The more advance your adrenal fatigue, the less you should exercise vigorously. Vigorous exercise can lead to a catabolic state and worse adrenal fatigue
Simple exercises such as brisk walking, or climbing stairs are easy to do and can be done almost anywhere. You should vary your routine so that exercise becomes fun. When exercising. You should exercise to no more than 50% of your capacity and feel fresh after each exercise session. you should cover the following three categories:
Aerobics - such as fast walking, stairs climbing, Nordic track, swimming, and treadmill. Anerobics - such as weight lifting, push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups Flexibility - such as stretching, yoga, and tai chi.
6. Nutritional Supplementation. It is prudent to optimize the adrenal gland functions. Supplement such as DHEA at 15 to 30 mg, pregnenolone at 25 to 50 mg, low dose natural cortisol at 25 to 50 mg, natural progesterone at 20 mg, or cortisol enhancing agent such as licorice root extract can be taken.
We should take an optimal balanced of vitamins and minerals for optimum adrenal function. These include:
A. 500 mg to 3,000 mg of vitamin C with bioflavonoids, lysine, proline, pine bark extract
B. 100 to 200 mg of fat-soluble vitamin C called ascobyl palmitate
C. 900 to 1,500 mg of vitamin B5 (panthothenic acid) as most hormone production in the adrenal gland needs the co-enzyme A, a by-product of Vitamin B5, to be produced.
D. Vitamin E is another important nutrient, which is involved in at least 6 different enzymatic reactions in the adrenal cascade. Take 400 to 800 I.U. of vitamin E daily.
E. Take 10,000 to 25,000 I.U of beta-carotene and other important minerals such as selenium (200 mcg), magnesium (500 mg) as well as important amino acids such as lysine (1-2 gm), proline (500mg - 1gm) and glutamine (1-5 gm) or more in advance cases.
F. DHEA 15-50 mg , pregnenolone 25-50 mg , adrenal glandular, adrenal extracts, licorice root can be helpful.
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posted
I'm confused. Low dose cortef said bad by one poster, good by others.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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mojo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9309
posted
I think it depends on what your body needs.
Low dose Cortef messed me up big time and was OK for my identical twin. We both have Lyme and Adrenal Fatigue.
Posts: 1761 | From USA | Registered: May 2006
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Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
There's this stuff called Tulsi, aka, Holy Basil. It is an herb used in India.
I am not sure if it helps the adrenals or not, because I am too sick to read long articles, etc....but all I know is that I have some Tulsi tea and I like how it makes me feel.
I do know that Holy Basil or "tulsi" is known as an adaptogenic herb.
PS--I'll also provide a link to the tea i have been drinking (i don't sell it and am not affiliated with any of this) They make lots of different flavors...I don't see the red mango one there though...that is my favorite so far.
Lymeorsomething
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16359
posted
Low dose cortisol is fine if you need it but it's a good idea to be on abx concurrently if you have active lyme obviously.
Supposedly, low-dose cortisol can help some with chronic fatigue issues. A good book is The Safe Use of Cortisol by William McK Jefferies MD. It may be out-of-print but is worth an interlibrary loan for those considering a longterm trial of cortisol.
(Actually the 3rd ed. is still in print)
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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canefan17
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posted
DebaZ,
Good stuff. Spot on too.
Posts: 5394 | From Houston, Tx | Registered: Aug 2009
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Some ADRENAL LINKS: -----------------
This book is specific to lyme and other chronic stealth infections. The author discusses the endocrine connection and effects of STRESS on a person with such infections. You can read customer reviews and look inside the book at this link to its page at Amazon.
The Potbelly Syndrome: How Common Germs Cause Obesity, Diabetes, And Heart Disease (Paperback) - 2005
by Russell Farris and Per Marin, MD, PhD
==================
Remember that lyme really messes up the HPA axis (Hypothalamus/pituitary/adrenal network). The pituitary has much to do with weight/growth. Mess up any part of the endocrine system and other parts suffer, too.
Curcumin Prevents Some Stress-Related Changes (By CP Staff)
Excerpts:
A recently published study investigated the effects of curcumin, a constituent of the botanical turmeric, on changes in cognition and memory caused by stress. . . .
. . . In this new study, researchers investigated the effect of curcumin supplementation on stress-induced learning defects in mice. . . .
. . . In addition, curcumin reversed the stress-induced increase in the levels of serum corticosterone, the primary hormone secreted during the stress response. . . .
. . . The researchers concluded, ``Thus, curcumin may be an effective therapeutic for learning and memory disturbances as was seen within these stress models, and
its neuroprotective effect was mediated in part by normalizing the corticosterone response, resulting in down-regulating of the phosphorylated calcium/calmodulin kinase II and glutamate receptor levels.''
The Potbelly Syndrome: How Common Germs Cause Obesity, Diabetes, And Heart Disease (Paperback) - 2005
by Russell Farris (Author), Per Marin (Author)
Much about stress reactions here. - you can read customer reviews at the link. Attention is given to lyme and other chronic stealth infections however, it does not go into details about solutions.
===========================
This is not a lyme book.
This book has only one reference to lyme (in the historical use of sarsarparilla for another spirochetal infection). However, it is a vital first book to read - or a reference - for anyone interested in understanding nutritional methods.
Search for Ashwagandha; Cordyceps; Siberian Ginseng in this book:
Graciously, much of this book is on line. It can also be purchased from this site or through Amazon where you can look inside the book and see many customer reviews.
The Rhodiola Revolution byt Richard P. Brown, MD and Patricia L. Gerbarg, MD, et.al.
See this at Amazon. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- It's also good to go back to basics regarding self-care. Note that aerobic exercise is not allowed until recovered (or your LLMD has outlined another plan).
posted
You need to get an adrenal stimulation test. This test will tell you if you need to take cortisol or not. No one should ever take cortisol based on a cortisol level --saliva or blood. This level fluctuates. You can shut down your adrenal function taking cortisol if they are working.
Posts: 383 | From Ar | Registered: May 2007
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seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 15067
posted
Everyone says their adrenals are shot here it seems. Tough to know. My old LLMD tossed out Cortef easily with no tests showing I had this condition. I just wasn't comfortable taking that drug based on a clinical diagnosis. I agree with WC that some further investigation may be needed.
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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canefan17
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 22149
posted
If you have Lyme you have adrenal issues. Period.
In fact i'd venture to say anybody who is ill, or has a serious chronic condition has experienced adrenal fatigue to some extent.
but make no mistake... Lymies get hit the worst.
There's a reason Dr S, Dr B, Buhner, Cowden all discuss adrenal support in great detail.
(I'm up wayyy past my bedtime this Saturday night!)
: )
Posts: 5394 | From Houston, Tx | Registered: Aug 2009
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