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Hi everyone,
I have quite a complex medical history and am suspecting my adrenals may be involved. I have been a competitive runner and also believe I may be suffering from overtraining syndrome. All my life, I have always been extremely intense and competitive, and go at things I want full-throttle. I have difficulty unplugging and relaxing.
I have had the following symptoms over the past 5-10 years:
Irregular periods (was resolved once I had acupuncture)
Cervical dysplasia (had a LEEP in December of 2015 and may have to have another. My cells were beyond severe, and were the most advanced they could be without it actually being cervical cancer-called carcinoma in situ). And integrative doc treated me with an estrogen blocker I inserted vaginally which kept giving me yeast infections and didn’t work.
Raynaud’s Syndrome-primary-went to a rheumatologist who did a bunch of blood tests (thyroid included, which included T4 and TSH which they said were in normal range). With the blood tests they claimed to have ruled out any autoimmune diseases. The recommendations were “just keep yourself warm or take calcium channel blockers.” I did biofeedback instead, which helped but I haven’t been good about practicing it regularly. It was not really functional to do when running so I kind of gave up on it.
Low thyroid function-specifically T3-even though the rheumatologist said I was normal an integrative doctor said my T3 was low. She put me on 60 mg thyroid armour and I did that for about 2 years. Eventually a different integrative doctor increased that to 90 mg and I did that from August-October of 2015. I went to a standard western physician because I was having a hard time keeping my heartrate down in a normal range during easy workouts, and he said my levels were too high and I was overmedicated. I’m not on no thyroid meds. The last test showed my T4 was at the low end of normal. Western doc doesn’t believe in testing anything else so he only looked at T4 and TSH.
I have another test coming up here soon. When I was on the thyroid armour, one of the integrative docs said that my levels should be higher than they were given the amount I was taking, so I suspect that I wasn’t absorbing it properly and that this wasn’t the true root of the issue.
Low progesterone-I took 100 mg prometrium for a while and then went off because my levels were “acceptable” according to one of my integrative docs. Western doc didn’t like that I was on it in the first place.
I tried gluten free for a while because I was having bloody diarrhea during high intensity training runs. Didn’t notice much difference. Tried strict Paleo too. I got really skinny but GI problems persisted. Have had a colonoscopy and endoscopy that showed negative for cancer and celiac, but showed esophageal and gastric inflammation. The GI doc recommended Prilosec, but I didn’t take it because it’s bothered me in the past. A chiro I went to said I actually have LOW stomach acid based on applied kinesiology test he did-which I don’t completely trust.
My cortisol levels have been high on testing before, but I haven’t had them checked recently.
Most recent issue is that I can’t keep my heartrate in a normal range during cardio, even though I have a low resting heartrate of between 40-50. I can easily spike up to the 170-180 range during cardio even though I should be able to stay 130-140 based on the shape I thought I was in. I thought this may have been due to the thyroid meds, but I’ve been off them a couple months and it’s still an issue.I have a lot of life stress and anxiety. I hate my job I’ve been at for over 10 years and have a lot of dissatisfaction with how things are going in my life-even though there isn’t anything logically that is “that bad.”
I’ve been to chiros, integrative docs, and western docs, and I don’t trust any of them. I’ve tried all kinds of supplements and alternative treatments, but I really haven’t tackled it from the angle of addressing adrenal fatigue because I didn’t know that could be a potential cause.
I’m currently seeing the Western doc, who thinks supplements are a bunch of BS. So he has be on a multivitamin and Vitamin D only. I know I should be taking SOMETHING, but the integrative people had me on so much stuff that was expensive and not helpful, so I don’t trust them either.
I know I need to do a combination of diet, exercise modification (even if it means sticking to gentle things like yoga and no training), lifestyle modification, and maybe some medication.I don’t know what type of specialist to go to so that I can find out what’s actually going on. I think adrenals may be involved, but I’m not sure.
Where do I start?
Hi Karen,
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences!
Regarding overtraining, Fawne actually wrote a post about it a while ago. You can find it here.
It sounds like you’ve tried lots of different medications with both your Western and integrative doctor. You haven’t found the right combination, and I wonder if that’s because you’re not addressing the root of the problem.
I thought the most important of your post was actually this:
I have a lot of life stress and anxiety. I hate my job I’ve been at for over 10 years and have a lot of dissatisfaction with how things are going in my life-even though there isn’t anything logically that is “that bad.”It’s really common to underestimate the effects that stress can have on your physiology. Stress can affect your hormone levels, your general sense of wellbeing and vitality, and has been linked to all kinds of medical conditions. If you’re in any doubt about this, take a look at the infographic that Fawne put together: https://adrenalfatiguesolution.com/17-reasons-to-avoid-stress/
At least some of your problems could be caused by a combination of physical stress (from the overtraining), and the emotional stress that you mention above. Until you address these issues, all the different medication and supplements might simply be addressing the symptoms rather than the cause.
Physical stress is easy to address. Aim for more restorative exercise (swimming, yoga, light jogging) that leaves you energized rather than exhausted. Eat lots of nutritious food and get lots of sleep.
Emotional stress is more difficult, and this is where you might need to get some help. Why are you unhappy in your job and life? Is there an underlying reason? Can you use a technique like reframing to change your perspective. Techniques like deep breathing and meditation might also help. Or would a more concrete change (like a new job) be more helpful.
It’s difficult to say what your best course of treatment might be, but it does sound like you’ve been looking for a quick fix without addressing the high level of stress that might be the real cause. The package that Fawne offers on this site contains some awesome meditations and lots of great advice on reducing stress. You might also want to think about seeing a therapist or guidance counsellor to identify any emotional issues that may be at the bottom of this.
Let me know what you think!
Best,
AnnabelThanks for the reply Annabel.
I agree that the work stress is a huge factor. I’ve been working on leaving for about 5 years. I’ve yet to find anything-and it hasn’t been for lack of trying. I’m currently working on starting a business so that I can leave my job and have more flexibility, but that is a long road ahead of me. I’d love to be able to leave my job, but then I’d add the stress of money which would be adding another stressor that could be worse than what I have now.
Plus with all these medical issues I need my health insurance. It’s kind of a Catch 22.
I have seen multiple “therapists”…at least 5 or 6 over the years. Psychologists, social workers, counselors, even a hypnotherapist. I’ve done craniasacral therapy, I’ve done yoga, I’ve done mediation, I’ve done acupuncture…
When I say I’ve tried everything, I’m not kidding.
Behavioral therapy has its limitations, and I believe that I’m living proof of that. There’s only so much you can get out of talking about your problems before you start ruminating and it stresses you out more. And I’m going to smack the next person who asks, “Have you ever tried yoga and deep breathing?” I want to say “YES YOU IDIOT!” Please don’t take that the wrong way-I don’t mean you 🙂
I’m therapist myself (speech pathologist) and am well-read in a number of the techniques therapists use-and have done quite a bit of self-therapy. I’m considering doing neurofeedback-are you familiar with this? I believe I need to go deeper than what standard therapy can offer.
But aside from the mental stress; I don’t know exactly what is going on. My thyroid is not functioning properly, and I know I’m having issues with the hormonal levels. There is something physical going on here that I do believe needs to be addressed nutritionally. I’m looking for a little more specifics than “eat nutritious food”. There are certain foods that are contraindicated for certain conditions, and I need to know exactly what I can and can’t eat. There are so many different viewpoints on what constitutes “nutritious” food, and I need to know what is going on in my body so I can support these systems.
I understand that you can’t diagnose or treat over an internet forum, but was wondering if you could point me to some resources, or recommend some possible specialists who could. Should I be going to an endocrinologist? An internist? I’m going to a cardiologist to rule out cardiac issues, but I have a feeling that’s not going to result in any helpful answers other than ruling things out.
Hi Karen, it sounds like you’re very frustrated and, given your history, I completely understand that. One thing I wanted to ask is if your testing has been sufficient?
e.g. Have you had the full range of thyroid tests? Including Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, Total T4? Was your cortisol test a daily average, or was it a salivary test taken 4 times within a 24 hour period? These would make it easier for your integrative doctor or an endocrinologist to identify where these issues are coming from.
Also, have you done a stool test? The GI problems that you describe could be caused by some kind of gut dysbiosis or stomach acid problem, which could be feeding into problems elsewhere.
It’s very difficult to recommend anything specific, but if you get more testing then perhaps you can get a little closer to the root of the problem.
Annabel-No, I definitely don’t think my testing has been sufficient.
The first panel of thyroid tests I did back in 2013 didn’t include any T3-just TSH.
The most recent one I did also only included TSH and T4. That’s all my current primary care doctor was wiling to test because he said that’s the most accurate way to measure thyroid function (he’s the traditional Western doctor). I even asked about T3 and he said that it wasn’t necessary.
The integrative doctor looked at Free T4, Free T3, and TSH. I don’t know if I’ve ever had total T4 or reverse T4, and I haven’t had a stool sample. The cortisol test was just taken from a blood test in the morning.
The problem is that my primary care physician is old school so I doubt he will have a clue about how to treat this, and the integrative doctor is so far out there and was throwing so many supplements at me that I was taking too many. I don’t trust either of them.
I was seeing another before either of the two current doctors who was more in to integrative stuff and was not completely off the deep end (I do believe there is a happy medium between conventional and alternative but I’ve yet to find someone who wasn’t too far to either side).
It might be worth it to go back to her-its just hard because she’s two hours away from me.To clarify-you think it might be useful to have ALL of the tests that you mentioned in the previous post? Are there any more that would be beneficial? Are those thyroid and adrenal tests you mentioned standard procedure for most endocrinologists-or do I have to find someone who is more into integrative medicine?
Are there any other tests that would need to be done related to adrenal or even pituitary gland issues (to rule things out or diagnose?)
Thanks so much for your help.
The best integrative doctors are often those that started off as MDs, got frustrated with the system, and then started learning more about how to complement their knowledge with some more holistic medicine, hormone therapy, lifestyle changes etc.
If I were you I would get all those tests done. The dogma that TSH/T4 testing is sufficient has been well and truly shattered by now. Any endocrinologist that only orders those two tests is just not good enough. Try to get the full thyroid panel if you can.
As for the cortisol test, you can actually order those online, send to the lab yourself, then take to your health professional. Or you can ask them for the specific test that they prefer. The gold standard is a 24 hour salivary cortisol test with 4 different samples. That could help to diagnose any issues with your hypothalamus or pituitary too.
The stool analysis might be unnecessary, but given the GI symptoms that you mentioned it would be worth looking at.
Keep on trying and you’ll figure it out. Keep us updated!
Yes it very well be adrenal fatigue.
Over training in karate is what caused my adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue causes cellular dehydration and that’s where the symptoms go out of control. Dehydration causes a myriad of problems.
Healing the adrenals will reverse the dehydration and symptoms will go away, little by little.
It happened for me. I went from bedridden to feeling the best I ever had my whole life. I had a 6 month remission. I went off track and got sick again.
Am working on another remission.
Please work on adrenals. Ashwagandha herb is making a huge difference for my adrenals.
Susan
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