[Annabel]

Hi lemonfish, it certainly sounds like you went through a very stressful period and may be experiencing HPA axis dysfunction of some kind. Did you ask your naturopath to run a 24 hour salivary cortisol test? That would give you lots of useful information about the current state of your adrenals. The lack of sleep, over-reactivity to stress, heart palpitations and anxiety all suggest some kind of stress-related disorder.

Fawne and Dr Eric write in their book about the connection between the thyroid, adrenals, and the various feedback loops that control them. Dysfunction in one often contributes to problems with the other. Make sure you are getting a full range of thyroid tests done (not just TSH) in addition to the adrenal testing.

It sounds like you’re on the right track with your lifestyle changes. Low intensity exercise, nutritive food, and lots of sleep will help. Take your time, learn as much as you can, and don’t expect to feel better immediately! It sounds like this situation was building up for some time, so you need to give your body plenty of time to recover..

Keep us updated!

[Annabel]

Awesome post, thanks Mary 🙂

[Annabel]

Hi Mary, good question! I don’t know of any in-person support groups unfortunately. However, you could always start one yourself! It’s easier than it ever has been to create groups on websites like meetup.com. Perhaps you could start a group in your area, just for people to regularly meet up, relax, and talk about how they are doing.

[quote quote=9507]By the way, I was initially told many times that my symptoms, etc was “in my head”. Anyone else experience that?[/quote]

This is a very common experience, unfortunately. But there is lots and lots of evidence to show that stress, burnout, adrenal fatigue, HPA dysfunction (whatever you want to call it!) has real, physical effects. Try to educate people wherever you can, and if they don’t want to learn then move on 🙂

[Annabel]

Thanks Mary! Sometimes its better to be a few pounds heavier, but with regulated hormones and a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

[Annabel]

Hi MaryU, that’s a great question! In my experience, yes a full recovery is certainly possible.

However, one thing to remember is whatever caused your adrenal fatigue might not fully go away. So there might be underlying stressors, a tendency towards unhealthy eating, an anxious personality, or even a persistent hormone imbalance. Anything like that might continue beyond the end of your treatment and leave you susceptible to getting adrenal fatigued again.

It sounds like you are on the right track!

[Annabel]

Hi bouchardony. You didn’t mention why you made these changes. Were you trying to lose weight? Did you feel that you weren’t coping well with stress, or that stress was causing health problems? When you used to go running, were you tired afterwards or energized? Did you get your cortisol levels tested?

[Annabel]

Hi jannamaria. The combination of low cortisol and high DHEA definitely implies that your HPA axis is dysregulated. There was a research study a few years back showing how women with PTSD have that particular hormone imbalance – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2829297/. So it sounds like stress is very likely the underlying cause.

Are there any other underlying issues that might be causing your stress? If so, it might be worth speaking to a counselor of some kind, rather than trying to work through it yourself. You sound like you are doing your best to reduce stress in your job etc, which is great.

Make sure you don’t give up exercise entirely. Long walks or swims are awesome ways to lower stress levels and help your body get back into balance. Just make sure that the exercise you are doing leaves you feeling invigorated, not exhausted.

I can’t really give any advice on birth control pills, but I would definitely recommend finding a good integrative doctor with some expertise in hormones and adrenal fatigue.

Lastly, remember that time is the greatest healer. There is no magic pill for adrenal fatigue or most other stress-related conditions. You just need to give your body the right conditions that it needs to recover, and let it get on with its job 🙂

[Annabel]

Hi Teesh,

I sounds like you’re doing lots of good things for your health. Congratulations! In the long run, your body will definitely thank you 🙂

Have you considered that you might still be suffering from withdrawal effects from the caffeine (and possibly the alcohol too)? It can take up to 3 weeks for all the effects of caffeine withdrawal to pass. That might explain why you are still feeling under the weather.

You didn’t mention exercise in your post. That’s one of the best antidepressants there is. If you can get up and out of the house for a walk every morning, that would be a huge help I’m sure.

Good luck!
Annabel

[Annabel]

Hi Joyfulmom, sorry for the late reply! I don’t know of any online communities or support groups that might help. However, if you pop your question in here then I (or someone else) can certainly try our best. And of course, Fawne’s book has the answer to lots of questions too. I hope that helps!

[Annabel]

Hi J,
It sounds like you’ve been under a lot of stress, something that’s definitely not unusual for new parents! But yes – it’s certainly possible to recover and get your energy levels and vitality back to where they were. How long does that take? It really depends on how you manage your stress, and how long those stressors last. Follow the strategies in Fawne’s book – they will help. Also, sit down with your wife and try to figure out how you can make it through this stressful time together. Perhaps there are lifestyle changes that you can make? Or maybe there are relatives/friends who can help occasionally with the kid(s). Can you speak with your boss and agree to working from home one day each week? Or possibly working longer hours for 4 days, then taking a 3 day weekend? Try to examine where in your life your stressors are, and then develop strategies for changing them (or coping with them better).
Good luck!
Annabel

[Annabel]

Yes fatigue in the early afternoon is definitely very common.

Rather than fight it, have you tried listening to your body and taking a nap? It might not always be easy while you’re at work, but a quick snooze in the car or a quiet area might be just what you need. Drinking coffee and fighting through it might be sapping your energy even more.

Some meditation might help with your anxiety.

[Annabel]

Everyone has ups and downs during their recovery, so it’s probably nothing to worry about. Stay on the right track with your diet etc. If you’re worried about the low blood sugar shakes, definitely go see a doctor about that. Are you eating enough? When you switch to a cleaner, healthier diet, it’s often necessary to eat a higher volume of food to get the same caloric intake.

[Annabel]

Hi Helen. Depending on what stage of HPA dysfunction you have reached, your aldosterone levels might be low. This can dysregulate your levels of potassium and sodium. For more advanced adrenal fatigue, typically potassium levels are too high relative to sodium levels. If that’s the case, then increasing your salt intake might be a better solution than the electrolyte. However, if the smoothie makes you feel great, then I would consider sticking with that!

[Annabel]

Hi Helen. Yes DHEA cream is generally considered more effective than the pills. As for determining the right kind of bioidentical hormone treatment that you need, that’s something that should really be left up to your doctor. Too much or too little can have some serious unintended consequences, so be sure that you are doing it under the supervision of a qualified professional. Look for a good integrative doctor if you can. I’m sorry I can’t be more specific!

[Annabel]

Did you get the 24 hour salivary cortisol test? That usually gives a better representation of how your cortisol cycle is holding up.

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