Adrenal Fatigue- is there more to it than what you’ve been hearing? Is it even a *real* thing?
This is such a personal topic for me, and one I’ve been interested in for several years. I’ve seen LOTS of discussion on adrenal fatigue online, and spent hours researching, reading the latest books, etc. But for all of the things I was doing right, my health was still spiraling downward.
I knew that my typical bloodwork would again be “normal” and that I’d get a shrug and an offer for anti-depressants from a regular doctor. But I KNEW something was wrong. And I knew I needed help.
Last year, I sought help from a holistic doctor- Dr. Rob at Alternacare, and he opened my eyes to the *real* issue with adrenal fatigue. You got to meet Dr. Rob a couple weeks ago here on my blog, and he answered my questions about what the difference is between a “regular” [allopathic] doctor, and a holistic doctor.
Today, Dr. Rob and I sit down and chat about adrenal fatigue…is it a real thing? What causes it? And can a person actually recover? After a year of working with Dr. Rob, I would consider myself recovered from pretty deep adrenal dysfunction. So I consider him to be qualified to answer my questions and yours. I hope you’re as interested as I am in this topic, and many, many thanks to Dr. Rob for taking time to share this information with us.
Full Disclosure: I am so grateful for Dr. Rob’s help, and I want to share this info with others. I am not being compensated for this post. He’s just here to share as a friend and as my personal doctor.
Adrenal Fatigue Interview with Dr. Rob
Gwen: Can you give us a basic description of what “Adrenal Fatigue” means?
Dr. Rob: It means the glands are no longer able to produce their hormones in the correct quantity or the correct balance for optimal function.
Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue
Gwen: Right. We’ve talked before about how the adrenals do so much more than just provide energy- they also regulate between meal blood sugar levels, modulate the immune system, run our hormonal sleep/wake cycle, and control the adrenaline fight or flight response. The adrenals produce the precursor to all of the sex hormones (pregnenolone), as well as cortisol that plays *so* many different roles in the body.
So that’s why the symptom lists are usually SO long…the adrenals are tied in with so many other systems. Instead of telling us EVERY symptom that a patient with adrenal fatigue can have, boil it down for us…what are the most common symptoms that would tip you off that a patient is dealing with adrenal issues?
Dr. Rob: Here is just a partial list of symptoms that I commonly see associated with adrenal insufficiency, and the body type that starts to happen with adrenal dysfunction. A person doesn’t have to have *all* of these symptoms, but these are the ones that when I see a cluster of them, I start to think adrenals:
- Fatigue—specifically in the morning, after lunch and throughout the day, however, they sometimes feel more awake in the evenings.
- Anxiety, excessive worry or depression
- Sleeping problems—either trouble falling asleep or the more common symptom of the person falling asleep ok but waking up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back to sleep.
- Belly fat or midsection weight gain.
- Cravings for salty foods
- Swelling in the face, puffiness around the eyelids, eyes and a fuller or rounder face
- Facial hair
- Brain Fog
- Unresolved pain or inflammation. Because the adrenals are the anti-inflammatory glands of the body when they become fatigued their ability to produce the correct amount of anti-inflammatory hormone is reduced. As a result of this, there is more inflammation in their body. Old injures act back up and new ones can be more common.
- Irritability
Gwen: What are some uncommon symptoms that you see, that we’d not normally associate with adrenal issues?
Dr. Rob: Thyroid dysfunction. In some cases the adrenals will start to overproduce cortisol. Excess cortisol interferes with thyroid function and can cause a false hypothyroidism.
Gwen: No way! I’ve never heard of it that way before…but those are the two things *everyone* tries to diagnose with online: you’ve either got thyroid problems or adrenal problems. Or candida…ha! It’s so interesting that they can play off of one another that way. I forget how interconnected our bodies are.
OK, so here’s the key question: what are some of the most common causes of adrenal fatigue that you see?
Causes of Adrenal Fatigue
Dr. Rob: Often some type of internal inflammatory causing compound such as; a toxin, food sensitivity, pathogen (parasite, bacteria, mold, and yeast) or deficiency.
Cortisol is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory hormones in the body. So it’s not a bad thing per se. For example, if a person has a parasite somewhere in the digestive tract, it will produce inflammation in the gut. The adrenals respond to this by raising cortisol. If the parasite is not found and dealt with, then the inflammation is going to remain at high levels constantly.
Subsequently, the adrenals will be forced to continually release cortisol (sometimes producing belly fat, insomnia and food cravings), however, the glands can’t maintain this level of cortisol production forever.
As the need for more cortisol climbs, the adrenals will then start to steal from the raw materials of other hormones they produce in order to keep the cortisol levels up. Because the adrenals also create the raw materials for sex hormones, you start to see other hormone imbalances crop up.
This “pregnenolone steal” is like robbing from Peter to pay Paul. It causes the other hormones levels to fall, setting up imbalances between the adrenal hormones. Eventually, all the adrenal hormones go low and the person feels absolutely horrible.
Gwen: Wow! So, wait…EVERYONE is talking about “adrenal exhaustion” like it’s some sort of flaw in the adrenal glands. And in a way it *is* accurate to say that they’re exhausted and not functioning well. But most of the treatment approaches that I’ve seen (conventional and natural) are just focused around supporting the adrenals.
But It sounds like you’re saying that there is usually *something else* driving this…and the glands are just doing their job, but are unable to keep up. If that’s the case, then only supporting the glands is not ever going to be enough. Can a person treat at home effectively if they don’t know what the cause is? Is testing necessary?
Dr. Rob: ABSOLUTELY! You have to find the thing that is wrong inside the person’s body that’s stressing the gland. There is something wrong causing excessive inflammation in the body that must be found. Unless you have access to a crystal ball, you are probably not going to know what is causing the adrenal stress without labs.
As a result, you will take adrenal supplements forever and always be looking for the next best thing to finally help you overcome your symptoms. You can’t fix a hole in the roof by placing a bucket under the leak. You’ll keep the floor dry but that’s about it. You have to find that hole in the roof and you have to find the thing or things stressing the adrenals and handle them.
Testing for Adrenal Fatigue
Gwen: What type of testing do you recommend for those who think that they might have adrenal fatigue? (Root cause)
Dr. Rob: Oh, there are hundreds of potential test so it really just depends on what I think the cause is. When we work with a patient at AlternaCare we do a very comprehensive history, which helps give us clues as to the cause of the adrenal stress.
If we think it is a heavy metal then we’ll do a special type of heavy metals test done through a 24 hour urine collection. If we think it is a pathogen of some sort then we look at different options like energetic biofeedback test on their urine, saliva and DNA, a stool study, or various tests done via blood. It just depends.
Example of a stool test result.
Gwen: There is some controversy as to whether or not the term “Adrenal Fatigue” is accurate…what is your take on it? Some people say it’s more accurate to say “HPA axis dysfunction” instead of “Adrenal Fatigue”
Dr. Rob: Adrenal fatigue is not a recognized diagnosis at this time in the medical world. There is Cushings disease, where the adrenal glands overproduce cortisol, and on the other end of the scale is Addison’s Disease, where the adrenals no longer are able to produce sufficient hormones, and prescription hormone replacement is needed.
Between the ranges for those two diagnosis, functional medicine recognizes patterns that indicate that a person is heading in one direction or another. I think the term adrenal fatigue is accurate in that it describes the state of the gland, however, HPA axis dysfunction would probably be a better term as it is really the hypothalamus that starts to malfunction, which then affects the adrenal glands.
the pituitary gland, or “master gland”
HPA stands for the hypothalamus, Pituitary and Adrenal glands. The hypothalamus and pituitary glands are located in the brain and the adrenals are located right above the kidneys.
When referring to the body the term “Axis” means things connected to one another often in a line. So we have the Hypothalamus connected to the pituitary, the pituitary connected to the adrenals and the adrenals connected back to the hypothalamus.
“HPA Axis Diagram (Brian M Sweis 2012)” by BrianMSweis – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.
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By “connected” I mean they communicate directly to one another via the hormones they produce. I won’t go into more detail here but I will say it is first the adrenals responding to an abnormal stress and when they have responded to this stress too long (like the parasite example I gave above) it alters the connection between the adrenals and hypothalamus—breaking down the HPA axis.
Gwen: I’ve been reading a book called “Rethinking Fatigue: the Adrenal Myth” by Nora Gedaudas, in which she downplays the role of the adrenals, and focuses a lot more on the role of the brain, the immune system, and diet than on the glands themselves. What is your take on this approach?
Dr. Rob: Yes I agree with this. The adrenal issue or adrenal fatigue is often a secondary problem. Meaning the adrenal glands are just responding to an infection, or toxin or deficiency state in the body.
When these adrenal stresses are not removed from the body the gland has no choice but to fatigue. Imagine yourself having to exercise forever. Like no break. Continual exercise. Eventually, you’d pass out because of the fatigue.
If there is a stress in your body (like in the examples I’ve given) and that stress is never removed, you are asking your adrenals to exercise continually. The adrenals are just doing their job. They are responding to the stress of an immune challenge such as a parasite or bacteria.
If the bacteria or parasite is not handled then the glands will never be free of this stress. Much like the person who never gets a break from exercise the adrenal glands will eventually fatigue.
Excuse the redundancy but this is really a key part of handling adrenal fatigue. The person MUST find that thing that is stressing the glands or else they will never fully heal.
Gwen: I don’t mind the repetition, because I’ve never heard adrenal fatigue explained this way, and it’s SO eye opening! So, I know in my own case that chronic infection WAS an issue, and what was so puzzling for me was that I had absolutely NO symptoms of stomach problems. And you said that’s not all that unusual. My only symptoms were my adrenals starting to go haywire.
In addition to handling the root cause, I know you also had me support my adrenals while I was healing. What are the most common supplements that are used for adrenal issues and what do they do?
Dr. Rob: I’d estimate as many as 50% of people who have a parasite, h. pylori or other chronic infection, and some forms of yeast overgrowth are asymptomatic as far as traditional GI symptoms.
As far as supplements, there are a boat load but I’ll give you in my opinion 3 of the most common. I’m not saying I’m a proponent of the below items, they are just commonly used.
- Raw Adrenal Glandular: This is like rent-a-gland. 🙂 A cow’s adrenal gland has many hormones in it such as, DHEA—an important adrenal hormone. If your adrenals are fatigued and can’t make the right amount of hormone you can supplement by simply eating the adrenal gland of a cow or pig. I know, gross! However, this will not fix the chronically fatigued adrenal gland. It’s a Band-Aid at best.
- Licorice Root: which essentially helps to extend the time cortisol stays in the body.
- Eleuthero: helps to support the glands in producing their hormones.
Gwen: I recognize a couple of those from the blends I was on. And I wasn’t crazy about the idea of raw glandulars, so I think we skipped that part with my protocol…but a majority of the focus was NOT on adrenal supplements. It was overall healing and tailored week after week to looking at what my body needed to continue that process.
Oftentimes I’m asked “What did you take to fix your adrenal fatigue.” Well, it really doesn’t work that way at all. We did different things almost every week with supplements and foods depending on where I was in my healing protocol. I have a chart full of protocols that I’ve been on with you, and mine would look different than another patient’s chart. I like how individualized holistic medicine is. That’s a HUGE difference from a regular doctor’s office.
OK, next question: Assume that a person is ready to start making changes, and working on the root cause to their adrenal dysfunction. What are the MOST important lifestyle changes that a person who suspects adrenal fatigue should move toward?
Dr. Rob: As long as there are no liver issues or significant gut issues then eating some protein and fat every 3 hours (about 4 to 5 small meals per day) would be important since the adrenal glands help to regulate your blood sugar between meals. Making sure that you’re eating regularly during the day will help take stress off of the adrenals so that they’re not on duty with blood sugar modulation for hours on end.
Getting to sleep by 10pm…often easier said than done for the adrenal case.
Working on changing your attitude about stressful things. Meaning two people can be exposed to losing a dollar. One person will say to himself, well that stinks, but luckily I can make another dollar and go about his day.
Another person will lose a dollar and become very upset with himself and life. Did someone steal my dollar?! I bet it was my coworker! I’m going to talk to him! Or maybe I lost it at the dry cleaners. Stupid me! I should know better than to go to that dry cleaners. This type of thinking will definitely cause the adrenals to over produce cortisol and adrenalin, which is taxing to the gland. So just a shift in one’s attitude can help.
If they are exercising, ensure that the exercise is not too intense, as intense exercise can sometimes further stress and damage the adrenals.
Gwen: On the diet plans that you had me on, I recognized lots of the food choices since I had already been on the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan. It meshed really well with the food plans you had for me, and I was grateful for the education about healthy carbs and fats. 🙂
I’d also like to add another two more things to your list that were important for me: entertainment choices can really push the adrenals. When I was at my worst, I could feel the adrenal surges during the suspenseful music in movies or even TV shows. The fun, exhilarating feeling of watching a good action movie or show, or playing a video game can be too much for someone whose adrenals are already being over tapped.
And the other thing is avoiding caffeine and stimulants (sniff- like sweet tea and my lovely hot teas) that push the already tired adrenals. But I’m SO happy to report that I have recovered so much that I can enjoy teas and fun movies again with no problems. It’s just not a daily thing for me now.
Next question: oftentimes, adrenal fatigue is associated with other issues, like Lyme disease, thyroid problems, hormone imbalance, fibromyalgia, etc. How would you prioritize and decide which aspects to treat first if you’ve got a cluster of symptoms like this?
Dr. Rob: Well that is a very in depth question and something that is really beyond a blog and more for a 100 hour certification course in how to repair the adrenal glands. 🙂 I’ll say this, it is not just about knowing what numbers make up the combination to open the lock but you also need to know the order in which to use the numbers.
This is what I specialize in and really has taken me years and years to develop. Knowing the correct order or sequence in which to help the body heal. That is vital and probably the main reason why some people don’t every really recover from Adrenal Fatigue.
Lots of times the patient knows what’s wrong with their body but either the provider they are working with you the patient himself doesn’t know the correct order to address the problems that are present in the body.
Gwen: SO true! I would never have figured out how to get better on my own…no matter how much information I knew or books I’d read. I may one day go for that certification course though, because I really love learning about how the body works.
Are you still taking patients, and can you treat long distance cases?
Dr. Rob: Absolutely! There are a lot of people out there that are suffering from various health issues and it really is a passion of mine to help. I have worked with people from 30+ other states and 14 countries, in fact, about 35% of the people I work with are long distance cases. To learn more about working with Alternacare long distance, click here.
I’ve developed a specialized system for getting great results with the people from far away. The way it works is this; first we do a very comprehensive consultation combined with an Online Health Evaluation. With that information we can usually identify the organ or gland in their body that is breaking down.
We then will recommend labs that help us identify what is stress that week organ or gland. The lab kit is sent to the person’s home and they will perform the lab from the comfort of their own home. They then send the lab kit in and their samples get analyzed.
We then have more of an understanding as to what is wrong with their body and where their symptoms are coming from. We review the lab findings with them and the customized, one of a kind treatment program for that person.
They then start the first step on their program that will often have a few nutritional supplements and an eating program in it. We will follow up with them in a few weeks and then discuss their progress and the next step to their program which may contain an entirely different eating program. Since each person is unique it is their own personalized program.
To get in touch with Dr. Rob, you can contact his awesome *AWESOME* staff here at Alternacare’s website, and fill out the online health evaluation and they’ll be in touch. 
His staff is so amazing. My husband made an appointment on a different day than mine, and they called me to tell me that they’d re-arranged the schedule so that we could have back to back appointments and ride together…without me even asking! I’ve never seen an office that dedicated to their customers.
Gwen: Thank you SO much for being here with us today, Dr. Rob! I have a few other final questions that were submitted from the Herbal Chick Chat group on Facebook, if you don’t mind a few more.
Questions from the Chick Chat group:
Q: Can a stressful pregnancy/birth result in adrenal fatigue for the child?
A: I’d not say adrenal fatigue per say but stress definitely robs the body of nutrition. If the pregnant mom didn’t correct the nutritional deficiency then the child might not get what he or she needs to properly develop. That could mean a malfunctioning adrenals, thyroid, pituitary, stomach, kidney and so on. Just depends on the degree of deficiency and the lack of proper development in that part of the child’s body.
Q: What are the best supplements and lifestyle changes that you can do for kids who show stress patterns similar to adrenal fatigue?
A: Well, that is a broad question that really needs more in depth evaluation for the individual child. There are a lot of things that can produce this in a child. In general, proper sleep, good quality exercise and a great wholefood diet would be key.
Q: What kind of diet is good for Adrenal fatigue?
A: Well sugar is the enemy of the adrenals. So we want lots of whole foods containing healthy fats from foods like avocado, coconut, almonds, etc. Healthy proteins from wild caught fish-especially salmon, free range organic meats-especially the darker ones, and eggs. Some carbohydrates from berries and gluten free low glycemic grains. Ideally 4 to 5 small meals per day work well for adrenal fatigue.
Do you have questions for Dr. Rob regarding adrenal fatigue? Ask below in the comments, and he’ll answer.
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LOVED this post Gwen, very eye opening! It can be hard to find alternative medicine doctor who is willing to dig in to healthcare. I have checked out the website and cannot seem to locate this information. Dr. Rob is any of the care you provide or services covered by traditional health insurance? If not, does your office do “payment” plans or does it have to be paid for up front? Thank you.
Nicole, we used a card called Care Credit to spread out the cost. As far as I know, holistic care is not covered by insurance at this time.
Hi Nicole! Unfortunately traditional insurance doesn’t really cover this form of health care. Sometimes the HSAs (Health Spending Accounts) will cover some of it. The thing I can say is that my wife Pam really tries to work with everyone to make the care as affordable as possible. Also, because each person’s health challenge is unique costs can also vary widely patient to patient. I’d say the best thing to do is go tot he website and fill out the Free Online Health Evaluation. That will come over to use in a HIPAA compliant secure manner. Then one of my expert staff or my wife Pam, who is a Certified Nutritional Counselor will call you and discuss for Evaluation results. Once we have a better idea of what’s going on with you we can have a better estimation of costs. We can then work something out with you that will hopefully meet your budget. I look forward to talking with you and helping you soon 🙂
In Health,
Dr. Rob
Thank you Gwen. May years ago I had health issues, unrsolved, and was asked about my “adrenals”. I disregarded the query and now reading your post, I realized I had been too arrogant. Thank you. I will be doing something about it.
Thank you so much for this blog entry! It was quite enlightening.
Thanks, Allyson! I learned SO much from Dr. Rob, and I really wanted to share some of those, “Aha!” moments with my readers. 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
How does an adrenal adenoma affect your cortisol levels, can it make them almost non existent???
Hi Lisa! Actually it could do one of 3 things, nothing, elevate the cortisol levels or decrease them. However, about 95% of them really do nothing hormonally so the patient is asymptomatic. There is a disease called Cushings that will be associated with a hyperactive adrenal adenoma which typically causes an excess in cortisol production. I hope that helped!!
Would several years of chronic sleep deprivation due to special needs children be enough to cause adrenal fatigue for a mother during a pregnancy and the first year or so postpartum?
Hi Sara! That is certainly possible. That is a long time to be sleep deprived and that lack of sleep is absolutely damaging to the adrenals. There are things you can do naturally to support the gland and the body that can help the body heal itself and correct from this condition.
My Best,
Dr. Rob
50 year female who is 18 mos post op three separate aneurysm surgeries 8.2 pica clipping & 4.2 coiling@ brain stem. Hypothyroidism , pcos. saliva testing 2001 Cortisol 0.5noon androstenedione 10.8 testosterone 52.0 . Cognitive deficits and vestibular system damage. THM diet b.s down fm 109 to 88. Acupuncture weekly 4mos still dizzy. Lms 6/15 hot flashes x2mos. I know my hormones are a mess fm surgery. I need the vestibular system damage to get better not working , difficulty driving. Please help HMO saved my life but could careless about my cognitive abilities. Thank you & God Bless
Darenda, have you gone to Dr. Rob’s website and filled out his health evaluation? That’s the first step in getting help from him on this level. <3 I have had a LONG hard road to travel in recovering my health and life, so I know that feeling of frustration with no one really getting WHY all of this is happening to you, and not being able to help.
Oh wow Darenda! You have really been through a lot! This is what I can say, the body can heal. It does this all the time. It can heal from cancer, infections, fractures and the weirdest diseases known to man. You are clearly a fighter and that is huge asset! I would strongly encourage you to do to my website at http://www.alternacareinc.com and fill out the Free Online Health Evaluation. One of my expert staff will contact you ASAP to discuss how we can help. There is a lot that could possibly be done for you 🙂
I look forward to talking to and helping you Darenda.
Dr. Rob
Thank you for doing this, Gwen. It does answer some questions. I will definitely look into his office and perhaps, be his first patient in Oregon.
<3 You'll love him!
Cindy, I’d be happy to work with you and help you but I’m sorry to say that I have other patients in Oregon so you’d not be my first…..LOL. But that is perfectly ok!
I’ll talk with you soon.
Dr. Rob
Thank you SO much Gwen for posting this! There is so much good information here and I know I for one learned a lot. I hope you don’t mind, but I am sharing the link to this post in my newsletter that goes out in the morning. I hope lots of my readers go check it out and take the information to heart. God bless and keep up the great work!
Thank you, Sheri! I’m honored that you’d share it. <3
This article was so interesting, and especially the main causes that Dr. Rob stated for Adrenal Fatigue. I self-diagnosed myself with adrenal fatigue almost 2 years ago (since none of the many doctors I saw appeared to have any clue what was wrong with me!).
My question is, can simple chronic stress and sleep deprivation exhaust the adrenals? I cannot afford testing or holistic care at this time.
I’ve been under extreme emotional stress with constant difficult family circumstances, and dealt with sleep deprivation for over a decade. I’ve also been through several pregnancies, and am currently expecting a baby. My husband is also stressed and ill.
Do I really need to have a parasite, toxin, food sensitivity or deficiency, or can this level of stress be “enough” to cause my adrenal fatigue? I recovered somewhat on the “rent-a-gland” stuff and supplements, and trying to rest and not stress so much. But with my current pregnancy, I’m nervous about taxing my adrenals again, and would love suggestions for postpartum support.
Is it possible that the extreme stress would exhaust my adrenals, or would it be important for us to pursue testing in a case like this where there is persistent stress and sleep deprivation?
HI Alice, It depends. If it is severe stress and significant sleep deprivation for years then possibly, yes. However, if the sleep improves and the stress decreases some and you are taking some of the supplements recommended above then the glands should recover. If you are still battling the recovery process then there is something else that is stressing and has probably been stressing for a long time the adrenals. It was possibly the combination of the underlying stress (parasite, yeast, toxin……….) and the sleep and life factors that damaged the gland. If that is the case (and is what I often see) you have to improve the sleep, stress and handle the underlying cause or else the gland will not improve.
I hope that helps!
In Health,
Dr. Rob 🙂
In March 2015 I learned that I had Hashimoto’s and Adrenal Fatigue. Looking back through my personal history, I believe it set in at least by my 5th baby. I left her in the car at Walmart during a grocery shopping trip only to run out of the store to see police and an ambulance. Horrible day. Looking back at that, my short term memory loss was in full swing, a symptom of Hashimoto’s. My question is, can I pass Hashis to my babies? The baby in the story and the following baby both have a dairy allergy that my other 4 previous children do not. Should I get them tested. What would be the best protocol to help them overcome their allergies?
Hi Jennifer,
Wow! I’m sure that was a very intense situation for you and your child. To answer your question, no, you’d not typically pass that to your children, however, the underlying reason why it developed in the first place could absolutely be passed. If there are allergies present in the children there could be up to 50 different reasons why that would occur. There is no set “protocol” to address this. You’d have to get any children that have these allergies tested to determine the underlying reason why. And I’d not really know what tests to recommend until we talked and I got more information from you. It would be a good idea to go to the website and fill out the contact form at the bottom of the home page and then one of my expert staff could talk to you about the correct next step to help them. As far as you are concerned I’d fill out the Online Health Evaluation and then we can call you to cover the results with you.
http://www.alternacareinc.com
(for the Free Online Health Evaluation): http://www.alternacareinc.com/healthcare-evaluation/express-healthcare-evaluation/
I look forward to talking to you soon 🙂
Dr. Rob
Is there a way to get help from you? I need help. Over the last four years I have gained a lot of weight around my waist. In fact, I have all of the symptoms. Can you treat people?
Emily, if you’re speaking to Dr. Rob, yes…he is accepting new patients. The contact info is in the post. Look for the Alternacare logo for the instructions on how to start the process.
Hi Emily,
Absolutely! I’d be happy to help you 🙂 The correct first step would be to go to my website and fill out the Free Online Health Evaluation. This will give us great information as to the potential underlying cause to the weight and health issues that you are having. From there we can make the correct recommendations to you regarding what to do next. We’ll discuss finances with you after we consult you so you’d know the cost of anything be fore you go any further. But no worries Emily, chances are I can help!
(for the Free Online Health Evaluation): http://www.alternacareinc.com/healthcare-evaluation/express-healthcare-evaluation/
In Health,
Dr. Rob
I’ve been told I have a benign growth in my right adrenal gland but it’s nothing to be worried about. I have most all the symptoms described in this article and feel exhausted all the time. Recommendations?
Hi Angela,
I’m sorry to hear that. For something like that I’d need to work with you as a patient as it is not a simple thing like, I have some fungus on my toenail. When the body starts to form tumors, whether benign or malignant, there is clearly something wrong in the body. That thing that is wrong insider your body that has caused you to form a tumor needs to be identified and properly handled whether it is a problems with PH, specific toxin, candida, fungus, virus, parasite, food intolerance…..and the list goes on and on, the underlying cause would need to be identified. Whatever was wrong to cause that tumor is still wrong. If you wanted some health I’d recommend either working with a very qualified holistic practitioner (ND, DC, DO, MD…..) or if you wanted to work with me directly, then I’d love to help 🙂 What I’d recommend is to certainly fill out the Free Online Health Evaluation and then one of my expert staff will call you ASAP to review the results of the evaluation and explain more how we could help.
(for the Free Online Health Evaluation): http://www.alternacareinc.com/healthcare-evaluation/express-healthcare-evaluation/
I hope to talk with you soon Angela.
In Health,
Dr. Rob
Gwen, were antibiotics needed to get rid of your gut infection, or were you able to use herbs etc?
I did not use antibiotics for mine. 🙂
That’s so great to hear.
One of my daughters was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue and has lost her job because she missed so many days because she did not have enough energy to get herself to work. There were many days she would have to pull off to the side of the road on her way to work in order to take a short nap or she’d fall asleep at the wheel. She has done a lot of her own research and has changed her diet. Right now she is under the care of a naturopathic doctor, but it seems that it’s taking a long time for them to figure out what to do for her. She’s had several blood tests and they’re trying different things all the time. I feel she could benefit greatly from taking your online health evaluation. I am going to tell her about it. Thank you for sharing this information!
Hi Darlene,
I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter, I know it must be tough on you as her mom. Although it can definitely take time to solve some cases, your assumptions may be correct. If she hasn’t been making stable improvements then there may be something that was overlooked or not yet found that is causing the glands to fatigue. I would highly recommend that she fill out the Free Online Health Evaluation.
Here’s the link: http://www.alternacareinc.com/healthcare-evaluation/express-healthcare-evaluation/
I look forward to talking with you guys soon!
In Health,
Dr. Rob
What is gluten free grains ? I thought there might be a supplement we could take to help with this issue !!! i have tried repeatedly to go to bed at 10, but to no avail. I’ve tried making the room dark and cold. It didn’t work. Even when I am very tired I have trouble falling asleep. If I should fall asleep I may sleep for an hour or so and then wake up !!!!! I seem to be able to sleep better in the early morning hours. At daybreak !!!!!I am a 67 yr.old female, who is divorced and live with my daughter and grandson. I am not working !!!! I have trouble walking from taking statin drugs for years.
Verna,
You clearly have something major going on with the hormonal system of your body. I would love to help. The first step is to fill out the Free Online Health Evaluation and one of my expert staff will get in touch with you ASAP.
Here’s the link to the Evaluation: http://www.alternacareinc.com/healthcare-evaluation/express-healthcare-evaluation/
Oh, and a gluten free grain is a grain that doesn’t contain the protein gluten. Brown rice would be an example of one. I hope that helps and I look forward to hearing great successes from you in the near future.
My Best,
Dr. Rob
I know that I have adrenal fatigue and have been fighting it for a very long time. I am at the point to where I can’t stand it any more and it effects my ability to work. I’m depressed most of the time. I have been to a lot of doctors. I would like to work with someone that could help me get feeling better. I this something that you would be willing to help me with?
Sherry,
Absolutely! I would never leave someone to suffer when help is available! Just remember that there is always a cause to adrenal fatigue. If you have been doing things to help the adrenals but they have not yet recovered, it is because you have not found and dealt with the underlying thing that is damaging or stressing the glands.
Please go to: http://www.alternacareinc.com/healthcare-evaluation/express-healthcare-evaluation/ and fill out the Secure Online Health Evaluation and we will contact you ASAP.
Hang in there Sherry, help is on the way 🙂
In Health,
Dr. Rob
Crepe paper skin!? I just saw a post that this is possibly something indicative of AF.
Also, I was told VitC, VitB-complex and VitB5 could be supportive of AF.
I’m at a loss to understand all my symptoms…and the doctor saying menopause, thyroid, low VitD, stress&grief, fibromyalgia could all be contributing to my issues. Some blood work is scheduled, but who knows what other blood work I need!
I would appreciate a direct email, as I don’t know where to look for your answer if not on gwens-nest.com. I don’t do Pintrest.
Hi! Dr. Rob, who wrote this post, practices holistic care at Alternacare, Inc. You can fill out a health survey on his site, and they will get back with you via email or the telephone to do a free consult. I’ve found them to be really skilled at getting to the bottom of things with my health issues. 🙂
I’m still waiting, after filling out the survey TWICE. It’s the truth. I guess the truth is not allowed……
Hi M.B. Their office has a small staff and they are wonderful, but sometimes there are technical glitches with their email system. I’d call and check. They are very nice, and its not intentional.
Gwen – thank you so much for posting this! I could cry! Since March of last year I’ve had some terrible symptoms that I just didn’t know what to do about…you mentioned being able to actually FEEL the adrenal’s kicking in – I do, too! I appreciate the Dr’s insight on DEALING with stress. Thank you, thank you, thank you for putting this out there. I heard about Adrenal Fatigue, but my chiro said it was just a catch all. So, I was afraid to even look it up, for fear I’d just place more worry in my life! THIS post was a huge blessing! THANK YOU!
You’re SO welcome!
I’d been researching adrenals for a good while before I started working with Dr. Rob. When he started explaining all of this to me, I was like, “You have GOT to write an article for my blog! Nothing like this is out there, and people need to know about this.” 🙂 He was surprised that more people aren’t talking about the cause for why adrenals get run down.
I’m so glad I stumbled upon this on Pinterest. I want so much to get to the root of my problem instead of just fixing the symptoms. I suspect something else is going on with me, and I was going to go see an endocrinologist when my new health ins kicks in from my new job.
I don’t feel well, physically, emotionally, mentally. I have all these symptoms you touched on in this article. Plus more. I have high blood pressure and I have a hard tolerating the meds for that. I can’t help but feel like there is an underlying reason for all of this besides just “stress” or I just have high blood pressure.
I suspect something going on with my thyroid or adrenals, it’s just something deep within me that I feel to be true, despite regular blood work testing coming out to be “normal”. Can there be an underlying reason for my high blood pressure, whether it be adrenal dysfunction, or a thyroid issue, or a cause of the glands being affected as this article has stated?
I understand I may be genetically predisposed to high blood pressure, it does run in my family, however when I discovered I had it I was working out everyday, eating healthy, and losing weight. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to be doing to prevent high blood pressure? Anyway, I am frustrated and want to dig deeper into what could be causing me to have high blood pressure and just not feel well.
My doctor, as great as he has been with me, doesn’t seem to want to look into this further than what meets the eye-he wants to just treat the symptoms and I don’t want that. I’m tired of feeling sick and tired so to speak. Again, my question is can there be an underlying gland issue of some sort causing me to have high blood pressure and just not feel well? I hope so much I am chosen to have this answered for me. I want some sort of insight and direction, as I said before I am frustrated. Thank you. Hope so much to hear from you.
Hi Sue! I sent Dr. Rob a message, and he should be able to answer your question for you in more depth, but I can tell you, “Yep! If you feel that bad, something else is going on that they’re not finding.”
Hi Sue, I’m so sorry that you are experience this and I’m sure it has indeed been very frustrating. I hope that my response will help to shed some light on this topic.
First off, your gut is 100% correct. There is definitely a cause to your high blood pressure. It may be related to many different organs such as, the adrenals, liver, kidney and intestinal tract. It may also have to do with your lymphatic system, your pituitary gland or sympathetic nervous system (a portion of your nervous system that impacts your blood pressure). In short, it is very hard to say what is behind this little bugger but there is certainly something. Over the past 18 years there have been so many people I have helped with high blood pressure and may of them with different underlying causes.
In your case I’d really recommend that you go to my website and fill out the Free Health Evaluation. This is a 200+ question evaluation that helps us understand where the cause to your elevated blood pressure may lie. I have patients that live in almost all 50 US states and 14 other countries so distance is not an issue. There is a tremendous amount that we can do via phone and internet.
Here’s the link and I hope to hear from you soon
Here’s the link: http://www.alternacareinc.com/healthcare-evaluation/comprehensive-healthcare-evaluation/
Talk to you soon 🙂
I am a 58 year old woman. Three years ago I had to quit working due to an illness that was debilitating. I was working in a medical office as an assistant for the same physician for 15 years. He became more and more dependent on me as the years waned. Needless to say it was extremely stressful. Plus my marriage of 40 years was going through change. Which stressed me at home. I was not sleeping well, no down time. I was diagnosed with ALS. I think that my immune system, treated my CNS as an infection, and attacked it. Is that possible? And is there any way to heal my CNS?
What is the best adrenal supplements to take? My internal Dr prescribed desiccated adrenals made by standard process, the only problem is the bovine is not from organic cows.
I’ll let Dr. Rob reply to this. I prefer grassfed when sourcing beef products. 🙂
Hi Brandie,
That is really hard to say. I have used probably 20 different products to support healthy adrenal function. Everything I do is customized and in the last almost 19 years in practice I’ve never had two people on the same holistic health/weight loss program.
http://www.alternacareinc.com/services/long-distance-patients/
My Best,
Dr. Rob
That woman could be a picture of me. My very first diagnosis was PCOS in my early 20’s, likely began at puberty. Allopathic doctors started me on Glucophage to avoid diabetes and birth control pills. I began having a lot of issues (IBS, and an extremely high stress situation) which snowballed to a pretty severe case of idiopathic neuropathy and then fibromyalgia and now late stage 3 adrenal fatigue. I’ve been essentially bedridden for a couple of years now and am seeing muscle wasting/atrophy. I have DRASTICALLY changed my lifestyle… environment, food, and supplements but am not seeing much progress in my health.
Does this sound like a common progression? Is it too late for me? I’m trying so hard to fight to stay alive!
Brenda, it does sound like a progression of decline of overall health. If you’d like Dr. Rob’s input, you can fill out the health survey on his website and he’ll get back with you. <3
Hi Brenda,
Often there is something wrong in a person’s body that is causing many other symptoms. One cause, many symptoms. Kind of like if you had a leak in your faucet. If left unaddressed soon the whole floor will be wet. Eventually the wood will rot. If left long enough, mold will grow and people will become sick. Eventually the entire house will be destroyed. But the cause was just this little tiny leak.
Make sure your doctor is really looking for the underlying cause and if you need help getting this body of yours healthy please click on my link and I explain how we work with long distance patients and how I could possibly be of help here.
http://www.alternacareinc.com/services/long-distance-patients/
My Very Best,
Dr. Rob
Great article! I’ve been dealing with adrenal issues for probably 30 yrs., before it was such a big issue. I now have Hashi’s, MTHFR (1298c), and I’m pretty sure Sjogren’s, so Im all oer the place trying to heal. I eat good fats and protein and lots of veggies, no gluten and little sugar. My sleep is horrible, the usuual waking and not going back. On the rare occasssion that I get a decent night(regrettably with Xanex) I feel like a different person. I walk do yoga and swim in the summer. The stress in my life has been off the charts for many years but the worst is over now. I actually lost alot of weight and muscle a year ago, was very weak and had some brown patches on my flank. I went on hydrocortisone for a month but it felt too scary for me. Any suggestions?
Lucinda, I’m not an expert by any means, and can’t give input like Dr. Rob can for specific cases. If you’d like input from Dr. Rob, there is a health survey on his site.
If I had to guess, I’d say that your body is still pumping lots of cortisol for some reason if you’re not sleeping. So adding more would just be a temporary patch at best.
Hi Lucinda!
I’m sorry to hear that you are going through this. It is very hard to say what is happening with your body by just looking at a one paragraph statement. I would get your medical doctor to look under every stone imaginable. If you’d like help from me you can click on the following like and it will explain how I can help.
http://www.alternacareinc.com/services/long-distance-patients/
My Very Best,
Dr. Rob
Dr. Rob, I have a long history of issues. In 1998 I got horribly I’ll, had bullseye rash but doctors said Lyme wasn’t in our area. Then 2 years ago blood work showed Chronic Lyme illness. Thru the years other issues leading to surgeries and illness. Non cancerous tumor on Adrenal gland lead to removal of gland. Now dealing with chronic pain and horrible fatigue and belly weight gain. I don’t know where to turn for help.
Jody
What about a situation where the adrenal gland itself has been damaged (for example, it is often common for kidney donors to have adrenal impairmet following donation). Is there any way to help in that situation?
Thank you for writing this article. I too have done lots of research on this especially with chronic fatigue. My question I’ve been battling what I think is athletes foot on one of my feet in particular. So it is considered a fungus but it seems to be chronic. Would this condition be causing stress to my adrenal glands? I’m hoping to see a podiatrist soon because no matter what essential oils I try or even OTC creams I use, it’s not helping much. Thanks in advance for your help!
I had 4 c-sections in 4 years. With a tubal during the last surgery. And probably 5+ years of babies that would not sleep. My youngest is now 2 1/2. I am trying to get myself back together. So my question is, would this cause adrenal fatigue? Also, have you found that women with csections have a candida issue in the gut? What can I do to help heal my body from the trauma, so that I can get back on track? I’ve started THM, so I’m definitely eating much healthier. No more skipping meals, eating once a day, in the middle of the night, etc.
This is an excellent blog posting. Thank you for the exceptionally through information.
I just came across this article. I have a question for Dr Rob…you mention a “metal” that could be causing the inflammation in the body. Are you familiar with a birth control procedure called ESSURE? It’s nickel-titanium coils implanted into the fallopian tubes. They are also coated with PET fibers to create inflammation so the body will form scar tissue. I came to Alternacare for a few months and as much as I LOVED the staff, I didn’t feel like anything was working for me. Just wondering if my labs showed metal toxins. Never even thought about these metal coils in my body possibly being the problem. I’ve had them since 2011 and I’ve gained 45 lbs since then and I’m ALWAYS ALWAYS tired, no matter how much sleep I get.
I have a question. I’ve been diagnosed as Firbomyalgia, chronic Myofascile Pain Snydrome, Cervival distonia, and chronic migraines. I think the fibromyalgia and Cervival dystopia are wrong. Keep telling me thyroid I’d fine even when I tell them what tests to run. Hairs falling out, daytime lethargy, can’t sleep at night. All I get ate pills and if they don’t work then they through their hands in the air. Even with a functional medical dr. Where do I go for real help!
Hi Lisa,
I completely understand your frustration. Getting to the true source of health problems can be tough even for some of the best docs. I’ve been very successful with helping people unravel health issues and get their body’s well. I’d recommend going to my website and filling out the Free Online Weight Loss and Health Evaluation for starters. Let us talk to you and see what we can do. I think there is help for you 🙂
Here’s a link for you. http://www.alternacareinc.com/healthcare-evaluation/
I look forward to help you 🙂
My Best,
Dr. Rob
Your side ADs cover the content making it difficult to read. I finally just quit.
I’m sorry you’re having issues with the ads covering the content…that shouldn’t be happening at all. Can you send me a message letting me know what device you’re using and what browser?
Hello. For years now I have been struggling with extreme fatigue and brain fog and digestive problems. I have been diagnosed with Anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I get so tired after eating and if I push myself to exercise I need to lay down after. My stomach bloats after every meal. I eat healthy, but not often because eating makes me to tired to function. I’ve seen so many doctors. I’ve had a hysterectomy and gallbladder removed and my symptoms worsen. I have diarrhea multiple times daily. I feel that doctors are just slowly dissecting me. My blood tests always come back normal. I’m desperate. What should I do?
Thank you for your wisdom, this was confirmation. Not everything labeled is a disease? It’s curable, we have to get down to cause and in identifying those issues we can remedie the problem. Not just give a band aid, and pretend it will go away. I love the fact that there are, holistic Dr’s who know and want to help. We just have to be able to afford it. But this way we could find out, and start addressing these issues. Inflammation root of all sickness, by what’s causing it?
All of these symptoms sound like me! I use to be so active, would sometime even run up to 9 miles a day, then over the last two years I have become so tired, moody, stressed, I’m not sleeping well at all, low sex drive, then my OBGYN told me I literally had no testosterone in me. So, I have been taking implants and it helps but I wonder if the problem lies with my glands?
I just came across this post …so thankful it came into my pinterest interests.
Gwen, cant believe I never saw this before as I frequent your blog and THM recipes etc.
I finally found a holistic dr in my area and so blessed that he accepts my insurance as well. I have battle constant fatigue, many vit deficiencies and tremendous weight gain over the last 12 years or so. I have tried every diet and program known to man and weight will not budge. THM gives me hope but I am a turtle at most.
My holistic did massive blood work to find that I am extremely D and B12 def. He also believes I have the MTHFR gene mutation. Over the last several years I have found I am gluten intolerant and just this past year I have all of a sudden become allergic to some dairy. I was in the ER and had tons of tests done, saw several dr and specialists all of whom did nothing for me. Turns out my holistic nutritionalist said it was an allergy to lactose. Doing THM and all the dairy made it flare…so now I am trying to readjust that. UGH
For Dr Rob as well….My holistic also tested my pregnenelone and it is non existent. Doesnt even show on the charts. I took 50 mg daily for several weeks and I am still exhausted. I slept 17 of the last 24 hours 🙁 This past week he upped me to 100 mg. I am also taking food grade DE thinking it may be a parasite. Slowly increasing that. Started at 1 tsp and up to 3 tsp daily. I will get a little energy and finally able to do something and then I sleep for 3 days and do nothing. I want to be happy and healthy again and just tired of people saying I am depressed. I am the furthest thing from that and will ALWAYS refuse depression meds.
Any other suggestions as to what I can begin doing. Also, where are you located.
I had a pretty serious case of the Epstein Barr virus two years ago this fall. Since then, I can hardly put one foot in front of the other. By the time I went to my naturopath she did some tests and found my adrenals were hardly functioning. Could the ebv have resulted in the adrenal fatigue?
I have had fibromyalgia x 9 years. I have been in some sort of flare-up flu like state for approx 18 months. My anxiety and nervousness is preventing me from enjoying the things I like to do. I am in menopause as well, so doesn’t help matters. I have pain everywhere, vertigo, fatigue, hot flashes ++, nausea, weakness in my hands, etc. I am from Thunder Bay, ontario Canada. I have all the symptoms of lyme disease but was tested a few years back with negative results. Any suggestions? I am feeling desperate, everything is a chore. I am an Registered nurse working full-time, not sure how much longer I can continue.
Very interesting! I am 60+ and was diagnosis with celiac disease in 2004. I have gained 40’lbs since being diagnosed. I lost 30 lbs a few years back but my husband had heart problems and spent 24 days in hospital. I gained it all back due to limited food choices. The 1st picture in the article could be a picture of me. Could adrenal fatigue be an answer to my weight gain and fatigue?
Can adrenal fatigue go hand in hand with RA or psoriatic arthritis? I have had odd individual symptoms for years that they have just thrown steroids at (bloodwork always normal) and they have eventually gone away. For the past month my left knee painfully swollen, aspirated twice, just keeps coming back regardless of the 4 anti-inflammatories I am on. 2 MRI’s later, not skeletal or muscular so must be inflammatory. Being sent to a rheumatologist. But every symptom listed above, I have. Can’t think straight, sleep but then wake up & can’t go back, exhausted, overwhelmed with regular meltdowns. Thank you for the above info. Very informative.
Hi…. I was wondering if you could recommend a professional in the Pittsburgh area. I believe I have adrenal fatigue and would love to find somebody who can treat it. I’ve been seeing various doctors for years and few have any answers at all.
Thanks!!
I appreciate the wealth of info. Please tell me, after reading that ” going to bed at 10pm ” is a step to aid adrenal health,..what does a Graveyard worker do? My hours are 6pm to 0630 am….is there hope foe me?
I had my right adrenal gland removed because of a tumor. Should I be on something for my adrenal gland?
Hi Dr.Rob,im sukhvinder kaur from India. I would like to consult you regarding my health and weight loss. How do I get in touch with you ?
Is there a simple way to get rid of parasites in your intestine?
Hello, thank you for all the great information. I am currently seeing a Functional Medicine doctor and we’ve tested for everything. Everything is out of wack and stress has been not so great last few years along with chronic pain. I gained 25 lbs in the last 4 months and my DHEA and thyroid is bottomed out. I have been told in the past by an osteopath that I have a parasite, possible mold, but have never knew where to go from there. I am a Holistic Nutritionist and work at a naturopath clinic but we are unable to find out truly what is going on. Any suggestions on where to start in Canada or US?
Thanks,
Cheryl
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/27557747/?i=1&from=Adrenal%20Fatigue
Right…I’m aware that the American Medical Association doesn’t recognize “adrenal fatigue” as a diagnosis. I’m using it as a descriptive term for someone whose cortisol levels are beginning the descent into Addisons. There is not a recognized name for that descent, but it’s not a myth that normal, healthy people decline to the point of Addison’s Disease, where their adrenals are no longer functional. I found it helpful to go outside of mainstream medical thought to find answers for that huge gap of knowledge for what to do in preventing further decline.
This is my second time reading this, as I am still battling stage 3… a lot of advice “out there” is about the stages where the body is producing too much cortisol, unfortunately I do not produce enough, barely any in fact.
Treatment varies so widely between Stages 1&2 compared to Stage 3…
I’m curious, how has your recovery held up after almost a year after this post was written?
It was nice of your doctor to do this interview and hopefully, people were able to find and use him to get help.
Thanks so much for sharing!
PS – there are way too many ads on your website, it makes it very difficult to read, a couple of times I accidentally clicked on an ad. 🙁
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for your comment and suggestion about the ads. I’ll talk with my ad provider about making it more user friendly.
I have maintained a great level of energy and health since I wrote this post, and I’ve been in a season of incredible stress and grief, so that speaks to just how effective it was for me. 🙂
Hi Rebecca
I too havve almost non existant cortisol and my endocrinologist has started me on hydrocortisone and scheduled more tests. If your regular doc is doing nothing i suggest you ask for a referral or go to Dr Robs website. Best. Wishes for good health 🙂
Good morning, i just wanted to say thank you. i been having isdues with a thyroid condition for over 12 yrs.i had been diagnosis with hyperthyroidism and was given the idione radition twice with one yrs .i was told i might become hypothyroidism within the yrs i was being treated for hypothyroidism. “i take 175 mg . my reason in texting is cause i strongly feel as if i have adrenal fatigue,stomach became larger,im always is tried dont sleep well.pleae help
Hello after reading this I have all the symptoms and am wondering where in my area can I get help. I live in Las Cruces, New Mexico. I’ve been diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency my reading was a 9. I have for the past 6 months taken a prescribed supplement and will be on it for another 6 months. The first dose gave me so much energy I loved it and thought wow I’m cured. But now I’m back to the old tired self, can’t get up in the mornings and the fogginess are the worst of my problems. Any help or advice to steer me in the direction of getting some help to feel like me again will be greatly appreciated.
Elisa,
I TOTALY get it. The reason you reverted back is because you’ve not handled the cause. Anyone can take something that supports the adrenals or speeds then up and they will feel better for a little bit but it’s not fixing the problem. It’s a band aide. You have to look for the cause of the problem..
In your case I’d highly recommend going to my website and filling out the free health evaluation. This helps us gain more information about your body. You can then have a free consultation with my Certified Nutritional Counselor and wife 🙂 Pam. From there we can make some recommendations to you and also explain how we can help.
Here’s the link: http://www.alternacareinc.com/healthcare-evaluation/
My Best,
Dr. Rob
what is dr rob’s full name?
Dr. Rob Debease. I introduce him in this post. 🙂
Dr Rob,
Could the contraceptive implant inplanon contribute to adrenal fatigue? I feel as though i have many of these symptoms, which i did not have without the implant, it sounds obvious but there were also other life changes at the time if getting it placed. Im not 5hinking its the 100% cause of how im feeling, but could it be a contributing factor? Thank you for this article, i have found it very helpful.
Eirena
Hi Eirena,
Absolutely! Anything that can produce inflammation in the body can contribute. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it will always cause adrenal fatigue but it can certainly be a factor.
If you need more help please feel free to ask.
My Best,
Dr. Rob
Fabulous interview and information. Thank you very much.
I suffer alot from these symptoms. I accidentally inhaled mould and have wondered if it had a connection as I started to feel unwell shortly after. Dr says Fibro but I don’t have alot of key symptoms. Adrenal Fatigue makes alot more sense. Thankyou for explaining it in such detail.
How do I find a holistic doctor in my area to help me with this kind of fatigue?
I found Dr. Rob by asking local friends who they like and would recommend. Many of them (Dr. Rob included) work long distance. Or you can check out functionalmedicine.org and use their provider finder feature. 🙂
I had the gastric sleeve done. I am on a high protein diet and cannot eat very much at onc time. Do you work with people who have had this surgery?
Thanks, Kim
I have MTHFR mutation could this be a cause?
Dr Rob, I had h pylori about 2 yrs ago. Since then, I have every symptom mentioned here. What should I do?
I like to know if there is Spanish speaking people. I think I have that problem need information.
Leticia, you can call their office and ask. They may have someone who is Spanish speaking, but I’m unsure.
Although I embrace both holistic and allopathic medicine…i am still unsure of the adrenal fatigue ‘diagnosis ‘. I wish a panel of both physicians would sit and discussed it in a civilized way. I have done my own research and I see it more from chronic stress view…we in Western culture do not handle it well at all. We need a mind and emotional coping strategy to help us deal with life. We cause our adrenals to pump out excess steroids. I still am on the fence.
Allopathic doctors only recognize Addisons…the complete shutdown of the adrenals.
Adrenal fatigue is not a medical diagnosis as much as it’s a description of adrenals that are struggling to keep up. The biggest thing I learned in all of this is that external stress is not the main factor for me. It was the internal stress of chronic infections that were driving my adrenals to the point of exhaustion. External stresses, emotional stresses (trauma), etc. can also be major contributing factors that the adrenals are responding to.
Oh my goodness …I have every single symptom listed.I am so curious to find more about this topic and help.I had a thyroidectomy couple years ago and I am seriously struggling.Thank you for this post and I am now going to read all I can find…
If I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and my TPO panel came back 203 IU/ml. Should I also be trying to treat my adrenals? I was given Levothyroxine, but haven’t started taking it, because so many articles that I read seem to show quite a bit of weight gain. I have been reading up on NDT and this sounds like it might be a better option. I also read that Kelp supplements can actually work. Just overwhelmed and confused about how to move forward with helping my body to get better.
Hi Dana, I’m no expert in Hashi, but I know that autoimmune is complex, and that you’ll want to do a lot of research and find someone who can help you make the best decisions for your unique health situation. <3
This article was wonderful! I have been dealing with so much anxiety for the past 2 years, my heart races constantly, i am over weight (mainly mid section), I am always exhausted, im just not healthy anymore. I have every symptom mentioned in the article. I wish I could come see you Dr Rob.
Hello, I’ve been seeing an acupuncturist who also does nutrition balancing for a year. Recent hair analysis came back as a four lows pattern. Are you familiar with that. He is treating my adrenals. Over the year I’ve made a progress in not having to take anti depressants but I’m extremely exhausted and really burnt out. Any direction would be helpful, how long do I keep working at this. Feeling like I’m chasing something that isn’t going to really happen. Thank you.
Hi Anna,
For me, just propping up the glands without really finding out why they were struggling was a losing battle. After working with Dr. Rob, I’ve been able to feel great, and have normal energy levels even during an extremely stressful time in my life. God bless!
Hi Gwen,
Liked this article interview. I am following the ARD Adrenal Reset Diet from a Naturopathic Endocrinologist author, who is also in the Phoenix area, like I am. One of their suggestions is to gradually add slightly more carbs (healthy) to each meal the least in the morning, the most at night, with some other guidelines as well.
Some of the ones hardest for me was the elimination of some highly allergenic foods for many people, such as sugars of course, but also dairy, all wheat/gluten, and eggs. I can see from what Dr. Rob said, that finding the reason is the hard part. It seems since this doctor must see a great deal of food sensitivities, this must be why we need to cut out those foods. Good Protein is very important at each meal. The licorice root suggestion is good, they recommend that as well. I was surprised he did not mention the levels of adrenal issues, it seems that would play into the discussion as well. I am at the wired and tired stage which is stage 2. If Dr Rob could comment, I would appreciate that! Or from your own experience. Have appreciated all your input with THM very much. Wondering if you have recipes that help the adrenal situation, that helped you.
Hi Bonnie, My years of doing Trim Healthy Mama were very helpful, because I was easily able to remove possible inflammatory foods (it’s very low in gluten containing foods) and I already knew healthy carb sources. Their cookbook is super helpful in finding great recipes!
Finding the root cause is SO essential. Otherwise you’re just propping up exhausted glands, and not actually addressing the underlying pressure on them. <3
Dr.Rob,
I’ve been dealing with adrenal fatigue and mild depression and anxiety. I’ve never has issues with either before now. I lost 20 pounds rapidly and have been taking supplements and changed my diet but I still feel overwhelmed.
After blood testing my natural practitioner who also is a registered nurse put me on dhea and progesterone.
The dhea made me oily and caused breakouts on my body and scalp. I’ve stopped taking them for a few weeks.
I’ve been on progesterone for just over two months but still feel the same.
I’m 32 years old and was once a lively A type that is now tired and unmotivated.
What can you suggest?
This was very informative. Thank you.
Could the root cause of adrenal fatigue and gallbladder sludge be linked?
There are a lot of links in a dysfunctional system…you’d want to get labs run to find root cause. I had both of those things, plus leaky gut and sluggish liver, plus many other symptoms all co-inciding. For me, neither of those were the root of the issue, and all cleared up as I regained my health.
my 21 year old daughter has had chronic migraine for 6 years. she has one every day. she struggles to sleep at night, her brain hurts. her body aches, and she is always very tired. she cannot work or study. She has had 3 mri scans and a ct scan. they are all clear. I wonder if the cause is her adrenal glands or thyroid. do you have any advice please. kind regards Julia
Hi Julia,
You can search for Alternacare in Newnan, GA in order to contact Dr. Rob. He’s generally very busy, and cannot make time to reply here to comments left on my blog. Best wishes for your friend’s health journey.
Can he consult with other doctors to help them treat adrenal issues? Don’t like online treatment very much but would like my doctors to be involved but they need training and education.
I have heard him talk about this before…working in concert with other doctors. I don’t think he considers it as “training and education” for the other doctors though…he simply consults with them from his specialty area of nutrition and lifestyle changes to support the goals that they set for their patient.
this is such an awesome blog..just want to ask adrenal fatigue can affect thyroid like you mentioned earlier .my question is can it affect uterus too such as having fibroid?
Dr Rob: I have had a hip replacement. My artificial joint is made of titanium and ceramic. Could this cause and HPA axis dysfunction? I tend to think mine was caused by HCG diet. But I want to know if this is a possibility? unfortunately there’s nothing I can do about that it’s part of my body now. I am doing everything I know to mitigate stress. Just curious thank you
Hi Dani,
Dr. Rob isn’t available to comment on posts on my blog, but you can contact him with questions at Alternacare, his practice in Newnan, GA.
Thanks for the info on adrenal fatigue. Very timely and helpful.
So, I am 46 years old and suffer from fibromyalgia and severe adrenal fatigue. I follow a gluten free diet and take several supplements but feel as though I am stuck and I have gained 30 pounds. Any suggestions?
How frustrating for you, Michelle. I’m so sorry to hear about your health challenges.
Dr. Rob isn’t available to comment on posts on my blog, but you can contact him with questions at Alternacare, his practice in Newnan, GA.
Have alopecia since age of one now 67, have had a diet before of no sugar no dairy except butter and no grain and tried homeopathy without success now. Is this adrenals, or leaky gut, and also considered autoimmune?
Hi Denise,
Dr. Rob isn’t available to comment on posts on my blog, but you can contact him with questions at Alternacare, his practice in Newnan, GA.
I live in Saudi Arabia. I filled Dr. Rob’s form but it is not getting submitted cos they are asking for phone number which should be of the U.S. What should I do?
Hi Faiza, So sorry to be getting back with you this late. Dr. Rob isn’t available to comment on posts on my blog, but you can contact him with questions at Alternacare, his practice in Newnan, GA. Let them know about the challenges with the form submitting that you’re experiencing. I believe they do online or phone consults…whatever works best for you.
I have blood tests showing I have Hoshimoto Thyroiditis along with Hypothyroidism so, I am taking Synthroid (had reactions to Levothyroxine). At one time I know I had H. Pylori and took antibiotics for it. I also have Gout for which I am on Allopurinol want to change to something natural. Lots of Autoimmune crap. I have been on a AI Paleo diet since April 15th. I have sent in for hair analysis and yes I have food allergies avoiding those as well now. My Chiropractor put me on an Adrenal supplement. Any suggestions for anything I should have checked in addition?
Hi Tami, God bless you with your health struggles. Dr. Rob isn’t available to comment on posts on my blog, but you can contact him with questions at Alternacare, his practice in Newnan, GA.
Can adrenal fatigue go away on its own?
It depends on what is causing the adrenals to be depleted or overtaxed. Having the flu will knock you on your backside while the body shunts all of its energy into healing. In that case, after you get over the flu, your adrenals and thyroid return back to normal. So yes, it’s possible, but with issues that are chronic (allergies, chronic gut infection, etc.) it’s unlikely to resolve without being addressed.
Even with iron supplements, could a miscarriage hemorrhage that requires a blood transfusion cause symptoms of adrenal fatigue?
You’ll want to contact Dr. Rob at his website with any health questions from this article. He isn’t able to answer comments here. Look up Alternacare in Newnan,GA.
Hi my name is Adelina, and I think I have adrenal fatigue, I feel tired all day, and sometimes I sleep after I walk my dog, I am loosing my hair in patches and, I was having major migraines. I just got some botox from my Dr. And she said it would take two weeks before I would see a difference in my migraines, today was my two week since I had my shots and a got just a slight headache in the afternoon don’t am hoping no more for 11 weeks. I am more concerned about my hair, I fell like I have enough to cover up the patches by putting it up with a clip. I feel like I sleep well at night other than I get up about two times to go to the bathroom but usually I can go back to sleep. I have brain fog can’t seem to focus on doing anything other than I walk my dog twice a day and that it.