Edit: There are now over 50 symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue that you can have for free. There is also a free report for what you can do to help heal the issue. Click on the Adrenal Fatigue book to the left and get your symptoms today.
Do you feel tired all the time? Maybe you get plenty of sleep and just don’t feel rested. Or maybe you have trouble sleeping. Low energy? Difficulty thinking or focusing? These are all symptoms of adrenal fatigue. This article explores the adrenals and the causes of adrenal fatigue. Included is a simplified explanation of how diet affects the adrenals and some suggestions for what you can do to restore them, and you to health.
The 30 symptoms include, but are not limited to:
1. Excessive fatigue and exhaustion, chronic fatigue
2. Non-refreshing sleep
3. Sleep disturbance, insomnia
4. Feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope
5. Craving salty and/or sweet foods
6. Sensitivity to light
7. Low stamina and slow to recover from exercise
8. Slow to recover from injury or illness
9. Difficulty concentrating, brain fog
10. Poor digestion
11. Irritable bowel syndrome, IBS
12. Low immune function
13. Premenstrual syndrome
14. Menopause symptoms
15. Low blood pressure
16. Sensitivity to cold
17. Fearfulness
18. Allergies,
19. Frequent influenza
20. Arthritis
21. Anxiety
22. Irritability
23. Depression
24. Reduced memory
25. Low libido, sexual drive or interest
26. Lack of lust for life and/or food
27. Excess hunger
28. Low appetite
29. Panic/anxiety attacks
30. Irritability, impatience, quick to anger.
If quick to anger, the person will often tend to back down quickly if confronted.
Many of these symptoms have other causes, so just because you have one or more symptom doesn’t necessarily mean that you have adrenal fatigue. On the other hand, adrenal fatigue is so prevalent that if you have even one of these symptoms, it is likely that your are at least a bit run down.
Almost every client I have ever seen has come to me because of one or more of these symptoms. Stress is a major contributor to adrenal fatigue. We live in a busy world that offers little relief from stresses of life. Toxicity contributes to adrenal fatigue as well. But by far, adrenal fatigue is caused by a diet high in sugar and processed foods. And, the same dietary factors that contribute to adrenal fatigue are at the root of most of our major health issues today. Most major diseases start with the same factors as adrenal fatigue, and adrenal fatigue can lead to many serious conditions.
What are the adrenals?
The adrenals are two walnut sized glands that sit on top of the kidneys. They produce three different classes of hormones at the rate of about a quart (liter) a day. One class is stress hormones like adrenalin and cortisol also called hydrocortisone. Another class of adrenal hormones affect mineral metabolism especially the sodium/potassium balance. And, they produce sex hormones and their precursors. These hormones are some of the ones that make us feel good. They give us energy and a lust for life — and sex.
A simple test for adrenal fatigue
There are many tests for adrenal fatigue. Lab tests are expensive and take time for the results. However, there is a simple self-test that can be done with a flashlight and a mirror. Start in a darkened room so that your pupils dilate but have it light enough so that you can see your eyes in a mirror. Allow enough time in the dim room so that the pupils dilate fully, about ten minutes. Next, shine the flashlight into one of your eyes from the side so that the light causes the pupil to shrink down to a pin point. Do this in such a way that you can still watch the pupil as it reduces in size. If your adrenals are strong, the pupil will most likely shrink down immediately. If there is any hesitation before they react, then your adrenals are probably fatigued. I use the qualifier probably here because there are other reasons eyes may not react like this though they are not common.
Dietary causes of adrenal fatigue
As mentioned earlier, sugar and refined carbohydrates are the main cause of adrenal fatigue. Sugar includes honey, maple syrup, fructose, dried fruit, fruit juice and just about anything that is sweet. Refined carbohydrates are grains that have been ground up or have had the bran removed. This include products like bread even whole wheat bread, noodles, corn chips, white rice and pretty much anything that comes in a package. Refined foods are broken down by grinding and concentration. Refined grains have more surface area exposed to digestion, so they digest more quickly. They release their sugars quickly into the blood stream causing blood sugar to go up too high too fast.
The body responds to high blood sugar by releasing insulin. Insulin is a hormone that causes sugar to move into the liver, muscles and fat tissues. The problem is that the body evolutionarily isn’t designed to deal with the large amounts of sugar in the blood that are caused by sugar and refined foods. Evolution has designed us to eat animal protein, whole grains (not chopped up), vegetables and fruits. So, the body tends to overreact to this fast sugar by releasing too much insulin. This article is about the adrenals, but high blood sugar, high levels of insulin and constant exposure to stress hormones cause their own problems that will be covered in the future.
The release of too much insulin causes the blood sugar to go down too far. Most everyone has experienced getting sleepy after a large meal of pasta, rice or some other carbohydrate. Or, the drop in energy that follows a candy high. That’s what happens after the large release of insulin. The blood sugar goes down too far. The brain eats mostly sugar, so it gets sleepy from lack.
Now we get into the adrenal involvement. One of the stress hormones they release is cortisol. In ancient times stress meant that we had to fight or run away, the fight/flight response. The muscles that move quickly use sugar, and cortisol causes blood sugar to increase. There is also a cortisol release anytime there is low blood sugar. You know how you can be really hungry, then after awhile you aren’t so hungry anymore? That’s cortisol doing it’s job. The same thing happens when low blood sugar happens because of an over-release of insulin.
The adrenals are constantly being assailed by the above reactions. Processed foods and snacks are available all the time, and they are hard to resist. Our ancestors survived because they had a sweet tooth. They craved the sweet fruits that were available at the end of winter. Insulin caused that extra sugar to be stored as fat for the lean times of winter. The ones that didn’t desire sweet fruits didn’t survive, so we inherited that craving for sweets and other foods that turn into sugar. The problem is that we eat as though it is the end of summer all the time!
The adrenals are constantly being called on to produce more and more cortisol in response to the stress caused by sugar and processed food. Eventually they become exhausted. And, so does the indulger.
What you can do
The obvious thing to do is to stop eating sugar and refined foods. A lot of people will do great just by modifying their diet alone. There are lots of products on the market for treating the adrenals, but which ones really work? This is very individual, but I will give you some suggestions in part two.
Be well, and remember: the body wants to heal, all it needs is the opportunity.
glucose [ sorry]
Hi Kevin,
Glucose is sugar too. The latest article here has information you might like. http://selfadjustingtechnique.com/adrenals/who-else-wants-help-for-adrenal-exhaustion-adrenal-support-for-adrenal-stress/
Kalidasa
Hi there,
I am in training for a triathlon, and am training about 10 hours a week, which will increase in the next phase of training. I am constantly fatigued, even though my coach has scaled back on my training. I also work full time. I experience many of the above symptoms, including low blood sugar issues, lack of focus, lack of sex drive, and feeling tired after a full night’s sleep.
My diet is so-so: I am a vegetarian and struggle to get enough protein. I often eat refined sweet snacks in the morning, and sometimes in the late afternoon. I have intense cravings for them. But I do try to stick to whole grains at home, though it’s often difficult!
I guess I am wondering, how do you distinguish between adrenal fatigue and simply a reaction to so much stress? Or are they one and the same?
Thanks!
Hi TriGirl,
Sounds like it’s adrenal to me. Adrenal fatigue is a very common reaction to too much stress. Sugar puts major stress on the adrenals too. Try to stop eating sugar and processed foods, and get some adrenal support. There some suggestions in this article. http://selfadjustingtechnique.com/adrenals/who-else-wants-help-for-adrenal-exhaustion-adrenal-support-for-adrenal-stress/
Kalidasa
I heard that licorice extract is good for adrenal fatigue is that true?
I don’t sleep much, gain 30 lbs and have had a lot of stress for the past 2 years. I drind a lot of coffee with splenda. I also crave salty and sweet foods. I know I don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. I also take a product called Zrii. I don’t know if you have ever heard of it. Can you help please?
Thanks
Hi Kathy,
Yes, licorice root is good help for the adrenals. You need to get a good source though. Here is an article on how to help the adrenals with that has information on how to help the adrenals.
http://selfadjustingtechnique.com/adrenals/who-else-wants-help-for-adrenal-exhaustion-adrenal-support-for-adrenal-stress/
Hi….I have had many symptoms of adrenal exhaustion or fatigue. I’ve been taking steps to recover through a better diet, etc. I’m seeing some improvements in my symptoms. A) I heard it could take months to fully recover. Is this true?, and B) I was hyperthyroid 15 years ago then given radioactive iodine to resolve, so now I’ve been treated for hypothyroidism with synthroid. Could my condition – even though being treated for – contribute to adrenal exhaustion? Many Thanks!
Hi Marsha,
Yes, it can take a lot of time for the adrenals to heal completely. But, they can be functional in a few weeks with the right diet and supplements. As long as there isn’t some other stress causing problems, which is one reason they can take a long time. I suppose that for some people it could take years to get their mental/emotional body to heal, not to mention other stress factors that might be involved.
In most cases, the thyroid can be healed too. But, it may not be the thyroid. When the adrenals go down, the thyroid also goes down automatically. Always a qualifier, there could be something to keep them from going down, but the physiology texts say thyroid output goes down when the adrenals are stressed. So, I recommend getting the adrenals into shape before doing too much about the thyroid. Finally, to answer your question, yes it is possible for low thyroid output to affect the adrenals, but that wouldn’t be my first thought.
I read your article and thought I have alot of those symptoms. I am vegetarian (sometimes I eat cheese but rarely eat eggs, meat, or diary) because of IBS. Which really is annoying. Anyway 1/3 of my diet used to be potato chips and candies. I craved them all the time. I gained alot of weight over the last 2 years and decided that it was time to lose it. I was too heavy and didn’t like the way I felt so I went on this crash diet during the winter for 3 1/2 months. I cut back from eating 3 or more meals a day to 1 to 2 meals a day. I stayed up all night playing video games and would sleep most of the day. I rarely got out of the house and my nutrition was poor. I cut back on the chips and candy.
Come April I decided it was time to start exercising and completely alter my diet. (I was 30 pounds lighter now). I switched to a vegan diet eating whole vegetables, grains, lots of gardenburgers with some nuts. I started using hemp oil and virgin olive oil. I cooked my food in water and not in oil anymore. I added very little salt.
I started having mild pains in my chest muscles and taking too long to cool off when I went for a walk. A few weeks later I started having hot flashes at random. I thought why am I having that symptom. As the month wore on I had periods of strong temple pains in my head lasting for hours.. but that disappeared after 2 weeks. I had a hot flash when I sat in the movie theatre at the start of the movie. (Heartbeat going faster, feeling anxious, feeling very warm, and having tingling feeling in my chest.) I
A couple weeks ago I mowed the lawn for an hour and half and got a bit hot. So I decided to quit for the day and relax. I felt fine for the rest of the day. During the night I was woken up by a hot flash and that got me worried, I tried to relax and go back to sleep….then I had another one and that one got my mind racing and triggered anxiety. I had 3 more hot flashes over the next 2 days couldn’t sleep for until I was exhausted. Yet when I finally did get a good nights sleep the hot flashes stopped. I didn’t exercise since then until I saw my doctor. I felt more or less fine except a bit tired. After that I saw my doctor. He ran blood tests and a physical examination and found I was normal. My thyroid and blood count was normal. He prescribed antidrepressant drugs for my anxiety and told me to take some calcuim, Vit D and a multivitamin and sent me home.
I’ve been relunctant to take the antipressant drugs. This last week I decided to work outside for only 1 hour at a time and not 3 hrs. So I worked outside one day and felt alright the rest of the day. I worked outside for 1 hour the second day and my symptoms came back triggering my anxiety again. My heart pounded for almost 24 hrs my nerves were on edge and I slept for only 2 hrs from exhaustion.. I had 4 days after that of getting half a nights sleep..then a full nights sleep from exhaustion. I stopped exercising at that point completely. I expanded the suplements I’m eating to include Vitamin A, B-12, doubled the Vitamin D, added a spectroprobitic to my diet, eating protein with each meal and added eating egg whites to my daily diet, eating 6 or 7 meals a day consisting of alot of oatmeal ((oatmeal seems to calm my heartrate for some odd reason) . I have resisted using the antidepressants so far.
That brings me to today. I feel sensitive to sound, tired, nerves feel on edge, and lost desire to play internet games I am so fond of.
I have never gotten an explanation for why exercise is triggering my hot flashes or why the medical tests that have been done have shown everything is normal with me.
I saw a second doctor for a second opinion and he took an EKG of my heart and found it was normal. He thought my doctor was on the right track with his diagnosis.. that stress hormones were fueling my anxiety making it worse….but had no explanation as to why I was having hot flashes or why exercise made them worse. The second doctor suggested I go see a psychiatrist and talk to him about my symptoms.
I read your article and decided to adopt a few of your suggestions into my diet to see if it would make a difference in how I feel. Its been a week since I have been on vitamins, minerals, and extra protein and stopped exercising. Cross your fingers this will work to help me feel better soon.
i stay fatigued all day every day i dont have a spleen to help my body regenerate itself please help me i have low blood sugar and most of the symptoms that i have read about today please give me some more information, also have low thyroid problems too. thank you
This is an excellent website. I will refer it to my Clients. I am a psychologist and this problem is increasing in the population
I am a 25 year old male. I work out everyday and I definately eat healthier than most people I know. But I suffer from severe panic attacks and agoraphobia. as a result I am depressed. I can barely function. I sleep ALL day until about 3 PM, I wake up, eat a meal and go work out, lucky for me the gym is literally across the street. I weight train and do cardio. I then go home and layin bed and watch a movie and fall asleep and wake up to do it all over again. I USED to be THE most energetic healthy outgoing person you’d ever meet in your life. I had a great job lots of money lots of friends. now, 2 years later I had to move back in with my parents and thank GOD I am lucky e nough that they can support me while I go through this. I am totally open to some advice here. I just feel like this has to be what is wrong with me… I always am tired and depressed, no sleep is enough, I can barely make it through my workouts. I always feel like im “dreaming” and I have heard that is a symptom of this as well. It is called “derealization” So PLEASEEEE I would love someone to write me back CasinoEntCEO@yahoo.com and tell me what it is I can do to get better. I have NO money, NO health insurance and my life is in shambles…. I have a son and I want nothing more than to be able to provide for him and financially be as good of a father as I am emotionally. I hope to hear from someone… thank you
Hello,
I am 34, I have been dealing with adrenal fatigue for about 13 years, I believe, and no one has ever clued into it! Do doctors not like to diagnose this to patients? Do they think its better to just deal with the symptoms? I have been diagnosed with depression. . . anxiety/panic disorder. . . have had my gal bladder removed. . . been severally obese since the birth of my second child 11 years ago, 250 lbs on a 5 foot 5 frame. . . had 3 staff infections, one that nearly killed me in 2005, the last being 1 year ago and it turned out to be MRSA . . . they told me I have a fatty liver a precurser to liver disease . . . constantly battling cronic sinus infections to the point of being sick for 6 months strait in severe pain. . . and it goes on and on. The worst part about everything is that I go to the doctors with what I feel is a legitamate complain or concern and they make me feel like I’m crazy. The thing that drove me to consider Adrenal Fatigue is when I went to the doc with menstral cycles that were not coming, severe acne and my hair was falling out in clumps. . . they told me I was to young to be premenepausal and they put me on the pill and said it was stess. okay I am constantly stressed and feel that my body is deffinately telling me something but this is all short term solutions why won’t the doctor look at all of these symtoms and say hey this could be _____X_____ Hum. Help! Where do I go from here? I am going to try your dark mirror flash light trick and see what happens tonight. I have a feeling I may have finally found my answer. Now the diet!!!!!!!! At least it is a start! Thanks for listening.
Jan
Hi Jan,
With the symptoms you describe it does sound like you are experiencing adrenal fatigue. There seems to be other issues as well. Chronic sinus infections that don’t clear up with natural methods or even with drugs is usually due to heavy metal toxicity in the area. The metals hide bacteria and other pathogens from the immune system. Also, fat tissue holds toxins which makes it really hard to lose weight — the body knows that if it releases the stored fat that the toxins will be set lose in the body to cause other problems, so it holds on the the fat.
consequently, losing weight becomes more about detoxification. There are things that can be done for your liver though, eating lots of beets and beet greens is one, though you will probably need more than that. Silymarin or Milk Thistle is a great herb you can try.
Doctors don’t really know about adrenal fatigue. They know when it is so bad that the adrenals are practically shut down, but anything less than that isn’t taught in med school. Unfortunate.
You can use the above ‘contact’ tab to email me if you’d like to have me work with you some. Or, call with the button at the bottom of the page. I don’t charge for a short conversation, I know how tight things are for people these days.
Kalidasa
Hi
I believe I have adreanl fatige. I have many of the symptoms. Is there a program that I can get on to help to heal my adrenal glands, as well as balance my hormones I am sure I have estrogen dominance.
Aenid
I have all the symptoms and have really been suffering the most in the last 2 months. I have had Fibromyalgia for about 10 years. The Drs. can’t seem to find anything. I have excessive sweating too. And I was never a sweater. Can this be a symptom?
Hi Kalidasa,
I think I’ve been suffering with Adrenal Fatigue for several months now. 2 months ago I had bloodwork done and my doctor said I’m producing practically zero hormones. She put me on a HRT at that time. My best friend runs a health food store and has been telling me for months that I had adrenal fatigue. She now has me on Ashwaganda, Astragalus, Adrenal repair capsules, Black Cohosh, DHEA, B Complex, Kava, LTheanine, a woman’s multi. I also may have Fibromyalgia since my doctor has me on Lyrica for several months now and I thought I was feeling much better.
Since no one has confirmed either Fibro or AF, I’m curious about a couple of other symptoms. I can be in a business meeting with several people and about mid-way through the meeting, I could fall asleep at any moment. I’ve been sitting in a chair at work and literally my arm will fall and wake me up. This symptom is getting worse all the time. There are days where I get home around 5:00pm and I’m asleep as soon as possible. I will then sleep all the way through the night till 5:00 am. Could these be symptoms of AF and is there anything else I should be taking to try to recover? Thanks for you time. This is a great blog and very needed.
Linda
I had breast cancer 5 years ago, it returned and was found on the left adrenal gland. That was removed and now chemo was tried but i had a very bad reaction, so had to strop. Will have a pet-scab to check for cancer in Aug. I am getting some energy back. I am 50 pounds over weigth now, I know I have adrenal fatigue. Now i only have one, can that be over worked and break down and fail? Any suggestions.
clara
Hi, I am 48 years old, post menapause, taking synthroid 100mcg. I also have had lower back pain for about 2 years. A chiroprator/acupuncture doc wanted me to cleanse my liver and gall bladder with herbs to cure my lower back pain. After 3 months it didn’t work. I am 5’3″, weigh 144lb, and always crave sweets and salt. I have several symptoms on the list. 2 years ago I lost 17lbs by eating very little bread/sugar/fruit/and anything white. I slowly put back on the 17 lbs and am terrified of gaining even more weight. I know its possible to lose weight just by my diet, but there are days I eat well but then eat sweets and popcorn at night. I excercise about 2x per week. I am getting depressed from not having any energy and my extra weight gain make feel horrible. I lack the will power to put down the sugar. Should I try gymnema sylvestre?
Wow this artical has gave me a huge insite on my confusion. I wasnt so sure on looking at any websites that explane medical things, but when i read the symptoms i was shocked! 23 out of the 30 symptoms are what i deal with every singel day. Ive felt like this is just cuz im weird or something, but this makes so much sence to me now.. Some one saw a “blog” about how i was feeling, and they told me to look up this and im so happy i did. Ive felt this was for about 4 years nows, and no one really has looked into it, the docs just tell me to take medican for the sleep issues, and try to not eat what i crave so bad, i even had a doc take me off salt because of the amount i was eating, but then put me back on when my blood pressure went down, and the pupiles thing was funny cuz i just had a doc mention that mine react real slow to light, but he just payed no mind and says its cuz i stay up all night and day… I wonder if i should go to my primary with this and see what he says. Im just so shocked on how everything mentioned in this artical fits everything ive been complaning about for years, and instead of looking at every symptom seperatly and everyone getting so confused at why i have so many issues, i can put them all togeather and maby find a soulution. Im so very very happy i came across this, thank you so much for writing this. You have no idea how much youve helped me mentally.. My docs have basically told me, sorry but i dont know why you feel this way it could be this or that or even that, but theres not much you can do, but try to ignor it. But do u know how hard it is to ignore all these issues at 20 years old? Anyway, this isnt a personal chat room, so i just want to say thank you so much for this help. 🙂