Syndromes are group of symptoms, not specific diseases. Therefore they can have different causes. In the case of chronic fatigue syndrome viral infection from Epstein Barre’ virus is usually suspected. Although I feel the most common causes of chronic fatigue are adrenal and/or thyroid dysfunction.

Both adrenal dysfunction and thyroid problems are very common these days. Lifestyle plays a major role in adrenal health. Stress and stimulants are the most common sources of adrenal problems. Most people have a lot of stress in their lives and have not found a way to deal with their stress. This causes the adrenals to work over time releasing epinephrine and cortisol, wearing down the adrenals. To make matters worse the more the adrenals are worn down the easier a person stresses due to the lack of anti-stress hormones being released by the adrenals. Stimulants are often abused by the average person as well. In fact caffeine is the most widely abused drug in the world. And with these new energy drinks that are loaded with caffeine people are really beating up their adrenal glands.

The adrenal glands are designed for short term use. Let’s say you are being chased by a bear. Your adrenal glands will release epinephrine and cortisol, which give you the energy you need, increased oxygen intake ability, dilation of the pupils for better sight, increased blood sugar to feed muscles, etc. This gives us what we need to get out danger in a short term. The adrenals only produce these compounds in small amounts so if the adrenals are constantly in overdrive from chronic stress or the abuse of stimulants, like caffeine and nicotine, they quickly get fatigued. When the adrenals become fatigued they cannot produce sufficient levels of epinephrine and corticosteroids to maintain the body’s needs. So we see problems like chronic fatigue, allergies/asthma, autoimmune disorders, immune suppression, chronic inflammation, decreased ability to deal with stress, sexua| dysfunction, hormone imbalances, chronically low blood pressure or severe blood pressure drops upon standing, severe blood sugar drops when a person does not eat, depression, water retention, etc. Because the adrenal glands have a regulatory effect on the thyroid gland, adrenal dysfunction can also lead to hypothyroidism. Symptoms here can include low energy, brain fog, low body temperature, cold intolerance, weight gain in some cases, hair falling out, dry hair and skin, depression, high cholesterol, increased inflammation, etc.

Chlorine and fluoride added to tap water are actually increasing the number of cases of hypothyroidism we are seeing. Both chlorine and fluoride displace iodine, which is needed for the production of thyroid hormones. Swimming in chlorinated pools also increases the risk of hypothyroidism for the same reason. And bromine exposure from brominated spas poses the same problem as bromine is also a halogen and displaces iodine.

Women are at particular risk for hypothyroidism as their hormones can interfere with their thyroid. In short, unopposed estrogen can interfere with thyroid function.

Symptoms are the most accurate way to determine low adrenal or thyroid function. Lab tests and saliva testing are not accurate indicators of adrenal or thyroid function in most cases. Standard thyroid tests in particular are very inaccurate and frequently miss cases of hypothyroidism. In fact, a person’s lab results can show normal levels of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), T3 and T4 and still be hypothyroid (under active thyroid).