Re: Honest question - do you really think you've got AF ?

I agree that 'Adrenal Fatigue' is a bit of a grey area.

IMO Lam describes it well and doesn't say it's a definitive exact diagnosis of X not right - but that it's a SYNDROME...of ever-changing hormonal levels depending upon how far the stress system of the body is handling ALL types of stress.

Initially it seems through his observations coupled with clinical studies of how stress affects us that initially we have 'HYPER' functioning adrenals = high cortisol to meet the demands of extra stress we're experiencing. Be it emotional/lifestyle, viral, bacterial, etc...we must not forget the many groups of stress that exist.

It cannot be disputed the studies done to show hypertrophy of the adrenal glands when high cortisol levels are detected and atrophied glands when low cortisol is produced.

It seems if we've burnt ourselves out through lifestyle choice stress alone we have a good chance to recover excellent adrenal function and lowering high cortisol levels by slowing down life, eating nutritionally well, embracing more relaxation techniques etc.
This works for a portion of people with AF, quite quickly too - they barely even make it to CZ!

However, it seems that it's rare to just have one type of stressor affecting us - and if doing the things above don't help the fatigue and high cortisol/adrenaline surges...we need to look deeper at other stressors.

Testing of adrenal hormone levels is very plausible and accurate to determine their function. The interpretation of the results COUPLED with clinical presentation of symptoms is where the medical institution fails hugely.

The medical institution recognises 'officially' only Cushing's or Addison's or Adrenal Insufficiency. The reference ranges of hormones to fall into these diagnoses are extreme and so if you have hyper function or hypo function that doesn't fall into these ranges the results are considered 'normal' nothing wrong here.

To be honest it's a farce. Thyroid groups are swelling on the web to get recognition of undiagnosed thyroid problems due to obscene TSH reference ranges and inaccurate interpretation of thyroid results. Hypothyroidism IS a recognised disorder yet STILL it's not being diagnosed when people are 'marginally' hypothyroid about to fall into the pit of full-on hypothyroidism.

Having a high cortisol response is normal to stress - it's the right response...yet persistently high cortisol that doesn't require emotional stimulus is a problem many suffer with on here because they're in the grips of the 'SYNDROME' of adrenal dysfunction.
Same goes with low cortisol. Stress doesn't cause a cortisol peak like it should and more and more stress only does more damage.

I read an article just a few hours ago of a healthy man who had a bowel surgical procedure, who then developed full blown adrenal insufficiency due to after-surgery infection which completely took down his adrenal function. It didn't take years of life stress and bad dieting, all it took was an infection, which quickly eroded his adrenal function. Only because he went into shock did they detect the corticosteroid deficiency and diagnosed AI. If they hadn't have done he would be dead, like so many who develop infections after surgery.

I'm left with the impression from what i've read of other's accounts and those MD's online who believe in adrenal disorders that it's a very real, quantifiable condition.
All that is needed is more recognition to get mainstream MD's to run simple hormone tests to rule out dysfunction and infections etc.

Personally, i don't know what is affecting my adrenal function, i have had to go the private test route due to doctors not willing to help.
So far hormones testing shows hypo-function 4x cortisol all low, sex hormones low, and i am awaiting results of a recent test to see if any of that has changed.
I'm collating a file of results, symptoms, doctor visits and their responses to my clinical symptoms and results.
When i can afford an ACTH stim. by a private clinic i shall go that route and follow up with causation diagnostics.

It's impossible to guess with symptoms alone without testing, and it's impossible to see the full picture with test results alone, yet BOTH together give a very illuminating picture of what's going wrong.

The term 'adrenal fatigue' has always bugged me because it's not entirely accurate. Fatigue is a major symptom whether high or low cortisol, sure. Yet Adrenal Dysfunction seems to fit the hugely varying states the adrenals can be dysfunctioning in. Fatigue implicates they're not working, when for many they're 'over-working' even when stress has passed.

As ever, it's always the damn semantics that negates justified recognition.
In this instance it's serious - people's lives are hugely affected and we have portions of society not functioning optimally because their condition 'doesn't "officially" exist'....so it must be in their heads right? ;-)

Want some psych meds anyone?

(sorry to rant but it needs saying!)






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