Well-Womens Guide to Adrenal Insufficiency and Addisons Disease

Basically, the saying "burnt out" has everything to do with this.

Think of the many conditions caused by stress including: Panic Attacks, IBS, Globus hystericus, Thyroid conditions

How can they not be affected?

We do not realise the important hormones that are regulated by these glands which are located at the top of your kidneys. They are divided into an inner medulla and an outer cortex. The outer cortex is something we can not live without. The various parts of the glands secrete different hormones.

All the hormones of the cortex are steroidal and include aldosterone, cortisol and sex hormones androgens and DHEA in small amounts. The medulla secrets adrenaline and noradrenaline and these are secreted as a reaction to stress. Some of the hormones are also responsible for blood sugar regulation.

We are hardly likely to realise their importance. But when you start suffering from certain symptoms including sugar cravings, salt cravings, low blood pressure which in turn can lead to dizziness and fainting, allergies, low stamina, water retention causing swelling in fingers, ankles and face, hair loss, fatigue and exhaustion, weakness, feeling run down, immune disorders, sleep disturbances, digestive disorders, feeling cold, low immune function, vomitting, diarrhoea, inability to cope with stress, weight loss and hyperpigmentation of the skin.

It stands to reason that prolonged stress will cause the glands to "burn out" as your body can no longer cope with the excessive demands to produce the hormone "cortisol"

Your body is in a permanent state of "Fright or Flight" causing excessive amounts of adrenaline to be pumped out. This however only serves to weaken these glands thus causing illness know as A.I or Adrenal Insufficiency or exhaustion. Eventually they may even stop producing hormones altogether.

This condition will not be diagnosed by your GP or Endo. Only Addisons disease (see below) will be diagnosed by a doctor and once again, doctors fail to recognise the symptoms of A.I.

What can I do and how can I confirm that I have A.I?

Many private doctors are happy to test for ~(blood and or urine tests) and diagnose A.I and one of the treatments is low dose hydrocortisone. Email me for a list of doctors in the UK.

Avoid any type of stimulant (alcohol, nicotine, coca cola and soft drinks that stimulate and tea and coffee. Pro Plus and over the counter stimulants should never be consumed) like the plague as it will only serve to further tire already burnt out glands. Calm and relaxing TV viewing and pass times should be considered. Avoid vigorous exercise. It will weaken the glands further.

Yoga and meditation will help and have proved successful in treating A.I

In order to take the stress off them, a low sugar diet and a diet without refined carbohydrates so that the glands don't have to work extra hard to stabilise blood sugar. Increase protein and fibre as the energy souce.

Siberian Ginseng and Black Cohosh support the glands'function. Biocare AD 206 Adrenal support is an alternative to glandulars sometimes prescribed by private doctors. These can also be purchased online from the nutri centre who do their own brand. B Complex is much needed to assist with adrenal hormone production particularly the important corticosteroids. 1000mg of a good quality Vitamin C can help with weakness of the gland and support immune function. Enzymatic Therapy Daily Energy can provide nutritional support. Relaxing herbal teas like chamomile can be used instead of excessive tea and coffee consumption.

The hormone DHEA can solve A.I, but should be used under the supervision of your private doctor. (Gp's probably won't prescribe this unless your levels are low and this can be confirmed by a blood test. Whether they will listen to you and do the required blood test is another matter.)

A specialist private doctor can devise a program to correct this problem. Please contact me for a list of private doctors in the UK.

Addisons Disease

This is a chronic condition when the glands no longer produce the hormones needed for the body's response to stress. In some cases it can result in Addisonian Crisis which is a medical emergency.

The disease was first discovered in 1855 by Thomas Addison at Guys hospital and complications of TB was actually the known cause at that time. It still remains the cause in some Third World countries today.

Addisons disease can be caused by progessive A.I as above, by autoimmune attack of the glands and this reason affects women more than men. As with all autoimmune diseases, the cause for the autoimmune attack is unknown. Rarer cases of Addisons could be caused by viral infections, fungal infections and tumours. Some long term medications can also be responsible for both long term and temporary loss of function referred to as secondary adrenal suppression, such as those to treat bowel disease and asthma. Steroidal drugs can also do this.

Symptoms

These become apparent when over 90 per cent of the cortex has been destroyed and this can takes months or years. It is known as Primary Adrenal Insufficiency and show as follows:

Severe progressively worsening fatigue and weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, pigmentation changes in the skin due to the increase of the hormone ACTH and the subsequent loss of cortisol, fainting, weight loss, low blood pressure, joint and muscle pain and spasm, and symptoms as for A.I but also irritability and depression, low blood pressure and fainting.

Once again, this can be diagnosed late as the symptoms presented do not inspire the medical profession to automatically think of the Addisons Disease.

Unfortunately it may reach crisis level before a diagnosis is made. Frequently the sufferer may develope a virus or need surgery and because of the body's lack of response to this from a stress angle, the patient's condition deteriorates and the condition then becomes apparent.

Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency can often be referred to as Addisons although it is often caused by a tumour (adenoma) but can also be caused by autoimmune destruction of the pituitary gland. In this case the pituitary gland will no longer send signals to the glands to produce cortisol and DHEA will also decline.

Before the introduction of long term medication in the form of steroids to replace the hormones that are no longer produced, Addisons Disease was invariably fatal.

Proper medication will enable sufferers to lead a normal life provided they ensure their medication is correctly managed and that they take proper care of themselves at all times.

Addisonian Crisis: What are the symptoms?

Severe mental confusion, weakness vomitting and drop in blood pressure. An emergency injection of 100mcg Hydrocortisone Sodium will be needed.

What products can help

Sodium Ascorbate

This has many uses as well as re building the body's structural integrity by renewing and maintaining collagen synthesis. It is thought to improve adrenal metabolism. Insufficient adrenal function is said to play a role in all autoimmune diseases and also in chronic allergic conditions such as eczema, hayfever and asthma. Stress of course is linked with A.I and this will be improved by supplementation with sodium ascorbate.

People who have cardiovascular disease or insufficient gastric juices (gastric HCI) should take ascorbic acid rather than sodium ascorbate.

Plant Sterols and Sterolins are natural nutrients that help the glands produce more natural steroids when needed and a product called Naturleaf is the product of choice here.

Wild Yam helps to regulate hormones facilitating the production of DHEA, the precursor hormone to oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone and many other important hormones and is necessary for correct hormone balance. It can normalise the production of adrenal cortex hormones.

The correct production of DHEA will therefore help in the correction of fatigue, depression. stress, poor memory, high blood pressure premature aging of the skin due to lack of collagen and immune system insufficiency.

Celtic Sea Salt and Ionic Minerals help in providing salts needed by the body and so often expelled in large amounts by the body in urine when the adrenals are not functioning optimally.

Maca Can also help regulate hormones by stimulating the pituitary and hypothalmus glands which then in turn stimulates the thyroid, adrenals, ovaries, adrenals and pancreas.

Zell Oxygen is also part of the overall regenerative program for all autoimmune illness as well as many other chronic and inflammatory condtions.

To read books about the adrenals please click here

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