Hi, I'm usually on the allergy board, but I have just read Dr. James Wilson's book, Adrenal Fatigue. I feel like he wrote that book just for me. I scored 161-severe adrenal fatigue. I have had tons of blood work done, my thyroid etc.. were all normal. My doctor most likely will not run the neccesary adrenal tests, as I am in the military healthcare, so I know they will think this is a fad diagnosis. I really feel I have this condition, and I already started the recommended vitamins, and feel somewhat better. I want to try the adrenal extracts, but I am a little hesitant. I know this is mostly an Addison's board, but does anyone here have any experience with them? Did they help you? Any side effects?

Hi there,
I'm not sure what exactly 'adrenal extracts' are, but I'm seeing a naturopathic doctor who has me taking a homeopathic remedy for adrenal function. I believe she said they are initially derived from healthy adrenal glands and then diluted a million times over. Would this be the same as what you're talking about?
HB

Hi, I'm usually on the allergy board, but I have just read Dr. James Wilson's book, Adrenal Fatigue. I feel like he wrote that book just for me. I scored 161-severe adrenal fatigue. I have had tons of blood work done, my thyroid etc.. were all normal. My doctor most likely will not run the neccesary adrenal tests, as I am in the military healthcare, so I know they will think this is a fad diagnosis. I really feel I have this condition, and I already started the recommended vitamins, and feel somewhat better. I want to try the adrenal extracts, but I am a little hesitant. I know this is mostly an Addison's board, but does anyone here have any experience with them? Did they help you? Any side effects?
It would be a really good idea to post your thyroid labs on the thyroid board. What many doctors think is "normal" is actaully "abnormal". You want to get TSH, Free T3 and Free T4 tests. My TSH was normal, but my FT3 and FT4 were low.

As for the extracts, I tried Isocort, but got urgent diarrhea from it. Lots of people have success with it. You can take up to 8 pellets/day, but it's best to gradually increase.

There are a couple of websites that carry it if you can't find it in your HFS.

Wanda

Hi!

Just an FYI, you can always get your cortisol levels tested yourself through an online laboratory. This is what I did, and I was very pleased with the professionalism of the lab.

I took adrenal glandulars (bovine) for a couple of weeks and had good results with my hypoglycemic symptoms (which I believe are related to my adrenal fatigue). I then switched over to Isocort last Friday, and while I seemed to have great results for the first 2-3 days, I've been noticing that I am experiencing a weird "foggy-headed" feeling when I take it. I think I'm going to go back to the glandulars.

I know a lot of people on here have had great results with Isocort, so it might be worth a shot!

Good luck!

Christy

Thank you all for your replies.

I did post my results on the thyroid board and got a copy of the report and compared the results on online hypothyroid sites, and it appears my thyroid results are ideal. I had a TSh and a Free T4.

The supplements I was talking about are derived from adrenal cells. I worry about ones from bovine sources (mad cow), but Dr. Wilson's are supposedly from porcine sources.

I didn't know you could get cortisol tests online. How much did that cost you? I assume it was a saliva test, since it is D-I-Y?

Yes, it was online saliva testing.

I got all four cortisols plus estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA for $240 ($30 per test).

Happy Easter!

Christy

Hi Sneezydiva:

I checked over on the Thyroid board and didn't notice any FT4 and FT3 results posted. Frankly, I was surprised that someone there thought thyroid wasn't your problem, given that you had no FT3 or FT4 results posted. It's important to also have FT3 levels checked too. You mentioned you had FT4 tested (although I couldn't find it) - what were you basing your "normal" values on? The lab test?

If you can't get the FT3 test through your doctor (and you'd like to figure it out one way or the other) you can purchase them online for $75 - searching for "comprehensive thyroid panel II" should give you the site.

If you go the cortisol saliva route, it might be an idea to get the correct thyroid tests too. Often thyroid and adrenal problems go hand in hand.

One note of caution on the saliva tests though. In the process of adrenal fatigue, you go from high cortisol levels and then they progressively drop over the next while until they reach "low" levels. At some point, you'll have "normal" cortisol levels on the way down, even though you're well into the process of adrenal fatigue. That's what happened to me 2 years ago. My cortisol came back normal, but as of my last saliva cortisol test, it's apparent that my AM and PM levels have dropped further into the low normal range. The lab told me this could happen.

Sometimes results lie.... ;)

Good luck getting some answers.

Thanks all!

Misha, U R right, I did not post the FT4. When I first posted, I was going by memory. Now I have a copy of the results.

My TSH is 2.3 and my FT4 is 1.1 It seemed to me from thyroid websites that an FT4 around 1 was desirable, so that is when I decided to look elsewhere to find the source of my troubles.

Any insight? I will also post on the thyroid board.

Hi Sneezydiva:

Ah, I understand your confusion. What you read before is that a TSH (not FT4) of 1 is ideal. Your FT4 is too low and I would also suspect that your FT3 is too low as well. It should ideally be in the upper range of normal and yours is in the lower range.

The good news is you're starting to get some answers. The bad news is it's hard to find a doctor who's good with both adrenals AND thyroid.

Ahh, thanks for clearing that up for me. I still have a gut feeling that the adrenals are my primary problem and that they are affecting my thyroid. So I am going to deal with that first. I think I will go see a Natuopath/ holistic MD. I don't want to order tests and try to interpret them myself.

Hi Sneezydiva:

Good plan. Taking thyroid meds with compromised adrenals isn't a good thing anyway. Been there, done that.

Sneezy,

I'm being a bit nosey...you said you were military...overseas or stateside? I'm not military but I'm overseas...just thought you might be in my area.

Robin

Robin

I'm stateside right now, thankfully. :)

Sneezy