Hi Orion,
I see you're from Canada. Can you recommend an endo in Canada who knows what they're doing regarding the adrenals? I read one of your posts and it was referring to blood work, etc. Well, the endo my nurse practitioner referred me to last fall did the regular cortisol test and a few other tests and said that all came back normal and yet i have most symtoms of weakened adrenals. Can you explain the test that you were referring to?

Thanks much. For now I'm on a glandular supplement from the health food store which has helped some, but it's such a slow process and i'm just wondering if cortef or something similar would be better.

Can you explain the test that you were referring to?

Thanks much. For now I'm on a glandular supplement from the health food store which has helped some, but it's such a slow process and i'm just wondering if cortef or something similar would be better.


I have seen many endos and as a group I don't have much faith in them. All my corisol and urine tests came back normal and it took a year to finally get diagnosed. Even after I was diagnosed, the first thing I was told was I needed more exercise and to lose weight. Well DUH, I was sleeping 16 hours a day and had barely enough energy to walk up some stairs....talk about ignorant! Fortunately there are good endos, but you just have to try several to find one willing to be your partner rather than your god. The endos I saw specialized in tumors so you probably need someone else.

The test you want is an ATCH stimulation test. If that produces stimulation then you need the insulin induced hypoglycemia test to examine all your hormones and determine the cause of your adrenal problems.

Remember that many diseases cause Addison's type symptoms so you might well have some other problem. Addison's is very rare so keep an open mind about what might be going on.

I don't know what grandular supplements do but if they substitute cortisol you will invalidate any possible adrenal tests. You may have to stop such supplements several weeks before a test. You need to check that with your doctor.

Thanks so much for your help. I'm nervous right now about stopping the adrenal supplement as i don't want to be a veg again, but i sure appreciate your insight on all this.

I too was told to exercise more by an internist (my nurse pract. sent me to her to rule out CFS).....what a joke! If i wasn't on the adrenal glandular stuff, i could barely function let alone exercise!! I was thankful to get one activity done per day and just doing the dishes was exhausting!!

The thing is my nurse practitioner wanted me to see a psychiatrist and at my urging she referred me to our one and only local endo who is incompetent. Then she referred me to a Toronto (500 miles away) endo a year later at my pleading (who didn't do the right adrenal tests..just had me do a once-only blood extraction for tests which included cortisol and i think ACTH, but not the tests you mentioned and which i have now read about on other internet sites), but i don't think she'll refer me to another as she really thinks it's all depression related. How can low blood pressure and low body temp and a few other things be in any way connected to depression. This is so frustrating! Also i can't see an endo without a referral and with our doctor shortage in this province, doctor shopping is simply not an option.

Anyway, i'm so thankful for Dr. Wilson's book on adrenal fatigue....a God send......and a local naturopathic doc who is really with it!!

It's also a blessing to be able to talk to you folks who can relate!! Thank God the the internet and this wonderful site!!! :)

It can all be very frustrating, believe me I know oh so well! But don't get mad, take action.

The two options are:

1. find another doctor who will refer you to a different endo.

2. go to the States and find a doctor there. I saw an endo in the States within a month and he charged me $80 for a one hour consultation and then he sent a letter to my GP here listing the necessary tests and medications. My GP was very willing to comply with an experts opinion.

In addition:

You might also send a letter to your endo stating that you feel you may have adrenal insufficiency which if left untreated can lead to serious injury or death. Ask for the ATCH test for Addison's disease and request his diagnosis in writing so he may be held accountable. Most doctors won't want to stop you from getting a test that might later come back to bite them.

Remember you are in charge, not them. They are just consultants. It's your life, they don't give a damn about you. When you leave the office you are just another body taking up their time AND paying them.

Also you need to keep a detailed diary of what is going on in your life. Put down exactly how long you sleep, how you feel, what you are missing and what you are doing in life. Don't fudge it, be 100% honest. Some days you might feel great, put that down. Only then will they take you seriously when they see the detailed diary you present. Get someone to verify the diary by going with you to the doctors office and also it gives a witness to their refusal to help in a meaningful way.

Thanks for the good info Orion.