Do you continually feel tired, depressed and rundown?  Do you wake feeling exhausted rather than refreshed?  What about cravings for sweets or salty food?  These are all possible symptoms of adrenal fatigue.

In a nutshell, adrenal exhaustion is caused by too much stress and too much work.  Several other factors contribute to the condition, but adequate rest and relaxation is a hallmark of overcoming adrenal fatigue.  In today’s world it is almost inevitable that most people will experience some degree of adrenal exhaustion at some point in their lives.  Life can be so busy and stressful, plus caffeine, nicotine, allergies, food additives and sugar all place physical stress on the adrenals.

Function of the adrenal glands

Your two adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys and are responsible for producing several hormones.  Two of these hormones are adrenalin and cortisol.  They are both called stress hormones in that you release them when you are physically or emotionally stressed and they prepare your body to deal with the stress.

Adrenalin is released when you feel immediate, intense stress (such as narrowly avoiding a car accident), whereas cortisol is released when you are chronically stressed (deadlines at work, sleep deprivation or chronic anxiety). Small amounts of cortisol are released by your adrenal glands each day; stress can cause excessively high levels to be produced.

If you have been stressed for several months or years, you probably have chronically elevated blood cortisol levels.  Cortisol promotes abdominal weight gain, cravings and it makes weight loss very difficult.  High cortisol also suppresses your immune system.  If your cortisol level has been high for a long time, there usually comes a point when your adrenal glands just can’t pump out enough cortisol any more; they become exhausted.  In this case you will probably be left with abnormally low cortisol.

Symptoms of adrenal gland exhaustion

  • Feeling tired despite adequate rest and sleep
  • Unrefreshing sleep
  • Light, broken sleep
  • Strong cravings for sugar and/or salt
  • Feeling overwhelmed and like you can’t cope with life’s hassles
  • Feeling tired in the morning but getting an energy burst anywhere between 4pm and 8pm
  • Poor memory and inability to concentrate
  • Weakened immunity with frequent infections

What causes adrenal gland exhaustion?

  • Not enough sleep or poor quality sleep
  • Stress
  • Too much work and not enough rest
  • Not enough good fats in the diet and too many unhealthy fats
  • Deficiency of vitamin C, magnesium and antioxidants
  • Stimulants: caffeine, nicotine
  • High sugar diets
  • Chronic illness.  This is a major stress on the body and places a large demand on your adrenal glands.

How is adrenal exhaustion diagnosed?

Many doctors do not acknowledge adrenal conditions unless they are severe diseases like Cushing’s syndrome (excess cortisol) or Addison’s disease (severe lack of cortisol usually caused by autoimmune disease).  However milder forms of adrenal imbalance are common and can definitely impair the quality of your life and produce quite severe symptoms. Most common symptoms are chronic fatigue and depression.

There are blood tests available which measure the levels of the adrenal hormones called cortisol and DHEA.  Low blood levels of these hormones, including levels at the bottom of the normal range, usually indicate adrenal fatigue.  Cortisol is best tested early in the morning and again in the evening.  You are supposed to have higher cortisol in the morning and lower levels in the evening; however this pattern is often back to front in people with adrenal conditions and/or severe stress.

How to treat adrenal exhaustion

  • Try to get adequate sleep.  People with adrenal fatigue often have poor quality sleep, but your adrenal glands will greatly benefit if you can be in bed before 10:30pm.  The hours before midnight are much more restorative to your body. Magnesium is a great tool to promote a deeper and more restful sleep.
  • Try to reduce the stress in your life or find more effective ways of dealing with it.  Massage, meditation, yoga, dancing classes, facials, counseling, reading or going for a bike ride can all be healthy ways to unwind.
  • Steer clear of stimulants.  Generally caffeine is only bad for you if you consume too much, but people with adrenal fatigue should really cut it out of their diet.  Black tea and green tea are fine in most cases, but coffee should be avoided for now.  It is best to keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum, especially before bed.  It can help you get to sleep but reduces the quality of sleep.
  • If you have low levels of cortisol, you may benefit from taking our adrenal glandular supplement.  It contains natural glandular material derived from government-inspected, range-fed animals, raised in New Zealand and Australia. This provides your body with natural adrenal gland hormones that help to relieve the symptoms of adrenal exhaustion. It is important to take this in the morning.
  • Try to minimize your intake of sugar.  People with adrenal fatigue often crave sugar and feel like they must consume it in order to keep going.  People with adrenal fatigue should add salt to their diet, and you could snack on olives, which are salty yet nutritious.  When it comes to sugar, small amounts of fresh fruit are best.  Once your energy level improves you will not be craving sugar as much.
  • Make sure you eat enough protein and healthy fats.  These two nutrients will help to keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day, thereby reducing energy slumps caused by a blood sugar crash.
  • You may benefit from a tyrosine supplement.  Tyrosine is an amino acid that your body uses to manufacture adrenalin and noradrenalin.  It helps you to emotionally cope with stress more effectively and even helps mood and concentration.
  • Most of the vitamin C in your body is stored in your adrenal glands.  Most people do not consume enough fresh vegetables and fruit to get sufficient vitamin C in their diet.  Your adrenal glands will struggle to function unless you consume enough vitamin C. If you have adrenal exhaustion you will need at least 1000mg of vitamin C daily.
  • Magnesium is calming to the nervous system and muscles and allows the adrenal glands to repair themselves.  If you take some magnesium before bed it should help to improve the quality of your sleep.
  • Find out if you have a food allergy or intolerance.  The most common food intolerance for those suffering with adrenal exhaustion is gluten. Eating foods that your body cannot tolerate is a major stress on you physically.  You may need a naturopath’s help in uncovering hidden food sensitivities.

It is possible to heal adrenal exhaustion but it takes time and persistence.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.