Guest Author - Jim Lowrance
Adrenal insufficiency is a condition in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough hormones to aid in regulating the body's metabolism, stress coping, controlling inflammation and sexual functioning. The main adrenal hormone that becomes low with this condition is "cortisol," and when low levels are detected in a person, it is sometimes referred to as "hypocortisolemia". Full blown adrenal insufficiency is referred to as "Addison's Disease." There are, however, milder forms of adrenal dysfunction as listed below. Some statistics state that about 10% of people with thyroid disease experience a degree of mild adrenal insufficiency.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This condition, abbreviated PTSD, is a traumatic stress-caused condition that is also considered to be an anxiety disorder. People experience the onset of this disorder as a result of severe traumatizing experiences, such as car accidents, acts of violence that are perpetrated upon them, the sudden loss of a loved one or having been in active combat during wartime. The severe shock caused to the body from such incidents can cause the glands regulating adrenal hormone output to become "blunted", meaning they begin to function at a sub-normal level. While their adrenal hormones may remain within normal limits, they will be at lowest normal (borderline low), which causes them to have an inability to cope with stressors. Research studies on PTSD that are published by reputable medical groups (including the U.S. National Institutes of Health) state that low cortisol levels found in patients with this disorder contributes to their symptoms of anxiety, insomnia and flashbacks, meaning they may mentally relive their traumatic experiences repeatedly. In controlled test studies, using cortisol supplementation to treat PTSD patients, results showed that symptoms were reduced significantly by carefully monitored physiological dosing to increase their level of low stress hormone.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). This condition has also been found to cause a low level of the stress hormone cortisol evidenced by analyzing the blood and urine cortisol levels in people who experience the illness. Research studies on CFS have repeatedly confirmed this fact and have also found that patients report that they were experiencing chronic or sudden severe stress just before the onset of the illness. This would mean that CFS is very possibly also a stress-related condition that causes the adrenal hormone regulating glands in the body to become blunted. The U.S. National Institutes of Health released a report in October of 1996, in which they found through a controlled study, that cortisol supplementation/replacement in patients with CFS had a benefit but was found to be short-lived. Afterward, some patients began experiencing a more severe form of adrenal suppression, meaning it caused a worsening of their adrenal insufficiency after a few weeks on the cortisol replacement drug.
Fibromyalga Syndrome (FMS). Being very similar to CFS, Fibromyalgia also has chronic fatigue as a major symptom. The aspect that sets this illness apart from CFS is the widespread body pain that is not found to be as prominent in CFS patients. Despite this fact, researchers studying both illnesses have found them to have 75% crossover similarities. This includes the fact that FMS patients often report chronic stress as being a factor in their development of the illness. A number of research studies have also found cortisol levels to be low in FMS patients and controlled trials of cortisol supplementation have been conducted to determine if there would be a benefit for these patients. The findings were similar to those found when supplementing CFS patients with cortisol hormone replacement and while some patients improved, the long-term risks for using the drug did not merit establishing it as a medically recognized treatment for FMS.
Adrenal Fatigue. This sub-clinical form of adrenal insufficiency is still not recognized widely by the medical community, although certain types of doctors recognize the disorder, including MDs who practice holistic treatments, Naturopaths and Osteopathic Physicians. With this condition which is also referred to as "low adrenal reserves" and "adrenal exhaustion", many of the symptoms found in CFS and FMS are not present, including joint and muscle pain and other inflammatory problems in the body. Adrenal Fatigue is strictly a condition causing mild to moderate fatigue and reduced stress tolerance. Some medical sources are stating that adrenal fatigue that is prolonged and not treated, through proper rest, improved diet, adrenal boosting natural supplements and reducing contributing stressors, may result in the condition becoming a precursor (a pre-condition) to CFS and FMS.
While the conditions listed above are commonly found to cause mild adrenal insufficiency, other conditions can also be a cause or contributing factor, including other chronic and inflammatory diseases that contribute to increased stress levels in the body. See a professional, licensed physician for a complete evaluation if you suspect that you may be suffering from a health condition causing mild adrenal insufficiency.
