Adrenal Fatigue (Trigger Warning)

[alovelycreature]

http://www.medicinegarden.com/2011/02/20/high-cortisol-part-3/

This is the last part of the article with the doctor, testing, and supplemental treatments. However, if you start at the first page they will go through all the other symptoms that high cortisol levels cause.

[Indigochild]

Hi everyone,
I thought Id put this in this section, even though it isn't conventional medicine, (no mediation), but is going back to the core of the issue, in order to threat the issue.
I wanted to share this, because I just found out about it, and I think it is so important.
It might explain to some of you what is going on with you, such as not sleeping well, oversleeping (hypersomnia), craving salt..etc.
Sorry if its a bit long and rambly.
I will put a video link in at the end.

Some of you might know that those of us with Cptsd can have high levels of Cortisol in our bodies.
Cortisol is a hormone produced by the Adrenal Glands, during times of stress.
Cortisol prepares us for fight for flight.
When the trauma is ongoing and chronic, (as the case with Cptsd), the body is being forced to produce way too much cortisol, over and over, which puts huge strain on the body and the Adrenal glands.
When the trauma is over, the body still produces Cortisol, because it has gotten used to producing too much, therefore, as when the traumas were happening, the body is still producing way too much Cortisol, and it is not healthy.

Too much Cortisol wears out the adrenal glands, it destroys the immune system, it causes lots of problems for our bodies, and it can lead to Adrenal Fatigue.
there are so many damaging effects that too much Cortisol causes, such as feeling anxiety, not sleeping well, weather that being insomnia, not getting to sleep easily until the early hours, not sleeping deeply enough, not feeling rested in the morning, needing coffee to get started in the morning (which is bad for the adrenals because it pushes them all the time to produce cortisol. Not enough good quality sleep makes it harder to get started the next day, you have dips in energy levels during the day, and because the body needs a certain amount of Cortisol to function, lack of sleep makes the adrenals produce more cortisol (and you might be producing way more than the average person).
If we sleep well, the body wont produce as much Cortisol the following day.

Adrenal Fatigue is when the body just cannot produce any more Cortisol, as it has none left? but the body is so tired from over producing Cortisol, that it simply can not produce any more,
and that isn't good, because we do need a normal level of Cortisol in order to function in daily life.
If we are experiencing Adrenal Fatigue-
we are fatigued, and it is harder to function as we don't have the energy.
(Adrenal fatigue is when the Adrenal glands get tired and worn out, and when they cant produce enough Cortisol to function).
You can have both: Too much Cortisol, and Adrenal Fatigue and you can swing back and forth.

I have Adrenal fatigue most of the time, as well as elevated levels of Cortisol, but i notice that after particurally intense flashbacks, I am depleated of energy, end up oversleeping, and my body aches.
There are things you can do to help mend damage adrenal glands, but I'm not sure if it would be best to start preparing, after trauma etc. is worked through, because trauma work and flashbacks put a lot of stress on the adrenals, and so does being in a constant state of having too much Cortisol.

On the internet, there is lots of information about too much Cortisol in the body and the symptoms of that, and there is lots of info on Adrenal Fatigue, and the symptoms.
Apparently doctors dont think Adrenal Fatigue is a real thing, but I believe it is and i have a lot of the symptoms, as well as the symptoms of having too much Cortisol.
Doctors often put people on pills because they often have high blood pressure as a result of too much stress, so they are only tackling the top layer of the problem.

It was my T who told me that i am experiencing adrenal fatigue, after telling her how tired i was after a long intense flashback recently. I wanted to put that so that you would know that Im not necessarily wrong about this information.
I hope that you guys check this out and do your own research, as you might relate to this.

Here is a video explaining Adrenal fatigue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iERqD2XrUk
Article: http://adrenalfatiguesolution.com/adrenal-fatigue-symptoms/

Indigo

[Indigochild]

omg, sorry alovelycreature, I just did a thread on this just now. oops.
*So great* that you posted this, maybe we are reading from the same page!
Indigo

[Dutch Uncle]

Thanks. Very interesting post. I'll definitely look into the video and the article at some point. (I'm currently busy with dissociating in the 'Book club', and I think multitasking is stressful  )

Thanks again. 

[Kizzie]

Just a note to let everyone know I merged two threads here so if it's a disjointed at first that's why.

[Indigochild]

Oh I'm so glad Kizzie, I was starting to think on coming back to this, that i wrote it on someone else thread! haha, glad i didnt! Good idea to merge threads, and sorry about that.

[Indigochild]

Thats ok Dutch, and no problem.
If you check it out, i hope you dont find it too boring. I found it so interesting.
If you do and you have any questions, feel free to ask me if you wish. 

[KestrelsFlight]

This will be very helpful to me as I just stumbled upon an article about Adrenal Fatigue while desperately searching for help with anxiety. I believe that I fall right into this category. Thank you.

Kate

[sanmagic7]

my adrenals aren't working correctly, either.  one hormone tested for (adrenosol, i think) is below normal, and my cortisol is in the lower range of normal.  i went to an endocrinologist, he gave me a low dose of prednisone (steroids) which i found out from a nurse friend is the standard treatment, but after 3 days, my body violently rejected it, so i stopped.  when i told him about it, he suggested tylenol for my muscle pain and b complex to give me more energy.  i've been taking b-complex for years as a way to calm myself down - it works the opposite of giving me a boost of energy than on others, and i take advil regularly for the pain/inflammation i experience.  i didn't go back.

i also learned that supposedly the best diet, the one least upsetting to the adrenals, is fruits, veggies, meats, and seeds.  i'm doing that pretty regularly now, as i can only see a more natural path to dealing with this.  also, to keep stress to a minimum.  which, as was written above, is difficult when working thru these issues, getting triggered, processing the trauma, etc.  recovery is by no means stress-free.

so, that's what i learned, and that's what i'm doing as best i can.  just want to let you know, kate, that you're not alone in tackling this.