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Q: "Adrenal Fatigue" ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   9 Comments )
Question  
Subject: "Adrenal Fatigue"
Category: Health
Asked by: swifty12-ga
List Price: $40.00
Posted: 20 Dec 2005 10:56 PST
Expires: 19 Jan 2006 10:56 PST
Question ID: 608035
Real and Treatable, or ambiguous such as "Nervous Exhaustion"?
Answer  
Subject: Re: "Adrenal Fatigue"
Answered By: sublime1-ga on 20 Dec 2005 13:15 PST
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
swifty...

If you mean Real and Treatable in the traditional sense of 
traditional allopathic medicine, with AMA certified diagnostic
criteria, and approved and study-verified medicines for treatment,
then no, it's not.

The condition is a syndrome, much like the example of "nervous
exhaustion" which you mentioned. This means it's a collection
of symptoms which, when added up, point to the condition being
present.

This syndrome was popularized by the publication of the book,
Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome by Dr. James
L. Wilson. Smart Publications, 2001.

On Dr. Wilson's website he notes:

"Despite its prevalence in our modern world, Adrenal Fatigue has
 generally been ignored and untreated by the medical community."
http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/

A self-test based on the collection of symptoms which point
to the syndrome is on his site.

A telling fact is that this pioneering 'expert' on the syndrome
keeps referring people to buy his book for the full picture:

"To find out for sure, consult the book Adrenal Fatigue: 
 The  21st Century Stress Syndrome by Dr. James Wilson."
http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/doi.php

He does the same with the question "Can people with Adrenal
Fatigue ever fully recover?":

"Yes, with proper treatment most people can fully recover
 from Adrenal Fatigue. For detailed information about how
 you can support your adrenal glands, protect yourself from
 stress and recover from Adrenal Fatigue see Dr. James
 Wilson's book Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress
 Syndrome and check out Programs for Adrenal Recovery on
 this website."
http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/canrecover.php

And again, in the Programs for Adrenal Recovery, which are
only partially available on his website. For example:

"If you scored between 89-132 (women) or 88-130 (men) on
 the Adrenal Fatigue questionnaire (p.61, Dr. Wilson's
 book) take the dietary supplements below in addition to
 following the exercises and lifestyle recommendations
 given in the book."
http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/programmoderate.php

And the last clue is in the supplements which he "prescribes"
to treat the syndrome, which are also sold from his website,
and were formulated by him. There's also the fact that they
are not medicines, but herbal and nutritional dietary 
supplements which must include the typical FDA disclaimer:

"The information provided in this site is not a substitute
 for professional medical opinion. It is provided for
 informational and educational purposes only.

 Adrenalfatigue.org and any parties or people associated
 with it are not making any medical claims on this site.
 All references to possible benefits to be derived from
 consuming the products discussed on this website are
 purely for informational purposes and no medical claims
 are made or maintained. These products are sold purely
 as dietary supplements."
http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/disclaimer.php


Nevertheless, the syndrome has been widely adopted by a
number of practitioners in the field of alternative medicine,
such as naturopaths, and is also being promoted by those who
make their living selling supplements, such as this page from
The Compunder website:
http://www.thecompounder.com/AdrenalProtocolMead.html


But, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that this is a mythical
condition made up by naturalists who want to sell you products,
even if that seems to be the case in some situations.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome was another such syndrome that was
widely recognized by practioners of altenative therapies long
before medical doctors began to give it serious consideration,
and alternative therapies and dietary supplements have been 
able to achieve some major successes in dealing with it.


So, while the syndrome remains ambiguous due to the very 
nature of the various and vaguely-defined symptoms which
make it up, there are success stories, such as the case
study in the article titled, 'Utilizing Nutrition as Medicine'
by: Trisch Marcino-Hadley, N.D., Ph.D. ©2002, on the ANMA
(American Naturopathic Medical Association) website, where
the subject in the case:

"Charlie scored high in adrenal fatigue and overactive
 sympathetic nervous system."

The outcome:

"He is continuing to maintain a good diet and has gained
 a few pounds, however, his muscle tone is greatly improved.
 His overall physical appearance and lab tests indicate a
 tremendous improvement today over 2 years ago. He has
 decreased his dosages of prednisone and immunosuppressant
 drugs. He is now at 25% of the prescription medications.
 I am continuing Charlie on his current whole food
 supplementation and diet protocol. Hopefully, some day,
 he will be able to completely discontinue all of his
 prescription medications."
Much more on the page:
http://www.anma.com/mon62.html


Please do not rate this answer until you are satisfied that  
the answer cannot be improved upon by way of a dialog  
established through the "Request for Clarification" process. 

sublime1-ga


Additional information may be found from an exploration of
the links resulting from the Google searches outlined below.

Searches done, via Google:

"Adrenal Fatigue"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22Adrenal+Fatigue%22

"Adrenal Fatigue" AMA OR JAMA
://www.google.com/search?q=%22Adrenal+Fatigue%22+AMA+OR+JAMA
swifty12-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars and gave an additional tip of: $10.00
Great Work

Comments  
Subject: Re: "Adrenal Fatigue"
From: maluca-ga on 20 Dec 2005 13:58 PST
 
I have spent thousands to overcome this condition. I have not read the
links to the above sites . I can tell you what worked for me. It is
available in any health food store. It was recommended by a well
respected Dr. in Newport Beach, Calif. It is called Rhodiola. Make
sure the product is standardized. Vitamin C works well with it.
Subject: Re: "Adrenal Fatigue"
From: sublime1-ga on 20 Dec 2005 14:46 PST
 
swifty...

Thanks very much for the rating and the tip!

sublime1-ga
Subject: Re: "Adrenal Fatigue" for maluca-ga
From: swifty12-ga on 04 Jan 2006 08:57 PST
 
Rhodiola and "C" are "it"!!
Subject: Re: "Adrenal Fatigue"- maluca-ga
From: swifty12-ga on 05 Jan 2006 10:02 PST
 
was DR. an MD?
not that it mattets?
Subject: Re: "Adrenal Fatigue"
From: nedlife-ga on 08 Jan 2006 13:07 PST
 
Adrenal Fatigue can be a symptom of a much larger issue - i.e...

My son has autism and adrenal fatigue
My husband has Gulf War Syndrome and adrenal fatigue

Is this a cause and effect situation?  I don't know for sure, but it
is an interesting puzzle.

*By adrenal fatigue, I mean little cortisol output (blood and saliva)
with negative ANA (no Addison's).
Subject: Re: "Adrenal Fatigue" -to nedlife
From: swifty12-ga on 09 Jan 2006 05:42 PST
 
cortisol supplements (?)
Subject: Re: "Adrenal Fatigue"
From: nedlife-ga on 09 Jan 2006 09:10 PST
 
Cortisol supplementation is not how you increase your cortisol levels.
 The best nutritional combo is B6, B5, Rhodiola and PABA.
Subject: Re: "Adrenal Fatigue" To nedlife
From: swifty12-ga on 09 Jan 2006 10:05 PST
 
B5 B6 Rhodiola - OK - what's PABA
Subject: Re: "Adrenal Fatigue"
From: nedlife-ga on 10 Jan 2006 10:38 PST
 
PABA (Para-AminoBenzoic Acid) "Unofficial B-Vitamin" (By James Adams Ph.D.) 

Benefits:

1) PABA is required to synthesize folic acid in gastrointestinal tract
2) Can counteract stomach distress for people allergic to gluten.
3) PABA is normally made by the flora in the gastrointestinal tract,
so people with gastrointestinal problems might need supplements.
4) As a coenzyme, PABA functions in the breakdown and utilization of
proteins and in the formation of red blood cells.
* 5) PABA enhances the hormone cortisol.

On another note - alot of folks with AF also have vitamin D
deficinecy, which is why their symptoms tend to get worse in the
winter.

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