My 40 years with Adrenal Fatigue

[Mippi]

Hi there!

I just discovered this page and want to present my life with this sickness and see what your reactions are and maybe get some advice.

I was born in 1977, instantly fell asleep and slept alot (abnormaly much) throughout my childhood, (same thing in the womb, my mother said, I usually slept, was active a few hours and then slept alot again) teens and then adult life. School didnt work, neither did classes, work or any form of daily activity for more than a month, then I'd be back in bed, sleeping all day and night, like I'd been through a war, needing recovery. I became bullied at school since I was hardly ever there (maybe twice a week) and never really got into the friendship with the others. The bullying went on until I was 14 and had to be taken out of school and was homeschooled. It felt ALOT better to get out of there but I still didn't "get" the lessons, things just wouldnt stick due to concentration, memory problems and the extreme tiredness. 

I've had depression since I was a child but it only came out in late night crying attacks and nothing during the day. In my teens that changed and I had full blewn depression along with what I now understand was PMDD -the extreme form of PMS. (Yeah I know, lol, only thing missing, right? )

At 19 I started having panic attacks and struggled with it for as long as I could but finally had to go on serotoning tabalets, -a.k.a. antidepressants. Nothing heavy but it made a HUGE difference! The depression felt way better but I was still just as tired. The panic attacks also went away but people found me alittle "over happy" at times so..I don't know. 

Today, at almost 40, I know what I have. A friend at church suspected it could be adrenal fatigue and well, having looked up every damned disease I and my friends could think of (whereas not one had matched my symptoms), I looked this up to and I'll be damned if I didnt have almost ALL of the symptoms on the list (yay?), however I wasn't convinced yet so I went on the supplements my friend recommended and waited.

After a month... Nothing, two months... Nothing. So I called my friend and told her I didnt think that was it since I hadn't become any better. She told me "No no, it takes time, hang in there!" And I did. 

After 6 months on Adrekomp and Ashwagandha, I noticed all the phleghm I always had in my nose and throat went away. -Hm, oh well I thought. But then the anxiety dissapeared (Antidepressants hasn't helped all the way for many years by now but I kept taking them cause they still made a huge difference and I couldnät live without them or I'd feel so bad it was ridiculess) and hmm, weird.
Then, the brainfog lifted! I had never been able to think so CLEAR! No memory problems, no going from one side of the apartment to the other not remembering what I was going to get, my memory worked perfect! And then...

The depression became a milder more everyday for of depression, something I could actually live with,  then it dissapeared COMPLETELY! I was ..HAPPY, for the first time in my life, really really HAPPY! I even caught myself thinking life was great and I had been an "emo" all my life so I thought: -WHAT the heck was I thinking? I like life? What is this? Dude, I dress in black and want to die, what's going on here?

Then, the most amazing thing yet, happened; the fatigue lifted! I wasn't tired anymore, I woke up at 8 in the morning, went to a daytimes activity place until around 4, then to the gym and then did other fun things, I came home at around half past ten at night, was in bed by eleven and slept perfectly all night with no  sleep interruptions until 8 the next day. PMDD? NONE! My gyneclogist said -Amazing! When she heard it had dissapeared since she told me it was uncurable. Nu breast tenderness, no suicidal thoughts before my periods, no pain! 

I was WELL! Life was AWESOME!

Then, my endocrinologist called. They discovered I had graves (overactive thyroid) when I was 35 and had treated me for it and since I still felt unwell, she thought it might be my adrenal glands and wanted to take a ACTH- test on me, (a test where you stress the adrenals and see if they produce the cortisol they're supposed to.) 

I had to stop taking the supplements in order for the test to come out well, so I did. Within a week all my symptoms were back. After the test I got the worst anxiety of my LIFE. I shook all over and didn't know what to do with myself and was finally hospitalised (I had to tell them I was suicidal to get in, usually they dont hospitalise you over anxiety. I know that was a terrible thing of me to do but I had nowhereelse to go and I was so scared, I didn't want to be alone.) 

The anxiety lasted for 1 year and 8 months, every day, around the clock. I had to take sleeping pills to get some rest. 

Now, the anxiety has come down a big bit but it's still there lurking underneath the surface. The smallest stress, like hearing my meighbour stomp upstairs, sets it off and I start shaking and panic. 

I have now been on the supplements conataining ashwaghanda, magnesium, zinc, licorice root, roodiola (spelling?), vitamin C and all that stuff you need for Adrenal fatigue since may 2014. That comes down to 1 year and 8 months. 

I've read that it can take up to 3 years to get well and since I'm usually bedridden or at least very often, I'm guessing I will get better soon but it will still take some time since I guess going of the supplements and then stressing the adrenals by an ACTH -test, stressed them to the point where I became really unwell. 

I also added prognanolol (Oh these names.. The hormone one adds day 16-28 in the cycle) wich has helped me stop losing my hair, I've lost half of all my hair during the years so its very thin and I have to wear weaves to look..normal.) 

So, I guess my question to all of you who had the energy to read this long presentation, is, are there others who have been born with this? Since I got well I KNOW this is what I have so no worries there but haven't heard of anyone else being born with it, just that one can stress oneself to it. Am I the only one? 

I have thought SO many times about why I was born with this. Sure, it could have been WAY worse, I could have been born with neither arms or legs, cancer and all of that but the anxiety and darkness this disease brings with it, is inhuman! So I often feel like I have been punished for something or that god is trying to teach me something I just haven't grasped yet because due to this illness, my parents and relatives abandoned me (didnt really do anything to them, I've always been a sweet kid, didnt have the energy for anything else, haha!) and I've met the most strange people and boyfriends, often sick themselves, maybe that comes from not working so I could get out and meet more "normal" people. I donät want this presentation to sound all "Oh bohoo, poor me" but it's really been HELL on earth. 

So for you spiritual people out there, I was born a believer in God and still am, I pray usually every day although I donät know where i got it from since noone in my family or relatives believe, that I know of. Could this be some kind of herrital sin or a punishment of some sort? 




I welcome your thoughts and ideas! 

[leona]

Hi Mippi,

I believe while most people start life off with stronger adrenals then yourself, everyone’s adrenals start to be assaulted early on, and most never realize that what they are feeling is related to the adrenals. Adrenal stress shows itself in so many different ways, everyone is unique. While in utero your Mother may have been exposed to chemicals, toxins, had dental work, gotten the flu so many things that may have effected the strength of your adrenals.

I would strongly recommend that you consider doing a hair test. Unlike the ACTH test that sent you over the cliff (what did the doctor say about your results?) a hair test is non invasive and will reveal the stasis of your adrenal function.
The mineral balances shown on the test will decide what supplements are best for you. The problem with taking general ones is that while some may help others may not be right for you now. So what worked for you before your last crash may need to be different now. And when the adrenals are weak a small change created by herbs or supplements can have a dramatic effect in your ratios, good or bad. So you need to be more careful with what you’re taking and what effect it might have. Think of it as standing very close to a cliff edge, it’s easy to be pushed over.

I spent a lot of years myself trying all sorts of different things with limited success. Hair analysis (Nutritional Balancing) is the only program I know of that works to balance the autonomic nervous, and a balanced system equals health. I wouldn’t look at the time frame of healing because it all depends on how much of the program you can incorporate into your life, think of it as a life style change.

I would read all you can on Dr Wilson’s site drlwilson.com/ Order a hair test drlwilson.com/do%20hair%20analysis.htm and see where your mineral ratios are.

[phoenixceliac]

I agree with Leona, that you do a hair analysis. Most of us with poor health have adrenal issues, and NB addresses underlying problems.

[adrenalhealing]

If you feel depressed most of the time, but then on some days feel over happy for no obvious reason, then there could be some bipolar disorder in there.

But like what leona has said, I also think NB is more deep healing than just treating symptoms. It works on deeper levels and addresses underlying causes. It might be slow but if it brings about permanent healing then it is worth it. That's why I have decided to do the program and hopefully undo years of damage to my body from frequent fight flight anxiety.

[Mippina]

Hey and thanks for your replies!

Nope, no bipolar. Have been tested for every mental dusorder there is and only have depression and anxiety. I didnt get overly happy, I got normal.

Im now on a homeopathic treatment after an iris scan by one of the countries best homeopathic docs. He said I had staff on my organs, a swollen liver and a hyperactive central nervous system. So hes treating for that but I just read that homeopathy can make you way worse so thats not encouraging..

[karens]

Interesting story, and comments. I was basically normal most of my life. (hahaha, depends right?). But over the years, working as a health professional, including being a midwife, losing sleep, etc, I know I had adrenal fatigue. Managed it with herbs as mentioned above, was coping ok. Then, a year ago, not taking any herbal adaptogens for several months, then was involved in a long story of problem pregnancy and birth of an old friend. I realized later how stressful that was for me. Sleep deprivation is clearly a bad thing for me. A week after that birth, I became really, really sick. First had a GI virus, then shingles, then IBS...after a month, I realized I was much sicker than those things, and not getting really better. I am also an herbalist, so by then I realized I had full-blown, serious adrenal exhaustion. I basically diagnosed and treated myself at first, choosing an herbal formula by HerbPharm, called Adrenal system recovery, or similar name. I had to totally retire, and rested all of the time. Slowly, slowly, I began to get better. Then I began to go to other practitioners, as one needs others to see the whole picture. I have found a Touch for Health practitioner, who does kinesiology testing to recommend supplements. She first started working on my IBS, as one cannot improve without proper nutrient absorption and integration. I'm still dealing with that, but it's getting better slowly. I still take an adaptogenic formula designed for the adrenals, now I'm taking Power Adapt by Natura natural health products. I also had involvement of other endocrine organs. At first my hair fell out, and I could not eat much, but was having low blood sugar if I did not eat every 3 hours. Those things are better now. The Tyrosine was like a miracle, it made me feel more energy, so I didn't have to lie down again really soon after getting up. I still have some brain fog and chronic fatigue syndrome, but those are also getting better. I also have wondered about the course of this condition for myself. It seems there is not clear answer that I can see. I am grateful to be so much better now than a year ago, but have to really be thoughtful about how much I do, how to avoid all stress, etc. I am currently seeing several healers, the one TFH practitioner, an acupuncturist, and now a professional homeopath who is also a naturopathic doctor. I have found all of this helpful, and seems it works together. I am fortunate to be an alternative minded health professional myself, and live in an area where such professional help is readily available. I've been trying to educate my family doc about this. It's hard, as the medical establishment is not tuned into this so much. As for me, I'm near 70, and realize that if I just lie down all the time, my life is all downhill from here. So at this point, I'm reclaiming my passion for horses, and working to exercise more, not too much, including yoga, to be able to be more active, to stay as healthy as I can. So, it's a mixed up story, but there it is! Good luck to each person dealing with this challenging condition!