Recovering from Adrenal Fatigue?
I've had 2 brutal years in matters of mental stress and maybe 6 months of physical stress (Accutane while pushing limits on the gym). I've ignored some signs of tiredness by pushing my body with more caffeine (3 - 4 coffees per day) and neglecting sleep. Now I gotta face the consequences.
I wouldn't say it's extremely severe, but clearly, I don't feel the same energy as before no matter how much I sleep. Also, I doubt it's depression because mentally I feel fine, I'm more concerned about my physical stamina.
So anyone could share how you've treated your adrenal fatigue, your symptoms, tips, etc.?
Also, anyone has chronic fatigue syndrome? The symptoms are similar (based on my what I've read), so you could also share how you've dealt with that.
First thing I'd do is get a real diagnosis from a real doctor, because Adrenal Fatigue isn't real.
Second, I'd follow the real doctor's advice. And no natropathic "doctor" either, get a solid internal medicine MD.
Take two and call me back in the morning.
Best advice here. Get a real diagnosis by having some blood tests done. Don't play internet armchair doctor with something as important as this.
I’d suggest getting lab work done, to see if there are underlying causes. Go see a primary care right after to go over anything pressing.
I’m not against naturopathic doctors, or even Chinese medicine doctors, they have a place here in our society. Whole self treatment is also seen as good, too. The TCMs I know that are in practice are booked out 2-3 months in advanced.
Reducing caffeine and getting cardio in would be a step if you are able to make time for it. You’d get better sleep quality.
You gotta chase those threshold workouts.
Simply put, I would definitely second the idea of consulting a real doctor.
I would just like to add that I know what Accutane is like. Having taken it myself it is a serious grind. Based on your post I’m assuming you’ve finished it to which I say congratulations. The results I have had from it have been pretty unbelievable so it was definitely worth it for me. I can say that the first few months after stopping it I did experience similar symptoms and my guess would be that with all of the added things you have been dealing with that your symptoms are certainly amplified.
Stay strong and definitely consult with a doctor to gage what the right path forward is. It is not worth risking your health long-term. Cheers.
Step 1 - make an appointment to see a real doctor and get blood work done.
Step 2 - immediately take an unbiased look at your daily diet and water intake. Make sure you are eating clean with multiple, nutrient dense meals throughout the day. Up your water intake and cut out alcohol/recreational drug use. Workout daily and/or go for a 20 minute walk outside every day.
We tend to prioritize work during the week and tend to put nutrition/activity/sleep on the back burner. Whatever you are going through, your body will be better prepared to recover from it if you are rested, fed and well hydrated.
The water is a huge part. On days I don’t drink as much as I should, I tend to eat more junk. You should be pissing every 30 minutes. Don’t sit and let it build up either. If you gotta go, go.
I believe there is actually scientific backing for that. But, in general we are significantly under-hydrated and tend to resort to bandaids like coffee to maintain performance when the root problem is inadequate hydration and nutrients.
There are some good suggestions above, I would add that you make sure your minerals (sodium, potassium, iodine) uptake is sufficient,
Too low daily amounts can have a significant effect on your body, fatique. Especially when you drink a lof of coffee and workout a lot, chances are you are low on these.
It had a big impact on my energy levels when i started adding more.
Stan efferding and Dr James DiNicolantonio for further reading/listening.
On Accutane right now as well. Drains the life out of you. Thought there was something severely wrong with me
Adrenal fatigue is not real. It's a collection of nonspecific symptoms, but your list of vices here are likely explanatory - just pushing yourself too hard. That said, Accutane is horrendous on your body and mental health and is part of it. Chronic fatigue is a real diagnosis, but is for once everything else has been ruled out - my guess is if you make lifestyle changes you will feel 1000x better, you're a bit quick to jump to chronic fatigue when you admit you have a number of things to change.
Go see a real doctor, not a naturopath, and get their advice. Maybe some blood work as you are likely low on a number of markers.
I would definitely lay off the very hard gym work, caffeine, and prioritize sleep, eating well (vegetable, fiber, protein heavy instead of fast food) and some sort of calm exercise (walks, pilates, etc - no more physical stress and hard work at the gym for now)
Why are you asking a bunch of Finance and accounting majors? These honestly might be the least qualified people to ask. DUDE GO TO A DOCTOR.
I've helped my symptoms by supplementing magnesium glycinate and thiamine (vitamin b1). Even if this isn't directly related to the problem in the end, you are most likely deficient anyways. You could try googling HPA axis dysfunction and you might get some other results besides adrenal fatigue. I've read from a guy on twitter that has studied this extensively. It might sound kind of bro sciency, but IMO it's likely better for me than some random primary care doctor that will just throw a prescription at the problem. Depends how serious the problem is though.
If your brutal two years were from an office job, I would guess that you are also facing some circadian rhythm dysregulation due to blue light exposure and lack of a consistent sleep schedule.
Curious as to why people think adrenal fatigue is not real?
A friend of mine came off a intense 4 years and was exhausted. During the 4th year had two serious issues and finally said enough and left. Went to a GP who did the whole blood workup and said all is good, just start taking better care of yourself. After a few months, the exhaustion didn't improve so went to a Medical practice (real doctors) with a homeopathic focus. They used the previous doctors blood workup but ordered some additional tests. They then diagnosed adrenal fatigue and did the magnesium, Ashwagandha, and something else. Said give it about 4-8 weeks and then things may slowly get better and it did...energy returned.
Another friend's wife was having serious symptoms (can't remember them) and went to several doctors/specialists with no luck. Finally a friend referred them to a doctor with a homeopathic focus. The doctor met them and rather than jump into tests spent about an hour talking about the symptoms, their lives, where she had lived, what she ate....etc. After that hour he speculated she had mercury poisoning from recently living in Japan. Did the tests and confirmed it. Can't remember the treatment but it was a natural remedy of some type. A few weeks later fine.
I had a vertigo issue and saw three medical doctors over several months and no one could diagnose root cause. Due to my travel schedule hadn't seen my chiropractor for a while so set up an appointment, not for the vertigo but just an adjustment, explained the issue and she instantly diagnosed it. Apparently flying as much as I did the Eustachian tubes get clogged so fluid periodically backed up into ears. We lived in a hub city and she saw many flight attendants with the same issue. She cleared it via some massage.
As everyone else said, see a medical doctor, but like every profession in the world, there are varied levels of competency and specialties. In my experience need to find the right doctor for the problem and one that listens.
Yeah - see a real doctor and get some blood work done. That's what I did when I stopped being able to get out of first gear...turns out it was because my circulatory system was on the verge of shut-down, so thank fuck I didn't see a naturopath and follow some bro-science BS from the internet into an early grave.
Athletic greens, water, go for a five min stroll after every meal, get as much sunshine as soon as the sun starts to rise (easier to do in the winter as you can bang out some work uninterrupted until 0900 and then have a quick walk), try to reset your circadian rhythm and most importantly try and do some light exercise (don t push yourself if you re not feeling it).I ve got to emphasise the most important part is getting the correct vitamins and sorting out your circadian rhythm.Hope this helps!
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