Adrenal Fatigue

Exhausted all the time? Can’t get out of bed? Tired but wired? Your adrenals might be the culprit. And although this post is titled “Adrenal Fatigue,” this colloquial term isn’t the most accurate label. What is commonly referred to as adrenal fatigue is better described as either adrenal insufficiency or HPA-axis dysfunction

What is adrenal fatigue?

Unless you have an autoimmune condition producing antibodies directed at your adrenal gland, then your adrenals are not actually “fatiguing.” The hormonal imbalance and resulting symptoms are actually moreso due to a disconnect between the brain and the adrenal glands. This disconnect leads to insufficient activity of the hormones cortisol, DHEA, testosterone, and others.

Symptoms of adrenal fatigue

Low adrenal function can come with a host of other symptoms such as dizziness, low blood sugar, low blood pressure, body aches, joint pain, and weakness. This drop in adrenal hormones most commonly occurs after a period of prolonged or intense stress. The body can only mount a robust stress response for so long before it crashes. As I say to patients, what goes up must come back down. A period of rest, immobilization, and even depression is the body’s adaptive survival response after overspending its precious energy and resources.

Treatment for adrenal fatigue

Recovering from adrenal insufficiency will require a holistic, multifaceted treatment approach. Conventional doctors may recommend treatments like antidepressants, hormonal replacement, and pain medications when most of your routine bloodwork comes back normal. The Naturopathic approach is much more comprehensive.

When a new patient comes in with symptoms of low adrenal function, I’m running more in-depth lab work and using a wide variety of medication and non-medication treatment options. These may include herbal medicine, in-depth lifestyle changes, personalized nutritional counseling, holistic sleep support, and mindbody coaching.

We need to understand how you got here (to this exhausted state), how we can get you back to vitality, and how we can prevent you from ending up here in the future.

Life is too short to feel tired all the time

Your body is capable of profound healing when it has the right support. This includes your hormones. Naturopathic medicine shines when it comes to hormonal health. If you’d like to learn how to take care of your hormones so that you rest more deeply and feel more vibrant, click the button below to talk with Dr. Savannah about working together.