Adrenal Fatigue...Has anyone recovered?

DM5 --

I just read David Wolfe say that ashwagandha helps rebuild nerves. Something to consider. I've taken it post-fin, post-minox and it has helped.

LA-Night wrote:DM5 --

I just read David Wolfe say that ashwagandha helps rebuild nerves. Something to consider. I've taken it post-fin, post-minox and it has helped.

Already a daily staple. In addition, ALCAR and ALA, for nerve regeneration, Huperzine A and Lion's Mane. Anything that stimulates acetylcholine and dopamine being of most import. Benfotiamine is helpful as well. I stray from supplements that boost too heavy on Serotonin or Gaba because I don't want to snow feeling out which is the problem with what the pharmaceutical industry and most of US medicine does for Neuropathy patients. If you go to the Neuropathy forums all you see is "The pain is unbearable, my doctor just upped my dose of Neurontin or Cymbalta"). Then 6 months later again as the nerves degenerate. I was given drugs that created a myriad of other problems to make money from. After trying the Neuropathy poison they deal, I decided to go the natural route and have never looked back(and am world's better for it as it has not progressed.) See pharmaceutical companies don't care about curing the disease or problem, only prolonging or creating new ones to make money. It's pretty sick if you really look at how things work. After that realization I began to "Wake Up"

I'm not saying that this is for everyone, but if you've not had much luck getting to the *root* of your adrenal fatigue, you might consider the possible impact of heavy metals, esp mercury.

It is the view of A. Cutler, author of Amalgam Illness, that mercury (Hg) fouls up the hormone ACTH that, among things, causes the body to make the mother adrenal hormone, pregnenolone, which inturn leads to more cortisol, the stress hormone, and other adrenal hormones. This image will give you a feel for them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Steroidogenesis.svg

In the yahoo groups that discuss chelation of mercury with the Cutler Protocol, adrenal problems seem to be the the #1 symptom of problematic levels of mercury.

I'm using the Cutler Protocol (frequent low dose DMSA + ALA) for my problem with lead, cadmium and I assume some mercury, etc. After 8 months I've had to greatly cut my dose of DHEA + Pregnenolone (the mother adrenal hormone) to just a small fraction of the dose my doc recommended after testing a couple of years ago. I was getting symptoms of excessive DHEA--cf here
http://www.raysahelian.com/dhea.html

I'm still getting the positive feel from the 2.5mg of pregnenolone, however it is not helping my hairline:)

Tooyoung mentioned this program
http://livingnetwork.co.za/hormones/adrenal-fatigue/adrenal-restoration-programme/
They use the Cutler Protocol as well. They have a very good explanation of it on their web site.
They also post the hair tests of people who are members of the Cutler-related groups.
http://livingnetwork.co.za/chelationnetwork/hairtest/hairtest22/

According to Cutler the hair test can give a hint of adrenal and thyroid problems. We often see this indicator in our group members.

DM5, beware of using ALA (lipoic acid)! It is very powerful, it gets reduced in the body to a chelator of mercury but as it moves Hg across the blood brain barrier it can actually move Hg INTO the brain if not used correctly! There are more than a few reports of Hg toxic folks getting worse esp brain symptoms if not used correctly!
Cutler explains in the middle of this post.
http://onibasu.com/archives/am/74605.html

Many of our members are helped by taking some hydrocortisone during chelation but some are okay with pregnenolone and Adrenal Cortex, ashwaghanda, etc. I am one of the latter. Beware of self medicating adrenals
http://www.raysahelian.com/dhea.html

I posted it a while ago at WorldHairLoss, but in case it interests any folks here; a lot of people, including finasteride cases, seem to be having success supplementing high doses of pregnenolone directly. http://www.musclechatroom.com/forum/content.php?118-cortisol-boost-101

Although I post that, I have struggled with it mysellf. My urine corticosteroids were 18 on a scale of 6-12, my saliva was low on all counts and my serum transcortin high so my body is producing plenty of cortisol. When I've tried supplementing I run into excess pregnenolone symptoms immediately, and unfortunately no doctor will consider putting me on thyroid medication to boost it.

I was on ever-increasing doses of antidepressants from 8-16 and apparently insufficient neurotransmitters impede the brain's ability to manage cortisol so it gets bound up despite screaming out for more. Bummer.

"... I run into excess pregnenolone symptoms immediately... I was on ever-increasing doses of antidepressants from 8-16 and apparently insufficient neurotransmitters impede the brain's ability to manage cortisol ...."

So what's up with the insufficient neurotransmitters? Are you getting adequate precursors and cofactors?
I have inattentive ADD which is associated with a lack of the catecholamine neurotransmitters, incl dopamine and norepinephrine. I take more of the raw materials the body uses to make them, including tyrosine. This has helped considerably with lethargy and now take very little adderall. Note: tyrosine is also used by the body to make the thyroid hormones.
http://www.antiagingdoctor.co.za/?p=36

Do you like stressful, dangerous and exciting situations or are you typically at your best in a casual, relaxed environment?

My hair test, #354 at the following site, showed high normal or slightly high cadmium and lead.
http://livingnetwork.co.za/chelationnetwork/hairtest/hairtest22/
They are known to cause some of my symptoms. I am chelating with the Cutler Protocol which takes a long time but I'm seeing some progress and am encouraged.
http://www.healthcentersofthefuture.com/DrCutler/
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/frequent-dose-chelation/

Re neurotransmitters is certainly something I need to look further into.

I haven't had serious metal testing, though I did have a non-chelated urine test which didn't alarm my doctor. Another thing I need to consider, and I appareciate this forum's take on such things; I wrongly dismissed many 'alternative' health aspects after seeing people go off the deep end at places like Curezone.

"I haven't had serious metal testing, though I did have a non-chelated urine test which didn't alarm my doctor. "

That is typical. Lead gets stored in bone and comes out very slowly. Mercury binds tightly to its target organs--brain, adrenals, thyroid, etc. It often does not show up in high levels when a dangerous provoked urine test is used! The chelators used for the provoked test don't even cross the blood brain barrier so you have not clue as to the amount of it in the brain. Before I learned that provoked tests are dangerous because of redistribution of Hg to more sensitive organs, my provoked urine test showed *no* mercury (
I think the DDI Hair elements test interpreted according to Cutler's rather new hair analysis formulas is a good way to start. More on them here.
http://onibasu.com/archives/am/2200.html
They can be posted here for comment by group members.
http://livingnetwork.co.za/chelationnetwork/hairtest/hairtest22/
This is where I ordered my test.
https://directlabs.com/Default.aspx?&catid=80&language=en-US&tabid=55
Other testing options discussed here.
http://labinterpretation.podhoster.com/index.php?sid=1686&m=09&y=2008

B. Haley of U of KY says that Hg binds to an adrenal related hormone receptor about as tightly as anything can. The receptor has 10 SH groups (mercury magnets). The chelators of mercury only have 2 SH groups. Andrew Cutler in his writings indicates that some damage by Hg might be very long term or permanent. This is again because it does not come out easily from the most vulnerable organs. It is not surprising that testing is so difficult.

Haley's comments on ACTH, Adenylate/adenylyl cyclase and hormone receptors are at the end of this long, technical but powerful video.
http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/7383821

Found two links about adrenals for those interested-

Signs and Symptoms: Adrenal Fatigue vs. Low Thyroid Function
http://www.drrind.com/therapies/metabolic-symptoms-matrix

Adrenal Malfunction and How to Improve It
http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/treat1.php

-9r5-

Another useful link. Talks of a multi-pronged approach.
http://www.bethcoleman.net/adrenal.html