Adrenal Gland Health, supplements, herbs for adrenal fatigue and disease

The adrenal glands are the triangle-shaped glands that rest over the kidneys. Two hormones made by this gland are available without a prescription, they include DHEA hormone and pregnenolone. Their main function is to regulate the stress response through the making of corticosteroids and catecholamines, including cortisol and adrenaline. They work with the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The hypothalamus produces corticotropin-releasing hormones, which stimulate the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland, in turn, produces corticotropin hormones, which stimulate the adrenal glands to produce corticosteroid or steroid hormones. Both parts of the glands -- the adrenal cortex and the medulla -- perform separate functions.

Adrenal fatigue diagnosis
"I have adrenal fatigue" is a common self-diagnosis presented to me by patients who attribute their various health conditions to this malfunction of their adrenal glands. Patients assume the cause of their low mood and energy, tiredness, or other symptoms, is due to malfunction of their adrenal glands although the cause of their symptoms may be from quite a different source. See fatigue for possible causes of low energy and steps you can take to improve your vitality. Unless a person has complete and reliable adrenal gland lab study evaluations that show clear problems with these glands, it would be premature to claim that their symptoms have to do with malfunction of these glands.

Definition, what is it?
Adrenal fatigue is a term used by laypeople and certain non- M.D. healers. Sometimes the term is used when there are actual blood studies that show a person has an adrenal insufficiency, but most often the term is used by people who are tired and believe their fatigue is due to inadequate production of hormones and substances by the adrenal glands. There are many other causes for fatigue and it is easy to blame the adrenal glands which is commonly done by laypeople and certain nutritionists and non M.D. doctors and healers.
   I prefer to use the term adrenal fatigue only when actual blood studies show an adrenal hormone deficiency. However, there may be cases of mild adrenal gland insufficiency which is not easily diagnosed by blood studies and in these cases one could loosely use the term adrenal fatigue. This may occur after periods of intense or prolonged physical or emotional stress, although in these cases other organ systems and tissues are likely to be affected too, not just the adrenal glands.

I have adrenal fatigue. My saliva tests indicates my afternoon to early evening cortisol is really low and my evening to early morning cortisol too high (insomnia and hot flashes). I have been taking phosphatidylserine in the morning for other condition prior to this test. I read somewhere that phosphatidylCHOLINE can raise cortisol level (which I sure could use to help me get thru the p.m. drags) What do you know of this and how much, and when, would you recommend I take? Also, do I keep taking the phosphatidylserine in the a.m.?
   The human body and hormonal system is very complicated and rather than focusing on one hormone (whose levels can fluctuate hour by hour and day by day, not even considering that different labs can give different results with the same blood sample), one needs to take a more comprehensive approach with diet, exercise, yoga, good sleep habits and a number of other factors that influence energy levels.

Herbs
Could maca herb be of benefit?
   Maca root can improve energy levels but one has to determine the cause of fatigue before starting any kind of treatment.

Adrenal insufficiency from Addison's Disease
Addison's disease (or adrenal insufficiency) usually results from an autoimmune response that destroys the adrenal glands. The symptoms of Addison's disease are loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, weakness, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. Other signs include a suntanned appearance, intolerance for stress, and a craving for salty food. The treatment of Addison's disease entails lifelong replacement of the steroid hormones produced by the adrenals, usually with hydrocortisone or cortisone.

Adrenal Insufficiency - exhaustion
Defective production of adrenal steroids due to either primary adrenal failure or hypothalamic-pituitary impairment of the corticotrophic axis causes adrenal insufficiency. Depending on the etiologies of adrenal insufficiency, clinical manifestations may be severe or mild, have gradual or sudden onset, begin in infancy or childhood/adolescence. Adrenal crisis represents an endocrine emergency, and thus the rapid recognition and prompt therapy for adrenal crisis are critical for survival even before the diagnosis is made. The recognition of various disorders that cause adrenal insufficiency, either at a clinical or molecular level, often has implications for the management of the patient.

Adrenal gland disorder - dysfunction
Cushing's Syndrome is an endocrine disorder caused by excess corticosteroid hormones produced by the adrenal glands.

Adrenal gland tumor - cancer
These types of tumors can be benign or malignant. They arise from either the adrenal medulla or the cortex. The three common adrenal tumors are Pheochromocytomas, Paragangliomas and Adrenocortical carcinoma. These cancers may produce excessive quantities of hormones such as cortisol or aldosterone.

Adrenal gland disorders
There are several conditions that are classified as such. These include:
Addison's disease
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Cancer
Adrenal insufficiency
Pheochromocytoma
Neuroblastoma

Adrenal adenoma
Adrenal surgery is necessary for the management of functioning tumors, such as aldosterone -producing adenoma, cortisol -producing adenoma, and pheochromocytoma.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is an adrenal disease that affects adrenal gland function, resulting in abnormal steroidogenesis caused by a deficiency or complete lack of the enzyme 21-hydroxylase (accounting for 90% of CAH cases). Clinical manifestations include ambiguous genitalia in female newborns and life-threatening salt-wasting crisis in both male and female newborns.

Adrenal mass
The detection of adrenal lesions has increased with the wider use of cross-sectional imaging. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is often useful for characterizing adrenal masses. Adrenal masses can be classified into various groups on the basis of the presence of intracellular lipid, macroscopic fat, hemorrhage, and cystic changes and the vascularity and shape of the tumor. Some adrenal masses include adenoma, adrenal hyperplasia, simple and complicated cysts, lymphangioma, myelolipoma, pheochromocytoma, hemorrhage, cortical carcinoma, neuroblastoma, lymphoma, and metastases. Adenomas and metastases are common.
adrenal support.

Adrenal Disease and Intelligence
Women born with adrenal disease often show impairment of mental function. Adrenal "hyperplasia" encompasses a group of inherited disorders in which the adrenal glands produce inadequate levels of steroid hormones. Although adrenal disease can have serious, even fatal consequences, it can be effectively treated with hormone replacement. Researchers enrolled 35 women between 17 and 51 years old born with adrenal disease and the same number of healthy comparison subjects from the general population. They were tested using an abbreviated form of the Wechsler IQ test. Congenital adrenal disease patients had a significantly lower overall IQ score than did healthy subjects. This was also true of verbal IQ and performance IQ.

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