People with adrenal exhaustion suffer from chronic fatigue because the body's ability to react to stress is decreased as the adrenal glands do not make enough hormones, including aldosterone and cortisol. It occurs when the adrenal cortex, the outer layer of the adrenal glands, responsible for the production of major adrenal hormones is gradually destroyed by the body's immune system, according to the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. Other contributors to the pathogenesis of adrenal exhaustion include adrenal hemorrhage and infection.
Treating Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is a medical word for low blood sugar level. The adrenal glands are involved in blood sugar regulation by making and releasing cortisol, known as the stress hormone, into the bloodstream. Cortisol is insulin's antagonist and controls the insulin level in the blood. Depressed cortisol levels result in excessive amounts of insulin and contribute to hypoglycemia. The symptoms of hypoglycemia, including fatigue, headaches and dizziness, are similar to that of adrenal exhaustion. Treating hypoglycemia will allow the adrenal glands to heal to some extent, notes the Environmental Illness Resource.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy involves the use of synthetic steroids, such as glucocorticoid, adrenal genital corticoids and mineralocorticoid drugs, to restore the levels of cortisol to normal. Hormone supplement fludrocortisone is prescribed for the missing aldosterone. Since depressed adrenal glands never completely recover, a patient may need to take steroid tablets as a replacement therapy for the rest of his life.
Nutrients
A number of nutrients and herbs have been identified that regulate and enhance the adrenal function. For example, Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, intermediates in coenzyme A, or CoA, biosynthesis. CoA, or acetyl coenzyme A, is an active component in many biological reactions and acts as a major source of useful metabolic energy. The Environmental Illness Resource reports that pantothenic acid and its product CoA are essential for the liberation of steroid hormones produced by the adrenal glands.
References
- Penn State Hershey Medical Center: Adrenal Insufficiency
- The Environmental Illness Resource: Treatment for Adrenal Fatigue Exhaustion
- "PubMed.gov"; Replacement Therapy for Addison's Disease: Recent Developments; Løvås K et al
- New Treatments: Hypoglycemia
- American Diabetes Association: Living With Diabetes
