Referred to by Dr. James Wilson as the "21st century stress syndrome," adrenal fatigue often results in myriad symptoms. Sufferers experience low energy levels, a drop in blood pressure, cravings for sugar and salt, cloudy thinking and disturbances to sleep patterns, all of which relate to the hormonal disturbances at the adrenal gland. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) may help in some cases or cause problems in others.
Adrenal Fatigue
Dr. Wilson, the author of "Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome," explains the condition often comes on after a period of intense stress. He points out this excessive adrenal strain may occur as a result of psychological concerns, poor sleeping patterns or chronic infections. Whatever the exact cause, tissues in the adrenal cortex can begin to fail, which results in an altered output of DHEA and cortisol.
DHEA
DHEA originates from the adrenal glands and has some direct effects as well as serving as a precursor to estrogen and testosterone. Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D., author of the best-selling book on stress titled "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers," points out that the steroid hormone balances the immune response, influences your responses to stress and helps stabilize energy levels. The ratio of DHEA to cortisol appears to be more important than the net levels themselves.
Cortisol
Cortisol remains the body's major stress hormone, with blood levels correlating strongly to perception of external strain. Dr. Michael Lam, a U.S. practitioner familiar with adrenal fatigue, points out that the tissues responsible for cortisol production tend to fail first. He explains that most sufferers do not require additional DHEA, but would improve if their cortisol levels received a boost.
Caution
In cases of adrenal fatigue in which DHEA production remains strong in the face of plummeting cortisol levels, use of DHEA could result in problems. Dr. Lam notes that anxiety and feeling jittery often result from the use of DHEA in such cases, with women appearing more sensitive to these effects. Women may also notice increased PMS symptoms.
Expert Insight
Dr. Wilson explains that although several common patterns often emerge in the course of treating adrenal fatigue, anyone suffering from the symptoms should take an adrenal stress index test. This saliva sample is used to measure both cortisol and DHEA at four points across the day and provides practitioners with an good idea of the adrenal function and therefore the most appropriate treatment protocol.
References
- "Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome"; Dr. James Wilson; 2002
- "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers"; Dr. Robert Sapolsky; 2002
- DrLam.com: Adrenal Fatigue
