Posted by karaS on September 15, 2004, at 21:56:26
In reply to Re: seeking insight with brain fog/depression/sleep... » KaraS, posted by SDA on September 13, 2004, at 0:38:00
> > Have either of you ever considered adrenal fatigue? I have similar symptoms as does another friend on the Alternative board and we think we have this along with depression. It is more of a holistic diagnosis but it said to result from severe stress and sleep deprivation. Mine did not come on so suddenly but has been building up whereas my friend's came on very suddenly.
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> Is there any sort of diagnostic test for adrenal fatigue? What about possible treatments (alternative included)?
>***see part of article I"m copying in below***
> I think "brain fog" is symptom, not a disease. As I've mentioned before, it can be caused by many different biological problems.Yes, brain fog is definitely a symptom and it's a symptom of many things unfortunately.
In some cases it might be beyond the scope of modern medicine to treat (traumatic head injuries, ischemic damage ect.), but I'd wager that most sufferers could nail down the cause by simply examining their lives.
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> In my case, sleep deprivation and chronic stress are major factors. I've also learned that depression is not my only problem.Adrenal fatigue was just something I brought up for you to look into or consider. I'm not saying that I think it's your problem. It may be mine though. At any rate, the portion of the article below answers your other questions. Below it I'll copy the link it came from in case you want to read more on it.
"Do You Have Adrenal Fatigue?When the adrenal glands are not functionining optimally, you can have a condition that is known as adrenal fatigue, or adrenal exhaustion. Adrenal fatigue often develops after periods of intense or lengthy physical or emotional stress, when overstimulation if the glands leave them unable to meet your body's needs.
Some other names for the syndrome include non-Addison's hypoadrenia, sub-clinical hypoadrenia, hypoadrenalism, and neurasthenia.
Symptoms include:
excessive fatigue and exhaustion
non-refreshing sleep (you get sufficient hours of sleep, but wake fatigued)
overwhelmed by or unable to cope with stressors
feeling rundown or overwhelmed
craving salty and sweet foods
you feel most energetic in the evening
a feeling of not being restored after a full night's sleep or having sleep disturbances
low stamina, slow to recover from exercise
slow to recover from injury, illness or stress
difficulty concentrating, brain fog
poor digestion
low immune function
food or environmental allergies
premenstrual syndrome or difficulties that develop during menopause
consistent low blood pressure
extreme sensitivity to coldDr. Bruce Rind has a helpful chart, Metabolic Scorecard: Symptom Matrix with information on how to evaluate your symptoms in greater detail.
The adrenals produce hormones that help to balance your blood sugar, which helps your body to manage your daily ebbs and flows of energy. When blood sugar drops, the adrenals release hormones that cause the blood sugar to rise, and increases energy. The adrenals also release hormones when we're under stress, releasing energy. It's the "fight or flight" response from the days when we needed to run away from wild animals, which now kicks in for everyday stressors, such as traffic jams, arguments, and work pressures.
But being consistently under stress takes a toll on the adrenal glands, and eventually, they run out of steam, and stop producing sufficient hormones.
Conventional endocrinologists and tests cannot diagnose adrenal fatigue, because they are prepared only to diagnose extreme dysfunction in the adrenals, such as Addison's disease, a potentially fatal condition where the adrenals essentially shut down.
Your holistic or complementary practitioner can do a saliva cortisol test to evaluate your adrenal function, however, to diagnose more subtle dysfunctions in your adrenal glands.
If you are suffering from adrenal fatigue, what can you do? Here are a few tips that can help..."
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/endocrinology/a/adrenalfatigue.htm
poster:karaS
thread:289897
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040915/msgs/391324.html