Adrenal Fatigue by James L. Wilson

I just finished reading Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome by James L. Wilson, N.D., D.C., Ph.D. I was interested in reading this book because of the connection between stress and the adrenals (and thyroid disease).

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Questionnaire:

There was a questionnaire in the book to determine if a person has adrenal fatigue (hypoadrenia). You answer questions for a time in your past when you felt good and then "Now" questions.

The time I picked for "past" was early 2001, before I was diagnosed with thyroid disease. Even though I was in a constant state of stress back then (welcome to my life from the time I was a child on), my health wasn't showing the signs - or so I thought anyway.

Here's how I did on the questionnaire:

• For predisposing factors, my score was 10 (past) and 18 (now).
• For key signs and symptoms, my score was 18 (past) and 43 (now).
• For energy patterns, my score was 8 (past) and 14 (now).
• For frequently observed events, my score was 12 (past) and 22 (now).
• For food patterns, my score was 7 (past) and 10 (now).
• For aggravating factors, my score was 16 (past) and 15 (now) - I've learned to get some toxic mess (people) out of my life.
• For relieving factors, my score was 5 (past) and 6 (now).
  
  

Total Questions Answered: 50 (past) & 64 (now)

**This indicates I have some degree of adrenal fatigue.

Total Points: 76 PAST & 128 NOW

*This indicates that at that "past" point in 2001, before I was diagnosed with thyroid disease, I was showing mild adrenal fatigue. I've had a decline in adrenal health. At 128 points currently, I am showing a moderate adrenal fatigue at this time.

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Other notes from the book that pertain to me (there's a lot more to the book, but I only took note of things that struck a chord with me):

• People with adrenal fatigue many times have abnormal blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia). Guess that explains why I get so nauseous if I don't eat by 9:00 a.m. It says I am better off with several small meals as opposed to a couple big meals.
• Adrenal fatigue is usually caused by stress. Welcome to my world!
• Chronic/severe infections can be a source of stress on the adrenals - asthma, sinusitis, bronchitis, etc. I have asthma. Boy, I'm not doing too well am I?
• Stress can mean a lot of things: physical/emotional stress, poor diet, respiratory infections.
• Blood pressure is "an important indicator of adrenal function." Low adrenal function is likely the most common indicator. I've had really low blood pressure for years. At one appointment, the nurse looked at me strangely when it was seriously low. I asked her if I was alive. She said, "I was wondering that myself."
• Increasing salt intake can benefit the adrenals (if you have high blood pressure, you should definitely read more in the book). Sea salt is a good source of salt with more trace minerals than regular table salt. Kelp is a good source of salt. (I use Celtic sea salt...tastes good too.)
• There's a recipe in the book for "adrenal recovery soup."
• The book talks about a person's craving for chocolate and how it may be your body's craving for magnesium. I crave chocolate frequently.
• There is an Elisa panel that can pinpoint food allergies with just one blood sample. It covers 90-100 foods and a more comprehensive panel covers 175.
• Ashwagandha: has multiple health benefits and can treat adrenal fatigue but in too high a dose, it can inhibit adrenal function (above 35 gms/day).
• Adrenal cortical extracts (adrenal cell extracts) support, fortify, and restore normal adrenal function.

Here's his web site.