Rushes of Adrenaline? Part 4

What are some symptoms of low cortisol?

• fatigue


• irritability


• foggy mind


• disorganization


• low energy


• lack of initiative


• salt cravings
  

Sound familiar? When these symptoms occur, people then typically treat them by reaching for the “Band-Aid” of 20 ounce cup(s) of coffee with the works, and that, my friends, is going to make things worse. At Pareja Medical Center, we see patients with these symptoms all the time.

Is there hope? There is! Is there proof? There is! Some simple testing of saliva and urine can be key to revealing the doors that will help us solve the issue you are facing.

Proper diet, the regular supplementation of nutrients and fiber to your diet and the elimination of alcohol and stimulants as a normal part of your lifestyle will combat adrenal malfunction. I will mention some nutrients that are excellent supplements:

• Vitamins C, B Complex


• Calcium


• Magnesium


• Magnolia bark


• L-Thearmine


• Epimedram


• Phosphatidyl serine (to reduce cortisone levels)

To treat adrenal stress, consider taking Panax Gingseng, Ashwagandha or Rhodiol. For sleep support try Phosphorylated Serine Melatonin (preferably under the tongue).

Rushes of Adrenaline? Part 3

Now, returning to the role of cortisol…

The adrenals produce approximately 20mg of cortisol daily. Too much of it will suppress immune response, increase blood sugar to generate energy and suppress the thyroid’s response (thyroid decreases to slow us back down). Resistance to cellular oxidative stress. High cortisol increases DHEA which together suppress ACTH (adreno-cortico-tropic-hormone) from the pituitary.

The highest production of cortisol takes place between 7-8am. Then a good, rapid overall decline of cortisol takes place throughout the day reaching its lowest level ideally at 4am. No resolution to stress may result in very high levels of cortisol for a prolonged time.

What are some symptoms of elevated cortisol?

• extreme energy
• anxiety
• panic
• abdominal weight gain
• difficulty falling asleep
• sleep disturbances
• “my mind is racing”

Furthermore, you will know when your adrenal glands are malfunctioning when you experience:

• poor sleep
• loss of muscle mass
• weight gain
• glucose intolerance
• depression
• fluid retention

This is high cortisol at the first stage.

The second stage of adrenal malfunction is seen in flat or low normal levels of cortisol.

The third stage is manifested in low cortisol and DHEA all day. With these low levels, then, fatigue, carbohydrate cravings, mental fogginess, dark circles under eyes, headaches, salt cravings, exercise intolerance, poor healing, heartburn start to increase.

Rushes of Adrenaline? Part 2

Stress sells medications. This is simply proved when you watch TV tonight. How many commercials do you see for drugs that supposedly address hypertension, hypothyroid, menopause, erectile dysfunction, symptoms of depression, chronic pain, allergies, infection, asthma, insomnia, ulcers, etc. ?

Some types of stress are related to:

• physical injury
• surgery
• allergies
• sedentary or extreme activity.

Some emotional stressors are:

• illness
• marriage
• death
• money
• job
• lifestyle- such as smoking and alcohol consumption
• lack of sleep
• lack of exercise
• obesity
• smoking

There are stressors that stem from aging:

• Menopause
• Andropause

Then, there are stressors of the age: Alarm clocks, cell phones, e-mail, instant messages and instant music (!), children, money, jobs, relatives, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, poor diet/food allergies, junk food, drugs, substance abuse, and environmental contaminants.

There are genetic stressors. Consider this: Maybe some medications that you take whether over-the-counter or prescribed are not genetically compatible to your genetic make up. I’m not necessarily talking about allergies here. This topic alone is worthy of whole independent series of posts. As an aside, Pareja Medical Center does genetic testing that aids in the detection and prevention of disease that typically are discovered later in life when that disease or issue is more complex to manage.

Rushes of Adrenaline??

You've probably heard the phrase "adrenaline rush." Perhaps, all you know is that adrenaline has to do with split-second occurrences when a human being is "empowered" with more-than-human energy or ability. Others may think of daredevil types who like to jump off high bridges or the connoisseurs of extreme sports.
Adrenaline is more than a rush; it is part of the normal process of the endocrine system. Over the next several days, I am going to post a bit on the adrenal glands (not on adrenaline itself) in conjunction with the affect of stress.

Are you getting a sense that your basic body function is lagging behind? Are you becoming geared toward symptom-drug therapy? What about all the drugs that have been either quietly or openly taken off the market?

Do you feel moody, tired and stressed out all or most of the time? You think it may be due to aging, but maybe it should not be exclusively blamed on the aging process. Have you thought that just maybe you are becoming content with fatigue and stress as a normal part of aging? Sounds ridiculous, right?

Stress notoriously does a number to people in similar or dissimilar ways. First, a little can be a lot for some while a lot of stress may not be such a big deal for others. The fact is that your adrenal glands are the first responders and are often exhausted; this, in turn, can affect other glands to malfunction or short-circuit.

These glands work best with the appropriate nutrients and maybe—just maybe—with the exact amount of a hormone that they make: cortisol (cortisone).

We are not like some animals that operate in herds. We are individuals, and as such the therapies that work for some don’t work for others. In addition to this is the fact that more and more individuals are rejecting the conventional wisdom and seeking answers elsewhere and sometimes bad answers at best.