Adrenal Stress
Metabolically Directed Approach to Adrenal Stress
What is Adrenal Stress?
- Adrenal stress is a metabolic imbalance characterized by excessive levels of cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone, and if you experience too much stress over an extended period, your cortisol levels can become chronically elevated, leading to adrenal stress.
- Allopathic medicine does recognize “Cushing’s Disease” and “Cushing’s Syndrome”
- Thought to be caused by a tumor or hyperplasia of the pituitary gland
- While Cushing’s Disease/Syndrome are recognized and are real clinical conditions , they are considered to be quite rare. On the other hand adrenal stress is very common amongst chronically ill patients and persons that are chronically stressed
Conventional Medical Treatment of Cushing’s Disease/Syndrome
- Medications to reduce production of Cortisol :
- ketoconazole, osilodrostat (Isturisa), mitotane (Lysodren), levoketoconazole (Recorlev), and metyrapone (Metopirone).
- Medications to block effect of Cortisol on tissues:
- Mifepristone (Korlym, Mifeprex)
- Medications to lower the amount of Adrenocorticotropin Hormone (ACTH):
- Pasireotide (Signifor)
Conventional Surgical/Radiation Treatment of Cushing’s Disease/Syndrome
- Surgical Treatment:
- Pituitary tumors are often removed by a neurosurgeon to lower production of Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)
- Hyperfunctioning adrenal glands are on occasion surgically removed. This is referred to as a bilateral adrenalectomy. Patients will no longer produce cortisol may require hormone replacement therapy for the rest of their lives
- Radiation therapy:
Can be utilized to shrink pituitary ACTH producing tumors
What are the Root Causes of Adrenal Stress?
- Chronic stressors!
- Dietary indescretions, environmental toxins, stealth organisms, genetic predispositions, poor quality sleep, overwork, lack of rest, harmful EMFs, emotional/situational stress contribute to excessive reliance on your adrenal glands in defense of this stress.
Metabolically Directed Approach to Adrenal Stress
- Fix what is wrong – always multi-factorial – chronic stressors
- Frequently a dietary problem
- Frequently an unrecognized environmental issue
- Frequently metabolic imbalances
- Frequently an unrecognized or poorly treated thyroid problem
- Frequently an unrecognized “stealth organism”
- Frequently a sex hormone problem
- Frequently an autonomic nervous system problem
Chronic Stress Can Initially Increase ACTH and Cortisol Levels
In the Alarm Phase of Chronic Stress
- Cortisol and ACTH often rise
- ACTH is a pituitary hormone that stimulates the production of Cortisol
- Cortisol is a key adrenal glucocorticoid that helps control inflammation in your body
- However, sex hormones are not yet affected
Common symptoms of adrenal stress:
- Fatigue
- Difficulty handling stress
- Dizziness upon standing
- Overall low vitality
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugars (diabetes)
- Osteoporosis
- Muscle wasting
- Depression
- Thyroid disease
- Dementia
- Constipation
- Fibromyalgia
- Low sex hormone levels
- Cancer
In Subesequent Phases of Chronic Stress
- Cortisol and ACTH often rise and fall
- Over time sex hormone production can diminish as vital reserves are depleted
- Eventually there is often a depletion of both sex hormones and adrenal cortex hormones
Dietary Issues Contributing to Adrenal Stress
The Food Pyramid, Which is Based on a High Carb-Low Fat Diet Contributes to Adrenal Stress
Cholesterol
Numerous Studies “Proving” That Cholesterol is the Root Cause of Heart Disease were done on Rabbits
Cortisol and Aldosterone (mineralcorticoid) are Made From Cholesterol
Healthy Adrenal Glands can Help Save your Life!
Dietary Interventions for Adrenal Stress
- Avoid excess carbohydrates and sugars which contribute to fluctuating blood sugars, autonomic dysfunction and adrenal stress
- Eating healthy fats at every meal will stabilize your blood sugar, reducing adrenal stress
- Avoid polyunsaturated fats (like soy oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, corn oil…) which stress your adrenal glands to produce more cortisol
Saturated Fats Have no Double Bonds, They are very Stable and Tend to Stimulate Your Metabolism and Reduce Adrenal Stress
Unsaturated Fats Have Double Bonds – They are unstable and tend to Slow Down Your Metabolism and Increase Adrenal Stress
Biotoxin Illness
A Common, Underecognized Cause of Adrenal Stress
The Work of Emanuel Revici MD
Fatty Acid vs Sterol Levels Imbalances Leading to Chronic Stress, Adrenal Fatigue
Too Many Fatty Acids, Not Enough Sterols
A Balance Between Fatty Acids and Sterols
Too Many Sterols
Optimizing Sterol/Fatty Acid Activity can Reduce Effects of Stress
- These lipids which are part of your cell membrane control energy production and contribute to control of adrenal function and mineral balance
- Some people may have a tendency towards an Anaerobic (lack of oxygen) metabolism
- Some people may have a tendency towards Dysaerobic (dysfunctional use of oxygen) metabolism
- Either imbalance can contribute to Adrenal Stress
Chronic Stressors can Impair Thryoid Function Contributing to Adrenal Stress
- Impaired thyroid function contributes to additional adrenal stress and autonomic dysfunction
- Often times the patient will start producing reverse T3 which blocks the functioning of your active thyroid hormones
- Reverse T3 syndrome can contribute to adrenal stress
- Therefore reverse T3 syndrome can be a cause of and a result of adrenal stress
Several Factors Including Adrenal Stress (high cortisol) can Contribute to Reverse T3 Syndrome
Stealth Organisms
Hidden or “stealth organisms” – viruses, bacteria, parasites can contribute to chronic stress and adrenal stress
Test and Treat for Tick Borne Diseases
- Lyme Disease
- Erlichiosis
- Babesiosis
- Bartonella
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF)
- Anaplasmosis
- Tickborne Relapsing Fever (TBRF)
- Rickettsia
- Tularemia
- Powassan Disease
- Borrelia mayonii
- Borellia miyamotol
Consider other Sources of Toxicity
- Chronic Mold Exposure leads to immune dysfunction which can contribute to downstream distortions in your microbiome, paving the way for:
- Fungal overgrowth – Candida, yeast, small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO)
- Dysbiosis – small intestinal bowel overgrowth (SIBO), imbalance in bowel flora, H Pylori
- Parasites
- Heavy Metals
Many Menstruating Women Suffer from Increased Adrenal Stress Symptoms During Parts of Their Menstrual Cycle
- Increased adrenal stress early in cycle can indicate sex hormonal deficiency
- Increased adrenal stress mid-cycle (ovulation) can indicate excess estrogen
- Increased adrenal stress in mid-luteal phase can indicate sex hormone excess
Autonomic Nervous System Imbalances
Adrenal Stress is Often Related to Autonomic Dysfunction
Autonomic Dysfunction in Adrenal Stress
Excessive oscillations of autonomic nervous system activity are very stressful and can contribute to excessive production of adrenal hormones to compensate for homeostatic imbalances
Autonomic Dysfunction can be Ameliorated by Reducing Stressors on your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
- Avoid dietary sugar and reduce excess carbs and eat enough healthy (saturated) fats to stabilize your blood sugar reducing ANS stress
- Avoid dangerous environments which then stimulate your flight or flight response (leading to episodes of tachycardia)
- Practice “mind-body” techniques to help reduce limibic dysfunction contibuting to ANS stress
- Practice healthy habits sleep-wake cycles, activity/rest to reduce stressors on your ANS
Addressing Mineral Depletion to Help Treat Adrenal Stress
- You may benefit from adding extra natural salt in your diet (preferably sea salt, Himalayan salt, pink salt, not iodized “processed” salt
- Avoid foods (like coffee) and medications (like diuretics) that tend to deplete your minerals
For Optimal Adrenal Health - Add “Good” Things - Healthy Food, Clean Air, Beneficial EMF’s, Good People increase your Vital Reserves
Metabolically Directed Approach to Adrenal Stress
- Fix what is wrong – always multifactorial – chronic stressors
- Frequently a dietary problem
- Frequently an unrecognized environmental issue
- Frequently an oxido-reductive imbalance
- Frequently an unrcognized or poorly treated thyroid problem
- Frequently an unrecognized “stealth organism”
- Frequently a sex hormone or adrenal hormone problem
- Frequently an autonomic nervous system problem
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