Conventional medicine has a very narrow definition of adrenal function that swings between
the two extremes of the adrenals being “entirely normal” or “totally
destroyed.” Recently a customer reported that her endocrinologist scoffed at
her saliva cortisol levels and her questions about her weakening adrenals and
said, ‘the adrenals either work or they don’t work’. At the point they don’t
work, he said he would give her a prescription for replacement hormones
(synthetic).
In natural medicine we observe the adrenal glands usually
function in between those two extremes due to many physical and emotional
stresses that can strain the adrenal glands and diminish one’s reserve. Because
the only solution that allopathic medicine knows is hormone replacement, they
don’t recognize the need for mineral and vitamin support for the adrenals to
prevent them from failing. When someone exhausts their adrenal glands through
compulsive exercise, this is called “overtraining.” When someone eats a high
sugar meal, the blood sugar soars and then crashes. The crash triggers
adrenalin to push the blood sugar back to normal, which depletes the adrenals
over time. The adrenal glands’ job is to keep the blood sugar levels constant
but when they wear down, hypoglycemia can occur. When irregular spurts of
adrenalin flood the body, anxiety and panic attacks are diagnosed. In none of
these cases is the true cause of symptoms identified as adrenal depletion.
Conventional medicine does not recognize adrenal depletion possibly because
there is no prescription medication for weakened adrenals. There is only
treatment for complete adrenal collapse – hydrocortisone. However, in natural
medicine, the building blocks for repairing the adrenal glands are nutrients
that are beyond the scope of conventional medicine. Unfortunately, when people
who suffer from over exercising, hypoglycemia and panic attacks go to their
medical doctor for a diagnosis they are given a prescription for
antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication but not what they really need. The adrenals don’t stand alone, so in order to balance your adrenals you also have to address your thyroid and your sex hormones as well as insulin production. When one of these is out of balance it affects the other two. This can be seen on blood testing; when cortisol levels go up, thyroid hormone levels go down. There is an ongoing debate among natural medicine practitioners about what comes first, adrenal fatigue or thyroid insufficiency and what do you treat first? I think it’s a moot point because they are not looking at one of the main causes of both conditions – mineral deficiency, which means you can and must treat the two conditions simultaneously. Treating disease in a linear format, one thing at a time, is not consistent with the way the body works, where everything is interrelated and works synergistically.
Tonight on her internet based radio show, Dr. Dean will be talking about Adrenal Fatigue - ReSet and ReCover along with a wide range of health topics and safe solutions. You will love hearing the beneficial interactions with our callers and hosts alike including the body/mind connection, identifying the \'conflict\' in the \'conflict basis\' of disease and much more!!
