Need Help With Adrenal Insufficiency

[Smee]

I have recently been diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency after low a.m. serum cortisol lab (6 mcg/dL), which I believe was caused by long, at least in part, by use of kratom (drug/herb used for pain, similar to an opiate). Over last couple of months I have developed some issues with chest discomfort and palpitations, which may or may not be a symptom of my low cortisol level, and is a known issue for people using kratom. I have been eating a Peat style diet since December and have cut back on exercise. My doctor prescribed Cortef @ 10 mg/day in a.m., which I tried for a couple days (and found helpful), but ultimately decided not to use it as I was worried I may just be digging myself a deeper hole. After reading folks on here talk about how quickly the adrenals are able to repair, I am hopeful that I can fix this via diet and lifestyle adjustments. I appreciate any advice on supplements and anything else I can do to expedite healing so I can get my life back.

Edit: I also forgot to mention that I have low progesterone (<0.1 ng/mL, range 0.0 - 0.5), and was prescribed sublingual troches @10 mg/day taken before bed.

 

[Smee]

Did I post this in the wrong place? @charlie

 

[Evgenius]

Try Adrenal Cortex to repair your adrenals, it is basically food just like liver. Maybe also low dose pregnenolone if you are not taking the progesterone and foods high in cholesterol (saturated fats) to stimulate hormone synthesis.

 

[Smee]

Try Adrenal Cortex to repair your adrenals, it is basically food just like liver. Maybe also low dose pregnenolone if you are not taking the progesterone and foods high in cholesterol (saturated fats) to stimulate hormone synthesis.

Thank you! I'll look into adrenal cortex.

Is it inadvisable to take pregnenolone while taking progesterone? I have been taking the 10 mg sublingual progesterone and recently began taking 30 mg pregnenolone daily.

 

[Evgenius]

Thank you! I'll look into adrenal cortex.

Is it inadvisable to take pregnenolone while taking progesterone? I have been taking the 10 mg sublingual progesterone and recently began taking 30 mg pregnenolone daily.

No, it's not. But giving their ability to lower cortisol you can overdo them in your situation. But in reasonable amounts they should be beneficial.

 

[fradon]

I have recently been diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency after low a.m. serum cortisol lab (6 mcg/dL), which I believe was caused by long, at least in part, by use of kratom (drug/herb used for pain, similar to an opiate). Over last couple of months I have developed some issues with chest discomfort and palpitations, which may or may not be a symptom of my low cortisol level, and is a known issue for people using kratom. I have been eating a Peat style diet since December and have cut back on exercise. My doctor prescribed Cortef @ 10 mg/day in a.m., which I tried for a couple days (and found helpful), but ultimately decided not to use it as I was worried I may just be digging myself a deeper hole. After reading folks on here talk about how quickly the adrenals are able to repair, I am hopeful that I can fix this via diet and lifestyle adjustments. I appreciate any advice on supplements and anything else I can do to expedite healing so I can get my life back.

Edit: I also forgot to mention that I have low progesterone (<0.1 ng/mL, range 0.0 - 0.5), and was prescribed sublingual troches @10 mg/day taken before bed.

it took me about 1 year to recover. cut back on stress, cut back on excercise. laugh more watch your favorite funny tv shows. eat more protein foods that the amino acids can help make neurotrasmitters like cortisol, dopamine, adreanline. Liver is your friend eat it a few times a week.

get back to nature, walks in the park, days at the beach, get some sun...avoid negativity, avoid the news, avoid unhealthy people. lay off the stimulants, lay off the sugar, eat more lean protein like chicken breast. back off on the calcium too as too much calcium can build up and cause something called a CALCIUM BRAKE further slowing you down.

 

[Smee]

it took me about 1 year to recover. cut back on stress, cut back on excercise. laugh more watch your favorite funny tv shows. eat more protein foods that the amino acids can help make neurotrasmitters like cortisol, dopamine, adreanline. Liver is your friend eat it a few times a week.

get back to nature, walks in the park, days at the beach, get some sun...avoid negativity, avoid the news, avoid unhealthy people. lay off the stimulants, lay off the sugar, eat more lean protein like chicken breast. back off on the calcium too as too much calcium can build up and cause something called a CALCIUM BRAKE further slowing you down.

Thank you. Lots of actionable advice.

What is the rationale for avoiding sugar? Should I avoid it altogether or just reduce to a certain level?

I cut out caffeine and alcohol a few months back. I have been eating about 6 oz of liver per week. I stopped all intense exercise and have been walking nearby trails in the forest. So I guess I am at least doing some of the right things.

I appreciate your reply, really. As you know, living with low cortisol is pretty shitty.

 

[fradon]

Thank you. Lots of actionable advice.

What is the rationale for avoiding sugar? Should I avoid it altogether or just reduce to a certain level?

I cut out caffeine and alcohol a few months back. I have been eating about 6 oz of liver per week. I stopped all intense exercise and have been walking nearby trails in the forest. So I guess I am at least doing some of the right things.

I appreciate your reply, really. As you know, living with low cortisol is pretty shitty.

insulin (the pancreas) and the adrenals have a seesaw relationship. When one goes up the other goes down. spiking your blood sugar will trigger insulin this can slow down or shut down your already weak adrenals. sugar will also increase serotonin and this will offset dopamine adrenaline and noradrenaline. serotonin and dopamine antagonize each other. some sugar is okay but i would avoid most cakes pies and pastries. Jasmine Rice could be a better source of glucose and it according to chinese medecine can help with protein absorption.

 

[Smee]

insulin (the pancreas) and the adrenals have a seesaw relationship. When one goes up the other goes down. spiking your blood sugar will trigger insulin this can slow down or shut down your already weak adrenals. sugar will also increase serotonin and this will offset dopamine adrenaline and noradrenaline. serotonin and dopamine antagonize each other. some sugar is okay but i would avoid most cakes pies and pastries. Jasmine Rice could be a better source of glucose and it according to chinese medecine can help with protein absorption.

Ok makes sense. Based on what I have heard / read from Ray, to reduce insulin, I would be best off avoiding sucrose, getting plenty of fructose (minimizing insulin spikes), and being sure to add fat to any starches to slow absorption > minimize insulin release.

I am somewhat new to all of this but from what I have gathered, it seems like many of the staples/supplements/principles of the peat style diet are aimed at reducing cortisol. Aside from reducing sugar, reducing calcium and getting plenty of liver and lean protein, what modifications to the peat diet would be best for someone in my situation? Right now, and for the last couple of months, I have been shooting for 50% carb, 25% protein, 25% fat, and have been eating about 3k calories daily (6'0" 240 lbs). I have actually been able to lose about 15 lbs over the last couple months, and would like to continue to lose weight if possible, though I realize that weight loss may not be compatible with recovery from adrenal insufficiency.

What about supplements? Are there any supplements that can aid in recovery? I have read about some people recommending adrenal cortex, but don't know much about it.

Sorry for so many questions - I have been trying to learn as much as I can but it's very helpful to hear from someone who has been in this position and was able to recover. I sincerely appreciate your input.

 

[GreekGod]

I have had issues that could be described as burnout or adrenal fatigue for about 15 years, I'm currently 58 yo male. Like alot of people, I have read/researched and have experimented with the many, many ideas about recovering from the "burn out feeling" and low energy issues etc. I'll just give you my 2 cents worth as I think I found some things that are helpful. I'm not sure of your age, but I assure you that it's probably more than just an adrenal issue. Low Free testosterone/low dhea levels are commonly found if tested for, which I did have both. Thyroid function can be an issue, especially with the flouride everywhere these days. Dental amalgams/mercury(removal of 10 amalgams) were an issue for me. Here are some ideas that maybe helpful to you.

Diet wise, I eat 4 to 8 raw eggs per day, best if you get them straight from a farmer(its a long story) Its ok to eat just the egg yolks once in a while. Eat on an empty stomach, 2 in the am, 2 in the aft, and 2 in the evening. You can eat a half a teaspoon of raw honey before or after the eggs to prevent any low blood sugar issue. The raw cholesterol is a hormone builder in my opinion, and the cheapest and best hormone therapy out there. Avoid alcohol mainly and most sugary fruits. I 'll eat un ripe mangoes/bananas with no problem. Ive gone weeks eating nothing but raw eggs, un ripe mango and green bananas(just starting to ripen slighltly but before the starch turns into sugar). Freshly juiced celery is what I drink for hydration mainly. I'll eat some raw meat about 2 to 3 times per week. Raw beef carpaccio, fish or shrimp soaked in lime juice(ceviche). Maybe 4 to 8 ozs at a time. A small raw beef sandwich works too. People that eat only cooked foods don't realize how much energy is lost trying to digest cooked foods. The raw foods have little to no digestive drag.

About once or twice a week, I make a drink of 1T of olive oil, juice of 1 lime, half a teaspoon of raw honey. Mix it up and drink it.

Supplement wise: Generally, I daily take about 22 mg zinc, 400 mg magnesium, 500 mg ascorbic acid/100-200mg grey sea salt all in one capsule, 12-20 mg of lugols iodine, 5000 mg of vitamin d(Sept-April), 500 mg GABA Occaisionally, tyrosine/500 mg, alpha lipoic acid 50, vitamin E 400 along with a high vitamin cod liver oil.

I avoid over exerting exercise and lots of aerobics. Best workout is about 15 minutes...push ups, pull ups, lift some heavy weights about 5 to 10 reps with a 2 to 3 minute break between . I'll sprint when its warm out, about 25 to 30 yards, about 6 to 10 sprints. Don't work out more than 3 times per week tops. Avoid whirlpools and saunas, high heat conditions, and dress extra warm in cool and cold weather(avoid temperature extremes) I have experimented with small amounts of dhea and pregnenolone from time to time. 10 mg of preg and 5 mg of dhea can be helpful at times, but it can vary by the person. I would do the diet part without any hormones first, as that usually is enough. For reference, I'm 5 8", weigh a muscular 175. Let me know if any questions.

 

[Smee]

I have had issues that could be described as burnout or adrenal fatigue for about 15 years, I'm currently 58 yo male. Like alot of people, I have read/researched and have experimented with the many, many ideas about recovering from the "burn out feeling" and low energy issues etc. I'll just give you my 2 cents worth as I think I found some things that are helpful. I'm not sure of your age, but I assure you that it's probably more than just an adrenal issue. Low Free testosterone/low dhea levels are commonly found if tested for, which I did have both. Thyroid function can be an issue, especially with the flouride everywhere these days. Dental amalgams/mercury(removal of 10 amalgams) were an issue for me. Here are some ideas that maybe helpful to you.

Diet wise, I eat 4 to 8 raw eggs per day, best if you get them straight from a farmer(its a long story) Its ok to eat just the egg yolks once in a while. Eat on an empty stomach, 2 in the am, 2 in the aft, and 2 in the evening. You can eat a half a teaspoon of raw honey before or after the eggs to prevent any low blood sugar issue. The raw cholesterol is a hormone builder in my opinion, and the cheapest and best hormone therapy out there. Avoid alcohol mainly and most sugary fruits. I 'll eat un ripe mangoes/bananas with no problem. Ive gone weeks eating nothing but raw eggs, un ripe mango and green bananas(just starting to ripen slighltly but before the starch turns into sugar). Freshly juiced celery is what I drink for hydration mainly. I'll eat some raw meat about 2 to 3 times per week. Raw beef carpaccio, fish or shrimp soaked in lime juice(ceviche). Maybe 4 to 8 ozs at a time. A small raw beef sandwich works too. People that eat only cooked foods don't realize how much energy is lost trying to digest cooked foods. The raw foods have little to no digestive drag.

About once or twice a week, I make a drink of 1T of olive oil, juice of 1 lime, half a teaspoon of raw honey. Mix it up and drink it.

Supplement wise: Generally, I daily take about 22 mg zinc, 400 mg magnesium, 500 mg ascorbic acid/100-200mg grey sea salt all in one capsule, 12-20 mg of lugols iodine, 5000 mg of vitamin d(Sept-April), 500 mg GABA Occaisionally, tyrosine/500 mg, alpha lipoic acid 50, vitamin E 400 along with a high vitamin cod liver oil.

I avoid over exerting exercise and lots of aerobics. Best workout is about 15 minutes...push ups, pull ups, lift some heavy weights about 5 to 10 reps with a 2 to 3 minute break between . I'll sprint when its warm out, about 25 to 30 yards, about 6 to 10 sprints. Don't work out more than 3 times per week tops. Avoid whirlpools and saunas, high heat conditions, and dress extra warm in cool and cold weather(avoid temperature extremes) I have experimented with small amounts of dhea and pregnenolone from time to time. 10 mg of preg and 5 mg of dhea can be helpful at times, but it can vary by the person. I would do the diet part without any hormones first, as that usually is enough. For reference, I'm 5 8", weigh a muscular 175. Let me know if any questions.

Thank you for your thorough reply. Interesting about the raw eggs though I'm not sure I could do that. Cooked over easy is about ad close as I would get. What is the reason for unripe fruit? (Lower in sugar i presume?). I thought my problem was low testosterone originally. I went to an endo and my labs did show that my testosterone was quite low, especially for a 34 yo male. I was put on testosterone cypionate @125 mg weekly. Six months later i was still suffering many of the same symptoms (low energy, brain fog main complaints), so my doctor ordered a few more labs. He suspected my thyroid might be low, but the labs showed my tsh was 0.8 and my free t3 and t4 were in range. He then tested my a.m. cortisol, which was less than 1/3 what it should be (i think it was 6 ug/dL). His diagnosis was adrenal insufficiency, and wanted to put me on cortef (hydrocortisone), but I decided to first look for other ways to get my adrenals to recover naturally.

 

[Janna]

Smee, I would look into taking niacin/B3 and vitamin C in large doses. Niacin is very important and effective for heart and brain function. This combination was pioneered by Abram Hoffer, who Ray speaks highly of, and Abram Hoffer had some astounding success treating schizophrenics and cancer patients with this combination. It is not aimed at a specific disease, but at boosting immune system and vitality to maximum. You'd be surprised in how many bodily functions vitamins B3 and C are involved. Besides this combination, he recommends a few other supplements aimed at boosting one's organism to the maximum. They are B vitamins, A, E, zinc, selenium and magnesium. If schizophrenics and many cancer patients recovered completely following his regimen, general fatigue, brain fog and heart palpitations like yours is nothing major, in my opinion.

I had amazing success too after reading his book + RP theories/views, and figured out a route to Tourette's. Both my son's have Tourette's, and seeing the younger one, 9 year old, follow in footsteps of the older one with all the tics and twitching made my heart ache. Currently there's no known cure from Tourette's. Anti psychotics of some sort, if the twitching gets really bad. And figure what? There is. It's all about nutritional deficiencies/dependencies and understanding how to address them. My younger son is free from symptoms now. I'm waiting for the older one to come back from a boarding school for the Easter break, as he'd need ideological initiation first before he'd take any vitamins in large amounts. :)

I would also recommend you read AH's work, Orthomolecular Medicine for everyone.

 

[Frankdee20]

Smee, I would look into taking niacin/B3 and vitamin C in large doses. Niacin is very important and effective for heart and brain function. This combination was pioneered by Abram Hoffer, who Ray speaks highly of, and Abram Hoffer had some astounding success treating schizophrenics and cancer patients with this combination. It is not aimed at a specific disease, but at boosting immune system and vitality to maximum. You'd be surprised in how many bodily functions vitamins B3 and C are involved. Besides this combination, he recommends a few other supplements aimed at boosting one's organism to the maximum. They are B vitamins, A, E, zinc, selenium and magnesium. If schizophrenics and many cancer patients recovered completely following his regimen, general fatigue, brain fog and heart palpitations like yours is nothing major, in my opinion.

I had amazing success too after reading his book + RP theories/views, and figured out a route to Tourette's. Both my son's have Tourette's, and seeing the younger one, 9 year old, follow in footsteps of the older one with all the tics and twitching made my heart ache. Currently there's no known cure from Tourette's. Anti psychotics of some sort, if the twitching gets really bad. And figure what? There is. It's all about nutritional deficiencies/dependencies and understanding how to address them. My younger son is free from symptoms now. I'm waiting for the older one to come back from a boarding school for the Easter break, as he'd need ideological initiation first before he'd take any vitamins in large amounts. :)

I would also recommend you read AH's work, Orthomolecular Medicine for everyone.

See, I think straight niacin has better brain effects than Niacinamide. Even though it’s frowned upon on here. You mean straight niacin ?

 

[fradon]

Ok makes sense. Based on what I have heard / read from Ray, to reduce insulin, I would be best off avoiding sucrose, getting plenty of fructose (minimizing insulin spikes), and being sure to add fat to any starches to slow absorption > minimize insulin release.

I am somewhat new to all of this but from what I have gathered, it seems like many of the staples/supplements/principles of the peat style diet are aimed at reducing cortisol. Aside from reducing sugar, reducing calcium and getting plenty of liver and lean protein, what modifications to the peat diet would be best for someone in my situation? Right now, and for the last couple of months, I have been shooting for 50% carb, 25% protein, 25% fat, and have been eating about 3k calories daily (6'0" 240 lbs). I have actually been able to lose about 15 lbs over the last couple months, and would like to continue to lose weight if possible, though I realize that weight loss may not be compatible with recovery from adrenal insufficiency.

What about supplements? Are there any supplements that can aid in recovery? I have read about some people recommending adrenal cortex, but don't know much about it.

Sorry for so many questions - I have been trying to learn as much as I can but it's very helpful to hear from someone who has been in this position and was able to recover. I sincerely appreciate your input.

adding fat to a carb lengthens the insulin response instead of sharp spike and fall its a long steady rise and fall. having insulin elevated for long periods of time can lead to insulin resistance.

Ok makes sense. Based on what I have heard / read from Ray, to reduce insulin, I would be best off avoiding sucrose, getting plenty of fructose (minimizing insulin spikes), and being sure to add fat to any starches to slow absorption > minimize insulin release.

I am somewhat new to all of this but from what I have gathered, it seems like many of the staples/supplements/principles of the peat style diet are aimed at reducing cortisol. Aside from reducing sugar, reducing calcium and getting plenty of liver and lean protein, what modifications to the peat diet would be best for someone in my situation? Right now, and for the last couple of months, I have been shooting for 50% carb, 25% protein, 25% fat, and have been eating about 3k calories daily (6'0" 240 lbs). I have actually been able to lose about 15 lbs over the last couple months, and would like to continue to lose weight if possible, though I realize that weight loss may not be compatible with recovery from adrenal insufficiency.

What about supplements? Are there any supplements that can aid in recovery? I have read about some people recommending adrenal cortex, but don't know much about it.

Sorry for so many questions - I have been trying to learn as much as I can but it's very helpful to hear from someone who has been in this position and was able to recover. I sincerely appreciate your input.

b6 helped me. vitamin c can help too.

here is weight loss pyramid
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/54/78/2c/54782caa181a8cd4f9d5a3eb7322a19d--eat-healthy-healthy-habits.jpg

these are the factors that effect weight loss.

 

[Smee]

Smee, I would look into taking niacin/B3 and vitamin C in large doses. Niacin is very important and effective for heart and brain function. This combination was pioneered by Abram Hoffer, who Ray speaks highly of, and Abram Hoffer had some astounding success treating schizophrenics and cancer patients with this combination. It is not aimed at a specific disease, but at boosting immune system and vitality to maximum. You'd be surprised in how many bodily functions vitamins B3 and C are involved. Besides this combination, he recommends a few other supplements aimed at boosting one's organism to the maximum. They are B vitamins, A, E, zinc, selenium and magnesium. If schizophrenics and many cancer patients recovered completely following his regimen, general fatigue, brain fog and heart palpitations like yours is nothing major, in my opinion.

I had amazing success too after reading his book + RP theories/views, and figured out a route to Tourette's. Both my son's have Tourette's, and seeing the younger one, 9 year old, follow in footsteps of the older one with all the tics and twitching made my heart ache. Currently there's no known cure from Tourette's. Anti psychotics of some sort, if the twitching gets really bad. And figure what? There is. It's all about nutritional deficiencies/dependencies and understanding how to address them. My younger son is free from symptoms now. I'm waiting for the older one to come back from a boarding school for the Easter break, as he'd need ideological initiation first before he'd take any vitamins in large amounts. :)

I would also recommend you read AH's work, Orthomolecular Medicine for everyone.

Hi Janna, thank you! Curious, what kind of doses of b3 and C does Hoffer recommend? I will check out the book, too. That's amazing you were able to help your youngest through correcting nutritional deficiencies. Good luck with your ideological initiation with the other :)

 

[GreekGod]

Thank you for your thorough reply. Interesting about the raw eggs though I'm not sure I could do that. Cooked over easy is about ad close as I would get. What is the reason for unripe fruit? (Lower in sugar i presume?). I thought my problem was low testosterone originally. I went to an endo and my labs did show that my testosterone was quite low, especially for a 34 yo male. I was put on testosterone cypionate @125 mg weekly. Six months later i was still suffering many of the same symptoms (low energy, brain fog main complaints), so my doctor ordered a few more labs. He suspected my thyroid might be low, but the labs showed my tsh was 0.8 and my free t3 and t4 were in range. He then tested my a.m. cortisol, which was less than 1/3 what it should be (i think it was 6 ug/dL). His diagnosis was adrenal insufficiency, and wanted to put me on cortef (hydrocortisone), but I decided to first look for other ways to get my adrenals to recover naturally.

I was pretty similar to you when I was in my late 30's, only I'm 20 years down the road now and my health is generally solid. Like you, I went thru all the MD/Alt Med testing(blood tests, saliva tests, Hair Mineral tests) and solutions, like Rx Testo, numerous supplements, herbs, adrenal extracts and what not. It can be an expensive, exhausting, lonely, tough road in this day and age, the MD s seem to only offer band aids. Hopefully you have a supportive spouse/family. We ll do our best here to get you back to feeling like a Super Human, and nothing less.

One thing that I can share with you is to not waste too much of your time and put too much hope in every idea that comes along. I would say that supplements can help somewhat, but don't get too crazy thinking that you have to take every supplement under the sun or that Supplements are going to CURE YOU... You can waste a few years of your life experimenting with every supplement idea out there. I've tried most of them at one time or another, nothing worked as well as eating a dozen raw eggs, some raw honey, raw beef, unripe bananas/mangoes/pineapple core, celery juice, lemon/lime/olive oil/ACV. To get your start with raw eggs, you can combine 3 to 6 eggs or egg yolks to a few tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice, add some raw honey and a little cream, a pinch of grey REAL sea salt, and blend it up, it tastes like key lime pie or lemon meringue pie. Tastes very good and they all will be helpful. Drink it once or twice per day. ( I usually eat the eggs raw with some added raw honey, olive oil and sometimes ACV. Ive consumed in excess of 4000 raw eggs in the past 10 years and have never gotten sick even once, not even a little, since most people think you'll get sick...no worries...I can assure you of that)

Ripe fruit seems to me and to many others to cause blood sugar disturbances, last thing you want. The unripe fruit has alot of enzymes that improve your digestion and energy levels. I personally avoid most pasta, bread, nuts/peanuts, snack foods, and only moderate amounts of starches like sweet potato's/carrots. Stick with the raw proteins, the unripe fruits mentioned, and cooked vegetables generally. I avoid most dairy except a little cream here and there.

As far as supplements, I wouldn't overdo the Vitamin C, and I' d use caution with the Niacin also. Niacin can reduce blood cholesterol levels. Guess what your hormones are built on... cholesterol. My understanding is the Vitamin C lowers Cortisol mainly, so taking large amounts of Vitamin C will not likely be helpful.

The iodine/tyrosine/selenium/ascorbic acid/sea salt combo seems to help if you have a thyroid issue. Ive used some NAC and Methionine on occaision and they seem to be somewhat helpful...maybe worth a try. That's all for now.

 

[GreekGod]

 

[Janna]

Hi Janna, thank you! Curious, what kind of doses of b3 and C does Hoffer recommend? I will check out the book, too. That's amazing you were able to help your youngest through correcting nutritional deficiencies. Good luck with your ideological initiation with the other :)

It varies on the condition, but generally between 1.5-3g of B3 and 12g of C as a starting dose. This is per day.

 

[Janna]

See, I think straight niacin has better brain effects than Niacinamide. Even though it’s frowned upon on here. You mean straight niacin ?

Yes, straight niacin. Yes it is preferable to niacinemide for its effect on cholesterol. It reduces/normalises cholesterol, and rebalances LDL and HDL, reducing the former, and increasing the latter. And niacinemide doesn't do that.

 

[Lucas]

If I take niacin after a meal I will not have the flush?