Can we treat adrenal fatigue?

Some LLMD's do treat adrenal fatigue with hydrocortisone up to 30mg a physiological dose. Sometimes they also add fludrocortisone in small doses which works with it. From my research, this is safe to do with Lyme treatment.

I am also having significant adrenal issues. I did fludro/hydro for one month in a very low dose. It actually did help me quite a bit. My LLMD then wanted me to wean off because he was worried that I would develop Addison's and also my liver enzymes were headed up which would mean I would have to stop antibiotics again. I chose not to wean off and I stopped cold turkey (I do not advise this and I don't know what I was thinking).

Personally, if I had the choice, I would go back on hydro/fludro. I think it helped my blood pressure stay up and I was feeling better on it. If my liver enzymes had cooperated I would have wanted to stay on. There are natural routes as well such as licorice root that can help the adrenals.

Has anyone done the research to know if the small amounts of steroids used for adrenals have any effect on the infections???

I do know that steroid use will stop or slow healing from these infections, but I don't know about the small amounts that are taken for adrenal treatments.

What a doc happens to say in his or her office isn't what I'm after though, as I've experienced that often they are only listening to the drug reps. Anyone that has looked into this, I'd sure be interested in what you may have found out - or what you haven't found out!

I take natural product that has whole adrenal and adrenal cortex in it and have had good results...so far anyway!

I've been having pretty good results with an herbal tincture called Eleuthero - I don't know that it's directly indicated for adrenal fatigue, but it seems to have helped with it - basically balances out the immune system and your body's stress responses, and also gives you some nice - and much needed - energy. Can be a bit expensive, although the one I take is the strongest/most expensive formulation.

Ashwaganda, another herb, is supposed to be really good in that regard as well. I took it for about a week and it really felt like a promising herb, however you CAN'T take it along with benzos or sleeping pills or alcohol - which didn't work for me as I still need ativan from time to time for panic attacks.

Obviously, do your own research and talk to your doctor/practitioner about this kind of stuff first, but I just figured I'd share since a lot of the things that have helped me the most tend to be pretty under the radar.

Thanks Summer for that explanation! I'm still trying to learn stuff too!

In Naturopathic healing (I'm an LLNP that treats many lyme patients) there is an assumption that all "bodies" stressed with illness (any illness) suffer from adrenal fatigue. These assumptions are often correct.
The body is under so much stress to maintain homeostasis (balance) from any illness, the adrenals are taxed to their maximum.

Any good practitioner (LLMD or LLNP)treating any illness (chronic or acute) should be treating adrenal fatigue before, during and after treatments.
Steroids are NOT the answer for adrenal fatigue. Steroids tax the body even more.
Abx are a HUGE strain on the body so adrenal healing is not an option, it's a necessity.

Jennifer

Adrenal extracts (don't believe I'm allowed to say product names on here), adrenal diet and working on the stress.