| Author |
Message |
    
Bhavana Chawla
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2000 - 05:12 pm: | |
Hello Ingrid aka Kitchen Doctor,
I've just read your section on adrenal exhaustion. I am wondering if you, or other visitors to this board, can respond to my inquiry.
I recently went to a Massage Therapist who is also an acupuncturist and is therefore very in tune with spirit-body conditions... The symptoms I complained of lead him to believe I may be suffering from adrenal exhaustion. I am wondering if you can provide any more insight. The following are symptoms I am experiencing:
First of all, let me state that this year in my life has been very stressful, with definite episodes of the adrenaline kicking in:
- Fatigue (I sleep well throughout the night, it seems I need alot more sleep to feel refreshed) -- the days I exercise including walking/hiking, I need to get to bed a lot earlier, and I generally take more naps.
- Chronic muscle pain in lower back, neck, knees, lower legs, mild symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome
- Loss of memory, inability to concentrate, depression
- Tinnitus (ringing in ears)
- Acid reflux
- Thinning of hair, brittle nails, dry skin especially scalp, contact dermatitis
According to the reading I've done so far on the 'net, I have some and not all of the classic symptoms.
If you can point me in a better direction, that would be great.
Thank you! --Bhavana Chawla |
Ingrid
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2000 - 08:18 pm: | |
Dear Bhavana,
As you mentioned, you seem to have a lot of the classic symptoms of adrenal exhaustion.
"Adrenal exhaustion" is a syndrome, not a single disease. It can be caused by any kind of stress, including the stress of life's emotional complications as well as the stress of a pathological condition.
It is the details that enable us to differentiate one type of stress from another. In your case, several of your symptoms point to dryness. This is what in Ayurveda would be called a "vata" derangement. I'm an astrologer so I prefer to think of this as air.
Energetically, and these are some of the points that I want to introduce in the months ahead, excess air usually operates at the expense of the earth element which in my system is related to the adrenals and stamina. On the superficial level, it is aggravated by worry, but any strain to the nervous system puts the emergency energy in a sort of mobilized state. This, in turn, operates against conservation of strength.
So, whatever you can do to tame the bouts of anxiety will be more helpful in the long run than anything medical. Trust is the best antidote to fear, but it has to be real, not just a mumbled mantra implying that you have turned all difficult matters over to God and that you trust God not to ask you to try to cope with more than you can handle.
You might also read my response to Katherine on acid reflux because carminatives neutralize toxic air and promote a feeling of deep relaxation and peace that allows you to regroup your energies.
Pain is also a symptom of excess air, and according to Ayurveda, accumulates in the colon so that any impairment of peristalsis and elimination greatly increases discomfort.
In truth, most of your symptoms relate to this same air derangement so that carminatives and nervines will be more helpful than adrenal tonics . . . which is not to say that the tonics are useless. They help you to increase coping margins. Also, while you clearly do have excess air, there is nothing here that supports or refutes the possibility of an underlying pathological condition. However, assuming the medical doctors are throwing up their hands and saying that everything is psychosomatic, you might take this as license to tame the winds of yoru mind and emotions to see if there is relief on the physical.
Again, I will post something tomorrow in the main part of the site.
Namaskar!
Ingrid |
Linda Crabtree
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 30, 2000 - 11:27 am: | |
Hello: I have a neuromuscular syndrome that at 58 has left me unable to walk. My hands are extremely weak and when I am tired my diaphragm muscles do not work well so I do not expel CO properly and my voice weakens. This year has been incredibly stressful. My brother had a massive stroke and cannot speak and work has been very complicated. All of this began Feb. 3. After six months, I am a wreck. My sleep is so bad I wake up at the slightest sound with waves of adrenaline pulsing through my body. This starts the chronic pain I have going again. I haven't moved and I can feel it starting up. Only sleep lets the pain go and sleep, especially deep sleep, is a precious commodity these days. Now these adrenaline rushes are beginning to come in the form of nightmares. I am bruising so badly that I looked at myself a couple of days ago and I had yellow or blue marks on my hands, arms, knees and legs. I have such dark circles under my eyes I look like a raccoon and have resorted to green concealer under my foundation to try to look less sick. I have such flatulence I feel jet propelled after dinner. I cannot tolerate sugars or carbohydrates. A meal of spaghetti does me in and I shake. Protein makes me feel a lot better for awhile.I have chronic nerve pain across my buttocks and down the backs of both legs to the knee. I've had it for five years. The list of drugs and therapies I've tried for this is 20 items long. Nothing works and if it does begin to it puts me to sleep and I cannot function using it. Acupuncture makes it worse.I'm know the pain gets worse when I am suffering from adrenal exhaustion.I am on HRT and cannot take vit.B6 as it is toxic to those of us with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy. Can you suggest something I can take that is herbal and won't interact with the HRT to calm things down and boost my adrenals. I need a margin and right now there is none. I also take CoQ10 and it helps my breathing a lot allowing me to discontinue a very toxic drug called theophyline, I take glucosamine sulphate, vit. e, 1/2 multi vitamin and creatine. I will try to pace myself but it isn't easy when you work for yourself. Exercise is very difficult as I cannot stand and everything hurts.I seem to have been able to diagnose myself better than anyone throughout my lifetime and have an intuitive sense of what is going on with me but right now I need some advice on herbals please. Most of them give me diarrhea so please take that into consideration.
Thank you for anything you can do to help. Linda |
georgette
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 30, 2000 - 10:53 pm: | |
Linda,
Would it be possible for you to keep a food journal for a week or so?? I am interested in what you are eating on a day to day basis. For example, when you say that sugars, carbohydrates, and spagetti bother you,... I immediatly suspect food allergies. Those particular foods can create an inflammatory immune response.
Georgette |
Ingrid
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 06, 2000 - 02:30 am: | |
Dear Linda,
(Thanks, Georgette!)
This sounds like a nightmare and you definitely do need margins.
It may surprise you, but my first suggestion is intestinal flora, certainly worth a try. You didn't mention what kind of water you drink, but if herbs cause diarrhea, there is a good possibility you need to repopulate your intestines with friendly flora. I like Eugalan best as a starter because in fourteen years of using it, I have never heard anything but "Wow!"
The best all round adrenal support that I have found is Recovery, miracle tablets, very potent for such little things! I carry them whenever I travel, lecture, or feel stress building up. It seems to offer the extra edge and you'd be surprised how many people ask what I have in my pocket and whether they can try one (just one) as well. I've actually seen people with water retention lose 15 pounds in one night on just one tablet. They aren't diuretic, but they seem to give the kidneys strength.
Don't underestimate that black bean soup either. I know, the fear of noxious odors is terrific, but the spices actually help combat some of these hazards.
I am also wondering if there is some kind of nerve compression, like sciatica? This seems like a real possibility. Georgette, what do you think?
Good luck and stay in touch. Troubles do pass, but they seem interminable sometimes. |
georgette
| | Posted on Monday, September 11, 2000 - 12:11 pm: | |
Hi Ingrid!
I second the motion that intestinal flora should be explored in cases that present a very "mixed picture" (a lot of complex symptomology with unknown etiology). I recently read a study (Fatigue in MS) in the Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients (Nov 1995). An interesting find!! They noticed an elevated index and high frequency of "gut dysbiosis" ( a state of disordered bowel flora ecology) in various autoimmune diseases as well as CFIDS. Lactobacillus count was depressed in all patients. What do you think?? |
georgette
| | Posted on Monday, September 11, 2000 - 12:40 pm: | |
Ingrid...
Sciatica seems like a possibility. It usually presents with those symptoms: nerve pain across buttocks and down legs. It is usually caused by the lower lumbar being subluxed, compressing the sciatic nerve. However, I have seen cases where the same symptoms present,... the lower lumbar are fine,... but it is coming from unusually tightly spasmed gluteus and piriforumus muscles. Alternative treatments usually get good results: chiropractic, massage, e-stem, acupuncture, etc. It sounds like sitting for long periods of time can take it's toll on that area as well and may be a contributing factor.
If acupuncture has made it worse...there is a possibility that the energy was moved without removing the stagnation first. Japanese sytle acupuncture (very light and gentle) gets better results in cases like this where the traditional Chinese style has not worked. Some herbal medicinals can be too cloying for some to tolerate if there is a weakeness in the Spleen/Stomach Qi. I would be interested in the formula Linda was given. Can't tell without knowing the ingredients. |
Bhavana
| | Posted on Friday, October 06, 2000 - 02:22 am: | |
Hi, Ms. Kitchen Doctor 
This is Bhavana, i wrote a few months ago about a bout with Adrenal Exhaustion, or excess Air-vata, in Ayervedic terms, which i have some knowledge about. You wrote that you were going to post a general message on your site about vata derangement, and i have not seen anything up lately, or maybe i am looking in the wrong place. When you have some time, can you post something?...
My symptoms are quickly dissapating though, i have eliminated a great deal of stress, and am going to a Japanese healer who moves Ki energy through his patients. The healings are only about 10 minutes, and involve him and 4 other students of his pressing, caressing, and running their hands down different parts of my body, plus the use of tapping small wooden sticks together (not sure what the sticks are called), the effects last weeks, while the treatments last only minutes! What is amazing is that i don't have to tell him what my symptoms are. He diagnoses me by looking at my tongue, and putting his hands where the problem lies... I generally feel rejuvinated, happier, healthier... it is truly amazing!
Thanks you for putting up this great site, and providing a forum for dialogue. Looking forward to reading about vata derangement.
Peace, Bhavana |
Ingrid
| | Posted on Friday, October 06, 2000 - 07:07 pm: | |
Thanks, Bhavana,
I had a serious computer virus but am back up and running and will write the article on vata derangements this weekend, for sure! |
georgette
| | Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2000 - 05:50 pm: | |
Me too!! I am looking forward to this article. Will it also cover Pitta and Kapha as well? |
maggsIC
| | Posted on Friday, March 30, 2001 - 08:17 am: | |
Bhavana's symptoms also remind me of the symptoms of Candida Albicans yeast, when it gets to the point where it puts rhizomes through the intestinal walls and starts to be felt throughout the body. That would be helped by replenishing beneficial bacteria and cutting out refined foods. Also, it reminds me of some of the symptoms of mercury poisoning - if Bhavana has mercury fillings.
A white tongue also indicates the possiblity of dehydration; that is, simply not drinking enough water. I always had a white tongue and when I moved to Florida from the northeast, had a lot of increasing symptoms, including fatigue. After reading the book "Your Body's Many Cries for Water", by Dr. Batmanghelidj, I started drinking more water - now my tongue is not longer white. There are many other benefits. |
arthur luckower
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2001 - 10:57 am: | |
i am recovering from cfs. i think physically it was mostly yeast and parasites and congested colon. over the past 3 years i have passed hundreds of large worms and 40 or 50 pounds of old gunk from my colon. i feel at some level that i am fairly balanced since my diet is pretty good now- i no longer crave sweets. i have worked with a kinesiologist for three years now which has helped out alot. my body has been programmed to kick out anything bad. which means once or twice a day now my bowel movements are hard encrusted old fecal matter. the stress of detoxification is killing me. it is nonstop. royal jelly has helped me recently. salt baths help too. i find myself caught right now. i can't go back to junk food and the supplements i take aren't enough to cope with the stress of detoxing. keep in mind that i had a horrendous case of cfs-- probably one of the worst on record. but i am determined to regain my health. my adrenal glands are DEFINITELY shot. in college i was on antibiotics for 9 months. and the trigger for my cfs was drinking turned beer. i have studied candida for a number of years and know alot about it. any suggestions are welcome. |
Ingrid
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2001 - 09:53 pm: | |
I thought you were going to share your protocols.
I'm glad you told us what you did because many others have similar problems and don't know it.
I am a total believer in intestinal flora. I have used mega amounts of it. I lived in the tropics for years and had all the usual infections. It was only when I began using friendly flora that the symptoms stopped.
For rebuilding the adrenals, avoidance of stress is first on the list. Most systems of Asian medicine (Ayurveda and TCM -- Chinese Medicine) are against radical purging of the colon because they believe most people suffer from deficiency conditions. However, many in the West suffer from extremely poor diets that do, in fact, make for just the kind of conditions you have described, how brave of you!
I will add another product to the adrenal protocol. It is a gentler, slower acting Kidney Yin formula. Recovery is also a Kidney Yin formula but it's very fast acting. Yin can be translated as "tonifying," i.e., it helps to build reserve and stamina.
You would be amazed at the black bean soup also. It can be used for days on end to strengthen the kidneys and adrenals. There is also a recipe on another of my sites for a fairly complex adrenal jam. I used to make it, but it takes half a day to make a few bottles. Still, I'd be willing to do it or supply the ingredients to those who want to have a go at it:
http://www.astroheal.com/stamina.html
It's very strengthening, but the thing to remember is that stress sends you back to square one so during the recovery period, you need to avoid those situations that cost you the ground you have so diligently won.
Good luck. |
Ingrid
| | Posted on Thursday, May 10, 2001 - 02:47 pm: | |
Actually, as I thought about this more last night, I felt to reiterate something I am quite certain has been mentioned.
A friend worked with a number of veterinarians and various animals, mostly llamas, but there were also dogs and horses and cats. They divided the animals into three groups and gave one placebos, one herbal remedies for parasites, and one pharmaceutical drugs. The animals tried to get the herbs which made management difficult. As expected, those that received the placebos didn't improve. All those that received the herbs were significantly improved, but those on the prescription drugs died, as anticipated, but not entirely for the reasons one expected. They autopsied the animals that died and found that the parasites had, in fact, died but decayed in the tissues where they had died. The herbalists therefore developed a protocol involving alteration of the parasitic formula with immune boosting formula: three weeks of the anti-parasitic herbs, two weeks of immune boosting, and one week of anti-parasitic herbs. This was enough for the animals.
If you are anything like me, you are probably in shock. I can remember the first time my vet showed me a jar with a dog's heart in formaldehyde and worms hangin out of the diseased heart muscle.
What my friends explained is that when pharmaceutical drugs are given to kill the worms, the worms do, in fact die, but they infect the heart. Also, the holes made by the worms do not heal. This is fairly gruesome stuff, but if the WHO figures are right that 3.5 billion people have parasitic infections, then we have to face the fact that the quality of life and perhaps longevity are impacted and we need to think beyond killing the worms and include the strategies that will address infection and tissue repair.
As such, major imunne boosters are absolutely indicated as are all the restorative tonics. I hope this helps as what I wrote yesterday perhaps didn't go far enough in addressing your issues. |
debi
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2001 - 05:39 pm: | |
hi ingrid,
i have been diagnosed with adrenal exaustion.
i have recently taken herbs for parasites and
cortisone from my doctor. i am off of both now and have ordered hingvastak and chyawanprash
vata & kapha. i have been very sick for many years and now suspect it was all due to adrenal
gland funtion. please advise how much and when
to take the products.
the cortisone helped some, but still not
correct. i am underweight and always have been.
i have had my fillings replaced and that did
help somewhat.
thanks for all your info! |
Ingrid
| | Posted on Thursday, October 25, 2001 - 08:57 pm: | |
Debi,
Did you chelate out the mercury after the amalgams were removed?
The usual dosage for Chyawanprash is a teaspoon or two per day. It helps assimilation but is not specifically an adrenal tonic.
Hinga Shtak is also useful for digestion, mainly for those with poor assimilation and "vata derangement," i.e. thinness, nervousness, and those with vague symptoms that frequently change and defy diagnosis.
You could probably find something specific for your own needs, but only with a more thorough evaluation of your underlying issues.
Best wishes, |
Roland Young
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 12:32 pm: | |
TO ALL OF THE ABOVE,
A common thread of all the problems discussed may be found in the book, "Solved the Riddle of Illness" - Your Amazing Thyroid and How You Can Work With it To Control: Arthritis, Obesity, Depression, Diabetes, Heart Disease and Circulatory Problems, Cancer, Sexual Problems by Stephen Langer, MD and James Scheer.
Over half the nation has a thyroid problem due to chlorine, floridation, refined sugars, refined grains and soda pop. The easy test is the temperature test. If you are below 98.4 you have a problem. Go to www.wilsonssyndrome.com to learn the ins and outs of the problem.
Another book that may be out of print, but will provide some solutions, is "The Hidden Link Between ADRENALINE AND STRESS" by Dr. Archibald D. Hart.
It all fits together like a hand in a glove. Reward yourself with a key to some of the answers and check it out.
Roland |
Ingrid
| | Posted on Sunday, January 02, 2005 - 12:56 pm: | |
Roland,
While I encourage people to read and explore, I simply want to go on record reiterating that many people who are put on synthetic thyroid supplements are not really helped because they should have been focusing on the adrenals, not thyroid.
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Sirus Vondermin
| | Posted on Thursday, January 06, 2005 - 12:23 pm: | |
Ingrid,
Hi, I am facinated by this website. I am a 27 year old male, 5'8 and weigh 118 pounds. I also have a 20% body fat. I have the following symptoms:
Very dark circles under eyes
Very Underweight
Prone to fainting and light headedness after eating some foods. (mollasses causes instant lightness)
Slightly anemic
Prone to diabetes
Cold extremeties
Sometimes get hot flushes, and drink lots of water
I grew up a vegetarian, but was an extremely picky eater until the age of 8. I ate very little.
After that I gained a healthy appetite and felt quite normal. I excelled in endurance sports and was very healthy at 18 years of age, even tho I suffered from parasites and extreme diahreea in a third world country when I was 15.
At 18 years of age, I felt great, and weighed 125 pounds. (my mother and father are thin) I still felt skinny, but very healthy.
Then I returned to America and a doctor told me to take medications to be sure the parasites were gone. He gave me 2 doses of flagyl (metronidazole) and 2x iodoxin.
The medication really messed me up. While on it, i couldn't stomach anything except yogurt, and i made this myself. I still thew up occasionally and this ordeal lasted 20 days.
I lost lots of weight, and in the following month, I developed severe dark circles under my eyes. One month earlier, I had been a star athlete (soccer), and the next month, people were saying I looked like I came from somalia. I developed a cough, and a type of mechanical asthma. My outgoing breath was restricted to 1 half what a normal man could exhale. And just a few months before I could easily run 10 miles a day. Now I couldn't stand 15 minutes of cassual soccer.
Fast forward too today and nothing has changed, except the cough is gone. I have been sick for 8 years and I have suffered emotionally and mentally because of it. I tend to be more erratic than ever.
I frequently get constipation, and I'm always tired.
I tried the "Master Cleanse" Lemonade and Maplesyrup diet but I mixed this with a liver cleanse and got disastrous results that almost killed me. I couldn't eat or drink for 3 days.
I'm thinking of going on the master cleanse again since before I did the liver flush, the dark circles under my eyes went away. (these seem to be directly related to my constipation, and since I was only drinking lemonade, and doing a salt water flush, there wasn't much in my gut. The circles went away and my skin tone improved, but I only did this for 5 days.
I also read that a precursor to a "milk diet" is a lemonade diet, and I've heard the "milk diet" cures people who are suffering from wasting diseases.
However, even if I do these things, I'm scared to go back on my current diet. Its not that I eat really unhealthy, its just that I tend to get constipation. I eat oats or 2 eggs for breakfast, rice and lentils for lunch, and well, i actually tend to skip dinners or eat them erratically.
However, I know that my condition is not anorexia, because I have gone thru phases, even months, of eating as much healthy food as I can, and I don't gain 1 pound. I can eat pasta's, cheese cakes, everything, and it all goes straight thru me.
I've resolved to cure myself in 2005, and do whatever is necessary to do this. I am going to sleep more and sleep by 7 every night. That is my first resolve.
My job involves computers so I don't get alot of circulation. But I like to do yoga, I just have trouble maintaing a routine.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Sirus
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Sirus
| | Posted on Thursday, January 06, 2005 - 12:29 pm: | |
Oh yeah, i forgot to mention a few things.
I also drink milk
I am of vata constitution, and apparently suffering vata derangement.
And I have lots of dandruff now too.
|
MS
| | Posted on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 05:17 am: | |
Hi Ingrid,
i have been reading your article on Adrenal Exhaustion.
I am Male 34 , 5 10 height. probably have Kapha constitution. I am a computer professional. Since the age of 29 I have been experiencing highly reduced libido and ED.
I have been under tremendous stress since that time onwards. my stress continues for various reasons.
My skin seems sallow ( i am brown skinned)with under eye circles that do not seem to go away. I used to weigh 90 Kgs but some time back have managed to reduce to about 80 Kgs. The Tejas on my face has vanished and the spark in my eyes is lost. I have a case of excessive sweating even by normal tropical standards and dont seem to have the spring in my step that comes from high energy. ALso lately i feel my memory is weak and my mind has slowed down. Please advise.
Thanks
MS
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Buterfli
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 - 03:41 pm: | |
Hi, after doctor appointments to rule out other causes,I am wondering if this sounds like adrenal exhaustion to you:
I was suffering from extreme mental and emotional stress. One night in bed, my legs and left arm started tingling, like something was running through my body. The next morning, my entire buttocks was sore, as were my lymph nodes. For about two weeks, I had a constant burning/tingling feeling in my buttocks, back of my upper thighs, and then random pains in nonspecific areas in both legs. My tailbone hurt as well When I starting anti-anxiety meds, it started gradually going away.
Thoughts? |
Jamey Lacy
| | Posted on Friday, November 04, 2005 - 12:59 am: | |
hello Ingrid,
i am interested in having a consultation with you but wanted to let you know a little about my condition/health problems beforehand. I'm currently in critical situation as a result of taking high doses of prednisone which was prescribed several years ago for "unknown skin condition (possible unusual type of mites/scabies .. . although none have been identified or isolated).
I was later diagnosed with "rickettsia" a form of Lyme disease. I've been trying for 2 years to get off of the prednisone but it has been horrific. Was started on 100 mg/day (against my wishes while in hospital)but as I would taper, symptoms flared including; rashes and skin irritation, allergic reactions (respiratory and runny eyes/nose), and sudden and severe edema (would gain 20 pounds in 23 to 30 hours, which is about 1/5 my body weight). I'd end up having to up the prednisone.
Over the last year, I've gained 40 pounds, much of this is pit edema. I was formerly a competitive athlete and fitness leader (NEVER took steroids or performance enhancing drugs) and operated a successful wellness business for over 17 years, so it feels as if I'm wearing a bodysuit! The worst of this is that the prednisone has caused osteoporosis and I had spontaneous fractures in my right pelvic ring and sacrum, and most recently had to have surgery for cataracts!!!
I am down to 21 mg. prednisone/day but every time I lower even 1 mg. there are more symptoms. Of course it has done nothing to eliminate the rickettsia and I have all the symptoms of adrenal exhaustion.
I am in my forties and 2 1/2 years ago, I looked and felt 20 years younger than my biological age. I am not recognizable to friends or family members who have not seen me recently. I realize that my Spirit is Very Strong but my body has been through incredible challenges... Conventional/WESTERN physicians have so little ideas as to how to treat these conditions.
Have you any experience with patients with Lyme/rickettsia and, the simultaneous problem of the prednisone dependency? I know I need to find a way to eliminate the rickettsia (and other parasites from bloodstream), get completely off of steroids, and regenerate the organs, adrenals and immune system.
Do you think a consultation would be beneficial? I am grateful for any information that would help regain my health and life back. My family (husband, daughter, parents, etc. would also be so appreciative to see their wife, mom, daughter, granddaughter, aunt, etc. able bodied again!).
I am taking some antiparasitics including (tumeric and wormwood and also liquid licorice) and, too many conventional meds to list here.
I also wanted to mention that the skin rashes, itching, etc. are accompanied by unusual matter exiting from my skin which feels like splinters. Some medical professionals and lyme patients refer to this additional symptom as "morgellons"
I just know my work is not done here and I do not want to give in to disease.
Thank you for any input.
Jamey
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