This was not written by me, but it happens to be an incredible overview of the basics you should know when creating your protocol.
Everything I've learned about adrenal fatigue...
There is no "one thing" that will cure AF. The way I see it, the goal is to "support" our adrenals in as many ways as possible so our body can heal and re-balance itself. Each person needs to combine different components into a personalized recovery plan, similar to different musical instruments coming together to perform a symphony.
We all come here with different genetic constitutions and lifestyles. If you've only had mild AF for a couple months, then maybe all you need is good nutrition. But if you've had severe AF for many years, then you'll need more "tools" in your "toolbox".
One problem I see is people with mild AF giving advice to people with serious AF. (And people with high cortisol are giving advice to people with low cortisol.) I've been around the block a few times, and I've made all the mistakes in the book. I just want to share what I've learned and the various approaches you can take.
Some people have additional complications like mercury toxicity, chronic infection/virus, candida, etc. These need to be addressed as well (not necessarily all at the same time), in addition to treating our "regular AF."
LOW CORTISOL VS. HIGH CORTISOL
There's a lot of confusion surrounding AF because "adrenal fatigue" is a term that's used to describe both low cortisol AND high cortisol. However, they are completely different conditions, just as low blood sugar and high blood sugar are completely different, and hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are completely different. It's more accurate to use the terms "hypoadrenia" and "hyperadrenia".
First of all, forget about the "stages" of AF. These are just mental models that someone made up, and in my opinion, they serve no good. They only make us more paranoid. "OMG, am I in Stage 2 or Stage 3C or Stage 87XV$*FNB#!!!"
The only useful distinction to keep in mind is low cortisol vs. high cortisol, and you HAVE to determine which condition you have. I see some people on this forum trying to treat themselves without even knowing their cortisol levels, which is incredibly FOOLISH. Low cortisol and high cortisol can have similar symptoms, and if you don't know what you have, you're just shooting in the dark.
There are self-diagnostic tools available, such as the pupil test and blood pressure check, but the only way to know for sure is to do a 4x diurnal cortisol saliva test. A serum cortisol draw will show how much total bound cortisol you have, whereas a saliva test will show how much fractionated cortisol is actually active in your cells.
The cheapest source I've found is Canaryclub.org, who uses ZRT Labs as their fulfilling laboratory.
(Saliva tests are not 100% accurate. There are people who have had their cortisol levels show up at 0 all day, but if this were true, they would be dead. It seems that the true picture is somewhere between serum and saliva levels. However, this will help you get a sense of where you are.)
If you have high cortisol, count yourself lucky! It means that your adrenals are strong. And high cortisol is actually relatively easy to treat with a high-carb diet and adaptogenic herbs.
This is for us poor folks with low cortisol...
DIET
Trying to get healthy without eating healthy is like trying to make a pickle sandwich without pickles. Pretty much impossible!
The AF diet is not necessarily high-protein or high-fat, but you do need to eat enough protein and fat to balance your carb intake, so your blood sugar remains as stable as possible.
In her books, Dr. Diana Schwarzbein explains why AFers should eat balanced ratios of protein/fat/carbs at every meal. If we eat too many carbs in a meal, our insulin goes up too high and cortisol goes down. If we eat too much protein in a meal, our body releases adrenaline to process it. This is why you might feel "better" at first on a low-carb diet: the adrenaline is stimulating. However, it's not sustainable and will stress you out even more in the long run. (I ate a low-carb diet for 5 years, and I believe that it was a contributing factor to my AF.)
Everyone needs to eat according to their weight and activity, but she offers some general guidelines: around 120 grams of carbs, 60-90 grams of protein, with enough fat to round out your calories. Start here and find your own balance. Personally, I eat about 130-140 grams of carbs, 85 grams of protein, and 130-140 grams of fat per day. Try to eat at least 100 grams of carbs in order to prevent gluconeogenesis (when your body burns protein for fuel).
Some people feel better eating 5-6 small meals per day, and others feel better eating 3 normal meals per day.
Undereating is one of the WORST things you can do in AF. Don't stuff yourself until you're bloated, but make sure you get sufficient calories. I recommend using Nutritiondata.com to track your food.
If you're currently overweight, DON'T try to lose weight right now. Once your metabolism is healed, the weight will naturally come off.
I like to plan my meals so that I'm never really too hungry. The quality of your breakfast can determine how you feel for the entire day.
Eating healthy isn't enough to heal AF by itself, but it's the FIRST STEP. If you don't get your diet right and stick to it, it will be very very difficult to heal. You need to dedicate yourself like an athlete training for the Olympics.
No junk. No white flour. No white sugar. No industrial vegetable oils. No caffeine. No alcohol. No chocolate. Eat as much organic as you can afford, but don't obsess over it.
Learning to eat well is a lifelong study, but a good place to start is the website of the Weston A. Price Foundation: http://www.westonaprice.org/
If you've been eating Big Macs and Twinkies your whole life, this is going to seem like a huge hassle. But this is the FOUNDATION. And think about it... eating healthy is a skill you'll need for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.
"Eating is a necessity. Eating well is an art."
Some people recommend using digestive enzymes and betaine hcl to aid digestion, but personally, I'd rather not substitute something that my body can produce on its own. I would recommend simply staying away from foods that are especially tough for you to digest, like maybe red meat, for example.
High-quality meats and eggs. Organ meats, especially liver. Bone broths. Maybe some high-quality dairy if you can tolerate it. Lots of veggies, including root vegetables. Maybe some fruit. Maybe some grains if you can handle them. Everyone needs to find their own ideal diet.
Stay away from too much cold/raw food or cold drinks. Coldness is very hard on the adrenals. (I used to be a raw foodist.) Cook your food in butter, ghee, animal fat, or olive oil. Animal fat is very grounding! (Coconut oil stimulates the thyroid, which can be detrimental for AFers. Use it if you're ok with it.)
Drink enough water, but not TOO MUCH water. It's just extra work for the kidneys. Take 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (not refined salt) in water when you wake up, maybe another 1/4 teaspoon at noon. Low cortisol causes sodium depletion and potassium retention. Add as much salt to your food as you like.
Eat relaxed. Don't read, watch TV, or look at the clock while you eat. Be thankful! You may have AF, but at least you're not starving to death in Africa.
If you have severe digestive/gastrointestinal issues, you might need to go on a restricted diet for awhile, like the paleo diet or GAPS diet.
Food allergies are a controversial topic. If you have a severe allergic reaction to a food, obviously don't eat it. However, "food sensitivities" are a gray area. You can do an ELISA IgG test for delayed-response reactions to foods, but this is an unproven test. We don't want to make ourselves anymore paranoid than necessary, so I would simply suggest to avoid foods that give you obvious trouble.
VITAMINS
When it comes to vitamins, more is not better. We need to take enough to gently support our adrenals, but not so much that it stresses our body. Since AFers are sensitive, I think it's better to err on the side of caution.
Vitamins will not CURE your AF. In fact, you might not "feel" anything from them. But they are basic basic basic.
Vitamin C: Our adrenal glands need Vitamin C to produce cortisol. However, AF is not simply a "Vitamin C deficiency" like scurvy. Our adrenal glands are not empty gas tanks that need to be "filled up" with Vitamin C. I truly feel that Dr. Michael Lam has done a huge disservice by propagating the idea that AFers need mega-doses of Vitamin C. Just look at all the people who have been harmed by his program.
We need enough Vitamin C to support our adrenals, but not so much that it causes side effects. I think 1000-2500 mg per day is sustainable for most people. I use Twinlab C-Plus Citrus Bioflavonoids, since it comes with sufficient bioflavanoids.
In addition, you can also take small amounts of high Vitamin C food powders like acerola, camu camu, rosehips, and amla. (NOTE: Acerola powders are spray-dried onto a maltodextrin carrier, and many people get gastrointestinal issues from maltodextrin.) For awhile, I tried to get all of my Vitamin C from these food powders, but I couldn't keep doing it. They taste pretty nasty!
B-Vitamins: Vitamin B5 is the most important B-vitamin for the adrenal cascade, since it converts to acetyl CoA, which is required for turning glucose into energy (cortisol is a GLUCOcorticoid). Pantethine is a coenzymated form of pantothenic acid, which means your body has to do less work to convert it to Coenzyme A.
The entire B-complex is needed to make the whole process run smoothly (especially Vitamin B3 and Vitamin B6). Some practitioners recommend huge doses of B5 and forget about the other B-vitamins. Personally, I only take 300 mg of pantethine per day, with breakfast.
The easiest way to get the rest of the B-vitamins is through a B-complex. However, most AFers are sensitive to Vitamin B12, so you want a formula that has no more than 50-100 MCG (micrograms). Most formulas have 500-5000 mcg.
I like the B-50 complex from NOW Foods. It's cheap cheap cheap. You can take one with breakfast along with some pantethine.
If you want to try something fancier, you can go with the coenzymated B-vitamins. These are already in their metabolically-active form, so your liver doesn't have to convert them. But the problem is that the coenzymated B-complexes out there have too much B12.
So you can buy the individual coenzymated B1, B2, B3, and B6, from Source Naturals. 5-methyl-folate from Solgar. Get some PABA, inositol, choline, and biotin. You're basically "building" your own B-complex. I just started these a few days ago, and it's nothing miraculous, but there is a slight boost compared to a regular B-50.
Vitamin E: This vitamin doesn't play a direct role in the adrenal cascade, but it helps clean up the free radicals produced by hormone synthesis. Don't take more than 400 IU per day, since it can create hormone problems. I use Gamma E Complex from NOW Foods. You can also take 50 mg alpha lipoic acid and 100 mg grape seed extract for additional antioxidants. (Also look into EARTHING. http://earthinginstitute.net/)
Vitamins A & D: These vitamins don't play a direct role in the adrenals, but they're good on general heath principles. Most people today don't get enough. (Vegetables are NOT a good source of Vitamin A; it's only found in animal foods.)
You can get enough of these from a high-quality cod liver oil like Blue Ice or Garden of Life. (Most CLOs on the market have their natural vitamins removed and are fortified with synthetic vitamins.) Don't take too much cod liver oil or fish oil, since they're vasodilating, which is detrimental for AFers who tend to have low blood pressure. If you absolutely cannot stomach cod liver oil, you can get capsules filled with Vitamin A & D that has been extracted from fish oil (Carlson's is one brand).
REMEMBER TO TAKE YOUR VITAMINS WITH MEALS.
MINERALS
There's a lot of hype surrounding which forms of minerals are most absorbable, but the bottom line is that each person will do best with different forms. (Chelated minerals are supposedly the best kind, but many people get bad side effects from them.)
Magnesium: Magnesium is such an important mineral because it helps create energy in our cells. Take at least 400 mg/day, but you can take more if you'd like. I take 600 mg/day. If you take too much, you'll get loose bowels. It seems that some people are sensitive to magnesium citrate, including myself. I like magnesium malate, which has the added benefits of malic acid. (Malic acid is part of the citric acid cycle, supplying cellular energy and decreasing pain.)
Calcium: You need calcium to balance magnesium, and it helps calm the mind. In general, AFers do best with a 2:1 calcium:magnesium ratio. So if you take 400 mg magnesium, take 800 mg calcium. I use CCM Calcium from Souce Naturals, which is a blend of calcium citrate and calcium malate.
Zinc: Zinc is needed for optimal adrenal function. Women can take 15-25 mg/day, and men can take up to 50 mg/day. (Men need more to keep our little guys healthy.) Zinc gluconate and zinc citrate are popular forms. I tried zinc picolinate, but it made my teeth really sensitive.
These are just basic recommendations! Everybody has different needs.
REMEMBER TO TAKE YOUR MINERALS WITH MEALS.
You can get a mineral hair test, but they're not an exact science. I had a hair test done through Analytical Research Labs last month, just to try it, but I'm not planning on going with their recommended supplements. Hair levels don't necessarily correlate with body stores, so there's a lot of room for interpretation. There ARE some people who have had good results with them, so you can go that route if so desired.
HERBS
99% of the information out there concerning adrenal fatigue and herbs is wrong wrong wrong. And it's a shame.
First of all, "adaptogenic herbs" DO NOT help people with low cortisol. This is misinformation that's been repeated so many times that practitioners think it's true. It just goes to show you that most health practitioners are parrots who simply repeat what they hear.
Adaptogenic herbs like ginseng, eleuthero, ashwaganda, rhodiola, maca, cordyceps, and schizandra, LOWER cortisol. That is why they're so effective for people with HIGH cortisol.
People say that adaptogens can both lower and raise cortisol, but this is NOT true. Anyone with low cortisol can easily prove this by trying adaptogens; it may make them feel "something" at first, but it will eventually cause them to crash.
It makes sense, if you think about it. How could a plant do both? How could it figure out whether you have low cortisol or high cortisol? These are not magical alien computerized plants from Alpha Centurai!
Stay away from any herbal formula that has "adaptogen" or "adrenal" in its name. These are for HIGH cortisol.
Licorice root can mimic the effect of cortisol in our body, which is why some practitioners use it. However, it has the same side effects of cortisol supplementation, including water retention and electrolyte imbalance. Not only that, but there's no proof that long-term use of licorice actually HEALS the adrenals. It seems to be something that needs to be taken continuously.
http://www.jacemedical.com/store/licorice1.html
This is an interview with Dr. Baschetti, who popularized the idea of treating chronic fatigue with licorice extract. He says that licorice needs to be taken for the rest of your life.
There ARE some people who say that they've been helped by licorice, so you can try it, but in my opinion, there are better alternatives.
If you want to use an herbal approach, go with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). I know what you're thinking... "But they didn't even know about the adrenal glands!" Not necessarily. The ancient Chinese were very aware of the endocrine system, but they just had different names for it. And they believed that the endocrine system was the most important determiner of health, something that western medicine is just beginning to realize.
Adrenal fatigue can be correlated to the TCM condition of kidney yin deficiency, along with some kidney yang deficiency and spleen qi deficiency. Over thousands of years, they've figured out herbal combinations that can support low adrenal states. (For example, rehmannia has been shown in rat studies to raise cortisol.)
Don't expect a "quick fix" from tonic herbs. Think of them as deeply nourishing your depleted system. It will take time to appreciate the effects.
You can find a local acupuncturist/herbalist and get a custom formula. But it's expensive, and there's no guarantee that they'll prescribe the correct herbs. Make sure you find one who speaks English.
This woman seems to know what she's doing, and she offers consultations.
http://www.agelessherbs.com/chineseherbsfor/adrenalexhaustion.html
Or you can join the Yahoo group Adrenal-Fatigue and follow their recommendations.
(Traditional Chinese formulas may contain tiny amounts of adaptogenic herbs, but this is okay. You need to stay away from the modern "adrenal" formulas that have large amounts of adaptogens.)
GLANDULARS
Glandulars are a tricky topic, since there are many different kinds.
The theory is that taking glandulars can supply the raw materials to help regenerate our own glands.
Whole glandulars are the most common kind, and they're made by taking whole adrenal glands from a cow or pig, freeze-drying them, and putting the powder in a pill. Not only does it have the concentrated tissues, but it also contains the hormones in the adrenal medulla and adrenal cortex, including adrenaline. This is why some people can be sensitive to them. Dr. Brian Neville, who runs the Clymer Healing Center and specializes in treating AF, prefers this kind of glandular. He uses Mil-Adregen from Miller Pharmacal Group.
Adrenal cortex glandulars are freeze-dried concentrates of just the adrenal cortex. Isocort is the most well-known brand. Since it doesn't contain the catecholamines from the adrenal medulla, it has a gentler effect. People use this as a "natural" form of cortisol supplementation. However, as with hormone replacement, there's no guarantee that it will actually "heal" your own adrenals in the long run. It also has the same side effects as cortisol supplementation, such as immune suppression (which is why Isocort contains immune-stimulating herbs like echinacea).
Adrenal cortex extract is a liquid extract of the adrenal cortex. Supposedly it has only very tiny amounts of hormones and more of the "rebuilding" factors. American Biologics is one of the only companies that still makes it.
Adrenal Protomorphogen extracts are made by Standard Process, one of the oldest supplement companies still around.
http://www.standardprocess.com/display/StandardProcessCatalog.spi?ID=63
Sarcodes are homeopathic extracts of adrenal glands. These remedies are not in accordance with the principles of classical homeopathy. However, as with all of these products, SOME people have said that they helped.
Adrenal Rebuilder is a multi-glandular product made by Dr. James Wilson. Supposedly it's been processed to remove all the hormones, but according to people's experiences, there are still small amounts remaining. (I always wondered exactly how they could remove all the hormones.)
Atrium, a Canadian pharmaceutical company, manufactures specialized adrenal/stem cell extracts that come in frozen vials. They're sold in the US under the brand names NatCell and XtraCell.
If you're really rich, you can go to Europe and do live cell therapy, where they inject fresh adrenal cells from an animal fetus directly into your body. But it's very expensive, supposedly around $10,000 per treatment.
From what I've seen, glandulars produce very inconsistent results. There's no telling what kind of effects you'll get. However, if you find one that works for you, it can be a useful asset in your recovery. As with any supplement, make sure you start low and slow.
NEUROTRANSMITTERS / AMINO ACIDS
I feel that balancing our neurotransmitters is JUST AS important as balancing our hormones. However, don't believe the people who say that "AF is just in your head" and that fixing your brain is all you need to do. This is just ONE component of a comprehensive approach.
Dr. Bryan Walsh talks about this, but his advice is haphazard and impractical. Plus, there is no "one size fits all" program for AFers. We all have different imbalances. (For example, a common myth is that AFers have too much adrenaline. However, I have low cortisol AND low adrenaline.)
If you have the money, the best approach is to do a urine amino acids test and urine organic acids test. (I did my UAA through Doctor's Data and my UOA through Metametrix.) These are hugely valuable tests that will show your levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and GABA, and much more. There are several companies who offer saliva and urine neurotransmitter testing, but I don't have any personal experience with them.
If you can't afford the testing, I would recommend buying Julia Ross' book The Mood Cure. There뭩 s quiz you can take to get a general picture of what you might be lacking. However, getting tested is always the best way.
Some experts estimate that 80% of Americans have a neurotransmitter imbalance due to our stress-filled society. Chronic stress depletes the levels of our neurotransmitters.
To boost serotonin, you can take 5-HTP or L-tryptophan. These supply the raw material that serotonin is manufactured from. 5-HTP seems to be preferred by most practitioners, but some people don't do well with it, so tryptophan is another option. In rare occasions, a person who can't take either of these can try St. John's Wort. SJW doesn't provide as many benefits as 5-HTP or tryptophan, but it still helps.
I think one reason why AFers have trouble sleeping is low serotonin, since sufficient serotonin is needed to make melatonin.
To boost dopamine, you can take L-phenylalanine.
To boost norepinephrine, you can take L-tyrosine.
To boost GABA, you can take GABA.
These are the major ones.
(These are all amino acids, and you need to take them on an EMPTY STOMACH for them to work. Everybody's dose will be DIFFERENT. You need to experiment and find what works for YOU. Dopamine and norepinephrine are excitatory neurotransmitters, and too much of them will harm AFers. Personally, I only take them once a week.)
The urine amino acids test will indicate the levels of your other amino acids, and you can supplement what you're lacking. (For example, cysteine is an amino acid that's required for the conversion of Coenzyme A.)
This isn't just about treating the adrenals. We need to take a "whole body" approach and provide as much support as possible.
Exercise will also help to naturally re-balance your neurotransmitters!
EXERCISE
I used to believe that if I just rested enough, then one day I would miraculously wake up fully cured, with the birds singing and sun shining, like a Disney movie. But now I think that treating AF is like treating a broken leg. You need to rest at first to begin the healing process, but eventually you need to slowly strengthen the leg with small amounts of stress.
If you have absolutely no energy, don't force yourself to exercise. When I was at my worst, I literally did nothing except lie in bed all day. But as you start improving, you need to exercise correctly to help "wake up" your body.
The worst kind of exercise for AF is anything aerobic, even walking. I recommend walking for only 10-15 minutes at a time, preferably outside. (Make sure you bundle up! Cold weather is very hard on the adrenals.)
The best kind of exercise for AF is strength training, because it actually RAISES cortisol. (That's why bodybuilders tend to get high cortisol.)
I'm not talking about going to the gym and bench pressing 500 pounds. If you're a woman, you can get 3-pound weights and do exercises with those. Personally, I like to do bodyweight exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, squats, bridges, etc.
You need to be careful to not EXHAUST yourself! Many of us got AF because we were too ambitious and pushed ourselves too hard! We need to learn our limits.
If you feel tired after exercising, you did too much. You should feel energized and happier. Even just a few sets throughout the day can do wonders.
Yoga can be seen as a form of strength training, and the deep breathing that goes along with it is greatly healing for AF.
I usually walk outside for 10-15 minutes, 2-3 times a day. 20 minutes of light yoga/stretching in the morning, and 20 minutes of strength training in the afternoon.
Some people recommend that AFers do deep breathing exercises, but I don't think this is a good idea.
If you're feeling stressed out, taking a few deep breaths can help. But doing "deep breathing exercises" is very ungrounding. You'll get enough deep breathing through correct exercise.
HOW TO CREATE YOUR PERSONAL PLAN
Don't just buy 30 different supplements and start them all on the same day!
Patience is key. We need to take it slowly.
Start one supplement at a time, so you can notice its effects. Start with low doses.
It takes 1-2 days for a supplement to wash out from your body. So let's say you've been taking 1000 mg of Vitamin C, and on Tuesday morning you decide to try 1500 mg. And it gives you side effects. You need to wait until Thursday or Friday morning before starting Vitamin C again, or else the side effects will keep on building up.
It may take a few months just to put everything together. It will take time.
So many people just keep on jumping from one bandwagon to the next! This isn't a linear process where you get a little better every day. There are ups and downs.
Keep a daily journal. Nothing fancy. I just use Excel. I keep track of what supplements I take everyday and the amounts, how my sleep was, how my bowel movement was, how my energy was, anything unusual, etc. When you're taking many different supplements, it can be difficult to determine what causes side effects.
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Phosphatidylserine LOWERS cortisol.
Relora LOWERS cortisol.
DHEA and pregnenelone sound great on paper but rarely work out in real life. There is no way of predicting which hormones that your body will manufacture from them, and it depends on your genetics, liver enzymes, etc. If you decide to try them, please read up so you know about all the possible side effects. As with other hormones, there is no guarantee that supplementation will actually heal your adrenals.
Hydrocortisone supplementation, even in so-called "physiological doses" of 20-30 mg/day, can create the same side effects of high cortisol, such as immune suppression, bone thinning, etc. If you start HC, you may never be able to stop it. In my opinion, the only people who should be taking HC are Addison's patients. It's one option you can take, but please be careful.
Stay away from SSRIs and other psychiatric drugs.
Thyroid meds are needed if you have Hashimoto's or if there's something physically wrong with your thyroid. However, I feel that thyroid meds are over-prescribed because hypothyroidism can be caused by a myriad of factors. People with AF automatically have some degree of hypothyroidism, but thyroid meds are not always needed. Many hormones will balance themselves out when the adrenals are healed. Low cortisol hinders the conversion of T4 to T3, and it can also prevent T3 from entering the cells.
Mega-doses of iodine (Lugol's, potassium iodide, nascent iodine, etc.) have been used therapeutically for certain conditions like breast cancer. However, I don't think that the average person needs to be filled up with iodine, especially Hashimoto's patients. It's a big fad in some medical circles, but I think it's over-prescribed. I experimented with it for 6 months, and I would not recommend it for most people.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO RECOVER?
I wish I could tell you, but I'm not fully cured yet. However, the average seems to be 6-24 months. (That's 6-24 months AFTER you find the right plan.)
So if I'm not cured yet, why am I giving people advice? Because I've been through it all and seen it all, and as far as I know, no one has ever compiled all of this information in one place.
I chuckle when I read some of the posts here because most of you have no idea what SEVERE adrenal fatigue looks like. At my worst, I was literally bed-ridden. I used to shower only once a month because it was too hard. I couldn't go outside because even light wind bothered me. Bright lights hurt my eyes. I could barely talk. I looked so bad that if I ever had to go out in public, random people would come up to me and ask if I was okay. My adrenals crashed 3 years ago due to the recommendations of an incompetent doctor, and I almost died.
After all this misery, I've put all the pieces together just in the past couple months, and I'm seeing real improvement. I can go the whole day without having to lay down once. I exercise. I walk outside in the snow. I play piano. I draw. I meditate for 4 hours a day. I read interesting books. I laugh. I smile. I spend as little time on the computer as possible. I feel like a "human" again! If I had to, I could probably work an easy part-time job.
I'm not doing "great" yet, but I'm doing "good." My sleep still sucks. I look tired. I have no sex drive. It will probably be at least 6 months before I'm fully 100% again, physically, mentally, and emotionally, but I no longer need "hope." I "know" that my body will be healed.
I'm 26 years old. While I've been battling AF, my friends have been building careers, getting married, having kids, and traveling around the world. But you know what? None of that matters. Because AF has given me something that so few people have: an appreciation for life.
It sounds so corny, right? But this experience has truly been a wonderful gift. The life I was living before this was complete BS. Now I know what truly matters. I feel like AF has given me a "second chance" at life.
RECOMMENDED READING
(Don't follow any of these word-for-word. They are just guides.)
Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome by Dr. James Wilson
Chronic Fatigue Unmasked 2000 by Dr. Gerald Poesnecker
The Schwarzbein Principle II by Dr. Diana Schwarzbein
The Mood Cure by Julia Ross
The Healing Nutrients Within by Dr. Eric Braverman
http://www.drlam.com/articles/adrenal_fatigue.asp
http://www.drlwilson.com/Articles/adrenal_burnout.htm
