Adrenal Exhaustion the Signature of Stress

by: Dave Cowan

In Chinese Medicine, the adrenal kidney complex is looked at as a single energetic unit and is the source of ‘chi’. Think of them as the ‘battery’ of the body. They say that this battery is 50% rechargeable, which means you can exhaust it to a point, and by resting and rejuvenation, your body will naturally recharge. Maybe this is the intelligence behind resting on the 7th day. However, if we push ourselves beyond normal exhaustion, we may get a ‘second wind’ of energy, but at this point we re dipping into our non-rechargeable half of the battery. It’s like spending your capital sure, it’s negotiable currency, but you are spending your future energy.

The adrenals are little glands perched atop our kidneys. Without them, our bodies could not adapt to stress. I once knew a schoolteacher who relied on caffeine to get him through his workday for his entire career. Caffeine and sugar are the two worst dietary adrenal stressors, by the way. By the time he retired, his adrenals were ‘toast’, and he was on medication on which his life depended. Animal researchers sometimes use dogs whose adrenals have been removed (for what, I can’t imagine). They have to be very careful with these dogs, however, because one slam of a door can kill them!

Both under active and exhausted adrenals are prime signatures of chronic stress. A combination of poor adrenal nutrition in the first place along with accumulated, habitual stress responses conspire to exhaust our batteries, sometimes beyond repair.

Under chronic stress, the adrenals can become overactive (hyperadrenia). Symptoms and conditions associated with hyperadrenia include:

• Males:
  Muscular ‘square’ build, baldness, and excess body hair

• Females:
  Excess body hair
  Unusual physical strength
  Puffy face fluid retention
  Rapid Pulse
  High Blood Pressure

Over time, the adrenals may become exhausted, again due to chronic stress and poor nutritional support. Low adrenals are 80% more likely to occur than hyperadrenia, as the latter often turns into the former. Symptoms of hypoadrenia can include:

• Excess neck, head and shoulder tension




• Sensitivity to bright lights




• Unusual craving for salt




• ‘Lump’ in the throat when upset




• Must lie down when stressed or upset




• Allergies esp. skin, inhalant, asthma




• Form goose bumps easily




• Excess perspiration, ‘cold sweats’




• High pitched voice when stressed




• Easily startled by noise, heart ‘pounds’

The adrenals themselves have an inner core, or ‘medulla’, and an outer layer called the cortex. The medulla is directly affected by Stress and the sympathetic Nervous System (‘gas pedal’). The cortex produces hormones that affect almost all bodily systems. Because of this strong stress link, issues like chronic anxiety, fear, anger and hyper vigilance can lead to adrenal exhaustion. The emotional correlates here would be chronic defeatism, feeling overpowered, self-neglect, self anger (depression) and lack of self-approval. Knowing this points to the importance of considering adrenal exhaustion and supporting adrenal regeneration when dealing with these emotional themes.

A more serious condition, Addison’s disease, is associated with chronic under-secretion of adrenal hormones. Excess secretion of the same, often caused by a benign tumor on the pituitary, can lead to Cushing’s Syndrome. This condition may show as masculinization in young women as well as other metabolic disturbances.

Low adrenals may also induce a form of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar due to deficient hormones to maintain proper levels of blood sugar. There is also a strong link between low adrenals and menopausal symptoms, as the overworked and undernourished glands fail to be able to compensate for the natural reduction in female hormones.

It is very important to support the adrenals nutritionally. Just treating them energetically can put increased demands on a gland already struggling to keep up. Here are some suggestions:

Main dietary stressors: sugar, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco.

Vitamin B5 pantothenic acid. Depletion of this nutrient is probably the biggest contributor to atrophy (shrinkage) of the gland. During the therapeutic phase, consider 500 mg 3 times a day for 2 or 3 weeks, them return to one a day.

As it is unwise to supplement a single ‘B’ vitamin which can create imbalances in the other B’s; add a good multi B in the range of 100mg each B. B vitamins are water soluble, and we lose them daily.

Also deal with stress awareness and stress management / reduction techniques such as exercise, meditation, and ample leisure and regeneration time. The body will heal itself if we remove the stressors and supply the nutrients.