Even when you have faithfully followed the adrenal recovery program in this book, there are several factors that can prevent it from working completely. So if you have been using this program for more than 2 months but you are still having difficulty recovering, read this chapter and take the steps recommended here. As a first step, review the recovery program you have been following for the past two months, using the following as a guide.
Body Burdens
A body burden is any problem that negatively affects your body and continues to drain your overall health. An undiscovered body burden is the most likely culprit when you are not progressing as well as you should in your program and can be one of the largest obstacles to full recovery. Body burdens originate from many different internal or external sources ranging from a chronic, untreated sub-acute infection, to a poorly ventilated work place. (See illustration “Body Burdens Related to Adrenal Fatigue”). Generally speaking, your adrenals have difficulty recovering when you have any significant physical or emotional body burden because they are sensitive glands that are especially vulnerable to the biochemical imbalances caused by such stresses.
Finding the body burden(s) requires you to become like a private detective looking for clues. Begin by reviewing the events listed in your “Health History Time Line” around the onset of your adrenal fatigue. Recall how you felt after each event, writing down the specific signs and symptoms. Compare those with the ones you are experiencing now. The event(s) that produced the symptoms and signs most similar to those you are currently suffering from is the likeliest source of the body burden(s), especially if you did not fully recover from that event. Below are some examples of body burdens.
Recurrent respiratory infections -Although this has been mentioned in previous sections, recurrent respiratory infections are one of the most significant body burdens hampering recovery from adrenal fatigue. It is often necessary to treat the respiratory infection as well as the adrenal fatigue before the adrenals can recover. When the adrenals have recovered, immune resistance increases enough to decrease or eliminate the recurrent respiratory infections. To support your adrenals and help your immune system overcome its susceptibility to respiratory infection, follow the guidelines in Chapter 15 on dietary supplements, with special attention to your vitamin C intake. The “Taz” soup given on page 93 was specifically designed to help people with adrenal fatigue recover from an infectious illness. In addition, there is a unique product called Nat-Stim that was developed in Bulgaria that is especially valuable in this situation. Check the website for sources.
Dental problems – Another common source of body burdens is the mouth. This includes tooth abscesses, cracked or decayed teeth, root canals with sub-acute infections, periodontitis, gingivitis and other gum infections, improperly extracted teeth with smoldering infections in the socket where the tooth used to be, mercury fillings leaking into the body (mercury directly suppresses cortisol levels), dental materials that provoke sensitivities, and poor dental work that irritates the teeth, gums or inside of the cheek. Unresolved dental problems are common but often unrecognized sources of stress and adrenal fatigue. The use of mercury amalgams has been a continual, yet vehemently denied, source of toxicity. Mercury is a specific toxin of the adrenals, directly suppressing adrenal hormone output. If you see in your history that your symptoms started within a few months of having particular dental work, the dental work might be an important factor in restoring your health, as any one of these dental problems can hamper your ability to heal. It would be best to have your teeth checked by a dentist who does not use amalgam (silver) fillings and who practices dentistry with an awareness of the importance of the mouth and teeth to overall health. Unfortunately, most dental schools do not provide much training in the specific ways and means by which your mouth tremendously influences your total health or in methods of inspecting and treating your mouth and teeth within this total body context. They also do not typically include instruction about individual sensitivities to dental materials or the use of alternative safe materials. To find out more about the importance of your teeth and gums to the health of your whole body or for a list of some holistic dentists check our website.
Rick was a man in his mid 70’s who had suffered a myriad of health problems for several decades. He was forced to change dentists because he moved. Upon his initial examination, the new dentist told him he thought Rick’s teeth were causing or adding to many of his health problems. They agreed upon an extensive therapy that included removal of cracked teeth, treating diseased gums and removing the silver fillings under his gold crowns. Each time he came home from the dentist, Rick saw positive changes. His foggy thinking cleared, his memory improved, his writing went through a transformation of lucidity he had never experienced. Rick reported his energy was back to what it had been 20 years ago. Removing the body burdens in his mouth brought new life into this man.
Kristin was a woman in her mid 40’s who was suffering from mild ad- renal fatigue. Knowing quite a lot about adrenal fatigue, she decided that an infection below one of her wisdom teeth was producing a body burden. She consulted a dentist who agreed that the area needed sur- gery. The area below the tooth was indeed infected and the surgery successfully cleared the infection. Although the surgery was successful, Kristin was knocked flat by the trauma of the surgery. Her adrenals were in no shape to support this kind of stress on her body. When she first consulted me, it had been over two years since the dental surgery and she still had not recovered. Kristin’s case is a good example of the reduction in ability to handle stress experienced by people already suffering from adrenal fatigue. Any major additional stress (such as surgery) can pull them down further and keep them there until the right therapy is applied.
Jackie was a woman in her mid 40’s who suffered from adrenal fatigue for many years. During our initial consult, Jackie told me that her symptoms of adrenal fatigue and migraines started almost 20 years ago. Upon examining her case history more closely, she realized her symptoms started within 2 months after a very painful and slow heal- ing wisdom tooth extraction. Jackie was referred to an alternative minded dental surgeon who detected a chronic but subtle infection at the site of the extraction. The dentist reopened the smoldering wound, cleaned the site and closed the wound. Within a month Jackie was a different person. Her adrenal fatigue and migraines were gone. Her life had taken a sudden leap forward and she never looked back. Tis- sue samples of the area revealed good cause for her suffering. Two different kinds of bacteria were growing in the old socket. Eliminating this body burden changed her life.
Intestinal Dysbiosis - An imbalance in the microorganisms of the intestines called intestinal dysbiosis is another common body burden. The healthy intestines normally contain over 400 different kinds of microorganisms, all living in a delicate balance within their own ecosystem. This balance can become disturbed and produce symptoms ranging from vague and mild intestinal upsets to debilitating fatigue and intolerance to food and/or environmental substances. The use of antibiotics and other antimicrobial medications is frequently the immediate trigger for such imbalances. The antibiotics kill not only the disease causing bacteria, but also the good bacteria in your intestinal tract that are a necessary part of intestinal health. When the good bacteria are killed, harmful bacteria, fungi, yeast, and other ill doers have the opportunity to move in and take over. It is the abundance of these detrimental microorganisms growing out of proportion that creates the problem. A lack of vegetables, fruit, and fiber combined with an over abundance of fats, sugary products and refined foods in the diet of the industrialized nations have predisposed us to intestinal dysbiosis. This kind of diet creates an internal intestinal environment that favors the growth of harmful bacteria, fungi, mold, and occasionally parasites that are detrimental to the body. In such an environment, unwanted microorganisms such as Candida albicans become dominant in the intestines, overwhelming the friendly bacteria. This imbalance in the intestinal microorganism can exist for years, creating vague intestinal symptoms, but also many symptoms of adrenal fatigue, particularly mental depression, fatigue and foggy memory. Friendly bacteria are necessary and are responsible for breaking down bile from the gall bladder, metabolizing some food stuff, and manufacturing certain vitamins like vitamin K and some of the B vitamins (especially vitamin B12). They also help keep the pH of the bowel at the right level for continued growth of friendly bacteria.
Several special, relatively inexpensive urine, bowel, breath and blood tests detect intestinal dysbiosis. Usually these tests can determine both the microorganisms causing the problem, and the most effective natural and pharmaceutical treatments to eliminate them. There are an increasing number of alternative and main stream physicians who have become aware of this common problem. I have found the best way to find a doctor experienced in treating intestinal dysbiosis is to call and simply ask if the doctor has had training in treating intestinal dysbiosis. If you get a vague or indefinite response, keep looking for one that responds with an unequivocal “yes” to your question. If you cannot find a doctor in your area, there is now a significant amount of information on the Internet. Our website has some specific information on the diagnosis and treatment of this problem.
Lack of Fresh, Good Quality Food –The lack of good quality food in your diet is most definitely a major body burden. There is no vitamin pill that is an adequate substitute to provide all the building blocks from which your cells are made. Food is the beginning and the sustaining element of adrenal recovery. Without it your recovery will be slower or in complete, no matter what else you do.
Food Allergies and Sensitivities – One reason so much space in this book was devoted to food allergies and sensitivities is because they represent such a common, but unrecognized, body burden. I have seen people lose jobs, destroy relationships or sink into chronic poor health because of food sensitivities. Only after they came into my office and used my diagnostic protocol did they realize that the reasons for their bad temper, intolerance, anti-social tendencies, general malaise or health problems were due to food sensitivities and adrenal fatigue. Food allergies and sensitivities are easily treated and their remedy can result in dramatic improvement in adrenal function. However, subtle food allergies and sensitivities can be difficult to find unless you are willing to take the time and make the effort to really look. All the tools you need to do this are in Chapter 14.
Sub-acute or Chronic Sub-clinical Infections –A tip-off to the presence of sub-acute infections is that none of the therapies that should work are working. If this is true in your case, you will probably find a clue to the origins of the infection in your “Health History Timeline” around “the last time I felt well” entry. Over the years I have seen a variety of patients who were suffering from what are termed sub-acute or chronic sub-clinical infections. These are infections that remain below the point of causing overt illness but continually smolder and chronically pull down the health of their host. The appendix, tonsils, gall bladder, gums, teeth, intestinal tract and areas that are tender or remain tender after surgery (including dental surgery) are the most common foci of sub-acute infections. The blood picture sometimes shows a mildly elevated (11,000-15,000 cu.mm.) or decreased (< 3,000 cu.mm) number of white blood cells.
The following is a list of blood test results that may indicate the presence of a sub-acute or chronic sub-clinical infection (if they are present in repeated blood tests over several weeks or month). You can ask your doctor to have these tests run and, although they need to be interpreted by a knowledgeable physician, you can obtain your own copies of your results to look at yourself.
Increased or decreased white blood cell count
Mildly increased sedimentation rate (ESR)
Increased total serum globulin
Increased lymphocytes
Increased LDH isoenzyme #1
Decreased lymphocytes with neutrophils increased = chronic bacterial infection
Increased lymphocytes with neutrophils decreased = chronic viral infection
Incomplete Recovery from Anesthesia - I have had a number of patients come in for a consultation because they never felt the same again after having surgery, especially gall bladder surgery. Early in my practice, I discovered that the anesthetics used in surgery can be especially debilitating to some individuals. The liver seems to suffer the most in these sensitive people. In each case, I had the person do a liver cleanse and take large amounts of deodorized Kyolic garlic for 2 to 3 months. All fully recovered. Once the liver was attended to, they were on their way to a healthier life. Some of these patients had been functioning at “half mast” for more than ten years, but after only a few weeks of a simple treatment directed towards the cause of their problem, they were able to fully recover.
Lack of Sleep - Lack of sleep is a common sign of both low and high cortisol levels. It can be a significant body burden. In fact it ranks with diet and regular exercise as an essential component of a healthy life. Chronic lack of sleep is now regarded as a health hazard and has been associated with several health conditions. These include decreased immunity with increased susceptibility to infections, impaired glucose tolerance, and decreased morning cortisol levels that cause cravings for carbohydrates even when enough calories have been consumed. Lack of sleep can also increase circulating estrogen levels, upsetting the hormonal balance. This is in addition to the decreased alertness and concentration that most people experience when missing an inordinate amount of sleep. Lack of sleep can slow healing and prolong the period of recovery. The bottom line is that it is necessary to sleep an average of eight hours per day. Some of my patients have needed even more in the beginning phases of recovery. If you have difficulty sleeping, consult the section in Chapter 12 on sleep again.
“Sick Building” Syndrome -This term, coined a number of years ago, refers to buildings that make people sick due to characteristics of their construction. It may be the building materials, the lighting, the heating, the cooling or the ventilation, but what ever the cause, an inordinate number of people who live or work in the building become ill. These are often illnesses with rather nondescript or vague symptom pictures. Note the date your symptoms started and compare it to the date you moved into a building, began working in a new building, etc. If your symptoms began or increased within 6 months of being in a new environment, be suspicious of the building as a possible cause. If you discover that a number of people have also become ill, suspect sick building syndrome or a related cause. If you notice that you feel especially tired after being in a particular building, such as where you live or work, it may also be due to “sick building” syndrome. OSHA is aware of this phenomenon as are some unions. There are sometimes relatively simple and inexpensive solutions such as increasing the number of green plants in the work area, or placing negative ion generators either in the work area or in the ventilation system. The amount of fresh air or the number of times the exchange of air takes place per hour in the building can also be increased. But most of the time it is easier to leave if you are suffering from “sick building” syndrome than to go through the hassle and red tape of making the building “people friendly.” Sometimes it is just not feasible. If you are also suffering from adrenal fatigue, the last thing you need is a new battle. Leave the sick building, get yourself well and then see what you can do about the building.
Living or Working in Toxic Fumes –If you are living or working in an area where you are breathing toxic fumes, this can be more than an unpleasant inconvenience. Buildings with poorly ventilated gas furnaces or stoves, paint or chemical fumes, carbon monoxide from auto exhaust, industrial pollution, petroleum plants, or pesticide and herbicide sprays are examples of toxic environments. These problems are not just found in the large cities. Part of the reason for the high cancer rates and other health problems in farmers is the number of toxic chemicals they expose themselves to in tending to their crops. If you find yourself in a toxic environment, leave the environment. The average business is too invested in saving money to do much to help clean up the air. Once again, save yourself first. After you are breathing fresh air and have recovered your health, then you will be in better shape to help change the air. If you think you have become ill by living or working in a toxic environment, seek the help of a clinical ecologist (a doctor who specializes in recovery from toxic substances). A good place to start is to contact the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) (www.aaem.com or 316-684-5500).
Lack of Fresh Air –If you live or work in an environment that does not provide a continual source of fresh air, it will constantly pull your health down and keep you from full recovery. Increased ventilation, negative ion generators, ozone generators, increased turnover of air, opening windows, and placing green plants in the work place can greatly increase the quality of air. Stale air usually has decreased oxygen content. Everyone knows we need oxygen to live. The less oxygen you have, the less efficient are your body processes. Many of the reactions in the biochemical cascade of adrenal hormone production require a rich source of oxygen. It is now possible to obtain personal fresh air generators designed to sit on an office desk. These generators filter the air and inject it with ozone and negative ions, making the area around you much more pleasant to be in and furnishing better air for breathing. They are definitely worth getting, especially if you are in a poorly ventilated or polluted environment. But if possible, change where you work or live to somewhare that provides fresh air.
The Thyroid - Adrenal Connection - It has been known for over half a century that about 80% of those suffering from adrenal fatigue also have a number of symptoms of low thyroid. If your adrenal fatigue has a thyroid component, it is usually necessary to strengthen both the adrenals and the thyroid simultaneously for full recovery to take place.
The thyroid is another endocrine gland sensitive to the effects of stress. Unlike the adrenals that have many functions, the thyroid has one major function, to control the rate at which energy is produced in the individual cells of the body. However, getting your thyroid function tested has the same disadvantages as testing for adrenal function using blood tests; marginally low thyroid function does not show up on these standard tests. Compounding the problem, insurance companies have limited thyroid testing to only one test (the TSH) instead of allowing a wider range of thyroid blood tests that could give more information.
There are some observations, though, that you can make yourself to determine if your thyroid may be low. Although these are not precise or conclusive, I have found them valuable clinical indicators that make me suspect thyroid function to be lower than optimal. A list of these follows:
If approximately half of the above indicators are present, then you may have a low thyroid component to your adrenal fatigue. If so, there are several possible solutions. Both your adrenals and thyroid are ultimately regulated in similar ways by a gland called the hypothalamus (see Chapter 22 for the relationship of the adrenals to the hypothalamus). Taking a hypothalamus extract may help normalize your thyroid as well as your adrenal function when they need a little fine-tuning. Sometimes your thyroid only requires the addition of a nutritional supplement containing the proper nutrients in a form that can be easily absorbed and utilized efficiently by the thyroid. This usually allows the thyroid to rebound in 2-3 months. Check the website for suggestions on natural thyroid supplements.
Note that both of these glands are very sensitive to and easily undermined by body burdens. If low thyroid seems to be a factor in your adrenal fatigue, check for body burdens again before doing anything else.
The above are only some of the body burdens that can continually compromise your health without your knowledge. Once again, the key to determining underlying body burdens is to look at your “Health History Time Line”. Note any things that occurred within a few months of the onset of your adrenal fatigue. Once the body burden is discovered, find a way to limit or remove it. Just because they are sometimes difficult to isolate or treat, does not mean they are not important. The real detective never gives up until the crime is resolved.