Dr. Weyrich's Naturopathic Functional Medicine Notebook is a collection of information on topics of interest to Dr. Weyrich that may be of interest to the world wide audience. Due to limitations of time, not all information that Dr. Weyrich knows or would like to further research is published here. Dr. Weyrich welcomes financial contributions to support specific research topics, as well as copies of non-free access journal articles for him to review on a topic. Constructive criticism is also welcome.

Overview of Adrenal Insufficiency or Fatigue

Complimentary and alternative treatments for adrenal insufficiency or fatigue that are considered below include:

  • Neurotransmitter Balancing

Diagnosis of Adrenal Insufficiency or Fatigue

Symptoms of adrenal insufficiency include:
  • Feeling hot all the time [Starr2005, pg 184].
  • Palpitations [Starr2005, pg 184].
  • Low blood pressure (less than 100) [Starr2005, pg 184].
  • Very slender build [Starr2005, pg 184].
  • Dizziness (especially upon standing up) [Starr2005, pg 184].
  • Severe allergies [Starr2005, pg 184].
  • Anxiety, feeling of impending doom [Starr2005, pg 184].
  • Hypoglycemia [Starr2005, pg 184].
  • Arthritis [Starr2005, pg 184].
  • Weakness and fatigue after exercise [Starr2005, pg 184].

Differential Diagnosis of Adrenal Insufficiency or Fatigue

Treatment of Adrenal Insufficiency or Fatigue

Please see conventional, complimentary and alternative medical treatments for important background information regarding the different types of medical treatments discussed below.

Naturopathic, Complimentary and Alternative Treatments

Low Dose Cortisone

Mild adrenal deficiency can be safely treated with low-dose cortisol, e.g. 4 to 30 mg/day in divided doses [Starr2005, pg 185]. Supplementation with thyroid hormone can further reduce side effects of cortisol supplementation [Starr2005, pg 185].

Dr. Starr suggests that patients being treated with corticosteroids should have a home blood-pressure machine, and take BP before a dose of corticosteroids and 1.5 to 2 hours after dose. If BP and heart rate normalize dose is correct; if these parameters get worse then the dose is too high [Starr2005, pg 190].

Neurotransmitter Balancing

Neuro Research [Hinz2015] reports that Adrenal Insufficiency or Fatigue can be benefited by balancing neurotransmitter levels in the body.

Dr. Weyrich has been trained in neurotransmitter balancing protocols, but has not treated Adrenal Insufficiency or Fatigue using this technique.

Please see What is Neurotransmitter Balancing? for more information.

References for Adrenal Insufficiency or Fatigue