Adrenal Insufficiency or Fatigue
Dr. Weyrich's Naturopathic Functional Medicine Notebook
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Diagnosis
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
- Iodine deficiency [Brownstein2008].
- hypothyroid [Starr2005, pg 184].
Treatment
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].
ICD-9 Codes
| ICD9-Code | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
References
Unless specifically noted above, references used in the construction of this web page include the following:[FDM] Lecture notes from Functional Medicine University.
[SCNM] Lecture notes from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.
[UT] Lecture notes from the University of Tennessee graduate programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry.
[Brownstein2008] Brownstein D. Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It, Third Edition. Medical Alternatives Press (2008). See also http://www.drbrownstein.com [Cited by Starr2005].
[Starr2005] Mark Starr. Hypothyroidism Type 2: The Epidemic. Columbia, MO: Mark Starr Trust (2005).
Copyright © 2007-2010 Dr. Weyrich (Naturopathic Medical license number 07-1008). The information on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or illness. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This web page is http://www.DrWeyrich.com/disorders/adrenal.html - Phone Dr. Weyrich at (480) 423-6952