Adrenal Fatigue: The 21St-Century Stress Syndrome (英語) ペーパーバック – 2002/1/9

I've been disabled now for almost 10 years, but before that, I worked as an RN, BSN (with a certification in Infection Prevention) for over 30 years. I got my Bachelors in Nursing at a well-known University. Unfortunately, we, as students and as nurses, were indoctrinated with the belief that ONLY WESTERN ALLOPATHIC medicine was valid, and complementary and natural health were quacks. Some are, as well as some Western medicine doctors. It took me many many years to realize that our western medicine's practice of lab and radiological and other testings' means of diagnoses, followed by prescription medication as treatment, dictated by protocols and insurance companies, was doing more harm sometimes than good. I started believing in nutritional and natural means of helping my body heal itself was far better than medications in 2013. However, by that time, I was taking 10 prescription medications twice a day. In the beginning of 2016 I became so fatigued, I would fall back to sleep an hour after I slept 9 hours. I had SEVERE sleep apnea. I went to see an Endocrinologist, and ALL my results for Adrenal Insufficiency (Addison's Disease) were there- undetectable cortisol levels, undetectable epinephrine and norepinephrine in my 24-urine collections and blood tests. However, at the test that is called "The Gold Standard" for Addison's, my cortisol level went up 3 times the baseline after an injection of synthetic meds. So even with all these other abnormal tests and my overwhelming fatigue, I was told I didn't have Addison's and should come back for repeat tests in 6 months. If I sound angry, I am. I found an article on Wikipedia that said if your cortisol level goes up 3 times after that test, it indicates a pituitary or hypothalamus problem. The doctor "didn't think I had those issues". So, if YOU ARE LIKE ME, and you KNOW something is not right with you, and medical doctors ignore you, tell you it's all in your head, or you should just RELAX, READ THIS BOOK and others like it that deal with natural alternative healing. Use common sense in deciding what to try in helping your body recover health, but PLEASE TRY TO HELP YOURSELF and not totally rely on doctors who only give out pills, pills, and more pills. In fact, Dr. Wilson (who is NOT an MD, but is highly trained) writes a very vivid account of what western medicine has degenerated to right now. It is startling, and as an RN who worked in Quality and Risk, I know he is correct. Adrenal Fatigue is an epidemic today in the USA, where we live stressful lives and have stressful jobs. There is a test in the book that has been used to "diagnose" your tendency to have adrenal fatigue. And Dr. Wilson gives step by step actions we can take to "get our lives back", using nutrition, supplements, activities, and other natural remedies. He also tells about a simple saliva test for adrenal insufficiency or fatigue that the medical community refuses to accept. If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, PLEASE CONSIDER buying and reading this book. If your doctor refuses to believe you are not well, help yourselves. Thank you for putting up with me if you read through this Long Review!!

I recently ordered a hormone test kit from John Lee's website, in an effort to figure out some health issues I was having. I included cortisol levels in the kit, because I am a type-A person and figured my cortisol levels were high and perhaps that contributed to the issues. Surprisingly, my cortisol levels were low at all 4 times of the day tested. A good doctor I showed the results to said "You have adrenal fatigue" and recommended an adaptogen called Adreno-Mend. As a retired RN, I felt a bit stupid and in an attempt to educate myself I ordered this book. I had no frame of reference for adrenal fatigue and this book provides an excellent explanation, as well as a framework to overcome the life style choices that have contributed to your adrenal fatigue. The endocrine system is so complicated, I don't pretend to understand it all, but rest assured, if one thing is out off order, it affects all your other hormones so they cannot function optimally. That includes all your glands regulating metabolism, digestion, immunity, quality of sleep, etc. I'm sure in our busy culture there are millions of people who suffer needlessly because they are unaware and they have a doctor who is not tuned in to all this. I had enough insight to order the test kit, maybe because I'm a nurse, maybe God steered me there. Once I had the results, I made an appointment with my family doctor (who I like a lot), to discuss it with him. He looked at the report and said "This is not mainstream medicine; you don't need hormone replacement; this is a natural part of aging." So, even if you go to a board certified internist who you like, you can't depend on them to be enlightened and pro-active on your behalf. Cortisol is a hormone that regulates many aspects of our health and/or illness so it is beyond me how it is not "mainstream medicine"; this author even states that many people who come to physicians with these symptoms of stress, anxiety, inability to sleep, etc, are given anti-depressants or sleeping pills or told to seek pyschiatric care. He makes the point: You are not crazy, there is a physical cause for what is happening and you can have understanding and some control over your symptoms.
From his introduction: "Part I gives you an overview of adrenal fatigue: what it is; who suffers from it, what causes it, how it progresses and why medicine has not recognized it as a syndrome.....Part II guides you through a questionnaire and some other simple processes to determine if you have adrenal fatigue, and if you do, what may be causing it......Part III provides a very comprehensive guide to recovering from adrenal fatigue. It contains specific info about which therapies work and exactly what you can do to help yourself feel energized and well again.......Part IV explains in relatively plain English what your adrenal glands do and how and why they are so important to just about every process that occurs in your body and mind. It will help you understand why you feel so bad when they are not functioning adequately." Sometimes, you don't even realize you feel bad because feeling bad becomes normal and you don't realize how bad you felt until you start to feel better. I am to that point now, I feel better.
This book is not expensive- it is well written and easy to understand. If you have not felt well, have not understood why, and have been subjected to
care or misdiagnosis from the medical establishment which has not contributed one iota to improving your state of health, consider reading this book. If after reading it and deciding it applies to you, give a copy to your physician to read, because chances are he/she is clueless.