“ADRENAL FATIGUE”
Transient stress causes short-term increase of cortisol output by the adrenal glands.
Cortisol inhibits D1 (type 1, 5-deiodinase enzyme) and promotes D3, reducing conversion of T4 into T3, increasing rT3 production and increasing conversion of T3 into (inactive) T2.
By these mechanisms stress, whether physical, as in terminal illness, catastrophic infection, severe injury, major surgery, burns etc., or psychological, produces Intracellular Hypothyroidism.
We sometimes find that the adrenals no longer respond with high cortisol production and often, cortisol tests show reduced production.
MANY ILL EFFECTS CAUSED BY INTRACELLULAR HYPOTHYROIDISM ARE BLAMED ON “ADRENAL FATIGUE”
Medical practitioners unfamiliar with deiodinase metabolism and intracellular hypothyroidism are at a loss to explain the low cortisol levels and the patient’s continuing complaints. They assume that the symptoms are due to low cortisol production, so they call the condition “Adrenal Fatigue”.
Many ill effects of Intracellular (Functional) Hypothyroidsm are blamed on “Adrenal Fatigue”, a fanciful label which is inappropriate, as far as I am concerned.
BY WHAT MECHANISM DOES “ADRENAL FATIGUE” COME TO BE ?
We don’t know the mechanism of cortisol output reduction –
Certainly, there is nothing wrong with the adrenal glands.
Certainly, the symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue are indistinguishable from those of IH.
SO, perhaps the cause is simple: we know that metabolic slowdown due to IH affects the whole body except the Pituitary.
The adrenals are part of the body. So if, as we would expect, the adrenals respond to inadequate intracellular T3 in the same way as all our other cells, a reduction of efficiency and reduced cortisol production is inevitable and unsurprising.
Therefore the failure of cortisol production, referred to as “Adrenal Fatigue”, observed in IH
is simply a previously unrecognised manifestation of Intracellular Hypothyroidism and has nothing to do with the abilities of the Adrenal glands.
A FEW PEOPLE (WHO HAVEN”T ACTUALLY CINCHED THE CONNECTION) SEEM TO AGREE
Like Medical Reviewer Jessica Rodriguez CNP, from “Endocrine Web”, on July 02. 2021, at
https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/adrenal-disorders/adrenal-fatigue
And Dr. Lam, from AGRINEWS.NET, on 09 April 2020
https://farmingportal.co.za/index.php/farminglifestyle/food-and-health/322-connecting-adrenal-fatigue-and-low-thyroid-gland-function
And Dr. Shawn Greenan, DACM, CFMP, from RUPA HEALTH, in “A Functional Medicine Approach”, |June 23, 2021 https://www.rupahealth.com/post/hypothyroid-vs-adrenal-fatigue-know-the-signs-and-symptoms
Do have a look at these and any other sites you find, and send me a note on the subject.
Funny ! …… The big guys haven’t caught up yet !
Dr. Harry.
