Have Adrenal Fatigue? No You Don't

[TheDrumGuy]

Adrenal fatigue is a misnomer as there's probably nothing wrong with the adrenal glands, but there is such a thing as HPA axis dysregulation. Athletes who are overtrained can have exaggerated or impaired responses to ACTH stimulation, depending on how overtrained they are. I think the problem here is similar to what Peat would call "elevated stress hormones".

Keep in mind that thyroid hormones can have a synergistic effect with stress hormones. So adding one on top of the other can make you feel worse. Stress hormones suppress TSH, presumably for this reason. You don't need to "fix your adrenals" (whatever that means) before taking thyroid hormones, you need to lower stress hormones. Lowering stress hormones can raise your TSH, which indicates it's time to start boosting metabolism and maybe taking some T4 or T3.

 

[Jsaute21]

I find coffee to have transient effects on providing energy, providing cognitive enhancement, all things one associates positively about stimulants, etc. It definitely has slightly different effects taken with or without sugar, but that also depends on if you've got food in you. A large or good dose of caffeine in coffee won't always energize me, it can do the opposite, tax energy reserves after anxiety sets in. The first cup or two of the day feel good, but then one can't reproduce those effects later in the day. One things for sure, it has warming effects on the body. I feel like taking without sugar is more likely to increase hunger, irritability. But then too much coffee throughout the day increase acidity, especially paired with Aspirin.

One of the better quotes i have seen on coffee. I had an interesting experience this weekend. After reading time after time on here, that it is optimal to have your coffee after or with a big meal in the morning, i had taken it as the word of god for over a year. It worked ok for me. However, FOR ME, what seems to be the case is if i have coffee with or after my first meal, i need another cup or two to get me by in the morning. That's ok obviously but it felt unnecessary that my liver glycogen stores were not more efficient. To be honest, it frustrated me. Then this weeekend, due to logistics I started my morning with good quality coffee with healthy half and half (no fillers) and some sugar. I felt phenomenal. Steady energy, verbal fluency, not that weak and hungry feeling. I eat breakfast an hour or two later, and didn't feel that unnecessary craving for more coffee in between meals. The main moral of the story for me is don't be afraid to try things a different way and adapt to a situation.

 

[TheDrumGuy]

One of the better quotes i have seen on coffee. I had an interesting experience this weekend. After reading time after time on here, that it is optimal to have your coffee after or with a big meal in the morning, i had taken it as the word of god for over a year. It worked ok for me. However, FOR ME, what seems to be the case is if i have coffee with or after my first meal, i need another cup or two to get me by in the morning. That's ok obviously but it felt unnecessary that my liver glycogen stores were not more efficient. To be honest, it frustrated me. Then this weeekend, due to logistics I started my morning with good quality coffee with healthy half and half (no fillers) and some sugar. I felt phenomenal. Steady energy, verbal fluency, not that weak and hungry feeling. I eat breakfast an hour or two later, and didn't feel that unnecessary craving for more coffee in between meals. The main moral of the story for me is don't be afraid to try things a different way and adapt to a situation.

I hate to be the guy that regurgitates "stress hormones", but that could be what you're experiencing here. Before I came across Peat I was in the habit of having just two huge carb heavy meals a day. Starting about an hour or two after the meal I'd feel great, alert, good mental clarity, etc. By doing this I could study well into the evening, until almost midnight. But I was just using the blood sugar surge and crash to keep stress hormones up the whole day. When I stopped doing this my hemoglobin A1C came down and my plantar fasciitis improved.

Not saying that's what's happening in your case, but it's something to keep in mind.

 

[Frankdee20]

I find coffee paired with Aspirin provides nicer effects, obviously though, Aspirin on a full belly.

 

[Fexxx]

Had a lot Problems with "Anxiety / Tiredness" and the "right coffee-timing". After countless trials I stopped completely and have now one Thing less to care about. Keep it simple and stop what hurts you :) . Coffee ist Not essential for humans.

Instead I have cold showers in the Morning and Love it!

 

[Jsaute21]

I hate to be the guy that regurgitates "stress hormones", but that could be what you're experiencing here. Before I came across Peat I was in the habit of having just two huge carb heavy meals a day. Starting about an hour or two after the meal I'd feel great, alert, good mental clarity, etc. By doing this I could study well into the evening, until almost midnight. But I was just using the blood sugar surge and crash to keep stress hormones up the whole day. When I stopped doing this my hemoglobin A1C came down and my plantar fasciitis improved.

Not saying that's what's happening in your case, but it's something to keep in mind.

I understand your sentiments. Doesn't feel like stress hormones. I eat a nutritous breakfast no longer than an hour and a half after waking. Plus, my coffee is not black, it is combined with good quality dairy and sugar. I have noticed that many healthy people do better when consuming coffee like this as well. (Dads, moms, working folk.) I would actually categorize the way i formerly was consuming it as adrenaline based. (Again, that is for me.) I felt that unsteady kind of neurotic and edgy energy. Having bottomless coffee after breakfast to me is not convenient or conducive to everyday life. I felt addicted to an adrenaline buzz and was convincing myself it was normal. Now, if you are someone who can eat your breakfast with your coffee and not need another cup before getting way too hungry, pulse dropping, mood dropping etc, then get after it and disregard my opinion.

This is not directed at you what so ever, but i feel as if this forum falls into the umbrella of telling people the way everyone has to do things. What works for one of us will most likely not work for all of us. With that being said, drinking coffee black on an empty stomach after not eating for 8-10 hours in my mind is most likely going to bring on a stress response.

 

[Amazoniac]

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[firebreather]

I really enjoy Danny Roddy's stuff.

Call it adrenal fatigue or whatever you want but when I was at my worst my blood cortisol for the day was barely in the single digits.

I've made a lot of improvement since then but I'm kind of stuck.

I've had my cortisol tested several times and it's never been high, even when really stressed.

But when I take stuff that is supposed to lower adrenaline my feet go from cold to warm but it also makes my sleep worse. I can only assume that's because my cortisol is normal when I take those things and then it gets to low.

Taking more thyroid hasn't done much of anything for me except for brining my pulse up about 8 to 10 bpm (no matter how much I take)

And if I eat to much sugar things seem to get bad again even though I really want the sugar to work and have tried it countless times.

So say whatever you want or call it whatever you want but it is what it is

 

[TreasureVibe]

Bump!

 

[chompie]

Here is a new article by Danny Roddy

Have Adrenal Fatigue? No You Don't

He starts off with this quote by Ray Peat.

Perhaps Danny was arguing the semantics of adrenal fatigue vs what is known as adrenal insufficiency or even Addison's. So click bait. It looks like he's pulled the article off his site. But, I can guarantee you adrenal insufficiency and low cortisol or aldosterone are real.