RSD and the kaput adrenal gland
 

Today I saw a well- recommended Chiro/Holistic Healer, who addressed that a big problem RSD sufferers have is a weak adrenal gland. I ask, "What exactly does the adrenal gland do?" She says, "You know when you drink that cup of coffee and it gives you that energy boost? The energy boost comes from the caffeine stimulating the adrenal glands." "Funny," I say, "Because I never get any kind of energy boost when I drink coffee. Caffeine has no effect on me whatsoever." She smiled, and simply said, "That is because your adrenal gland is kaput, underactive, and not working properly. Most people with RSD have this problem."

She suggested some supplements to me and I am going to try them. I did an online adrenal gland test and the questions that were asked (fatigue, mood swings, trouble sleeping, weakness, inability to "bounce back" from physical activity, brainfog, short-term memory issues, etc.) totally matched me. I decided to try GAIA Herbs Adrenal Health (about $20 on amazon.com) because all it's reviews were 5 stars. Can't wait until they arrive and see if they make a difference in my "pooped" self!!!

Very interesting! Did she say whether it would help your pain? Let us know if it helps.

:hug:sandy

Hi Vanna, I agree. Our immune system is not functioning up to par either. At our monthly RSD local support group meeting, we had a nutritionist speak. It's important to eat healthy fresh veg. & fruits. The #1 antioxidant in the world is the cocoa bean (a vegetable) I eat a dark chocolate that is patented -cold pressed- rather than heated. Heated foods loose a lot of nutrients in the process. If you want to know more, pm me. I'm feeling better since I changed to high anti-oxidant diet and also adrenal glad herbs too.
Take care, loretta with soft hugs:grouphug:

The reason I was given on why the adrenal glands go crazy is because of the narcotic medication that most RSD or Chronic Pain Patients take for long periods of time. The medication does something to the adrenals. If you try and get off all medications your adrenals go crazy believe me I've done it. Even though I got off all meds withing 30-60 days it took my adrenal system about 6 months to return to normal. I couldn't even drink a diet soda with caffeine in it, it would make me sick. After about 6 months as I said previously things returned to normal and I could even drink soda or even coffee without getting sick.

What the connection is I truly don't remember what my doctor said. At the time but I believe if I remember correctly because the narcotics give you a up feeling that effects the adrenals and after many months or years of this the adrenal gland just don't work anymore but does recover.

Gabbycakes

Gabbycakes, your post gave me A-ha moment!
 

So funny you mentioned caffeinated soda making you sick. I stopped taking Cymbalta a couple of months ago, and since I've stopped taking it, I am NO LONGER able to drink coffee without feeling completely nausiated!! I was never able to know the reason to connect the two, but knew they were connected somehow. The adrenal gland!!

I'm really feeling like I'm onto something, don't know about for others, but at least for myself. My problems arose from a car accident, in which I didn't feel hurt that bad intially, but my Dr. prescribed me 7.5mg vicodin for 3x a day so I was able to get through a day's work. Several months later, my symptoms (tremors, extreme fatigue, inability to stand long, brain fog, etc) worsened. I guess it didn't help my adrenals when they saw an outside source of an "upper" come in with full force, so they probably did shut down production.

It all makes a lot of sense to me. I can't wait to try my Adrenal supplements, and hopefully with time, I can get some of my body working properly again.

Thanks for all the feedback :D Vanna

I think that medications certainly has an awful lot to do with this but also just the very fact we have constant pain means that we are stressing our adrenal glands. Add that to our lifestyle and diet choices and we can end up totally exhausted before we know it. Loretta hit the nail on the head about the importance of diet and anti-oxidants. I've been on this road for the past year adjusting my diet and have added many supplements to help support total health. Overall I feel healthier and that does help the pain somewhat. It doesn't stop the pain but it does helps to support my body and brain to better deal with the pain.

Below is an excerpt from the Intractable Pain Patient Survival Guide by Forest Tennant, MD, DrPH, I posted it just before Christmas. In it he describes what happens to our adrenal glands when in constant severe pain.


I don't believe that just because one may have an over active adrenal gland that all the complications he lists here will happen to us but it is a good warning of what may come if it goes unchecked.

Warm wishes to all,

MsL

Good stuff to hear.
I was haveing an issue of liver and gallbladder issues due to meds, between the two,I too had problems resuming back to drinking soda's and coffee.It made me ill,But by Gods grace,I am able to return to my diet and my digestive track has came back to mormal,,, thank you Lord.............bobber

Leave it to me to toss the monkey wrench into this subject but I am very interested to see if if the meds play a big part in the crash and burning the adrenal gland, as I am not able to with stand any meds for my RSD..sensitive tummy.... I am cold turkeyRSD....ugly pain 24/7 for 3 yrs.. I don't even know what a "flare" is as I never have had a break from the pain.... Plus I do agree our diet, antioxidents...does play an important role on our feel good lives...oh and I am NOT a veggie person either....ugh! I just wonder if the meds to help the adrenal will eventually help in the degree of pain we do suffer day in and day out????:grouphug:

Hi Bobber,

Have you tried taking the herb called Milk Thistle? It is very good for the liver. Considering the amount of Ibuprofen and Tylenol 3's I take we were all surprised and pleased when my liver test came back clean. I've taken this daily for the past year now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_thistle

Warm wishes.

MsL

Please let us know how this is working out for you. I saw a doctor who does acupuncture and complementary medicine and he said when I first saw him that I had adrenal fatigue also. He was also the person that made me change my vitamin D amount. My vitamin D was very low for a long time so he asked me to try using 50,000 units two or three times a week. This got my hydroxy 25 test for vitamin D up to 53 I believe. He also mentioned that my hormones were off and I needed to fix my testosterone levels. It took six months to get my testosterone levels back to normal by doing injections twice a month. I had just started B12 injections and he told me to double that so I was taking 2000 mL twice a month. This got my B12 to be in the 800s rather than almost nothing. But testosterone took so long because of the high dose of narcotics I was on, at least that's what I was told. But at least now I can sleep a few hours and sometimes I even get a five-minute dream in. It's been years since I've had a dream. I've been in several sleep studies and they say that I never got above phase 2 out of the six phases. Phase 4 or level IV or whatever it's called is when you get into a deep enough sleep to dream.

I went back to my notes to see what he wrote up for adrenal fatigue. Vitamin C 1000 mg three times per day.
Pantothenic acid(B5) 250 mg twice per day.
B. complex 100 mg.
Coenzyme Q10 100 mg daily.

Major herbs are ginseng, licorice. A better approach is a combination of a variety of herbs such as Astragalus, ginseng, licorice,Rehmannia,Atractylodes and others.

In the last month I started taking One-A-Day gummy bears. They're easy for me to remember to take in and previous multivitamins always had something in it that upset my stomach and these don't.

I did not try the herbs but taking the vitamins and testosterone has greatly helped me feel better.

If anybody is taking anything different than what I have listed please let me know as I would like to try it.

Thanks and be well,

Bingo bingo bingo !!
 

Every one of these posts hits the nail right on the HEAD! I bet if we connected these posts all into ONE, it would solve the entire mystery of the UNIVERSE!!! :winner_first_h4h:

Without a doubt, narcotic pain meds/Benzo's, etc DO deplete our hormones! Thru blood tests, ALL my hormones were pretty much flat-lined.....didn't even register on the charts! That goes for Testosterone too! Women need it too.
However, I'm also Hypothyroid.....but I'm glad to read the details about the adrenal fatigue....I never was real clear on that. NOW it's plain to see a connection to all these issues that have been hit on.
AND, YES, the Milkthistle works wonders, especially when our liver enzymes get elevated (mine went back down after taking it)
The diet thing, ALLLL play an important roll. Spiking bloodsugar levels are culprits for causing our pain issues (especially neuropathy)....So, by leveling out the glycemic index, the supplements.....everything mentioned .. SO lmportant!
Thank you all for sharing! VERY valuable info here!
:grouphug:

Every time i latch on to posts such as these, it reminds me to run in to the kitchen and take the stuff! Vit D, C, B's.....
Also, there's a strategy about how and when to take some of these, such as B12 - make sure on empty stomach.
Some, take WITH food.

Keep us posted Vanna!

You are so right, the problem I find here is that because I'm perimenopausal doctors just dismiss this as being normal. I had to search for a doctor who would take me seriously and work with me to help me to restore my hormones to a reasonable level. Still because of this time of life my hormones are all over the map, this combined with RSD pain makes it very difficult to measure hormone levels. I'm finding the best way for me to manage this is to keep track of my symptoms with a perimenopausal diary. My doctor then reviews it with me. It's been trial and error but I'm now taking cyclical progesterone in the form of a gel that I get in Europe and a small amount of testosterone (about 1/16th of a mans dosage) once every 3 days.

My dietary changes have helped improve things big time too. I do take many supplements but I still try to get the majority of my vitamins and minerals from my diet, but it's just not possible as I just can't eat that much.

I've eliminated almost all processed foods. I think that is a very key step as there are so many chemicals in processed foods. Be careful at the health food stores too, just because something has "organic" on the label doesn't always mean it's a healthier choice. I'm shocked at how much processed foods Whole Foods stocks on their shelves. There's nothing "whole" about a bag of Pirate booties, their answer to a Cheeses snack. Anyone see the documentary "Food Inc."? It's an eye opener that's for sure. If I don't know where the food is coming from I don't want to eat it. The fresher the better is my motto now. I try to support local farmers as much as possible. I still can't give up chocolate so I try to get the 70% dark chocolate to get the anti-oxidants.

Rest and relaxation is also key...

Wishing you all well.

MsL

Pirate booties ! ! !
 

:You-Rock:

I have NO idea what they are but I'm a NUT for silly words!!

I'm gonna go to sleep tonite with a smile on my face :Zzzz:
Pirate Booties.....

Thank you MsL ! Good posting !



P.S. I'm perimenopausal too..... innit fun ?! :Mexican: