Adrenal shutdown

[pharaoh]

shelley,
I had a hair analysis and kinesiology from my dr...my hair analysis shows that my adrenal glands have all but shut down. my sodium/potasium levels are all messed up...as well as my protein. She did kinesiology on me and said i had a very week adrenal and my thryoids were running really low (my blood work is ok) my test said im a slow metaboliser. the explained that i needed much more protein, to get the b vitamins, and zinc i really need. i could go on and on but im sure you have other things to do what can i do? i want to do everything with food and not supplements. im not sure why everything is so screwed up. the dr. thinks my constant stress level over my hair loss is causing lots of adrenal problems and gave me some relaxation techniques to help me. i used to take a protein shake (whey) every day...and my protein is still low???

i know this is all the reason my hair IS coming out and i want so bad to make it better..how can i help my adrenals get strong, be a fast metaboliser and get more protein. my dr. said to eat farm range meat ALL the time...well definately meat in the morning and at lunch at least! and less at dinner...i usually dont eat much meat at all.

please let me know how to make my adrenals better, my thyroid etc...the test also said i was really really low in sodium..and to use sea salt whenever i wanted...why is everything so screwed up??

thank you

[chickpea]

Hi Pharoah

You have the same picture as me poor electrolytes and adrenals/thyroid, slow metabolism etc....I have C.F.S. (down to mercury toxicity, vaccination damage). Do you know what could have triggered your problems? Heavy metal toxicity can cause these problems. It might not be so in your case though.

If your adrenals are whacked then you won't really be utilising the protein. Lack of sodium and weak adrenals are interrelated and lack of sodium means poor hydrochloride production (HCL). You need HCL to digest your protein so take that as a supplement.

However supporting the adrenals is also paramount. There are various herbs which help support the adrenals eg ashwagandha, gota kola, licorice and B vits, vit C, zinc, magnesium help a lot too. However, if you're really whacked you might need an adrenal glandular. We've been discussing this in the thread entitled Adrenal and Glandular support in the first forum 'Customising Protocols'.

Some good adrenal glandulars....
Metagenics' 'Adrenogen' (Troy McClure is trying that one at the moment) and Allergy Research Group do a good one too.

Coconut oil will help with thyroid.

Yes increase the protein for the time being (and take HCL and betaine to help digest).

Yes hair loss is linked to these issues and your adrenals are probably too whacked to make use of the sea salt. Increase potassium rich foods which will also be high in sodium.

For relaxation you could try meditation, it regulates cortisol (an adrenal hormone) levels when done regularly.

Though ideally we should get all our nutrients from food, sometimes the body just needs a bit of extra support while things get back to normal. So you wont' necessarily need to take these supplments on a long-term basis.

I'm sure Shelley will be able to help more.
Hope you feel better soon!

Anne

[pharaoh]

Anne,
You are a sweetheart . i have to reread what you said a few times becuase this is all so new to me, but you almost stated EXACTLY what my tests results form said! im in a mess. im not sure what caused all this. i took accutane years ago after being on antibiotics forever and that started the hair loss..then i was crazy not knowing back then that the hairloss WAS from accutane and i needed to chill. i went on all kinds of drugs, thyroid, spiro and then would pull myself off. i really screwed up. now i think its total stress. i get so scared that ive ruined myself forever from accutane and then stress as my hair comes out, which stresses me even more..and its a visious cycle.
im going to look up some of the things you recommend, eat lots of bananas and protein and start working on this. i feel confident i can get my hair back but i just have to figure out the right things to do!!

ive been eating 2 tablespoons of brewers yeast lately to help with my bvitamins. do you think wheat germ might help as well. i know b's are really important to hair. thank you so much. i have so many questions!!

[shelley]

Don't worry, adrenals are tough. It takes time but you can nuture them back to health. The guidelines are in the FAQ under Gland Management.

[pharaoh]

shelley,
does what my analysis says make sense..would that all cause my hair loss? its still going on and i know my stress level is through the roof. im just surprised at the low protein result. i was taking a protein shake a day 20gms and trying to eat chicken or beef whenever i could...but could it still not be enough?

should i work on my adrenals first? and eat that broth that you mention etc for my salts..or should i break down and try another b vitamin supplement..or can i do this all with food. thats what i want to do.

my results said i could really benefit from vitamin c and e???i have read before that vitamin e helps elimiate vitamin a ...is that true. ill start my emergency again and maybe a vitamin e if you think it might help..

what supplements would be the most helpful to make me well?

[shelley]

Do it with food, not synthetic vitamins! your liver won't thank you for pills that's for sure. So yes, lots and lots of Bieler Broth, licorice root, ashwaganda, etc. The only "synthetics" (pills) that are appropriate are minerals and C, because minerals aren't all that synthetic. A mineral is a mineral is a mineral. And ascorbate acid is ascorbate acid.

Yep, that would explain hair loss, because when the adrenals don't do their job the thyroid steps in to help out and is quickly depleted, which slows down metabolism, means wonky mineral management, resulting in hair loss.

Yes it's very possible you're not getting enough protein. See, there are basically 3 different metabolic types, defined by how much protein they need depending on where they get their energy boosts from - the parasympathetic nervous system, or the endocrine system, etc.

You may be of the high-protein type, the one that needs 30%-40% calories from protein at every single meal. Since it was your endocrine system that was compromised the most, that makes sense. Other people with the less protein-dominant metabolic types tend to have nervous system disorders first and foremost. Luckily, veggies, grains and legumes all have protein so you can still remain alkaline, cleanse and get your protein needs met. You just have to mix it up right. And feel free to use eggs, GOOD sources of beef, fish and poultry to make up the difference.

Good luck!

[pharaoh]

Shelley,
You are a God send. I thank you so much for your help. I wish there was some way to repay you...thanks again!

[shelley]

Don't worry, the universe takes care of such balancing acts.

Oh and bananas have a rep of being high in potassium, but really they're not all that high. Just one of those weird things. Check out the recipe for Potassium Broth, eat avocados, oranges, take ACV, do eat some bananas of course as every living food has potassium in it. I'll be posting a list of the very high-potassium foods in the fAQ soon. Juicing veggies is often the easiest way to go for potassium needs (and indeed, vitamin needs too).

[J F]

[J F]

P.S. Pharoah, you're not alone, as you can see from the posts above. I also am going through Mercury issues like chickpea, and am "wonky" physically. AND, I am beginning to feel some signs of improvement as I dabble with supplementation, specifically adrenal supplementation. So there is hope. As Shelley says, the universe takes care of such balancing acts. We just have to be p.a.t.i.e.n.t.

[chickpea]

Good question JF, I was thinking the same thing re food state vitamins. I'm taking one from Higher Nature with...

20mg Vitamin C, 5mg Vitamin B1, 5mg Vitamin B2, 30mg Niacin (niacinamide), 30mg Vitamin B5, 10mg Vitamin B6, 0.3mg Biotin, 200µg folic acid, 5µg Vitamin B12, 10mg PABA, 10mg Choline, 10mg Inositol, 24mg Magnesium, 8mg Bioflavonoids and other phytonutrients naturally found in the rich food base of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture and trace minerals associated with seaweed complexes.

This is per tablet, though I'm only having 1/3 of a capsule once or twice daily as I have to be extra cautious with B3.

Anne

[J F]

What happens when you take too much B3?

[chickpea]

Oh I took too much of it once following the bad advice of a nutritionist so whenever I take it now I feel nauseous and just generally toxic.

[J F]

Oh, dear. Was it just one megadose that got your or did you take too much for an extended period of time?

You poor thing. LOL

[pharaoh]

JF
Thanks for the link. those supplements look interesting. My naturopath only sell standard process...im sure they are good but they are mostly filled with beef liver...when i read about them and they talked about whole food i thought the supplements would be totally from fruits and vegetables, but its not the case.
i like the look of these lots better. have you tried them?
so you do believe that the synthetic vitamins put a strain on the liver? i think my liver is crazy!! and when i take vitamins it causes my hair to fall out more. then i think "im" crazy. but maybe there is some truth to it..

???? i just started taking acv last night to help with my tissue salts that are really low, hopeing that will help my adrenal and my body to use the protein that i have given it..i have a splitting headache today..could the acv be causing lots of toxins to swim around. is there anything i can do?