Re: pregnenolone or ACE for stage 3

== reply below

"I'm home from work with - what seems to be - a severe adrenal crash. Sleeplessness, anxiety, diarrhea etc. Nearly collapsed at work in the beginning from severe hypoglycemic state. You know, the works.

== Sorry to hear that.

I have ordered ACE and pregnenolone, but afraid to take them.

== Please don't be afraid. What you are proposing can be wonderfully helpful for some people!

== I know so well that a bit of "irrational anxiety" can go along with the rest of the symptoms. It can be hard for your head to comprehend somewhat complex subjects at a time like this. A very close female friend lived with PTSD for decades. She had almost all of what you describe and is now much improved.

"Is it wise to take this if you have anxiety?

== I certainly would. My friend did with surprisingly good results. I don't know that others should expect her rather amazing improvements but I bet they will take the edge off of the problem.

== I'm surprised you don't have constipation. Usually I suggest that people start with magnesium, but oral Mg might not be the thing for your situation. Also be careful about taking too much vitamin C at any one time. It can help a little with constipation. You might take smaller amounts 4 or more times per day.

== In your situation I'd probably start with GABA 3 or 4 x per day but not with meals. However, glutamine will likely work similarly and provide some brain fuel between meals. It is absolutely wonderful for my friend's moody, almost irrational, hypoglycemia if she hasn't eaten in a few hours and is in a stressful situation. It has been SO consistently wonderful for years, So much so that I would not expect it to be so good for most people.

And what dose? What time of the day? I am afraid of everything impacting my sleep.

== She takes GABA rather than glutamine before bed but honestly I bet it would not matter too much.

== I'm not sure about dosing of Glutamine but I bet you could take 500mg 4x per day. Your naturopath would know.

== You might start with 10mg pregnenolone in the AM to see if you happen to be one who is sensitive to it or has trouble converting it properly. Then you might add 10mg more at lunch. If the fatigue is worst in the late afternoon, maybe 10mg more mid afternoon.

== I think it is a good idea to get a hormone panel after a little while on your adrenal combo and include pregnenolone.

== Hopefully you ordered *cortex* extract not whole adrenal. The latter contains the part of the adrenals that makes adrenaline. The cortex is where cortisol, progesterone and dhea --precursor to sex hormones--is made.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Steroidogenesis.svg

"I am taking a good multivitamin

== Be careful with too much copper. It helps the body to make noradrenaline.

"and some additional vitamin C and water with Seasalt .

== They seem to be a good idea. Adrenal cortex hormone aldosterone involved regulation of sodium potassium and to some extent magnesium.

I eat well and regular 5 times a day a little protein, carbs and fats. No gluten or dairy.

== The body makes pregnenolone and the other cortex hormones from "bad" cholesterol.

I try to excersize, and sometimes this works, but sometimes I am just too tired.

== It seems people with adrenal insufficiency usually only tolerate light exercise. They need to be careful about sweating too much since they also tend to urinate too much.

I would love to rest and sleep to heal myself, but this anxiety gets in the way.

== My friend had this problem too. She learned to use reading, prayer/meditation, pleasant walks, pleasant music, etc.

My naturopath gave me l-glutamine

== That's good stuff for a variety of issues in the body that people today tend to face. It also helps the body to make the very important liver antioxidant, glutathione.

"... to heal my gut and get my GABA levels up which makes sense, since my diarrhea (sorry, TMI) is very bad, sometimes.

== maybe Epsom Salt--magnesium sulfate--food bath will help provide a little magnesium without exacerbating your gut problem. Sulfate also tends to have a calming effect since the body needs it to help break down adrenaline like chemicals that amp us up.

== Do you have a history of food and chemical sensitivities--liver weakness?

== I assume you know to avoid caffeine, phenols, maybe salicylates. Some people feel better when they go easy on certain food additives and colorings. Essentially a more organic diet might help as well.

What else can I do? I feel like I am getting worse.

== You may need some patience. I assume you were told to start with low amounts of glandular and pregnenolone and gradually work up to normal levels. This gives the body some time to adjust to more healthy levels of cortex hormones and hopefully will become not so sensitive to the adrenaline-like ones.


Also, I am looking for HOPE, not for someone who tells me when I don't do this or that I'll progress to Addisons.

== I like your plan very much. I think it has a chance to take the edge off of your problem over the coming weeks.

== However if liver weakness is a major factor, not adrenals your plan will not be a fix. There are other things you'll do to help the liver process adrenaline-like chemicals.

== My guess is that you'll eventually do even better when you include some adrenal cortex medication such as 10mg hydrocortisone, maybe a little more in times of sickness and stress.

== Unfortunately testing for this with 4x saliva cortisol can be tricky. You want to do the test on the day you have crashed with fatigue, not on a day when you feel amped up. If you are so "crashed" that you have lots of fatigue all day maybe an AM blood cortisol will come back low.
http://www.canaryclub.org/adrenal-article-980/706-cortisol-1-or-4.html

"Really hope you guys can point me in the right direction.

== It seems your natropath has already done that.

== There can be other factors that cause fatigue--thyroid, mitochondria issues, ect.
== Please update us.