Friedman says that the patients may be given the diagnosis by naturopaths, chiropractors, functional medicine doctors, and anti-aging doctors. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles. Friedman, MD, PhD, chief of the division of endocrinology, metabolism, and molecular medicine at Charles R. “Endocrinologists believe - correctly - that under stress your adrenals work harder and make more cortisol, not less,” says Theodore C. The fallacy of this logic is that there is no evidence that the stress of day-to-day life could have any such effect on the adrenals. With the fast-paced demands of modern life making many people feel consistently stressed out and sleep-deprived, it’s easy to understand the appeal of a diagnosis that promises an explanation - and treatment to counteract their feelings of fatigue. The lack of adrenal hormones leads to a host of generalized symptoms, including tiredness, trouble falling asleep or waking up, and a need for stimulants like caffeine to get through the day. The idea underlying the condition is that constant stress puts an undue burden on the adrenal glands to produce hormones - especially cortisol - and the glands burn out. These people are suffering from something, so we need to take the suffering seriously.” – Lynnette Nieman, MD, president, Endocrine Society senior investigator, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, Md. It is very important to take the person seriously, not to brush them off and say there is no adrenal fatigue. “Our role is to be good active listeners to determine if there is a true medical disorder lurking among the complaints. The patient may have already been to see a naturopath who promotes the condition, so may be taking supplements of unknown formulations to treat it.

These people are suffering from something, so we need to take the suffering seriously.”

If more proof is needed that the Internet provides a wealth of information and misinformation, endocrinologists need to look no further than the increasing number of patients who claim a diagnosis of “adrenal fatigue.”Īlthough current medical science recognizes no such condition, physicians need to take the complaints and symptoms of these patients seriously, according to Endocrine Society President Lynnette Nieman, MD, who is a senior investigator at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: “Our role is to be good active listeners to determine if there is a true medical disorder lurking among the complaints. When patients present claiming that stress has worn out their adrenal glands, it can be easy to discount their belief in “adrenal fatigue” - but they often have real symptoms that require treatment.

Adrenaline overload syndrome