Chronic Fatigue is More Than Feeling Tired

We can all feel tired from time to time but if your tiredness is accompanied by digestive disorders, low-grade fever or night sweats, muscle pain or weakness, headaches, insomnia, nausea, dizziness, joint pains, anxiety or depression then you could be suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

It is estimated that 250,000 Australians suffer Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) with many more going undiagnosed. While Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has been recognized by the Medical profession it is still poorly understood because many doctors are not aware of the relationship to the adrenal glands. CFS is often treated by GPs with medications for individual symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, pain, infection and digestive disorders while the underlying cause continues to be ignored.

There are several causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome including underlying viral infections, chronic pain, physical or emotional trauma and food sensitivities. All of these things put an extra burden on the adrenal glands; little glands that produce stress coping hormones and anti-inflammatory hormones to name but a few. In the beginning these glands are working overtime but eventually they can’t keep up production and that’s when people start noticing the above symptoms.

If the cause of the fatigue is due to chronic stress herbs and nutrients that tonify the adrenal glands can quickly turn things around. I remember one patient, Laura, who had been suffering with fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, brain fog, anxiety, panic attacks, dizziness and nausea for several years. She pushed through her daily struggle on weekdays and would sleep most weekends away. The emotional stress actually had begun many years earlier while travelling overseas when she was involved in a natural disaster, later her marriage broke up resulting in 2 years of court hearings which coincided with working very long days.

While most people will look around to see what has changed recently, you can see that the events that lead up to the fatigue may have taken place many years earlier. At first the body will adapt to the stress and keep up with demand for more stress coping hormones like cortisol. In this phase people are dealing with the stress, often feel fine and have plenty of energy. As time goes by the production of hormones becomes diminished and symptoms can begin to slowly creep in. Symptoms may include energy fluctuations and afternoon slumps leading to sugar cravings. Insomnia and anxiety can start to show up sometimes leading to panic attacks.

Just prior to seeing me Laura had been hospitalised when her symptoms had become severe; her heart was racing and her blood pressure was very low. Despite a few days in hospital and a number of tests she was discharged not feeling any better and with no answers.

I offered Laura an individual prescription of herbal Adrenal tonics, some vitamins and minerals and other herbs to support her liver and detoxification pathways and within four weeks Laura reported that she was feeling about 70% better.

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