Adrenal Fatigue

Persistent exhaustion that does not resolve with normal rest is a hallmark symptom of adrenal fatigue. Liver damage produces a clinical picture identical to adrenal fatigue even when the adrenal glands are not the primary problem. Adrenal burnout (actual cortisol depletion) is a distinct risk from cortisol resistance, which involves high levels with blocked receptors. Cortisol dysfunction develops along a spectrum, similar to the progression from insulin resistance to pre-diabetes to full diabetes. Adrenal fatigue represents the subclinical phase of cortisol dysfunction, before full Cushing's syndrome develops. Beta blockers are acknowledged to block adrenaline and help public speaking anxiety but are criticized as a band-aid with side effects. The medical profession does not formally recognize adrenal fatigue as a diagnosis. Adrenal fatigue in its intermediate stages does not reliably appear on standard blood tests because labs look for gross pathology, not gradual functional erosion. Approximately 90% of the adrenal cortex must be destroyed before major clinical complications of Addison's disease appear. The medical profession does not officially recognize adrenal fatigue as a c…