Chronic fatigue syndrome. How hormones make us tired

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    Metabolism in the body is regulated by glands that produce hormones. Hormone management belongs to the pituitary gland, which is controlled by the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a protective system of the body, its fuse, and often it turns off during CFS due to lack of energy.

    Due to the increased level of stress, hormonal problems are not uncommon today, especially in urban environments.

    Due to the constant rush and lack of time, we often do not notice the signals of our body, such as increased fatigue and irritability, and they can indicate a violation in its work and malfunctions in the hormonal system.
    This will be discussed in the article.

    Functions of different glands


    Adrenal glands

    These are paired endocrine glands responsible for the stress response of the body and help to balance the defense systems, as well as supporting blood pressure.

    Violations of the adrenal glands lead to increased fatigue, fatigue, decreased immunity and, consequently, frequent infectious diseases. Hypoglycemia , allergies and a decrease in stress resistanceare also common.

    The thyroid gland

    The thyroid gland is responsible for accelerating and slowing down the body’s metabolism, and its dysfunction is expressed in increased fatigue, unreasonable pain, overweight and some other side effects.

    Reproductive glands

    Surprisingly, they are responsible for reproductive functions. For example, a decrease in testosterone leads to pain symptoms, fatigue, and a decrease in libido.

    Problem with blood tests


    Before moving on to impaired gland function and the consequences of a lack of hormones, you should understand: you can not rely only on blood tests for hormones - they can give false results.

    To determine the norm of hormone tests, a selection is made of a large number of test results and two standard deviations are identified - 2.5% of the lowest and highest rates. All other results are considered normal.

    Due to this, antibodies attacking the thyroid gland were found in 19% of “healthy” people from the control group.

    Therefore, if you set a goal cure CFS and restore hormonal balance, know: the treatment method should be put primarily on the symptoms, and the test results should be used only as additional and clarifying information.

    Adrenal glands


    The functions of the adrenal glands are controlled by the autonomic nervous system and adrenaline is produced in them .

    Violation of the adrenal glands leads to neurotransmitter hypotension, syndrome of apostural orthostatic tachycardia, panic attacks, and hot and cold sweating can also be observed.

    Also, adrenal glands synthesize hormones that regulate stress, the body's immune function and maintain the level of blood pressure:

    • Cortisol. The body's response to stress is to increase cortisol production. He is responsible for increasing blood sugar, blood pressure and controls the immune system. With a decrease in cortisol, fatigue is felt, blood pressure and hypoglycemia decrease, immunity worsens, the likelihood of allergic reactions increases, and stress resistance decreases.

    • Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DEA-S) . The functions of this hormone have not yet been fully studied, but it is it that is synthesized by the adrenal glands in large quantities. With a decrease in DEA-C, malaise is felt. Typically, a decrease in this hormone is associated with age-related changes in the body, but in people suffering from CFS, its level decreases prematurely.

    Symptoms of adrenal insufficiency


    The main symptoms experienced with adrenal insufficiency are:

    • fatigue
    • recurring and prolonged infections
    • nervous breakdowns, especially under stress
    • hypoglycemia
    • low blood pressure


    Simple hypoglycemia test


    If, during hunger, a person is annoyed to the state “Now give me something to eat or I will kill you!”, Then most likely he has a low blood sugar.

    Adrenaline fatigue

    With adrenaline fatigue, people experience periods of nervousness, dizziness, become irritable and tired.

    But after eating something sweet, they feel relieved, as this briefly raises the energy level and mood. Often suffering from adrenaline fatigue are addicted to sweets.

    Sweet for a while raises the blood sugar level to normal, and the condition improves, but soon the sugar level drops again and health deteriorates.

    If you are annoyed when you are hungry, then it does not bother to check the adrenal glands.

    Sugar is the only source of “fuel” that is used by the brain. Therefore, with a decrease in blood sugar, a person feels anxiety, irritation, and then fatigue.

    Problems Adrenal Function Testing


    When testing adrenal function in a laboratory, cortisol levels are considered. But the determination of a low level of cortisol, when indicators hit 2.5% of the lowest, means that, most often, the adrenal glands are already damaged and this poses a threat to life.

    Most people have a morning cortisol level of 16-20 mcg / dl, but even a reading of 6.1 mcg / dl is considered normal, and this is at least three times lower than the norm of a healthy person.

    To determine the insufficiency of the function of the adrenal cortex, the level of cortisol should be lower than 6 μg / dl, while 5.9 μg / dl is considered life-threatening.

    The difference between “normal” indicators and “life-threatening” is only 0.1 μg / dl, but, unfortunately, sometimes an error of 8 μg / dl is encountered when performing two tests from the same blood sample.

    Why adrenaline fatigue is increasingly observed


    The body’s defensive response “hit or run,” which is activated in a stressful situation, is designed to save our lives. This reaction ensured the survival of our species, but now it plays a cruel joke on human health.

    In those days when survival depended on this mechanism, a person after stress had time to recover - several weeks, and sometimes months.

    In modern society, people experience a stressful reaction every few minutes. For example, if you are late somewhere, but stuck in traffic.

    Every time getting into a stressful situation, the “hit or run” reaction is activated, so adrenaline fatigue is characteristic of all, even healthy, people, but with CFS it is more pronounced.

    Methods for treating adrenal insufficiency


    For starters, you should limit your intake of sugar and caffeine. Meals are recommended frequent, but in small portions. Try to give up white bread, especially with the addition of sugar, and switch to whole grain bread and vegetables.

    Fruits are best consumed in moderation and fruit juices with sugar are best avoided.

    Sensing irritation, eat something high-protein, and for quick relief, put ¼ - ½ a spoonful of sugar under your tongue - this will be enough for a quick increase in energy, but not enough for subsequent drops in blood sugar.

    Natural support for the adrenal glands


    Here are a few medications that can help you normalize your adrenal glands:

    • Vitamin C. The optimal dose is 500 mg.
    • Vitamin B5 , or pantothenic acid , supports adrenal function. Dosage 50-150 mg per day.
    • Licorice , also known as licorice, reduces adrenal dysfunction and helps maintain optimal hormone levels in the body. Licorice also helps with digestive problems and to relieve heartburn. However, when taking licorice, one should be careful - a high dosage raises the level of cortisol and raises blood pressure. With increased pressure, licorice should not be taken. A safe dose of 200-400 mg of licorice extract per day.
    • Chromium helps reduce the symptoms of low blood sugar. Dosage - 200-400 mcg per day.


    Potential Toxicity of Cortisol


    The intake of any drugs containing cortisol should be strictly controlled by a doctor.

    Thyroid


    With CFS, as with everyday fatigue, problems with the thyroid gland are characteristic.
    The thyroid gland controls the rate of metabolic processes in the body, and with thyroid dysfunction, a person gains excess weight, it becomes difficult to tolerate cold, fatigue and pain, as well as a sense of confusion.

    Two thyroid hormones:

    1. Thyroxine (T4) - the main form of thyroid hormones of the thyroid gland, prohormone to triiodothyronine (T3) - the active form of thyroid hormones of the thyroid gland. Most thyroid hormones are pure T4. They are prescribed when the body is not able to turn T4 into T3 - this is often found in patients with CFS.
    2. Triiodothyronine (T3) is an active form of thyroid hormones.

    There can be many causes of thyroid dysfunction, so with everyday fatigue a common cause is an autoimmune thyroid disorder . As a result, the immune system attacks and destroys the thyroid gland, is diagnosed by analysis of antibodies to thyroid peroxidase. Analysis for antibodies to thyroid peroxidase is one of the few blood tests that gives a direct and unambiguous result.

    Another cause of thyroid problems in CFS is hypothalamic dysfunction. Moreover, the body is sometimes not able to transform T4 into T3 completely or in sufficient volume, and it requires a higher level of T3. This ailment is called thyroid hormone receptor resistance.

    Thyroid problem


    To date, there are no accurate tests for changes in T3 function, and treatment can be obtained only at critically low T4 values, when the results are included in 2.5% of tests with the lowest results.

    If the attending physician does not know the individual level of the hormone norm in the patient, then the test results cannot provide sufficiently useful information.

    Therefore, most often with complaints of weight gain and cold intolerance, even if free thyroxine is not within the lower 2.5% of the indicators, the patient will need thyroid hormone therapy.

    Thyroid hypofunction treatment methods


    Attention: any thyroid therapy is prescribed and applied only under the strict supervision of the attending physician. See your endocrinologist or therapist.

    When using thyroid therapy, attention should be paid to heart palpitations and increased nervous system excitation: if the pulse is above 90 beats per minute, the dosage of the drug should be reduced. At the same time, palpitations are characteristic of patients with CFS.
    Also, thyroid hormones should not be taken within six hours after taking supplements with iron or calcium, as the hormones will not be absorbed.

    After determining the nature and dosage of appropriate thyroid therapy by the attending physician, the level of free thyroxine in the blood should be checked within six weeks after the start of treatment.

    Potential side effects


    With blood clots in the arteries, thyroid therapy can trigger a heart attack or angina pectoris as well as exercise.

    Thyroid therapy can also increase the heart rate, and if you feel chest pain, you should stop taking the medicine and consult a doctor.

    Moreover, in the long term, thyroid therapy of asymptomatic hypothyroidism reduces the risk of heart disease by 39%.

    Testosterone deficiency in men


    Often when men reach middle age, testosterone levels decrease . This leads to symptoms: fatigue, depression, loss of motivation, irritability, decreased concentration, memory problems, pain.

    The main symptoms indicating a decrease in testosterone in men:

    • Loss of sex drive
    • erectile disfunction
    • The combination of high blood pressure and high cholesterol
    • Diabetes
    • CFS and fibromyalgia

    If the level of testosterone falls and one of the symptoms manifests itself, then a person is prescribed therapy using bioidentical testosterone.


    Important difference

    It is very important to understand the difference between a safe dosage of healthy bioidentical natural testosterone and high doses of synthetic and potentially toxic testosterone, which is sometimes misused in sports.

    The second type of testosterone is called "steroids", and their use can cause significant harm to health.

    Treatment Methods for Low Testosterone in Men


    Caution: if you suspect a low testosterone level, contact your physician or endocrinologist, in no case try to self-medicate and apply hormone therapy without the advice of a doctor.

    Do not chase high testosterone!

    Too high a dose of testosterone can initially cause an increase in libido, but soon the body adapts to an excess of testosterone and increases the production of protein that binds testosterone and converts it to an inactive form.

    conclusions


    Hormonal disorders are found more often both in patients suffering from CFS, and among healthy people.

    A blood test may not be enough to determine the need for hormonal support, as it will show if your indicators are in the 2.5% lowest.

    If you experience fatigue, pain, have gained excess weight and have become more difficult to tolerate cold - check the thyroid gland.

    If you become too irritable when hungry, then check for adrenal dysfunction.

    Optimizing testosterone levels is important for men, especially if you experience chronic pain.



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    Source: Jacob Teitelbaum Forever Tired. How to cope with chronic fatigue syndrome An introductory article on chronic fatigue syndrome An article on sleep problems and their relationship with CFS Publisher: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber, 2017







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