Diagnosis of Adrenal Fatigue
Saliva Test
Two markers have proven useful in determining adrenal fatigue. These include, in particular, cortisol and DHEA. The concentrations of these hormones are measured in the saliva to maintain the concentration of free hormones and not the bound ones as they occur in the blood. For this purpose saliva samples are taken several times a day. So you can become an understanding how the adrenal glands work over the day. The DHEA can be measured at any time. Cortisol, on the other hand, is subject to a daily rhythm and is the highest in the morning, and the lowest in the evening before sleep.
The course of the two curves gives a detailed picture of the adrenal function and enables a specific treatment. If you alredy take preparations such as, for example, Pregnenolone (oral or as an ointment) it affects the salvia readings immediately, in the blood it only shows up weeks later.
It is also possible to measure the immunoglobulin status in order to obtain information on the cause. Normal parasites or bacterial cultures often remain negative.
You should avoid making a normal ACTH test. This is a provocation test in which synthetically produced ACTH is injected intravenously and in each case after 30 and 60 min. Blood is taken to measure the response of the adrenal gland. If the cortisol value increases by a certain value, an adrenal insufficiency is considered to be excluded. However, the normal dose (250ug) ACTH can plunder the last reserves of the adrenal with the result that it is much worse afterwards! It is therefore recommended to use this test, if at all, only with very dilute solutions with 1ug ACTH.
It is currently difficult to find therapists who are familiar with subclinical adrenal fatigue. You can check here if there is an entry in your area. If you have the suspicion to suffer from Adrenal Fatigue you can follow the instructions under therapy. It is not always necessary to administer cortisone (usually only in severe cases). Often, some or all of the listed preparations are adequate.
The costs for the saliva test are usually not paid by the health insurance, certainly not from the public insurance but maybe privates. In the meantime, however, testsets can be ordered home via the Internet. After taking the samples according to the enclosed instructions, you will be sent back to the lab and the result will be evaluated. Here one can order such a test, other advanced tests for burn-out, eg including neurotransmitters, can be found here.
Body Temperature
The body temperature can also indicate the status of the metabolism. For this, it is necessary to document its temperature as accurately as possible and without gaps. There is a prefabricated table for this purpose. The body temperature should be measured three times daily best under the tongue. Digital thermometers are well suited for this purpose. Note that the temperature should be measured at least 20 minutes after eating or drinking as well as physical exertion. All this can influence the measurement. It should therefore be carried out in quiet conditions. Measurable measurements are about three hours after waking and then every three hours. It is important that you measure the temperature at all. Inaccurate values (too close after eating, only one measurement) are better than no measurements!
In the case of an adrenal fatigue, a decreased, unstable temperature usually appears. It is not unusual to see strong fluctuations in the curves. During the therapy the condition as well as the temperature should gradually improve and increase. It is helpful to note extraordinary events on the chart. This may give further clues. In the long run, we are aiming for a value of 37.0 ° C. Create the mean value from your results and enter it into the table daily (as number of measurements).
This burnout test (questionnaire) and this overview of adrenal fatigue and thyroid disorders (from kit-online.org) provide further information on your metabolic situation.
(↑ click for download ↑)
Charts from Dr. Rind