Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. How hormones we get tired

The body's metabolism is regulated by hormone producing glands. Control of hormones belongs to the pituitary gland, which is controlled by the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is the body's defense system, its fuse, and often it shuts off during CFS due to lack of energy.

Due to the increased level of stress, hormonal problems are not uncommon today, especially in the urban environment.
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Due to constant rush and lack of time, we often do not notice the signals of our body, such as fatigue and irritability, and they may indicate a disturbance in its work and disruptions in the hormonal system.
This article will be discussed.

Functions of different glands

Adrenal glands

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

Violations of the adrenal glands lead to increased fatigue, fatigue, decreased immunity, and therefore frequent infectious diseases. Hypoglycemia , allergies and stress resistance are also common.

Thyroid

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

Reproductive glands

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

Problem with blood tests

Before moving on to dysfunctions of the glands and the effects of hormone deficiency, it should be understood: one cannot rely only on blood tests for hormones - they may give false results.

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

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

Therefore, if you set a goal to cure CFS and restore hormonal balance, you should 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 they produce adrenaline .

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

Also in the adrenal glands are synthesized hormones that regulate stress, the immune function of the body and maintain blood pressure levels:

Cortisol. The body’s response to stress is an increase in cortisol production. It is responsible for the increase in blood sugar, the level of pressure and controls the immune system. With a decrease in cortisol, fatigue is felt, blood pressure and hypoglycemia decrease, immunity deteriorates, the chance of allergic reactions increases and stress resistance decreases.
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DEA-C) . The functions of this hormone are not yet fully understood, but it is it that is synthesized by the adrenal glands in large quantities. With a decrease in DEA-C there is a feeling of indisposition. Usually, 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 a famine a person is irritated to the state of “Now let me eat or I will kill you!”, Then, most likely, his blood sugar level is reduced.

Adrenaline fatigue

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

But after eating something sweet, they feel relieved, as this briefly increases the level of energy and mood. Often, those 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 the state of health worsens.

If you are annoyed when you are hungry, it does not interfere with testing the work of the adrenal glands.

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

Problems testing adrenal function

When testing the adrenal function in the laboratory, cortisol levels are considered. But the definition of a low level of cortisol, when hit rates of 2.5% of the lowest, means that, most often, the adrenal glands are already damaged and it is life threatening.

For most people, the morning level of cortisol is 16–20 µg / dl, but even 6.1 µg / dl is considered normal, which is at least three times lower than a normal person’s.

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

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

Why adrenaline fatigue is becoming more common

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.

At a time when survival depended on this mechanism, a person had time to recover from stress — several weeks and sometimes months.

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

Each time, getting into a stressful situation, the reaction “hit or run” is activated, therefore adrenaline fatigue is typical for all, even healthy, people, but with CFS it is more pronounced.

Treatment methods for adrenal insufficiency

To begin with, limit your intake of sugar and caffeine. Food is recommended frequent, but in small portions. Try to abandon white bread, especially with the addition of sugar, and go for whole-grain bread and vegetables.

Fruits should be consumed in moderation, and fruit juices with sugar should be discarded.

If you feel irritation, eat something high-protein, and for quick relief, place ¼ - ½ spoon of sugar under your tongue - this will be enough for a quick energy boost, but not enough for subsequent blood sugar drops.

Natural Adrenal Support

Here are some drugs that will help bring the adrenal glands back to normal:

Vitamin C. The optimal dose of 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 levels of hormones in the body. Also licorice helps with problems with digestion and for relieving heartburn. However, when taking licorice should be careful - a high dosage raises cortisol levels and increases blood pressure. With elevated pressure, do not take licorice. A safe dose of 200-400 mg of licorice extract per day.
Chromium helps reduce the withdrawal symptoms of low blood sugar. Dosage - 200-400 mcg per day.

Potential toxicity of cortisol

Acceptance 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 extra weight, it becomes difficult to endure cold, fatigue and pain, and a feeling of confusion.

Two thyroid hormones:

Thyroxin (T4) is 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 consist of pure T4. They are prescribed when the body is not able to turn T4 into T3 - this is often found in patients with CFS.
Triiodothyronine (T3) is an active form of thyroid hormones.

There can be many causes of thyroid dysfunction, as with everyday fatigue a common cause is autoimmune thyroid disorder . As a result, the immune system attacks and destroys the thyroid gland, it is diagnosed using an assay for antibodies to thyroperoxidase. The test for antibodies to thyroperoxidase is one of the few blood tests that gives a direct and unambiguous result.

Another cause of thyroid problems in the CFS is hypothalamic dysfunction. At the same time, the body is sometimes unable to transform T4 to T3 completely or in sufficient volume, and it requires a higher level of T3. This ailment is called thyroid hormone receptor resistance.

Problem with thyroid analysis

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

If the attending physician does not know the individual level of the hormone norm in a patient, the results of the analyzes cannot provide enough useful information.

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

Treatment methods for thyroid hypofunction

Attention: any means of thyroid therapy are prescribed and applied only under the strict supervision of the attending physician. Refer to the endocrinologist or therapist.

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

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

Potential side effects

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

Also, thyroid therapy can increase the heart rate, and if you feel chest pain, you should stop taking medication and consult a doctor.

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

Lack of testosterone in men

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

The main symptoms indicating a decrease in testosterone in men:

Loss of sex drive
erectile disfunction
Combination of high blood pressure and increased cholesterol
Diabetes
CFS and fibromyalgia

If testosterone levels fall and one of the symptoms manifests, then therapy with bioidentical testosterone is prescribed to the person.

Important difference

It is very important to understand the difference between 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

Attention: if you suspect a low testosterone level, consult a general practitioner or an endocrinologist; in no case should you attempt to self-medicate and use hormone therapy without a doctor's instructions.

Do not pursue high testosterone levels!

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

findings

Hormonal disorders are more and more common among those suffering from CFS and among healthy people.

A blood test may not be enough to determine if hormonal support is needed, as it will show whether your rates are 2.5% lowest.

If you are experiencing fatigue, pain, gaining extra weight and it has become more difficult to endure cold - check the functioning of the thyroid gland.

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

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