@roxie60 Adrenal Insufficiency is the diagnosis by an endocrinologist when one fails the rapid ACTH stimulation test (cosyntropin stimulation test.)
The test level is set intentionally low because they do not want to risk shutting down the adrenals by placing the patient on corticosteroids. You see, the treatment is not a treatment, it is a replacement of one or two glucocorticoid hormones that can cause the adrenals to shut down permanently. The use of cortisol (a natural form with a shorter half-life) is less likely to cause adrenal shutdown but may be difficult to tolerate. Most medical doctors are not trained in, nor familiar with, rehabilitating adrenals and HPA axis dysfunction.
The adrenals and HPA axis operates on a negative feedback loop. In our normal daily cycle, we crash and sleep when the adrenals recover, and the message system in the body's HPA axis system depends on that negative feedback loop to operate. The use of most Rx corticosteroids does not allow this daily negative feedback system, because the corticosteroids half life is too long - beyond a day. Thus the use of corticosteroids may cause the adrenals to atrophy and shutdown. So doctors are in a difficult situation.
Endocrinologists do not want to prescribe the
corticosteroids for low adrenal function because they can
cause Adrenal Insufficiency. So they wait for adrenals to fail - as determined by the ACTH stim test. Once on the Rx corticosteroids, however one will be dependent upon them for life - you dare not miss a dose - and life that way is difficult as can be seen in the Addison's forums. Corticosteroids cause many problems including knocking down the immune system so that you catch every disease and can barely fight anything off, it can cause bone necrosis (death), mental issues, obesity, ...
I have been down this road a long time, trying to recover my adrenals, extensively searching and researching while very close to death at one time. Read up on adrenal crisis.
Few know anything about rehabilitating adrenals. Dr. Michael Lam MD, is one of the few who specializes in low adrenal function and rehabilitation, mostly through use of particular gentle nutrients.
I have found Dr Lam's book, "Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome - Reclaim Your Energy and Vitality with Clinically Proven Natural Programs," to be immensely helpful. Published in 2012, he notes throughout the book that the more adrenal function declines the higher the risk of bad or paradoxical reaction to even the most benign nutrients. He urges those in very bad shape to seek a well informed practitioner, which I have found very difficult to find.
I was able to survive and rebuild adrenal function through use of information in Dr Lam's book and on his website:
https://www.drlam.com/articles/adrenalexhaustion.asp
Continuing to go to the Endo for ACTH stim tests was a waste of time for me. I wanted to avoid having to go on corticosteroids for life. It got to the point where I couldn't even make it to the doctor anyhow.
At one point I managed to recover from an adrenal crisis on my own primarily through use of licorice root which reverses the particular kind of electrolyte imbalance caused by lack of adrenal hormones, and porcine glandulars processed to remove hormones, in addition to specific nutrients which I had delivered to home by Amazon. However use of glandulars and licorice can skew medical test results. Realize that I have been studying up on this for years. No one is recommended to try this as it is tricky may become fatal very quickly. I personally had few options, but managed to survive. Doctors including Lam, do not recommend this approach without knowledgeable medical supervision. Finding the cause of adrenal dysfunction is very important.
If you are interested in recovering your adrenals rather than ending up on corticosteroids for life, I urge you to get this book ASAP and share it with your practitioner. I have no affiliation with Dr Lam or any supplement company.
https://smile.amazon.com/Adrenal-Fa...81407577&sr=1-1&keywords=adrenal++fatigue+lam