Adrenal Repair and IBS

Have you tried Siberian Ginseng? It can be helpful to the adrenal glands as it tends to sensitize the body to cortisol which means that the body needs to produce lower amounts to get the same result. That sensitization to cortisol can help the body deal with highly stressful events as small increases in cortisol have greater effect. I am type 1 diabetic and changes in blood sugar even at the edges of the normal range can cause dramatic increases in cortisol release which I notice as tension in my legs which is unpleasant which is why I stopped using it.

It does have another benefit, it switches off the alarm reaction where the body reacts to sudden shocks by a release of adrenalin which can make people jump and react. When taking SG I noticed that this was deactivated and sudden shocks did not make me react to being startled etc.

I use Licorice myself, mainly Zhi Gan Cao which is a Chinese honey fried/cooked (cannot remember exactly) version of Licorice which has a warmer energy than regular licorice.

BTW have you tried Calcium, even small amounts of calcium carbonate can work to help with the IBS? Note that it does tend to be a bit constipating which might not be what you want.

I do have some Siberian Eleuthero that I have taken in the past. I have shy'd away from herbals because most are referred to as "adaptogens" which say they can raise or lower cortisol based on whatever.. I know I need to raise mine and didn't want to risk that they might lower mine. I'm also worried about anything that might "push" the adrenals (like coffee, etc). If this meets those concerns I'd probably like to give it a try. I do like what you say about it switching off the "alarm reaction". The licorice tea I'm happy with. I may add some more calcium to my daily routine and see if that helps the IBS.

Have you noticed what folate does to your IBS? It definitely helps mine, which reduces dramatically with each increase in folate...

I did notice things seemed to get better when I was on the SMP supps. I wasn't sure why though.

I use Tu Si Zi (Dodder seed) and have been using it for about 25 years. It supports the HPA axis, the adrenal, kidney energy, pituitary, hypothalamus and helps with elevated liver enzymes. Tests show that it increases the weight of the pituitary gland improving it's function which helps me a lot as my pituitary was partly destroyed along with part of my hypothalamus.

It's a Traditional Chinese Medicine herb which tones the kidney and liver energies. This can be helpful for people with anxiety and depression as the kidney energy is usually weak and can go on to affect the adrenal function. It is only by toning the kidney energy that the nervous system and brain can heal and be restored. It's difficult to accomplish but it can be done. Relaxation can also be helpful.

I notice it a lot when I do not take it such as when I have failed to prepare some. It helps to normalize the adrenal function, lowering it when it is high and helping when it is low.

It is often taken with Gou Qi Zi (wolfberry/Goji berry). Tu Si Zi does tend to be a little constipating but Gou Qi Zi has a slight loosening effect but mainly if you eat a lot of the berries. I don't think it has such an effect when you boil the berries. I enjoy eating the berries and have eaten piles of them which did loosen my bowel. However being diabetic I cannot really eat them because they raise my blood sugar so sharply. They are one of those things which seem right and beneficial, it's a pity that they are so high in carbs.

Tu Si Zi I would recommend with or without Goji berries. Worth a try. It's about 15 grams a day and I boil about 54 grams at a time which lasts about 3.5 days with two cups per day. 3 cups a day would probably be better still 15 grams a day as that would be about every 8 hours.

The pituitary gland is usually affected to some degree in CFS/FM along with the hypothalamus. I would highly recommend it.