Dr. Wilson's Adrenal Rebuilder review

[caledonia]

I would just like to say that this stuff is great.

First a quick history - my adrenals have been flatlined for at least a decade. My naturopath at the time called them among the four worst adrenal profiles he had ever seen. I had several tests over several years and they were always the same.

I tried many different types of adrenal supplements, such as adrenal glandulars, DHEA, 7 keto DHEA, pregnenolone, some kind of homeopathic thing. I'm probably forgetting something. Even in teeny tiny amounts gradually built up over long periods of time (like a year) they were all too overstimulating.

At some point, I gave up and just concentrated on replacing all the electrolytes that were leaking out. I also required quite a bit of fish oil supplementation which, at least for me, is linked to how well or not my adrenals are doing.

Fast forward more recently - I've been doing methylation treatment about the last 2.5 years. Last spring, the last of my mercury came out, and my thyroid recovered from autoimmune thyroiditis. I was able to discontinue Armour thyroid which I was on for over a decade, and got a 5% increase in energy.

Later last year, based on my decreased need for electrolytes and fish oil, my adrenals seemed somewhat recovered. I recently did another saliva cortisol test, which confirms that they're about 50% recovered.

Lately, however, I've been under a lot of stress, and my adrenals have gotten a notch worse. I've been feeling bad from stress, anxiety, etc. with flare up of acid reflux, sleep cycle and ability to sleep soundly getting worse. I've been needing somewhat more electrolytes and fish oil. My current naturopath suggested the Adrenal Rebuilder.

Within a few minutes of taking it, I started to feel calm and relaxed - amazing! After a week or two, I am feeling so much better from stress. I have also been sleeping deeper, and a lot more, with random several hour naps overtaking me. I feel it's all for the good.

Note that I am only taking 1/16 of one tablet, once per day, in the morning. I tried 1/8, but it produced a mild over stimulating effect, alternating with the relaxing effect. 1/16 seems to be the right amount.

Adrenal Rebuilder is various porcine glands with the hormones taken out, so that's why it's not over stimulating. The glands provide nutrients the adrenals need. So for anyone having trouble with traditional adrenal supps, this is one to consider.

I also believe that once I get past my current roadblock with lead detox, and am able to raise my methylation supps higher, I will naturally get more improvement in my adrenals. Currently, I'm on a very tiny amount of methylation supps.

 

[shannah]

There's a lot of similarities @caledonia in our stories in regards to adrenal supplements. It's really hard to find products that will work and that won't clobber the adrenals but rather support them.

Like you, I've tried numerous things over the years. Was beginning to have some minor success with Thorne's Adrenal Cortex last November when I mistook the benefits for something else, (thinking it was the methylation supplements alone) went off of it, and crashed really hard, barely able to move for the next few weeks.

I've been scouring the internet for alternate products to try so posting this at this time was very timely for me. Glad you're finding something that looks like it's helping. I may try ordering this one.

Can I ask which other ones you've tried? I've read recently about the Gaia Adrenal Health and also Cytozyme AD by Biotics Research. Have you tried either of these?

 

[caledonia]

Can I ask which other ones you've tried? I've read recently about the Gaia Adrenal Health and also Cytozyme AD by Biotics Research. Have you tried either of these?

Adrenal cortex extract, DHEA, 7 keto DHEA, pregnenolone, some homeopathic thing (can't remember the name). One of my naturopaths wanted me to try a prescription cortisone/cortisol - I was too scared to try it. Good thing, because since then, even cortisone cream rubbed on my skin for itches makes my adrenals crash. I've had scary episodes with adrenal glandulars where I've gotten chest pain and my left arm was numb - I discontinued and the effect lasted for a week - I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

I haven't tried the ones you listed.

I believe the problem with my adrenals is a signalling problem due to low glutathione or low methylation. The adrenals themselves are probably fine, and that's why glandulars are overstimulating. This is based on something Rich Van Konynenburg said about the thyroid. I've increased methylation and my thyroid has recovered and my adrenals have partway recovered, so I think there's something to it.

On the other hand, there are people who do well with glandulars, so maybe something else is going on in that case.

 

[drob31]

Do you have low or high cortisol?

7 keto DHEA is a cortisol antagonist, and would help if cortisol levels are high. There's no way to tell what pregnenlone will convert to, but it could become a victim of preg-steal. It seems like an unbalanced combination, IMO. I'm not sure how much of an effect I believe the cortex has since the adrenal's are most likely intact but recieving the wrong signals.

In any case, what does your diurnal ryhthm look like? How about morning serum levels? How is your thyroid?

 

[caledonia]

Do you have low or high cortisol?

7 keto DHEA is a cortisol antagonist, and would help if cortisol levels are high. There's no way to tell what pregnenlone will convert to, but it could become a victim of preg-steal. It seems like an unbalanced combination, IMO. I'm not sure how much of an effect I believe the cortex has since the adrenal's are most likely intact but recieving the wrong signals.

In any case, what does your diurnal ryhthm look like? How about morning serum levels? How is your thyroid?

Are these questions for me or @shannah ?

 

[South]

Was beginning to have some minor success with Thorne's Adrenal Cortex last November when I mistook the benefits for something else

@shannah Can I ask why you aren't considering going back to taking Thorne Adrenal Cortex, now that you've figured out that it had been giving you some benefits?

 

[shannah]

@shannah Can I ask why you aren't considering going back to taking Thorne Adrenal Cortex, now that you've figured out that it had been giving you some benefits?

I did go back on it @South but it hasn't given me the same benefits. So I'm trying to duplicate everything I was taking for that few week period but not having great success as yet. I am however doing better right now in that I'm not quite as drained as I was in January and February.

I just started some of the Thorne Cortrex as of yesterday. It has the adrenal cortex in it along with a few cofactors and some licorice.

 

[GoodVibesOnly]

@caledonia thanks for reviewing this product.
I am so confused bc every where I look there is caution against using glandular but Adrenal Cortex Extract seems to be okay.

Are you still taking the rebuilder and if so how is it going. I have a 150 count pot which I bought recently but I am not sure how much adrenal cortex there is in each tablet.

I have started with the Thorne product and worked up to 2x capsules twice a day (so 100mg 2x a day). I notice the rebuilder had a 800-900 mg of various glandulars but does not say how much of that is Adrenal Cortex Extract.

The tablets are also HUGE - lol.

Anyone else taking the Adrenal rebuilder who is having success with it?


EDIT: I had a recent salivary cortisol test which shows me as having low cortisol through-out the day with slightly elevated cortisol in the early hours of the morning (i.e. 1am - 4am).
I also have elevated melatonin at this time which does not seem to make sense ?

 

[ahmo]

I used Enzymatic Therapies adrenal glandular for 2 years. It was brilliant for me. No longer need it.

 

[caledonia]

@caledonia thanks for reviewing this product.
I am so confused bc every where I look there is caution against using glandular but Adrenal Cortex Extract seems to be okay.

Are you still taking the rebuilder and if so how is it going. I have a 150 count pot which I bought recently but I am not sure how much adrenal cortex there is in each tablet.

I have started with the Thorne product and worked up to 2x capsules twice a day (so 100mg 2x a day). I notice the rebuilder had a 800-900 mg of various glandulars but does not say how much of that is Adrenal Cortex Extract.

The tablets are also HUGE - lol.

Anyone else taking the Adrenal rebuilder who is having success with it?


EDIT: I had a recent salivary cortisol test which shows me as having low cortisol through-out the day with slightly elevated cortisol in the early hours of the morning (i.e. 1am - 4am).
I also have elevated melatonin at this time which does not seem to make sense ?

Yes, I'm still taking it and doing well with it. I've worked up to 1/4 of one pill per day.
My acid reflux is a lot calmer. I'm doing a trial of discontinuing Pepsid AC.

 

[GoodVibesOnly]

Yes, I'm still taking it and doing well with it. I've worked up to 1/4 of one pill per day.
My acid reflux is a lot calmer. I'm doing a trial of discontinuing Pepsid AC.

@caledonia thanks for getting back

Can I ask how long you have been taking it and how long it took to start working?

Also does anyone know how much adrenal cortex there is in each tablet?

 

[caledonia]

@caledonia thanks for getting back

Can I ask how long you have been taking it and how long it took to start working?

Also does anyone know how much adrenal cortex there is in each tablet?

I've been taking it about 4-5 weeks I think. It started working within 15 to 20 minutes. I almost immediately felt calm and relaxed.

The label doesn't specify how much of each glandular is present. Just 830mg of all the types of glandulars put together.

 

[shannah]

One big difference is the Wilson's is porcine while the Thorne and many others are bovine. Don't know exactly how this might make a difference but think that it does.

No matter how much or how little the amount of the bovine sourced cortex extract I take, I get increased burning and pain in the adrenals and feeling like they're being pushed. Wilson's is the only porcine one I've taken but immediately get a calming sensation from it. No great progress forward yet but haven't been on it very long.

I'd try another porcine cortex if I could find one. Most seem sourced from bovine.

 

[caledonia]

I'm happy to report that my need for both salt supplementation and fish oil have started to decrease. These are both signs that my adrenals are improving. I've going from 3 pinches of salt 4X to 1 pinch 4X (the salt is dissolved in water along with my other electrolytes and drunk). And from 1 tsp of fish oil to 1/2 to 3/4 tsp.

 

[Mikee5]

I'm happy to report that my need for both salt supplementation and fish oil have started to decrease. These are both signs that my adrenals are improving. I've going from 3 pinches of salt 4X to 1 pinch 4X (the salt is dissolved in water along with my other electrolytes and drunk). And from 1 tsp of fish oil to 1/2 to 3/4 tsp.

I know this is an old thread but many of your symptoms and reaction to adrenal treatments and therapies seem similar to mine. How are you feeling today? Have you completely recovered?

Dr. Wilson's 'Adrenal Rebuilder' seems to be a similar product to an adrenal cortex formula - processing and concentrating the dissected adrenal gland of all its hormones to reduce its stimulating effects. I've also noticed the hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the product. For those of us in a very severe state of adrenal fatigue with complex obstacles in our recovery, such as paradoxical reactions, even mineral supplements can hinder cortisol production and induce a state of fatigue.

 

[caledonia]

I know this is an old thread but many of your symptoms and reaction to adrenal treatments and therapies seem similar to mine. How are you feeling today? Have you completely recovered?

Dr. Wilson's 'Adrenal Rebuilder' seems to be a similar product to an adrenal cortex formula - processing and concentrating the dissected adrenal gland of all its hormones to reduce its stimulating effects. I've also noticed the hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the product. For those of us in a very severe state of adrenal fatigue with complex obstacles in our recovery, such as paradoxical reactions, even mineral supplements can hinder cortisol production and induce a state of fatigue.

Hi Mikee, I am still taking it. I'm successfully off the Pepsid with no reflux issues. I no longer need salt supplementation. Fish oil supplementation is holding at 3/4 tsp.

I had built up to 1/4 of a tablet per day, but eventually I started feeling a bit anxious and overly revved up. I have cut back to 1/8 of a tablet recently, and that is fine.

I take this to mean that I have improved some and don't need quite as much support.

 

[Mikee5]

Hi Mikee, I am still taking it. I'm successfully off the Pepsid with no reflux issues. I no longer need salt supplementation. Fish oil supplementation is holding at 3/4 tsp.

I had built up to 1/4 of a tablet per day, but eventually I started feeling a bit anxious and overly revved up. I have cut back to 1/8 of a tablet recently, and that is fine.

I take this to mean that I have improved some and don't need quite as much support.

So you have't fully recovered? What symptoms are you still experiencing and what subsided (if you don't mind sharing)? How did you feel taking pregnenolone/DHEA? My DHEA is a little low and my cortisol is only marginally low, but I'm still very symptomatic (rapid weight gain, cognitive issues, premature aging, unable to exercise without inducing severe fatigue and relapsing). Oral pregnenolone and DHEA (taken separately) definitely aggravated my adrenal fatigue, as well as other supplements like raw adrenal glandular, thyroid medication etc. Thank you for sharing!

 

[caledonia]

So you have't fully recovered? What symptoms are you still experiencing and what subsided (if you don't mind sharing)? How did you feel taking pregnenolone/DHEA? My DHEA is a little low and my cortisol is only marginally low, but I'm still very symptomatic (rapid weight gain, cognitive issues, premature aging, unable to exercise without inducing severe fatigue and relapsing). Oral pregnenolone and DHEA (taken separately) definitely aggravated my adrenal fatigue, as well as other supplements like raw adrenal glandular, thyroid medication etc. Thank you for sharing!

No, my adrenal fatigue has been extremely intractable. I've had ME for 15 years and I've known I've had very bad adrenal fatigue for 10 years (and it was probably there from the beginning).

I still have a late sleep/wake cycle, still need to take a nap or at least lay down for a few hours. I still have electrolytes leaking out like crazy and need to supplement those. I still have dry eyes and mouth and need to supplement fish oil for that. I still have issues with heat and humidity and need to be careful or I can faint. I definitely can't exercise and need to watch my activity levels and pace or I can crash.

I have had improvements in all of the above, but I still have adrenal fatigue. My early tests were a flat line with a slight rise at night (like a Phase 4). My naturopath called it one of worst four adrenal profiles he had ever seen. Now I'm like a Phase 3? My cortisol curve looks normal (high in the morning and low at night), but at about 50% of where it should be. That was before starting the Adrenal Rebuilder. I haven't retested yet.

I have noticed I am losing fat around my waist since starting the Rebuilder. My pants are fitting looser and I've lost a few pounds with no effort on my part.

I have only been on this supp since March of this year - it can take a very long time to fix severe adrenal fatigue.

Every other traditional supp I have tried (adrenal glandular, DHEA, pregenenolone, 7 Keto DHEA, and some kind of homeopathic thing) have all been overstimulating.

The other thing I'm working on related to the adrenals is mercury chelation. I no longer have mercury fillings - the last one went bad and was taken out about three years ago - I think that may have been helpful, but I still need to chelate. I'm going to be starting Cutler style chelation soon. Mercury can definitely affect both your thyroid and adrenals.

As chelating itself may stress the adrenals, it's good that I have found this supp for support while I do that.

 

[Mikee5]

No, my adrenal fatigue has been extremely intractable. I've had ME for 15 years and I've known I've had very bad adrenal fatigue for 10 years (and it was probably there from the beginning).

I still have a late sleep/wake cycle, still need to take a nap or at least lay down for a few hours. I still have electrolytes leaking out like crazy and need to supplement those. I still have dry eyes and mouth and need to supplement fish oil for that. I still have issues with heat and humidity and need to be careful or I can faint. I definitely can't exercise and need to watch my activity levels and pace or I can crash.

I have had improvements in all of the above, but I still have adrenal fatigue. My early tests were a flat line with a slight rise at night (like a Phase 4). My naturopath called it one of worst four adrenal profiles he had ever seen. Now I'm like a Phase 3? My cortisol curve looks normal (high in the morning and low at night), but at about 50% of where it should be. That was before starting the Adrenal Rebuilder. I haven't retested yet.

I have noticed I am losing fat around my waist since starting the Rebuilder. My pants are fitting looser and I've lost a few pounds with no effort on my part.

I have only been on this supp since March of this year - it can take a very long time to fix severe adrenal fatigue.

Every other traditional supp I have tried (adrenal glandular, DHEA, pregenenolone, 7 Keto DHEA, and some kind of homeopathic thing) have all been overstimulating.

The other thing I'm working on related to the adrenals is mercury chelation. I no longer have mercury fillings - the last one went bad and was taken out about three years ago - I think that may have been helpful, but I still need to chelate. I'm going to be starting Cutler style chelation soon. Mercury can definitely affect both your thyroid and adrenals.

As chelating itself may stress the adrenals, it's good that I have found this supp for support while I do that.

Since the Adrenal Rebuilder claims that it processes the glands to strip them of their hormones to counteract a stimulating effect, what nutrients are left? On Dr. Wilson's Q&A page, it only claims that one would benefit from the 'nutrients' of the supplement. What nutrients specifically? The price of the product and its vague claims are a little puzzling. Are these 'nutrients' unique to the concentrated glands in the ingredients? Sorry for all these Qs, I've contacted them but haven't received a reply yet and the reviews for the product are limited.

 

[Lou]

I would just like to say that this stuff is great.

First a quick history - my adrenals have been flatlined for at least a decade. My naturopath at the time called them among the four worst adrenal profiles he had ever seen. I had several tests over several years and they were always the same.

I tried many different types of adrenal supplements, such as adrenal glandulars, DHEA, 7 keto DHEA, pregnenolone, some kind of homeopathic thing. I'm probably forgetting something. Even in teeny tiny amounts gradually built up over long periods of time (like a year) they were all too overstimulating.

At some point, I gave up and just concentrated on replacing all the electrolytes that were leaking out. I also required quite a bit of fish oil supplementation which, at least for me, is linked to how well or not my adrenals are doing.

Fast forward more recently - I've been doing methylation treatment about the last 2.5 years. Last spring, the last of my mercury came out, and my thyroid recovered from autoimmune thyroiditis. I was able to discontinue Armour thyroid which I was on for over a decade, and got a 5% increase in energy.

Later last year, based on my decreased need for electrolytes and fish oil, my adrenals seemed somewhat recovered. I recently did another saliva cortisol test, which confirms that they're about 50% recovered.

Lately, however, I've been under a lot of stress, and my adrenals have gotten a notch worse. I've been feeling bad from stress, anxiety, etc. with flare up of acid reflux, sleep cycle and ability to sleep soundly getting worse. I've been needing somewhat more electrolytes and fish oil. My current naturopath suggested the Adrenal Rebuilder.

Within a few minutes of taking it, I started to feel calm and relaxed - amazing! After a week or two, I am feeling so much better from stress. I have also been sleeping deeper, and a lot more, with random several hour naps overtaking me. I feel it's all for the good.

Note that I am only taking 1/16 of one tablet, once per day, in the morning. I tried 1/8, but it produced a mild over stimulating effect, alternating with the relaxing effect. 1/16 seems to be the right amount.

Adrenal Rebuilder is various porcine glands with the hormones taken out, so that's why it's not over stimulating. The glands provide nutrients the adrenals need. So for anyone having trouble with traditional adrenal supps, this is one to consider.

I also believe that once I get past my current roadblock with lead detox, and am able to raise my methylation supps higher, I will naturally get more improvement in my adrenals. Currently, I'm on a very tiny amount of methylation supps.

Hi @caledonia May I ask how in the world you accurately divide the pill into 1/16ths?

Afraid next question is even more naïve, you think each 1/16 division is equally distributed with all the glandulars contained in the whole pill?

Thanks.