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Old study showing adrenal gland atrophy by >50% in ME/CFS: Implications for treatment?

Messages
66
Small adrenal glands in chronic fatigue syndrome: a preliminary computer tomography study - PubMed (nih.gov)

I don't think this has been posted about before. This study from 1999 looked at ME patients with abnormal HPA axis response and then investigated the size of the adrenal glands in those particular patients: they were over 50% smaller than healthy controls.

I know some say adrenal problems in ME/CFS tend to really be the result of purely HPA axis dysregulation (i.e. a brain signalling problem with nothing wrong with the glands themselves). Others talk about adrenal fatigue. But the idea that the glands could actually shrink certainly puts a different spin on things and why they might be hypofunctioning (I mean imagine if your brain or heart shrunk by 50%, you’d certainly know!)


Hopefully they can grow back up if our health improves!

This study makes me think about taking pregenenolone, a precursor to all adrenal hormones, and whether this might be a necessity for those who adrenal glands actually have got smaller.

Any thoughts on this and implications for treatment?
 

linusbert

Senior Member
Messages
1,118
i believe in chronic disease state lot of organs atrophy, and some might hypertrophy like heart. same for testicles.
probably either through not beeing required or beeing overused.

but i also believe should chronic disease been overcome, the organs grow back to what is natural. if not permanently damaged.
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,335
Location
Southern California
@crussher - 50% is a lot! This is one more thing that has been overlooked and neglected by the medical establishment in their push to show it's all in our heads.

Many years ago my then orthomolecular doctor (who unfortunately has since died) told me a couple of indicators for adrenal issues with me: (1) he said our arm spans are supposed to equal our height. According to my arm span, I should have been an inch taller than I am (5'10" instead of 5'9"). As I recall (it's been more than 20 years), he said this indicated a problem occurring prior to age 12. Additionally, my ring finger is shorter than my index finger and again this could have some significance for the adrenals, though I can't recall what it is.

I'm wondering if these indicate that I was predisposed to or at greater risk for developing ME/CFS -
 

Wishful

Senior Member
Messages
5,684
Location
Alberta
If treating ME was as simple as taking pregenenolone, I think that would have been reported by now. PWME, some of whom have other diseases, take a wide variety of drugs, but so far none of them have shown to be a reliable treatment for ME.

If ME does shrink adrenals, then treating ME might return them to normal without artificial aid.
 

LINE

Senior Member
Messages
832
Location
USA
The adrenals are always going to be taxed when faced with immune stress. That stress is not only to deal with pathogenic loads but also toxins. I went into adrenal crisis (exhaustion stage of stress) and learned to fix those with a nutritional protocol. I fixed those and feel much stronger and reliable.
 
Messages
66
The adrenals are always going to be taxed when faced with immune stress. That stress is not only to deal with pathogenic loads but also toxins. I went into adrenal crisis (exhaustion stage of stress) and learned to fix those with a nutritional protocol. I fixed those and feel much stronger and reliable.
Can I ask what that protocol was? Many thanks.
 
Messages
75
The adrenals are always going to be taxed when faced with immune stress. That stress is not only to deal with pathogenic loads but also toxins. I went into adrenal crisis (exhaustion stage of stress) and learned to fix those with a nutritional protocol. I fixed those and feel much stronger and reliable.
what protocol ? thanks !
 

Nord Wolf

The Northman
Messages
564
Location
New England
Though the idea of the adrenals shrinking is interesting, it does make sense. Tough I agree with above comments in that many aspects of dis-ease could create such an issue. Could it be more so in people challenged with diseases causing severe energy issues - I would think that highly plausible. Like @Wishful stated, if a cure could be that simple (would be nice!) I'm sure it would have been exploited by now.

However, I wonder if anyone on PR has had their adrenals looked at for size? It is fairly common to ultrasound major organs for size, shape, density... health, but I don't know of anyone who has had their adrenals visually looked at. Chicken or the egg - if the adrenals tend to shrink in people with ME/CFS, how many times do they shrink prior to developing life changing symptoms verses shrinking after the development of more severe symptoms?

I also agree with @linusbert with the hypertrophy, as I have that issue in a location ever since the ME/CFS increased to severe a number of years ago.

The body is a fascinating and crazy place to dwell.
 

ruben

Senior Member
Messages
286
I seem to recall books by Adelle Davis were around in the 1980s. I would have thought if there was anything to that with regards to ME/CFS, it would have been well established by now. Just a thought.
 

linusbert

Senior Member
Messages
1,118
I seem to recall books by Adelle Davis were around in the 1980s. I would have thought if there was anything to that with regards to ME/CFS, it would have been well established by now. Just a thought.
there is a saying that practical medicine needs to take 50 years until new theories and knowledge became practiced. so it would be 8 more years. :D
 

LINE

Senior Member
Messages
832
Location
USA
@ruben @linusbert

"Lets Get Well" - Chapter on Stress. She outlines the stages of stress that Dr. Hans Selye observed. Alarm, Resistance and Exhaustion stages. I had collapsed on the floor, panic attacks, inhaling cold January air because I was air hungry, heart palpations etc. That was before the internet.

She outlined the nutritional needs in regards to the level of stress. I followed her protocol and resolved those issues. As a side note, I did Adrenal Glandulars which I went from stable to adrenal recovered. Some indicate that the glandulars caused them problems, but for me, they really helped.

I never went into full-blown panic attacks ever since and that was 25 years ago. I also do quite a few adaptogen herbs which has helped manage my energy and stress levels.