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?
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?