It is definately real. All of the arguments I've heard against it are illogical. Just because the medical world has not yet identified or defined it does not prove its absence. Modern medicine for some reason only seems to work in extremes, black and white. I suppose it makes defining conditions easier, because the boundaries are less blurred, and therefore by extension treatment protocols. So for example, you either have diabetes or you don't, but we all know that diabetes doesn't appear overnight, unless genetic. There is a slow worsening progression in the biochemistry and physiology of a healthy individual over a period of time until that time the body reconfigures itself to cope with the substantial changes. During this period of progression there would have been opportunities for the individual to halt and even reverse the progression so the disease state never manifests. I think adrenal fatigue is similar. There is a medical term to describe a state where one's adrenals are so fatigued that they have ceased to function. It is called Addissons disease. But it contravenes common sense to think that an individual is either in one of two states, either healthy or with Addissons disease. In reality, I imagine it is more of a continuum and the severity of the symptoms will be congruent with it.
About 10 days ago, I suddenly developed insomnia, which I've never had before. I could usually fall asleep within 5 minutes. I didn't sleep for three nights.
Then I developed palpitations at night and periodically throughout the day where my heart rate would increase by 30 - 30% for no apparent reason.
Then I lost all interest in training and doing anything I would usually enjoy doing.
Then I lost my appetite completely. I could go days without eating if I wanted to.
Then I started feeling depressed, but I couldn't understand why.
I was struggling to get out of bed and go to work and as unusually I was unable to be in only slightly stressful situations.
My blood pressure would randomly drop, leading to hot and cold sweats and feelings of anxiety etc.
So last week I sat down and thought this definitely isn't in my head as there were no known causes for it to be depression. I also felt that parts of my nervous system was constantly in over-drive and my body and mind could not relax. So I thought about my routine, diet and sleeping schedule over the last few months.....and this is what it entailed....
The Layne Norton Routine (Power / Hypertrophy) - Very intense 5 days a week routine
Diet - some days 2000 cals and on other 800 - most days not eating for 18 - 20 hours
Heavy stim use - Dexaprine
Sleeping on average - 5-6 hours a night
Training thought 3 bouts of cold
When I thought of it like this, I realised what a fool I'd been. All of these elements had been introduced separately, but cumulatively they were having a massive impact upon my body. So since last week, after some research I've done the following:
Stopped training for a week
Taken time of work, so I can catch-up on sleep
Increased healthy calorific intake
Vitamin C 1000mg every two hours
Increase non ionised salt intake
Take a cortisol blocker in the evening around 8pm so I can sleep
Stopped all other stresses in life
In the last week, I have improved massively. I'm still not 100%, but I'm sleeping around 6-7 hours without waking up.
My blood pressure doesn't drop leading to feeling of anxiety or terror!
My appetite has returned and I'm enjoying eating again
Sorry for the long post, but this experience has been a revelation for me and I thought others may benefit from my sharing it.
