I posted this in response to an overtraining thread in the main forum, but think this needs a topic of its own over here as I doubt I'm alone in this and think there are probably several women with similar issues that have no idea what is going on.
I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue recently and am at somewhat of a loss as to what to do (or not do) training-wise. The dr I'm seeing is conveniently not on any insurance so I'm paying my right arm to see her, but am glad I did as the bloodwork she ordered shows a few things pretty far off whereas my GP says I'm perfectly healthy. My DHEA is very low (43 - dr wants it at 250-300), CRP (inflammation) is very high - 7.8 (normal range is 0-3, dr wants it closer to 0). My T3 is a bit low and TSH doubled in the last 2 months from 1.4 to 2.8 - so by "normal" standards, no issue with TSH however looking at the T3/T4 can see issue and dr wants TSH closer to 1.
I went back today to discuss these results and got several supplements and rx - adrenatone, adreno distress guard, calcium w/ magnesium, DHEA 25mg, multi vitamin with antioxidants and omega 3s, vitamin d 5000iu, wobenzyme (anti-inflammatory), and T3 5mcg SR.
I go back next week to discuss nutrition (she is a "nutritional wellness" doctor - MD and used to be in internal medicine and took interest in this field over the last 10 years or so) which I'm looking forward to, and exercise. I'm apparently supposed to meet with their partner to learn a 20 minute "HCG boosting" workout - pretty much HIIT or tabata on a treadmill which starts with 220-age as your max HR. So I'm not impressed there because I can blow 220-my age out of the water without really trying. I am going to give them a call tomorrow to tell them I'm not really interested in learning their workout protocol as I want to continue this hobby of mine in some shape or form -not give it up forever to instead do their 20 minute workout three time a week. I also don't want to give them that HR show and do a tough workout next week if I'm theoretically trying to rest/recover.
Kind of off track track there, but I'm looking for some guidance on how to know when to start coming back and when I'm pushing it too hard. My symptoms never came on in one acute attack - I've just said for the past year plus that I "lack resiliency." I don't recover well and cannot for the life of me lose weight. Upping the workouts and cutting the calories always used to work and over the past 1-2 years when I do that I may lose 1-2 lbs and then proceed to gain 3 back. I've lost 3 lbs of muscle and gained 5 lbs of fat in the past 1.5 years (gotta love DXA and it's sometimes insulting detail).
I ran a half-ass marathon in February (ie was supposed to be for fun but sucked every ounce of my soul out of my body) and haven't been anywhere near full capacity since then. I had the flu at Christmas and have had an awful time with asthma and allergies this year. So while I may have had a week or two here or there where my running was really going well, I'd say I've been sub par since the fall, if not longer.
I'm signed up for IMFL and have told myself I can sit on my butt until early June and pick up then if need be. The only thing is I'm having a hard time figuring out if I need to sit on my butt and do absolutely nothing, and if so, for how long, or if I should work on just doing super light workouts for the next month or so. I took 5 days off last week and my body started to get pretty upset by about day 3 or 4.
I know so much is by feel but I've been subpar for so long, it is hard now to distinguish problematic from my new normal, if that makes sense. The weight I've gained is killing me but working out more/eating less isn't quite the answer for me right now like it had been in the past.
Long post - long way of asking if anyone has had similar hormonal imbalance issues and how long after supplementing did you start to get back at it?
_________________________________________
Kathleen
http://kcwoodhead.blogspot.com/
I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue recently and am at somewhat of a loss as to what to do (or not do) training-wise. The dr I'm seeing is conveniently not on any insurance so I'm paying my right arm to see her, but am glad I did as the bloodwork she ordered shows a few things pretty far off whereas my GP says I'm perfectly healthy. My DHEA is very low (43 - dr wants it at 250-300), CRP (inflammation) is very high - 7.8 (normal range is 0-3, dr wants it closer to 0). My T3 is a bit low and TSH doubled in the last 2 months from 1.4 to 2.8 - so by "normal" standards, no issue with TSH however looking at the T3/T4 can see issue and dr wants TSH closer to 1.
I went back today to discuss these results and got several supplements and rx - adrenatone, adreno distress guard, calcium w/ magnesium, DHEA 25mg, multi vitamin with antioxidants and omega 3s, vitamin d 5000iu, wobenzyme (anti-inflammatory), and T3 5mcg SR.
I go back next week to discuss nutrition (she is a "nutritional wellness" doctor - MD and used to be in internal medicine and took interest in this field over the last 10 years or so) which I'm looking forward to, and exercise. I'm apparently supposed to meet with their partner to learn a 20 minute "HCG boosting" workout - pretty much HIIT or tabata on a treadmill which starts with 220-age as your max HR. So I'm not impressed there because I can blow 220-my age out of the water without really trying. I am going to give them a call tomorrow to tell them I'm not really interested in learning their workout protocol as I want to continue this hobby of mine in some shape or form -not give it up forever to instead do their 20 minute workout three time a week. I also don't want to give them that HR show and do a tough workout next week if I'm theoretically trying to rest/recover.
Kind of off track track there, but I'm looking for some guidance on how to know when to start coming back and when I'm pushing it too hard. My symptoms never came on in one acute attack - I've just said for the past year plus that I "lack resiliency." I don't recover well and cannot for the life of me lose weight. Upping the workouts and cutting the calories always used to work and over the past 1-2 years when I do that I may lose 1-2 lbs and then proceed to gain 3 back. I've lost 3 lbs of muscle and gained 5 lbs of fat in the past 1.5 years (gotta love DXA and it's sometimes insulting detail).
I ran a half-ass marathon in February (ie was supposed to be for fun but sucked every ounce of my soul out of my body) and haven't been anywhere near full capacity since then. I had the flu at Christmas and have had an awful time with asthma and allergies this year. So while I may have had a week or two here or there where my running was really going well, I'd say I've been sub par since the fall, if not longer.
I'm signed up for IMFL and have told myself I can sit on my butt until early June and pick up then if need be. The only thing is I'm having a hard time figuring out if I need to sit on my butt and do absolutely nothing, and if so, for how long, or if I should work on just doing super light workouts for the next month or so. I took 5 days off last week and my body started to get pretty upset by about day 3 or 4.
I know so much is by feel but I've been subpar for so long, it is hard now to distinguish problematic from my new normal, if that makes sense. The weight I've gained is killing me but working out more/eating less isn't quite the answer for me right now like it had been in the past.
Long post - long way of asking if anyone has had similar hormonal imbalance issues and how long after supplementing did you start to get back at it?
_________________________________________
Kathleen
http://kcwoodhead.blogspot.com/