89: Why Your Doctor Won’t Help You with Adrenal Fatigue

Are you experiencing adrenal fatigue symptoms but your hormone panel test came back normal? You’re not alone—and your feelings are valid. We know how frustrating it can be to go to the doctor just to leave with no answers! Lab tests aren’t comprehensive in the adrenal fatigue space. Up to 80% of adult Americans will suffer from adrenal fatigue at some point in their life, yet it remains one of the most under-diagnosed conditions in the U.S. 

In this episode, Erica and Dr. Jones dive into why that is. They share the top 4 reasons why most conventional doctors won’t help you with adrenal fatigue, including why big pharma is bad (in many situations)—and what you can do about it. 

Here’s the thing: adrenal fatigue is not taught in medical school. In fact, doctors don’t diagnose low adrenal function even though the symptoms associated with it can be debilitating. Think extreme lethargy, unbearable brain fog, and more. Even endocrinologists don’t recognize anything that is not complete physical distress to the adrenal glands as in need of attention. 

The sad fact is that pharmaceutical and insurance companies have heavily influenced primary care. Meaning, big pharma dictates what diseases and conditions are profitable. You can make significant improvements with lifestyle changes. And that doesn’t help big pharma make money. Doctors (and people) are not conditioned to look for lifestyle factors, and most people want convenient, quick changes. And big pharma has got them. But Erica and Dr. Jones point out that these fixes are not sustainable and can lead to even more problems down the road. 

Another reason why your doctor won’t help you with adrenal fatigue is that lab tests don’t detect it! Conventional tests only look for Addison’s disease, which means your adrenals can’t produce cortisol physically. This is a huge problem because you can get Addison’s when adrenal fatigue goes unaddressed for long enough. We want to prevent that from happening!

Lastly, conventional medicine doesn’t acknowledge alternative medicine approaches. We’ve seen this with COVID-19 the past two years. This is all the more reason to read and educate yourself. 

Here are some tips we have for becoming your own healing in adrenal fatigue:

• Read and study; we love the book Adrenal Fatigue by James Wilson 
• Look for health care providers that offer functional health testing. 
• Find health care providers that specialize in women’s health (naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, herbalists) that have additional certifications for hormone support and dealing with burnout and adrenals 
• Look for someone who is going to take a root cause approach—not just symptoms-based. 

Featured in this episode…

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