Anyone here recover from Adrenal Fatigue ...and ride again?

[Jiffer]

Last July, when my period came and serious fatigue set in, I believed I was iron deficient per a coach and my sister, a nurse. After taking it easy on the bike for about a month, I started to feel reasonably better. Six months later, after getting serious about training again in January ... and losing weight again ... my period came again (it has a way of doing that) and the fatigue came again.

Turns out it's not iron deficiency. I apparently have mild hypothyroidism and moderate adrenal fatigue.

What I want to know is if anyone here has experienced this and with proper care of your body, were you able to get back to cycling with any intensity or endurance, without crashing your adrenals again?

[Pip]

Hi Jiffer,
Out of curiosity, how out of range were your cortisol levels? How low are they? You said you've lost weight - do you crave salt or acidic foods? Have you found that your skin is more tan than usual (including in places which don't see the sun), or that freckles and moles have darkened? Do you suffer from nausea as well as fatigue? There are many endocrinologists out there who do not believe in adrenal fatigue, regarding it as a new age attempt to sell hormone supplements, but adrenal glands certainly can fail, often as a result of an autoimmune process. Adrenal failure is more commonly known as Addison's Disease, but it is very rare. I'm just unlucky enough to have it (along with Hypothyroidism and Pernicious Anaemia - all autoimmune).

It is VERY important however that you get your thyroid hormone levels dealt to before any adrenal issues are addressed. You may find that a couple of weeks on thyroid meds will help your energy levels.

[Chile Pepper]

I don't know about adrenal fatigue, but I started taking medication for hypothyroidism a couple of years ago. It think it took six weeks for the effects to kick in (certainly more than a couple), and when they did--wow! I was skeptical about the whole thing, so I wasn't even really paying attention to my body or looking for an effect, but one day I suddenly had a sense of well-being that I hadn't felt in years. I felt more positive, energized, generous, happy--just generally up. The change was remarkable. So my experience is that, yes, addressing the thyroid issues should help you get your energy back. Just give it a little time. Hope you feel better soon!

[limewave]

Me!

After I had my first child, my thyroid started to puke-out on me. I didn't know what was going on for a long time. But my energy levels were so low that I literally sat on a couch or laid down all day. I couldn't take care of DD, do household chores, nothin--for months and months.

Anyways, after a proper diagnosis, I now manage the hypothyroidism with diet and a thyroid and iodine supplement. I also have to take supplements to support my adrenal glad. If I don't, I suffer from anxiety attacks. All the supplements I'm on are prescribed by my doctor.

All that said, I do race mountain bikes and ride hard on the road. I'm currently training for a 25k AND a mountain bike race simultaneously. However, I have noticed that following a traditional periodization schedule of a 3 week build and 1 week rest is a bit much for me. I'm now experimenting with a 2 week build with a 1 week rest.

When I think about my state 4 years ago, my lethargy and how much I slept . . . to what I do now everyday--it's a miracle.

Good luck! Our bodies can be a real challenge sometimes.

[Dogmama]

Limewave,

Tell me about your diet. I've been teaching many spin classes, riding and trying to get ready to run a half marathon. Normally, I wouldn't feel the intense fatigue that I have - and I suspect diet tweaking would be a good thing. I do take Synthroid and have my levels checked regularly, so that isn't the problem.

Thanks!

[limewave]

It's basically a whole-foods diet. Lots of veggies and fruit. I try to eat Gluten-free, but we can't always afford gluten-free bread. And I rarely eat red meat. I'll be the first to admit that I don't stick to this 100%. And I'll also be the first to admit that when I stray from that diet, I feel it greatly. I'll get fatigued and depressed.

I've also been experimenting with fueling my workouts. For every 45 minutes of cardio, I make sure to take in 1 serving of Endura. And for every additional 30 minutes beyond the first 60 minutes, I take a gu. For example, I did a 15 mile run last weekend that took approx. 2hrs and 15 minutes. Over the run I had 2 scoops of Endura mixed into 1 bottle of water and 1.5 gu packets. Making sure I fuel my workouts have helped my performance and recovery.

[maillotpois]

Me!

After I had my first child, my thyroid started to puke-out on me. I didn't know what was going on for a long time. But my energy levels were so low that I literally sat on a couch or laid down all day. I couldn't take care of DD, do household chores, nothin--for months and months.

Anyways, after a proper diagnosis, I now manage the hypothyroidism with diet and a thyroid and iodine supplement. I also have to take supplements to support my adrenal glad. If I don't, I suffer from anxiety attacks. All the supplements I'm on are prescribed by my doctor.

Same here! Post-childbirth onset Hashimito's disease. I just thought I was "supposed" to be tired all the time because I had a kid and was working full time. Once the thyroid meds kicked in, it was a different world. Sure I still get tired, but it will be causally related to specific events as opposed to a chronic condition.

[Jiffer]

Me!

After I had my first child, my thyroid started to puke-out on me. I didn't know what was going on for a long time. But my energy levels were so low that I literally sat on a couch or laid down all day. I couldn't take care of DD, do household chores, nothin--for months and months.

Anyways, after a proper diagnosis, I now manage the hypothyroidism with diet and a thyroid and iodine supplement. I also have to take supplements to support my adrenal glad. If I don't, I suffer from anxiety attacks. All the supplements I'm on are prescribed by my doctor.

All that said, I do race mountain bikes and ride hard on the road. I'm currently training for a 25k AND a mountain bike race simultaneously. However, I have noticed that following a traditional periodization schedule of a 3 week build and 1 week rest is a bit much for me. I'm now experimenting with a 2 week build with a 1 week rest.

When I think about my state 4 years ago, my lethargy and how much I slept . . . to what I do now everyday--it's a miracle.

Good luck! Our bodies can be a real challenge sometimes.

Yay! That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I've been talking to a lady who runs a yahoo group, who has studied natural healing and adrenal fatigue for like 40 years. She is very knowledgeable on the subject. I asked her what she thought about me riding competitively again. Her answer, which I'm pasting below, made me literally cry.

I don't know about competitively, may be too early to
tell.

But there's still riding for fun and therapy.

Unfortunately you're in a social circle where it seems
everyone rides competitively and that's the basis of the
social relationships.

But I'm sure you'll be able to branch out to new interests
and new moderation with cycling, and adding some more
emphasis on machine strength training, yoga, chi gong, tennis,
etc.

A lot of it is your own "head" or mindset in the way
of your short- and long-term wellness,
your worldly identity as a competitive road cyclist,
your social circle of road cyclists. Little room for
contingencies in that narrow definition.

A lot of aerobic endurance athletes just get older and
find other things to do, epxand their interests, dare to
be different, add new friends, learn to think of
themselves in new ways.


She comes across as kind of condescending to me. This silly little thing called cycling. It's like she gets all psychological and like she's trying to convince me it's not as big of a deal as I may think it is. Cycling is the first form of exercise I've ever done that I love and stick with consistently. Riding "just for fun" isn't really that fun for me, on a regular basis. It's setting goals and trying to get better and stronger and faster that drives me and keeps me riding. The thrill of riding with a fast group and hanging on. Doing an event faster than I did it before. I was just getting into training for time trials when all this happened. Cycling is not my identity, it's something I love to do. And there are plenty of people in my "social club" of cyclists who don't ride as fast. There are all levels of riders in my club and I could ride with any of the slower riders any time I want, but that's not what makes me excited about riding.

So thanks for your story and encouragement. I know everyone's body is different and what is true for one person with these issues may not be true for someone else. Luckily my hypothyroidism is mild and my adrenal fatigue is basically moderate, not severe. It makes sense to me that I can ride strong again if I take care of myself and pay attention to my body. Can you tell me what you do to monitor yourself? Is it just a matter of listening to your body? You mentioned changing your build up time and rest time, etc. Do you do anything else, like check cortisol levels?

[Jiffer]

Hi Jiffer,
Out of curiosity, how out of range were your cortisol levels? How low are they? You said you've lost weight - do you crave salt or acidic foods? Have you found that your skin is more tan than usual (including in places which don't see the sun), or that freckles and moles have darkened? Do you suffer from nausea as well as fatigue? There are many endocrinologists out there who do not believe in adrenal fatigue, regarding it as a new age attempt to sell hormone supplements, but adrenal glands certainly can fail, often as a result of an autoimmune process. Adrenal failure is more commonly known as Addison's Disease, but it is very rare. I'm just unlucky enough to have it (along with Hypothyroidism and Pernicious Anaemia - all autoimmune).

It is VERY important however that you get your thyroid hormone levels dealt to before any adrenal issues are addressed. You may find that a couple of weeks on thyroid meds will help your energy levels.

I'm waiting for my saliva hormone test results. I initially did blood tests, not realizing that was kind of pointless. I don't have insurance, so after my initial visit to the doctor, who ruled out anemia, I have been researching on my own. I have done enough research and talked with enough people familiar with all of this, including Dr. Lam, who believe I have mild hypothyroidism and moderate adrenal fatigue. My TSH levels were not in the traditional range for hypothyroidism, but Dr. Mercola and many others who practice natural medicine believe the range is not accurate and someone with anything above 1.5 would have at least mild hypothyroidism. Mine is 2.1. I did the 24 hour cortisol saliva test last week and am waiting for results right now. I'm looking for a natural doctor to see once I get my results back.

[limewave]

Here's a simple thyroid test (which I do regularly):

One way to do an evaluation of your thyroid status: go to the drug store and buy a bottle of ordinary liquid Iodine 2% (just like you’d put on a cut). Take a cotton swab or applicator and apply a patch of iodine to your skin; an area about as big as a silver dollar, on the abdomen, leg, or anywhere on the body.
Watch this area for the next 12 hours, every hour. If the brown iodine area is absorbed into your skin and disappears in less than 12 hours, it is very likely you are thyroid deficient.

[Jiffer]

Here's a simple thyroid test (which I do regularly):

One way to do an evaluation of your thyroid status: go to the drug store and buy a bottle of ordinary liquid Iodine 2% (just like you’d put on a cut). Take a cotton swab or applicator and apply a patch of iodine to your skin; an area about as big as a silver dollar, on the abdomen, leg, or anywhere on the body.
Watch this area for the next 12 hours, every hour. If the brown iodine area is absorbed into your skin and disappears in less than 12 hours, it is very likely you are thyroid deficient.

I am familiar with this. Dr. Mercola actually advocates doing this daily to get the iodine you need if you are deficient. If it does not absorb, then you know you know you have enough.

If you aren't familiar with Dr. Mercola, I highly recommend you check him out. http://www.drmercola.com/ His site is the first place I go when I have a medical question. If you click on the "newsletter" link, you can do a search and see if he's written an article (or several) on the subject. I get his newsletter emailed to me every day. He tries to keep the world apprised of medical truths the conventional world of medicine doesn't tell you or doesn't know.

I hadn't thought about where one buys iodine, so thanks for the tip.

[Crankin]

Jiffer, the woman who gave you that advice was not trying to be condescending. When you get a chronic thing that zaps your strength, no matter what it is, sometimes you have to readjust your goals. And whether you want to believe it, or not, your identity is wrapped up in cycling. I know mine is, and I don't compete! Look how upset you are that you can't do what you want to do. Most likely you will recover and find a way to race again, but you might have change your expectations for awhile, while you figure this out. What would happen if you really couldn't race again? I know how you are feeling when someone tells you to find something else to do. My rheumatologist told me to ride my bike 5 miles when I was having mysterious medical issues that no one ever figured out. I was pissed as hell, but at that point, I couldn't even do that. The truth is, while I am mostly back to where I was, I can't do what I did before, without making myself sick from over training. And I am 4 years older.
I decided a long time ago that I am never giving up cycling, but every ride can't be about speed. And when you are always around other fast riders and racers, it is hard to be kind to yourself when you are not feeling well and struggling. Before I used to think, well, they are just stronger than me. Now, I know that I am not going to be like them. Ever.
You will get it figured out, but sometimes it helps to take a step back and do some other activities while that is happening. I never would have done yoga if I hadn't been sick. Not only did it help me get better, it is a perfect complement to cycling. I'm not saying that you should do this, but you should find something you love, in addition to cycling.