Hormones also interact with each other, so thyroid hormones are often tested as well. However, cortisol, and other hormone levels, fluctuate based on time of day and month. Practitioners who test for adrenal fatigue believe that lower-than-normal cortisol levels are a hallmark of the disease. If you choose to proceed with your practitioner’s recommendation, read on to find out what that testing might include. Unnecessary tests can mean increased costs, delayed diagnosis for a different condition, and additional testing.

If your practitioner has recommended adrenal fatigue testing, consider getting a second opinion.

This is because currently there’s no reliable research to support the idea of adrenal fatigue.Īs a result, many medical professionals question the value of adrenal fatigue tests, and insurance companies may not pay for such testing unless it’s also done in connection with a recognized condition. This includes those who specialize in the adrenal gland. Other symptoms that are often cited include:ĭisorders of the adrenal glands exist, but adrenal fatigue specifically isn’t recognized as one of them by most traditional doctors. These practitioners list the main symptoms of this condition as ongoing fatigue and an inability to manage stress.

Some in the naturopathic community support the idea that long periods of stress overwork the adrenal glands and cause them to stop functioning well, which they believe in turn causes adrenal fatigue. The adrenal glands are tiny organs above the kidneys that manufacture a variety of hormones your body needs to thrive - including the hormone cortisol, which is released when you feel stress. The term “adrenal fatigue” is used by some integrative and naturopathic healthcare providers -those who incorporate a wide variety of nontraditional techniques to care for people - to describe what they consider to be the effects of chronic stress.

Adrenal fatigue is