Adrenal Fatigue: Is It Real? Symptoms, Causes, Treatments - WebMD

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Written by Kathryn Whitbourne, Alyson Powell KeyMedically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on July 21, 2024

• What Is Adrenal Fatigue?
• The Theory Behind Adrenal Fatigue
• Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms
• Is Adrenal Fatigue a Myth?
• Possible Conditions That Can Cause Fatigue
• What Is Adrenal Insufficiency?
• Adrenal Fatigue Takeaways

4 min read

Do you feel tired and worn out all the time, even though you're getting plenty of sleep? Do you crave salty foods? Maybe you've been to several doctors, and none of them can say what's wrong with you.

If you see a naturopathic doctor (one who uses a system of alternative medicine based on the theory that diseases can be treated or prevented without the use of drugs by techniques such as control of diet, exercise, and massage) or a complementary (non-mainstream) medicine doctor, they might say that you have adrenal fatigue. This is not an accepted medical diagnosis, according to conventional medicine.

What Is Adrenal Fatigue?

The term "adrenal fatigue" was coined in 1998 by James Wilson, PhD, a naturopath, a chiropractor, and an expert in alternative medicine. He describes it as a "group of related signs and symptoms (a syndrome) that results when the adrenal glands function below the necessary level." He says it’s usually linked to intense stress and often follows chronic infections like bronchitis, the flu, or pneumonia.

Wilson says people with it may not have any physical signs of illness but still may feel tired, "gray," and have fatigue that doesn’t get better with sleep. They also crave salty snacks.

The Theory Behind Adrenal Fatigue

Your body's immune system responds by revving up when you’re under stress. Your adrenal glands, which are small organs above your kidneys, respond to stress by releasing hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones are part of your "fight-or-flight" response. They increase your blood pressure and your heart rate.  

According to the theory, if you have long-term stress (like the death of a family member or a serious illness), your adrenal glands burn out from the prolonged production of cortisol. So adrenal fatigue sets in.

There is no approved test for adrenal fatigue, and blood tests can't detect a small drop in adrenal production.

The suggested treatments for healthy adrenal function are a diet low in sugar, caffeine, and junk food and “targeted nutritional supplementation” that includes vitamins and minerals:

• Vitamins B5, B6, and B12
• Vitamin C
• Magnesium

It's important to note that no medical specialty recognizes adrenal fatigue as a medical condition.

Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms

The most common symptom of adrenal fatigue is feeling tired, but there are other symptoms, like: 

• Craving sugar and salt
• Gaining weight
• Problems falling asleep 
• Problems waking up

If you have these symptoms, talk to your doctor, since they're common with other conditions.

Is Adrenal Fatigue a Myth?

There’s no science to back it up. The Endocrine Society, the world's largest organization of endocrinologists (people who research and treat patients with diseases related to glands and hormones), flatly says that adrenal fatigue is not a real disease. And it says the symptoms of adrenal fatigue are so general, they can apply to many diseases or conditions (depression, sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, or many other conditions) that stem from everyday life.

And the society says some of the treatments can be dangerous. Improving your diet will probably make you feel better, no matter what ailment you have, but taking unidentified supplements to help your body produce extra cortisol if you don't need them may cause your adrenal glands to stop working, it warns.

Possible Conditions That Can Cause Fatigue

Symptoms such as being tired, lacking energy, and sleeping all day long could be signs of: 

• Adrenal insufficiency
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Anemia
• Anxiety disorders
• Cancer
• Chronic infection or inflammation
• Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• COVID-19
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Fibromyalgia
• Grief
• Heart disease
• Heart failure
• Hepatitis A, B, or C
• HIV or AIDS
• Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Liver disease
• Low vitamin D levels
• Lupus
• Mononucleosis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)
• Obesity
• Parkinson's disease
• Physical or emotional abuse
• Polymyalgia rheumatica
• Pregnancy
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Side effects from medications and treatments
• Sleep apnea
• Stress
• Traumatic brain injury

If you have these symptoms of fatigue, see your doctor for a thorough evaluation.

What Is Adrenal Insufficiency?

Adrenal fatigue vs. adrenal insufficiency

Unlike adrenal fatigue, this is a recognized disease that can be diagnosed. There are two forms of this condition, and both are caused by damage or problems with your adrenal glands that result in them not making enough of the hormone cortisol.

Symptoms of both forms include chronic fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle weakness, weight loss, and stomach pain. You might also have nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, diarrhea, depression, or darkening of the skin.

Adrenal insufficiency is diagnosed with a blood test that checks to see if your cortisol levels are too low. If you have it, you’ll need to take a hormone replacement.

Adrenal Fatigue Takeaways

Adrenal fatigue is a term that describes a group of symptoms believed to result from underperforming adrenal glands due to chronic stress, although conventional medicine doesn't recognize it. Symptoms include fatigue, cravings for salty foods, and trouble recovering from stress or illness. 

The theory suggests that long-term stress exhausts the adrenal glands' ability to produce cortisol, but there is no approved test or scientific backing for this condition. The Endocrine Society and other mainstream medical organizations don't acknowledge adrenal fatigue as a valid diagnosis, saying its symptoms overlap with many other conditions such as depression, sleep apnea, and hypothyroidism.

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