How to Overcome Adrenal Fatigue | Dr. Josh Axe 

I wish I had seen this video years ago. I would have quit caffeine at the first sign. My diet was in check, I was regularly exercising, consuming a bunch of vitamin supplements, but I still had all the signs of adrenal fatigue. Quitting caffeine helped tremendously. It was actually the sole cause of my issues.

Well in a nutshell, 'stress' is the trigger, any stress. Adrenal fatigue is when the body starts to not be able to produce enough cortisol. Cortisol is our major stress hormone, and so when we can’t produce enough of it you know, we get really tired because it keeps us awake, in the earlier stages, you might have trouble sleeping at night. Just having trouble getting to sleep and waking up multiple times throughout the night. A lot of people will experience blood sugar crashes, so they sort of get that “Hangry” feeling, where they are sort of hungry and angry at the same time. You know a lot of just mood and anxiety sort of symptoms because of the blood sugar crashes. Basically, these are going to be the main symptoms you are going to get from adrenal fatigue. So that is how you can sort of know if you have it, or if you should get checked out for it. But adrenal fatigue is caused by too much stress, for the short answer. Because our body can handle short bouts of stress, it is sort of made to be able to handle that. Our ancestors had to catch food to eat, they would have had these shorts bursts of stress. Then they would have had time to sit and relax, you there are these two extremes where one is the “Fight of Flight Mode”, where the body is stressed out, you are producing lots of cortisol, you are having that stress reaction. And then other times you know, you are really relaxing and taking it easy so your body can digest food, and do all that kind of thing. So, I would really like to call, instead of referring to it as Adrenal Fatigue, I usually like to refer to it as HPA axis dysfunction. That sounds really complicated, so, a lot of people don’t use that term, because it’s not a very good search term. And if you are trying to figure out what the heck is going on with your adrenals, you probably to not know much about the HPA axis. But, the HPA axis is basically the axis between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and the adrenal glands. All of them are connected. So what happens when we get stressed is, first: The HPA is the role center for the reaction to stress, and it regulates a lot of other body functions like digestion and immunity. So when we are in contact with a stressor, like being in traffic, the first thing that happens is something called CRH, which is Corticotrophin-Releasing Hormone, is released from the hypothalamus. CRH travels within the blood, to the interior pituitary gland, and stimulates the production of adrenal corticotrophin-hormone, also known as ACTH for a shorter way of saying it. ACTH goes through the blood to the adrenal cortex, which it ultimately stimulates the release of cortisol, which is the body’s main stress hormone (which we have already talked about), as well as some other hormones, like DHEA and others. So that’s a brief biochemistry lesson as to how the body reacts when we get stressed out. That’s what’s going on behind the scenes in the body. Cortisol works to help keep blood glucose levels elevated, and to help the body retain sodium so that our blood pressure stays high, and so that our blood glucose can keep up with the fuel demands of the brain and other vital organs during times of stress. So you know how blood glucose and high blood pressure do not sound like a good, but when you are talking about being in a stressful situation, those are the things that the body actually wants to prioritize, you know, you want to have that energy to keep going. Because if you are running away from a bear of something, that’s what you want! So be careful lets say if you are on an atkins or keto diet, as his comment about sugar, good carbs, might be just what you need and a simple back loading of carbs might throw you out of ketosis, but you will sleep like a baby and feel super the next day, so remember adrenal fatigue has various situations, you cannot 'generalize' it as caffeine, a specific deficiency in a vitamin (by the way, Vitamin D is really a hormone not a vitamin as he says). Hope this helps some on a more scientific or practical level. What he is abosolutely correct about is STRESS, find it, minimize or eliminate it and pay attention to your diet type and fitness level. What works for the normal 9-5 desk working eating a SAD diet will not apply to a keto adapted active person or athlete. This is VERY IMPORTANT to consider. good health. PS: not bashing here I absolutely think Dr Ax is super, just adding some content that I hope helps some.

I feel like I need to watch this video once a month. 😂

Meditation, deep breathing exercises, focusing on nutritious vegetables and dark leafy greens, non-strenuous exercise (walking), teaching myself to let go of things I can't control, and definitely more sleep helped me. I also had some blood tests done to identify nutritional deficiencies, eliminated any foods that didn't add something beneficial to my body and added more foods that were beneficial. :)

Sleep is probably the most overlooked element of wellness.

Right after you said it, I knew it was the issue. Sugar and Caffeine. Time to quit baby!!! WOOO

I quit smoking and alcohol and dairy products. been working out 5 times a week Now I have to quit caffeine and sugar.. this is going to be a tough one

Feel too tired to even watch this video! However, Dr Axe is so wonderful I'm hanging on. He's got such great energy. Love him!

I have to tell my story since i had Adrenal Fatigue in a time you would least expected it. I started with a "getting my life and body back" transformation in Jan 2017, I had about 17 kg to shed so I started with Crossfit and like the person I am I studied nutrition and healthy ways of eating to the bone. So I was doing great and shedding the Kg's and limiting my sugar intake to 20 g p/d and was eating according to macros and also limited my sodium intake to the healthy daily recommended amount, I also cut my coffee drinking from 6 cups a day to just one. I started taking Omega 3's and magnesium and Vit D etc. So in general I was doing my body a favor and living the healthy lifestyle. But 3 months in it hit me, I was tired and drained to the point of feeling like crying. So I read up on adrenal infatuate and how to fix it which included sodium and then it hit me. I'm prone to very low blood pressure and I think because of that I think that my body tend to need a bit more sodium than the average daily limit and when I suddenly decreased it and put my body through intensive exercise sessions for a period of time must have made my adrenal gland say "that's it I'm out of here"!! So I did Thomas de Laur's adrenal mix each morning and lifted my sodium intake again and in day 2 I already started feeling better. So in my case even if you do the right things you might still be stressing your adrenals. So what have I learned ... LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

Wonderful advice and also interesting to note that basically all of the important nutrients depleted during adrenal fatigue are massively depleted whenever alcohol is consumed. I firmly believe that I would never have gone into such a bad state of adrenal burnout had I not been "unwinding" with wine every night. Don't want to be preachy but just leaving this out there in case it helps someone

Thanks for this video, I just want to share the things that helped me: 1. ACV Lemon Water every morning 2. Less meat more veggies 3. Hydration I saw a massive spike in my energy in less than a week of taking ACV and now my hypersomnia and fatigue is gone

This advice saved me. I had chronic back pain and a underactive thyroid. Your advice helped massively. I have stuck by this advice for over 6 months. Anyone suffering, replay and listen carefully. + also cut out any booze! Thank you DR axe.

I'm just recently learning about adrenal fatigue and I basically have all the symptoms. Wow caffeine and sugar are the worst things for it yet those are the first 2 things I crave in the morning. Even after having both I still feel like crap and it literally takes me 3 to 4 hours every morning just to feel fully awake and get my day started.

from 2014 to 2019 i lived with a narcissist and dealt with abuse on the reg. she moved back home in 2019 and i though i was finally healing myself. then the pandemic happened and i'm an essential worker. i have horrible fatigue, back pain, and super stressed all the time. i'm definitely better than i was 2 years ago, i was basically a live wire, everything annoyed me, made me angry, made me emotional. i've made huge strides and seen improvements, but i'm not totally there yet and i'm getting frustrated. for the longest time i thought gluten was the answer to all my problems, and i do feel better when i'm gluten free, i know leaving my job is probably the answer i need, but i was searching for a new job before the pandemic, and searching again now. it all just seems so endless. i just try to get through each day, then the next. i would love to thrive again one day.

This 8 year old video is still on point.

Very comprehensive advice on adrenal fatigue. I am a big fan of aswagandha. One critical factor with ginseng is to make sure it comes from whole root. Ginseng root is made up of the the root and hair-like projections called tails. The tails are rich in stimulating compounds whilst the roots are rich in balancing compounds. Together these compounds give the adaptogenic properties of ginseng. Cheaper versions will have high tail content and can have a stimulating effect similar to caffeine therefore it is important to make sure the ginseng comes from whole root. Thank you for sharing knowledge to help heal the world. Bless your soul.

I watched this video and felt like you were talking directly to me. Been trying to get to the bottom of these symptoms and have watched so many videos but this one in particular really hit home. Thank you.

Aswagandha ROCKS!!! Even in body building and many more things..

Raw Dairy, I know some people don't want to hear it but it fully healed my adrenal issues and got my sleep back to normal

Good Morning Dr. Axe, Yes your right , because I have been going through alot of Stress, I LOST MY HUSBAND 6 MONTHS AGO, AND NOW MY YOUNGEST BROTHER HAS BEEN SICK, I LOST SOME WEIGHT, IT'S HARD TO SLEEP, EVEN THOUGH I AM TAKING SOMETHING TO HELP WITH ANXIETY , AND I FEEL TIRED EVEN AFTER I EAT! SO I ENJOY HEARING YOUR ADVICE! THANK YOU SO MUCH! ROSE

now i know the reason why im getting anxious everytime i drink coffee.

If you struggle with fatigue, are stressed, anxious, have trouble with concentration, poor memory, thyroid issues, or gained mysterious weight, you may have adrenal fatigue. Take the follow steps to overcome it! #motivationmonday #healthyliving #nutrition

I have got every one of those symptoms... Changing my diet NOW! thanks for the video!

Thanks a lot Dr Axe. i am eating more organic food now and i use to have pain in my Tommy all the time now i am better and not constipated all the time. i am going to work on myself even more. i enjoy all your videos they are so helpful to me and my family. my kids enjoy my cooking now. i feel so blessed to have found you. Thanks again

Thank you so much Dr. Axe, I believe your coverage of this topic may have just pointed me in the right direction. I really appreciate your explanation. Blessings.

I agree about the caffeine Dr. Axe. in my particular case, however, I was able to just cut it out of my diet strictly for 6 months and supplemented like crazy with good quality vitamins and minerals as well as trying to exercise in a fun, balanced way, and after that time i noticed that I could drink coffee again with no issues. I do keep it to about 1-2 cups a day though and no more. So for all of you coffee lovers out there maybe you will find this encouraging! Thank you for a very helpful video and for sharing your knowledge with us.

Absolutely excellent presentation. As someone who has suffered from ongoing adrenal issues most of my life, you did a terrific job of addressing the issues. Gigong and yoga as forms of exercise create health, but do not drain energy. Thanks. Elizabeth Brandon

Thankyou Daktari and May Father in heaven bless You Overwhelmingly !!!

Wow. This video is awesome. Makes a whole lot of sense. I have experienced all those physical symptoms due to a cycle of anxiety. Thanks Dr Josh.

This totally helps! Thank you very much for making it plain and simple! I'll start today!

Doc it’s a Miracle that I came across this video my wife has been suffering for years and has 8 docs and not one ever mentioned adrenaline gland defiance thank you ! Every single thing you mentioned she has and now it makes sense it brought her to tears when she watched , we are going to try all of your advice and now she has hope again !

Absolutely agree with this. The only thing I would dispute is ashadawanga for hashimoto's. It's important to address adrenal fatigue before you end up in the hospital. Take time off and heal your body. It's vital to repair adrenals before you are completely burnt out and need. Once your adrenals burn out you will need at least a year to recover.

I really struggled with Arendal Fatigue during the pandemic due to very high levels of stress and anxiety. Only now beginning to understand what it was!

I believe a big contributing possibility to fatigue is high stress work accompanied by demotivating setbacks. That takes a massive toll and brings some exhaustion

Thank you for this Dr. Axe. This is very helpful in my battle with adrenal fatigue. Your videos are very encouraging, helpful and doable for me.

i have thyroid disease and I am 51 going through menopause. and I started taking ashwaganda 1 week ago. man what a difference! I have a lot of energy now and it solved all my menopause symptoms as well. Give it a try!

This is really helpful! And it's so amazing how these modern health theories have almost the same conclusions as Chinese medicine which originated thousands of years ago. I followed Chinese medicine's theories to improve my body condition, and it totally worked out well. It has similar health tips as in this video. In Chinese medicine, there is a phrase called “kidney weakness(pardon me for my bad translation)” which describes all these adrenal fatigue symptoms, and the solution is more or less the same. There are many more cases like this I find where ancient Chinese medicine resembles modern medicine.

This is great advice. If you can't avoid caffeine altogether, refrain from caffeine about six hours before going to sleep.

Thanks for putting the message down so clearly. I´ll follow your advice!

I have had a lot of the warning signs of adrenal fatigue for sometime. Went to my doctor last week, asked to take a test to find out for sure. He told me there is no such thing as adrenal fatigue. So, I'm going to save-up, and get a home test and find out on my own.

This is eye opening. Caffeine is my big addiction.

Great video doctor. This helped me understand my adrenaline fatigue better and how I can help reduce it.

Awesome!! Thank-you so much for this informative video! This came at perfect timing because I am going through exactly this right now and trying to research/learn as much as possible as to HOW to restore my adrenal glands back to functioning normal and cure my chronic fatigue! I am so grateful for your video, thank-you again 🙂

Thanks! I'm terribly burnt out and under the care of my doctor for high cortisol, and prolactin / thyroid imbalances. I've had to quit my job. Eating these foods is actually making me feel a lot better. Away with the chips and coffee!

How can you get 8 hours sleep? Adrenal fatigue prevents you from sleeping.....

you the man Dr. Josh! Your videos are so easy to watch. I'm convinced being on propecia for a few years led to my adrenal sensitivity. I've been off it for a while now, but refined sugars and caffeine cause me to be super irritable and lethargic the day after eating them. A chocolate bar from the grocery store is the worst-double whammy. The herbs you mention actually make my condition worse--I guess I'm too sensitive. But the vitamins, greens, and most importantly going to bed early give me great results.

Just watching you Dr Axe brings me joy. I'm actually taking it all on board though because I've just been diagnosed. Also calcium is up and magnesium is down and I don't know how but I know that's not good.

Very informative. You outlined specifically what to do. Thank you so much for putting this out there.

Thank you so much Dr Axe!! I've been dealing with the symptoms of adrenal fatigue and through your advice I've been taking ashwaghanda and holy basil and I feel like a new person! I'm so grateful to you!

Meditation has helped me so much to calm down and feel Better I even sleep at night now

Josh, this video helped me so much. I am very greatful. Thank you from the botom of my heart.

Thank you so much. I'll definitely try these out!

Everything you said it's 100% agree I was that person who woke up everyday with even 8 hours sleep was still tired ,but when I stopped eating sugar and dairy and tried lots of veggie smoothies,I felt everyday better and better ,I take B 12 and Selenium also as much as I hate the taste of the Ashwagandha ,I take one tea spoon mix it with water and drink it ,I know how much my energy level went up and I am not the same person anymore always made everyone tired at home ,so thank you Dr.Axe your video helping me and so many people

Light exercise that brings joy several times a week. Oh yeah! I like the sound of that :)

Short, simple, easy to remember 💝Thank you 💚

Thank you Dr. Axe. I have all of the symptoms you mentioned. I will follow your advise

Ashwaganda is amazing! I've been taking it for two months. Sleep so much better when I take it!

it's really helping me

I appreciate all the information... Thanks, you really are helping me !!

Quality Video!! Man I appreciate Dr Axe so much and his co worker Solid Info and absolutely love this channel!

Follow diet, remove the source of stress, and sleep. That's how you'll heal from adrenal fatigue

Very helpful because I lost weight rapidly from 210lbs to 125lbs and now regaining so this help because I'm very active butt still struggling

Very helpful video, the best health advice ive heard..thank you so much!

Thank you so much for your videos. They are improving my quality of life. God bless you

I've been using essential oils to support my body's recovery with AMAZING results!

Great vid I think kids should watch this in school

thank you for this immense knowledge you provide on a regular base. Thank you

Thank you so much! This was very helpful! Appreciate this 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

I read about Adrenal Fatigue after my blood results couldn't explain the reason for my tiredness. The article also explained why the NHS and many doctors no longer diagnose Adrenal Fatigue. The article explained many points you have mentioned. I also have Hyperthyrodism. What really surprised me about the article is that it said many Women suffering from Adrenal fatigue often have cravings for chocolate and this is the body telling them they need magnesium. This was SO true for me. I developed an abnormal craving for chocolate. After I read the article I quickly bought some magnesium supplements and cut down on my caffeine. Now I feel back to normal and full of energy. I can now laugh at the chocolate cravings because when you are out of the cravings stage you realise how bizarre that episode was. And the feeling of tiredness all the time is the worst. Also, I spoke to my doctor about Adrenal fatigue... He did raise an eyebrow but said there was no harm in taking magnesium. 😄

Great video, lots of good info. The herb lemon balm is great for reducing anxiety and would make a great addition to the herbs that you mentioned. Many people also find aromatherapy to be helpful for stress management.

Great suggestions and very helpful.

Yup. You are right. I cut out sugar (well, processed sugar) and coffee..and I feel Much better. I don't get that weird "humming buzz" I used to get for no reason. And I am not nearly as tired when I wake up. Hopefully...I will continue to improve. I know it can take a couple of years to fully recover from adrenal exhaustion.

Great advice, Dr. Axe. I suffer from hypothyroidism and Addisons disease. I will adopt these changes to see if they work and let you know the result. Have a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year!

Currently, betaine HCl (lower case L) is proving to be the one thing I've been the most missing for at least six years now. I've been taking nearly every other mineral, vitamin and amino acid known to exist and none of them are doing what hydrochloric acid is. It's just plain saving me. Eating protein, even with enzymes, has left me very exhausted as often as not, and now it's far worse than ever. I know I have adrenal fatigue because my hair mineral analysis (done by ARL) shows I have copper toxicity which is unimaginably common, and probably the main underlying cause of my now undeniable insufficient HCl production. So if you're chronically fatigued and you haven't tried HCl (and remember that some people need to take not one but several capsules at a time, only when eating protein of course), that might be the most immediate reason.

Love you Dr. Axe!! Doing all you suggest for Adrenal fatigue and feeling much better!! Helping my MS as well...way to go! You're awesome...know your lovely mom feels the same way and others. Keep up the great work. Love how you present all this great info in such a simple understandable way!

Needed this. Have to say you are an incredibly well spoken and attractive man!

Everyone says take seaweed but where or what do I look for? Thanks for a great vid

Wow every warning matches with what happens with my life I must have adrenal fatigue

I have been praying for anserws, thank you I am glad I found your videos, I have had this horrible headache it feels like heat not so much throbbing on the right side of my head and into my eye and sometimes I get so dizzy and think I am going to pass out if I concentrate or walk too much. God bless you.

Great advice, thank you.

vitamin b5 3 grams is it a key nutrient to recover?

Adrenal fatigue causes heart palpitations, simple test look at your eye on a mirror with your phone light and if your inner part of the eye contracts and retracts constantly it means your adrenal glands are fatigued

I wanted to thank you Dr. Axe, for this post. It sent me in the right direction and I have felt amazing results. After researching and watching this helpful video, I started drinking Kombucha, and I changed my coffee regiment for the better; one cup of coffee, blended with raw honey and coconut oil. It's AMAZINGLY delicious, and frothy...and gives me some of those supplements I need. That combined with Kombucha have changed EVERYTHING. I went from having mostly bad days, exhausted and moody, to having my energy back and my mood swings have waned down to once a week or so. Thank you Dr. Axe for this great start to better health for me!

Love the practical advice. Thank you!

Sugar is like the main joy I have. 😭

I just heard that shortness of breath can also be a result of this condition..... Thank you for helping us with thes things....

Thank you so much for this wonderful information!

Wow! Great info! Recently started taking ashwaganda and such a relief. I never realized how much stress and anxiety affected me until I started taking this.

Aschwaganda feels like a stimulant when I try it. It seems to make my Hashimotos symptoms worse. Quitting coffee has been huge. I am feeling better by the day..

I'm surprised so many doctors keep saying to stop sugar for adrenal issues. Sugar (the right kinds from fruit and honey that contains fructose and glucose) feeds the adrenal glands and is very healing. I sleep w/ honey by my bed to overcome night time anxiety in seconds (waking up w/ racing heart from increase in stress hormones and taxed adrenals). Salt also helps.

A very helpful and insightful upload Dr. Axe, thumbs up and thankin' ya for sharin' it with us all!

Nice advice Dr. Axe, thank you!

Awwwwww man, I gotta cut out the caffeine?! That makes me sad

You can be overly tired from not getting enough oxygen into your heart all night, as well.

Thank you for the help with this great information.

Thank you Dr Axe for sharing

I think you have to be very careful about eating seaweed, they can be very poluted,is it not?

I met all of the warning signs except the thyroid one lol

Thank you so much Dr. Axe

You are such a Blessing...Thank You!!!