<<I have always had low blood pressure, and have had symptoms of adrenal
exhaustion and/or adrenal insufficiency for years.  I'm wondering if anyone
has suggestions for stimulating the adrenals without exhausting them, or for
raising the blood pressure.>>

The most direct response to this inquiry is to supplement with the herbs
licorice and/or astragalus.  These have the effect of preventing the
breakdown of cortisol and increasing blood pressure.

<<I think this way of eating exaggerates the faintness, due to either lower
caloric intake or lower blood sugar, or both.  Does anyone have experience
with this?  Any dietary suggestions for dealing with it?>>

A "Paleo" diet should help stabilize blood sugar levels.  Its not
necessarily a lower caloric diet.  You shouldn't feel hungry on this diet.

In cases of suspected low adrenal function, its important to get tested for
ACTH.  ACTH is the hormone released by the pituitary gland specifically to
control the levels of cortisol which is released by the adrenal glands. If
you have low ACTH you will have low cortisol levels.

To review, low cortisol leads to fatigue, low blood pressure and (possibly)
hypoglycemia.

Knowing that you have low ACTH tells you two things: (1) that there is
not necessarily anything wrong with your adrenal glands. (In other
words, your low cortisol levels are due to low ACTH, not due to adrenal
gland damage.) And (2) you can possibly treat your low ACTH with ACTH
supplements, rather than cortisol replacements. ACTH would be a better
therapy, because it will also stimulate certain other adrenal cortex
hormones that you are probably also deficient in, which also depend on
ACTH to drive them.

But before you get to the therapy stage, you should probably take your
testing one step further: that is to test the other pituitary hormones.
Often, people who are short in one pituitary hormone also are lacking in
other pituitary hormones. If it turns out you have a generally low
pituitary output, you will want to take a wider range of supplemental
hormones.

Distress - that is, unresolved stress - is the most important factor in
"adrenal burnout", with all its manifestations, including immune deficiency
and degenerative diseases.

If your adrenals are underfunctioning, here's a list of beneficial
supplements

ESSENTIAL
vitamin B complex        100 mg twice daily
vitamin B5                      100 mg 3 times daily
buffered vitamin C with bioflavanoids    4 - 10 g daily in divided doses

VERY IMPORTANT
L-tyrosine     -     500 mg daily on an empty stomach

IMPORTANT
raw adrenal and raw adrenal cortex glandulars -  as directed on label

HELPFUL
chlorophyll                        as directed on label
coenzyme Q10                60 mg daily
multi-vitamin/mineral       as directed on label
potassium                        99 mg daily
zinc                                    50 mg daily
raw liver extract                as directed on label
raw spleen and raw pituitary extracts    as directed on label

HERBS
licorice
astragalus
milk thistle

RECOMMENDATIONS
avoid alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco
get moderate exercise
avoid bad fats, fried foods, ham, pork, highly processed foods, sugar and
white flour
avoid stress - in the workplace and at home

source: Prescription for Nutritional Healing, p91,92

Rob