>  Do you also have low
> body temperature (below 98 degrees orally when you first wake up?) and a low
> pulse (under 85 beats per minute).  When the thyroid is sluggish, the
> adrenal glands must overcompensate by oversecreting adrenaline.  Over time,
> they too become exhausted. The root, though, from my understanding, is to
> first treat the thyroid. Maybe others on this list can give more in depth
> information here.
>

Funny.  Although this seems to make sense, what I've learned through
research and personal experience is totally opposite.  That's not to
say
that it may vary according to the individual's medical history and, as
you say, if you catch a true thyroid problem before the adrenals konk
out.

My basal body temps were 96.8 to 97.2 for many years.  My high-carbo
vegan diet gave me enough of a charge to feel mostly "normal" to even
energetic, though.  In my thirties, a slow decline in my normally
vibrant, athletic health over ten years, which really plummeted in the
past four, sent me searching for answers. (I'm uninsured, and would
not
spend my meager $ on the runaround and disappointment of conventional
docs.) Started eating meat again 3 years ago, went paleo somewhere
around 2 years ago.  This certainly helped, but apparently I was too
"damaged" by surgeries, antibiotics and a long-term vegan diet to be
"saved" by paleo. (Sorry Ray--I tried real hard :-).  (Immune
deficiency, lots of other immune problems and other stuff were
revealed
when I had blood and other tests done with a nutritionist.)

When I finally had a thyroid profile done early last year, the TSH was
"normal" (alternative practitioners disagree with conventional docs as
to what a normal TSH is), and T3 was slightly high while the T4 was
slightly low (a search on Wilson's Syndrome will explain this stuff.)
My BPs were always around 100/60, pulse 56 - 60 at rest. I was usually
lightheaded whenever I'd get up from a lying position.  In the past
four
years, I had low BP's (90/60), salt cravings, up 3X a night with a
bladderful, no appetite, extreme weight loss.  When I finally found an
alternative doc to deal with the Wilson's Syndrome/thyroid (I was cold
and brain dead all the time), he immediately wanted to treat the
adrenals first.  I had already researched this aspect of treating the
adrenals first, but was resistant to it because of the low-dose
steroids
I'd have to take.  I chose to stick with adrenal glandulars and
thyroid
medication instead.  My mistake.  He treated the thyroid, which helped
marginally for a few months, until I had a near adrenal crisis.
(Dizzy,
extremely weak, intermittantly nauseated and unable to get up for a
month other than to guzzle salty broth then pee it right back out.)
After that, I quickly agreed to seriously address the adrenal problem.
Within a month, I was off the thyroid meds.  My doc was right (and
nice
enough not to say, "I told you so"). My temps fluctuate somewhat now,
depending on the time of month, but are basically normal now for the
first time in over ten years.

So this is where the opposite theory comes in:  The thyroid and
adrenals
are endocrine "relatives".  If the adrenals are weak, your thyroid
compensates by slowing your metabolism, thus the low thyroid function.
If you stimulate your metabolism by treating the thyroid, it puts
extra
stress on the adrenals, further weakening them.  This is what
alternative practitioners recognize as marginal or partial adrenal
insufficiency (a type of chronic fatigue).  (You'll find this info in
a
search on "adrenal insufficiency".)  Conventional docs don't even
acknowledge the problem until it's severe (Addison's Disease).
Alternative docs believe/suggest that subclinical adrenal
insufficiency
can possibly be reversed with careful treatment.

The results I've gotten with adrenal treatment suggest my case is one
of
the severe ones (like Jean-Claude). (My doc, knowing I'm uninsured,
spared me the expense of testing for the more cost-effective
medication
trial.)  I spent the latter half of my thirties struggling with
chronic
fatigue and immune deficiency.  At forty-one, I feel MUCH better than
I
did at thirty-seven, (back out there hiking, tree-climbing, foraging
and
rescuing my little business that suffered in my long, partial absence)
but I still have lots of healing to do yet.

An interesting point to make in regards to low-carbing:  Cortisol,
which
is one of the things that is low when your adrenals are weak,
stimulates
your body to use fat and protein as energy.  If you don't have enough,
and you're not eating carbs, you tire quite easily (unless, of course,
you take it in prescription form, which ain't good for you in higher
doses, nor even in lower doses over the long haul).  Ironically,
increasing carbs may give you more energy, but causes an increase in
insulin, which also calls for cortisol to regulate the insulin/blood
sugar thingy, creating further demand on the adrenals.  So if your
adrenals are really really konked, you lose either way.  Bummer.

So, my personal moral is:  Don't wait around while the docs do routine
tests and tell you to avoid stress.  If you're dizzy and have low BPs,
get 'em to really check you out--thyroid, adrenals, everything!  The
sooner you can avoid a screwed-up endocrine system and immune
dysfunction (paleo diet will certainly help this), the better off you
are.

Clelia, do you have any other symptoms?  Maybe salt alone will help
you...

Best wishes,
Lois

(Speaking of endocrine misfits...Jean-Claude, are you out there?  I
started on florinef and it's made quite a difference--I've been able
to
reduce the hydrocort a little bit...yay!  Doesn't take much to make me
smile:-)  Let me know how you're doing once in a while.  And stay
well.