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Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms in Women

• Several Symptoms are specific to Women

Generally, women with adrenal fatigue struggle with the same symptoms as men.

For a complete list of symptoms, please see the article:
Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms

However, there are a few symptoms specific to women.

If you participate on adrenal forums or support groups, you may have noticed women seem more affected by adrenal fatigue. The article:
Women & Adrenal Fatigue covers some of the reasons why.

Irregular Menstrual Cycles

• Your adrenal hormones are involved in the menstrual cycle

It is common for women with adrenal fatigue to have irregular menstrual cycles or even have their cycles completely stop.

Below are the results of a survey posted on this site.

Have you had irregular menstrual cycles since becoming sick?

Below are a few quotes from the Adrenal Fatigue forum on Curezone. There are many more.

  Any girls on here have irregular periods?
Mine have been coming every 2-3 weeks and the last one lasted 10 days ⁴

  my cycle is about 40 days long now and sometimes I spot in between. ¹⁰

So yes .... irregular menstrual cycles are a common adrenal fatigue symptom in women.

Your adrenal hormones are involved in the menstrual cycle ^{11, 12, 13}. It is not surprising that irregular menstrual cycles are a common symptom.

No Menstrual Cycles

Some women with adrenal fatigue actually have their menstrual cycle stop, often for several years.

Below are the results of a survey posted on this site.

Has your Menstrual Cycle Stopped at times?

Female athletes are another group of women that often experience a loss in menstrual cycle. In female athletes, an energy deficit is the suspected reason for reproductive issues¹⁵.

Women with adrenal fatigue certainly have an energy deficit. So it is not surprising that stopping of menstrual cycles is a common symptom.

But it does come back as women recover. The post below is from the adrenal fatigue forum on Curezone.com:

  I got my menstrual cycle back after not having it for 2 years.¹⁴

That particular lady was having great success with Nutritional Balancing for adrenal fatigue.

Increased PMS symptoms with Adrenal Fatigue

• Women with an exaggerated stress response have more PMS symptoms¹⁸
• Women with low levels of certain adrenal hormones have increased PMS ^17,20

One study showed that women with an exaggerated stress response ¹⁸ have more severe PMS symptoms. i.e. these woman tended to be wired like women with adrenal fatigue. Their nervous system over reacts.

But.......women with more PMS symptoms also have lower levels of saliva cortisol (adrenal hormone)¹⁷, which is common with advanced adrenal fatigue. These women were also more depressed.

Another study found women with lower levels of the adrenal hormone progesterone experience increased PMS symptoms²⁰.

  Our results demonstrated a negative effect of low progesterone level on the premenstrual mood symptoms such as aggressive behavior and fatigue²⁰

These studies show that women with more severe PMS seem to be wired and/or tired, which sounds very similar to adrenal fatigue.

And since they will spend more time experiencing the stress of negative emotions, it will add to their total stress load. It appears to be one of the many vicious cycles of adrenal fatigue.

Premenstrual Fatigue

• Increased premenstrual fatigue is common

Here is post on the adrenal fatigue forum on Curezone.com

  I always notice that my adrenal fatigue seems much much worse about a week and a half before I get my period¹⁹

One study looked at 122 women of reproductive age. Women that had lower levels of the adrenal hormone progesterone experienced increased fatigue²⁰.

Summary

Women with adrenal fatigue definitely struggle with symptoms related to their menstrual cycle. But it does improve as women recover.

To see why women seem more prone to A.F., see the article:
Women and Adrenal Fatigue.

References

1.Curezone post-mood swings and copper-indianagirl
2. Curezone post - thelaughingdogs
3. Curezone Post - gopala
4. Curezone post - irregular periods - tiredandwired
5. Curezone post - irregular periods - irregular menstruation
6. Curezone Post - no menstrual cycle
7. Curezone post - ex-athlete loses menstrual cycle
8. Curezone post - no menstrual - painful intercourse
9. Energy balance and reproductive function in active women
10. Curezone post - Irregular cycle
11. Pattern of plasma ACTH, hGH, and cortisol during menstrual cycle.
12. Patterns of Salivary Estradiol and Progesterone across the Menstrual Cycle
13. Plasma concentrations of 11-deoxycorticosterone in women during the menstrual cycle
14. Curezone post - Menstrual Cycle Started Again
15. Energy balance and reproductive function in active women.
16. Recovery of ovulatory menstrual cycles under hydrocortisone in two amenorrheic women with isolated corticotropin deficiency
17. Salivary cortisol in women with and without perimenstrual mood changes.
Menstrual mood disorders are associated with blunted sympathetic reactivity to stress
18. Arousal and stress response across the menstrual cycle in women with three perimenstrual symptom patterns.
19. Curezone.com: Does anyone else have SEVERE PMS?
20. Higher luteal progesterone is associated with low levels of premenstrual aggressive behavior and fatigue