Adrenal Insufficiency and Adrenal Exhaustion

ECA and the adrenal gland.

I have adrenal insufficiency, can I take the ECA stack? What is adrenal exhuastion?

Patients with adrenocortical insufficiency have to be monitored closely so the cortisol dose can be adjusted. According to Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine "the occurrence of infection, trauma (including surgery), gastrointestinal upsets, or other stresses necessitates an immediate increase in hormone" (1-BK).

You should definitely talk with your doctor before taking the ECA stack because "ephedrine may increase the metabolic clearance of corticosteroids; corticosteroid dosage adjustment may be required during and following concurrent use" (1-BK) (USP-DI).

If you have secondary adrenal insufficiency as a result of the therapeutic use of glucocorticoids, your doctor may want you to wait until your body regains its normal responsiveness:

Written
Apr 2000
Last Update
Apr 2000

"Most patients with steroid-induced adrenal insufficiency eventually recover normal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal responsiveness, but recovery time varies from days to months. The rapid ACTH test provides a convenient assessment of recovery of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function" (1-BK).

Note: Adrenal insufficiency is a real medical condition that should not be confused with the rather dubious "adrenal exhaustion" theory. I discussed "adrenal exhaustion" in my post, "Thermogenic Products: FAQ and Price Guide." If you want more information, here is a link to that discussion.

adrenal insufficiency, adrenal exhaustion, ECA

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1-BK.) Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine (CD version with the complete USP-DI.).