Fake Diagnosis Fatigue

[HuckleB]

http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=2244#more-2244

"There is yet another dubious diagnosis coming into vogue – adrenal fatigue. This is an entirely made up syndrome invented by naturopath and chiropractor James Wilson. His website begins with the classic solicitation:

Are You Experiencing Adrenal Fatigue?*

* Tired for no reason?
* Having trouble getting up in the morning?
* Need coffee, colas, salty or sweet snacks to keep going?
* Feeling run down and stressed?

If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, you may be experiencing adrenal fatigue.*

That’s right – even if you answered “yes” to just one of those questions, which means that you are an average adult, then you may have this fake syndrome. This is beyond satire. Wilson, of course, has a book to sell and is happy to sell you supplements to treat your “adrenal fatigue.” All of this makes adrenal fatigue seem more like a business model than a genuine medical diagnosis.

There isn’t really a controversy over adrenal fatigue – there is no scientific reason to think it exists. There is a fake controversy over the fake disease, with a number of dubious practitioners who want to sell supplements and products to treat this common “syndrome” – Wilson claims that 80% of people have adrenal fatigue at one point in their life. That’s great for the bottom line.

...

Real diseases and syndromes and real treatments have a body of scientific literature that they are built upon. Fake diagnoses that a dubious practitioner pulled out of their nether regions do not. What they do have are conspiracy theories about Big Pharma, stories about how doctors are all greedy, stupid, or just cannot see past their own noses, and anecdotes about how wonderful their treatments are. The pattern is clear, but unfortunately it is also timeless. There never seems to be a shortage of people willing to buy it.

..."

http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=2244#more-2244


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UGH.

:mad:

[bemildred]

1. How about "adrenal deficit disorder"?

Or "overworked sleepless human syndrome".

[HuckleB]

5. In this economy, "underworked sleepless human syndrome" may need treatment too!

:hi:

[Posteritatis]

2. "Are you alive? If you answered yes to any of this question, you may have..." (nt)

[MineralMan]

3. Waaah....I'm really tired. Could it be ADRENAL FATIGUE?

Learn the facts the doctor won't tell you. Logon to ADRENALFATIGUE.BIZ to find out how you can overcome this serious medical condition. Act Today for A FREE Risk-Free trial of our exclusive formula for ADRENAL FATIGUE! (You pay only a small shipping and handling charge.)

[trotsky]

4. Ha ha - this quote absolutely nails it.

What they do have are conspiracy theories about Big Pharma, stories about how doctors are all greedy, stupid, or just cannot see past their own noses, and anecdotes about how wonderful their treatments are. The pattern is clear, but unfortunately it is also timeless. There never seems to be a shortage of people willing to buy it.

It's as if they read the Health Forum.

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Isn't *real* "adrenal fatigue" Addison's Disease?

IIRC, JFK suffered from it.

--d!

[HuckleB]

7. Addison's Disease is primary adrenal insufficiency.

It means that the adrenal glands can't produce enough cortisol, and, for some, not enough aldosterone.

The author of the piece in the OP addresses adrenal insufficiency generally, without explaining the differences between primary and secondary adrenal insufficiency, probably in order to be concise.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

8. I've heard the same lie about Armour Thyroid for 35 years.

I've heard it from board-certified endocrinologists and board-certified internists: "Armour Thyroid isn't consistent in the dosage, you need to take Synthroid instead".

They must teach that as part of the med school gospel. I shut up a board-certified endocrinologist with this reply: "I read the label. It says, 'Biologically assayed, United States Pharmacopoeia'".

He had no answer.

They won't run the bloodwork for me to get enough info about my thyroid. I see no reason to believe them when I tell them I've had adrenal burnout for a couple of decades, with symptoms like precipitous falling BP upon standing, fluctuating (and subnormal) temps, and little resistance to stress, severe fatigue after exercise. They IGNORE my adrenal problems and my thyroid problems too.

One fall my allergies were horrible. I was so weak and tired I had to stay in bed. But if I took 10 mg of prednisone, within one hour, I was vertical and functioning as a human being. But they are scared to death to give me prednisone. I guess they think that sleeping 14 hours after ten minutes at the gym on a treadmill is a normal response, because they refuse to do anything about it.

[Celebration]

10. yeah, doctors could easily diagnose adrenal fatigue

But for some reason they won't. Blood pressure higher when sitting than standing is absolutely classic. When they measured that in my daughter? Oh, that is nothing, no big deal. Usually doesn't happen but eh, everything's okay. What? I don't think so. Blood sugar of 60? Oh that's fine, don't you see those reference ranges of 65-90? 60 is fine, it is just a little lower than the reference range. Nothing's wrong, no big deal. She craves salt? Well, we all have foods we like.

She's tired, she doesn't have the energy to do anything. Oh, she must be DEPRESSED. Hahahaha. Thank goodness for SOME health care practitioners that can put a few pieces together.

[Warpy]

9. Don't forget the latest "ion bracelet" scam out there

complete with the TV commercial (as seen on TV so you know it works) with someone being pulled off balance until they put on the magic bracelet and then, woop de do, they're rock stable (could it be that they anticipated the force of the pull? Nah, it's seen on TV so you know it works).

The only difference these days is that they no longer use copper to balance that chi, enhance those Q-rays, or give you newfound strength and balance once your ions are properly aligned. Now it's aluminum or steel.

The bracelet scam is one that's been around my whole adult life, which is more years than I care to admit, but people are still believing that hogwash about how there's something wrong with them that a handy dandy little bracelet will immediately cure.

The very people who rail against the perfidy of Big Pill in providing things that help sick people live longer (exploiting them for profit! Horrors!) are the very people who spend a fortune for this junk and keep the quacks up to their earlobes in villas and sports cars. They never seem to object to paying through the nose for stuff that doesn't work by people who see them as total suckers trying to cure "diseases" that don't exist.

:rant: