Robin A. Bernhoft, M.D. provides cutting-edge diagnostics and treatments for adrenal fatigue syndrome and will address your symptoms to find the root cause. Robin A. Bernhoft, M.D. will customize a treatment plan for your specific needs.

Becoming a more widely recognized illness, Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome has only recently become a recognized disorder due to changing modern day lifestyles. Many people have been experiencing physiological or psychological stress for extended periods of time due to busy social obligations, overworking, not sleeping enough, not exercising, and poor dieting. The main trigger is stress, which taxes the adrenal glands. These glands are organs that produce the hormones necessary for your body’s healthy functioning and wellness levels.

Robin A. Bernhoft, M.D. can help you to rise above the challenges that present themselves with Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome using a comprehensive wellness program that offers several safe, healthy, and non-invasive therapies to aid in regaining an optimal quality of life and improving your overall health and wellness levels.

Robin A. Bernhoft, M.D. heals Adrenal Fatigue utilizing safe and natural Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy! Call (805) 586-3432 to speak with Robin A. Bernhoft, M.D. and schedule your consultation today.

Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome

Robin A. Bernhoft, M.D. can tailor a treatment plan for your specific needs as an individual, helping you conquer the health challenges and symptoms that manifest with adrenal fatigue syndrome. Some of the more common symptoms associated with Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome include:

These days we are meant to work, socialize, eat healthily, stay fit, maintain a positive and encouraging social media presence, take care of kids, cats, and plants, stretch every morning, journal every night, wake up at 4:30am and stay out with our friends until 10:30pm, meditate, answer calls (but not the ones from spambots), emails (but not the ones from spambots), and texts (watch out for spam!), travel the world, pay rent, the list goes on an on and if duolingo sends one more notification… well, you get it. That feeling you get after a week of hitting all the goals and then crashing, that’s burnout.

As hard as it can be to get to sleep with all of the stressors of the day going off like notifications in your brain, it can be just as difficult to get up. There are days when we just want to stay in bed, maybe catch up on sleep, maybe watch tv, and dreading the moment we have to get up to use the restroom…

Stress intolerance could be a life motto of “I don’t gladly suffer fools”, or it can be the gut wrenching, heart pounding, hair pulling sensations you experience when just one small thing goes wrong, even if it’s the first hitch in your day. All of the weeks and month’s stressors can build up and do some serious damage to your fortitude.

When you’re unable to find the strength or excitement necessary to enjoy the activities that once brought you peace and relief in your day, this can lead to a downward spiral. No longer having the drive or energy to get your workout in or even bother with a healthy diet can be a catastrophic symptom of adrenal fatigue.

Not quite as physically, emotionally, and mentally devastating as a burnout, fatigue can feel like the candle is lit at both ends and you’re headed in the direction of that burnout. To wake up feeling tired, to be too sore to get to the gym, to be too mentally exhausted to engage at work, or even with people you enjoy, can all be signs of general fatigue.

Cravings are a great way for your body to communicate with you about the nutritional needs that may be unmet and with stress and adrenal fatigue, your body looks for a way to restore balance. So when we’re feeling that fatigue and brain fog, we might look to those pretzels and potato chips as our saving grace.

Unfortunately, too much salt can cause a variety of long term health issues and, while some sodium is necessary for healthy energy levels and kidney function, too much can cause water retention, high blood pressure, and all manner of unhappy side effects.

There’s nothing quite as distracting and frustrating as a good headache. It can start small and gain momentum, or hit you like a ton of bricks. When you’re experiencing adrenal fatigue and you’re already tired and stressed, the pounding in your brain can feel like the cherry on top of a bad day.

Have you been unable to drift off peacefully? Do you find yourself counting upwards of 500 sheep before you give up and scroll through your social media? It seems counterintuitive that a syndrome that causes you to be tired so often can also prevent you from sleeping, but as frustrating as it is, the spike in stress levels actually does make it very difficult for you to fall asleep and stay asleep, perpetuating a vicious and destructive cycle.

It’s one thing to be a night owl, it’s another entirely to fall into bed, exhausted from a long day of living in the 21st century and suddenly feel wide awake. If adrenal fatigue has your stress levels spiking when your head hits the pillow, you may find yourself needing to count burpees instead of sheep just to maybe squeeze in at least a couple hours of shut eye.

Stress and hormonal imbalance are well known to alter a woman’s monthly cycle, and it should come as no surprise that adrenal fatigue can wreak havoc on what should be a regularly scheduled event. Adrenal fatigue can cause your period to be light, delayed, or even skipped altogether, and while that may sound tempting, it can be really harmful.

Stress and adrenal fatigue can cause weight fluctuation, acne, bloating and insomnia among other things, but to top it all off and add to the frustration, the hormonal imbalances can actually cause your hair to thin. This isn’t just a “I’m so tired I could rip my hair out” situation either, this is a full on, my body doesn’t produce the hormones needed to continue to grow hair anymore. That’s about as stressed out as a person can get.

Brain fog can feel like a weight on your brain so heavy that it literally keeps you from thinking clearly. It can seem like a haze over your eyes, or a head full of cotton, and nobody can make healthy, rational decisions in such an altered state.

Bioidentical Hormones & Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome

The leading cause of adrenal fatigue syndrome is the lack of hormone availability in the adrenal glands and, for this reason, replenishing hormones with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help women to nourish their adrenal glands and reduce the effects of adrenal fatigue syndrome.  Deficiencies of hormones in the adrenal glands occur when stress eats away at existing hormones, but Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can restore hormones to normal levels and help women to feel like themselves again. Some of the hormones involved in adrenal gland health that can be replenished with bioidentical hormones include:

Cortisol

When stress is in the mind and body, the adrenal glands are forced to secrete cortisol, which is the hormone that works to counteract the effects of stress. Over time, excessive amounts of cortisol floating around in a person’s body can cause it to eat away at important vitamins and minerals, which can lead to bone loss, thinning hair, and irregular periods in women. Excessive cortisol may also cause women to have reduced amounts of B and C Vitamins, and the adrenal glands may not be able to produce and adequate amount of estrogen and progesterone.

DHEA

DHEA is an adrenal hormone that is a building block for estrogen, which helps to maintain sex and reproductive functions, and testosterone, which contributes to energy, libido, and muscle strength. DHEA also works to reduce allergies, lower cholesterol, and triglycerides and supports the immune system. Women with high stress and adrenal fatigue syndrome may experience their bodies taking DHEA building materials and converting them to cortisol, leading to deficiencies in both DHEA and sex hormones.

Pregnenolone

Pregnenolone is another building block for estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Men and women with Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome may have used up available cortisol and caused their bodies to transform the substances needed for pregnenolone into more cortisol. Pregnenolone works to regulate the nervous system and the brain, and women with lower levels of pregnenolone may feel more burned out and have less tolerance to stress. They may also suffer from more mental fogginess and depression because of reduced neurotransmitter effectiveness.

Getting An Adrenal Fatigue Diagnosis

A positive aspect of adrenal fatigue is that any adrenal insufficiency may be detectable through testing. Your doctor may order any number of blood tests that are meant to detect the amount of certain hormones that are produced by the adrenal glands. These tests may include:

ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone) Stimulation Test, which involves giving a patient an injection of ACTH and then taking a blood draw to be tested for blood cortisol levels.

TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)

Find Answers To Frequently Asked Questions About BHRT

Beginning a Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) protocol typically comes with several questions. We’ve gathered some of the most common questions related to starting BHRT and answered them here below. If you have any further questions or need any clarification, please contact Robin A. Bernhoft, M.D..

How Is BHRT Different From Regular HRT?

The main difference between bioidentical HRT and other forms of HRT is the kind of hormones that are used. In regular HRT, the synthetic hormones used contain additional chemical components that allow the drug manufacturers to patent their chemicals. At best, these added components do nothing for you. At worst, your body may recognize them as foreign chemicals and they may cause unpleasant side effects.

In BHRT, the hormones used are bioidentical, which means that they are the exact chemical structure as the hormones naturally produced in your body. This means there is no risk of your body not accepting them. Plus, they are derived from natural plant sources such as yams and soy.

Can I Buy Bioidentical Hormones Online?

While you may find websites claiming to sell bioidentical hormones, there are many risks involved in purchasing hormones online. First, it is often difficult to trace the origin of these products, meaning they may not be regulated for accuracy. This leads into the second problem, which is that it is very hard to be sure of the ingredients of these products. You may not be getting hormones at all!
Finally, even if you find legitimate bioidentical hormones online, without seeing a doctor you can’t know for certain which hormones you need, what dose you need them in and what form of BHRT will work best for you. Here, you will receive proper care and treatment while experiencing minimal side effects.

What Form Does BHRT Come In?

Bioidentical hormones are prepared by a compounding pharmacy where they are produced into several forms, including pills, patches, subdermal pellets, creams, injections and more. Everyone responds to these various forms differently, and your BHRT doctor can help find the form that will most benefit you and your body.

What Is The Cost Of BHRT?

The cost of BHRT varies by the hormones needed, the doses needed, the form of BHRT and the length of time that you receive treatment. For a more accurate quote, please call to schedule a consultation.

Is BHRT Covered By My Insurance?

Because insurance plans and providers vary considerably, there is no way for us to provide a blanket statement. Your plan may cover BHRT under certain circumstances. The best course of action is to first call our office to discuss whether we accept your current insurance plan and provider. After you call us, we recommend contacting your insurance provider as a follow-up to ensure that your treatment is covered or to discuss how your treatment may be covered.

Are Bioidentical Hormones Safe?

When prescribed and supervised by a BHRT doctor, BHRT is generally safe. Any risks or side effects associated with your particular treatment will be reviewed thoroughly before you begin BHRT.

What Conditions Are Treated With BHRT?

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy is used to treat a number of conditions caused by hormone imbalance or that result in hormone imbalance. In some cases, BHRT is used to treat the underlying condition while in others it is used to treat the symptoms. You can find some common conditions that BHRT may be used to treat listed above.

What If My Question Is Not Listed Here?

Patients often have a great many questions before beginning BHRT. We will be happy to answer any questions that you may have before, during and after treatment. Contact your BHRT doctor today with any further questions or to schedule your initial consultation.

Start Feeling Better With A Customized BHRT Plan Today!

adrenal fatigue treatment bernhoft ojai

Don’t Let Adrenal Fatigue Get You Down.

Call (805) 586-3432 to speak with Robin A. Bernhoft, M.D. today and learn about a total and sustainable relief program using Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy!

Robin A. Bernhoft, M.D. is helping patients struggling with adrenal fatigue in Ojai, California