A female in her twenties made an appointment to see our naturopathic doctors concerned about always feeling fatigued and having difficulty dealing with stress. She is a full time university student with a part-time job and a busy schedule. She had not had any blood work done in over 10 years. Routine tests were suggested including a complete blood count, liver function tests, AM cortisol, DHEA, and vitamins B12 and D.
Results of the tests showed low levels of Vitamin B12 and Ferritin (a storage form of iron) indicating the possibility of anaemia. The patient’s AM cortisol was also severely decreased indicating decreased functioning of the adrenals glands, which help our body react to stressful situations.
Weekly nutritional infusions (which are high in B-vitamins and Vitamin C) were recommended to improve the patient’s ability to handle stress and support the adrenal glands. B12 injections were also given on a weekly basis for a month to increase B12 levels. An iron supplement was given to address the anaemia and herbs were used to further support the adrenal glands. One month later the patient reports both an increase in daily energy levels, improved sleep and decreased stress levels. She is currently continuing with her supplement regime and weekly nutritional infusions.
