Gaia Herbs Adrenal Health Daily Support - Herbal Supplement with Ashwagandha, Holy Basil & Schisandra - Help Maintain Healthy Energy & Stress Levels* - 120 Vegan Liquid Phyto-Capsules (120-Day Supply)

I purchased this supplement after reading over 100 Amazon reviews of the product, 90% of which were very positive. I was looking for a supplement to combat fatigue, and got something that helped me with much more.The following review is a chronological account of a month long trial of this supplement with some extended updates. I hope it will help you to decide whether this product is for you.SPECIAL NOTE: Any mention of my health issues added to this review was done in hopes of assisting others who may be interested in taking this supplement. I generally don't like to share personal information such as medical conditions in a review, but I feel that for those suffering from similar conditions, it may be helpful. However, this is just my experience with this product and I in no way advocate using it to treat any of your ills without first consulting your doctor.What led me to this supplement, a little background...I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 15 years ago by Dr. David Dryland; a rheumatologist who is also a nationally known specialist in fibromyalgia. (He and has a few books on Amazon: The Fibromyalgia Cure and The Fibromyalgia Solution: A Breakthrough Approach to Heal Your Body and Take Back Your Life.) While I've taken various medications in the past to manage FMS, they all seem to have side effects - including the ones prescribed by Dr. Dryland.Currently I manage my fibro with no prescribed medication. I believe in a holistic approach to health, using both western and naturopathic means in combination as needed for various things.I take ibuprofen, eat healthy foods, get rest as needed and exercise. I lift weights and do 20-30 minutes of moderate to intense cardio 3-4 times a week, and take several supplements including: Optimum Nutrition Opti-Women, Women's Multivitamin, 120 Capsules, CoQ10, Fish Oil, Biotin, Red Rice Yeast, and Jarrow Formulations Jarrow L-glutamine 1000mg, 100 Tablets.Recent fatigue combined with hair loss has led to extensive blood tests by an endocrinologist to look at my hormone levels and thyroid function; both of which showed no abnormalities. Imaging tests showed the thyroid to be `lumpy' but normal. A CT scan showed a cyst on my adrenal gland, which was determined to be benign.Symptomatically I have also experienced brain fog (unclear thoughts, `word salad' - picking the wrong word to express myself verbally, memory loss), irritability, insomnia, hair loss and hot flashes.Reading an article on adrenal fatigue, I decided to look for a book on it on Amazon, I found this supplement.I asked my primary doctor about `adrenal fatigue' and he wasn't convinced it was a real thing. Despite this, he said that trying Gaia Herbs Adrenal Health shouldn't be harmful, so I decided to give it a go.NOTE: Please ask your doctor prior to trying this supplement or any supplement as they can be harmful to some.More info on this supplement can be found at GaiaHerbs dot com in their products section.MY 1st WEEK:I took the recommended dosage - 2 capsules, twice a day after meals. I noted no stomach upset with Adrenal Health, but did note a persistent headache and stuffy head all week. I had also gotten a flu shot so perhaps it was all my immune system finding a balance again?On a positive note, I have felt more positive, and calmer overall. I still get stressed, but the feeling seems to subside a bit more quickly than usual.I'm still achy and tired, but that too seems a touch less pronounced. (One thing about fibro is that your body is in a constant state of 'fight or flight', which means a high level of adrenaline is being released all the time. This makes your muscles and tendons ache, and no amount of relaxing thoughts, will calm it down if you're in a flare - which can last for months.)I have been able to concentrate and complete tasks more easily too. My focus is better, with short term memory returning. (I've been enjoying Scrabble on my iPad again, after months of being unable to do so without frustration.)I've slept pretty well, having a few dreams, which is rare for me. No groggy feeling in the morning, and other than the headache (which could be from allergies, a cold coming on, my flu shot, or these pills...), I feel pretty good.As a bonus my appetite for sugary sweets and carbs has dropped off significantly. My appetite in general is less, and the usual evening (9pm-11pm) snacking is gone. I'm starting to drop body fat that's been stubbornly hanging onto my midsection for months, and have dropped two pounds in a week without changing anything other than taking this supplement.I'm not ready to scream 'buy these' at the top of my lungs to anyone with FMS, CFS or similar ills, but right now, I'm feeling like these subtle, positive changes are a direct result of the only new thing in my routine: Gaia Herbs Adrenal Health.I will update this review as I continue to take these capsules as directed.9/17/13: UPDATE - Headache returned when I took the second daily dose too close to the first. Spacing them out at least 6 hours seems to work well for me.My 2nd WEEK:I continue to take this supplement at directed (4 a day). No magical cure, but I do feel calmer and less scatter brained. My sense of humor is coming back, and much needed as life's ups and downs continue to toss me about.I've noticed no substantial side effects and am sleeping very well, without a grogginess upon waking. I'm dreaming and actually feel rested (albeit still achy) each morning.My appetite for sugary drinks and carbs has dropped off, and I lost another pound this week without any effort. I do eat well and exercise regularly, so it's nice to have that doing its job again! Energy levels are not high, but I do feel more alert in the afternoon and able to complete my 'to do' list without feeling like I need a nap.I will continue to take Adrenal Health in hopes that this trend will continue.3rd WEEK:I had a tough time remembering to take this supplement twice a day this week. Also, despite having had a flu shot, I got sick.I feel whipped and achy, but I'm continuing to sleep well and feel like the Adrenal Health when taken at the full dose, does help me to roll with the punches of life a bit more than without it.4th WEEK:One month's worth of Adrenal Health supplement later, and I still like it.Here's why...1. I'm sleeping better - dreaming again, and seem calmer overall.2. It's a stressful time in my life, and yet I feel like I'm keeping things in perspective better than I was before taking Adrenal Health.3. I've stopped putting on body fat (a nice perk...) and my appetite for sugar and carbs has subsided.4. I feel as though my mental clarity is better. Less brain fog.5. I have experienced fewer hot flashes and night sweats.6. I feel less weary all the time. No grand energy boosts, but a sustained energy and clarity that I've been missing for a long time, seems to have returned while taking this product.I still take it as suggested on the bottle; twice a day (2 capsules). I notice no side effects other than I tend to perspire more during workouts.I highly recommend it to anyone with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue. (I recommend asking your doctor prior to trying any new vitamin or supplement.) It's not a magic pill, but it may help in the management of conditions related to overactive 'fight or flight' response in the body.UPDATE: 10/24/13I figured out that these supplements are really helping to stop my night sweats and hot flashes. I'm thrilled! This stuff has had so many positive effects and I feel like I may be restoring a balance to my system that had been lost.UPDATE: 11/12/13Still taking it, and finding that I need to be sure to take the first dose right after breakfast (6:30am) and then a second dose (2 pills each time) between noon and 2pm to get the optimum effects.I tried dropping down to 2 pills a day, taking them after my lunch, but find this just isn't enough for me.UPDATE: 2/2/14I'm sold on the effectiveness of these capsules for me. Taking them consistently, 4 a day (2 in the morning and 2 at noon) I feel calmer with no night sweats or hot flashes. Energy levels throughout the day fluctuate much less frequently as long as I also maintain a good diet. I recommend them as a 'give them a try' to anyone who feels tired, down and or is having issues with hormones.UPDATE: 4/27/14I ran out and forgot to reorder. After two weeks I felt my weight starting to creep up, I was more tired and night sweats had returned. I've not put this item on my Amazon Subscribe and Save list. I will have it shipped to me every month this way, and if I find I need it less often, it's easy to adjust in my Account settings. For me, this is one supplement I definitely don't want to be without!UPDATE: 9/8/15I'm still taking this supplement and now in combination with Gaia Herbs Tumeric for inflammation and using a combipatch (DR RX) for reduction of menopausal symptoms - extreme hot flashes and night sweats during the past six months were not controlled in any other way. I feel that this supplement is a great help to me in terms of maintaining my mood and energy. My blood work is all normal and I'm rarely sick with a cold or flu. (I do get a flu shot each year as recommended by my doctor due to my auto-immune disorder.) I am having some increased joint pain and swelling, which my doctor may be rheumatoid arthritis - being tested next month.Despite these challenges I still believe this is a great product and a key component to my overall well being. I recommend it to anyone, but do understand that this has been MY experience with this supplement and as with any drugs or supplements, your experience may be different.

I was looking for herbs for various reasons and circumstances. I stumbled upon adaptogens via Wikipedia and became very interested in the claimed benefits. After a little more research, I came to the best place on Earth, Amazon, and looked for some of the ingredients that I researched; It eventually led me to this product. Gaia Herbs has a feel of superior quality when compared to a lot of other herbal companies. Plus, they have a tracking ID # that allows you to see the process of your specific batch of herbs from growth, to manufacturing, which is actually kind of neat. Though, I must admit that I have not used this feature.Onto the effects of the product. I bought this specifically for a backpacking trip that I just took in Wyoming. I live in Portland, Oregon and the elevation difference is insane. I live at about 200 feet and the vast majority of the trip would be at above 10,000 feet. As soon as I got these, I took two just to get it into my system so it could have some time to build up. The first sign I noticed that it was working was on a day where I hadnt't eaten much and decided to do a small workout. Usually when I workout, I must eat tons of carbs beforehand in order to sustain maximal effort throughout the workout (Muscle Glycogen). While I wasn't working at max, I could tell that I had much more stamina and strength than I usually would have thanks to this herbal blend. Though, I did notice it took a bit of time for it to start working; more on this in a bit.When I reached Wyoming and started my excursion, I honestly didn't notice a difference right away. I took my usual 2 pill dose, along with some ZipFizz and continued my pack in. About 2/3 of the way in, I started hurting and slowing WAAAY down, as did the other people I was with, which naturally led to them stopping and starting repeatedly. This is very difficult for me to do, so I opted to forge ahead into the wilderness that contained grizzly and black bears, cougars, moose, elk, wolves, and many other creatures. This is where I started to notice something quite incredible. During the last slog of our pack in, we gained about 2,500 feet in about 3 miles, with at least 50 pounds on our back. The last section was straight uphill, and I practically RAN up this portion. I stopped only a handfull of times to take photos and check on the rest of my crew, which was out of sight after about 10 minutes. I even ran out of water and still had TONS of energy. The amount of endurance was nothing short of astounding, especially in such high altitude.I reached a spot where I thought I had better wait in case they decided to go elsewhere or stop for the night. I ended up waiting for about 30 minutes for them to catch up. Now thirty minutes equates to about a mile distance between me and them. We started at the same time, and I ended up at least a mile in front, despite me leading a rather sedentary life. This was only day one. On day two, three, and four, results were the same. HOWEVER, I do NOT believe this was entirely due to the herb. I sincerely believe that adding the ZipFizz energy drink to the herbs drastically improved its effects. DRASTICALLY. I felt like Superman while everyone else was a minimum of a half mile behind me.Conclusion. BUY THIS. If you are needing some *intense* energy, I suggest coupling it with some ZipFizz, and you will have sufficient energy and stamina for hours. I did notice some caveats, however. In order to really get the benefits of this herb/combo, you MUST be active and properly hydrated. It also takes some time to work even after taking it. So, if you take it at 10am and then decide to hike at 1p, the herb will still take about 20-40 minutes to begin working AFTER you start your hike. Also, if not taken AFTER food, it can cause an upset stomach, so be ware. I also suggest proper nutrition and hydration to maximize the benefits.Would I recommend this to people? There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I would do so in a flash. I will continue to buy this, and possibly some Rhodiola to supplement this herb blend.I am NOT a Dr. and do not suggest that anyone take ANY supplement without first researching it. I also highly suggest that one finds out out whether they are allergic to any ingredients, where they are healthy enough to take herbs, and whether said herbs potentially interfere with any other medications/herbs they may already be taking. Do not think that all herbs are safe to take together, because this is far from true. Please be smart and research any possible contraindications and allergy information. Love, Light, and happiness.Update 5/16/2015I still take this product to keep my adrenals from being totally taxed, due to the amount of caffeine that I take on a daily basis, to keep me sharp and full of energy to get through my demanding days.With that said, I ran out last week, and figured I would see if it makes a difference. It does. It makes HUGE difference when supplementing daily with caffeine. Not taking the Adrenal Health, I have ridiculous crashes, to the point of needing to sleep right away. Forget trying to get things done. Brain fog is very evident, and my energy levels, both stamina and muscle, get to be ultra low as well.However, when taking the Adrenal Health, I have NO crash, and still have plenty of energy at the end of my work day to come home and smash it in the gym. I'm still completely sold on this product.