Adrenal fatigue” is a term applied to a collection of nonspecific symptoms, such as body aches, fatigue, nervousness, sleep disturbances, and digestive problems. The term “adrenal fatigue” was coined in 1998 by James Wilson, Ph.D., a naturopath, and expert in alternative medicine. He describes it as a “syndrome” that results “when the adrenal glands function below the necessary level.