WHY WOULD THERE BE A SUDDEN WEIGHT LOSS FOR NO APPARENT REASON?
04/13/2012: Rianne from Leeds, Uk: "This may be a little off-topic considering the themes of most of the questions on this site, but I think nonetheless very interesting if anyone knows the answer!

What made my 23-year old female friend lose over 20 pounds over 6 months without changing anything??

All through her teens and well into her twenties my friend used to be overweight. She snacked a LOT on a lot of unhealthy foods (candy bars, fried foods etc). Her breasts were so large she had to have her bras custom made and she considered plastic surgey to make them smaller because they made her back ache. Then all of a sudden, in our second year at university, she started losing weight. Now, a year later, her breasts are cupsize d, her legs as skinny as a model's and she has almost no belly fat. In short, she looks perfect for her size! And she continues to snack on mars bars during class, eats fries during break. She has not changed a thing about her diet and she has always hated any kind of physical activity - she still does not exercise.

She was checked out by the doctors. She feared she might have a parasite or a tumor, but they couldn't find anything and she checked out clear, left her doctors scratching their heads. What happened? Anyone?"

CAN TED HELP WITH MYSTERY DIAGNOSIS?
02/25/2012: Indian Man from UK: "Hello Ted, Can you solve the complex riddle of this X-file? I know your busy.

SCALP- is excessively oily, whiteheads, pustular acne and loss of excessive hair daily. I haven't used shampoos for years owing to shampoos causing headaches or itchy scalp and i've tried everything available on natural health shelves. i started using minoxidil (regaine), but from the onset my hair loss has doubled and i've discontinued now. Not much hair left now.

EYES- seasonal hay fever causes itching. Eyes feel very heavy, tired and painful when i've frequent headaches. Dark circles under eyes.

NOSE- broken. Swells excessively caused by heat. Cracked bridge, twisted to the left, perforation in septum. When swollen it becomes increasingly difficult to breathe because airways become blocked. I've frequent nosebleeds.

FACE- extremely oily, blocked pores or excessive whiteheads (all pores on face are blocked. Only difference is variation in size of whiteheads). Face can swell excessively owing to food allergies/intolerances. Moderate pustular acne, but can vary owing to what I've eaten. Face has sensitive skin, mild eczema, flaky skin which peels off easily and enlarged pores owing to damaged gut I think. Can get boils depending on my acidity.

EARS- I've tinnitus which is constant with sharp whistling. It can drive you insane if you don't find something to distract yourself. It's only overbearing if I'm not occupied with something, sleep is the best temporary solution. I'm very sensitive to noise. The tinnitus has been there since I was 12 when the old man bashed me hard in the skull whilst eating.

SHOULDERS- both shoulders painful and I'm restricted in full range of movement especially left side.

NECK- cracks a lot, especially left side

BACK- upper back towards left side is constantly cramped causing restriction to full range of movement. Lower back pain is usually dull ache. I've Spina bifida of S1 + S2 discs.

HEART- can get frequent palpitations owing to food allergies/intolerances (palpitations start on onset of meal and throughout). Palpitations depend on severity of food allergies/sensitivities. Had palpitations since 12 years old and spent a few months in hospital, diagnosed with heart murmur or tachycardia arrhythmia when the old man bashed me hard in the skull whilst eating.

ABDOMEN- when I'm about to make a mistake of any sort, I get a deep dull pain commonly known as butterflies, probably from the solar plexus, which leaves me a nervous wreck for the rest of the day. Flatulence can occur with distension of abdomen owing to food allergies/intolerances. I can't digest any oils or fats. Certain foods cause agonizing pain in region of abdomen. If I apply essential oils to my face which I'm sensitive to, it'll cause immense pain in the abdominal area within minutes. Therefore from this I can conclude that whatever symptom shows on my face is owing to the root cause being from abdominal area.

STOOLS- can have lots of mucous owing to severity of food intolerances/allergies. Stools can be hard, but I've mainly diarrhoea. Stools have always looked the same colour as the food i've eaten. I'd persuaded my gastroenterologist to let me try prescription Creon (pancreatic enzymes) and since 02/03/11 the first time as far back as i can remember, my stools are brown and no more diarrhoea. No natural enzymes from health food shops have been able to produce these results, but if i stop taking Creon, then my previous symptoms will reappear. It's best to just swallow the contents and throw away the capsules of Creon. (29-01-12 i haven't taken any Creon for a few months as i'd been asked to abstain from meat whilst seeing an Indian healer).

HANDS- suffer severe chilblains during cold weather. Generally have poor circulation throughout body. Colours of hands are red or purple. G.p has diagnosed it as raynauds disease.

FEET- constant athlete's feet + toenail infections which i've had for years. I've poor circulation, chilblains. Colour of feet is always red or purple. Nhs toenail specimen tests revealed candida albicans and it worsens when I eat fruits. (29-01-12 abstaining from fruits hasn't helped resolve the infections). Using nail lacquer (amorolfine) to treat fungal nail infections doesn't work.

JOINTS- especially knees and wrists cause a lot of pain, severity depending on severity of food intolerances/allergies. I've been told by g.p that I've got osteoarthritis of the knees but I believe its rheumatoid arthritis because I'm intolerant to everything I eat.

SKIN- eczema (mild), severe comedones or whiteheads which are extensive from abdomen upwards, moderate pustular acne from waist upwards, severe oily skin from waist upwards. Visibly enlarged pores on face caused by excessive production of oil + blocked pores and itchy skin. Wounds are very slow to heal.

HEAD- in general, fragrances, perfumes, strong odours even from food which are actually mild to an average person, cause severe headaches. Loud noise causes headaches + food allergies/intolerances cause frequent headaches. I get frequent dizzy spells. I've got a very poor memory and find it very difficult to concentrate.

Heat of any kind is very debilitating and makes me very weak and drowsy. I feel better when I'm cold. When I eat my skin colour becomes like a corpse, I think it's owing to blood becoming sluggish owing to blood reaction to food. The only time I look near to looking healthy is when I don't eat. Can't stay awake for more than a few hours without getting drowsy and must take nap. I've severe digestion problems of foods, but we don't think absorption is an issue. I'm very thin and weigh 56kg.Variety of foods is very limited. I react to all foods; only difference is severity of reaction. I sweat profusely depending on the severity of reaction to food. I become very hot whilst eating and afterwards and my body burns like a furnace. Certain foods make me vomit now. Raw & fibrous foods cause a lot of irritation and probably damage my gut. My oesophagus becomes very painful when i eat foods i'm sensitive to as i experience a lot of belching and bitter liquid and it reaches a point when i can't eat anymore owing to the pain. I've learnt now that this is owing to acid reflux. Fermented foods which are supposed to be beneficial are detrimental as they're very acidic. My body never goes into a deep sleep, that's why I'm always still tired after sleep and require naps to get throughout the day and it doesn't help that nearly every night i get up twice to urinate and this is owing to the rice which holds a large amount of water. My entire body swells excessively with water retention when I eat foods I'm intolerant to.

The above symptoms all progressed when the old man put me in hospital at age of 12. I was eating when he bashed me hard in the head and almost took my head off its shoulders. I think i collapsed and heart rate was extremely rapid. Doctors thought it was a blackout. Doctor's diagnosis is i'm under too much stress at home and have tachycardia arrhythmia. I can hardly recall anything prior to 12 years old or the incident. It's my belief that whenever I eat food, my body associates it with trauma relating to the bashing at 12 years old whilst eating and therefore instead of nourishing my body, it makes it sick. I'm the only one out of the blood related whom is very ill.

My skin conditions repulse every human and i've only ever seen 4 people who've skin like mine. I've only ever been twice abroad in my life in the past few years and my health became much worse because I can't tolerate the foods or the climate, so I can't go abroad and enjoy life and i'm a 42 year old Indian male.

nhs said my condition is simply irritable bowel syndrome. Their tests have revealed low red blood cells + 10% lupus which isn't clinically lupus unless it's 80%. There are other anomalies in their tests, but it's within their parameters of normal, so I've always been considered to be “perfectly healthy” in their opinion. However i question how they devised there low, normal and high parameters on their inferior tests?

Liver tests on the nhs are normal, but a private liver test revealed; “among the phase II pathways, glutathione conjugation, sulfation, and glucuronidation are under functioning. These deficits can result in poor detoxification of many compounds in the body, particularly xenobiotics, steroid hormones and many medications. This may reflect nutritional inadequacies and/or genetic uniqueness”.

Best or most experienced uk nutritionists, homeopaths, kinesiologists have all failed miserably. They all say I'm their toughest case after they make no progress. Acupuncture is the best treatment I've had and has a good but temporary effect, probably because it's an energy enhancer and has no adverse effects unlike herbs or vitamins and minerals which cause allergic/sensitive reactions and i can only take them for a maximum of 2 weeks every day before onset of undesirable effects. Hypnotherapist made me suicidal as psychologists like to delve into the past whereas i believe the past has its place. I've wasted thousands upon thousands of pounds. I was spending £400-600 a month on supplements alone not including practioners fees. I haven't taken any recommended food supplements for approximately 2 years and my symptoms have improved and health is better than it ever was whilst under their care. I was seeing practioners for 19 years.

My mother was complaining of symptoms for over 25 years, but the nhs sent her to a psychiatric hospital because their inferior tests were always normal and she was told she's mental. It turned out she had pancreatic cancer and the size of the tumour was the size of a football and she died in stage IV. She was only 58 years old. All the healers i brought in to see her told me that problems related to the pancreas are associated with sadness and my mother was very unhappy. I don't think i've a genetic problem with the pancreas, more likely owing to unhappiness too, but i'm a hoper, not a loser despite all the setbacks.

I only eat plain food, white rice (acidic) and cucumber, raw broccoli (something has changed recently as i couldn't previously tolerate green foods which caused frothy diarrhoea) which is best eaten raw as cooked vegetables produce more acid reflux, red kidney beans, black turtle beans. Everything i eat is organic and i don't enjoy eating, it's merely force feeding. I strongly desire to eat other foods, but as always what i like, my body doesn't. A few months ago, i discovered that the distilled water i've been drinking for years has a ph of 5.3 and my suppliers had sold the device to me stating distilled water has a neutral ph. I believe a few years of drinking distilled water has eroded my gut. In my entire life i've drunk nearly 1 pint of alcohol and i'm a non-smoker. Citrate minerals cause huge amounts of mucous in stools and diarrhoea. I use glass cookware for all my cooking as i can taste the metallics when using steel.

My left leg is slightly longer than my right leg and i've been told this could be a cause of my dizzy spells as the messages from central nervous system aren't functioning correctly as body is out of line. I've had numerous private lab tests dating back to 1996 and you might find them very useful and can post them to you. Briefly my magnesium, zinc, EFA'S has been consistently low and tests as far back as 1997 show pancreatic insuffiency and high acidity. I've low human growth hormone, very high oestrogen levels and low levels of vitamin D and my vitamin D test was done after spending a few weeks in the sun.

For about 2 weeks now, i've been using apple cider vinegar in distilled water and it's only slightly reduced my acid reflux. My pores on face have visibly reduced, but i've had more boils and around my abdominal area, there's been an eruption of boils. I know i'm supposed to mix apple cider vinegar with sodium bicarbonate, but that wasn't an option owing to my intolerance. Luckily my food supplement supplier is a biochemist and formulates an extensive range of pure herbs, but limited amount of vitamins and minerals and he acquired me potassium bicarbonate and i can now add 1/8 teaspoon to a glass of distilled water and it'll alkalize it. For 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, i only require 1 teaspoon to alkalize it, but it'll cause mild abdominal pain and diarrhoea, so i use ¾ of a teaspoon, but even this amount will cause loose stools. The boils have now dissipated around the abdominal area, but still have mild amounts on the face. I was hoping the alkalizing would cool my body down, but it hasn't yet."

NEED HELP WITH MYSTERY ILLNESS - BREATHING AND SINUS ISSUES
08/17/2011: Anonymous from Anonymous: "Dear Ted,

My wife has a strange disorder that completely affects the quality of her life. When she eats certain foods and the list is never constant, her nose suddenly gets clogged up and she has to blow her nose all the time as if she caught the flue or severe cold. Her nose just runs. Because this has been going on for a while she developed polyps. We went to many doctors in Ukraine and a few in the US (not too many in the US as they are expensive and we cannot afford them). In ukraine one herbalist told her to smoke chicory and exhale it out through her nostrils. This seems to have helped with the polyps and her breathing. Oh I forgot to mention that this problem has affected her breathing. She almost always breathes very heavily as if she is struggling to get in air, this is very noticeable at night.

Now in Ukraine one doctor suggested some of her symptoms might have to do with lactic acid. It seems to be increasing albeit slowly. Her symptoms usually worsen if she eats dairy products and at times sugary products. though the sugary products from the US tend to have a bigger impact than the ones in ukraine.

Nose Xrays and lung Xrays were done, they revealed nothing. Sinusitis was ruled out.

Another factor is that after eating food seems to be getting stuck in her intestines, many times she gets bloated. One doctor suggested IBS but again all these other symptoms started coming after the phelgm/mucous I. E runny nose. She has been suffering from this for now close to 10 years. Sometimes when she goes on a detox her symptoms get better or they go away temporarily but nothing has cured her.

We have tried very severe detox programs. limiting meat, diary, etc but while they have helped nothing has cured her.

Finally she cannot seem to take too much raw food as in lots of salads etc, they seem to irritate her digestive system.

Many years ago she was diagnosed with the Epstein Barr virus. I don't know if this is having some sort of effect, but recent tests did not reveal anything, maybe its dormant.

I would really appreciate some help, because when her nose gets blocked it runs for hours and she cannot talk or lead a normal life, Sometimes it gets so red it looks like its going to bleed because of the amount of time she has to blow her nose. I have seen her go through whole box of tissues in a few hours.

Any help you could offer would be appreciated. I am new member here. So could you tell me how I would check if you posted a reply.

And if you do offer consultations over the phone please let me know. I know you are very busy and any help you can offer will be truly appreciated.

Kind Regards"

ANY INSIGHT INTO WHAT THESE SYMPTOMS MAY BE FROM?
05/26/2011: Brenda from Placerville, Ca: "My 19 year old daughter has been sick for several years. Her symptoms started around 15, shortness of breath was the beginning. Doctor put her on an inhaler for a couple of years, didn't help and made her jittery. Digestive issues started around 17. Doctor thought GERD, put her on protonics, didn't help. At 19 her symptoms are shortness of breath, digestive issues, constipation, muscle aches in arms and legs, abdominal pain, hair loss, insomnia and weight gain. She seems to be getting worse.

She has had numerous test: Endoscopy, thyroid ultrasound, cat scan, xray of lungs and heart, hida scan and ultrasound of gallbladder, barium test, gastric stomach emptying, breathing test and blood test. All with normal results.

She recently did a juice detox, which didn't make her feel better or worse. I have her trying ACV and after 1 week no difference.

She was tested for Lyme, came back negative, which doesn't always mean negative. I am thinking of having her try Himalayan salt and apple polyphenols. I am thinking if she feels worse it would be a sign of Lymes bacteria leaving her system. Herx symptoms?

If anyone has any ideas based on her symptoms, I would appreciate any and all feedback."