DEAR DR. GOTT: My brother had a hair analysis recommended to him by his chiropractor. He completed a questionnaire that listed his symptoms. They were cigarette addiction, aggression, allergies, anger, anxiety, back problems, temper, blurred vision, canker sores, carpal tunnel, chronic fatigue syndrome, craving sweets, defensiveness, depression, diarrhea, dizziness, drug addiction, exhaustion, fatigue, frequent urination, headaches, hearing problems, hemorrhoids, herpes, hypertension, hostility, irritability, joint pain, low self-esteem, mind racing, mood swings, poor muscle tone, muscle weakness, negative feelings, nervousness, obesity, perceptual motor problems, poor attitude, poor memory, tinnitus, decreased sexual desire, stress, stomach problems, volatility and weight gain. The results of the analysis suggested that he had adrenal insufficiency.
All this information was sent to the chiropractor. I am very concerned that this is bogus as well as harmful. Should I be? He is not under the care of a medical physician. He is 50 years old, overweight, inactive, smokes cigarettes as well as marijuana, can't hold a job and has a chip on his shoulder, and he's in an unhappy marriage. Can you help?
DEAR READER: No, I cannot.
Your brother seems to be a victim of a huge variety of ailments, many of which he has brought upon himself. While I wouldn't necessarily judge his situation to be terminal, I cannot give you any positive solutions except to say that he needs medical help, counseling and a good divorce lawyer.
Of course, his list of symptoms could be bogus, in which case a hair analysis is hardly an answer to his disastrous health problems. Unless your brother is willing to take responsibility for his destructive attitude, he has little to look forward to, and improvement will remain an unobtainable dream.
It is my strong recommendation that he select a primary-care physician who can order appropriate laboratory testing and make recommendations about one or more specialists if the testing so dictates. He might have something as simple as alcohol-induced hypoglycemia with symptoms of fatigue, nervousness, mood swings, depression, temper outbursts and more. If this is the case, there is hope for him as well as for those around him. Whatever the diagnosis, he needs to be under the care of an doctor who can manage his many problems.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Hypoglycemia."
DEAR DR. GOTT: In response to your column about a reader whose eyes were tearing, my eyes also teared and watered for many years. Visits to several ophthalmologists did not help. I happened to have tests done on my thyroid gland, and I got a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. The TSH level was abnormal, and I was prescribed Synthroid. Once the TSH level dropped to normal, I began to improve. After about a year, to my great relief, the tearing stopped completely.
I sincerely hope that the person who wrote to you about this condition has the opportunity to read this letter.
DEAR READER: Dry eyes are not a common symptom of an underactive thyroid gland, so your experience is unusual. I am publishing your letter as a service to my readers.
All this information was sent to the chiropractor. I am very concerned that this is bogus as well as harmful. Should I be? He is not under the care of a medical physician. He is 50 years old, overweight, inactive, smokes cigarettes as well as marijuana, can't hold a job and has a chip on his shoulder, and he's in an unhappy marriage. Can you help?
DEAR READER: No, I cannot.
Your brother seems to be a victim of a huge variety of ailments, many of which he has brought upon himself. While I wouldn't necessarily judge his situation to be terminal, I cannot give you any positive solutions except to say that he needs medical help, counseling and a good divorce lawyer.
Of course, his list of symptoms could be bogus, in which case a hair analysis is hardly an answer to his disastrous health problems. Unless your brother is willing to take responsibility for his destructive attitude, he has little to look forward to, and improvement will remain an unobtainable dream.
It is my strong recommendation that he select a primary-care physician who can order appropriate laboratory testing and make recommendations about one or more specialists if the testing so dictates. He might have something as simple as alcohol-induced hypoglycemia with symptoms of fatigue, nervousness, mood swings, depression, temper outbursts and more. If this is the case, there is hope for him as well as for those around him. Whatever the diagnosis, he needs to be under the care of an doctor who can manage his many problems.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Hypoglycemia."
DEAR DR. GOTT: In response to your column about a reader whose eyes were tearing, my eyes also teared and watered for many years. Visits to several ophthalmologists did not help. I happened to have tests done on my thyroid gland, and I got a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. The TSH level was abnormal, and I was prescribed Synthroid. Once the TSH level dropped to normal, I began to improve. After about a year, to my great relief, the tearing stopped completely.
I sincerely hope that the person who wrote to you about this condition has the opportunity to read this letter.
DEAR READER: Dry eyes are not a common symptom of an underactive thyroid gland, so your experience is unusual. I am publishing your letter as a service to my readers.