Expert: Dr. Kristina Conner - 2/13/2008

Question
Dear Kristina!
I hope you can help me as I feel I have nowhere else to turn! I am 26yrs old and am suffering from some odd health problems. A homeopathic doctor performed a vega test on me in November confirming I had candida, a stressed liver, a lot of food allergies, a virus and very low vit and mineral levels. I have since bee on the candida diet and oregano supplements and am now candida free. However, at the retest the vega said my vit ad mineral levels were still low and hadn't righted themselves despite supplementation with friendly bacteria. I am also still carrying the virus and my liver and overall toxicity levels are still well below par. I suffer from unexplained pains in my knees, foggy head, I eat like a horse but never put on weight and have huge black circles under my eyes, despite eating a very balanced diet with plenty of fruit ad veg. I often feel nauseous at night and my tiredness, brain fog and acne has never been worse. What do you think is going on? Could it be parasites and if so, how on EARTH do I get rid of them??!
HELP!

Answer
Hello Emily,
Thanks for writing.  I have used machines similar to the Vega machine before, and find that they can be an appropriate adjunct to assessment.  However, it's not a substitute for a complete assessment, and it sounds like the practitioner you are seeing is using it as the only tool.  This troubles me, because you are no closer to having an actual explanation of what's going on, which is what it sounds like you want and need.  So first, I would recommend that you find a practitioner who would be more helpful in guiding you towards what you are seeking.  A naturopathic doctor (www.naturopathic.org) is that type of practitioner, or possibly a holistic medical doctor.
Without doing a complete assessment of your health, I can only speculate on what's happening.  The symptoms you describe point towards a dysfunction in your GI tract, but it might not explain everything.  An imbalance in thyroid and immune function is possible as well, and of course there is much interaction between all those systems.
If you suspect parasites, there are simple tests that can check for this, one available from a conventional doctor (called an ova and parasite test), or from a naturopathic or holistic doctor (a digestive stool analysis).  If these tests are positive, there are diet and supplements that can help the body expel them; but you would also need to investigate why this happened (which would likely be uncovered as part of a complete assessment) and fix the original problem, to prevent recurrence.  I would not simply self-treat for parasites; many holistic practitioner suspect parasites at the root of many problems, but I think this is misguided.  
For now, I would suggest finding a practitioner you can work with, or asking more of your current one.  
Good luck in your search.  
Dr Conner