Expert: Ronda Snow, Ph.D. - 2/11/2004

Question
I'm not really sure where to turn for help on these issues.  I thought that perhaps you could either help or lead me in the right direction.  I have suddenly developed a very keen sense of smell.  Lots of smells are very offensive to me.  Things that used to not bother me are suddenly making me sick to my stomach.  Also I have a body temperature of 95-96 degrees.  Is this anything to be concerned with?  I have lots of chronic illnesses and wonder if this could be contributing to them.  I am always tired, have allergies, asthma, trouble concentrating, etc.  I have spoke to my physician and they can't not find anything wrong.  I recently did a detox and felt awful.  During that time I stopped taking all of my meds and really can't tell a difference so I never started back.  Could any of these things be related.  

Thanks for your time.

Answer
Hello Kim,

One question that springs to mind is your age...

If you are of childbearing age and ability, I would ask about that, as one of the most common causes of smell sensitivity (although this baffles science as well) is first trimester pregnancy. With your detox program, have you been doing nasal rinses (neti pot?) That can increase smell sensitivity and is a NORMAL reaction to that new hygiene effort.

The low temperature probably reflects a slowed metabolism, but is more common in the elderly than in younger people. I do question the numbers you give...have you measured this with more than one thermometer? How did you measure it? 98.6 is the average normal oral/rectal temperature. Some people normally run several TENTHS above or below that. 95 is not compatable with consciousness, and is clinical hypothermia...are you certain of these numbers? If you measure it with an home ear thermometer or under the arm, subtract a degree and 97.8 becomes your average normal.

In any case, I would suggest avoiding any strong detoxes or fasting for now...you may be in too much of a weak or "yin" condition for that to be helpful. Green tea and exercise can help bolster your metabolism, and still provide a clensing effect without anything more harsh. The body detoxes many ways...exercise promotes the skin and breathing aspects of healthy metabolism and excretion.

I would also suggest finding a good Doctor of Traditional Chinese medicine. What you describe sounds akin to a qi deficiency of some sort, but I'm not expert enough to tell. You should have a good face to face evaluation with the TCM doctor, rather than work over the internet for that.

Also PLEASE tell your doctor or whoever prescribed your medicines about stopping them! Allopathic medicines are potent, and your doctor has to have accurate information about you to give you proper care. If you want off you meds, that is fine, just be careful...some medicines are actually dangerous if you stop them improperly. It is CRITICAL to communicate with all of your caregivers, and if your regular doctor doesn't support your holistic efforts, it is ok to try to find a doctor that is. By the same token, tell your holistic practitioner about your mainstream medicines...that way no herb/medicine conflicts can come up.

Best wishes
Baihu