Where you’re feeling that weight loss, the real issue probably boils down to nutrition—specifically your stomach. It’s like your body just isn't processing things right. Whether it’s the specific foods you're eating, the timing, or just the sheer volume... something isn't clicking with your digestion. I'm assuming there might be some irregularities with your cycle too?
In Chinese medicine, those vertical ridges on your fingernails are actually linked to the liver—it’s essentially an indicator of fluctuating liver energy. Now, don't go panicking and thinking you have a chronic disease; true illness usually takes five to seven years of sustained imbalance to manifest. Those specific lines running vertically from the base of the nail often point toward a mineral or protein deficiency, which typically ties back to how your spleen or pancreas is functioning. In these cases, tightening up your diet and staying active with regular exercise is pretty much non-negotiable. If you notice horizontal lines stretching across the nail instead, that's a different story altogether... it usually suggests some kind of systemic toxicity. Since it takes about four to six months for a nail to fully grow out, the closer the line is to the tip, the further back in time that imbalance occurred.
Morning. The fact that you’re spending so much time glued to your computer... well, that’s really where the heart of the issue lies. I used to spend massive amounts of time staring at a screen myself, and I noticed two distinct things: feeling cold all the time and general weakness (I also dealt with some tinnitus, and occasionally dizziness, usually right before bed). Now, what Sarah Johnson11 mentioned regarding the thyroid is a valid point, but remember that the adrenal glands act as the regulator for the thyroid, and those are tied closely to kidney function. I don't know if you ever caught that one episode of CSI Miami involving the gamers, but one of them played for about 48 hours straight and his kidneys just gave out. That’s the connection. Your kidneys can get weakened when you're constantly working without any physical activity to balance it out. You need to cut back on the screen time, or if you absolutely can't, at least break it up with some movement. Your brain actually functions better if you take a walk, relax a bit, and stop hyper-focusing so intensely. Walking, stretching, and stuff like that really helps—provided you’re getting quality sleep (not staying up past 10:30 PM) and staying hydrated (though, honestly, it doesn't have to be a strict eight glasses of water rule). Like you, I don't think we're looking at a tumor here, but trying to diagnose something through internet posts is a losing game... it's basically impossible.
Jessica Brown7 said:Her hands and mouth are swelling, she’s got tremors, can't walk, can't even speak... and they won't give her anything for the dizziness. Can you believe that? I mean, at this rate, she might as well be royalty. She’s heading in for some hormone tests now—not the usual ones, but something else—so we'll just have to wait and see... Thanks.
I can't recommend anything for the vertigo because they haven't pinpointed the cause yet. The way her hands and mouth are swelling, it's pointing toward her neck again, which, by everything I can tell, brings us back to the C1 vertebra. I actually went through something similar where I couldn't even string three words together properly; if it had been four words, the whole order would have been scrambled. But then again, I’m just dealing with an autoimmune issue, and back then I was having kidney problems too (C1)...
Aaron Sanders79 said:Does anyone have any recommendations for a good tea or maybe some herbal supplements?
I usually stick to black tea in the morning after I've eaten—definitely not on an empty stomach—just one cup a day. Also, try to stay away from bread and heavy carbs, you know, things like cookies and pastries...
wearyowl17 said:How do you actually help someone struggling with depression? Everyone around her is noticing how off she’s acting—she’s pushing everyone away, shutting down, and refusing any kind of support... We tried suggesting she see a specialist, kept it really gentle and tactful, but nothing works. There’s just no progress. It’s getting worse by the day; she won't listen to anyone. We want to help her so badly, but we're stuck. We’ve been trying to be patient since she’s younger, and honestly, she blames us for everything. She keeps telling us to leave her alone and insists she’s fine, but it’s obvious from the way she’s acting that she’s completely broken—just sad and defeated. She’s developed this aversion to everyone and refuses to talk to anyone.
What should we do??? A worried friend
Looking at how she’s turning everything down, it feels like a certain kind of melancholy... a heavy sort of sadness. Honestly, the best remedy might just be getting her out under the open sky, maybe catching some California sunshine. Personally, I think a little bit of nature could be the tipping point she needs to start feeling better. Another way to cope would be through writing, though—there's something about putting pen to paper that really lets you release everything...
amberowl27 said:What’s actually going on with what you're describing? That physical tension?
Well, I’ve run into these kinds of pains with all sorts of clients over the years. These people were always living in the future—constantly chasing the next thing—so they were rarely ever actually satisfied. They’d always make these promises to themselves, like, "once I finish this project" or "once I get this done," I'll finally slow down. Of course, that slowdown never actually happened. They were just too conscientious... those high-achiever types who can't help themselves. They'd push through until the job was finished, even if it meant skipping sleep or staying in a state of constant, low-level stress. I'm talking upper back pain, cold feet, and that tendency to worry about everyone else while completely neglecting themselves. That kind of chronic tension eventually leads to thyroid issues later on. It varies from person to person, obviously, but generally, these folks just don't know how to relax because being "on" has become their default setting. I've tried coaching them to flip the script a bit—to actually reward themselves once in a while instead of just serving everyone else... Diet plays a massive role in that, too (maybe a bit too much sugar).
Jessica Brown7 said:Thanks, everyone. Things have been slightly better over the last few days. I've been making sure she gets out for walks and some fresh air, but then the dizziness and all those other symptoms just come rushing back once she sits down in the evening. Why specifically when she sits? And this pounding in my head... it just won't let up.
Maybe it’s because the blood pressure isn't distributing quite right through the carotid arteries?
hiddenridge12 said:Yeah, putting all that honey in the molasses might be a mistake.
Definitely a mistake. I mean, sure, molasses is fine, but skip the sweetener.
hiddenridge12 said:...God, the pain... I haven't even taken a single pill yet, just used some deep breathing techniques... they actually helped take the edge off.
Well, look at you. Honestly, I'm impressed.
hiddenridge12 said:I'm not overweight, if anything I'm pretty thin... but when the pain hits, I start seeing stars...
What’s going on with your kidneys? When people are lean like that, the kidney area can feel really tight—almost like a burning sensation. Are you getting enough sleep? Resting?
amberowl27 said:No, that's the right side. I'm feeling it on my left, though I can't quite pinpoint exactly where it's hitting.
Hold on a second. It isn't just the right side—it's both. Those meridians run down both sides of the body. So, if you were to trace it... roughly when you drop your elbow against your side, you're getting close to that spot, just a little bit more toward the center.
It’s Slezena, who basically crashed from a sugar overload because she was feeling cranky. To put it another way, back when all that was happening, people were dealing with massive waves of anger. This helps calm things down, lets you see things from a different perspective, and—honestly—it’s just common sense not to constantly eat greasy, fried food. Now, the fact that you had such a bad reaction to the soda (was it a sweetened one?) leaves me a bit stumped, so I can't really give you any solid advice yet. I need a few more details first.
Pain on the left side near the iliac crest usually points toward tightness or underlying tension. It’s often a solid indicator of potential thyroid issues, too. You might also see this popping up if you've dealt with a neck whiplash injury. To get a better sense of where those specific trigger points (SP12 and 13) actually sit, take a look at this.
Jessica Brown7 said:We saw the orthopedist. Everything seems fine. Neck is clear.
Actually, maybe try a chiropractor instead of an orthopedist. No shade to the MDs, truly, but a good chiropractor can feel things with their hands that just aren't obvious... they have a better sense for those tiny irregularities. An orthopedist relies heavily on imaging, and honestly, scans can be pretty subjective sometimes. I knew a chiropractor once who could actually feel a hairline fracture in someone's foot just by touch—something the specialist didn't even spot on the X-ray until after the adjustment was done.
Jessica Brown7 said:There's just some tension in the neck muscles, but there's no way those symptoms are coming from that.
Well, tight muscles actually *can* cause that. I remember a client who couldn't tilt her head down without getting hit by these massive dizzy spells that would spiral into full-blown panic attacks. It went on for twenty years. After one deep shiatsu massage, the muscle finally released, blood flow normalized, and the vertigo just... vanished.
Jessica Brown7 said:We saw the ENT. Her ears were slightly problematic, but the doctor said that wouldn't cause these specific symptoms. She couldn't even finish the vestibular testing; she passed out.
Ear issues can stem from the spine or the neck, too. But since all the previous symptoms point toward the neck, that’s where I’d start looking...
Jessica Brown7 said:What if it's immunological? That's the only thing we haven't checked yet.
It could be autoimmune, sure, but usually you'd see a fever accompanying those kinds of changes. If there's no fever, I'd temporarily rule out autoimmune for now.
Douglas King7 said:Thanks for the input. Honestly, I’ve always been super diligent about staying hydrated; I’m talking bowls of soup, working out, eating clean... you name it. I drink a ton of water and tea, so I really don't think dehydration is the culprit here. Stress? Doubtful. If stress were my trigger, I would've developed allergies ages ago. This is brand new territory for me. Actually, you want to know when this allergy suddenly decided to show up? Right after I started taking some herbal drops for a urinary tract infection. I picked them up at a local health food store, and the ingredients include bearberry tincture, cranberry, parsley, birch, plantain, plus fennel and peppermint oils. Do you think any of those specific ingredients could be triggering this?
Since you were treating a bladder infection (which means lowered resistance since bacteria are involved), and considering the bladder is part of the nervous system (which, in my practice, also represents stress), there's clearly some kind of imbalance occurring in that area. Drinking massive amounts of water doesn't guarantee your body actually absorbs it. Think of your body like a wire mesh sieve... when you're under stress, that sieve tightens up, the wires press together, and it stops letting the water through properly. The fluid just passes right through you without any meaningful exchange of nutrients. Plus, overdoing the water can unnecessarily strain the whole system. You really need to find an optimal balance based on your activity level, environment, and conditions. As for what's causing this... it's definitely stress. Take a look at the section below.
Douglas King7 said:Thanks for the input. Honestly, I’ve always been super diligent about staying hydrated; I’m talking bowls of soup, working out, eating clean... you name it. I drink a ton of water and tea, so I really don't think dehydration is the culprit here. Stress? Doubtful. If stress were my trigger, I would've developed allergies ages ago. This is brand new territory for me. Actually, you want to know when this allergy suddenly decided to show up? Right after I started taking some herbal drops for a urinary tract infection. I picked them up at a local health food store, and the ingredients include bearberry tincture, cranberry, parsley, birch, plantain, plus fennel and peppermint oils. Do you think any of those specific ingredients could be triggering this?
That could certainly trigger it, though in my view, it's actually a good sign. When you start heading toward recovery, the illness tends to move from the inside out and from the top down. In other words, that reaction suggests your liver is finally kicking into gear, which often manifests as a skin rash. The eyes reflect the liver (just think about jaundice), but they also represent the nervous system (redness might be that, though it could also be dryness)... and dryness can point to the kidneys (fluid deficiency) or even the spleen (overthinking—the nervous system). There is so much information we can read from the body... But beyond the eyes and the rash, there should be other symptoms present, though we'd really need to chat privately to go over those.
Maybe a chiropractor? If there’s an issue with your spine, that could definitely be the root cause. Headaches can certainly come from dehydration—honestly, about 95% of them are—but migraines usually stem from spinal issues, particularly around the TH1-3 area. And if you're dealing with vertigo, low blood pressure might be playing a role too, which often circles back to not drinking enough water...
Douglas King7 said:That’s it. That is literally what I’m dealing with: a scratchy throat (the coughing fits at night are the worst) and red, watery, stinging eyes.
So, who am I supposed to ask for a referral if I want to go see an allergy specialist?
And how did you actually fix yours?
Also, what did they tell you was triggering the allergies?
That cough and those tearing eyes? It's an allergic reaction, sure—along with plenty of other things—but it also points to too much "heat" in the body. It’s often a sign you're dehydrated, so getting some water or maybe a lemonade in you would be a good move (lemonade helps kickstart the liver, though don't go overboard on the sugar)... As for the eyes specifically, if they're staying red, it might just be your nervous system being totally wound up from stress and not getting enough sleep. You might find some relief with something natural, like a warm bowl of chicken soup loaded with carrots and celery root.
restlessangler said:I know, but it’s been four years... It’s not like I’m in agony every single day.. Sometimes it hits me for a month straight, then it disappears for two weeks.. But today, I just couldn't even get out of bed.. Someone please help me!!!
So, honestly, there could be a million different things going on here. But let's try to narrow it down by focusing on where the pain is actually located. If we're looking at the kidneys—maybe stones, though I'd put my money on an immune response—here is why I think that: first off, the sensation seems to ebb and flow. You're probably pushing yourself way too hard at night, working until you're absolutely exhausted, and maybe your diet isn't quite where it needs to be yet... What I'd really want to know is if you've noticed any swelling, frequent mosquito bites (even if it's not quite mosquito season), joint stiffness, or anything else unusual that you might have brushed off initially (like pain just above the ankle, headaches, stomach issues, or running a fever..).
Seeing those red and white blood cells can be a real wake-up call regarding how much you're taxing your nervous system. Basically, you need to slow down. Get some actual quality sleep—and I don't mean crashing right after staring at a computer screen or grinding through video games... that's not real rest. Try hitting the sack earlier, maybe by 10:00 or 10:30 PM. That’s when getting 6 to 8 hours of shut-eye actually starts to count. If you keep pushing past that window, you're just putting unnecessary strain on your body. Keep ignoring the signs and you'll start running into issues like brain fog or trouble focusing... which sound minor enough, but then you get into the heavier stuff like night sweats, anxiety, and full-blown panic attacks. If you keep going without listening to what your body is telling you, all of that just sets the stage for more serious psychosomatic health problems later on.