Q: For years I suffered severe depression. After a lot of work I became mentally well and started to enjoy life but physical symptoms started with pain in my joints which were, at times, debilitating. I was diagnosed with hyper mobility syndrome. I also had a lump in my groin which was diagnosed as an inguinal hernia. I also started getting painful red lumps on my hands diagnosed as a form of eczema. This was followed by a severe headache that lasted 7 weeks which was accompanied by intense thirst. Then several weeks ago my food pipe became swollen. I woke up one day and found that the my palms and soles were bright red and swollen. I was covered by a rash and my joints were all swollen and painful. This was diagnosed as reactive arthritis. Not long after that I lost my appetite. I also have a bad pain in my coccyx. What is wrong with me?

A:Multiple complaints of a diverse nature suggest a fundamental imbalance in the body's reaction to a variety of stresses that might include environmental toxins, unfavourable bowel organisms, a tendency for autonomic hyper reactivity, and possibly inherited impairment of immune control mechanisms. All these interact unfavourably when there is psychologic stress. Herbs such as ginseng, codonopsis and astragalus may help, as could a changed diet that includes fermented milk or natural yogurt taken with lactase. Weekly enemas or daily wheatgrass juice drinks help some people. Ayurvedic rayasanas remedies may be of great benefit. Regular daily exercise, relaxed meals with healthy foods, and good personal social interactions are also essential for optimising health.