Have You Been Diagnosed With A “Fad” Diagnosis?

At least 25 diagnostic labels classifiable as fads have been in vogue during the past fifty years. Some refer to actual disease (which the patients do not have), whereas others are not recognized by the scientific community. But as Mary wrote above it gives people a reason for the way they feel. Over the past 20+ years I have observed too many scientifically-unscientific practitioners specialize in one or more of these diagnoses with almost every patient they see. Recommending effectively-ineffective treatments and supplements for real symptoms for erroneous fad diagnoses. 

Yes, I know. I have seen the Lab tests from many people who have spent Thousand$ of Dollar$ on lab tests and subsequent treatment$; altering their lives and lifestyles. Let me be clear. At no time am I saying you are not experiencing symptoms. However, I am just not certain your symptoms are coming from what you think is causing them.

There is No Cure for a “Fad” Diagnosis.

My first observation; shortly after the mid-term exams during my first trimester of Chiropractic college, over 50% of my classmates simultaneously came down with Epstein Barr Syndrome (EBV). Mostly due to one influential classmate, that convinced the others their severe fatigue symptoms was due to EBV and nothing to do with 40+ classroom hours a week and a few hours of sleep after long hours of studying. In addition, many of them became “Iceberg Lettuce” Vegetarians about the same time. I know what you are thinking. Yes – they did do that. 

These are the same Doctors that continue to specialize in “fad” diagnosis. I have observed their social media posts over the past 10 years. Their speciality changes every 18 months to 3 years. In one Doctor’s forum, there occurred a memorable discussion thread. 

 SIBO was a hot diagnosis in the late 1990s, leading to the popularity of Probiotics. In the early 2000s, SIBO quickly went out of vogue in favor of Fibromyalgia and was only resurrected after a Professional Influencer’s SIBO presentation in 2016. 

As usual there were two diagnosis bullies dominating a discussion on a patient in a Doctor’s online forum. For weeks, they verbally bludgeoning anyone that dared interject any other possibility. Then the Professional Influencer presented a weekend conference on SIBO. Immediately, in the same discussion thread, the two bullies changed to vociferously claiming it had been and always was SIBO. No, Oops! We were mistaken. Everything after that became SIBO for them. What diagnosis were they originally promulgating? It does not matter because it changes to whatever the current popular diagnosis is.

In many cases, they use nonstandard laboratory tests to “diagnose” them and recommend effectively-ineffective “dietary supplements” or “detoxification” to treat them. They claim the Medical Doctors and Hospitals are not smart enough to use the nonstandard lab testing or understand the diagnosis. In many cases, the “diagnoses” have been concocted by Big $uppla, Professional and Social Media marketers of dietary supplements or devices.

“Medicine has suffered from “fads” from time immemorial. The authority of some great leader or teacher is enough to bolster up an error for a generation or more. In fact, much that is today taught is merely the dictum of some one who has never taken the pains to investigate the truth.”

Walker E. Reflex Irritation as a Cause of Disease. JAMA. 1895;XXIV(5):165–166.

Nothing has changed in 125 years. In any given profession, less than a half dozen individuals of authority control the direction of the entire profession. Most peoples lives are a direct reflection of the expectations of their peer group.

Written by my mentor, Dr. DeJarnette in 1931: “Most of you have at some time or another heard of some Faith Healer who was seemingly securing marvelous results and possibly some of your patients have deserted you and gone to such people and secured results. A patient with a Vasomotor lesion is very susceptible to any system of therapy that uses enthusiasm for a basis of therapy, but sad to say this enthusiasm only lasts while the patient is near the healer and as soon as this said enthusiasm dies down, the old disease returns.”

If you have a Vasomotor Lesion; this makes you susceptible to all the Diagnosis du jours foisted on us by Professional and Social Media Influencers. I learned long ago to “fact check” and “cancel them”, when their information did not stand up to scrutiny outside of their Click Bait pages.

Recipe for a New Fad Disease

• Pick any ubiquitous symptoms—the more common the better. Pick any disease—real or invented. (Real diseases have more potential for confusion because their existence can’t be denied.)
• Include the ubiquitous symptoms into the actual symptoms of a real disease.
• Assign an ever-growing list of symptoms to the disease.
• Say that millions of undiagnosed people suffer from it.
• Pick a few treatments. Including supplements will enable health food stores and online stores to get in on the action.
• Promote your theories through books, Click Bait Websites, YouTube Vlogs or podcast talk shows.
• Pay Google, Meta, Amazon, to put websites and products first in the search results.
• Search results have many “Ad” results on one or more pages.
• Don’t compete with other fad diseases. Say that yours predisposes people to the rest or vice versa.
• Claim that the medical establishment, the drug companies, and the chemical industry are against you.
• State that the medical profession is afraid of your competition or trying to protect its turf.
• If challenged to prove your claims, say that you lack the money for research, that you are too busy getting sick people well, and that your clinical results speak for themselves.

But Doctor, I have Antibodies

Stop Right Now and Search: ‘bacteria cleave antibodies’.

Note the complete lack of ads in the search results. 

Do you have?

Positive Antibodies	False Positive Antibodies
Negative Antibodies	False Negative Antibodies
Low Hanging Fruit Antibodies EBV Antibodies are positive in 95% of the world’s population is positive	Bacteria Cleaved Antibodies Digestive Enzyme Cleaved Antibodies Parasite Cleaved Antibodies Fungi Cleaved Antibodies
Molecular Mimicry Positive Antibodies	Molecular Mimicry Negative Antibodies
Bacteria Hacked Antibody making them Invisible to Antibodies

The detection of Autoimmune (autoreactive) Antibodies or T cells in an individual does not invariably imply the existence of AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE.

Did your Healthcare provider consider the possibilities of cleaved antibodies or molecular mimicry antibodies? Did they discuss the different antibody possibilities with you? Or did they analyze the labs as “absolutely-accurate”. Absolutely, diagnosing you with a condition. How are you feeling? Are your symptoms going away?

Positive or Equivalent Antibodies indicates “Previous Exposure”. NOT an absolutely active disease.

Dr. Dave

A patient living in London with positive RA antibodies contacted me for help. She was totally invested in her RA diagnosis to the point of picking out her wheel chair. Upon review of her lab tests. She had full blown Type II Diabetes, which for most if fully reversible. The RBC Agglutination that occurs with Insulin Resistance/Diabetes causes poor oxygen and glucose delivery to the connective tissue. Which begins to deteriorate leading to the immune system needing to groom the damaged connective tissue and the production of RA antibodies. 

Not Scientifically Defined or Recognized

These alleged conditions differ greatly from those of medically recognized diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and coronary heart disease, each of which is associated with a clear-cut history, physical findings, and laboratory tests. With these, however, the range of symptoms is virtually endless and typically does not correlate with physical findings or science-based laboratory tests.

• Amalgam toxicity (also called “mercury illness”)
• Candidiasis hypersensitivity (“yeast allergy”) 
• Cavitational osteopathosis: Also called neuralgia-inducing cavitational osteonecrosis (NICO)
• Chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS)
• Electrical hypersensitivity (also called electromagnetic hypersensitivity)
• Enzyme deficiency (generalized)
• Gulf War syndrome
• Leaky gut syndrome
• Male menopause (Correct name would be Andropause)
• Mercury efflux disorder
• Morgellon’s disease
• Multiple chemical sensitivity
• Pyroluria
• Relative nutritional deficiency (RND) of neurotransmitters
• Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS)
• Sick building syndrome
• Wilson’s syndrome

Scientifically Recognized But Inappropriately Diagnosed

These conditions are recognized as diseases but are said to be present when they are not. Some are common, whereas others are rare. Most can be appropriately diagnosed with the help of laboratory tests. However, some doctors base their diagnoses on inappropriate tests or do no testing.

• Adrenal insufficiency (sometimes called “adrenal fatigue”)
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Food allergies and sensitivities
• Gadolinium toxicity
• Gluten sensitivity
• Growth hormone deficiency
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
• Heavy metal toxicity
• Progesterone / Estrogen Ratio
• Hypoglycemia
• Hypothyroidism
• Low T (Correct name would be Andropause)
• Low Thyroid
• Lyme disease
• Neurotransmitter deficiency
• Parasites (the mystical magical invisible variety)
• Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
• Porphyria
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• SIBO
• “Toxic mold”

Nonexistent Conditions Concocted By Product Marketers

• Alkalinity is Healthy
• Magnetic deficiency
• Oxygen deficiency disease

Dubious Psychological Labels

• Attachment disorder
• Indigo child
• Nature deficit disorder
• Sensory integration disorder (SID) (also called sensory processing disorder (SPD)

What Does The Body Need?

Nothing work in the body without the adequate delivery of oxygen and glucose. 

Certain markers in the Comprehensive Wellness Panel are clues as to the shape and function of the Red Blood Cells (RBCs) responsible for carrying oxygen. Most oxygen—98.5 percent—is bound to a protein called hemoglobin and carried to the tissues. Although oxygen dissolves in blood, only a small amount of oxygen is transported this way. The blood is only capable of carrying only 1.5 percent of oxygen dissolved directly into the blood itself. Anything over that free oxygen becomes Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), otherwise know as damaging free radicals. It is not as simple as jumping in a Hyperbaric Chamber and eating more sugar. 

There is a cause for the way you feel. Too many people are searching for a diagnosis name for their symptoms, so they will know what is wrong with their health. That is like looking for someone named Fred. Because all Freds act a certain way. Never asking – in order for your symptoms to occur, what must happen metabolically, physiologically in your body?

What are the baseline requirement for healthy at the cellular level. How long can you survive without oxygen? Not long. It is assumed that because you are breathing and blood is flowing through you body, Oxygen is be delivered. Are you certain of this? 

Glucose is the other requirement. With Insulin Resistance, it is revealed that both oxygen and glucose is probably not being delivered at the quantity and quality needed to maintain healthy cells. Do you really think it is possible to restore health when this is occurring?

Without oxygen and glucose, your Mitochondria go into Power Saver Mode; shutting down and begin deteriorating. 

Getting a Second Opinion

People get caught up in the hype every day, and doctors are not immune to this fact. What’s more, some doctors are more prone to identify with Fad Diagnosis while others tend to be more conservative. So their findings and recommendations can vary dramatically. For this reason, more and more patients are getting second opinions after a diagnosis. 

Whether your doctor recommends a diet or supplements, makes a real diagnosis or identifies a some Fad Diagnosis, there are many benefits to getting a second opinion. These benefits include everything from the peace of mind and confirmation to a new diagnosis or a different treatment plan.

Even if your second opinion just confirms what you already know, it can still be beneficial.  A second opinion can save you thousands of dollars and avoid the pitfalls of living with a Fad Diagnosis. Afterward, you will know that you have done everything you can to ensure that you have the correct diagnosis and a treatment plan that feels right to you. A second opinion can also offer insight into additional treatment options that the first doctor may not have mentioned. As a result, you become more informed about what is available to you and can make an educated decision about your health care and your treatment plan.

When Should You Get a Second Opinion?

While you do not need a reason to get a second opinion, there are times when getting a second opinion may be the best course of action. What’s more, if the two doctors you see vastly disagree, then it might be wise to get a third opinion. Keep in mind, too, that the second opinion is not necessarily the right opinion. The key is to keep digging until the diagnosis and treatment make sense to you:

Get a second opinion if you have undergone treatment but your symptoms continue. No one knows your body better than you do. And if your symptoms persist even after treatment, it may be time to seek the advice of different doctors and specialists. Too often, people do not advocate for themselves. Instead, they assume that they will always have to live with chronic pain or uncomfortable feelings. But remember, the only way you are going to get the treatment that works is if you get the right diagnosis. So if you are not feeling better and your symptoms are not going away, do not settle for that. Reach out to other doctors for their opinions.

Get a second opinion if you are diagnosed with a popular Internet disease. Sometimes Internet Fad diseases are very popular because Big $uppla, Professional and Social Media Influencers are paying Google to make them popular. There is a lot of money in supplement sales and there is very little actual research behind them. When this happens, it can be frustrating and frightening to discover you have been diagnosed with something that seems to be everywhere. But you are not alone. Others are also falling into the Click Bait Funnel Traps

Get a second opinion if your gut reaction tells you something is off. By all means, if you are not comfortable with the diagnosis or the recommended treatment, get a second opinion. You should never agree to a procedure or treatment plan when you don’t feel good about it. Trust your gut and gather more information. Ask questions about your prescriptions or treatment protocol. Talk to healthy friends. And question what you read about your condition. No one should ever feel like they have to follow the doctor’s orders without asking questions and gathering more information. Very few healthcare decisions have to be made on the spot. So if something doesn’t feel right, then, by all means, research your situation and talk with another doctor.