Jan,
Initially I thought that the stumper you described was either a viral ear
infection (dizzyness) which in most cases has a sudden onset but resolves in
a self limiting way, or an acute panic attack (dizzy, numbness, heart racing
palpitations, sense of impending doom as in thinking it was a heart attack,
etc.).

THEN I reread your message.  And began to focus on two things:
First, her husband did a dental procedure on her.  What kind of procedure?
Was she treated with antibiotics before or after it?  Does she have a mitral
valve prolapse?  People with MVP generally take antibiotics prior to dental
procedures prophylactically, and people with MVP may have palpitations or
dizzyness.  Checking into her cardiac status could be valuable.

Second, how old is she?  Her 4th baby?  Makes me think she could also be a
little older....maybe perimenopausal?  Some women begin to experience
perimenopausal symptoms years before we imagine they should.  They can
include some of what you describe, so the two can be easily confused.  Of
course, panic attack symptoms can be very similar too......

The weight loss is probably more likely related to the tremendous stress
this has placed on her body, mind, and spirit.
Has she explored or tried to recall the events of days leading up to the
onset of her symptoms?  What was going on just before she experienced the
first symptom that was slightly different than previously?  Can she think of
any occurence that might have been a trigger?  If all physical causes are
ruled out, perhaps she'd welcome speaking with a counselor or therapist to
determine whether there are some mind/spirit factors involved.

My sincere best wishes to you and her, as this reveals itself and hopefully
gets resolved quickly for her and her family.
Joyce Blangiardo RN, LCCE, FACCE, IBCLC
LamazeLady+AEA-msn.com
Long Island, NY