MCS, GWI, ADD, CFS, Fibromyalgia: We Have More in Common Than You Might Think

[Guest guest]

Chemical Injury --More Common Than You May Think

In the past two to three years, researchers have increasingly

recognized that that Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), Chronic

Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Gulf War Illness (GWI) and Fibromyagia --may

all be the same illness.

http://molecular.biosciences.wsu.edu/Faculty/pall/pall_mcs.htm

Should Attention Deficit Disorder be examined as well? Are there any

others out there waiting to join this club?

Adults with toxin induced (MCS) have symptoms in common with both Gulf

War veterans, such as attention deficit (short term memory loss),

hyperactivity, and eczema. Now a new study by the drug giant

Novartis, is reporting that children with ADD, often have eczema .

Anyone first diagnosed with ADD is most often identified because he

or she has a pattern of being " inattentive " --sometimes accompanied by

a period of hyperactivity.

There is growing evidence that toxic chemicals are playing a major

role in ADD, and many parents are making the connection. Parents are

finding they can control hyperactivity and inattention episodes

eliminating foods with additives, preservatives and colors. Likewise,

people with MCS try to eat only organic foods, and do their best to

create home and work environments free from toxic triggers. This is

necessary in order to live as normal a life as possible. In a

toxin-free environment, it is possible to think clearly and be free of

debilitating chronic health problems.

When MCS first manifests itself, the person does not fully understands

what is causing all of their health problems, or and what to do about

it. Some never find out. For people who do finally make the

connection, there is most often a preceding period of debilitating

symptoms that include sporadic or chronic eczema, short term memory

loss, and many other symptoms. Until the person takes steps to create

a safe environment, there is progression to more serious chronic

problems. It is exceedingly difficult to make a building, trailer, or

room safe from triggering chemicals.

The most stunning discovery of a person with MCS, is to be

symptom-free after months of illness. This can only be discovered by

staying in a place where there are no neurotoxins -- and the person

cannot be wearing clothes that are contaminated. When people first

discover their freedom from symptoms, they finally realize that they

can improve. Many are able to find a way to live with this problem by

building and maintaining a non-toxic home or room. Others are not so

lucky -- they live in their cars or old campers, and move from place

to place to avoid pesticides and other pollution.

It is interesting that many chemicals cause the short term memory loss

component of MCS, but not all of these same chemicals trigger the

hyperactivity component. From an informal survey and our own

experiences, my husband and I have been able to identify a few

chemicals and products that are hyperactivity triggers: (1)

pyrethroid pesticides -- which are used widely in mosquito and pest

control, household sprays, etc., and (2) Carbonless paper -- which

contains toxic solvents; and (3) different inks -- especially inkjet

inks, and felt tipped pens such as Sharpies or Magic Markers. These

products cause both hyperactivity and attention deficit within seconds

after exposure, followed shortly by muscle fatigue and weakness.

Neurotoxin pesticides, solvents, aerosol propellants, etc., produce

the short term memory loss component, along with muscle weakness,

joint pain, etc. --but not always with hyperactivity.

In many ways the MCS person creates a laboratory of sorts when

creating a toxin free indoor environment. It is a unique setting

because once it is " clean " of chemical triggers and allows the person

to live symptom-free, surrounded with safe items that do not offgass

volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Any new item that is introduced

into that environment is a potential trigger. Most people with MCS

cautiously introduce one item at a time into the " clean area " in order

to identify items that are safe.

Testing sometimes takes a long time because some require many hours

before an item offgasses enough to create critical mass -- enough

chemical to cause a reaction. For this reason --introducing new items

can be time consuming and tedious. Because it is not possible to test

everything this way -- many items like mail (anything absorbent is a

reservoir for chemicals encountered along the way), are kept outside

the safe living environment. Items from the grocery store remain

outside until the contents are removed from the original cardboard or

paper containers and put into our own containers. This method is also

an opportunity to keep track of new trigger items and communicate the

experience with others in the chemical injury network.

We have been able to see trends of increasing toxicity in some areas.

Toxic fragrance products are becoming more toxic than ever. New

clothes are more toxic than ever too, and it is much harder to find

" safe " stores or clothes manufacturers. Organic cotton clothing is

too expensive. Many of us end up buying the cheaper stuff, but I

sometimes wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper to buy organic to save the

time and laundry cycles it takes to make the cheap clothes wearable.

Toxic clothing requires many, many washings and then it is necessary

to hang them outdoors on a clothesline in the sun over an entire

winter when there is no mosquito spraying. We have noticed that this

procedure will now only reduce the toxicity a very small amount. The

result is that we have many tight-fitting plastic boxes now filled

with " new " and faded clothes waiting for next winter to go another

round on the clothes line.

What this trend suggests to us is that pyrethroid pesticides are now

routinely being impregnated into clothing. This new step was probably

pushed by the chemical/pharmaceutical industry as a way for clothing

manufacturers to keep pests from damaging the clothing before it is

sold. It is a discouraging trend because it is nearly impossible to

get rid of these chemicals, even by repeated washings. The military

funded studies (mostly conducted by Carl Schrek from the University of

FL at Gainsville) that showed that pyrethroids remain in clothing even

after over thirty launderings! (1) (2) (3) These were the pesticides

that were impregnated into military uniforms during the first Gulf

War.

I'd like to mention another similarity between children with ADD, Gulf

War vets, and those in the civilian community with chemical injury.

Children with ADD have been found to have brains that are 3% to 4%

smaller than normal children. This is significant in my mind because

of Haley, M.D.'s work that showed vets have neuronal brain

loss. Here is a story about Haley's work:

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9911/30/gulf.war.syndrome/

And here is the article on the children's study about brain size

difference:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40D1FF73A5F0C7A8CDDA90

994DA404482

It is not clear from this particular children's study that it is

describing neuronal brain LOSS -- as was found in Gulf War vets, but

to my mind it seems logical that it certainly could be loss.

Children's brains are developing until they are in their late teens.

The developing brain is much more vulnerable to neurotoxins that the

adult. It also doesn't seem probable that children BORN with smaller

brains, determined genetically, would also have ADD as an accompanying

defect.

Add to this the fact that SPECT scans have shown brain damage in

civilian adults after developing toxin induced Multiple Chemical

Sensitivity, most often triggered by pesticides, solvents, fragrance

products (contain highly toxic chemicals), and drugs --and realize

that children are inundated with these chemicals -- even before they

are born -- many of which can cause injury to the developing brain.

It's interesting that the chemical/pharmaceutical company Novartis,

funded a study showing linkage between eczema and ADD. Of course

Novartis was not looking for toxin induced effects -- but was merely

making the link to eczema and ADD. Novartis produces pesticides,

toxic chemicals of all sorts, and drugs -- including Ritalin, which is

most often prescribed for children with ADD.

Ciba Geigy produced Ritalin before it was bought out by Novartis.

Ciba Geigy secretly funded Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/

Hyperactivity Disorder throughout its early years. CHADD has taught

doctors, psychiatrists, schools and parents-- how to think about,

discuss, diagnose and treat Attention Deficit Disorder since 1987.

The funding was secret until Merrow, a reporter on children's

issues, secured the tax returns of CHADD. Merrow made a PBS

documentary film that revealed this deceit, but it only aired a couple

of times, so very few families realize even now that CHADD is

basically a marketing arm for Novartis'' drugs:

http://www.pbs.org/merrow/repository/Television/Past/_attn/add.html

http://www.massnews.com/past_issues/other/11_Nov/devious.htm

The original article link about the eczema/ADD connection, has been

" temporarily " removed but the web site promises it will be available

shortly. Fortunately, I've copied the entire article and it is below

the URL:

http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/62/71749.htm " >http://my.webmd.com/

content/Article/62/71749.htm</A

Both my husband and I are civilians with toxin induced MCS (triggered

by organophosphate, pyrethroid, and carbamate pesticides -- inon,

Demon and Baygon respectively). Like many others with MCS, we also

have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.

References:

(1) " Pyrethroid insecticides and formulations as factors in residues

remaining in apparel fabrics after laundering " Laughlin J. et al

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 1991 Sept 355-61

(2) Schreck, C.E., Kane, F., and Carlson, D.A., 1982, Permethrin

impregnations of military fabrics: an evaluation of application rates

and industrial methods by bioassay and gas chromatographic analysis:

Soap, Cosmetics, and Chemical Specialists, v. 58, no. 8, p. 36-39.

English. Sorption to Resins. CA97(22):183855c.

(3) Schreck, C.E., Posey, K., and , D., 1978, Durability of

permethrin as a potential clothing treatment to protect against

blood-feeding arthropods: Journal of Economic Entomology, v. 71, no.

3, p. 397-400. English. Sorption to Resins. CA89(11):85711t.

***************************************

Additional article:

ADD, Skin Disease May Be Linked

Children With Eczema More Likely to Get Attention Deficit Disorder

By Peggy Peck

WebMD Medical News  Reviewed By Brunilda  Nazario, MD

Tuesday, March 25, 2003

March 25, 2003 (San Francisco) -- Babies and children who are prone to

itchy,

inflamed rashes -- a condition called eczema -- often suffer from

sleeplessness and irritability. Worn-out parents and suffering

children make

frequent visits to pediatric offices seeking relief for this

inflammatory

skin condition, but new research suggests that it may be more than

skin deep.

Typically, people with eczema also have asthma and other allergies,

but it is

the skin condition that can be most disruptive in young children.

Anything

from soap to the family pet can cause the skin to become extremely

itchy and

inflamed, causing redness, swelling, cracking, weeping, crusting, and

scaling.

Now, a study of more than 43,000 children with eczema suggests that

these

kids are also at increased risk for a diagnosis of attention deficit

disorder

(ADD).

Lead researcher Kristijan Kahler, MS, RPH, associate director of

health

economics and outcomes at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. in East

Hanover,

N.J., tells WebMD that the new study doesn't conclude that eczema

causes ADD

but it does point to a clear association.

But what is behind this observed association is still not clear.

Kahler says,

for example, that children with eczema are " up more nights and [are]

more

irritable than [children without eczema], and these children do make

more

physician visits, and these factors may contribute to increased

diagnosis. "

In fact, it was an observation by a Pennsylvania pediatric

dermatologist, who

happened to notice that several of his young eczema patients were also

turning up with new ADD diagnoses, that led Kahler and his colleagues

to

study the question.

They analyzed both medical records and prescription records from a

pharmacy

database to identify children with eczema in 1999. They then checked

the

medical and pharmacy records for these children in 2000 and 2001.

Those

records were compared with a group of " controls " -- children who were

the

same age and who had a similar number of doctors' visits, but who

weren't

diagnosed with eczema. The results were significant: 4.1 of the

children with

eczema went on to be diagnosed with ADD, compared with 1.3% of the

control

group who had a subsequent ADD diagnosis.

Moreover, the younger the child with eczema, the greater the increased

risk

for an ADD diagnosis.

And the added diagnosis carries a significant economic impact: The

cost of

medical care for patients who are dually diagnosed can be almost twice

as

much.

Dermatologists attending the 61st Annual Meeting of the American

Academy of

Dermatology, where the new research was presented, were both intrigued

and

puzzled by the finding.

Alan B. Fleischer Jr., MD, professor and acting chairman of

dermatology at

Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C.,

says, " This

is the single study that I was most curious about when we first

received the

poster abstracts. Clearly this is an observation that demonstrates

some

association, but what are we to make of this? "

YM Koo, MD, director of the University of California, San

Francisco,

Dermatology Drug Research Unit, says the study is reminiscent of

" earlier

studies from the psychiatric literature that describe a relationship

between

hyperactive mind and hyperactive body. " Koo, who was not involved in

the

study, says that mind-body theory " has been largely discarded, but

this

suggests that there may be some relationship. "

Sophie Worobec, MD, associate professor of dermatology at the

University of

Illinois in Chicago, tells WebMD that she's not surprised by the

findings.

She says the skin and the brain develop about the same time so there

is

frequently a link between " very reactive skin and very reactive

minds. " She

says that children with eczema are often " very bright. ... I think it

is

useful to tell parents this. I do this all the time in my practice,

and you

can observe an almost immediate change in the way the parent regards

the

child. "

She says that a very bright child with eczema presents so many

challenges to

both parents and teachers that there is a risk that ADD could be

over diagnosed in such children.

The study was funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.

SOURCES: 61st Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology,

San

Francisco, March 21-26, 2003. Kristijan Kahler, MS, RPH, associate

director

of health economics and outcomes, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., East

Hanover, N.J. Alan B. Fleischer Jr., MD, professor and acting chairman

of

dermatology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem,

N.C.

YM Koo, MD, director, University of California, San Francisco,

Dermatology Drug Research Unit. Sophie Worobec, MD, associate

professor of

dermatology, University of Illinois, Chicago.

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[Guest guest]

I do believe

that Toxic Mold being a mycotoxin causes the same illnesses as

chemical exposures.

Yep, mycotoxins ARE chemicals.

Amazing how doctors can't figure that out.

Or why they call it mycoTOXIN instead of

mycobenign-harmless-substance.

The guy with with MCS whose wife tried to kill him with perfume

(who started his MCS experience with chemical and toxic mold exposure

on the job) appeared on TV and described his illness as a neurotoxic

overresponse.

The doctor offering rebuttal said that he had never heard of anyone

dying of MCS.

Nobody ever heard of anyone dying of AIDS either until they finally

figured out it was real and gave it a name.

Doctors are just too funny.

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