Re: Diagnosis Losing Consciousness

[Guest guest]

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> New York Times has an interesting health article titled " Diagnosis Losing

Consciousness " at

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/magazine/07wwln-diagnosis-t.html?ref=health

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Thank you for posting this article. I found it very appropriate for this

discussion site.

The first alarm this article triggered is that she was buying towels - was she

in one of those mega home stores? I find those to be the worst retail

environments for fragrance and many other VOC's, and I try to avoid them because

of awful reactions.

Second, her reaction makes me highly suspicious that she is being exposed to a

water-damaged environment (or chemical exposure)and doesn't know it. The effect

sensitizing her to chemicals (etc.), with sensitivity amplified by the

antidepressant (as most of us know, many pharma drugs can have this effect, if

we can tolerate the drugs at all). Allergies may be involved, but I think there

is more going on here that the docs are missing.

Third, the panic attack concept really bothers me. The diagnosis of 'panic

attack' is generally accepted as a cause when it is actually a set of symptoms

with a misleading label - as though it is somehow a psychological phenomena seen

as a tendency toward unwarranted panic. 'Panic' does describe the immune

system's flight or fight physical response - but - accepting it as a diagnostic

cause precludes any investigation into the actual reasons for the physical

reaction; and does a disservice to those of us who have those symptoms resulting

from triggers or exposures - fungal, bacterial or chemical. The diagnosis of

anxiety does the same thing. I think anxiety and panic attacks are a similar

physical response at different degrees of intensity, and some sorely needed

medical investigation would reveal the underlying triggers of the biological

reactions. Instead they have become labels of deficiency: a mind too weak to

deal with 'stress' allows the body to react inappropriately. The patient then

accepts the label as what is wrong with them and doesn't realize the event is a

warning sign, doesn't look to connect anything else. The symptoms of panic

attack, anxiety and anaphylactic shock are very similar, with varying intensity.

I did find the discussion of the GI investigation very interesting. We know our

GI tracts have been impacted by toxins, etc. and that we also experience low

oxygen levels. I had not put these two concepts together before to understand

that oxygen starvation of the cells could allow for increased damage. (Others on

this list probably have posted about this already?)

SJ

[Guest guest]

" 'Panic' does describe the immune system's flight or fight physical response -

but - accepting it as a diagnostic cause precludes any investigation into the

actual reasons for the physical

reaction; and does a disservice to those of us who have those symptoms resulting

from triggers or exposures - fungal, bacterial or chemical. The diagnosis of

anxiety does the same thing. I think " some sorely needed medical investigation

would reveal the underlying triggers of the biological reactions. Instead they

have become labels of deficiency: a mind too weak to deal with 'stress' allows

the body to react inappropriately. The patient then accepts the label as what is

wrong with them and doesn't realize the event is a warning sign, doesn't look to

connect anything else. The symptoms of panic attack, anxiety and anaphylactic

shock are very similar, with varying intensity. "

SJ,

I have to believe that you are onto something here. One of the three times I

experienced near adrenal crisis was when I took two different drugs; Lexapro and

Frova. The other time was driving home in an ice and snow storm which I have

done all my adult life because I grew up in Maine. At that time I knew

something was wrong with my adrenal glands as I at first had a Cushing's like

syndrome (frontal obesity, buffalo hump and swelling around the neck) which

caused anxiety the doctors would have labeled panic attacks. Next came the

adrenal insufficiency and as I've said before I don't know anyone else who had

the hormonal problems I've experienced from my exposure to mold.

I solved part of the puzzle when my mother informed me she had taken three

cortisone shots in the arm when she was carrying me. I was born without an

immune system and took allergy shots for three years but I had asthma and

allergies so severe rushing me to the hospital was a once a month occurrence

until I outgrew all of that. Right before being diagnosed with adrenal

insufficiency and after I avoided stress because in the back of my mind I feared

adrenal crisis. Simply put my body knows I can't handle an event and I wisely

listen to its messages.

My illness has taught me that many of these labels and personality disorders are

due to physical or biological causes and not a mental disorder that

psychiatrists and other doctors are so willing to pin on us. And then there is

the issue of host manipulation which is barely on their radar but a study is

showing that some cases of schizophrenia are caused by the parasite

toxoplasmosis.

And from the book Survival of the Sickest he explains the perfect example of

host manipulation in toxoplasmosis where the parasite can only reproduce in a

cat. When mice eat the droppings of a cat infected with the parasite they become

lethargic, fat and unafraid of cats. What happens to a mouse that becomes

lethargic, fat and unafraid of cats? You guessed it. It gets eaten by a cat thus

ensuring the parasite can reproduce.

So does anybody ever wonder why mold wants to keep us so sick? I do.

Sharon H.

[Guest guest]

haven't read the article but I can speak from experience Allergic Reactions do

not cause the type of " brain fog " you get from mycotoxins and/or toxic mold!!!

I know there is a difference; however slight that difference may be but there is

definitely a difference between the two...

~Dana

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>

> New York Times has an interesting health article titled " Diagnosis Losing

Consciousness " at

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/magazine/07wwln-diagnosis-t.html?ref=health

>

>