Australian Chemical Trauma Alliance website: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) ..... Ilena Posted On 3/31/08

[Guest guest]

Many of us are affected by MCS . . . My MCS all but disappeared after having my implants removed and detoxing. . . Contrary to this article, I believe one can be "cured" . . . maybe not 100%, but enough to get one's life back.Detox methods I suggest are:FAR infrared sauna therapyIonic Foot bathsBentonite clay - internally or in bathsliver/gall bladder flushesorganic coffee enemasDrinking plenty of water daily. (1/2 ounce per pound of body weight) SweatingExercisingAnti-oxidentsA "clean" diet of whole foodsRemoving amalgam fillings (by qualified dentist)And last, but not least, avoid as many environmental

chemicals (personal care, processed foods,

cleaning products, pesticides, herbicides, tobacco smoke, artificial

scents, etc. as possible. Eventually as the body load decreases, on

will be able to tolerate moderate exposure again. I found my sense of

smell, for the things that made me sick, was extremely keen until I

detoxed. Now, I barely notice these smells.

Ilena Posted On 3/31/08 =================== Australian Chemical Trauma Alliance

website:

http://journals.aol.co.uk/bettineolive/Pesticidesinblood/entries/2008...

Multiple Chemical

Sensitivity (MCS) MCS is a disorder

triggered by exposures to chemicals in the environment, both outdoors and

indoors. It is the almost inevitable consequence of toxic episodes for a substantial

number of people. At best, its sufferers are never truly well, never truly ill

- at worst the severity of MCS can be prostrating. As a result of what is known

as the "spreading phenomenon", patients may react with increasing

sensitivity to a variety of products which are totally unrelated to the

original antigen. The worst affected in this group may find it necessary to

isolate themselves, having become unable to tolerate the minutest of exposures

to the common chemicals present in daily life, such as perfumes, tobacco smoke,

and vehicle exhaust. The good news is that it is possible to adapt to MCS. The bad news is that, at the present time,

there is no known cure, although some medics may prescribe a regime of therapy,

including massage, heat depuration, antioxidants, special diets and so on to

alleviate the worst extent of the problem. Beyond this, the only recommendation

is, avoidance, avoidance, avoidance, of the exposures which are known to

precipitate symptoms. Some lucky people eventually recover but most never

return to being completely well and their health continues a downward spiral. It has been estimated by the American National

Academy of Sciences that some 15% of the

US population is adversely affected

by chemicals and the general opinion is that the numbers are growing. There is

no reason to suppose that the situation is any different in

Australia , where many chemicals

which have long since been banned overseas are still freely being used.

Independent research into the mechanisms that cause MCS has been inadequate,

while that which has been done is very often skewed because it is financed by

industries which benefit from chemical proliferation. MCS is an insidious complaint which can affect

every part and system of the body with instant or delayed reactions. Its

effects range from mild, flu-like lethargy, to full scale coronary, respiratory

and gastric symptoms. Sufferers also experience fatigue, mood swings,

forgetfulness and an inability to concentrate. As MCS worsens, reactions become

more severe and increasingly chronic. Many patients with this condition have to

isolate themselves for fear of recontamination which may result in an

exacerbation or recurrence of their symptoms. Special diets are often

necessary. Nutritional supplements which may be necessary quite often trigger a

new set of symptoms. Substances involved in the development of this

disease can range from petroleum products and industrial chemicals, through

formaldehydes and anaesthetics, to pesticides and herbicides. The variety of

causal agents is almost endless. Very often, due to what is known as the

"spreading phenomenon", serious reactions can develop to substances

which are either related to, or completely distinct from the original antigen.

Thus, for instance, someone who has become ill through exposure to pesticides

may find that they have become sensitive to tobacco smoke, perfumes, and foods

which they were previously able to tolerate. Many of the chemicals which

trigger MCS symptoms are known to irritate or to be toxic to the nervous

system. Illness may occur through one massive

exposure, or by repeated small doses, but the final results are all too

similar. Unfortunately, because the media is heavily into drama, it is only

events such as chemical spills, fires or explosions that are deemed newsworthy.

Fleeting attention is paid to the human component in these incidents. As a

result, the long term consequences of human contamination are only occasionally

glimpsed, which has led to the term "iceberg syndrome" being coined

by chemical victims, who are only too aware that the public sees just the

visible tip of a human tragedy of monumental proportions. Survivors of mechanical accidents may find

themselves bruised, scarred or more seriously injured, but their return to a

semblance of pre-trauma normality is almost always assured through the

interventionof modern medical and prosthetic techniques. This is not the case

for sufferers of chemical contamination, who often never recover to enjoy

normal health. The ramifications of their disease extend to every quarter of

their existence, affecting their earning capacity, family and community life.

They are additionally disadvantaged because they are seldom able to display

outward signs of their injuries or illnesses, and become vulnerable to abuse as

bludgers or cranks. Their offspring are often at risk because of the

reproductive effects of exposure to chemicals. Since there are no germs to signify its

presence, this disease is not easily or readily identified by doctors.

Consequently, sufferers are often tagged as malingerers or as being in need of

psychiatric help. These views are naturally reflected by the lay community with

destructive impact on the chemically ill, who find themselves stranded without

sympathy, support, or recourse to the law for compensation in the absence of

medical testimony. The thousands of patients around the world who

are suffering from MCS are tired of hearing that their symptoms are due to

"idiopathic" responses to imaginary events. The most strenuous

denials of the reality of MCS seem to emanate from chemical manufacturers and

users, regrettably including mainstream medical practitioners. They cast about

for evidence to undermine the idea of MCS, a predictable reaction of those

whose products and theories may be suspect, and who may have much to lose. To

protect their position, they are not averse to using pejoratives, seeing

ridicule as a weapon, and they are prepared to go much further. Their denials,

however strenuous, cannot erase the truth. A few short years ago, it was

incredible that man would walk upon the moon, and such a prospect attracted

scorn. The story of ill founded cynicism and scepticism has been consistent

throughout the ages, dating from the dawn of mankind. Yet even now, irrespective of doubters or

theorists, several common mysteries exist which defy explanation, but are taken

for granted, such as electricity and magnetism, gravity, why the sun rises in

the east, or for that matter why it rises at all. It is time that the sceptics and cynics

realised that, in bending facts to fit their theories, or clinging desperately

to fixed and familiar ideas, they themselves appear ridiculous and insecure.

They would do well to abandon their biases and narrow prejudices, rather than wasting

time and energy on self indulgence. Scientists and medics have much to gain by

forsaking their ivory towers for the realities that are there for those who

choose to see them. It is fatuous nonsense to claim that MCS doesn't exist

simply because no germs can be found, or no currently acceptable explanation

made to fit the condition. There are countless people worldwide who belong to

organisations and institutions such as the Australian Chemical Trauma Alliance.

They all claim to suffer from the same symptoms, and the language and

geographic barriers that separate them exclude the possibility of a global

conspiracy. Yet their experiences are written off by

vested interests as "anecdotal" evidence, simply because their

condition does not neatly correspond to expectations or existing theories of

disease. These patients are only relating what has happened to them. It is no use applying to humans extrapolated

data obtained in laboratories using rats and mice, who cannot complain that

they have a headache or feel miserable. Many of the chemicals that are involved

in the development of MCS are only tested on these laboratory animals, the

wider community being used (generally without appreciating the fact) as a final

testing ground. This in itself is scandalous. It is the easiest thing in the

world to convene a cosy gathering of "experts", none of whom suffer

the condition themselves, to make weighty pronouncements about something they

have never personally experienced. Time will duly reveal and normalise recognition

of the connection between chemical exposures and the development of MCS.

Already, signs are becoming evident of the adverse effects of a plethora of

materials that have invaded the environment since the end of WWII. Many of these commonplace substances were

thought to have contributed to and enhanced the convenience of modern life.

Only now is their negative impact being understood, with a declining human

reproductive capacity and an epidemic of children's disabilities and

dysfunctions resulting from parental exposure. It is an innate

understanding of most chemical victims that everyone succumbs eventually, and

that chemically induced illness is only time and dose dependent. Some collapse

immediately after apparently harmless exposures that may seem not to affect

others. Those others may take years to develop cancers and other illnesses as a

result of a prolonged seriesof exposures to environmental chemicals, none of

which may have had an instantaneous effect. However much the apparently

impervious members of society may sneer at their more sensitive colleagues, the

fact that all humanity stems from the same biological sources is undeniable.

Everyone is vulnerable, and instead of sneering, those who are not presently

affected should give thanks that they have managed to escape until now the fate

that has befallen their less fortunate fellows. There, but for the grace of

God, go they.

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