Do Additives in Health Food Supplement and Pharmaceutical Tablets Make us Ill? 2005

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Taken from Issue 33 of The Truth Campaign

Magazine

Silicon-Induced Contracture

Syndrome by Ivan Fraser November 2005 The following article explores the theory that

silicon dioxide - a chemical excipient in most nutritional supplement pills

and many pharmaceutical drug tablets – may be the cause of a range of

symptoms, including forms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This article documents the author’s

findings and his observations of how his own Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia

symptoms directly correlated with his intake of supplements and

pharmaceuticals containing silicon dioxide. The appendix is a detailed account of the

progression of his symptoms. Whilst the case history is lengthy, it is

necessary in order to illustrate many symptoms and events which would have

been easily attributed to other causes, had the link not been realised, and

the case history reassessed with this in mind. He has also made the simple, but perhaps

important observation that, if the symptoms that he has experienced correlate

closely with those women who became ill after their silicone breast implants

leaked, then silicon dioxide – one of the main problematic substances

that these implants contain - may have caused similar symptoms when eaten in

a large enough quantity over a long enough period. Having experienced

evidence that silicon dioxide was being released from his muscles and from

the skin, and that it must have been there for a considerable length of time,

he then began to investigate how and why it could possibly have gotten there

in the first place. Although the author has experienced a specific

set of symptoms - essentially those of fibromyalgia - others may well suffer

similar or different symptoms with entirely different diagnoses; ranging from

simple frequent headaches and migraines to arthritis, mood swings to

neuroses, allergies and immune disorders that may all be either caused or exacerbated

by the presence of silicon dioxide in their bodies. Silicon dioxide could

well turn out to be a major iatrogenic cause of ill-health in the Western

world, and anywhere else that tablets are taken regularly. Whilst the author himself believes that this

may be the case, he is not a scientist – he is a former nurse with a

general interest in health: conventional, alternative and complimentary - and

has no direct scientific data to prove his case. He welcomes criticism from

those in a position to test his theory. The following paper is a theory, and not to be

taken as proven fact. Nor is it to be taken as medical advice. Any decision

by the reader to alter their own medication is not endorsed by the author.

Stopping certain medications can be disastrous, so the reader should always

consult their medical practitioner rather than alter their own prescribed

medication. The Theory Over-exposure to mineral silicon dioxide can

occur via ingestion of excipients found in common drugs in tablet form,

health food supplement tablets, foods and the environment, as well as via the

lungs. Mineral silicon dioxide is indigestible and is

not bio-available, therefore will not be metabolised. Instead, tiny particles

that are not excreted will be trapped in the tissues. Excess accumulated

silicon dioxide in the body causes localised reactions: granulomas, fibroids

etc. and overproduction of collagen, causing thickening and hardening of

connective tissue. The body reacts against the presence of the silicon

dioxide further by contracting connective tissue: fascia, muscle, tendons,

ligaments etc., thereby causing either localised or widespread contraction of

the fascia/muscle matrix over the skeletal frame. The consequences of this are many and varied;

all of which can be intermittent, temporary or chronic. Pressure on

connective tissue, nerves and ganglia interrupts neurological function,

inhibits blood flow, inhibits proper metabolism, inhibits proper muscle

function and inhibits proper and adequate healing responses, inhibits proper

nutrition absorption and toxin elimination in tissues and can causes or

exacerbate most disorders caused by such factors. Key factors include: mechanical constriction of ganglia in the

spine: sympathetic and parasympathetic disruption leading to excess acidity,

metabolic disorders, fatigue, circulation problems, stomach problems, sleep

disorders, anxiety states, depression, allergy, immune disorders etc. mechanical constriction of blood vessels:

reduced blood flow to the head causes headaches, earaches, dizziness, memory

impairment, cognitive impairment, fatigue, depression, neurological disorders

of various sorts, eye disorders, blood pressure problems, ultimately dementia

in extreme cases etc. in CFS there can be reduced blood volume and shrinkage

of pre-frontal cortex of the brain. reduced blood flow to muscles and connective

tissues causes pain, contracture, general deterioration, inflexibility,

stiffness, joint disorders, excess free radical damage, irritable bowel

syndrome, Raynaud’s syndrome, tendonitis, impaired healing of injuries

etc., general reduced blood volume in CFS exacerbates these symptoms in

chronic states. Silicon dioxide may be transported through the

tissues in blood, lymph, fats and trans-fats, possibly exacerbated by the

presence of magnesium stearate that binds the insoluble and indigestible

porous silicon and the water it contains with other bodily fluids. The effects of silicon dioxide on body tissues

have been investigated following incidences of illnesses caused by silicone

breast implant leakage. Many of the same disorders suffered by the women

whose implants leaked or ruptured correlate with a myriad of symptoms

experienced by sufferers of disorders generally not linked to silicone

implants, nor noticed to be linked to ingestion or exposure to silicon

dioxide. Chronic fatigue disorders are increasingly

common and categorised according to sets of symptoms. Many non-CFS disorders

share many commonalities with common diseases that are not classified as CFS

disorders. A range of CFS disorders may be simply diagnostic subsets of the

same disease caused by silicon dioxide, differentiated only by the defining

markers of a specific list of symptoms in each case. Furthermore, many common

ailments, from general back pain to arthritis, simple allergies to severe

immunological disorders, benign cysts to tumours, could be exacerbated or

even caused by the consequences of excess silicon dioxide in the body. This Silicon-Induced Contracture Syndrome (a

term coined by the author) can go entirely unnoticed. The effects of silicon

dioxide accumulation are gradual and can take from days to years before

symptoms become apparent. It also mimics many aspects of the ageing process

– musculoskeletal deterioration and brain-related deterioration such as

memory problems, fatigue etc. The contraction of muscle and fascia around

the rigid skeleton can also easily go unnoticed, despite a considerable

generalised pressure being exerted upon it. Its progress can be so gradual

that the individual becomes accustomed to many of the symptoms. Pain may be

absent or so slight that it is attributed to general ‘everyday aches

and pains’. Even where symptoms are obvious they are attributed to any

number of a myriad of recognised disorders. The syndrome is exacerbated by the treatments

for such disorders, as the usual therapies tend to include pharmaceutical

pills and/or an increased consumption of health-food supplements in tablet

form. Many - and in a great number of cases, most – of the tablets the

individual consumes will simply add to the quantity of ingested silicon

dioxide and thereby exacerbate the problem. The condition will be assumed to

have progressed but the link with the medication or supplements may easily go

unnoticed because the illness will gradually display an increase in severity

of the same symptoms, whichever tablets are taken. Even if certain substances

in the tablets are found to help the symptoms, they may contain silicon

dioxide which prolongs recovery and does not allow the body sufficient time

to detoxify and heal itself. Therefore cure is prevented and treatment

remains symptom-based. This ‘revolving door’ syndrome may then

continue for the remainder of the individual’s life. Whilst silicon dioxide is a relatively inert

and non-toxic substance, and is therefore unlikely to cause fatal issues

(except in the case of silicosis in the lungs), it can cause or exacerbate an

enormous range of common and uncommon illnesses – some of which can be

fatal – as a consequence of the way the body‘s defences deal with

this irritant. The Symptoms Having been a previously healthy person,

fairly well-educated in health – a former nurse with an interest in

alternative and complimentary health care - I was surprised to develop a

range of symptoms over a period of six years that ultimately became

debilitating. Not until fairly recently did I realise that I was suffering

from Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS), one of the recognised syndromes under the

broad banner of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). This condition affects far more women than men

but some of the symptoms are also experienced intermittently and in isolation

from the others by both sexes, whether or not they are attributed to any form

of ‘syndrome’. Recent experiences and observations have suggested

to me that there may be a common factor linking these fatigue syndromes, as

well as numerous other common and uncommon ailments, that may or may not

include fatigue, chronic or otherwise. Many such syndromes may be found to be

mere subsets of the same chemically-induced disease. The main symptoms of FMS are as follows: Pain - The pain of FMS has no boundaries. People describe the pain

as deep muscular aching, throbbing, shooting, and stabbing. Intense burning

may also be present. Quite often, the pain and stiffness are worse in the

morning and you may hurt more in muscle groups that are used repetitively.

Fatigue - This symptom can be

mild in some patients and yet incapacitating in others. The fatigue has been

described as "brain fatigue" in which patients feel totally drained

of energy. Many patients depict this situation by saying that they feel as

though their arms and legs are tied to concrete blocks, and they have

difficulty concentrating, e.g., brain fog.

Sleep disorder - Most FMS patients have an associated sleep

disorder called the alpha-EEG anomaly. This condition was uncovered in a

sleep lab with the aid of a machine which recorded the brain waves of

patients during sleep. Researchers found that most FMS patients could fall

asleep without much trouble, but their deep level (or stage 4) sleep was

constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity. Patients

appeared to spend the night with one foot in sleep and the other one out of

it.

Many FMS patients have been found to have other sleep disorders in addition

to the alpha-EEG, such as sleep apnea, sleep myoclonus (nighttime jerking of

the arms and legs), and restless legs syndrome. A newly discovered sleep

disorder, upper-airway resistance syndrome, is also being evaluated for its

association with FMS.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome -

Constipation, diarrhea, frequent abdominal pain, abdominal gas, and nausea

represent symptoms frequently found in roughly 40 to 70% of FMS patients. Chronic headaches - Recurrent migraine or tension-type headaches are seen in

about 50% of FMS patients and can pose a major problem in coping for this

patient group.

Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction

Syndrome - This syndrome, sometimes referred to as TMJ or TMD,

causes tremendous jaw-related face and head pain in one quarter of FMS

patients. However, a 1997 published report indicated that close to 75% of FMS

patients have a varying degree of jaw discomfort. Typically, the problems are

related to the muscles and ligaments surrounding the jaw joint and not

necessarily the joint itself.

Other common symptoms -

Premenstrual syndrome and painful periods, chest pain, morning stiffness,

cognitive or memory impairment, numbness and tingling sensations, muscle

twitching, irritable bladder, the feeling of swollen extremities, skin

sensitivities, dry eyes and mouth, dizziness, and impaired coordination can

occur. Patients are often sensitive to odors, loud noises, bright lights, and

sometimes even the medications that they are prescribed.

Aggravating factors - Changes in

weather, cold or drafty environments, infections, allergies, hormonal

fluctuations (premenstrual and menopausal states), stress, depression,

anxiety and over-exertion may all contribute to symptom (List taken from the website of the

Fibromyalgia Website at http://www.fmnetnews.com

) The symptoms developed so slowly, and mimicked

normal everyday aches and pains, that I had initially put the symptoms down

to a wide variety of convenient causes. I became accustomed to aches and

tense muscles which lingered longer than usual, but could manage them by

simply resting more often and stretching them. It was only when the fatigue and mood swings

began to become evident in conjunction with the backaches, shoulder and neck

aches and tensions that I began to realise that a syndrome was developing.

Increasingly, the odd ‘off day’ would turn into ‘off

days’ and ‘off weeks’. I had enjoyed a month or so of total remission

in mid-2003 by employing a Scenar device (a biofeedback device with a strong

record of curing musculoskeletal disorders), which had lifted the symptoms

entirely. But the symptoms crept back throughout 2004. By the beginning of

2005, there were no more normal days to enjoy. I was constantly fatigued and

unable to think with the kind of clarity I had enjoyed. This affected my work

as a researcher and writer and ultimately led to a need to avoid work

altogether when repetitive strain injury, caused by over work at the

computer, led to muscle spasms and contractures that simply would not heal. A

mild flu/heavy cold in March-April 2005 aggravated all of my symptoms and

left me with an extended period of CFS, from which I am only now beginning to

recover, seven months later. In addition to the classic fibromyalgia

symptoms, I also noticed numerous small lumps under the skin and in many

muscles in my upper body. Some of these were akin to ‘trigger

points’ – areas of muscle spasm that can be released by direct

pressure – and others were either hard and fibrous, or firm

fatty/gel-like deposits. The more I looked for them, the more I found, and

they could easily have gone unnoticed – especially the very small ones.

Muscles across the shoulders, round the neck and throat and round my torso were

so thickened and contracted that it pulled strongly on my neck and noticeably

reduced the blood flow to my head. But it all had happened so gradually that

I had barely noticed anything more than the sensations of tightness, aches

and fatigue. This had become a norm that I had grown accustomed to over

several years. When I realised that my thought processes had

been severely affected, that my memory was erratic and a new symptom had

appeared – a numbness in one of my toes – I began to take serious

stock of my symptoms and examine myself very closely. (See Appendix for a

detailed case history). At this point something had to be done. I

could not continue like this and a radical change was required or I would

soon be seriously ill. I didn’t realise then that I already was severely ill. The Treatment I decided to focus all of my time and energy

on getting well again. Weeks went by of 10-15 hours per day of

stretches, nutritional supplements, two or three entirely ineffective

chiropractic sessions, hot baths, and for the first time in my life

anti-inflammatory drugs were taken on a full-dose regular basis - lasting for

a month. The knots were not shifting in my shoulders and shoulder blade. I

began to feel like I had been vacuum-wrapped from the waist up. Days and weeks rolled into one long continuous

cycle of getting up, sitting in the lounge, exercising and stretching,

staring at the tv. I had even lost my passion for listening to music. Initially, most of my symptoms got noticeably

worse. After a couple of months my back started to feel a little easier. I

started stretching the muscles of my torso by deep breathing exercises

– repeating these throughout the day. The constant claustrophobic

sensation of being enclosed in a straight-jacket or tight corset was driving

me nuts. Eventually, enough tension had released to make breathing slightly

less laboured. I thought I was having significant releases as there was a lot

of movement under the skin. I thought that adhesions were breaking down and the

chest muscles starting to get back to normal. Unfortunately, this was not the

case. As I breathed in and the chest wall pressure eased, all that was

happening was the entire fascia and muscle layer over my ribs was sliding up

my chest and relieving the pressure somewhat from my lower ribs. It was as if

there was a layer of lubrication between the skin and the ribs. If I breathed

out they would just slide back down and tighten again over the same area as

before. The task of stretching those muscles became much more difficult. How

do you stretch chest muscles when they are sliding around? General stretches

and yogic positions were fine for most of the muscles, but some of them could

only be stretched by deep breathing. I began to notice more small lumps and clumps

of muscles (like trigger points) in the spaces between my ribs and on various

parts of my body which would not ease off with acupressure, as most of my

muscular tensions used to in the past. The knot in my shoulder blade was not

alone; there were knots all over my back and chest. The muscles from my hands

to my neck were tight, hard and inflexible. If I bent my head forward I would

start to faint because of the pressure on my blood vessels. My hands and feet

were often cold and it was clear that either something seriously neurological

was going on or it was simply a mechanical fault causing restriction of blood

flow to my extremities. I was very aware that smoking is detrimental.

I was also aware that smoking must also be associated with the symptoms I was

experiencing. Smoking is

detrimental for fibromyalgia patients for several reasons. Smoking reduces

blood-oxygen content and impairs the already compromised muscle oxygenation

further. Nicotine is a potent muscle contractor and causes aggravation of

muscle tension and spasm, leading to increased pain. Nicotine is also a

stimulant and increases the mental tension, which in turn intensifies

pre-existing muscular tension. I was also aware that I started smoking only

five years ago – around the same time that the first minor symptoms

were developing (for reasons too involved to go into here). Research has revealed that there is no

correlation between smoking and the extreme fatigue associated with

fibromyalgia. I had been taking minerals and oxygen drops for many years, as

well as vitamin C to help against the effects of smoking and had not noticed

any significant health problems that I could directly associate with my

smoking. In 2003, when I experienced the first bout of worsening symptoms, I

had been a smoker for a few years. When I had successfully treated the

condition, I actually felt more alert and clear-headed than at any other time

in my life. I had great vitality and felt ‘fit as a flea’. I felt

so good that I had given up smoking within a few weeks of my recovery.

However, one belated side-effect of giving up cigarettes was that I had

started to feel slightly fatigued again but with an increased inability to

concentrate on my work. In fact, on hindsight, this was the time when the

symptoms of my CFS started to reappear. I blamed the recurring symptoms on having

stopped smoking. I was feeling no desire to smoke, and still physically felt

quite good, but I needed to work on my book and my creative mind was being

impaired. So, reluctantly, I started again, with the intention of quitting

once my book was complete. But it made absolutely no difference. By the time

I realized this, I was addicted again. The enormous stress of being drawn

into a lawsuit in 2004 left no space for going through a week’s

‘cold turkey’ again, and I have not yet had the determination to

quit – although it is high on the list of ‘things to do’

when I am feeling better. I do believe that the smoking is detrimental and

must be exacerbating some of the symptoms, but I am also convinced that it is

not the cause. As you read on you will appreciate that

significant symptoms became apparent that would appear to have nothing at all

to do with smoking. People suffer the same symptoms, such as fibromyalgia,

whether they smoke or not; sometimes they are amongst some of the most

health-conscious people you can find and would never dream of smoking.

Moreover, as I am currently undergoing a period of recovery I have not

stopped smoking; in fact, I have smoked more heavily during the past few

months because I have not had the distractions of work and have spent most of

my time sitting in the lounge, watching tv and stretching. I was confident enough to believe that I

understood the mechanics of what was happening to me, and the symptoms were

logically extensions of the mechanical imbalances. I was not yet prepared to

admit defeat and consult my GP. If it only took five days to clear a less

severe version of this the last time, I thought, then this shouldn’t

take much more than a few weeks. The drugs were not effective at all. In fact,

they seemed to make things feel tighter. I realised then that inflammation

was not the cause of the aches. I tried muscle relaxant drugs which helped

quell the general sense of tension, but there were stretches of muscle and

knots of muscle that no matter how much I stretched, they remained

inflexible, like wire or rope. Throughout the day the straight-jacket

sensation would vary: sometimes extremely tight, sometimes quite tight, but

always tight. Sometimes my torso was riddled with bruises after my attempts

to use pressure to relax the knotty muscle areas. Direct pressure on these

areas was often applied by lying on hard objects, or having my partner bear

her weight down on an area with a glass ball for half to one hour without any

significant effect on some of the most prominent areas. Interestingly, it was only at this

stage, when I was spending time stretching and irritating the muscles so much

that they were aching, did I realise that these muscles had been in this

state for a long time. I had noticed, but not comprehended why, the muscles

in my arms and legs remained ‘well-toned’, despite my lack of

exercise. Other muscles such as my pectorals looked odd. They were flat near

the top, and flabby at the bottom. Eventually, I was to see a dramatic change

in shape, as I managed to release the tension in these areas. But they had

been this way for years! Other minor symptoms, such as a click behind one ear

when I moved my head had also been there years, and were becoming more

noticeable. Had I not started to work on these muscles and

begin to release them I may never have noticed just how contracted and tight

they were. The body is a closed interconnected system. Put strain on any

musculoskeletal area and there is a domino-effect to the rest of the body.

Any muscle injury or weakness or spasm causes an antagonistic muscle to

‘take up the strain’, and that causes another muscle to do the

same, and so it goes on until all the muscles in the body will readjust to

compensate for the problem. One might notice an ache in one side of the body,

and never realise that it is being caused by a spasm in the other side of the

body. Over time, a whole series of minor aches may be all that one perceives,

whilst underlying these aches is a major readjustment and realignment of the

musculoskeletal system. This puts strain and pressure on the whole system.

Joints begin to prematurely wear out, blood flow is impeded, tendons and

ligaments are strained and cause pain unexpectedly, perhaps even snap during

sporting activities. And still the person has no comprehension as to why they

are prone to these injuries and syndromes. Most people will put it down to

old age, being unlucky, or ‘just one of life’s little

mysteries’. They then embark on treatment that focuses only on the

observable symptoms, whilst the root cause is ignored. No doubt, I would have eventually been

diagnosed with M.E., or some degenerative syndrome, had I taken the

conventional medical route, and had I not been fairly well-educated about

these kinds of disease processes in the first place. I gradually started releasing tension slowly -

still stretching and using supplements of antioxidants, msm, organic Noni

juice, organic hemp oil, kombucha tea, drinking plenty water with oxygen

drops and broad spectrum ionic minerals etc. I had given up coffee and was

eating mainly fresh fruit, salads, veg soups etc., keeping my system

alkalised and generally doing all I could (except for stopping smoking) and

all I could afford, to optimise my body’s healing environment. My cheap

ultrasound massager burnt itself out with overuse, because I was using it for

so long without getting any relief. I took only the occasional pain killers

or muscle relaxants when things worsened, and had stopped taking ibuprofen

pills, but used ibuprofen gel occasionally. Eventually, I stopped taking

painkillers and anti-inflammatories altogether, even when the pain was

excruciating and immobilising. It was in the period following cessation of

drugs that the most significant improvements occurred. My appetite had not

only severely reduced but also changed. I had never before desired lots of

fruit, as I often had stomach acid problems when eating certain fruit such as

apples. But by now, I had eased off a great deal of the tension in my back

and was amazed to find that I had no acid indigestion. This tallies perfectly

with the mechanism defined by Dr Sherwood

in his book The Back and Beyond, whereby tension round certain nerves in the

spine causes over-secretion of acid, leading to food intolerance, poor food

absorption, even allergy. My appetite had also declined and I lost one

and a half stone in a few months. It took 6 months for the tension around my

neck to release sufficiently to get slowly back to work, to think and feel in

a more normal and balanced fashion, and to read again for the first time. My

brain had been on starvation rations for months, and it was amazing to get it

back. I had not taken any painkillers for about a week at this stage, and had

already drastically reduced the amount I was taking by then. I had also begun to take serrapeptase, a

natural proteolytic enzyme that helps dissolve granulous tissue,

fibrin and plaques etc. that develop in damaged tissue and from disease

and old age. It helps increase blood flow and dissolve adhesions. I had been

riddled with adhesions and small squidgy fibrous lumps. Muscle that I

thought was bone – aspects of my ribs, sternum and clavicle –

began to fill out into hard gelatinous lumps and ultimately expanded to about

ten times the size they had been. Gradually, day by day, overall tension has

receded slowly. The muscles in the chest and shoulder blade, being the most

stubborn, have filled out and are becoming more manageable. It is only at this stage of muscle recovery

that the severe pain associated with fibromyalgia occurred. As well as concurrent major bouts of fatigue,

the worst symptoms and the excruciating pain at times have been present

intermittently through the recovery stages, whereas they were largely absent

during the formative stages. I understand now how easily many people may

become increasingly ill with these fibromyalgia-type conditions, even the gradual

decline of old age, without recognising it is happening to them. People are

also expected to lose mobility

and lose mental and physical agility as they get older. How much of this

process, however, is natural, and how much is caused by unrecognised pathologies? Perhaps the most effective therapy that I

employed, starting around month three or four, was the use of a TENS machine.

It is mainly used for blocking nerve signals and thereby stopping pain

signals. I was using mine as an electrical muscle stimulator to both exercise

and relax specific areas. This helped increase blood flow in the muscles and

would sometimes release a knot after a few sessions. It was certainly the

most effective direct method of releasing the muscles that had contracted to the

hardness of bone. Over weeks and months these muscles would first start to

expand into hard strips, then a second stage would emerge in which the muscle

expanded into a squidgy lump that was moveable under pressure, then

eventually, virtually in one moment, the lump would flatten out and feel like

entirely normal long muscle tissue. It wasn’t until very late in the

proceedings that I realised that not all of these lumps were muscles. The

stretched and contracted areas included the fascia, a layer between the skin

and the muscles or bones. In areas, these two layers were sticking together

and were fibrous, and in other areas they seemed to be quite separate, as

though they had a layer of lubrication between them. A released muscle or knot would immediately be

followed by a readjustment of the fascia, as it would slide into a new

position, setting up a new matrix of tensions between the remaining adhesions

and knots, pulling in slightly different directions than before. Sometimes,

the new configuration would feel less tense, and other times the added

pressure on the remaining trigger points would feel as though the whole thing

had tightened up again. Usually, what felt initially like a huge release (and

my mind always was optimistically hoping that ‘this is the big

one’) would settle down within a short time and feel only minutely less

tense than before. Week by week it steadily improved, but day by day it could

be frustratingly cruel - one step forward and two steps back. For six months I struggled every hour of every

day to release the tension. I knew that if the spasms and contractures were

not released soon, I could well suffer long term brain damage. I also knew

that if I released the neck too soon, a sudden rush of blood to the brain

could cause a brain haemorrhage and kill or disable me. All the while, I

could not work at the computer at all, I could not spend time on the

telephone, or anything else that involved a repetitive action with my

shoulders. Holding the same position for more than a few minutes was enough

to initiate a tightening. Another spasm could be very serious indeed –

even ultimately fatal. Stress of this and the fact that I could not

communicate with my clients, or reply by email, phone or letter, update my

website even, all increased my predisposition to muscle tension, spasm and

contraction. Money was short, debts mounted, household chores neglected, I

forgot to pay bills and ended up being charged by the bank etc. etc. Fortunately, the contractions in the neck

eased off at a slow rate, rather than suddenly. I effectively ‘woke

up’ enough to stop being concerned about brain haemorrhages. Only time

will tell if any long-term effects will remain in my brain. The Cause? As I have been gradually improving, as muscles

release, I have had a taste of peppermint that appears in my mouth.

Although this was happening early on in the recovery period, it was far more

tangible when a major knot released in the latter stages. I had been taking peppermint

tablets daily for years and throughout the months of my recent recovery. The

taste was more tangible at this later stage though because I had stopped

buying the peppermint tablets to save money and hadn’t taken any for a

few weeks. I had also been having far less nausea, almost no acid

indigestion, and had stopped taking the calcium carbonate indigestion tablets

altogether. That set me thinking! I used to take a lot of peppermint in

tablet form - to help indigestion and for other claimed benefits of peppermint

oil - but hadn't for several weeks when I noticed the most tangible taste in

my mouth following a good release. I wondered why my muscles were

holding onto mint. Some of the muscles releasing the peppermint at this

stage were muscles that I knew had been tight for a long time, at least going

back to the beginning of 2004. I had eaten mint and taken peppermint oil most

of my life, but had abandoned the oil for the convenience of the tablets. I

took them almost every day for about six years. I took them in the morning,

in the afternoon and last thing before bed. But I also took them in between

times if I felt a twinge of indigestion, as well as a general breath

freshener and ‘pick me up’. Now I was carrying four or five

peppermint tablets around with me in my wallet (most mint sweets are made

from gelatine, so are not vegetarian, hence my use of the tablets). It occurred to me that my condition correlated

roughly with the period of time that I have been taking these supplements in

tablet form. So I looked at the ingredients of the tablets: Mint, dextrose,

SILICON DIOXIDE (SiO2 also known as silica), TALC (Mg3Si4O10(OH)2

– magnesium silicate hydroxide) and MAGNESIUM STEARATE. I did quite a lot of web

searching on the subject of these excipients that are put in most

supplements and pharmaceutical tablets and consulted my own well-stocked

library. There isn't much information available on the

internet to indicate dangers of such excipients. But what I found generally

was fascinating. Talc is a known irritant and if contaminated

with asbestos is a carcinogen. Magnesium stearate is another rather

bio-unavailable substance, being essentially a plasticised oil - and there is

plenty info on the dangers of trans-fatty acids interfering with cell metabolism

and causing arterial plaques etc. It is a waxy powder used in tablets as a

lubricant – its waxy nature makes it suitable for binding substances

that do not mix well, e.g. oil and water. It can interfere with the

dissolution of active ingredients in supplements. It is used most heavily for

the purposes of ‘timed-release’ vitamins. Basically, the larger

your pills, (timed-release pills tend to be larger), then generally the more

of this kind of additive you are consuming. But I had been taking this in

vitamin C tablets for years before the serious syndrome occurred. It was, however, information on silicon

dioxide that I found most illuminating. The hazardous material data indicates

that it can cause fibrosis of the lungs if inhaled - silicosis is a serious

condition that can be fatal. Well if it causes these things when applied

directly to lung tissue, I thought, what on earth does it do when we eat the

stuff? Will it get to the lungs through the blood, but also every other part

of the body and presumably have an effect on soft tissue and connective

tissue there, perhaps in organs too? But I could find no toxicological data on

long-term ingestion except some rat studies that had concluded that silicon

dioxide is non-toxic. Some hazardous materials data sheets had silicon

dioxide classified as a carcinogen, also based on rat studies. Such animal

experiments are essentially misleading. Showing that a rat does not die if it

consumes a certain amount of a substance tells us nothing certain about what

effects that substance may have on a human being. I also could not find

long-term exposure studies on magnesium stearate. When sensible tests are actually performed

using humans, the results show that the body does generate an immunological

response to silicon dioxide. The most significant studies of the effects of

silicon dioxide that I could find were in relation to investigations carried

out into silicone breast implant leakage. Here is an extract from a scientific study of

hundreds of women with breast implants tested against women without. 'The data

demonstrates clearly that women with silicone mammary implants develop a

cell-mediated immunopathic response to silica…The present study

confirmed that lymphocytes from women exposed to silicone gel mammary

implants can be antigenically stimulated by silicon dioxide. Accordingly,

human tissue reactions to substances in or from the implants follow the

expected immunopathic sequence of processing by macrophages, sometimes

leading to granuloma formation and presentation to lymphoid centers for

specific T cell production. This study shows a T lymphocyte response to

silicon dioxide (silica), which likely contributes to tissue changes seen

pathologically and to the spectrum of clinical silicone-associated disease.' (Immunologic

stimulation of T lymphocytes by silica after use of silicone mammary implants

- L. Smalley, R. Shanklin, F. Hall, V. s,

and Aram Hanissian (Baptist Memoorial Health Care System, Memphis, TN 38105,

USA; Departments of Pathology and Obstetrics and Gynecology, university of

Tennessee, Memphis, TN 38163, USA; and Department of medicine, Baptist

Memorial Hospital, Memphis, Tn 38120, USA.) * This kind of data proves that silica is not

as benign as we are led to believe. There are limitations to extrapolating

such data of course, as it does not prove if silica is toxic in people

without silicone implants. But it does put to rest the idea that silicon

dioxide is benign. The fact is that silicon dioxide is detected in the tissues of people

without silicone implants. It is assumed to be natural. Undoubtedly there

will always be a quantity of silicon dioxide ingested, because it is the most

common compound in the Earth’s crust. It is the compound of numerous

natural and artificial substances including quartz, sand and glass. It is

found naturally in many vegetables such as potatoes, it is in milk and water.

It is also in dried powdered foodstuffs (including sugars which are filtered

with diatomaceous earth), jelly sweets (used as a dusting agent – as is

talc), sliced cheese, chewing gum, sausages, a clarifier for beer, fruit

juices, wines, syrups, cider, water etc. But it is also in supplements and

pharmaceutical pills and cosmetics. It is important to note that in scientific

studies, nobody seems to be taking note of how much silicon dioxide their

controls are already exposed to via natural and artificial means – at

least I have not seen any yet. Who knows for sure what the control levels

actually are? Has anybody studied people who have had no artificial exposure

to mineral silicon dioxide to find out what normal silica levels actually are

and what normal immunological responses are? I have not been able to determine how much of

these excipients are absorbed by the body. The petro/pharma industry controls the data we

receive about these kinds of chemicals. The same organisations, and their

mouthpieces such as The World Health Organisation, the FDA, and ultimately

the healthcare delivery workers etc. have declared as ‘safe’ any

number of chemicals and drugs found later to be toxic. Most drugs are

withdrawn in clinical trials because they have affected the patients badly,

having passed the woeful animal tests successfully. If you believe that the big businesses that

control these studies are in purely it for altruistic reasons and the pursuit

of truth, then you are extremely naïve and ill-educated. If you want to prove something safe, so you

can sell it, test it on animals that don’t show toxicity to it, whether

or not a human may. You can then massage the data until it fits. If a

substance is so dangerous that humans clearly become ill and die, you

withdraw it, but if it gets through (sometimes clinical trials are

fraudulent) then you have a real money-spinner on your hands. Even if the drug

is later withdrawn for safety reasons, you will still have earned a huge

amount of money. Let’s look at some data on silicon

dioxide as an example of how data can be selectively interpreted. One paper

– the deliberations of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food

Additives which met in Rome ,

27 May - 4 June 1969 – which assesses the safety levels of this

substance and other food additives. This committee assessed the studies done

on animals and humans. The animal experiments involved giving small animals

such as cats, rabbits and rats various silicon substances and found next to

no toxicity and very little of it in the tissues. Sounds great, doesn’t

it? They seem to be refuting the suggestion that these things are getting

into our tissues on this kind of data. But do the animals process and digest

the same as us? No. These animals also have very quick gastrointestinal

processes and short tracts, so probably excrete a lot of the substance. Are

their gastrointestinal tracts and metabolic processes the same as ours? No.

Do they also eat all the other foods and chemicals that we do? No. They assessed the animal data alongside the

human data. I have trouble understanding the following logic: 'A single

dose of 50 mg of monomeric silicic acid in 50 cm3 liquid was

tolerated by two volunteers. Higher doses should be taken either with more

liquid or at intervals of about 20 mins. in order to avoid polymerization of

silicic acid in the urine (Baumann 1960). A single dose of 2.5 g of amorphous

polymeric silicon dioxide to volunteers did not significantly raise the SiO2

excretion in the urine thus suggesting poor absorption of the compound

(Langendorf 1966)' This is a great fudge isn’t it? There’s not much silicon dioxide

detected in the urine, so there mustn’t be much absorption! Despite

being illogical in itself, what it is suggesting is that it is being excreted

via other means, i.e. through faeces. If it had all come out through the

urine, it must have been absorbed and processed by the kidney filtration

process. But if it isn’t coming out through the urine, where on earth

is it? I see no data saying they found it elsewhere and explained the

deficit. But they had to use the urine test because it can ‘show’

lack of absorption, because if they tested it in the faeces, there is no

knowing whether it had been absorbed or simply passed straight through. Although not stated overtly, the last sentence

seems to admit to some silicon dioxide being excreted in the urine, showing

that the body does absorb it

from somewhere. If so, these subjects must have been exposed to it and were

excreting it anyway, before they took the samples given in the lab. If

silicon dioxide is indigestible and is within the body of the control

subject, this study shows no data to dismiss the possibility that tiny

amounts of silicon dioxide might be absorbed and accumulate in the tissues of

the body over a long period. Another equally valid interpretation of the

above data is simply that some, or even the majority, of the silicon dioxide was absorbed, and a little of it found

its way out of the body via the kidneys - not all being excreted until a long

period afterwards – possibly far longer than period of urine analysis. Of course, we have the animal tests to show

that it isn’t absorbed and found in the tissues – because you can

legally cut animals up and test their tissues. Then you can tell people they

are safe. ‘No known side-effects.’ But they don’t seem to

cut up the people to see if the silicon dioxide is actually there, they just

extrapolate the illogically and selectively interpreted data above to back up

the claim that there’s nothing to worry about. But where are the analyses, and long-term

analyses of such substances given in common combinations. For example, in

drug and supplement tablets, silicon dioxide is almost always found in

combination with magnesium stearate and other excipients. Never mind all of

the other chemicals that we are regularly exposed to, such as fluoride.

Although silicon dioxide is a fairly inert substance, it does react with

halogens. Fluoride, however, is the only halogen which reacts with silicon at

room temperature. See how easy it is to interpret this kind of

data several ways, and to make it potentially say whatever you want? Of course, I am not a scientist and have not

got access to all the data, and have not seen all of the papers, but I do

find what I have seen contradictory, inadequate and at times illogical. How many times have we heard or read the

phrase ‘no known side-effects’ given by ‘experts’.

This is not the same as ‘no side-effects’. If they haven’t

been looking or testing for them, or have conveniently ignored or failed to

report the side-effects, there are ‘no known side-effects’ as far

as everyone else is concerned. If you ask a doctor or ‘expert’ if

silicon dioxide is safe to eat they will tell you, ‘Oh yes,

they’ve tested it thoroughly and found no known toxicity or

side-effects.’ But at the same time, the same substance is showing

toxicity and causing an immunological response in women who have it in their

systems. The fact is, there are

known side effects, you just have to know how to phrase your question

properly. The conversation would probably go something like this: Dear doctor: Are there known side-effects to having silicon

dioxide in body tissue? Answer: yes, most certainly. Tests on silicone

implant patients have shown this. They banned silicone implants in the

USA because

of it. Are there known side effects of ingested

silicon dioxide? Answer: no. Did the tests actually determine whether or

not human beings had silicon dioxide deposited in their tissues after

ingesting it? Answer: no In other tests outside of such food additive

safety studies, has silicon dioxide been found in the tissues of people who

do not have breast implants? Answer: yes. How does it get there? Answer: Obviously

through their diet. It’s a naturally occurring compound in people so it

must have been through diet. So, to recap: silicon dioxide is toxic in the

tissues and causes an immune response, granulation etc. It definitely is in the tissues, and the only way it

can get there is through diet. But it has no known side-effects and is

non-toxic and isn’t ingested through food? Answer: err, you stumped me

there. But don’t worry, there are no known side effects. They’ve

tested it you see. It appears that we can basically be sold

anything, from snake oil to thalidomide, from aspartame to fluoride.

It’s always initially described as ‘safe’ and

‘tested’. But unless the side-effects are so drastically obvious

- such as was the case with thalidomide - and the connections between the

substances and the diseases they cause are unnoticed, nobody will do anything

about it. Even when the side-effects are

realised, you can always find more imaginative tests and contradictory data

to show that the chemicals couldn’t possibly be the proven cause. Or

perhaps you can fluff the data long enough to wring more millions of pounds out

of the product before finally giving in and saying, ‘okay, we admit it,

we’ll withdraw it.’ With so much contradictory scientific data,

it seems easy enough just to quote the ones that support your own vested

interests and deny the accuracy of the others. Very recently, having completed this paper, on

discussing it with a friend, she told me a very interesting and revealing

tale: 'In 1983, I

developed a painful lump on my scalp. I was referred to a neurologist at The

Hospital for Neurological Diseases in London ,

who diagnosed ‘rheumatism of the scalp’. I was then basically

discharged. After 9 weeks of headaches and losing my balance, I dropped into

the Royal

Free Hospital and asked to be investigated. After 5 days of tests I was operated on under a

professor of neurosurgery who diagnosed Eosinophilic Granuloma As far as

we were aware, I was the only person in Europe to be diagnosed with this at the time. It is usually associated with young

boys and girls below the age of ten in Eastern nations. I was even the

subject of a medical conference and was visited by various doctors. The lump

was full of what looked like lime green jelly that had caused a localised

immunological response that had attacked the tissues of the skin and had

eaten away through the skull. He was so

intrigued by this that he did a thorough series of tests on the fluid. He

found that the green jelly was full of excipients from the many health-food

supplements that I used to take. His advice

was to stop taking tablets altogether. He told me, "If we were meant to

eat talcum powder we would have developed taste buds for the purpose." He excised

the circular lump and there was no further treatment apart from check ups,

and advice to eat a high protein diet. He also

tried to initiate a research programme on this disease and approached several

pharmaceutical companies to be involved, but they all declined. Since that

time, it would appear that the matter went no further and has been ignored or

forgotten.' So it would appear that excipients do indeed

end up in the body’s tissues from tablets! And they can cause serious

disease. The Eosinophilic Granulation that occurred was caused by these

excipients. And granulation, with immunological activity, is the hallmark of

mineral silicon in the body, be it silicon dioxide or talc (magnesium

silicate) or both. It was when I stumbled upon a few websites

relating to cosmetic breast implants that the pieces really started to fit

together. Not only are women with breast implants being

exposed to silicon dioxide in their cosmetic surgery, but many millions

of people are consuming silicon dioxide compounds on a regular basis in

varying amounts through supplements, pharmaceutical pills and food! If

you ingest tiny silicon dioxide powder particles in pills, what is to stop it

being absorbed into the body through the gastrointestinal system? If silicon dioxide can get into the body, it

can cause problems. Some people may be far more sensitive than others. The

more gets in there, the greater the likelihood of problems. Silicone implants

cause problems because the silicon is held in a slippery fluid that moves

through the tissues. However, if silicon dioxide and magnesium stearate are

used together, when exposed to water in the stomach it turns into a slippery

fluid that may be absorbed and move through the tissues. Is it possible that

magnesium stearate is acting as a binding agent to cause hydrous silicon

dioxide to stick to oils, making them indigestible, thus mimicking the actions

and therefore the symptoms of silicone implant leaks? Perhaps it is simpler

than that? I don’t know, as I am not a scientist, but I experienced

interesting symptoms that I will describe later that indicates that silicon

dioxide is carried in a sticky, oily medium. It amazed me to find that despite there being

plenty of information on the effects of silicon in the body released by

ruptured or leaky breast implants, I could not find a single article pointing

out the simple fact that if side-effects of silicon from breast implants are

severe enough for the US to have banned them, then the same diseases are

highly likely to be caused by ingestion of silicon. The major symptoms that caused the

US to

ban silicone implants were very similar to those I had experienced

increasingly over the past six years. In fact, despite having researched the

symptomology of numerous diseases that I considered I might have, none of

them had fitted exactly. I certainly had most of the symptoms of

fibromyalgia, but I had more obscure symptoms too: granulomas in both muscle

and skin, the contracted muscles that felt like bone, that I could not find

described in the fibromyalgia literature. The general lack of pain during the

formative stages confused me, because pain is the main symptom of

fibromyalgia. But seeing the range of symptoms suffered by silicone implant

patients, for the first time all

of the pieces fitted. Silicone implants are composed of around 20%

silicon dioxide. The body does not metabolise mineral silicon dioxide.

Instead it attacks it. Leaks cause the body to react by creating granulomas.

That is, the body encapsulates the leaked silicon dioxide and fibrous tissues

contract around it. This process is more easily recognised in a woman with

breast implants because the leaks are local and near to the implant site.

It’s easy to diagnose granulomas from lumpy breasts when presented with

a woman who has breast implants. But silicone (a plastic of silicon) and

silicon dioxide can leak and travel to any soft tissue or organ in the body

and begin to cause trouble. The following is a list of recognised

complications resulting from leakage from breast implants: breast pain or tenderness

fatigue, usually made worse by exercise

cognitive function problems, such as attention deficit disorder,

calculation difficulties, memory disturbance, spatial disorientation,

frequently saying the wrong word

psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, personality

changes, mood swings

sleep disturbance and non-restorative sleep

headaches of a greater intensity than before implantation

changes in vision

seizures

loss of balance

numbness and tingling

lightheadedness

paralysis

joint and muscle aches and pains

shortness of breath

lymph node enlargement

weight gain

low grade fevers

abnormal heart rhythm

hair loss

dry eyes and mouth

frequent canker sores in the mouth

low back pain

skin changes and/or rashes

severe muscular weakness

intolerance of bright lights

intolerance of alcohol

ringing in ears

decreased libido

muscle tremors

recurrent flu-like illnesses

severe allergies

irritable bowel syndrome

night sweats

uncomfortable urination

chest pain

cough

Raynaud's phenomenon

enlarged thyroid. (http://www.usenet-replayer.com/faq/alt.support.breast-implant.html

- this list was provided by Ilena Rose of the Humantics Foundation, who runs

a website dedicated to the problem of silicone leakage at http://www.humanticsfoundation.com ) The above list is a wide spectrum of symptoms

and certainly not every symptom needs to be present to diagnose that they are

rooted in silicon. Many of the symptoms can also be caused by other factors

too. Furthermore, it must be remembered that silicon dioxide is not the only

form of silicon used in breast implants, and various other symptoms may be

due to the other silicones/silicons and trace materials, rather than the silicon

dioxide. Some of these other silicons are converted into silicon dioxide when

they leak into the body. Because I have not found any firm data on the

correlation between the various ingredients of implants and their diseases, I

cannot ascribe the one to the other with certainty. For example, autoimmune

diseases and candida that are associated with implant leakage may or may not

have anything to do with silicon dioxide, and this is not something that I

recognise as part of my own set of symptoms. In my case though, everything fitted together

logically. I had consumed a large amount of silica and theoretically, it had

accumulated in my body. Where it had been deposited in small areas of muscle

or fascia, I developed granulomas. Where it had been spread throughout the

muscle, the muscle had hardened and contracted in long strips. The presence

of silicon encouraged over-production of collagen, causing muscle thickening,

tendon thickening and a matrix of elastic collagen in the fascia – all

of which then contracted due to the effects of the body’s reaction to

the presence of the silicon dioxide. The illness was not affecting entire

muscles, only strips or localised areas. This wasn’t simple

‘muscle spasm’ but localised contractures where they had been

attacked by the body’s defences. Tendons had shortened and thickened,

pulling on the muscles and connected fascia and where these were connected to

the skeleton; the contracted tissue matrix formed around the rigid base of

the skeleton like a tight corset. The fact that small injury sites that had

once healed easily were no longer healing at all, but contracting and

hardening, that new areas were also thickening and hardening, indicated that

the silicon tended to be laid down there, presumably because they are

sites of increased inflammation. This also explained why the

anti-inflammatory drugs were making no difference. Once the initial

inflammation had subsided, the problem became due to silica and contraction

– the very opposite of inflammation. These drugs were also topping up

my silica levels with each dose. I remembered that during my previous bout

of these symptoms, when I had cured it with the Scenar, I had developed

a large 1cm lump on my wrist, just over the radial artery, which was causing

pain in my thumb. When I had aspirated it myself with a needle, what came out

was a few millilitres of clear (slightly yellowish) fluid, sticky but thick.

It looked like jelly that felt very much like a medical lubricant when rubbed

between the fingers. It intrigued me at the time, and I passed it off as

‘serous fluid’ or perhaps leaked synovial fluid from an old

repetitive strain injury. (Note the similarity with the ‘lime green

jelly’ found in the scalp of my friend who suffered from excipient-induced

Eosinophilic Granuloma). The ‘cyst’ had developed at that site

some while after I had damaged that area playing guitar for longer than was

healthy, trying to learn a very fast and difficult guitar solo by maestro

Yngwie Malmsteen. I had no idea why it should have suddenly appeared –

there had been no lump at the time of the initial symptoms. The RSI had long

gone by the time the lump appeared, but started to cause pain in the same

area. I had already given up the guitar and hadn’t played at all for

months to years. The lump returned a few times over the following few months

in 2003 and needed a few aspirations. But a month or so of using the Scenar

device had gotten rid of it entirely, and it never came back. Recently, I had the biggest release of

tension yet. Muscles in my neck and shoulders suddenly eased off in bed, and

immediately there was a domino effect on my back, sides and hips. Toes

relaxed, ankles, thighs and calves. It felt as though skin was sliding on top

of muscle all over my body. Of course, this repositioning and sliding was

caused by the release of the same lubricant gel. For hours afterwards I could

taste strong peppermint and had a thick saliva at the back of my throat.

I then took a hot bath. My body was covered in

a sticky oily substance that would not wash off readily with soap.

Like I had been smeared with Vaseline or an oil that had partially

plasticised. I now believe this to have been silica-containing

‘gel’ being excreted through the skin following the release of

either a granuloma, or more likely, the release of muscles that had

contracted because of the silica inside it. The ‘gel’ would then

have lubricated the layer between the fascia and the skeleton in areas that

had released then been absorbed and processed via the blood and lymph systems;

some of it being re-deposited in other connective tissue, whilst some of it

was transported to the skin and released as I sweated in the hot bath. That was the moment that I was sure I was

right about the silicon dioxide being the cause of my CFS. To add to that confirmation, the very next

day, the old lump in my wrist came up again for the first time in two years.

Clearly some of that gel had found its way into the pouch created by the

previous granuloma. It is theoretically possible that the effects

of the silicon dioxide are made more severe by being trapped in the

semi-plasticised oils (trans-fats) and stearates such as magnesium stearate

and those we find in some margarines. I avoid trans fats and don’t eat

margarines, but I used to before I became aware of the associated health

risks in the 1990s. Perhaps it is the presence of the magnesium stearate that

makes the difference. The mixture of the oily magnesium stearate and silicon

dioxide powder may be the key to this syndrome. The sticky oily substance

that I excreted could well have been a mixture of magnesium stearate, silicon

dioxide and talc. I don’t know, this is mere speculation – an

educated guess. What I do know is if you crush one of my peppermint tablets

and add a few drops of water, what you get is a sticky, oily substance that

is highly lubricant between the fingers. Whatever the exact process may be

for getting this stuff into the connective tissue, I am sure that it does get

there. I know because I tasted it weeks after I had taken my last peppermint

pill. I tasted this within minutes of massaging a small lump in my chest

until it had collapsed and relaxed, and within minutes of every subsequent

release of similar lumps or relaxation of contracted muscle. Frequently, when

this occurs, I also have a sneezing bout and runny nose and fatigue for up to

an hour, as though I was coming down with a cold. This is probably why the TENS machine had been

so effective. It had squeezed silica-containing gel/oil out of the muscles

and helped to rupture the small granulomas. Once the gel had moved out, then

blood and nutrients could come in and start the healing process. In the

muscle cells, trapped calcium would have been able to efflux, thereby

releasing the constant state of contracture. This was also probably why the Scenar device

failed to heal my condition as it had the first time round. The Scenar is an

amazing device. It detects damaged areas in the body and sends a signal

through the nerves to the brain to awaken it to the fact that healing is

needed in that area. The brain is then kicked into action to initiate

whatever healing response is necessary. My first Scenar experience had been

at an early stage of accumulating silicon. The muscles had begun to contract

and hadn’t yet had time to fully contract and cause the domino effect

to the other muscles and areas of fascia in my body. It makes sense that

proper nervous peptide response would be massively hindered if the muscle had

‘dried out’ and contracted so tightly around the tissue that

proper nerve function was unable to occur and was further impeded by a

coating of sticky gel. Silica is a dielectric and does not conduct

electricity, but is a good supporter of electrostatic fields. I had

experienced a major relaxation of muscle tension and general feeling of being

‘congested’ when I removed my magnetic bracelet for the first

time in a couple of years. The Scenar had certainly helped some areas of

my back that were in the process of tightening, but unlike before had had no

effect on the knotty areas or hardened tendons. Unfortunately, because of the

cost of Scenar devices, I was able only to borrow the device that I used for

short periods, and so have not been able to evaluate it during the majority

of my recovery. Just one day after the huge detoxification,

every symptom had either improved or disappeared! Having not put in a single full day’s

work all year, I was now able to work for three consecutive days – an

amazing 12 hours each day – without causing fatigue or any significant

aching. That was when I began to write this article. I continued for another

3 days working 10 hours each day, before I began to notice any significant

fatigue. At the time of writing, there is still tension in my shoulders and

my neck has not fully released, there are still a few thickened areas of

muscle and tendon, with a few small fibrous areas, my brain is not fully

awake compared to how I was before and I am still prone to muscle ache, but

my condition has vastly improved. After a very slow, frustrating progression

over a period of seven months, symptoms had made a monumental improvement

overnight with the release of that oily and tacky substance. And the most

significant change that I had made was to stop ingesting anything containing

silicon dioxide a week earlier, and had stopped the peppermint tablets a

couple of weeks before that. I had even significantly increased my

consumption of magnesium stearate by increasing my consumption of 1000 mg

vitamin C tablets from one or two a day to five in that period. It is

therefore unlikely that this is the main causative factor. Of course, another

possibility could be that the talc in the peppermint pills plays a similar

role to that described for silicon dioxide. I also doubt that the increase in

vitamin C caused the detoxification, as I had previously been taking much

more powerful anti-oxidants and not experienced this oily release. I had

increased the vitamin C to partially counter the fact that I had stopped the

more powerful anti-oxidants due to their high cost. Even taking Vitamin C at

this high dose, was not as powerful as the anti-oxidants that I had been

taking. However, the Vitamin C pills contained no silicon dioxide, whereas

the anti-oxidants did! Again and again, the silicon dioxide appears

to be the common element. I began to recall other ‘mysterious

symptoms’ that I had experienced at one time or another after taking

substances that I now realised contained silicon dioxide. I have never been keen on taking

pharmaceutical drugs, even before I became more aware of the various dangers

associated with them. (The main reason why I left nursing was because of my

unwillingness to give pharmaceuticals to people whilst knowing these dangers,

and whilst being increasingly aware of safer alternatives.) In the early

1990s, I recall twisting my back, so took ibuprofen pills for a few days in

order to help me work in a local nursing home. Within one or two days,

strange cyst-like lumps appeared in the tissue under my chin. My partner and

I referred to them as ‘peas’. They bore the appearance of

slightly reddened cysts, almost like acne, but contained no expressible

matter and took a couple of weeks to clear completely. Because I was

frequently rotating between dayshift and nightshift, I cannot say whether or

not there was any associated fatigue. I did not take aspirin for ten years,

until 2005 because on the few occasions that I did, my eyes, or just one aye,

would puff up and I would feel a little groggy. I thought I was allergic to

aspirin. Both of these drugs commonly contain silicon dioxide, as well as

talc and magnesium stearate. Whilst working on night shift as a prison

hospital officer, I began to suffer acid indigestion and stomach cramps,

which I blame on the consumption of large amounts of diet cola. I immediately

began taking liquid magnesium trisilicate (a liquid antacid) and took that on

a regular basis for a couple of weeks. I had already stopped drinking diet

coke, but started to feel unnaturally fatigued on these night shifts,

struggling to keep awake and focussed, despite having adequate sleep during

the day. This was so severe that I ventured to a health food shop for the

very first time in my life and asked the staff to recommend some supplements

to help. They gave me some capsules containing vitamins, Ginseng, Ginko and

other supplements for the fatigue, and peppermint oil capsules for the

stomach. Within a couple of weeks the fatigue had subsided. I had also

stopped taking the silicon-containing magnesium trisilicate. Note that there was

no magnesium stearate in the magnesium trisilicate or the capsules that I had

been advised to take, neither did the capsules contain silicon dioxide, which

again indicates silicon dioxide as the probable cause of my fatigue. (It is

possible that I was ignorantly consuming high levels of trans-fats at the

time that may have mixed with the silicon in the magnesium trisilicate.) Another period in which I consumed paracetamol

tablets was after injuring my feet. I had worn new shoes one morning to work

and had caused the backs of both heels to be rubbed raw with friction by the

time I got to work. This was far more painful than it may sound. I needed to

stay at home for nearly two weeks until my feet would bear shoes again. And

this is the first time that I can recall consciously acknowledging

‘brain fog’. I was well rested and doing little more than sitting

reading and listening to music, and could see no reason why I was having

difficulty feeling awake and alive in the head. This lasted a few days, as I

recall, and suddenly lifted. I had only taken paracetamol for a few days

whilst the initial throbbing pain in my heels was at its worst. Having considered so many possible

diagnoses and causes, this silicon dioxide-linked fibromyalgia is the one

that fits. Fibromyalgia alone almost fitted, but not exactly. Until recently

it was the closest diagnosis I could discover. It makes sense now to me that

3 times the number of women with silicone implants which had burst had

fibromyalgia as opposed to those whose implants had not leaked. Furthermore,

FMS is more common in women than men. I suspect this may be directly caused

by women's use of cosmetics that contain silicon and their desire to

take silica because of the positive effects claimed for hair and nails.

Silicone gel is in lots of medical apparatus such as lining syringes for

lubrication. I recall when training as a nurse there was a scare about this

but nothing seems to have been done (is it possible that the plastic silicone

can release silicon dioxide?). Silicon dioxide has also been used to

coat condoms, which then leave small amounts of silicon in the vagina. As

silicon is cumulative and causes local reactions to trap the silicon in

fibrous tissue, it may well be one cause of uterine fibroids, along with talc.

If the fibroids, or granulomas, then release accumulated silica gel into the

bloodstream, it could travel round the body and be redistributed in muscles

or organs, just like the silicon that leaks from silicone implants. Silicon

dioxide is also used as a dental abrasive and polishing agent in toothpastes. Dietary supplements in tablet form can be

loaded with silicon dioxide, talc and magnesium stearate, as well as other

excipients. Some people must be ingesting a huge amount of them. I certainly

have been taking supplements for the past 10 years - especially peppermint

tablets. But as far as I am aware, the peppermint tablets were the only

ones to contain mineral silicon dioxide. I can only guess that I may have

consumed the equivalent of at least one silicone breast implant leak. Silicon dioxide is used in many other things.

Those little packs of crystals that are put into pill bottles and shoes etc.

to keep things dry are anhydrous porous silica. The powder is highly

absorbent. Its inclusion in tablets range from health-food supplements to

most pharmaceutical pills such as paracetamol, ibuprofen (brufen), aspirin

etc. to help bind the pills and then to absorb water in the stomach to

help disperse the active ingredients. My theory is that silicon dioxide in

supplements, drugs and foods (perhaps from cosmetics also) gathers in the

tissues and the muscles contract around it. This is probably exacerbated by

the magnesium stearate constituent of these same tablets, as it forms an

insoluble and largely indigestible lubricant oily substance that helps

disperse the silicon dioxide around the body. The silicon dioxide, or the

silicon dioxide/magnesium stearate/oil mixture, interferes with the cellular

metabolism similarly to trans-fats, trapping calcium inside the cell and

causes an ATP response, wherein the muscles remain in a contracted state. It

also causes small contractures, fibroids and granulomas in the fascia and

muscle. Because the process is not as obvious as implant leakage, we may not

always notice the granulomas. Because of the way the brain maps pain,

chronic exposure may be perceived as simply an ache, fatigue, perhaps

fibromyalgia (who is to say this is not the or a major cause of

fibromyalgia?) Lumps detected in breasts or lymph nodes are examined and

excised during medical procedures to rule out carcinoma (I doubt whether they

are ever checked for silica unless the patient has breast implants). Symptoms

may be many and varied and ascribed to other causes in symptom-focussed

allopathic medicine, whilst the underlying cause is silicon. If the

silica is widely distributed, it will presumably cause widespread

granulation, thickening and hardening of connective tissue, and lead to

contraction of large areas of muscle tissue and fascia, as well as having a fibrosis

effect on internal organs etc. I speculate that earlier experiences with

small lumps and swellings in my face did not occur this year when I took

brufen and aspirin because there was already a widespread distribution of

silica in my skin and muscles, so the extra silica did not accumulate and

cause local reactions there. My body had already become used to having the

presence of silica, so the reaction was not so severe. I stress, these are

speculations – some of the speculations in this article relate to

symptoms that may well have been caused by other factors, but they do seem to

fit and correlate nicely, if seemingly ‘coincidentally’. Recent studies have also shown that many

sufferers of CFS have between 8% and 11.8% reduction in grey matter in the

brain (Okada, T, Tanaka, M, Kuratsune, H et al. Mechanisms underlying

fatigue: a voxel-based morphometric study of chronic fatigue syndrome, BMC

Neurol 2004;4:14). Could this be caused by the long-term impeded blood flow

that I experienced? I had experienced changes in mood, ability to

think clearly, plan, think laterally, express myself, had bouts of anger and

irritation. The pulses in my forehead had dwindled, indicating poor blood

flow to my forebrain. Okada identified the area of grey matter-reduction was

indeed in the prefrontal lobe – the area involved with planning complex

cognitive behaviours and the expression of appropriate social behaviour and

personality. Many CFS sufferers also have a significant

reduction in total blood volume in the body (Circulating Blood Volume in

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - H. P. Streeten, MB, DPhil, FRCP, FACP

S. Be11, MD, FAAP). Could this also be explained by the widespread

contractures in the tissues? This again would reduce proper oxygen delivery,

metabolism, excretion of toxins etc. not only in the brain but also

throughout the body. These kinds of symptoms can go entirely

unnoticed until they become severe. The individual will slowly become

accustomed to their level of alertness as the ‘bar’ is gradually lowered

over time. Family and friends may or may not notice the personality changes

either until they become severe. I’ve commonly heard such phrases as:

‘he’s always tired these days’, ‘he’s too

stressed’, ‘he’s a miserable so and so these days’,

‘he’s become a really difficult person to live with these

days’, ‘he’s short-tempered and always kicking off these

days’. People who may have once been bright, intelligent and lively

might find themselves increasingly unable to think as clearly as they once

did and start to put in a poor performance at work, thereby jeopardising

their career. Sufferers working in occupations that entail high stress

moments, such as the medical services or emergency services, may endanger

people because a worker cannot think ‘on the spot’, as blood is

drained from his already compromised forebrain, leaving the person unable to

whip themselves into action and calculate the parameters of the situation

quickly enough. Time may need to be taken off work for numerous symptoms associated

with this silicon-induced syndrome. The reduced capacity to think through and plan

actions and their consequences appears to be increasing in general society,

especially amongst portions of the youth. Criminal behaviour and especially

sudden acts of violent crime may well be linked with this disruption of the

prefrontal cortex. Intolerance, frustration, raised levels of anxiety or

anger mixed with impaired judgement and cognition could be partially or

wholly due to this syndrome and may explain the increase in these events in

society, and the incidence of relatively new phenomena such as ‘road

rage’. People go to the doctors only when they

finally perceive their symptoms, and are usually prescribed drugs. Commonly,

they tend to be analgesics and anti-inflammatories, antidepressants and

muscle-relaxants. These are likely to contain silicon, thereby perpetuating

and exacerbating the symptoms and the syndromes. The health-conscious may

well increase their intake of 'health-food' supplements and again exacerbate

and perpetuate the silicon dioxide-induced contraction syndrome (as I did). Some people may take the ‘alternative

health’ and/or ‘complementary health’ route and fare no

better. For example, they may turn to an osteopath or chiropractor, as I did,

for a simple ‘bad back’, have amazing results initially, but

gradually find that their treatments are less and less effective (as I did).

But why this would happen may be due to the drugs or supplements causing

increasing contractures that will ultimately restrict further manipulation.

They may not display severe postural imbalance because of the widespread

equilateral contractures that maintain the balance. Their chiropractor,

osteopath or physiotherapist may be unable to palpate severe contractures in

the body, mistaking them for bone, or mistake the larger areas of hardened

contracted muscle for well-toned or ‘tight’ muscle. Are ill people becoming more ill due to the

silicon in their drugs and supplements, as well as other excipients? If I'm

correct, this would explain a lot of things. Many chronic illnesses could also be explained

by the use of mineral silica. Possible problems with any and all organs and

any connective tissue could be caused or exacerbated by silica. Could heart

problems involving palpitations caused by fibrillation be down to the

disturbance of calcium in heart muscle caused by the inability of heart cells

to metabolise efficiently because they are interfered with by silica and

plasticised oils and stearates such as magnesium stearate? Fibroids,

granulomas, M.E., fibromyalgia, general aches and pains, arthritis, lupus,

chronic fatigue syndrome, M.S....and on and on I could speculate about how

silica could easily be the cause or a contributing factor. After all, the body does not recognise this

substance, cannot metabolise this substance, it attacks it and is irritated

by it. Now I see that silicon is being sold as good

for IBS, hair, skin, bone density and nails etc. It may well be - but at what

cost? I do not have the requisite knowledge to judge how many of these

silica supplements are using bio-available or organic silica and how many are

using mineral silica, nor whether even the bio-available silicas may cause

mineral silicon dioxide deposits in the body. Organic silica is a different compound to

mineral silicon dioxide. It is water soluble and has carbon bonds in the

compound. I have seen these mineral products claimed to be safe because they

derived from plants and are therefore 'bio-available'. Again, the plants

(such as horsetail fern and bamboo -

another source of it is in diatomaceous earth) that I have seen referenced appear to contain deposited

mineral silicon dioxide, and are possibly not organic silica, which is

derived from deposits found on the surface of sand, as discovered by Loic Le Ribault.

Silica occurs naturally in the body. In its bio-available form it plays a

role in bone formation and collagen formation. But large doses of mineral

silica, deposited throughout the body are likely to be dangerous. It is

dangerous enough for the USA to have banned the use of silicone implants for fear of the risk of leakage,

and the damage caused by silicon dioxide, despite the vivisection-based tests

that have declared it non-toxic and safe to eat. People are not generally aware that the term organic actually

means ‘having carbon bonds in the compound’. People popularly use

the term organic in the sense that it is from a 'natural' source which is

free of artificial chemicals. There may be confusion upon reading literature

for supplements using the words silica and organic. It may be that the words

organic and natural are used in promotional literature with reference to the

plant source. Such mineral silica derived from plants would presumably have

to be processed to make it bio-available; so even the populist interpretation

of the word organic may be a red herring. At the moment, I am not sure how

many silica products are promoted using literature specific to organic or

bio-available silica to promote inorganic mineral silica supplements. I noticed throughout my nursing career and

subsequently that when people get ill, get diagnosed and end up on a long

term course of medication, they seem to rarely be cured. Many people I know

who take supplements for varying reasons seem to be chasing a myriad of

vitamins and minerals, health foods and concoctions that should logically cure them, but

don’t. They then, having spent years and oodles of cash, maintain their

passion for ever more supplements and continue in the hope that they will

correct their problems. Some people take so many supplements that it almost

seems to form a large portion of their daily food intake. One dominant factor in chronic fatigue

illnesses such as M.E. and fibromyalgia is that they often begin with a viral

infection such as influenza. It is so common that M.E. was once commonly

called ‘post viral fatigue’. This will lead to a long recovery

period and the onset of fatigue and ‘brain fog’ that they cannot

seem to shift. The conventional allopathic medical advice for the onset of

flu is to go to the chemist and start taking drugs like paracetamol and

aspirin. The more health-conscious tend to start taking large amounts of

supplements. Instead of letting the body fight the virus itself and allowing

the natural early fever to kill off or destroy the majority of the offending

organisms, temperature is lowered by drugs, and flu extends to weeks instead

of days, thereby prolonging the intake of the drugs. As chronic fatigue sets

in and general aches start to plague people, they tend to maintain their

intake of analgesia or anti-inflammatory pills. Could this be a significant

reason for the gradual rise of chronic fatigue illnesses over the past few

decades? M.E. (actually CFS) was once popularly

referred to as ‘yuppie flu’ because it seemed to be affecting

middle class high flyers in big business during the Thatcher era financial

boom. Interestingly, it is this same stratum of society who embraced the

health-food supplement culture first before it effectively became mainstream. Increasingly, such silica-loaded

pharmaceuticals and supplements are being consumed like never before. Silica

supplementation is becoming more popular in cosmetics and in the health food

industry, and the incidence of fibromyalgia and other CFS disease is on the

rise. Even one major fast food outlet has been criticised for inclusion of

silicon dioxide in some of its products. Silica, I am sure, is playing a major role in

illness – especially in Western society - and has done so for decades.

Added to the massive amounts of known environmental toxins, degraded diets,

poor nutrition, chemical additives etc., it may transpire in the future that

silicon dioxide has been a hitherto silent assassin, and more problematic

than many other well-known disease factors. It may be at the root of many

conditions currently thought to be ‘mysterious’ to 20th

century and 21st century medicine. Recently, a few studies have

looked into what are termed ‘nanopathologies’, diseases caused by

non-biodegradable chemicals in micro- and nano-particle sizes in the environment,

drugs, cosmetics and in foods, from dental work etc. They have discovered the

same kinds of responses to these chemicals as I have outlined in this theory:

granulomas, fibrosis etc. They have been linked to numerous diseases,

including chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn’s Disease and other bowel

disorders, and cancer. I for one blame silicon dioxide for several

years of ill health. I believe I have effectively lost 7 months of my life

this year to the effects of this substance. I have been unable to work, have

lost a lot of income whilst concurrently spending hundreds of pounds on

therapy and nutritional supplements. It made me unable to think or even read

and unable to exercise effectively; it caused immense pain, discomfort and

frustration, it changed my personality and turned me into a miserable,

irritable and depressed individual on numerous occasions, and at times scared

the hell out of me. It changed my personality so much that for months I

really did not care about anything. I may as well have been on sedative

drugs. If I hadn’t devoted my life to one thing – conquering my

illness – within a couple of years I believe I would have been severely

mentally impaired and physically crippled. I would have been labelled with a

syndrome, perhaps M.E., fibromyalgia or some neurological disease like MS,

had this developed further and the symptomology spread to brain and nerve

damage. Until I started taking large doses of

supplements containing silicon dioxide, and later drugs containing silicon

dioxide, I was a bright, healthy, hard-working and compassionate person. I

hadn’t visited the doctor or dentist since 1989, and had no need to. My

average consumption in that time of pharmaceutical drugs was around 6 to 8

paracetamol a year, perhaps even less. I therefore consumed a negligible

amount of silicon dioxide for nearly 10 years. Once I began to take

supplements containing silica my problems started. I estimate that I took

more silicon dioxide from peppermint pills alone than a person with a chronic

disease such as arthritis would consume if they were taking the maximum dose

of commonly prescribed drugs. Hence, my symptoms were more dramatic and

apparently unexpected (and mysterious) than if I had a recognised chronic

disease. The more I took, the worse I got. The less I took, the better I got.

But it takes far longer to get well and excrete the silica than it does to

consume it. Popping pills is easy and convenient and supported by a century

of ‘medical wisdom’. Staying healthy without pharmaceutical pills

and food supplements loaded with excipients is supported by millennia of

naturopathic wisdom. I have supported naturopathy in principle, and

largely in practise for nearly fifteen years. I saw enough iatrogenic disease

as a nurse and am glad that I changed my outlook in the early 1990s from

being a supporter of Western Medicine, to being extremely wary of it, and an

outspoken critic of pharmaceutical-based medicine. It was only ignorance on my part that let me

down. You can’t know what you don’t know until you know it,

however, and it took a lot of painful experiences to bring this knowledge to

me before I realised where I was going wrong. I went against my better

knowledge and took what I considered to be relatively small amounts of

anti-inflammatory drugs, which led to moderate use, then maximum dose use for

a month. But that risk-taking and that ignorance was ultimately my saviour. I

could now correlate their effects against my intake of silicon dioxide and

for the first time recognise it. Had I not taken peppermint, then it would

have been unlikely that I would have recognised the origins of what was being

released from my body as I recovered. People don’t taste silicon

dioxide. But people do experience strange tastes in their mouths as part of a

range of health problems. It is fortuitous that my silicon dioxide intake was

flavoured with mint, and it was this that led me to the first step in

discovering a chain of evidence that has helped me to understand the

significance of silicon dioxide as a probable cause for my CFS. I can easily imagine silicon dioxide being the

root cause of any number of diseases. For example, I can easily imagine a

person slowly experiencing general aches and pains for years, gradually

becoming fatigued until a frightening symptom such as numbness in an

extremity, or shaking hands scares them enough to visit a doctor. They would

have started taking analgesics for headaches or an injury or flu, perhaps as

long as several years earlier. This would have interfered with the healing process

and the body will not have adequately healed the root of the problem.

Symptoms will have recurred instead of going away. The doctor will then have

prescribed more pain killers or other pills. The patient will then have

repeatedly returned to the GP with reports that symptoms were recurring, or

worsening, and new symptoms will have become evident. The person would now

have become, what we used to call, ‘a revolving door’ patient.

The doctor will then have referred his patient to the hospital for various

investigative tests. All the while the symptoms were increasing. Medication

would have become less and less effective. Perhaps the patient had sought

complementary health at this stage and was consuming a range of health food

supplements in a desperate attempt to solve the problem. CFS may have become

evident, perhaps even early signs of dementia-type symptoms, decreasing

mobility and possible personality changes. Eventually, after years of tests,

and years of constant ingestion of chemicals, that person is diagnosed as

having a recognised degenerative disease, is wheelchair bound, or bed bound;

their mental faculties are gradually diminishing, their family is distraught,

they are poor, their medical insurance or social security is woefully

inadequate…and on and on it goes. Patients with M.E. and other forms of

CFS have become so distraught that they have committed suicide; many cases

have been so improperly cared for that they have lost everything in the fight

to even get their condition recognised by the medical authorities. Lives of

people and their families are destroyed and ripped apart by these kinds of

diseases. I have no doubt that had I not been a keen researcher and observant

and lucky enough to have spotted the signs and symptoms, within a couple of

years this would have been roughly the pattern of my life to come. The above is an extreme example of what could

occur. But a minor example could be that a person experiences pain from

perhaps an old injury, perhaps a headache, toothache or earache occasionally.

Their usual treatment is to lie down and take a nap until it goes away in a

couple of hours. One day the headache is severe enough or inconvenient enough

for them to take an anti-inflammatory or an analgesic pill or two. Because it

was so effective, they get into the habit of taking pills most times that

they feel a headache coming on. The headaches get more intense. Perhaps they

become so severe that they start to describe them as ‘migraines’.

Over time, they try to solve their headaches with the old method of rest, and

find that this is no longer sufficient. The headaches last all day and ruin

their weekend. They cannot afford to waste time on something as insignificant

and inconvenient as a headache, so they take pills every time from then on. The

symptoms keep recurring, the painkillers are increased, and their doctor may

start them on migraine preparations or prescribe stronger drugs – even

antidepressants. Eventually they have other symptoms of back pain and

stiffness etc. they have become another revolving door patient. At no time

does the doctor or patient make the link between the pills and the symptoms

– especially new and apparently unrelated symptoms. They are just

getting the ‘aches and pains of old age’, have developed some

syndrome, have a ‘bit of rheumatism’. The headaches may have

disappeared by this point because the musculature in the neck and jaw and

across the scalp has readjusted over time to take the strain; it has

thickened and no longer pulls only on the head, but is now pulling on other

parts of the system of connective tissue elsewhere in the body, causing pain

there. The tissues may have become so contracted by now that the nerves are

strangled and compressed and unable to function properly to alert the brain

to the problem by the proper peptide response. The nerves are also unable to

supply the brain with adequate information to alert it to the need to heal

the area that is causing the initial symptoms. The brain has become so

accustomed to the minor pains around the head that it has remapped the pain,

or the nervous system switched off or dampened its ability to process the

pain signals. Tension around the neck and throat can also

constrict the Eustachian tubes, cause improper equalisation of pressure in

the ears, restricted drainage of matter from ears to throat, and therefore

predispose people to ear aches and infections, ‘glue ear’,

tinnitus and dizziness. Macular degeneration of the eyes may occur; or other

common disorders relating to eyesight. Olfactory sense may be impaired and

the sense of taste reduced. In fact, anything one can imagine that would be

affected by restricted blood flow and/or pressure on ducts or nerves could be

caused or exacerbated by this silicon dioxide-induced contracture syndrome. In the end, associating my condition with the

excipients in the supplements and drugs was a simple process of detective

work - putting 2 and 2 together in a logical pattern. The information was all

‘out there’ for me to piece the jigsaw together, but it took an

awful experience for me to see what was right before my eyes. Using my

knowledge and experience as a nurse and general researcher into health

matters, as well as numerous other matters, I could see common patterns in,

and connections to, other related subjects. One pattern that is common in my

line of research, is that where there is a common factor – a symptom, a

belief, a science, a political strategy etc. – and there is a

concurrent lack of generally available information, either no-one has noticed

the connections yet, or more often you are looking at something that someone

with a vested interest does not want anybody to figure out. More often than

not, when it comes to things involving medicine and health, you can bet that

the vested interests of pharmaceutical companies and the petrochemical

industry are covering something up. Anyone who is familiar with the works of

researchers into the field of health fraud, such as J ,

Vernon and Hans Ruesch will know to what extent

these big organisations will go to obscure data using fraudulent science, and

to silence those who expose their machinations or who pose a threat by

offering safe alternatives to their dangerous products. The issue of silicon dioxide now appears to me

to be potentially an enormous can of worms. Possibly, it is as significant as

the fluoride issue, or the aspartame issue. However, I am not a chemist or a

biologist. I have no means to pursue the matter further. Honest and

conscientious scientists need to explore this subject and verify or disprove

the above theory. Hopefully it will plant seeds. Hopefully conscientious

readers will network this article and it may find itself in the right hands.

Many readers may find that this article sheds light on previously unknown

causes for their symptoms and they will approach their supplements suppliers,

their manufacturers, their doctors for advice and a suitable explanation.

This, in turn may set a ball rolling for proper study and elaboration may be

forthcoming. This author would certainly be interested to receive any further

information that may support or disprove anything he has said here. I welcome

criticism in the spirit of open-minded search for truth in all things. Numerous questions and avenues for

investigation which would help to clarify the silicon dioxide link to illness

include: When was silica first added to foods, drugs

and supplements, and does this correlate with any rise of specific or new

disease types – especially degenerative illnesses like lupus, MS,

arthritis and ME etc? How many patients with injuries who then begin

to take such tablets then go on to experience such symptoms, despite their

initial problem having healed? Is there a correlation between patients’

use of cannabis, who notice significant improvements, and consequential

cessation or reduction in taking silicon dioxide-containing tablets? (Is

cannabis also successful in CFS due to the special properties of cannabis

that increase oxygen in the brain and also promote growth of brain tissue,

unlike other controlled substances?) How do those people suffering colds and flu

without taking tablets fare against those who do? Is there an absence of

post-viral fatigue? Do autoimmune diseases such as AIDS,

arthritis, lupus etc. correlate at all with the use of silicon dioxide

related substances, such as in drugs and condom use? Are those who use silicone-based lubricants

internally (for example for sexual purposes) more prone to these conditions?

And is there a differing level of risk of such pathologies between those

practising vaginal sex and those practising anal sex? Do the increases in degenerative diseases and

fibromyalgia in women correlate with the increased use of silica-dusted

condoms? For instance, since the AIDS scare? Is it more common in women who

take daily pills, such as ‘the pill’ for contraception? Is this

why women are far more prone to fibromyalgia, arthritis and lupus than men? Are these pathologies more prominent in those

who receive regular injections with silicone-lubricated hypodermic needles

(for example, diabetics and habitual drug users)? Do the diet-controlled

diabetics, and the non-injecting drug users fare better than those that

inject? Do people who use supplements and/or

pharmaceutical drugs without these excipients fare better than those who take

the same active substances in excipient-based tablets? How do people fare that stop ingesting silica

but continue to ingest the same drugs or supplements and their excipients?

For instance, is the combination of magnesium stearate with silicon dioxide and/or talc

necessary to generate the pathologies? Are people who suffer painful withdrawal

symptoms from habitual analgesic use (such as those who claim to be addicted

to drugs such as co-codamol) predominantly pill takers? Does the level of

excipients ingested correlate with the level of pain upon withdrawal? Does the presence of the dielectric silicon in

the tissues predispose people to electromagnetic stress, injury by microwaves

such as emitted by mobile phones and phone masts etc? Could excipients be taken into the body by

other routes than general absorption through the digestive process in the

gut? For example, by causing fibroids/granulomas in the gastro-intestinal

tract or bowel, thereby encapsulating it within the body for subsequent

release in the tissues? This would be especially likely to happen to people

suffering diverticulitis (an inflammatory condition characterised by small sacs

in the lining the bowel that trap waste matter). Do those suffering

diverticulitis suffer from a higher incidence of the related diseases, and

does this correlate with their intake of silicon dioxide? How about

Crohn’s Disease and other inflammatory bowel disorders? As fluoride reacts with silicon dioxide at

room temperature, is there any correlation with the various proposed

silicon-related pathologies and those consuming fluoride in fluoridated

water, fluoridated drugs, and fluoridated toothpastes etc? For example, is

silicon dioxide in toothpastes affected significantly by the presence of

fluoride, thereby making it soluble enough to be absorbed into the body? If

so, does it then disperse via excretion, or can it be converted back into

mineral silicon dioxide in the body? Are the ‘prozac-like’ effects and

personality changes that I experienced at the height of my condition, despite

having never consumed anti-depressants or sedatives, anything to do with the

excipients, and if so, do people prescribed anti-depressants etc. in tablet

form react or behave differently than those given their drugs in alternative

formulations? For example, does the silicon dioxide and/or magnesium stearate

penetrate the brain and perhaps interfere with the neurological activity

somehow? As chronic fatigue symptoms are suffered by

people with silicosis, is there evidence of systemic absorption of silica in

these cases? If so, could exposure to silica dust be a contributory factor to

Gulf war Syndrome, in which soldiers were exposed to breathing sand and sandy

dust for extended periods of time and ingesting it from the mouth, from food

etc? Is chronic exposure to sand and sand dust a

contributory factor to CFS and related diseases? What is the epidemiology of

these diseases in relation to chronic exposure due to geographical location

and occupation? Hopefully, I won’t have to suffer much

longer and will return to normal. If I am right, all I have to do is return

to the diet I had before I started to consume silicon dioxide, cut out these

excipients, and continue to do what I am doing to rid myself of the remaining

stuff. Time will tell whether I am right or wrong. If I am right, I will heal

further, and you will have an opportunity to reassess your choices and your

health measures in light of this information. If I am wrong, then I sincerely

apologise for any alarm I may have caused. It is with the sincerest and best

intentions that I offer my humble opinions to the forum of society to make of

it what it will. WARNING – Stopping certain medications can be

disastrous. Please consult your doctor before stopping any medication. Appendix The Author’s Case

History Most of my life I have had intermittent back

problems - lower back spasms and general aches and pains. A chiropractor

agreed with me that it probably stemmed from an early hip misalignment,

possibly caused by injections in my hips as a baby for meningitis, the scars

of which I still bare today at the age of 36. For the past 10 years I have not exercised

adequately, as I did in my younger days when I was very sporty and when later

I had a very active lifestyle as a nurse. I was a county-level rugby player

in my youth, swimmer, athlete, often averaged 100 press-ups and 100 sit-ups a

day and would also work out with a bullworker, could kick above my height and

was flexible enough to get one foot behind my head. When I left my nursing career I devoted my

time to being a researcher, the computer took over my life and I began to get

aches in the shoulders, especially in the scapula, but with adequate rest

periods this would not last very long. For several years – most of

the 1990s in fact –I considered myself healthy, was fairly

well-educated as to health measures and maintained a largely vegan, though

vegetarian diet. I had not visited the doctor or dentist since 1989 and saw

no need (I have no fillings in my mouth, and still have a full set of

excellent teeth). The occasional repetitive strain through overuse of the

computer and the occasional brief cold was, in my view, rather a good record

for a person of my age in this Western society. About 6 years ago – circa 1999 - my

aches started to become more frequent and more prolonged, but added to the

usual minor aches was a symptom of fatigue and a foggy-headedness. Within a

couple of years these symptoms were becoming frequent - increasingly there

were fewer normal days. It got to the point where I was becoming frustrated

and irritable. Rather than maintaining my usual laid-back personality, I had

started to experience bouts of irritability and snapping suddenly at minor

annoyances. This was most noticeable if I had been using the computer for

long periods. I could spend days debating my work on internet forums and

suddenly find myself enraged at the people I was communicating with when they

began to attack me or wind me up (as is frequent in the world of internet

forums). I noticed that overwork was causing backache,

and that backache was causing my mood changes. Even when I recognised this, I

found that I could not control my emotions, only suppress them and try to

intercede in the process between irritation or annoyance and expressing it at

others. Increasingly, this took more and more effort and I was frequently

fatigued. And yet, if I took a sufficient break, the aches would go and my

mood would return to normal. I became a patient and generally positive and

happy individual again. But I had used the pc and word processors for

years – since 1991 – sometimes intensively, and had not suffered

this syndrome. My pc is quite safe according to my electromagnetic detector.

In the early days, the pcs I had used were not so safe and I used to have

mild bouts of fatigue if I used them for more than a couple of hours, but

they never affected me in the way they seemed to be doing as the new

millennium got underway. Gradually, things worsened, but very slowly. I

became used to having ‘off days’ and to having to work in spurts

that ensured a reduction in stress at the pc. I had decided that my condition

was mechanical. The back would stiffen, thereby affecting the ganglia in the

spine, causing a range of symptoms due to a disruption of the parasympathetic

and sympathetic nervous system. As Dr Sherwood in his book The Back and

Beyond explains, this ‘waterlogging’ of the nerves in the spine

can lead to far more than just back pain and immobility. He named the

syndrome Hypo-Sympathetic Tone and identified a whole range of symptoms

including fatigue (described as ‘brain fog’), carpal tunnel

syndrome, indigestion, allergies, arthritic conditions and CFS. He has cured

many people of CFS by a treatment protocol that focuses on gentle exercise

and manipulation that allows the muscles around the spine to pump blood and

fluid in and out of the nerves, to remove toxins and encourage proper

metabolism. Sherwood’s information became the basis

of my own methodology for treating my ‘bad back’. Keeping my back

loose, through chiropractic, rest, ice packs, avoidance of heavy lifting and

overwork, electronic muscle stimulation (known as surged faradism) and

massage were all beneficial. The correlation was clear. No bad back, no

unnatural fatigue, no mood changes. And so it is up until this day. By the spring/summer of 2003, however, things

became quite severe, as I documented in issue 28 of my magazine The Truth

Campaign. I had spent quite a lot of money on health supplements and

chiropractic treatments, as well as continuing the therapies outlined above,

which produced a degree of symptom reduction. However, it wasn't until I

borrowed a Scenar (an electrical biofeedback healing device designed in

Russia ) from

a friend and embarked on a series of exercises, that the condition seemed to

be cured. I was back to my old self again. My brain was

bright, I felt alive and a network of tension around my neck and in my hips

and back had eased off, flexibility returned. I was feeling so well that I

started to work like a demon. Magazines were prepared and released, and at

the same time I was working on a book I have been writing. Within a few months the symptoms began to

gradually creep back. A very stressful 2004 ensued, and I was dragged into a

lawsuit, funds dwindled, many hours were spent sat into the early hours at

the pc. My energy levels plummeted. I didn’t have the time or energy to

focus on my own health. There was simply too much to do. The aches were

probably always there but I just felt tired out and brain-fatigued more than

anything else. Evenings were blighted by work and I received frequent late

night messages from my US lawyer to urgently prepare papers to be submitted for the lawsuit, all of

which were done through a foggy head and inability to concentrate. There was

little time to relax. My hips and lower back would ache through the night as

I sat up until the small hours trying to unwind with a couple of beers and

some inane movie or tv show. I knew that if I didn’t switch off my

brain and relax, the next day would be a waste of time. Eventually, there were no more 'good days'.

Every day was blighted by chronic fatigue. Some days were better than others,

but life was not normal, and still is not normal. I realised I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I

toyed with the idea that it was fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Most of the non feminine-specific symptoms of

FMS were present in my case, but the main markers of pain, sleep disturbance

and irritable bowel syndrome were not the predominant concerns. Instead, I

had what I perceived more as stiffness, like before, with this overriding brain

fatigue. Chronic pain is often eventually ignored by the brain and some

people have higher pain thresholds than others. I categorised whether or not

I was having a stiff day by how awake and alert I felt. If I was wiped out, I

knew that I must be tense, even if I could not feel the ache. Sometimes rest

and therapy would relieve the tiredness to a degree. Once the lawsuit was settled I threw myself

back into work. A very bad decision! But there was much to catch up on. I found myself with the opportunity of helping

to bring one of my favourite books back into circulation after years of being

out of print. I was to take the publishing plates of J 's superb

work ‘Dirty Medicine’

(an outstanding chronicle of the pharmaceutical industry’s assault on

natural healthcare) and turn it into a text document. I was then to release

the book as an ebook download from my website. It was a big task. It took

almost a month of editing. Added to the work on the magazine and general

website revamping, I was spending often 16 hours a day at the pc. I ended up with a Repetitive Strain Injury in

the usual places, a knot developed in my shoulder blade and it was pulling on

my neck. Again, I was not expecting any long-term consequences, as I had had

similar issues before. In the past, a few days away from the pc would rectify

the problem. I made a very poor decision. For the first

time in nearly fifteen years, and against everything I have always advised

others, I started taking ibuprofen anti-inflammatory drugs to enable me to

spend more time at the pc. The plan was that this would get me through the

remaining week or so on the book, and I would take a week off, allow the strain

to settle down, and everything would be fine. Indeed, I finished my work, took some time

off, stopped taking the pills and the ache receded. However, the knot was

still there. But I ignored it, assuming that it would sort itself out

eventually. By March 2005 a heavy cold hit me very hard,

leaving me exhausted for weeks after the main symptoms had subsided. I had

taken aspirin a few times before bed to help me sleep – again it was

not a decision that I would normally have taken. Looking back from a better

perspective, I realise that my ability to think clearly and make more

sensible decisions was impaired by the fatigue. I was slightly desperate to

use whatever might work. And hey, a couple of aspirins can’t do any

harm, surely? I couldn't shake off the post-viral fatigue. I

was continually exhausted. I had 2 choices: sit in a chair and waste my time

watching tv, or spend time at the computer. Being unable to think clearly or

read effectively, I spent most of my time surfing the internet, installing

several programmes intending to tidy up the pc in preparation for work again

once the fatigue lifted. Instead, all I did was resurrect the RSI and

make matters worse. So I gave the pc a rest for a few days and gradually

began to feel awake enough to get back to work. But I could only tolerate a

couple hours per day at the computer before exhausting myself. I had managed

to prepare almost two editions of the magazine and write one article before a

major bout of fatigue set in and I could no longer spend more than half an

hour or so at the computer without needing several hours to recover. One morning in April (this is approximate

because by then my mind was so fatigued that I have lost track of much of

what has transpired in the period between Spring and Autumn of 2005), I

realised that the small toe on my right foot had gone completely numb, my

hips were aching, and most frighteningly I could not think clearly or

reasonably. I couldn't even remember the names of people from the tv I had

just been watching. My speech became laboured, starting to slur on

occasion. It became a struggle to remember to do simple tasks, walking

into rooms and forgetting why I went there. I felt like I was becoming senile. I realised

then that my muscles felt very tight and inflexible - especially round my

neck and throat. There were two large lumps in the muscles at the base of my

skull. My neck had contracted into my shoulders, almost like a tortoise

retracts back into its shell. I realised that the blood flow to my brain had

been severely impeded. And all of this had happened so gradually that I

had barely noticed it happening, despite being more ‘back aware’

and ‘health aware’ than most. A complete list of symptoms follows –

not all were concurrent or there all the time, but any period of a week would

see all of these at some point: Frequent feeling of muscular

tightness. As though

the chest was being constricted and breathing laboured. Neck tightness that

pulled on muscles all the way down to my sacrum. Inability to lay back flat

on the bed, especially at the base where the bottom was sticking out further

than normal (mild lordosis). Muscles in biceps were thickened and tight,

pulling on shoulders. Muscles from the shoulders pulling on neck. Unable to

stretch arms out straight without a pulling sensation from the fingers to the

neck. My jaw was constantly tight and I would often realise that I was

frowning and found it difficult or impossible to relax my face. The two small

pulses above the bridge of the nose, just above the eyebrows had been weak

for a few years, and one of them totally unpalpable. [This concerned me, as I

knew this meant that my head and brain (especially the forebrain) were not

receiving enough blood.] Loss of flexibility in entire

body. I could only kick

half of my height, whereas previously could kick above my height. I could not

bring my palms together behind my back when in the prayer position. Pain in

the groin area when sitting down with legs either side of a stool –

pulling on inner thighs. I could not bend head forward without pain up the

neck, across the head and over the left eye. If I persisted with pushing head

forward I would start to faint, with ringing in ears and perceived muscle

weakness in legs. Faintness. Upon standing from a seated or crouched

position I would feel faint, which would pass within a few seconds. Chronic fatigue and brain

fog. Tired at all times,

needing frequent sleeps. Unable to think clearly, especially laterally. Eyes

often felt heavy. Memory was poor – forgetting to switch off cooker,

forgetting commonly known names of personalities, inability to read much more

than a few paragraphs and frequently needing to re-read to take in the

information. Unable to sit at the computer for more than 10 or 15 minutes,

without needing to take a break for half an hour or so. Occasionally, just

sitting at the pc for a few minutes would make me so tired I had to lie down.

Simple lifting tasks of, say, bringing heavy shopping from the front door to

the kitchen could cause the need to sleep or lie down on the bed. Difficulty

following the threads of conversations. Occasional back aches. I had become accustomed to lower back aches

and, recently, round the lower ribs, so was often unaware of the aches unless

I specifically thought about them. Occasionally they would worsen to dull

aches in same general area. The most uncomfortable and painful area, however,

was usually my hips, which would often ache and have a burning sensation like

internal sunburn. Sometimes this would extend into my buttocks and there

would be short sharp pains like electric shocks. Rarely, the same burning

pain would be in one knee. Muscle fatigue. Inability to exercise muscles or perform

manual tasks for prolonged periods as before. Muscles would tire easily and

if prolonged, would burn with the sensation of lactic acid build-up.

Especially noticeable in shoulders. The pain tended to be in specific areas,

rather than widespread throughout the entire muscle. If I had overworked, a

tight pain between the shoulder blades and at the base of the neck. Often

neck and back aches would be present from getting out of bed in the morning,

sometimes accompanied by mild headaches. Poor eyesight and ability to

focus. Visual acuity

reduced. Difficult to focus on reading, watching television etc. There was a

general perception that the ambient light levels had reduced which would get

worse, the more tired I felt. Numbness. Right little toe had gone numb. Arms and hands

would go numb or have pins and needles if I lay on my back, especially if I

rested my hands on my chest or abdomen. Occasional slurring of

speech. Just felt

too tired to talk. Irritability and depression. Frequently made angry by the slightest

inconveniences, such as having to side-step the cats. Snapping at my partner

for trivial reasons. Feeling the need to find things to justify my

irritations and blame someone or something for them, despite realising there

was nothing in particular to be annoyed about. Constantly frustrated by my

general condition and inability to live normally. [Fortunately, I had experienced these feelings

in the previous bout two years earlier and deliberately kept most of this

inside and was focussed upon meditation and stress relief, managing to stay a

lot calmer and suppressed most of these sensations to a comfortable level.

The lack of blood to the forebrain is problematic for stress. The forebrain

drains of blood in periods of stress or fright or shock, and impedes proper

rational thought in these occasions. One’s ability to think clearly in

times of stress is partially reliant on having enough blood in the forebrain.

Not being able to think clearly makes one anxious. Feelings of anxiety, even

impending doom without reason have been identified by Dr Sherwood as one of

the symptoms caused by muscle spasms round certain areas of the spine that,

in turn, impede the blood flow to and from the ganglia.] Susceptible to stress and

cold. Becoming angry would

immediately cause increased tension and an increase in tiredness and brain

fog. Ambient coldness would cause me to tense up, thereby exacerbating the

fatigue. Hands and feet would not display distended veins or flush readily,

even in warm and hot baths. Hands and feet usually cold with poor capillary

refill. Night sweats. Oily sweat smell. Having stopped using anti-perspirants and

becoming vegetarian in the early 1990s I did not usually notice much smell to

my sweat, and have never suffered from body odour. However, over the past few

years, onions would always be very noticeable in fresh sweat the day after

eating them. Any activity that caused me to sweat for prolonged periods would

result in a smell of old oil, such as motor oil. Clothes started to smell,

even when freshly donned, and often needed 2 or 3 washes to get rid of it. Changes in perception. A feeling as though nothing really mattered,

except for the occasional bouts of momentary frustration and anger. Some

symptoms were similar to those I have been told about by people using

anti-depressants. My mind would process the information intellectually, but I

was emotionally detached from it. Bad news would be met with a surprising

lack of stress response. This largely removed my motivation and drive to do

anything. Only the intellectual knowledge of a need to keep going drove me at

times. I really just didn’t care about much at all. Sudden nausea. Every so often there would be a sudden

nauseous sensation and feeling of heaviness in the stomach. Feeling the need

to lie down and slight faintness would last only a few minutes, and I could

usually help this by taking peppermint tablets and lying down for a few

minutes. Acid Indigestion. Although I have experienced acid indigestion,

as most people, at times throughout my life, especially after alcohol or

spicy food etc., the episodes had become more frequent over the previous year

or so. I was having to take calcium carbonate indigestion tablets almost daily

and had increased my consumption of peppermint tablets to compensate. Muscle twitches. As I fell asleep at night I would often

experience sudden muscle spasms. Often they were in the legs, but the most

problematic was in my jaw. My jaw would suddenly snap shut and then release,

and on numerous occasions I would wake because I had bitten my tongue or

inside of my cheek. Occasionally a muscle would twitch continuously for

minutes to hours – usually in the shoulders, arms or legs and sometimes

in the face. Sleep apnoea. I hadn’t been able to sleep on my back

for several years because of sleep apnoea. This used to happen on occasion

through the 1990s, but was almost guaranteed to happen every night for the

past few years. I now always sleep on my side or on my front and apnoea never

happens in this position. Gagging. If I stretched my throat by looking upwards,

a tight sensation in my throat, and movement almost like worms wriggling at

the back of the throat would cause me to gag and cough up thick clear sputum.

Once or twice, this happened spontaneously, without extension of my neck. Lumps. As well the 1 or 2 cm wide knotted muscle

that I was accustomed to in my scapula, there were a few more, similar

trigger points in my back which unusually did not respond and ease off with

pressure. But throughout my torso and sides of my abdomen there were also

smaller lumps that felt like jelly pouches under the skin. Areas of my chest

and underside of my arms had so many that it felt like a layer of bubble-wrap

beneath the skin. Some of this, of course may have been fatty tissue, but

others certainly were not, as I was to discover later. Muscle

‘bunching’. Areas of muscle, especially round and between the neck and

shoulders were hard, bunched together and often with stringy strands running

through them. Changes in voice pitch. When totally relaxed I can comfortably sing

in the bass range and also reach quite a high pitch. Depending on the

tightness, this range becomes severely restricted; bass is impossible and my speaking

voice also is raised, sounding less rich. Ear problems. I have a history of ear problems in my right

ear since childhood and am almost totally deaf in that ear. However, a new

symptom appeared of smelly fluid discharge that would excoriate the ear lobe,

requiring application of hydrocortisone (steroid). Although this has happened

before on only a few occasions and cleared up in a few days, this was now

almost permanent. Colds and flu more severe. I would usually pass through a cold or flu

within days – sometimes I could knock out such a disease within hours

using various naturopathic remedies. However, within the past five or six

years, I have had several extended colds and flu that have been far more

symptomatic than usual and lasting about 2 weeks or more. © Ivan Fraser, November 2005