The invisible illnesses known as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue,
myofascial pain syndrome, arthritis and digestive disorders
Non-drug solutions to heal and repair damage
from prescription drugs, years of health-depleting dietary choices
and chemically-induced immune system disorders.
by Gloria Gilbère, N.D., DAHom., Ph.D.
“Disease enters and leaves
man as through a door,”
wrote French philosopher
Georges Canguilhem more than a half century
ago, illustrating the notion that disease
is a distinct “thing” existing apart from the
human body. Sadly, this view still prevails
towards the more than 26 million people
afflicted with the invisible disorders stemming
from varied chemical exposures.
Our ancestors attributed their maladies
of unknown origins to evil spirits; today we
speak confidently about disease-generating
microorganisms. With the invisible illnesses
an opinion not so different from that of our
ancestors, exists among some physicians,
health practitioners, families, insurance
companies and employers. The opinion is
that those suffering symptoms of multiple
chemical sensitivity (MCSS), fibromyalgia,
arthritis, chronic fatigue and myofascial pain
syndrome must have some hidden demon
that brings on these “invisible” disorders.
This opinion arises from a society that will
not recognize an illness without double-blind
studies and a scientific name for the illness. If
you, the victim, appear “normal,” then it
must be psychological, not physiological.
Fortunately, a different opinion is finally
emerging—that disease is not a separate
entity but a changed state of the organism, a
disturbance of the natural equilibrium or
harmony of the body systems caused by
build up of toxic residue. What is equally
important to note is the insight of the past
decade declaring that all diseases are both
genetic and environmental. Is it any wonder
that attacks on our immune system occur as
we North Americans litter, smoke, drive
more cars, pour on the fragrances, rely on
bug bombs, use more than our share of the
world’s resources, rely on prescription medications
for symptom care instead of finding
the cause and create mountains of
smelling, toxic garbage? We have supported
a disposable and unnatural
society—Styrofoam, plastic and food
that stays fresh for weeks and even years.
This generation of chemicals was synthesized
after World War II and includes
pesticides, synthetic fragrances,
cleaning products, food preservatives
and coloring, detergents and
petrochemical based products,
very toxic to humans, animals and
our ecosystem.
What are MARS and chemically induced immune system disorders?
MARS is an adverse reaction
to toxic chemicals in the air, food or
water at concentrations generally considered
harmless to the healthy population. People
with MARS manifest acute sensitivity to natural
gas fumes, gasoline, car exhaust, dyes
and chemicals in fabrics, synthetic clothing
and fabrics, synthetic or chemically-treated
carpets, cleaning materials, phenolated compounds,
perfumes and smoke from cigarettes
or other sources, to mention a few.
However, when a healthy body is repeatedly
exposed to toxic chemicals, the
body develops a decreased tolerance. The
immune system becomes overburdened,
leading to autoimmune disorders and subsequent
multiple allergic responses. When a
person with a compromised immune
system is exposed to toxic chemicals, the
sick get sicker and may even die from the
allergic reaction or the resulting side effects
from drug therapies given to deal with the
symptoms of the reaction.
According to studies conducted by the
California Department of Health in 1995
and published in ”Multiple
Chemical Sensitivity Research Reports,“ 17–34 percent of Americans report symptoms of chemical sensitivity.
The studies also show that two-thirds of patients with MARShave been diagnosed with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
Furthermore, it is estimated that 50
percent of office visits in general practice
today are related to complaints of food, prescription
drug and environmental responses.
Allergic reactions are as diverse as the persons
themselves, however, more and more
people are developing severe allergies as a
result of living in a toxic world. These allergies
are known as chemically-induced
immune system disorders and are a fast
spreading phenomenon associated with
chemical hypersensitivity. Of this number
up to 80 percent also have chronic fatigue
syndrome; 65 percent have fibromyalgia,
and over 85 percent have digestive and
immune disorders.
Because chemicals are everywhere, it’s
impossible to completely escape exposure.
These environmental allergens are life
changing, and often life destroying for the
person afflicted and those around them. The
resulting allergic reactions affect not only the
way our body functions but the physical,
sociological, and emotional quality of life
as well.
Most individuals acquiring MARS and the
associated syndromes are looked upon as
chronic complainers. The few physicians and
health care practitioners specializing in environmental
medicine deal with the patient’s
symptom care, neutralization therapy and
environmental modifications in their home
and office. What is grossly overlooked is the
importance of detoxifying the liver, intestines
(large and small), the lymphatic system and
soft connective tissue of toxic substances. Only
when detoxification occurs can there be lasting
reversal of symptoms and a return to natural
equilibrium of the body systems.
Defining internal toxicity?
Attention has been focused on the small intestine
and the connection to MARS, fibromyalgia
and chronic fatigue, especially as it relates to a
disorder called leaky gut syndrome, clinically
known as intestinal permeability. This is where
the villi (brush borders) of the small intestine
are weakened and allow toxic material and
food particles to permeate and enter the
bloodstream. What is not often discussed is
the leaking of toxic matter from the walls of
the large intestine. The large intestine (colon)
is intimately connected through an elaborate
system of veins and venules into the liver,
through a portal venous system and the lymphatic
system through the cisterna chili. The
more appropriate name for leaky gut syndrome
would be autointoxication.
This is the process by which the body literally
poisons itself by maintaining a cesspool of
decaying toxic matter in the colon. The toxins
released by the decay process circulate into the
bloodstream and travel to all parts of the body.
Every cell is affected and because the toxins
weaken the entire system, autointoxication
and many forms of “incurable diseases” get
their start in the colon. Still another source of
intestinal poisons is putrefaction of the portion of
the protein from food that fails to undergo
absorption, caused by an enzyme deficiency.
Intestinal poisoning not manifesting
immediate visible effects appear in disorders
such as MARS, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue,
lupus, peripheral neuritis and arthritis, to
mention a few. Eventually the chemicals produced
by putrefaction are so poisonous they
irritate the delicate lining of the large intestine
and destroy the protective barrier keeping out
the invading toxins. Damage from the chemical
toxins is so destructive, the colon walls
become leaky and allow penetration through
the damaged barrier into the lymphatic and
circulatory systems, especially through the
hepatic portal vein.
The role of the lymphatic system in MARS
The lymph nodes act as a filtering station,
detecting foreign and potentially harmful substance
in the lymph fluid. The lymph nodes
act like spongy filter sacks and are part of the
lymph system. Lymph fluid in an adult equals
one to two quarts and accounts for one percent
to three percent of body weight. This is basically
the body’s secondary circulation system
and thus toxic substances are circulated
throughout the system directly through the
lymph ducts and nodes connected to the small
and large intestines. Lymph vessels are located
throughout the body and are more numerous
than blood vessels.
The lymphatic system, four times larger
than the blood system, provides the means for
each individual cell to get rid of waste. Lymph
handles only cell wastes; however, when the
blood is also dumping waste toxins from the
intestinal tract into the lymph system via the
liver, the lymph becomes overworked and its
filtering/neutralizing function is decreased.
This buildup of toxic lymph fluid is what contributes
to the inflammation and pain in soft
and connective disorders as in fibromyalgia
and myofascial pain syndrome.
Synthetic and toxic substances are all around us, specifically:
- Clothing
- Mold
- Medications
- Bedding/mattresses
- Pesticides/herbicides
- Air fresheners
- Petrochemicals
- Fragrances
- Detergents/fabric softeners
- Personal care products
- Building materials/particleboard
- Water systems
- Fertilizers/garden products
- Food preservatives/dyes
- Stains/paints/varnishes
- Plastics
- Carpet/padding
- Furniture/laminates
- Glues/adhesives
- Wallpaper
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Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Helpful Drugs: Serious side effects
NSAIDs are distinguished from those that contain
corticosteroids. They are a group of drugs
most frequently used to reduce swelling,
inflammation and pain. The drugs work by
inhibiting the enzyme cyclooxygenase. This
enzyme is responsible for the production of
prostaglandins, a hormone-like substance
involved in the development of pain and
inflammation. Especially in people with
MARS, inflammatory and digestive disorders,
these drugs can have serious side effects.
In the U.S. alone, 75 million prescriptions
for NSAIDs are written annually. Yearly an estimated
7,600 people die from the effects,
including gastrointestinal bleeding and perforation;
that’s one death for every 9,210 prescriptions.
Another 76,000 are hospitalized;
that’s one hospitalization for every 921 prescriptions.
According to the medical journal Lancet,
chronic use of NSAIDs, especially in high
doses, increases the permeability or leaking of
the colon. This leaking actually creates allergies
and contributes to arthritic and inflammatory
symptoms, the very reason most people
take an NSAID in the first place. Many cases of
developed MARS, including my own, are linked to the consumption of NSAIDs and
over-use of antibiotics. There are “safe”
options for pain and inflammation found in
systemic oral enzymes. (Refer to my books for
details and recommendations.)
It is now believed that most pain and
inflammation associated with MARS, and the
inflammatory disorders, occurs from the
buildup of toxins stored in the soft and connective
tissue. Those of us who have experienced
the invisible horror of fibromyalgia
describe the pain as “muscle spasms that feel like the nerve endings are on fire”—while
there can also be coldness in the extremities
from the resulting swelling and sluggish lymphatic
flow.
Multiple Allergic Response Syndrome
(MARS), also called Environmental Illness (EI),
is a syndrome because it stems from a variety of
causes. It is a medical condition developed by
individuals exposed to chemicals in their environment
that affects the neurological,
immune, respiratory, skin, gastrointestinal and
musculoskeletal systems. Environmental medicine,
also called clinical ecology, was first
developed by Dr. Theron Randolph in the
1940s, when he observed, early in his medical
career, that food allergies and sensitivities to
environmental chemicals were a major contributing
factor in a wide range of allergies and
diseases, including arthritis. He then discovered,
of those treated by standard medical
diagnostic techniques and confirmed
arthritics, more than half were helped by
making dietary and environmental modifications
along with detoxification.
Low levels of toxins may have been previously
tolerated and suddenly the body loses the
ability to neutralize the chemicals and an
allergic reaction occurs. The onset can be triggered
from a single major exposure (as in pesticide
poisoning); long-term exposure to low
levels (food preservatives and additives, sick
buildings, mold, off-gassing from computers,
copiers, cleaning products, carpets, building
supplies); side effects of prescription drugs
(especially medications for pain and inflammation);
serious illness or trauma. This is truly an
example of our “toxic cup runneth over.” When
our bodies (specifically the liver) can’t neutralize
toxins as quickly as they’re being introduced,
that one last exposure is what does us in.
The chemicals synthesized after World War
II (pesticides, fragrances, synthetic fabrics,
cleaning products, detergents, etc.) are mostly
“petrochemicals” (petroleum based) and are
extremely toxic to humans. There have been
virtually no studies done on the majority of
these chemicals to determine consequences on
humans—the industry just places the chemicals
in the environment with the assumption
that they are “safe, until proven toxic,” instead
of insuring their safety before allowing them to
be used.
According to a study by the National
Academy of Sciences, 95 percent of chemicals
used in fragrances are synthetic compounds
derived from petroleum. Yes, the same ingredient
as GASOLINE. The danger lies in that the
perfume industry in NOT REGULATED—they
can include any number of chemicals in a fragrance
without revealing what those chemicals
are—or how they affect humans. We humans
are all participating in a giant “lab experiment,”
against our knowledge and our will,
and it’s making millions of us VERY sick.
Symptoms of MARS
(limited list)
- Recurring headaches/migraines
- Asthma or chronic bronchial disorders
- Increased sensitivity to odors
- Dizziness/lightheadedness
- Food/environmental allergies
- Aching joints/muscles
- Numbness/tingling
- Non-injury related inflammation
- Blurred vision/light sensitivity
- Intestinal/colon disorders
- Unexplained rashes
- Chronic insomnia
- Impaired mental clarity
- Chronically sore eyes, ears, nose and throat
- Restricted swallowing
- Anaphylaxis (in acute cases)
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Formaldehyde is another toxic chemical
that causes many of the symptoms of MARS,
including dizziness, chronic headaches, sinus
infections, lightheadedness, memory impairment,
attention disorders and allergies. Many
of the ingredients in construction, especially
mobile and modular homes, are made with
particleboard, glues, plastics and toxic finishes—all of which can outgas toxic substances
and formaldehyde. Repeated exposure
weakens the immune system, making one
more vulnerable to other toxic chemicals.
Formaldehyde is in many products including
some cosmetics, baby shampoo and baby
lotion. Look for “Quaternium-15” on the
label—that’s formaldehyde in disguise. It’s also
in clothing and bedding—if they’re permanent
press (polyester combination), crease resistant or a synthetic composition. Years of laundering
does not remove the formaldehyde—it’s even in some of the food we eat. Yes,
formaldehyde is the stuff they embalm people
with; at this rate, we won’t need embalming
when we die.
In the early stages of MARS, repeated exposure
to the substance or substances that caused
the initial health effects provokes a reaction.
After a time, it takes less and less exposure to
the related chemicals to cause symptoms. As
the body systems break down, an ever
increasing number of chemicals, including
some unrelated to the initial exposure, are
found to trigger a reaction.
Once an individual becomes sensitized,
he/she must avoid a wide array of chemicals in
everyday life such as fragrances, detergents,
fabric softeners, auto exhaust fumes, fuels
(gas/propane), smoke, insecticides, weed
killers, volatile organic compounds found in
paints, solvents and new building materials
and furnishings. Many people also become
hypersensitive to molds, aromatic plants and
wood such as cedar.
Those of us who are becoming chronically
ill from these chemicals are similar to the
“canaries in the coal mine.” Coal miners
would take a canary into the mines with them
to warn when the air became toxic; if the
canary stopped singing or died, it was time to
get out! We “human canaries” are here to warn
the rest of you that, unless you become
informed and start making changes to avoid as
many toxic chemicals as possible, you too may
become very ill, or even die, from the consequences.
Today we live in a world that offers us safe
alternative products and therapies of every
kind. Be an informed consumer—with knowledge
you can reverse and prevent these disorders.
I did and so have the thousands of clients
who follow my detoxifying and lifestyle protocol,
naturally.
Gloria Gilbère is a doctor of naturopathy and
natural health, member of the American
Academy of Environmental Medicine and the
American Naturopathic Medical Association.
She is an environmental health consultant,
natural health journalist and researcher.
She is author of I Was Poisoned By My Body
(Lucky Press, 2001), Invisible Illnesses
(Freedom Press, 2002) and her latest book,
Nature’s Prescription Milk (Freedom Press,
2003).
Visit her Web site at www.drgloriagilbere.com
Listen to her radio show on www.healthylife.net
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