Guest guest Posted March 28, 2001 Report Share Posted March 28, 2001 I was wondering if anyone has tried cholestyramine to get rid of neurotoxins. My doctor gave it to me and told me to take it with pineapple juice. Also, he told me to take actos-a diabetic medication. I am not diabetic but he said it it for the insulin resistance we experience. Has anyone tried any of this? I am not on antibiotics yet, i am waiting for the LUAT results. But he said he was pretty sure I have Lyme Disease due to my symptoms. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Toni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 notan, Martha and anyone who may be interested. I haven’t had a chance to read much about Dr. Klinghart, except that he is an instructor at the American Academy of Neural Therapy . I just read this and I thought it was interesting and informative. Mike, I thought that you might be interested in this as well because of your history with Lyme disease. Sandi in No CA The Klinghardt Neurotoxin Elimination Protocol Approved by: American Academy of Neural Therapy and Institute of Neurobiology (Bellevue, WA, USA) Institute for Neurobiologie (Stuttgart, Germany) Academy for Balanced NeuroBiology Ltd (London, United Kingdom) This lecture was presented by Dietrich Klinghardt M.D., Ph.D. at the Piaget Department at the University of Geneva, Switzerland Oct.2002 to physicians and dentists from Europe, Israel, several Arab countries and Asia What are Neurotoxins? Neurotoxins are substances attracted to the mammalian nervous system. They are absorbed by nerve endings and travel inside the neuron to the cell body. On their way they distrupt vital functions of the nerve cell, such as axonal transport of nutrients, mitochondrial respiration and proper DNAtranscription. The body is constantly trying to eliminate neurotoxins via the available exit routes: the liver, kidney, skin and exhaled air. Detox mechanisms include acetylation, sulfation, glucuronidation, oxidation and others. The liver is most important in these processes. Here most elimination products are expelled with the bile into the small intestine and should leave the body via the digestive tract. However, because of the lipophilic/neurotropic nature of the neurotoxins, most are reabsorbed by the abundant nerve endings of the enteric nervous system (ENS) in the intestinal wall. The ENS has more neurons than the spinal chord. From the moment of mucosal uptake the toxins can potentially take 4 different paths: 1. neuronal uptake and via axonal transport to the spinal chord (sympathetic neurons) or brainstem (parasympathetics) – from here back to the brain. 2. Venous uptake and via the portal vein back to the liver 3. Lymphatic uptake and via the thoracic duct to the subclavian vein 4. Uptake by bowel bacteria and tissues of the intestinal tract Here is an incomplete list of common neurotoxins in order of importance: (i) Heavy metals: such as mercury, lead, cadmium and aluminium. (ii) Biotoxins: such as tetanus toxin, botulinum toxin (botox), ascaridin (from intestinal parasites), unspecified toxins from streptococci, staphylococci, lyme disease, clamydia, tuberculosis, fungal toxins and toxins produced by viruses. Biotoxins are minute molecules (200-1000 kilodaltons) containing nitrogen and sulfur. They belong to a group of chemical messengers which microorganisms use to control the host´s immune system, host behaviour and the host´s eating habits. (iii) Xenobiotics (man-made environmental toxins): such as dioxin, formaldehyde, insecticides, wood preservatives, PCBs etc. (iv) Food Preservatives, excitotoxins and cosmetics: such as aspartame (diet sweeteners) food colourings, flouride, methyl-and propyl-paraben, etc. I have found that mercury in it´s different chemical forms has a synergistic amplifying effect with all other neurotoxins. When mercury is removed, the body starts to more effectively eliminate all other neurotoxins, even if they are not adressed. What are the symptoms? Any illness can be caused by, or contributed to, or exagerated by neurotoxins. Fatigue, depression, insomnia, memory loss and blunting of the senses are common early symptoms (see list of mercury related symptoms on the following pages). How is the diagnosis established? 1. History of Exposure: (Did you ever have any amalgam fillings? A tick bite? etc) 2. Symptoms: (How is your short term memory? Do you have areas of numbness, strange sensations,etc) 3. Laboratory Testing: (Metals: hair, stool, serum, whole blood, urine analysis, xenobiotics: fatty tissue biopsy, urine) 4. Autonomic Response Testing: (Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt M.D., Ph.D.) 5. BioEnergetic Testing (EAV, kinesiology etc.) 6. Response to Therapeutic Trial 7. Functional Acuity Contrast Test (measure of Retinal Blood Flow) TREATMENT Why would we want to treat anyone at all? Is it really needed? Can the body not eliminate these toxins naturally on its own? Here is a short list of independent risk factors which can either cause accumulation of metals in an otherwise healthy body - or slow down, or inhibit the bodys own elimination processes. · genetics · occupational exposure to toxic material · prior illnesses · surgical operations · medication or ´recreational´ drug use · emotional trauma, especially in eary childhood · social status · high carbohydrate intake combined with protein malnutrition (especially in vegetarians) · use of homeopathic mercury · food allergies · the patients electromagnetic environment (mobile phone use, home close to power lines etc) · constipation · compromise of head/neck lymphatic drainage (sinusitis, tonsil ectomy scars, poor dental occusion) · number of dental amalgam fillings over the patients life-time, number of the patients mothers amalgam fillings We will discuss here only those elimination agents, which are natural, safe and have also been shown to be as effective (or more effective) than the few available pharmaceuticals. Because these products cannot be patented and exploited for unethical personal gain, little attention has been given to them by European or North American medical researchers. Many of the best scientific studies on this topic are from Asian countries. The basic program: High protein, mineral, fatty acid and fluid intake Rationale: · proteins provide the important precursors to the endogenous metal detox and shuttle agents, such as coeruloplasmin, metallothioneine, glutathione and others. The branched-chain amino acids in cow and goat whey have valuable independent detox effects. · Metals attach themselves only in places that are programmed for attachment of metal ions. Mineral deficiency provides the opportunity for toxic metals to attach themselves to vacant binding sites. A healthy mineral base is a prerequisite for all metal detox attempts (selenium, zinc, manganese, germanium, molybdenum etc.). Substituting minerals can detoxify the body by itself. Just as important are electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium), which help to transport toxic waste across the extracellular space towards the lymphatic and venous vessels. · Lipids (made from fatty acids) make up 60-80 % of the central nervous system and need to be constantly replenished. Deficiency makes the nervous system vulnerabe to the fat soluble metals, such as metallic mercury constantly escaping as odorless and invisible vapour evapourating from the amalgam fillings. · Without enough fluid intake the kidneys may become contaminated with metals. The basal membranes swell up and the kidneys can no longer efficiently filtrate toxins. Adding a balanced electrolyte solution in small amounts to water helps to restore intra-and extracellular fluid balance Cilantro (chinese parsley) This kitchen herb is capable of mobilizing mercury, cadmium, lead and aluminum in both bones and the central nervous system. It is probably the only effective agent in mobilizing mercury stored in the inracellular space (attached to mitochondria, tubulin, liposomes etc) and in the nucleus of the cell (reversing DNA damage of mercury). Because cilantro mobilizes more toxins then it can carry out of the body, it may flood the connective tissue (where the nerves reside) with metals, that were previously stored in safer hiding places. This process is called re-toxification. It can easily be avoided by simultaneously giving an intestinal toxin-absorbing agent. Our definite choice is the algal organism chlorella. A recent animal study demonstrated rapid removal of aluminum from the skeleton superior to any known other detox agent. Dosage and application of cilantro tincture: give 2 drops 2 times /day in the beginning, taken just before a meal or 30 minutes after taking chlorella (cilantro causes the gallbadder to dump bile - containing the excreted neurotoxins - into the small intestine. The bile-release occurs naturally as we are eating and is much enhanced by cilantro. If no chlorella is taken, most neurotoxins are reabsorbed on the way down the small intestine by the abundant nerve endings of the enteric nervous system). Gradually increase dose to 10 drops 3 times/day for full benefit. During the initial phase of the detox cilantro should be given 1 week on, 2 –3 weeks off. Other ways of taking cilantro: rub 5 drops twice/day into ankles for mobilization of metals in all organs, joints and structures below the diaphragm, and into the wrists for organs, joints and structures above the diaphragm. The wrists have dense autonomic innervation (axonal uptake of cilantro) and are crossed by the main lymphatic channels (lymphatic uptake). Cilantro tea: use 10 to 20 drops in cup of hot water. Sip slowly. Clears the brain quickly of many neurotoxins. Good for headaches and other acute syptoms (joint pains, angina, headache): rub 10 –15 drops into painful area. Often achieves almost instant pain relief. Chlorella: Both C.pyreneidosa (better absorption of toxins, but harder to digest) and C.vulgaris (higher CGF content – see below, easier to digest, less metal absorbing capability) are available. Chlorella has multiple health inducing effects: Antiviral (especially effective against the cytomegaly virus from the herpes family) · Toxin binding (mucopolysaccharide membrane) all known toxic metals, environmental toxins such as dioxin and others · Repairs and activates the bodys detoxification functions: · Dramatically increases reduced glutathion, · Sporopollein is as effective as cholestyramin in binding neurotoxins and more effective in binding toxic metals then any other natural substance found. · Various peptides restore coeruloplasmin and metallothioneine, · Lipids (12.4 %) alpha-and gamma-linoleic acid help to balance the increased intake of fish oil during our detox program and are necessary for a multitude of functions, including formation of ther peroxisomes. · Methyl-coblolamine is food for the nervous system, restores damaged neurons and has ist own detoxifying efect. · Chlorella growth factor helps the body detoxify itself in a yet not understood profound way. It appears that over millions of years chlorella has developed specific detoxifying proteins and peptides for every existing toxic metal. · The porphyrins in chlorophyl have their own strong metal binding effect. Chlorophyll also activates the PPAR-receptor on the nucleus of the cell which is responsible for the transcription of Dna and coding the formation of the peroxisomes (see fish oil), opening of the cell wall (unknown mechanism) which is necessary for all detox procedures, normalizes insulin resistance and much more. Medical drugs that activate the PPAR receptor (such as pioglitazone) have been effective in the treatment of breast and prostate cancer. · Super nutrient: 50-60% aminoacid content, ideal nutrient for vegetarians, methylcobolamin - the most easily absorbed and utilized form of B12, B6, minerals, chlorophyll, beta carotene etc. · Immune system strengthening · Restores bowel flora · Digestive aid (bulking agent) · Alkalinizing agent (important for patients with malignancies) Dosage: start with 1 gram (=4 tabl) 3-4 times/day. This is the standard maintainance dosage for grown ups for the 6-24 months of active detox. During the more active phase of the detox (every 2-4 weeks for 1 week), whenever cilantro is given, the dose can be increased to 3 grams 3-4 times per day (1 week on, 2-4 weeks back down to the maintainance dosage). Take 30 minutes before the main meals and at bedtime. This way chlorella is exactly in that portion of the small intestine where the bile squirts into the gut at the beginning of the meal, carrying with it toxic metals and other toxic waste. These are bound by the chlorella cell wall and carried out via the digestive tract. When amalgam fillings are removed, the higher dose should be given for 2 days before and 2-5 days after the procedure (the more fillings are removed, the longer the higher dose should be given). No cilantro should be given around the time of dental work. During this time we do not want to moblize deeply stored metals in addition to the expected new exposure. If you take Vitamin C during your detox program, take it as far away from Chlorella as possible (best after meals). Side effects: most side effects reflect the toxic effect of the mobilized metals which are shuttled through the organism. This problem is instantly avoided by significantly increasing the chlorella dosage, not by reducing it, which would worsen the problem (small chlorella doses mobilize more metals then are bound in the gut, large chlorella doses bind more toxins then are mobilized). Some people have problems digesting the cell membrane of chlorella. The enzyme cellulase resolves this problem. Cellulase is available in many health food stores in digestive enzyme products. Taking chlorella together with food also helps in some cases, even though it is less effective that way. C.vulgaris has a thinner cell wall and is better toerated by people with digestive problems. Some manufactures have created cell wall free chlorella extracts (NDF, PCA) which are very expensive, less effective - but easily absorbed. Chlorella growth factor This is a heat extract from chlorella that concentrates certain peptides, proteins and other ingredients. The research on CGF shows that children develop no tooth decay and their dentition (maxillary-facial development) is near perfect. There are less illnesses and children grow earlier to a larger size with higher I.Q and are socially more skilled. There are case reports of patients with dramatic tumor remissions after taking CGF in higher amounts. In our experience, CGF makes the detox experience for the patient much easier, shorter and more effective. Recommended dosage: 1 cap. CGF for each 20 tabl.chlorella Garlic (allium sativum) and wild garlic (allium ursinum) Garlic has been shown to protect the white and red blood cells from oxidative damage, caused by metals in the blood stream - on their way out – and also has ist own valid detoxification functions. Garlic contains numerous sulphur components, including the most valuable sulph-hydryl groups which oxidize mercury, cadmium and lead and make these metals water soluble. This makes it easy for the organism to excrete these subastances. Garlic also contains alliin whis is enzymatically transformed into allicin, natures most potent antimicrobial agent. Metal toxic patients almost always suffer from secondary infections, which are often responsible for part of the symptoms. Garlic also contains the most important mineral which protects from mercury toxicity, bio active selenium. Most selemium products are poorly absorbable and do not reach those body compartments in need for it. Garlic selenium is the most beneficial natural bioavailable source. Garlic is also protectice for against heart disease and cancer. The half life of allicin (after crushing garlic) is less then 14 days. Most commercial garlic products have no allicin releasing potential left. This distinguishes freeze dried garlic from all other products. Bear garlic tincture is excellent for use in detox, but less effective as antimicrobial agent. Dosage: 1-3 capsules freeze dried garlic after each meal. Start with 1 capsule after the main meal per day, slowly increase to the higher dosage. Initially the patient may experience die-off reactions (from killing pathogenic fungal or bacterial organisms). Use 5-10 drops bear-garlic on food at least 3 times per day. Fish oil: The fatty acid complexes EPA and DHA in fish oil make the red and white blood cells more flexible thus improving the microcirculation of the brain, heart and other tissues. All detoxification functions depend on optimal oxygen delivery and blood flow. EPA and DHA protect the brain from viral infections and are needed for the development of intelligence and eye-sight. The most vital cell organelle for detoxification is the peroxisome. These small structures are also responsible for the specific job each cell has: in the pineal gland the meltonin is produced in the peroxisome, in the neurons dopamine and norepinephrine, etc. It is here, where mercury and other toxic metal attach and disable the cell from doing its work. Other researchers have focussed on the mitochondria and other cellorganelles, which in our experience are damaged much later. The cell is constantly trying to make new peroxisomes to replace the damaged ones– for that task it needs an abundance of fatty acids, especially EPA and DHA. Until recently it was believed, that the body can manufacture ist own EPA/DHA from other Omega 3 fatty acids such as fish oil. Today we know, that this process is slow and cannot keep up with the enormous demand for EPA/DHA our systems have in todays toxic environment. Fish oil is now considered an essential nutrient, even for vegetarians. Recent research also revealed, that the transformation humans underwent when apes became intelligent and turned into humans happened only in coastal regions, where the apes started to consume large amounts of fish. Why not benefit from that knowledge and consume more fish oil? The fatty acids in fish oil are very sensitive to exposure to electromagnetic fields, temperature, light and various aspects of handling and processing. Trans fatty acids, long chain fatty acids, renegade fats and other oxydation products and contaminants are frequently found in most commercial products. Ideally, fish oil should be kept in an uninterrupted cooling chain until it ends up in the patients fridge. The fish-source should be mercury and contaminant free, which is becoming harder and harder. Fish oil should tast slightly fishy but not too much. If there is no fish taste, too much processing and manipulation has destroyed the vitality of the oil. If it tastes too fishy, oxydation products are present. I recommend to use the product recommended below (grade I), where meticulous care has been taken to comply with all the necessary parameters. The clinical results are outstanding. Dosage: 1 capsule Omega 3 taken 4 times/day during the active phase of treatment, 1 caps. twice/day for maintainance Best if taken together with chlorella The VegiPearls contain half the amount of EPA/DHA. The vegetarian capsules eliminate even the most remote possibility of containing prions and make the idea of taking fish oil more easily acceptable for vegetarians. Recently a fatty acid receptor has been discovred on the tongue, joining the other more known taste receptors. If the capsules are chewed, the stomach and pancreas start to prepare the digestive tract in exactly the right way to prepare for maximum absorption. Children love chewing the VegiPearls. To treat bipolar depression, post partum depression and other forms of mental disease, 2000 mg of EPA are needed/day ( Horrobin). For the modulation of malignancies, 120 mg of EPA 4 times/day are needed. The calculations can easily be done with the information given on the label. Balanced electolyte solution (Selectrolyte) The autonomic nervous system in most toxic patients is dysfunctional. Electric messages in the organism are not received, are misunderstood or misinterpreted. Toxins cannot be shuttled through the extracellular space. Increased intake of natural ocean salt (celtic sea salt) – and avoidance of regular table salt - has been found to be very effective in resolving some of these problems. Most effective is a solution pioneered by the American chemist Ketkovsky. He created the formula for the most effective electrolyte replacement, which was further improved by Morin Labs, and is now called „selectrolyte“. I recommend this to all my patients and have observed, that every aspect of the detoxification process seems to be enhanced. 5 % of the population is sodium or chloride sensitive – the blood pressure goes up (easily reversible). In these patients the detox process takes longer and is more difficult. Dosage: 1 tsp in a cup of good water 1-3 times/day During times of greater stress the dosage can be temporarily increased to 1 tbsp 3 times/day More agressive approaches, such as i.v Glutathione, Vit.C, DMPS, CaEDTA and others have a place in reasonably healthy people but often worsen the condition in patients with advanced illness. Most valuable is the addition of psychotherapeutic interventions such as applied psychoneurobiology (APN) and mental field therapy (MFT) to trigger the release of toxins from their hiding places. Chlorella, cilantro, garlic-products and fatty acids vary greatly in quality and nutrient content, also in content of contaminants. I no longer recommend BioReurella and other products that have not undergone or passed our quality control screening process. Heavy metal detox has to be done carefully and right! October 2002 Dietrich Klinghardt, MD, PhD Bellevue, Washington, USA www.neuraltherapy.com Martha wrote: As far as copper research goes, Dr. Eck's name and work is referred to more than any other in all that I have read. Do you have a reason to question his research? When I do a search for his name, also , what I find are sites that promote the kind of ideas that are not supported by repeatable experiments. I do not find other researchers, presenting results of repeatable experiments and studies, that reference his work. Until fairly recently there haven't been many big grants out there for copper research. Currently another man I hold in high regard is Dr. Bush of Harvard. Yes, I have seen some of his info. .... I think I mentioned that he is trying to prove that dysregulation of copper:zinc:iron levels is related to, if not the cause of, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's (!). There is an interesting connection to Parkinson's disease and achalasia, in both there can be Lewy bodies in the nerves. I can't find much about Lewy bodies in achalasia though, and they can also be found in healthy controls . However, you will find the following statement interesting. " This observation therefore could be implicated in the formation of Lewy bodies as lipids and metal-catalyzed oxidative stress have been considered to be a part of pathological causes leading to the neurodegeneration. " (Read " metal-catalyzed " as " copper-catalyzed " ) See: http://lansbury.bwh.harvard.edu/da_and_lewy_bodies.htm Also interesting: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=11585247 & dopt=Citation http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=12453634 & dopt=Abstract http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstract & list_uids=14758525 I really am NOT interested in a surgical " solution " to this achalasia problem. I am a great believer in cause and effect and see achalasia as an effect with a mysterious but real cause. The great incidence of repeated and even worsened problems in too many achalasia sufferers post surgery points to an underlying cause that is not cured by surgery. I don't think anyone is looking at surgery as a cure, but it does make life easier for many while we wait for a cure. It would be great if there is a cure before I need the surgery, but if I get bad enough I will have the surgery. I think achalasia must have something to do with nerve conduction and co-ordination so I am looking at neuro-transmitter functions and malfunctions - and the nutritional aspects of it all. Well, the dead and dying nerves don't conduct or coordinate very well. For me the question is, what is destroying the nerves? Another question is, why are some people better at times and worse at others? Do you have a pet theory or two on this subject? At one time I was into it being autoimmune with a genetic predisposition. It may still be that, but it seems there must be something more to it. It is also possible that it does not have one cause. Just as Chagas' can destroy the same nerves and cause achalasia, there may be other things that also do the same damage but do it in different ways so we have the same problems. Perhaps copper is one of them. ....if you ever want to send me any rock hard science re: achalasia!!! I'm all ears! I generally just do that here. notan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Mark I did not pass the CSV test, started on plain CSM for neurotoxins and I think it has helped. mpennfield <pennfield@...> wrote: Hello, I was wondering what peoples experiences have been with the neurotoxins screening test on the chronicneurotoxins web site. I took the sreening test and passed with no real problems, so my doctor said I probably don't have the neurotoxins. I'm still wondering if maybe I do have them. Is that screening test fairly reliable? Mark Questions and/or comments can be directed to the list owner at -Owner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 In my opinion, the online test isn't accurate at all, unless you take it with the exact same system that they designed it on. I took the online test and passed with flying colors. But when I went to Dr. Shoemaker's office and took the test in his office, I failed royally. I couldn't see half the boxes at all. So I very definitely have visual contrast sensitivity problems. But I could see every single box on the online test. In our case, we use the computer to do a lot of graphics artwork and video editing and production, so we have really high graphics capabilities. Probably not the best choice to use for taking the VCS test online with. The problem is that newer monitors can have higher resolution screens that affect visual contrast. The brightness can also be adjusted to maximize contrast. In my case, I had a high resolution screen, and the computer was set to have the highest possible resolution to begin with. You don't have the same ability to adjust contrast with the actual test that you do with a computer screen. I also found myself only a few inches away from the screen by the end of the test, because I had slowly leaned in during the testing. With the in person test, there is a bar that holds your head a set distance from the card. I've heard of a number of people who passed the online test, but failed the test in person. lindaj@... [ ] neurotoxins > > Hello, > > I was wondering what peoples experiences have been with the > neurotoxins screening test on the chronicneurotoxins web site. I > took the sreening test and passed with no real problems, so my > doctor said I probably don't have the neurotoxins. I'm still > wondering if maybe I do have them. Is that screening test fairly > reliable? > > Mark > > > > > > Questions and/or comments can be directed to the list owner at > -Owner > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2004 Report Share Posted August 20, 2004 I knew a Jane Urquhart in college that lived in VA. SHe was dating and I think married a guy named Fred. Is Jane any relation to you? T Urquhart <bomba_27910_1999@...> wrote:I took the chronic neurotoxins test last year and flunked. I think the many weeks that I took questran were helpful. Also it helps when taking the test, not to lean into the screen which I suspect can lead to a false negative. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2004 Report Share Posted August 20, 2004 Hello- I took the online test this morning and failed it. I couldn't see quite a few of the images, and I kind of guessed on some others. I have a Dell Latitude laptop running XP. Perhaps it was just a problem with the super high resolution screen. Might not be a problem for the average computer user. . . Dana Re: [ ] neurotoxins In my opinion, the online test isn't accurate at all, unless you take it with the exact same system that they designed it on. I took the online test and passed with flying colors. But when I went to Dr. Shoemaker's office and took the test in his office, I failed royally. I couldn't see half the boxes at all. So I very definitely have visual contrast sensitivity problems. But I could see every single box on the online test. In our case, we use the computer to do a lot of graphics artwork and video editing and production, so we have really high graphics capabilities. Probably not the best choice to use for taking the VCS test online with. The problem is that newer monitors can have higher resolution screens that affect visual contrast. The brightness can also be adjusted to maximize contrast. In my case, I had a high resolution screen, and the computer was set to have the highest possible resolution to begin with. You don't have the same ability to adjust contrast with the actual test that you do with a computer screen. I also found myself only a few inches away from the screen by the end of the test, because I had slowly leaned in during the testing. With the in person test, there is a bar that holds your head a set distance from the card. I've heard of a number of people who passed the online test, but failed the test in person. lindaj@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2004 Report Share Posted August 20, 2004 CSM - stands for cholestyramine (plain questran , no additives or sugar) Lucher <lucher@...> wrote: Mark I did not pass the CSV test, started on plain CSM for neurotoxins and I think it has helped. mpennfield wrote: Hello, I was wondering what peoples experiences have been with the neurotoxins screening test on the chronicneurotoxins web site. I took the sreening test and passed with no real problems, so my doctor said I probably don't have the neurotoxins. I'm still wondering if maybe I do have them. Is that screening test fairly reliable? Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2004 Report Share Posted August 21, 2004 I had to ask my doc here in Houston for some questran, the ones here (as far as I know) don't use it. The questran has sugar and proylene gylcol (sp?) in it, I am allergic to that chemical. I got the plain CSM from a compounding pharm. in Boulder CO. (college pharm) I think it has helped. cat777spikenard <cat777spikenard@...> wrote: I will be visiting Dr. M in the Dalla/Ft Worth area next Tuesday and was wondering if he puts you on questran right away. Since I have the horrible lyme headaches where the brain is swelling I'm assuming I have neurotoxins. I was reading a back article in Lyme Times about a woman who had been ill for 14 years and when she saw Dr. Shoemaker her lyme resolved. Do other docs follow this treatment?-Anne Questions and/or comments can be directed to the list owner at -Owner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2004 Report Share Posted August 21, 2004 > I will be visiting Dr. M in the Dalla/Ft Worth area next Tuesday and was > wondering if he puts you on questran right away. Anne, he tailors the treatments to the patient. i dont 'think' I did Questran, but there was a time I was trying lots of things and had some problems w/a lot of them, so dont know Grrrr dontcha hate when that happens? LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 27, 2004 Report Share Posted October 27, 2004 Am I mistaken or do they use these 'neurotoxins' as a bacterial killer, so that no bacteria grows in the vaccine, bacteria which could make a person very ill?? Not that that's any excuse however. I mean, why use a neurotoxin to kill bacteria when something else that doesn't harm our nervous system is in order eh?? > Vaccines = Neurotoxins > > I haven't read all of this yet, but wanted to put it > out there for any other interested party. I have been > saying that there are a great deal of illnesses that > can be connected to vaccines. My co-workers used to > think i was crazy because i would try, with success i > might add, to link many illnesses that walked through > the door to a recent vaccine. If your interested in > reading this i would keep in mind that vaccines > *attack* the immune system and the neurological > system. Let me know what you think. > > > New Theory Links Neurotoxins with Chronic Fatigue > Syndrome, lyme, MCS and Other Mystery Illnesses > ImmuneSupport.com > > 11-29-2002 > > By Patti Schmidt > PART 1 of 2 > Two doctors believe they've discovered a new brand of > illness and a new way for pathogens to make people > sick. They also have an FDA-approved treatment that > was effective in a small, preliminary clinical trial. > neurotoxic /nõr'ò tok'sik/, anything having a > poisonous effect on nerves and nerve cells, such as > the effect of lead on the brain and nerves. -The Mosby > Medical Encyclopedia > There are many theories and much disagreement about > what causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Multiple > Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), fibromyalgia (FM) and some > other chronic multi-symptom illnesses. Some science > points to abnormalities in the immune system's > viral-fighting pathways; other research to a cascading > combination of genealogical, environmental, and > health-and personality-related events and factors that > begin with a predisposition and a " bug " and ends with > someone who's chronically ill. And despite a rash of > recent scientific evidence to the contrary, some > out-of-touch physicians still insist sufferers are > just depressed. > While some blame stress and societal ills for the > widespread fatigue, depression, joint pain and > cognitive problems common to these illnesses, recent > research suggests these problems may instead be linked > to toxins generated by cells gone awry-that many > people are chronically ill due to biotoxins in their > system they cannot eliminate naturally. > Two scientists - family practice physician Ritchie C. > Shoemaker and EPA neurotoxicologist H. > Hudnell, Ph.D., - have collected data to back up this > " neurotoxin-mediated illness " theory, and they've > developed both a simple way to test for neurotoxins > and a treatment protocol featuring an effective, > FDA-approved prescription medicine that flushes toxins > safely from the body. > Shoemaker's website features information and research > as well as a way to measure toxin exposure potential. > After answering a brief health questionnaire about > symptoms and some questions designed to eliminate > confounding factors, it takes just five minutes and > $8.95 to take the online Visual Contrast Sensitivity > (VCS) test, which measures the impact of neurotoxins > on brain function. > Data from the questionnaire and vision test are > analyzed immediately to determine if users are likely > " positive " or " negative " for neurotoxins. The website > doesn't make an official diagnosis, but gives a push > in the right direction. Users can then take the test > results to a physician so they can be treated if > necessary. > The two say they have data to support the claim that > 90 percent of the people who test positive for > neurotoxins improve following their treatment > protocol. > " If you have the VCS deficit, the potential for > biotoxin exposure, and don't have other exposures or > medical conditions that could explain the deficit, our > data indicate that the response to toxin-binding > therapy is over 90 percent, " says Ritchie C. > Shoemaker, M.D., the physician who helped develop the > theory and the treatment. The story of how a > small-town family practice physician and a civil > servant who works for the EPA came up with that > theory- and how they found a treatment for the 10 > million Americans they claim it can help- is at least > as interesting as the theory itself. > The scientist > Ritchie Shoemaker always planned to have a rural > primary care practice. He graduated from Duke > University Medical School in North Carolina in 1977, > courtesy of the National Health Service Corps, which > paid for his medical education in return for a stint > serving under-served areas of the U.S. In July of > 1980, following a Family Practice residency in > port, Pa., the NHSC sent him to its clinic in > Pokomoke City, Md. > " I could hardly believe that the government was going > to pay my way through a few years at Duke Medical > School, in order to do something I already wanted to > do, " he said. > Pokomoke City was then a thinly populated small town > situated along the Pokomoke River, a tributary of the > 200-mile long Chesapeake Bay. The Pokomoke itself > flows South from Delaware, 80-miles long and just 50 > yards wide in some places. > At the time they settled there, Shoemaker and his > young wife JoAnn were newlyweds. Taking great pleasure > in the idyllic setting, they became involved in civic > activities; had a daughter, Sally; and began > protecting the unique ecology of the Lower Eastern > Shore, building and restoring wetland ponds, wetland > gardens and a mile-long nature trail. > " This was everything I had ever wanted, " said the > doctor. " I had the love of a spouse and family, the > love of my practice and of my land. I was happy. " > In 1996, the first reports of " sick fish " in the river > began appearing in local newspapers. It wasn't long > afterward that some of his friends and patients began > complaining of flu-like symptoms. " They had nasty > headaches, diarrhea, rash, cough, persistent muscle > aches and failures in short-term memory, " says > Shoemaker. > His intuition, backed by a solid grounding in science > (he was a biology major in his undergraduate days) > told him the sick fish and the sudden illness among > his patients were related. When someone brought him a > dead fish, fresh from the Pokomoke, the curious young > doctor put it under a microscope. > " The link was the river, " Shoemaker says in the book > he wrote about these events, Pfiesteria: Crossing Dark > Water. " Each one of them had spent time working or > playing in the slow-moving Pokomoke during the summer > of 1997. " > He had no idea that what was under that microscope > would change his life and put him at the uneasy nexus > where politics, ecology and medicine meet. > The collaborator > Meanwhile, Shoemaker's research collaborator Hilton > Hudnell, PhD, a calm, soft-spoken > neurotoxicologist, was building a civil service career > at the Environmental Protection Agency. > Ken Hudnell grew up in North Carolina, where the Neuse > and Trent rivers join at New Bern. In a twist of fate, > the Neuse was where Pfiesteria-related fish kills were > first found - the very same organism thought to > produce the devastating effects Shoemaker observed > under his microscope and in his clinic. > " It's not the same river system that I played on while > growing up, " says Hudnell today. " Back then there were > few fish kills, and people didn't associate human > illness with them. My nemesis was seaweed growing on > the bottom and clogging my outboard motor. Now in many > places, the seaweed has been choked out by surface > blooms of cyanobacteria-blue-green algae- due to > pollutant runoff from massive hog farms upstream from > New Bern. " > A one-celled dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria piscicida is > colloquially known as the " fish killer " in areas where > it has wreaked its havoc on the local ecosystem. > Pfiesteria wasn't the first dinoflagellate that caught > Ken Hudnell's attention. After majoring in chemistry > and psychology at the University of North Carolina at > Chapel Hill, he moved to the Virgin Islands for three > years to start a diving business. > " I soon learned that you don't eat certain types of > fish that feed around the reefs, " he remembered. > " Those fish ate a dinoflagellate called Ciguatera and > accumulated their toxins. When people ate the fish, > they got violently ill. Many recovered completely > after a few days, but others remained chronically ill. > Now I know why - they had biotoxin circulating in > their bodies that they couldn't eliminate. " His > experience with ciguatoxins and other biotoxins in the > Caribbean compelled Hudnell to return to the U.S. to > enter graduate school. " I wanted to understand the > relationships between neurobiology, toxic exposures > and human illness, " he said. > Hudnell received a graduate degree from his alma mater > and is an adjunct professor there now. His work at the > EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects > Research Laboratory, which involves using a battery of > neurobehavioral and electrophysiological tests to > measure sensory, motor and cognitive functions in > people affected by toxic exposures, has been > recognized with two of the agency's Science and > Technology Achievement Rewards. > At the EPA, Dr. Hudnell developed a theory explaining > the worldwide increase in biotoxin-related events: > human activities and natural events impact the earth's > water, land and air, altering the habitat and > promoting the development and spread of toxic > organisms. Those toxic organisms, in turn, impact man > as well as the ecosystem we all have to share. > It's an interdependent circle, which features mankind > using up land, air and sea resources, all the while > ignoring the symptoms of burgeoning environmental > problems that place us in peril. > Two hundred and fifty miles north, Ritchie Shoemaker > was independently coming to the same conclusions. > Chronic illness, he was beginning to believe, was > partly a result of the damage we've done to the > ecosystem. > Take lyme disease, for example: As millions of people > in the city moved to the suburbs- and then further out > into the countryside when the suburbs became crowded- > they altered the habitat to one favored by mice and > deer. Houses and new landscaping provided food and > cover, and eliminated the predators of a growing deer > population. > Deer and mice are tolerant hosts, allowing ticks to > complete their life cycle by providing a reservoir of > blood-borne pathogens for the ticks to deposit into a > human who happens to be in the " wrong " place (like his > back yard), at the wrong time, leaving behind a tell > tale trail of acute or chronic illness. If we hadn't > destroyed their original habitat, in other words, we > may never have gotten close enough to become a > temporary feeding trough for the tick. > The doctor and the scientist met when Shoemaker, > hungry for more data on Pfiesteria, called Hudnell at > the EPA one July morning in 1998. " At 10:15 a.m., I > read that Ken had found Pfiesteria patients showed a > visual contrast deficit that lasted a year or more, " > remembers Shoemaker. " By 10:17 a.m., we were on the > phone and working together. " > Hudnell's early work as a UNC undergraduate led him to > the VCS literature. He developed a VCS test on an > oscilloscope screen early in his graduate studies > there, soon after it was first reported in the > scientific literature that the visual system was more > sensitive to mid-size bar patterns than to smaller- or > larger-size bar patterns. " I realized that this meant > there were different processes in the eye and brain > for detecting different aspects of a visual pattern, > and I wanted to understand how they worked, " he said. > " Later I found that those processes were > differentially susceptible to disruption by various > toxins and disease processes. " > While VCS testing had been used in neurotoxic > exposure, Hudnell was the first to use it to measure > the effects of biotoxin exposure and heavy metal > toxicity, or as a marker for neurotoxic exposures like > Pfiesteria. > The mystery > Back at microscope in the summer of 1997, Shoemaker > found a slimy fish that was the first example he saw > of just how much damage a toxin-producing organism > could do in the right set of circumstances. > In his search for answers, over the next few years he > became intimately familiar with the habits and > neurotoxic illnesses of fresh water and sea animals > including fish, birds, alligators, turtles and > pelicans. He studied basic and esoteric subjects, > including predator-prey relationships of aquatic > invertebrates; plants; phytoplankton; the pathology of > invertebrate organisms in marine and estuarine > environments; pesticide physiology; and the study of > the rhizosphere, the interface between a root and its > immediate environment. > He consulted experts in fields such as pathology; > toxicology; biochemistry; geochemistry; physiology; > estuarine limnology; and even membrane ionophore > chemistry, the study of the passage of organisms and > molecules in aqueous solutions across membranes. He > learned how pesticides degrade in air, water and > subsoils. > Given the intense political controversy that an > environmentally acquired illness like Pfiesteria > created, he needed this knowledge to piece together a > mystery: Was there a link between the fish kills and > the illnesses his patients were suffering? Why didn't > the body rid itself of these toxins naturally? Do > bacteria, fungi, algae and other tiny organisms > manufacture toxins that linger on in the human body, > long after the organisms themselves are dead? > Eventually, Shoemaker figured out that his patients > had a new illness, originally named Pfiesteria human > illness syndrome in his 1997 article in the land > Medical Journal. The CDC renamed the illness > " Estuarine-Associated Syndrome " in 1998, and " Possible > Estuarine-Associated Syndrome " (PEAS) in 2000. > It took Shoemaker a few more years to put together his > " chronic neurotoxin-mediated illness " theory and some > time after that to gather the data to tell him his > theory was sound. In the end, he believes he and > Hudnell have discovered a new brand of illness and a > new way for pathogens to make people sick. The two > have continued to gather data fleshing out the theory > with more clinical and molecular information. > In the meantime, Shoemaker built up his medical > practice, winning the 2000 land Family Doctor of > the Year Award and being named one of five finalists > for the National Family Practice Doctor of the Year > Award in 2002. At the same time, he battled state and > local bureaucrats who continued to tell people, " the > river is safe, " despite evidence to the contrary. > When Shoemaker went to the press with his theory and > his data during the outbreak in land in 1997, the > bureaucrats did everything they could to ruin his > reputation. One state official quoted in the local > newspapers accused him of " scientific malpractice, " > and claimed he was " out of his field " when it came to > the sciences. > Their refusal to see -and say -the truth simply drove > him to work harder. When residents near the St. Lucie > River near Stuart on Florida's East Coast suffered a > rash of dinoflagellate illnesses in 1998, they > listened to Shoemaker's theories of copper toxicity. > Copper binds to pesticides, giving them easier > entrance into organisms. If predators of > dinoflagellates are more susceptible to the > copper-pesticide toxicity than dinoflagellates, a > decrease in the predator population could result in an > increase in the dinoflagellate population. Also, if > prey of dinoflagellates are killed at lower exposure > levels than dinoflagellates, this might put pressure > on the dinoflagellates to produce and release toxins > in order to kill fish for a food source. > Then Florida officials earmarked $30 million to build > lagoons that filter runoff from copper-laden citrus > groves, bought wetland farms to restore them and > dredged contaminated sections of the St. Lucie. They > levied a three-year, one percent sales tax to pay for > these improvements. > The CSM treatment proved just as effective in Florida > as it did in land. About 15 residents and > investigators working on the St. Lucie became ill with > multiple systems symptoms and suffered a VCS deficit. > They responded well to CSM therapy given by four local > Florida physicians. > But like the guy who discovered that a bug causes > ulcers, Shoemaker found the medical community in > land reluctant to applaud his new theory. In fact, > it was met with active resistance, he said. For > example, the head of ophthalmology at the University > of land School of Medicine dismissed the value of > visual contrast testing in helping to diagnose lyme > disease by simply saying, " I don't think so. " > In his spare time, Shoemaker also wrote four books: > Gateway Press, in Baltimore, Md., published > Pfiesteria: Crossing Dark Water, a 360-page tally of > the outbreak in the waters of the Pokomoke, in 1997; > Weight Loss and Maintenance: My Way Works, a 325-page > explanation of a weight loss mechanism with > maintenance rates that exceed 70 percent, in 1998; and > Desperation Medicine, the 519-page saga of his > findings that neurotoxins are responsible for many > chronic illnesses, in 2001. His latest book, Lose the > Weight You Hate, is a 454-page update of his earlier > diet primer which adds recipes, an explanation of how > neurotoxic illnesses contribute to obesity and > diabetes, and a discussion of the importance of genes > and how they effect weight loss. > The test > Despite the disbelief, Shoemaker and Hudnell can point > to data, accumulated since the mid-60s, that visual > contrast sensitivity deficits exist in diseases like > Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and in > Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. > In fact, experts suspect that many diseases involve > deficits in visual perception, but there's little > research relating toxic exposures to differences in > visual function before diagnosing disease. Visual > contrast sensitivity testing assesses the quality of > vision. It differs from typical visual acuity testing > in that it simulates " real-world " circumstances, while > routine visual acuity testing measures eyesight under > the best possible conditions. > " That's why measuring visual contrast sensitivity in > patients who report difficulty with their vision, yet > see well on the conventional visual acuity eye chart, > is particularly useful, " says Hudnell. The test is > performed by showing the patient a series of stripes > or bars that slant in different directions. The > patient must identify which way each series of stripes > is tilted. As the test progresses, the bars become > thinner and lighter. People with excellent contrast > sensitivity can discern the orientation of even very > light, thin bars; patients with neurotoxic damage > cannot. > After chronic exposure to many organic solvents, VCS > is the most sensitive indicator of effects from many > toxins, either because the visual system is highly > susceptible to neurotoxins or because even small > deficits can be measured, according to Hudnell. > " The visual system is the ideal place to look for > evidence of neurotoxicity, " he says. " The retina is a > microcosm of the brain; it contains most of the cell > types and biochemicals that are in the brain. So the > retina is as susceptible as the rest of the brain to > neurotoxic effects. " > According to Hudnell, this " piece of brain, " being > near the front of the face, is in close contact with > the environment. Chemicals may be directly absorbed > from the air into the retina, so the potential for > exposure to neurotoxins is greater in the retina than > in the brain. But unlike the brain, he points out, the > visual system has few functional outputs (pattern and > motion detection, or color discrimination, for > example) and we can easily measure them. The VCS test > measures the least amount of stimulation needed to > detect a stationary pattern. > " As neurologic function decreases due to toxicity, > more and more stimulation is needed to see the > patterns, " he explains. > The effect can be huge; the Pfiesteria cohort in one > of Shoemaker and Hudnell's studies showed a 60 percent > loss of VCS on average relative to controls. > " When we see VCS drops like this following exposure, > and see it recover following treatment to eliminate > the toxins, we're seeing an indication of how strongly > the toxins may be affecting the entire nervous > system, " says Hudnell. " Of course, biotoxins don't > just affect the nervous system. They trigger release > of inflammatory agents in the body that can inflame > almost any organ and cause multiple-system symptoms. " > The theory > And that's where Shoemaker and Hudnell's theory > begins, with biotoxins in the body that some people - > as many as 10 million Americans - cannot naturally > eliminate, resulting in many chronic illnesses. > The two men believe these poisonous chemical compounds > continually circuit the human body, shuttling from > nerve to muscle to brain to sinus to G.I. tract and > other organs, triggering the familiar symptoms. > These symptoms are similar to those caused by > infectious agents, and so is the effect they have on > nerve, muscle, lung, intestines, brain and sinus, say > the researchers. > Shoemaker and Hudnell say the compounds are > manufactured by a growing number of microorganisms > that thrive in our ecosystem due to changes in the > human habitat. > " New biotoxins or toxin-forming organisms are being > identified all the time, " notes Hudnell. > Some, like the deer tick that passes along lyme > disease, do so directly. Toxin-forming bugs such as > the fungi (Stachybotrys and others) that cause > " sick-building syndrome " and the blue-green algae > (Cylindrospermopsis and Microcystis) that poison > people and animals in most of the lakes in Central > Florida, do their work by releasing their toxins into > air or water. > And although the pathogens differ, Shoemaker and > Hudnell say the biotoxins they produce all do their > damage by setting off a similar " exaggerated > inflammatory response " in humans. While hiding out in > fatty tissues where blood-borne disease-fighters can't > get at them, they trick the body's immune system into > launching attacks against joints, muscles, nerves and > brain. > There is increasing evidence to show these attacks are > carried out by a newly discovered group of molecules, > the " pro-inflammatory cytokines, " and that the > destruction they cause is linked to recent surges in > the rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes. > Illnesses once blamed solely on diet and life-style > choices are now being shown to have an inflammatory > basis. > And while infections cause a cytokine response from > white blood cells, especially macrophages, the > cytokine response to neurotoxins comes from fat cells. > > " The body can turn off the macrophage cytokine > response, so that the achiness, fever, headache and > fatigue of a cold will go away, but there's no > negative feedback that stops the cytokine response > from fat cells, " says Shoemaker. " So the illness > doesn't self-heal. " The team's research found that > through typing of immune response genes, the HLA DR, > they can show that individual susceptibility to > particular neurotoxins is associated with particular > genetic factors not found in others with a different > neurotoxic illness or in controls. In other words, > they're beginning to crack the code to show that some > people are genetically predisposed to get certain > chronic fatiguing illnesses. > But the research that links these things - the > exaggerated inflammatory response, which may also > involve an autoimmune response by a process called > " molecular mimicry " -and its link to heart disease, > for example, is in its infancy, so the medical > community remains skeptical. > Nonetheless, Shoemaker thinks these provocative > discoveries will eventually require researchers to > confront the grim possibility that these organisms > have learned how to skew immune responses by using > powerful toxins to decimate the body's disease > protection system. The diagnosis According to > Shoemaker, a diagnosis of chronic, biotoxin-induced > illness is based on biotoxin exposure potential, > multiple system symptoms, the VCS deficit discovered > by Dr. Hudnell, and no other reasonable explanation > for the illness. " As opposed to illnesses which have > no supporting tests or biomarkers like fibromyalgia, > CFS, depression, irritable bowel disease, or just > getting older, our approach gives the physician > readily obtained hard data to use as a marker and, > more importantly, as a monitor that changes > dynamically with response to treatment, " says > Shoemaker. > Hudnell points out that new tests for cytokine levels, > hormone levels and blood flow in the microvasculature > of the retina help characterize how biotoxins induce > chronic illness. The new HLA genotype tests (the DNA > PCR assays -not the serology or transplant tests) also > help identify people who are at risk for developing > chronic illness from particular biotoxins because > they're unable to eliminate those toxins. > " Patients must have a compatible history, the deficit > in VCS, the HLA genotype, an abnormal cytokine > response, and the abnormal effects of cytokines on > hypothalamic hormones, especially melanocyte > stimulating hormone (MSH), " said Shoemaker. " All CFS > patients should have the MSH test done. " > Shoemaker and Hudnell's data show that there's a group > of CSM treatment-resistant CFS patients who are > coagulase negative Staph (CNS) positive and who have > high leptin levels. Leptin is a hormone made by fat > cells that signals the satiety center in the > hypothalamus that a person is no longer hungry. > Leptin stimulates the production of alpha melanocyte > stimulating hormone (MSH), which in turn controls > production of endorphins (the body's natural > " opiates " ) and melatonin (which regulates sleep) in > the hypothalamus. CFS patients rarely have much MSH. > Eradicating CNS does nothing to the high leptin and > low MSH levels in patients with " end-stage CFS, " says > Shoemaker, but it certainly does in patients who are > diagnosed acutely and treated aggressively, preventing > irreversible damage to the MSH-manufacturing pathway. > " We must recognize that the process by which CFS > develops may include an acute neurotoxic event which > includes upper respiratory symptoms, " says Shoemaker. > Shoemaker believes that the secondary cytokine damage > from neurotoxic exposure changes the mucus membranes > in the nose, allowing biofilm-forming, slow-growing > CNS to release hemolysins (once called delta toxins) > that in turn activate a powerful cytokine response. > The boost in cytokines disrupts the leptin-MSH > production link. This classic, positive feedback > system increases cytokines and CNS and reduces MSH. > " While the data is certainly compatible with this > model, I haven't asked for volunteers to put CNS in > their noses to watch for subsequent development of > CFS, " says Shoemaker jokingly. But the team has found > particular genotypes of the immune response genes in > HLA-DR that show marked consistency within a diagnosis > group and marked disparity in other diagnostic groups. > > Shoemaker won't yet say that the HLA DR genes or the > abnormalities in the leptin/MSH pathway are the " Holy > Grail " of CFS research, but will admit that there are > unique HLA genes in his CFS patients; that his Sick > Building Syndrome patients have at least three unique > triplets of gene biomarkers; his Post-lyme patients > have two; and that these gene-types are quite > different from each other. Is CFS an illness that > includes a genetic susceptibility to particular > neurotoxins, which trigger cytokines associated with > carrying CNS, that produce nerve, hormone and immune > system dysfunction in the ventromedial nucleus of the > hypothalamus? Maybe, says Shoemaker. > " If our study shows that replacement of MSH improves > many (or most!) of the abnormalities of CFS, I'll > believe that, " says Shoemaker. That study will be done > after the animal studies required by the FDA are > completed. They hope it will establish an effective > MSH dose and the most effective method of MSH > delivery, as well as confirm that symptoms reoccur > when MSH is stopped, and then again show benefit when > an effective does is reinstituted. > They'll do baseline VCS tests and MSH levels first, > and will attempt to show that high levels of > plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), tumor > necrosis factor alpha and leptin improve after > treatment. > A longer trial is planned, pending initial results. > That study, which will be done when funds are > obtained, will also attempt to show that high levels > of PAI-1 and leptin improve after treatment. Shoemaker > believes PAI-1 is likely to be responsible for the > extra clotting and vascular disease frequently found > in CFS patients, and that once leptin levels fall, CFS > patients who have gained weight will be able to lose > it. > The website > Before you can take the CS exam at Dr. Shoemaker's web > site (http://www.chronicneurotoxins.com), you have to > register and get a log-in identity and password, as > well as answer symptom and medical history > questionnaires. Then you can buy a VCS test for $8.95, > or a package with several tests and treatment > protocols for $49.95. The preliminary test (a free > questionnaire) assesses the symptoms commonly > associated with biotoxin-induced illness, as well as > your potential for exposure. > " Many symptoms of and potential exposures to biotoxins > are not yet well known by physicians, " says Shoemaker, > " So they're easily overlooked. " > After you take the test, your results are available > immediately. They can also be sent to your physician. > If your physician isn't familiar with the theory or > protocol, the website mentions a list of referral > physicians across the nation, or you can request to > see Dr. Shoemaker in his Pokomoke City office. (A > second part to this article will detail the author's > diagnostic and treatment experiences at Dr. > Shoemaker's clinic.) > The treatment protocol > Cholestyramine (CSM) is an FDA-approved medication > which has been used to safely lower elevated levels of > cholesterol for more than 20 years. It isn't absorbed; > if it's not taken with food, it binds cholesterol, > bile salts and biological toxins from bile in the > small intestine, and then the CSM-toxin complex is > excreted harmlessly. Science - or Shoemaker and > Hudnell -doesn't have definitive answers yet as to > exactly how or why CSM clears neurotoxins from the > body, but a double-blind, placebo-controlled, > cross-over clinical trial of eight Pfiesteria patients > positive for biotoxins showed that those who took a > placebo remained ill, but improved following CSM > treatment. Data from 30 others he's gathered since > matches the original study data. > Shoemaker says while some patients notice immediate > improvements, lyme disease patients who've been sick > for more than five years usually require toxin-binding > therapy for 4-8 weeks, he says. " Most patients improve > in two weeks, some with complete abatement of > symptoms, but depending on the amount of toxin in your > body, it may take longer, " says Shoemaker. > He believes the response of these patients to CSM > therapy shows the underlying common theme of > neurotoxin-mediated illness, and that the proof that > toxins were responsible for the illness is found when > patients recover, i.e., have no symptoms following > treatment with his protocol. > " The proof of neurotoxin effect comes from watching > the biomarkers change with treatment and relapse with > re-exposure, " says Shoemaker. " There's very strong > evidence, especially in the Sick Building Syndrome > patients. " Hudnell agrees. > " The best evidence that biotoxins are causing the > illnesses comes from cases with repeated illness, " > says the toxicologist. " When you see patients with > chronic illness recover vision as symptoms resolve > while being treated with a drug that can do nothing > but remove compounds from circulation, then see vision > plummet and symptoms return following re-exposure to > sources of toxins, and finally see re-recovery with > re-treatment, sometimes for three or four cycles, you > become convinced that it's the toxins causing the > illness. " > In another study of 51 post lyme disease patients > treated with CSM after a tick bite, both those who > tested positive and those who tested negative to lyme > had the same number of symptoms after treatment as > matched controls. Shoemaker says that data from more > than 500 other patients he's seen since matches the > study data. Prior to treatment, the chronic lyme > disease patients had a statistically significant VCS > deficit. Following treatment, all patients' clinical > syndrome was gone; and their VCS scores and the number > of symptoms were the same as that of the controls. > Some of these lyme disease patients, especially those > who'd been sick longer then three years, suffered what > Shoemaker calls " a symptom intensification reaction " > early in CSM therapy, similar to, but more intense > than, the Herxheimer reactions experienced previously > during antibiotic treatment. The reaction was reduced > with pioglitazone (Actos) therapy or prevented by > pretreatment with Actos, which downregulates > proinflammatory cytokine production by fat cells. > Patients who weren't reexposed to another tick bite > didn't relapse, though follow-up was stopped at 18 > months. > There are other diagnoses- chronic Ciguatera seafood > poisoning, Possible Estuary Associated Syndrome, brown > recluse spider bites and mycotoxicosis-that were > thought to involve biotoxins, but for which there was > no known, effective treatment. Shoemaker has treated > patients with these illnesses successfully with > cholestyramine, too. Over the years Hudnell has done > studies that linked environmental exposure to > neurotoxicants like airborne solvents and metals to > adverse neurologic effects in humans, including VCS > deficits. But there was no treatment for it. > " There was nothing I could do to help them, and the > impairments were permanent, " he said. " So I was > ecstatic when we found that a simple treatment, taken > for a short period of time, could benefit so many > people who had suffered severe chronic illness due to > biotoxins. " News spreading Others have gotten excited > about this research: Cheney has used the VCS test > and a modified version of the protocol to treat > patients at his Bald Head Island Clinic in North > Carolina. > Chuck Lapp, director of the Hunter Hopkins Center in > Charlotte, NC, also plans to put one of the machines > in his office. " A number of my patients have > complained that I wear loud, patterned clothing, and > that it bothers their vision when I wear a patterned > tie, so I think there may be something to this, " he > said. > There are also almost 50 physicians in a nationwide > referral network who are familiar with the VCS test > and the treatment protocol; for more information, > contact the website for the name and number of the > doctor nearest you. > Recent advances > In June, Hudnell and Shoemaker presented data from > their latest studies on Sick Building Syndrome and > Post lyme Syndrome at the 8th International Symposium > on Neurobehavioral Methods and Effects in Occupational > and Environmental Health in Brescia, Italy, where Dr. > Hudnell chaired a session on biotoxins. Shoemaker > co-chaired. Next, they plan to conduct human studies > that will more definitively characterize the > proinflammatory cytokine basis of chronic, > biotoxin-induced illness, and describe the permanent > damage that they think has occurred in the > hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of those who > had the highest exposure levels for the longest > periods of time. > They also want to do the animal studies and human > trials needed for FDA approval of hormone replacement > therapy that they think will help those with permanent > damage. To that end, Dr. Shoemaker has established a > not-for-profit corporation, the Center for Research on > Biotoxin Associated Illness (CRBAI). > " If the research is to get done, CRBAI needs to raise > funds through grants and donations from private > organizations and individuals because there is > virtually no Federal funding of research in this > area, " said Shoemaker. > In the meantime, he still sees patients every day in > his Market Street office, many suffering from chronic, > neurotoxic illnesses. Both Shoemaker and Hudnell > routinely get calls from all over the world asking for > advice on toxic outbreaks and how to treat them. New > patients are still taking the tests on the website and > beginning CSM treatment. > So as physician Osler advocated long before > the advent of the biotoxin-mediated illness theory, to > find the proper diagnosis, Ritchie Shoemaker listens > to the patient. > " Recognizing the pattern of a neurotoxic illness is as > subtle as being run over by a steamroller, once you > learn how to ask the right questions, " he says. > Physicians need to learn to ask the patient a few more > questions in a new order-in essence, take an organized > neurotoxin history, he says. " All our biomarkers and > all our data and all our nice molecular models simply > provide an academic foundation for what the bedside > physician already knows to be true, " insists > Shoemaker. " The toxins did it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 27, 2004 Report Share Posted October 27, 2004 Am I mistaken or do they use these 'neurotoxins' as a bacterial killer, so that no bacteria grows in the vaccine, bacteria which could make a person very ill?? Not that that's any excuse however. I mean, why use a neurotoxin to kill bacteria when something else that doesn't harm our nervous system is in order eh?? > Vaccines = Neurotoxins > > I haven't read all of this yet, but wanted to put it > out there for any other interested party. I have been > saying that there are a great deal of illnesses that > can be connected to vaccines. My co-workers used to > think i was crazy because i would try, with success i > might add, to link many illnesses that walked through > the door to a recent vaccine. If your interested in > reading this i would keep in mind that vaccines > *attack* the immune system and the neurological > system. Let me know what you think. > > > New Theory Links Neurotoxins with Chronic Fatigue > Syndrome, lyme, MCS and Other Mystery Illnesses > ImmuneSupport.com > > 11-29-2002 > > By Patti Schmidt > PART 1 of 2 > Two doctors believe they've discovered a new brand of > illness and a new way for pathogens to make people > sick. They also have an FDA-approved treatment that > was effective in a small, preliminary clinical trial. > neurotoxic /nõr'ò tok'sik/, anything having a > poisonous effect on nerves and nerve cells, such as > the effect of lead on the brain and nerves. -The Mosby > Medical Encyclopedia > There are many theories and much disagreement about > what causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Multiple > Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), fibromyalgia (FM) and some > other chronic multi-symptom illnesses. Some science > points to abnormalities in the immune system's > viral-fighting pathways; other research to a cascading > combination of genealogical, environmental, and > health-and personality-related events and factors that > begin with a predisposition and a " bug " and ends with > someone who's chronically ill. And despite a rash of > recent scientific evidence to the contrary, some > out-of-touch physicians still insist sufferers are > just depressed. > While some blame stress and societal ills for the > widespread fatigue, depression, joint pain and > cognitive problems common to these illnesses, recent > research suggests these problems may instead be linked > to toxins generated by cells gone awry-that many > people are chronically ill due to biotoxins in their > system they cannot eliminate naturally. > Two scientists - family practice physician Ritchie C. > Shoemaker and EPA neurotoxicologist H. > Hudnell, Ph.D., - have collected data to back up this > " neurotoxin-mediated illness " theory, and they've > developed both a simple way to test for neurotoxins > and a treatment protocol featuring an effective, > FDA-approved prescription medicine that flushes toxins > safely from the body. > Shoemaker's website features information and research > as well as a way to measure toxin exposure potential. > After answering a brief health questionnaire about > symptoms and some questions designed to eliminate > confounding factors, it takes just five minutes and > $8.95 to take the online Visual Contrast Sensitivity > (VCS) test, which measures the impact of neurotoxins > on brain function. > Data from the questionnaire and vision test are > analyzed immediately to determine if users are likely > " positive " or " negative " for neurotoxins. The website > doesn't make an official diagnosis, but gives a push > in the right direction. Users can then take the test > results to a physician so they can be treated if > necessary. > The two say they have data to support the claim that > 90 percent of the people who test positive for > neurotoxins improve following their treatment > protocol. > " If you have the VCS deficit, the potential for > biotoxin exposure, and don't have other exposures or > medical conditions that could explain the deficit, our > data indicate that the response to toxin-binding > therapy is over 90 percent, " says Ritchie C. > Shoemaker, M.D., the physician who helped develop the > theory and the treatment. The story of how a > small-town family practice physician and a civil > servant who works for the EPA came up with that > theory- and how they found a treatment for the 10 > million Americans they claim it can help- is at least > as interesting as the theory itself. > The scientist > Ritchie Shoemaker always planned to have a rural > primary care practice. He graduated from Duke > University Medical School in North Carolina in 1977, > courtesy of the National Health Service Corps, which > paid for his medical education in return for a stint > serving under-served areas of the U.S. In July of > 1980, following a Family Practice residency in > port, Pa., the NHSC sent him to its clinic in > Pokomoke City, Md. > " I could hardly believe that the government was going > to pay my way through a few years at Duke Medical > School, in order to do something I already wanted to > do, " he said. > Pokomoke City was then a thinly populated small town > situated along the Pokomoke River, a tributary of the > 200-mile long Chesapeake Bay. The Pokomoke itself > flows South from Delaware, 80-miles long and just 50 > yards wide in some places. > At the time they settled there, Shoemaker and his > young wife JoAnn were newlyweds. Taking great pleasure > in the idyllic setting, they became involved in civic > activities; had a daughter, Sally; and began > protecting the unique ecology of the Lower Eastern > Shore, building and restoring wetland ponds, wetland > gardens and a mile-long nature trail. > " This was everything I had ever wanted, " said the > doctor. " I had the love of a spouse and family, the > love of my practice and of my land. I was happy. " > In 1996, the first reports of " sick fish " in the river > began appearing in local newspapers. It wasn't long > afterward that some of his friends and patients began > complaining of flu-like symptoms. " They had nasty > headaches, diarrhea, rash, cough, persistent muscle > aches and failures in short-term memory, " says > Shoemaker. > His intuition, backed by a solid grounding in science > (he was a biology major in his undergraduate days) > told him the sick fish and the sudden illness among > his patients were related. When someone brought him a > dead fish, fresh from the Pokomoke, the curious young > doctor put it under a microscope. > " The link was the river, " Shoemaker says in the book > he wrote about these events, Pfiesteria: Crossing Dark > Water. " Each one of them had spent time working or > playing in the slow-moving Pokomoke during the summer > of 1997. " > He had no idea that what was under that microscope > would change his life and put him at the uneasy nexus > where politics, ecology and medicine meet. > The collaborator > Meanwhile, Shoemaker's research collaborator Hilton > Hudnell, PhD, a calm, soft-spoken > neurotoxicologist, was building a civil service career > at the Environmental Protection Agency. > Ken Hudnell grew up in North Carolina, where the Neuse > and Trent rivers join at New Bern. In a twist of fate, > the Neuse was where Pfiesteria-related fish kills were > first found - the very same organism thought to > produce the devastating effects Shoemaker observed > under his microscope and in his clinic. > " It's not the same river system that I played on while > growing up, " says Hudnell today. " Back then there were > few fish kills, and people didn't associate human > illness with them. My nemesis was seaweed growing on > the bottom and clogging my outboard motor. Now in many > places, the seaweed has been choked out by surface > blooms of cyanobacteria-blue-green algae- due to > pollutant runoff from massive hog farms upstream from > New Bern. " > A one-celled dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria piscicida is > colloquially known as the " fish killer " in areas where > it has wreaked its havoc on the local ecosystem. > Pfiesteria wasn't the first dinoflagellate that caught > Ken Hudnell's attention. After majoring in chemistry > and psychology at the University of North Carolina at > Chapel Hill, he moved to the Virgin Islands for three > years to start a diving business. > " I soon learned that you don't eat certain types of > fish that feed around the reefs, " he remembered. > " Those fish ate a dinoflagellate called Ciguatera and > accumulated their toxins. When people ate the fish, > they got violently ill. Many recovered completely > after a few days, but others remained chronically ill. > Now I know why - they had biotoxin circulating in > their bodies that they couldn't eliminate. " His > experience with ciguatoxins and other biotoxins in the > Caribbean compelled Hudnell to return to the U.S. to > enter graduate school. " I wanted to understand the > relationships between neurobiology, toxic exposures > and human illness, " he said. > Hudnell received a graduate degree from his alma mater > and is an adjunct professor there now. His work at the > EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects > Research Laboratory, which involves using a battery of > neurobehavioral and electrophysiological tests to > measure sensory, motor and cognitive functions in > people affected by toxic exposures, has been > recognized with two of the agency's Science and > Technology Achievement Rewards. > At the EPA, Dr. Hudnell developed a theory explaining > the worldwide increase in biotoxin-related events: > human activities and natural events impact the earth's > water, land and air, altering the habitat and > promoting the development and spread of toxic > organisms. Those toxic organisms, in turn, impact man > as well as the ecosystem we all have to share. > It's an interdependent circle, which features mankind > using up land, air and sea resources, all the while > ignoring the symptoms of burgeoning environmental > problems that place us in peril. > Two hundred and fifty miles north, Ritchie Shoemaker > was independently coming to the same conclusions. > Chronic illness, he was beginning to believe, was > partly a result of the damage we've done to the > ecosystem. > Take lyme disease, for example: As millions of people > in the city moved to the suburbs- and then further out > into the countryside when the suburbs became crowded- > they altered the habitat to one favored by mice and > deer. Houses and new landscaping provided food and > cover, and eliminated the predators of a growing deer > population. > Deer and mice are tolerant hosts, allowing ticks to > complete their life cycle by providing a reservoir of > blood-borne pathogens for the ticks to deposit into a > human who happens to be in the " wrong " place (like his > back yard), at the wrong time, leaving behind a tell > tale trail of acute or chronic illness. If we hadn't > destroyed their original habitat, in other words, we > may never have gotten close enough to become a > temporary feeding trough for the tick. > The doctor and the scientist met when Shoemaker, > hungry for more data on Pfiesteria, called Hudnell at > the EPA one July morning in 1998. " At 10:15 a.m., I > read that Ken had found Pfiesteria patients showed a > visual contrast deficit that lasted a year or more, " > remembers Shoemaker. " By 10:17 a.m., we were on the > phone and working together. " > Hudnell's early work as a UNC undergraduate led him to > the VCS literature. He developed a VCS test on an > oscilloscope screen early in his graduate studies > there, soon after it was first reported in the > scientific literature that the visual system was more > sensitive to mid-size bar patterns than to smaller- or > larger-size bar patterns. " I realized that this meant > there were different processes in the eye and brain > for detecting different aspects of a visual pattern, > and I wanted to understand how they worked, " he said. > " Later I found that those processes were > differentially susceptible to disruption by various > toxins and disease processes. " > While VCS testing had been used in neurotoxic > exposure, Hudnell was the first to use it to measure > the effects of biotoxin exposure and heavy metal > toxicity, or as a marker for neurotoxic exposures like > Pfiesteria. > The mystery > Back at microscope in the summer of 1997, Shoemaker > found a slimy fish that was the first example he saw > of just how much damage a toxin-producing organism > could do in the right set of circumstances. > In his search for answers, over the next few years he > became intimately familiar with the habits and > neurotoxic illnesses of fresh water and sea animals > including fish, birds, alligators, turtles and > pelicans. He studied basic and esoteric subjects, > including predator-prey relationships of aquatic > invertebrates; plants; phytoplankton; the pathology of > invertebrate organisms in marine and estuarine > environments; pesticide physiology; and the study of > the rhizosphere, the interface between a root and its > immediate environment. > He consulted experts in fields such as pathology; > toxicology; biochemistry; geochemistry; physiology; > estuarine limnology; and even membrane ionophore > chemistry, the study of the passage of organisms and > molecules in aqueous solutions across membranes. He > learned how pesticides degrade in air, water and > subsoils. > Given the intense political controversy that an > environmentally acquired illness like Pfiesteria > created, he needed this knowledge to piece together a > mystery: Was there a link between the fish kills and > the illnesses his patients were suffering? Why didn't > the body rid itself of these toxins naturally? Do > bacteria, fungi, algae and other tiny organisms > manufacture toxins that linger on in the human body, > long after the organisms themselves are dead? > Eventually, Shoemaker figured out that his patients > had a new illness, originally named Pfiesteria human > illness syndrome in his 1997 article in the land > Medical Journal. The CDC renamed the illness > " Estuarine-Associated Syndrome " in 1998, and " Possible > Estuarine-Associated Syndrome " (PEAS) in 2000. > It took Shoemaker a few more years to put together his > " chronic neurotoxin-mediated illness " theory and some > time after that to gather the data to tell him his > theory was sound. In the end, he believes he and > Hudnell have discovered a new brand of illness and a > new way for pathogens to make people sick. The two > have continued to gather data fleshing out the theory > with more clinical and molecular information. > In the meantime, Shoemaker built up his medical > practice, winning the 2000 land Family Doctor of > the Year Award and being named one of five finalists > for the National Family Practice Doctor of the Year > Award in 2002. At the same time, he battled state and > local bureaucrats who continued to tell people, " the > river is safe, " despite evidence to the contrary. > When Shoemaker went to the press with his theory and > his data during the outbreak in land in 1997, the > bureaucrats did everything they could to ruin his > reputation. One state official quoted in the local > newspapers accused him of " scientific malpractice, " > and claimed he was " out of his field " when it came to > the sciences. > Their refusal to see -and say -the truth simply drove > him to work harder. When residents near the St. Lucie > River near Stuart on Florida's East Coast suffered a > rash of dinoflagellate illnesses in 1998, they > listened to Shoemaker's theories of copper toxicity. > Copper binds to pesticides, giving them easier > entrance into organisms. If predators of > dinoflagellates are more susceptible to the > copper-pesticide toxicity than dinoflagellates, a > decrease in the predator population could result in an > increase in the dinoflagellate population. Also, if > prey of dinoflagellates are killed at lower exposure > levels than dinoflagellates, this might put pressure > on the dinoflagellates to produce and release toxins > in order to kill fish for a food source. > Then Florida officials earmarked $30 million to build > lagoons that filter runoff from copper-laden citrus > groves, bought wetland farms to restore them and > dredged contaminated sections of the St. Lucie. They > levied a three-year, one percent sales tax to pay for > these improvements. > The CSM treatment proved just as effective in Florida > as it did in land. About 15 residents and > investigators working on the St. Lucie became ill with > multiple systems symptoms and suffered a VCS deficit. > They responded well to CSM therapy given by four local > Florida physicians. > But like the guy who discovered that a bug causes > ulcers, Shoemaker found the medical community in > land reluctant to applaud his new theory. In fact, > it was met with active resistance, he said. For > example, the head of ophthalmology at the University > of land School of Medicine dismissed the value of > visual contrast testing in helping to diagnose lyme > disease by simply saying, " I don't think so. " > In his spare time, Shoemaker also wrote four books: > Gateway Press, in Baltimore, Md., published > Pfiesteria: Crossing Dark Water, a 360-page tally of > the outbreak in the waters of the Pokomoke, in 1997; > Weight Loss and Maintenance: My Way Works, a 325-page > explanation of a weight loss mechanism with > maintenance rates that exceed 70 percent, in 1998; and > Desperation Medicine, the 519-page saga of his > findings that neurotoxins are responsible for many > chronic illnesses, in 2001. His latest book, Lose the > Weight You Hate, is a 454-page update of his earlier > diet primer which adds recipes, an explanation of how > neurotoxic illnesses contribute to obesity and > diabetes, and a discussion of the importance of genes > and how they effect weight loss. > The test > Despite the disbelief, Shoemaker and Hudnell can point > to data, accumulated since the mid-60s, that visual > contrast sensitivity deficits exist in diseases like > Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and in > Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. > In fact, experts suspect that many diseases involve > deficits in visual perception, but there's little > research relating toxic exposures to differences in > visual function before diagnosing disease. Visual > contrast sensitivity testing assesses the quality of > vision. It differs from typical visual acuity testing > in that it simulates " real-world " circumstances, while > routine visual acuity testing measures eyesight under > the best possible conditions. > " That's why measuring visual contrast sensitivity in > patients who report difficulty with their vision, yet > see well on the conventional visual acuity eye chart, > is particularly useful, " says Hudnell. The test is > performed by showing the patient a series of stripes > or bars that slant in different directions. The > patient must identify which way each series of stripes > is tilted. As the test progresses, the bars become > thinner and lighter. People with excellent contrast > sensitivity can discern the orientation of even very > light, thin bars; patients with neurotoxic damage > cannot. > After chronic exposure to many organic solvents, VCS > is the most sensitive indicator of effects from many > toxins, either because the visual system is highly > susceptible to neurotoxins or because even small > deficits can be measured, according to Hudnell. > " The visual system is the ideal place to look for > evidence of neurotoxicity, " he says. " The retina is a > microcosm of the brain; it contains most of the cell > types and biochemicals that are in the brain. So the > retina is as susceptible as the rest of the brain to > neurotoxic effects. " > According to Hudnell, this " piece of brain, " being > near the front of the face, is in close contact with > the environment. Chemicals may be directly absorbed > from the air into the retina, so the potential for > exposure to neurotoxins is greater in the retina than > in the brain. But unlike the brain, he points out, the > visual system has few functional outputs (pattern and > motion detection, or color discrimination, for > example) and we can easily measure them. The VCS test > measures the least amount of stimulation needed to > detect a stationary pattern. > " As neurologic function decreases due to toxicity, > more and more stimulation is needed to see the > patterns, " he explains. > The effect can be huge; the Pfiesteria cohort in one > of Shoemaker and Hudnell's studies showed a 60 percent > loss of VCS on average relative to controls. > " When we see VCS drops like this following exposure, > and see it recover following treatment to eliminate > the toxins, we're seeing an indication of how strongly > the toxins may be affecting the entire nervous > system, " says Hudnell. " Of course, biotoxins don't > just affect the nervous system. They trigger release > of inflammatory agents in the body that can inflame > almost any organ and cause multiple-system symptoms. " > The theory > And that's where Shoemaker and Hudnell's theory > begins, with biotoxins in the body that some people - > as many as 10 million Americans - cannot naturally > eliminate, resulting in many chronic illnesses. > The two men believe these poisonous chemical compounds > continually circuit the human body, shuttling from > nerve to muscle to brain to sinus to G.I. tract and > other organs, triggering the familiar symptoms. > These symptoms are similar to those caused by > infectious agents, and so is the effect they have on > nerve, muscle, lung, intestines, brain and sinus, say > the researchers. > Shoemaker and Hudnell say the compounds are > manufactured by a growing number of microorganisms > that thrive in our ecosystem due to changes in the > human habitat. > " New biotoxins or toxin-forming organisms are being > identified all the time, " notes Hudnell. > Some, like the deer tick that passes along lyme > disease, do so directly. Toxin-forming bugs such as > the fungi (Stachybotrys and others) that cause > " sick-building syndrome " and the blue-green algae > (Cylindrospermopsis and Microcystis) that poison > people and animals in most of the lakes in Central > Florida, do their work by releasing their toxins into > air or water. > And although the pathogens differ, Shoemaker and > Hudnell say the biotoxins they produce all do their > damage by setting off a similar " exaggerated > inflammatory response " in humans. While hiding out in > fatty tissues where blood-borne disease-fighters can't > get at them, they trick the body's immune system into > launching attacks against joints, muscles, nerves and > brain. > There is increasing evidence to show these attacks are > carried out by a newly discovered group of molecules, > the " pro-inflammatory cytokines, " and that the > destruction they cause is linked to recent surges in > the rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes. > Illnesses once blamed solely on diet and life-style > choices are now being shown to have an inflammatory > basis. > And while infections cause a cytokine response from > white blood cells, especially macrophages, the > cytokine response to neurotoxins comes from fat cells. > > " The body can turn off the macrophage cytokine > response, so that the achiness, fever, headache and > fatigue of a cold will go away, but there's no > negative feedback that stops the cytokine response > from fat cells, " says Shoemaker. " So the illness > doesn't self-heal. " The team's research found that > through typing of immune response genes, the HLA DR, > they can show that individual susceptibility to > particular neurotoxins is associated with particular > genetic factors not found in others with a different > neurotoxic illness or in controls. In other words, > they're beginning to crack the code to show that some > people are genetically predisposed to get certain > chronic fatiguing illnesses. > But the research that links these things - the > exaggerated inflammatory response, which may also > involve an autoimmune response by a process called > " molecular mimicry " -and its link to heart disease, > for example, is in its infancy, so the medical > community remains skeptical. > Nonetheless, Shoemaker thinks these provocative > discoveries will eventually require researchers to > confront the grim possibility that these organisms > have learned how to skew immune responses by using > powerful toxins to decimate the body's disease > protection system. The diagnosis According to > Shoemaker, a diagnosis of chronic, biotoxin-induced > illness is based on biotoxin exposure potential, > multiple system symptoms, the VCS deficit discovered > by Dr. Hudnell, and no other reasonable explanation > for the illness. " As opposed to illnesses which have > no supporting tests or biomarkers like fibromyalgia, > CFS, depression, irritable bowel disease, or just > getting older, our approach gives the physician > readily obtained hard data to use as a marker and, > more importantly, as a monitor that changes > dynamically with response to treatment, " says > Shoemaker. > Hudnell points out that new tests for cytokine levels, > hormone levels and blood flow in the microvasculature > of the retina help characterize how biotoxins induce > chronic illness. The new HLA genotype tests (the DNA > PCR assays -not the serology or transplant tests) also > help identify people who are at risk for developing > chronic illness from particular biotoxins because > they're unable to eliminate those toxins. > " Patients must have a compatible history, the deficit > in VCS, the HLA genotype, an abnormal cytokine > response, and the abnormal effects of cytokines on > hypothalamic hormones, especially melanocyte > stimulating hormone (MSH), " said Shoemaker. " All CFS > patients should have the MSH test done. " > Shoemaker and Hudnell's data show that there's a group > of CSM treatment-resistant CFS patients who are > coagulase negative Staph (CNS) positive and who have > high leptin levels. Leptin is a hormone made by fat > cells that signals the satiety center in the > hypothalamus that a person is no longer hungry. > Leptin stimulates the production of alpha melanocyte > stimulating hormone (MSH), which in turn controls > production of endorphins (the body's natural > " opiates " ) and melatonin (which regulates sleep) in > the hypothalamus. CFS patients rarely have much MSH. > Eradicating CNS does nothing to the high leptin and > low MSH levels in patients with " end-stage CFS, " says > Shoemaker, but it certainly does in patients who are > diagnosed acutely and treated aggressively, preventing > irreversible damage to the MSH-manufacturing pathway. > " We must recognize that the process by which CFS > develops may include an acute neurotoxic event which > includes upper respiratory symptoms, " says Shoemaker. > Shoemaker believes that the secondary cytokine damage > from neurotoxic exposure changes the mucus membranes > in the nose, allowing biofilm-forming, slow-growing > CNS to release hemolysins (once called delta toxins) > that in turn activate a powerful cytokine response. > The boost in cytokines disrupts the leptin-MSH > production link. This classic, positive feedback > system increases cytokines and CNS and reduces MSH. > " While the data is certainly compatible with this > model, I haven't asked for volunteers to put CNS in > their noses to watch for subsequent development of > CFS, " says Shoemaker jokingly. But the team has found > particular genotypes of the immune response genes in > HLA-DR that show marked consistency within a diagnosis > group and marked disparity in other diagnostic groups. > > Shoemaker won't yet say that the HLA DR genes or the > abnormalities in the leptin/MSH pathway are the " Holy > Grail " of CFS research, but will admit that there are > unique HLA genes in his CFS patients; that his Sick > Building Syndrome patients have at least three unique > triplets of gene biomarkers; his Post-lyme patients > have two; and that these gene-types are quite > different from each other. Is CFS an illness that > includes a genetic susceptibility to particular > neurotoxins, which trigger cytokines associated with > carrying CNS, that produce nerve, hormone and immune > system dysfunction in the ventromedial nucleus of the > hypothalamus? Maybe, says Shoemaker. > " If our study shows that replacement of MSH improves > many (or most!) of the abnormalities of CFS, I'll > believe that, " says Shoemaker. That study will be done > after the animal studies required by the FDA are > completed. They hope it will establish an effective > MSH dose and the most effective method of MSH > delivery, as well as confirm that symptoms reoccur > when MSH is stopped, and then again show benefit when > an effective does is reinstituted. > They'll do baseline VCS tests and MSH levels first, > and will attempt to show that high levels of > plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), tumor > necrosis factor alpha and leptin improve after > treatment. > A longer trial is planned, pending initial results. > That study, which will be done when funds are > obtained, will also attempt to show that high levels > of PAI-1 and leptin improve after treatment. Shoemaker > believes PAI-1 is likely to be responsible for the > extra clotting and vascular disease frequently found > in CFS patients, and that once leptin levels fall, CFS > patients who have gained weight will be able to lose > it. > The website > Before you can take the CS exam at Dr. Shoemaker's web > site (http://www.chronicneurotoxins.com), you have to > register and get a log-in identity and password, as > well as answer symptom and medical history > questionnaires. Then you can buy a VCS test for $8.95, > or a package with several tests and treatment > protocols for $49.95. The preliminary test (a free > questionnaire) assesses the symptoms commonly > associated with biotoxin-induced illness, as well as > your potential for exposure. > " Many symptoms of and potential exposures to biotoxins > are not yet well known by physicians, " says Shoemaker, > " So they're easily overlooked. " > After you take the test, your results are available > immediately. They can also be sent to your physician. > If your physician isn't familiar with the theory or > protocol, the website mentions a list of referral > physicians across the nation, or you can request to > see Dr. Shoemaker in his Pokomoke City office. (A > second part to this article will detail the author's > diagnostic and treatment experiences at Dr. > Shoemaker's clinic.) > The treatment protocol > Cholestyramine (CSM) is an FDA-approved medication > which has been used to safely lower elevated levels of > cholesterol for more than 20 years. It isn't absorbed; > if it's not taken with food, it binds cholesterol, > bile salts and biological toxins from bile in the > small intestine, and then the CSM-toxin complex is > excreted harmlessly. Science - or Shoemaker and > Hudnell -doesn't have definitive answers yet as to > exactly how or why CSM clears neurotoxins from the > body, but a double-blind, placebo-controlled, > cross-over clinical trial of eight Pfiesteria patients > positive for biotoxins showed that those who took a > placebo remained ill, but improved following CSM > treatment. Data from 30 others he's gathered since > matches the original study data. > Shoemaker says while some patients notice immediate > improvements, lyme disease patients who've been sick > for more than five years usually require toxin-binding > therapy for 4-8 weeks, he says. " Most patients improve > in two weeks, some with complete abatement of > symptoms, but depending on the amount of toxin in your > body, it may take longer, " says Shoemaker. > He believes the response of these patients to CSM > therapy shows the underlying common theme of > neurotoxin-mediated illness, and that the proof that > toxins were responsible for the illness is found when > patients recover, i.e., have no symptoms following > treatment with his protocol. > " The proof of neurotoxin effect comes from watching > the biomarkers change with treatment and relapse with > re-exposure, " says Shoemaker. " There's very strong > evidence, especially in the Sick Building Syndrome > patients. " Hudnell agrees. > " The best evidence that biotoxins are causing the > illnesses comes from cases with repeated illness, " > says the toxicologist. " When you see patients with > chronic illness recover vision as symptoms resolve > while being treated with a drug that can do nothing > but remove compounds from circulation, then see vision > plummet and symptoms return following re-exposure to > sources of toxins, and finally see re-recovery with > re-treatment, sometimes for three or four cycles, you > become convinced that it's the toxins causing the > illness. " > In another study of 51 post lyme disease patients > treated with CSM after a tick bite, both those who > tested positive and those who tested negative to lyme > had the same number of symptoms after treatment as > matched controls. Shoemaker says that data from more > than 500 other patients he's seen since matches the > study data. Prior to treatment, the chronic lyme > disease patients had a statistically significant VCS > deficit. Following treatment, all patients' clinical > syndrome was gone; and their VCS scores and the number > of symptoms were the same as that of the controls. > Some of these lyme disease patients, especially those > who'd been sick longer then three years, suffered what > Shoemaker calls " a symptom intensification reaction " > early in CSM therapy, similar to, but more intense > than, the Herxheimer reactions experienced previously > during antibiotic treatment. The reaction was reduced > with pioglitazone (Actos) therapy or prevented by > pretreatment with Actos, which downregulates > proinflammatory cytokine production by fat cells. > Patients who weren't reexposed to another tick bite > didn't relapse, though follow-up was stopped at 18 > months. > There are other diagnoses- chronic Ciguatera seafood > poisoning, Possible Estuary Associated Syndrome, brown > recluse spider bites and mycotoxicosis-that were > thought to involve biotoxins, but for which there was > no known, effective treatment. Shoemaker has treated > patients with these illnesses successfully with > cholestyramine, too. Over the years Hudnell has done > studies that linked environmental exposure to > neurotoxicants like airborne solvents and metals to > adverse neurologic effects in humans, including VCS > deficits. But there was no treatment for it. > " There was nothing I could do to help them, and the > impairments were permanent, " he said. " So I was > ecstatic when we found that a simple treatment, taken > for a short period of time, could benefit so many > people who had suffered severe chronic illness due to > biotoxins. " News spreading Others have gotten excited > about this research: Cheney has used the VCS test > and a modified version of the protocol to treat > patients at his Bald Head Island Clinic in North > Carolina. > Chuck Lapp, director of the Hunter Hopkins Center in > Charlotte, NC, also plans to put one of the machines > in his office. " A number of my patients have > complained that I wear loud, patterned clothing, and > that it bothers their vision when I wear a patterned > tie, so I think there may be something to this, " he > said. > There are also almost 50 physicians in a nationwide > referral network who are familiar with the VCS test > and the treatment protocol; for more information, > contact the website for the name and number of the > doctor nearest you. > Recent advances > In June, Hudnell and Shoemaker presented data from > their latest studies on Sick Building Syndrome and > Post lyme Syndrome at the 8th International Symposium > on Neurobehavioral Methods and Effects in Occupational > and Environmental Health in Brescia, Italy, where Dr. > Hudnell chaired a session on biotoxins. Shoemaker > co-chaired. Next, they plan to conduct human studies > that will more definitively characterize the > proinflammatory cytokine basis of chronic, > biotoxin-induced illness, and describe the permanent > damage that they think has occurred in the > hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of those who > had the highest exposure levels for the longest > periods of time. > They also want to do the animal studies and human > trials needed for FDA approval of hormone replacement > therapy that they think will help those with permanent > damage. To that end, Dr. Shoemaker has established a > not-for-profit corporation, the Center for Research on > Biotoxin Associated Illness (CRBAI). > " If the research is to get done, CRBAI needs to raise > funds through grants and donations from private > organizations and individuals because there is > virtually no Federal funding of research in this > area, " said Shoemaker. > In the meantime, he still sees patients every day in > his Market Street office, many suffering from chronic, > neurotoxic illnesses. Both Shoemaker and Hudnell > routinely get calls from all over the world asking for > advice on toxic outbreaks and how to treat them. New > patients are still taking the tests on the website and > beginning CSM treatment. > So as physician Osler advocated long before > the advent of the biotoxin-mediated illness theory, to > find the proper diagnosis, Ritchie Shoemaker listens > to the patient. > " Recognizing the pattern of a neurotoxic illness is as > subtle as being run over by a steamroller, once you > learn how to ask the right questions, " he says. > Physicians need to learn to ask the patient a few more > questions in a new order-in essence, take an organized > neurotoxin history, he says. " All our biomarkers and > all our data and all our nice molecular models simply > provide an academic foundation for what the bedside > physician already knows to be true, " insists > Shoemaker. " The toxins did it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 27, 2004 Report Share Posted October 27, 2004 Am I mistaken or do they use these 'neurotoxins' as a bacterial killer, so that no bacteria grows in the vaccine, bacteria which could make a person very ill?? Not that that's any excuse however. I mean, why use a neurotoxin to kill bacteria when something else that doesn't harm our nervous system is in order eh?? > Vaccines = Neurotoxins > > I haven't read all of this yet, but wanted to put it > out there for any other interested party. I have been > saying that there are a great deal of illnesses that > can be connected to vaccines. My co-workers used to > think i was crazy because i would try, with success i > might add, to link many illnesses that walked through > the door to a recent vaccine. If your interested in > reading this i would keep in mind that vaccines > *attack* the immune system and the neurological > system. Let me know what you think. > > > New Theory Links Neurotoxins with Chronic Fatigue > Syndrome, lyme, MCS and Other Mystery Illnesses > ImmuneSupport.com > > 11-29-2002 > > By Patti Schmidt > PART 1 of 2 > Two doctors believe they've discovered a new brand of > illness and a new way for pathogens to make people > sick. They also have an FDA-approved treatment that > was effective in a small, preliminary clinical trial. > neurotoxic /nõr'ò tok'sik/, anything having a > poisonous effect on nerves and nerve cells, such as > the effect of lead on the brain and nerves. -The Mosby > Medical Encyclopedia > There are many theories and much disagreement about > what causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Multiple > Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), fibromyalgia (FM) and some > other chronic multi-symptom illnesses. Some science > points to abnormalities in the immune system's > viral-fighting pathways; other research to a cascading > combination of genealogical, environmental, and > health-and personality-related events and factors that > begin with a predisposition and a " bug " and ends with > someone who's chronically ill. And despite a rash of > recent scientific evidence to the contrary, some > out-of-touch physicians still insist sufferers are > just depressed. > While some blame stress and societal ills for the > widespread fatigue, depression, joint pain and > cognitive problems common to these illnesses, recent > research suggests these problems may instead be linked > to toxins generated by cells gone awry-that many > people are chronically ill due to biotoxins in their > system they cannot eliminate naturally. > Two scientists - family practice physician Ritchie C. > Shoemaker and EPA neurotoxicologist H. > Hudnell, Ph.D., - have collected data to back up this > " neurotoxin-mediated illness " theory, and they've > developed both a simple way to test for neurotoxins > and a treatment protocol featuring an effective, > FDA-approved prescription medicine that flushes toxins > safely from the body. > Shoemaker's website features information and research > as well as a way to measure toxin exposure potential. > After answering a brief health questionnaire about > symptoms and some questions designed to eliminate > confounding factors, it takes just five minutes and > $8.95 to take the online Visual Contrast Sensitivity > (VCS) test, which measures the impact of neurotoxins > on brain function. > Data from the questionnaire and vision test are > analyzed immediately to determine if users are likely > " positive " or " negative " for neurotoxins. The website > doesn't make an official diagnosis, but gives a push > in the right direction. Users can then take the test > results to a physician so they can be treated if > necessary. > The two say they have data to support the claim that > 90 percent of the people who test positive for > neurotoxins improve following their treatment > protocol. > " If you have the VCS deficit, the potential for > biotoxin exposure, and don't have other exposures or > medical conditions that could explain the deficit, our > data indicate that the response to toxin-binding > therapy is over 90 percent, " says Ritchie C. > Shoemaker, M.D., the physician who helped develop the > theory and the treatment. The story of how a > small-town family practice physician and a civil > servant who works for the EPA came up with that > theory- and how they found a treatment for the 10 > million Americans they claim it can help- is at least > as interesting as the theory itself. > The scientist > Ritchie Shoemaker always planned to have a rural > primary care practice. He graduated from Duke > University Medical School in North Carolina in 1977, > courtesy of the National Health Service Corps, which > paid for his medical education in return for a stint > serving under-served areas of the U.S. In July of > 1980, following a Family Practice residency in > port, Pa., the NHSC sent him to its clinic in > Pokomoke City, Md. > " I could hardly believe that the government was going > to pay my way through a few years at Duke Medical > School, in order to do something I already wanted to > do, " he said. > Pokomoke City was then a thinly populated small town > situated along the Pokomoke River, a tributary of the > 200-mile long Chesapeake Bay. The Pokomoke itself > flows South from Delaware, 80-miles long and just 50 > yards wide in some places. > At the time they settled there, Shoemaker and his > young wife JoAnn were newlyweds. Taking great pleasure > in the idyllic setting, they became involved in civic > activities; had a daughter, Sally; and began > protecting the unique ecology of the Lower Eastern > Shore, building and restoring wetland ponds, wetland > gardens and a mile-long nature trail. > " This was everything I had ever wanted, " said the > doctor. " I had the love of a spouse and family, the > love of my practice and of my land. I was happy. " > In 1996, the first reports of " sick fish " in the river > began appearing in local newspapers. It wasn't long > afterward that some of his friends and patients began > complaining of flu-like symptoms. " They had nasty > headaches, diarrhea, rash, cough, persistent muscle > aches and failures in short-term memory, " says > Shoemaker. > His intuition, backed by a solid grounding in science > (he was a biology major in his undergraduate days) > told him the sick fish and the sudden illness among > his patients were related. When someone brought him a > dead fish, fresh from the Pokomoke, the curious young > doctor put it under a microscope. > " The link was the river, " Shoemaker says in the book > he wrote about these events, Pfiesteria: Crossing Dark > Water. " Each one of them had spent time working or > playing in the slow-moving Pokomoke during the summer > of 1997. " > He had no idea that what was under that microscope > would change his life and put him at the uneasy nexus > where politics, ecology and medicine meet. > The collaborator > Meanwhile, Shoemaker's research collaborator Hilton > Hudnell, PhD, a calm, soft-spoken > neurotoxicologist, was building a civil service career > at the Environmental Protection Agency. > Ken Hudnell grew up in North Carolina, where the Neuse > and Trent rivers join at New Bern. In a twist of fate, > the Neuse was where Pfiesteria-related fish kills were > first found - the very same organism thought to > produce the devastating effects Shoemaker observed > under his microscope and in his clinic. > " It's not the same river system that I played on while > growing up, " says Hudnell today. " Back then there were > few fish kills, and people didn't associate human > illness with them. My nemesis was seaweed growing on > the bottom and clogging my outboard motor. Now in many > places, the seaweed has been choked out by surface > blooms of cyanobacteria-blue-green algae- due to > pollutant runoff from massive hog farms upstream from > New Bern. " > A one-celled dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria piscicida is > colloquially known as the " fish killer " in areas where > it has wreaked its havoc on the local ecosystem. > Pfiesteria wasn't the first dinoflagellate that caught > Ken Hudnell's attention. After majoring in chemistry > and psychology at the University of North Carolina at > Chapel Hill, he moved to the Virgin Islands for three > years to start a diving business. > " I soon learned that you don't eat certain types of > fish that feed around the reefs, " he remembered. > " Those fish ate a dinoflagellate called Ciguatera and > accumulated their toxins. When people ate the fish, > they got violently ill. Many recovered completely > after a few days, but others remained chronically ill. > Now I know why - they had biotoxin circulating in > their bodies that they couldn't eliminate. " His > experience with ciguatoxins and other biotoxins in the > Caribbean compelled Hudnell to return to the U.S. to > enter graduate school. " I wanted to understand the > relationships between neurobiology, toxic exposures > and human illness, " he said. > Hudnell received a graduate degree from his alma mater > and is an adjunct professor there now. His work at the > EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects > Research Laboratory, which involves using a battery of > neurobehavioral and electrophysiological tests to > measure sensory, motor and cognitive functions in > people affected by toxic exposures, has been > recognized with two of the agency's Science and > Technology Achievement Rewards. > At the EPA, Dr. Hudnell developed a theory explaining > the worldwide increase in biotoxin-related events: > human activities and natural events impact the earth's > water, land and air, altering the habitat and > promoting the development and spread of toxic > organisms. Those toxic organisms, in turn, impact man > as well as the ecosystem we all have to share. > It's an interdependent circle, which features mankind > using up land, air and sea resources, all the while > ignoring the symptoms of burgeoning environmental > problems that place us in peril. > Two hundred and fifty miles north, Ritchie Shoemaker > was independently coming to the same conclusions. > Chronic illness, he was beginning to believe, was > partly a result of the damage we've done to the > ecosystem. > Take lyme disease, for example: As millions of people > in the city moved to the suburbs- and then further out > into the countryside when the suburbs became crowded- > they altered the habitat to one favored by mice and > deer. Houses and new landscaping provided food and > cover, and eliminated the predators of a growing deer > population. > Deer and mice are tolerant hosts, allowing ticks to > complete their life cycle by providing a reservoir of > blood-borne pathogens for the ticks to deposit into a > human who happens to be in the " wrong " place (like his > back yard), at the wrong time, leaving behind a tell > tale trail of acute or chronic illness. If we hadn't > destroyed their original habitat, in other words, we > may never have gotten close enough to become a > temporary feeding trough for the tick. > The doctor and the scientist met when Shoemaker, > hungry for more data on Pfiesteria, called Hudnell at > the EPA one July morning in 1998. " At 10:15 a.m., I > read that Ken had found Pfiesteria patients showed a > visual contrast deficit that lasted a year or more, " > remembers Shoemaker. " By 10:17 a.m., we were on the > phone and working together. " > Hudnell's early work as a UNC undergraduate led him to > the VCS literature. He developed a VCS test on an > oscilloscope screen early in his graduate studies > there, soon after it was first reported in the > scientific literature that the visual system was more > sensitive to mid-size bar patterns than to smaller- or > larger-size bar patterns. " I realized that this meant > there were different processes in the eye and brain > for detecting different aspects of a visual pattern, > and I wanted to understand how they worked, " he said. > " Later I found that those processes were > differentially susceptible to disruption by various > toxins and disease processes. " > While VCS testing had been used in neurotoxic > exposure, Hudnell was the first to use it to measure > the effects of biotoxin exposure and heavy metal > toxicity, or as a marker for neurotoxic exposures like > Pfiesteria. > The mystery > Back at microscope in the summer of 1997, Shoemaker > found a slimy fish that was the first example he saw > of just how much damage a toxin-producing organism > could do in the right set of circumstances. > In his search for answers, over the next few years he > became intimately familiar with the habits and > neurotoxic illnesses of fresh water and sea animals > including fish, birds, alligators, turtles and > pelicans. He studied basic and esoteric subjects, > including predator-prey relationships of aquatic > invertebrates; plants; phytoplankton; the pathology of > invertebrate organisms in marine and estuarine > environments; pesticide physiology; and the study of > the rhizosphere, the interface between a root and its > immediate environment. > He consulted experts in fields such as pathology; > toxicology; biochemistry; geochemistry; physiology; > estuarine limnology; and even membrane ionophore > chemistry, the study of the passage of organisms and > molecules in aqueous solutions across membranes. He > learned how pesticides degrade in air, water and > subsoils. > Given the intense political controversy that an > environmentally acquired illness like Pfiesteria > created, he needed this knowledge to piece together a > mystery: Was there a link between the fish kills and > the illnesses his patients were suffering? Why didn't > the body rid itself of these toxins naturally? Do > bacteria, fungi, algae and other tiny organisms > manufacture toxins that linger on in the human body, > long after the organisms themselves are dead? > Eventually, Shoemaker figured out that his patients > had a new illness, originally named Pfiesteria human > illness syndrome in his 1997 article in the land > Medical Journal. The CDC renamed the illness > " Estuarine-Associated Syndrome " in 1998, and " Possible > Estuarine-Associated Syndrome " (PEAS) in 2000. > It took Shoemaker a few more years to put together his > " chronic neurotoxin-mediated illness " theory and some > time after that to gather the data to tell him his > theory was sound. In the end, he believes he and > Hudnell have discovered a new brand of illness and a > new way for pathogens to make people sick. The two > have continued to gather data fleshing out the theory > with more clinical and molecular information. > In the meantime, Shoemaker built up his medical > practice, winning the 2000 land Family Doctor of > the Year Award and being named one of five finalists > for the National Family Practice Doctor of the Year > Award in 2002. At the same time, he battled state and > local bureaucrats who continued to tell people, " the > river is safe, " despite evidence to the contrary. > When Shoemaker went to the press with his theory and > his data during the outbreak in land in 1997, the > bureaucrats did everything they could to ruin his > reputation. One state official quoted in the local > newspapers accused him of " scientific malpractice, " > and claimed he was " out of his field " when it came to > the sciences. > Their refusal to see -and say -the truth simply drove > him to work harder. When residents near the St. Lucie > River near Stuart on Florida's East Coast suffered a > rash of dinoflagellate illnesses in 1998, they > listened to Shoemaker's theories of copper toxicity. > Copper binds to pesticides, giving them easier > entrance into organisms. If predators of > dinoflagellates are more susceptible to the > copper-pesticide toxicity than dinoflagellates, a > decrease in the predator population could result in an > increase in the dinoflagellate population. Also, if > prey of dinoflagellates are killed at lower exposure > levels than dinoflagellates, this might put pressure > on the dinoflagellates to produce and release toxins > in order to kill fish for a food source. > Then Florida officials earmarked $30 million to build > lagoons that filter runoff from copper-laden citrus > groves, bought wetland farms to restore them and > dredged contaminated sections of the St. Lucie. They > levied a three-year, one percent sales tax to pay for > these improvements. > The CSM treatment proved just as effective in Florida > as it did in land. About 15 residents and > investigators working on the St. Lucie became ill with > multiple systems symptoms and suffered a VCS deficit. > They responded well to CSM therapy given by four local > Florida physicians. > But like the guy who discovered that a bug causes > ulcers, Shoemaker found the medical community in > land reluctant to applaud his new theory. In fact, > it was met with active resistance, he said. For > example, the head of ophthalmology at the University > of land School of Medicine dismissed the value of > visual contrast testing in helping to diagnose lyme > disease by simply saying, " I don't think so. " > In his spare time, Shoemaker also wrote four books: > Gateway Press, in Baltimore, Md., published > Pfiesteria: Crossing Dark Water, a 360-page tally of > the outbreak in the waters of the Pokomoke, in 1997; > Weight Loss and Maintenance: My Way Works, a 325-page > explanation of a weight loss mechanism with > maintenance rates that exceed 70 percent, in 1998; and > Desperation Medicine, the 519-page saga of his > findings that neurotoxins are responsible for many > chronic illnesses, in 2001. His latest book, Lose the > Weight You Hate, is a 454-page update of his earlier > diet primer which adds recipes, an explanation of how > neurotoxic illnesses contribute to obesity and > diabetes, and a discussion of the importance of genes > and how they effect weight loss. > The test > Despite the disbelief, Shoemaker and Hudnell can point > to data, accumulated since the mid-60s, that visual > contrast sensitivity deficits exist in diseases like > Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and in > Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. > In fact, experts suspect that many diseases involve > deficits in visual perception, but there's little > research relating toxic exposures to differences in > visual function before diagnosing disease. Visual > contrast sensitivity testing assesses the quality of > vision. It differs from typical visual acuity testing > in that it simulates " real-world " circumstances, while > routine visual acuity testing measures eyesight under > the best possible conditions. > " That's why measuring visual contrast sensitivity in > patients who report difficulty with their vision, yet > see well on the conventional visual acuity eye chart, > is particularly useful, " says Hudnell. The test is > performed by showing the patient a series of stripes > or bars that slant in different directions. The > patient must identify which way each series of stripes > is tilted. As the test progresses, the bars become > thinner and lighter. People with excellent contrast > sensitivity can discern the orientation of even very > light, thin bars; patients with neurotoxic damage > cannot. > After chronic exposure to many organic solvents, VCS > is the most sensitive indicator of effects from many > toxins, either because the visual system is highly > susceptible to neurotoxins or because even small > deficits can be measured, according to Hudnell. > " The visual system is the ideal place to look for > evidence of neurotoxicity, " he says. " The retina is a > microcosm of the brain; it contains most of the cell > types and biochemicals that are in the brain. So the > retina is as susceptible as the rest of the brain to > neurotoxic effects. " > According to Hudnell, this " piece of brain, " being > near the front of the face, is in close contact with > the environment. Chemicals may be directly absorbed > from the air into the retina, so the potential for > exposure to neurotoxins is greater in the retina than > in the brain. But unlike the brain, he points out, the > visual system has few functional outputs (pattern and > motion detection, or color discrimination, for > example) and we can easily measure them. The VCS test > measures the least amount of stimulation needed to > detect a stationary pattern. > " As neurologic function decreases due to toxicity, > more and more stimulation is needed to see the > patterns, " he explains. > The effect can be huge; the Pfiesteria cohort in one > of Shoemaker and Hudnell's studies showed a 60 percent > loss of VCS on average relative to controls. > " When we see VCS drops like this following exposure, > and see it recover following treatment to eliminate > the toxins, we're seeing an indication of how strongly > the toxins may be affecting the entire nervous > system, " says Hudnell. " Of course, biotoxins don't > just affect the nervous system. They trigger release > of inflammatory agents in the body that can inflame > almost any organ and cause multiple-system symptoms. " > The theory > And that's where Shoemaker and Hudnell's theory > begins, with biotoxins in the body that some people - > as many as 10 million Americans - cannot naturally > eliminate, resulting in many chronic illnesses. > The two men believe these poisonous chemical compounds > continually circuit the human body, shuttling from > nerve to muscle to brain to sinus to G.I. tract and > other organs, triggering the familiar symptoms. > These symptoms are similar to those caused by > infectious agents, and so is the effect they have on > nerve, muscle, lung, intestines, brain and sinus, say > the researchers. > Shoemaker and Hudnell say the compounds are > manufactured by a growing number of microorganisms > that thrive in our ecosystem due to changes in the > human habitat. > " New biotoxins or toxin-forming organisms are being > identified all the time, " notes Hudnell. > Some, like the deer tick that passes along lyme > disease, do so directly. Toxin-forming bugs such as > the fungi (Stachybotrys and others) that cause > " sick-building syndrome " and the blue-green algae > (Cylindrospermopsis and Microcystis) that poison > people and animals in most of the lakes in Central > Florida, do their work by releasing their toxins into > air or water. > And although the pathogens differ, Shoemaker and > Hudnell say the biotoxins they produce all do their > damage by setting off a similar " exaggerated > inflammatory response " in humans. While hiding out in > fatty tissues where blood-borne disease-fighters can't > get at them, they trick the body's immune system into > launching attacks against joints, muscles, nerves and > brain. > There is increasing evidence to show these attacks are > carried out by a newly discovered group of molecules, > the " pro-inflammatory cytokines, " and that the > destruction they cause is linked to recent surges in > the rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes. > Illnesses once blamed solely on diet and life-style > choices are now being shown to have an inflammatory > basis. > And while infections cause a cytokine response from > white blood cells, especially macrophages, the > cytokine response to neurotoxins comes from fat cells. > > " The body can turn off the macrophage cytokine > response, so that the achiness, fever, headache and > fatigue of a cold will go away, but there's no > negative feedback that stops the cytokine response > from fat cells, " says Shoemaker. " So the illness > doesn't self-heal. " The team's research found that > through typing of immune response genes, the HLA DR, > they can show that individual susceptibility to > particular neurotoxins is associated with particular > genetic factors not found in others with a different > neurotoxic illness or in controls. In other words, > they're beginning to crack the code to show that some > people are genetically predisposed to get certain > chronic fatiguing illnesses. > But the research that links these things - the > exaggerated inflammatory response, which may also > involve an autoimmune response by a process called > " molecular mimicry " -and its link to heart disease, > for example, is in its infancy, so the medical > community remains skeptical. > Nonetheless, Shoemaker thinks these provocative > discoveries will eventually require researchers to > confront the grim possibility that these organisms > have learned how to skew immune responses by using > powerful toxins to decimate the body's disease > protection system. The diagnosis According to > Shoemaker, a diagnosis of chronic, biotoxin-induced > illness is based on biotoxin exposure potential, > multiple system symptoms, the VCS deficit discovered > by Dr. Hudnell, and no other reasonable explanation > for the illness. " As opposed to illnesses which have > no supporting tests or biomarkers like fibromyalgia, > CFS, depression, irritable bowel disease, or just > getting older, our approach gives the physician > readily obtained hard data to use as a marker and, > more importantly, as a monitor that changes > dynamically with response to treatment, " says > Shoemaker. > Hudnell points out that new tests for cytokine levels, > hormone levels and blood flow in the microvasculature > of the retina help characterize how biotoxins induce > chronic illness. The new HLA genotype tests (the DNA > PCR assays -not the serology or transplant tests) also > help identify people who are at risk for developing > chronic illness from particular biotoxins because > they're unable to eliminate those toxins. > " Patients must have a compatible history, the deficit > in VCS, the HLA genotype, an abnormal cytokine > response, and the abnormal effects of cytokines on > hypothalamic hormones, especially melanocyte > stimulating hormone (MSH), " said Shoemaker. " All CFS > patients should have the MSH test done. " > Shoemaker and Hudnell's data show that there's a group > of CSM treatment-resistant CFS patients who are > coagulase negative Staph (CNS) positive and who have > high leptin levels. Leptin is a hormone made by fat > cells that signals the satiety center in the > hypothalamus that a person is no longer hungry. > Leptin stimulates the production of alpha melanocyte > stimulating hormone (MSH), which in turn controls > production of endorphins (the body's natural > " opiates " ) and melatonin (which regulates sleep) in > the hypothalamus. CFS patients rarely have much MSH. > Eradicating CNS does nothing to the high leptin and > low MSH levels in patients with " end-stage CFS, " says > Shoemaker, but it certainly does in patients who are > diagnosed acutely and treated aggressively, preventing > irreversible damage to the MSH-manufacturing pathway. > " We must recognize that the process by which CFS > develops may include an acute neurotoxic event which > includes upper respiratory symptoms, " says Shoemaker. > Shoemaker believes that the secondary cytokine damage > from neurotoxic exposure changes the mucus membranes > in the nose, allowing biofilm-forming, slow-growing > CNS to release hemolysins (once called delta toxins) > that in turn activate a powerful cytokine response. > The boost in cytokines disrupts the leptin-MSH > production link. This classic, positive feedback > system increases cytokines and CNS and reduces MSH. > " While the data is certainly compatible with this > model, I haven't asked for volunteers to put CNS in > their noses to watch for subsequent development of > CFS, " says Shoemaker jokingly. But the team has found > particular genotypes of the immune response genes in > HLA-DR that show marked consistency within a diagnosis > group and marked disparity in other diagnostic groups. > > Shoemaker won't yet say that the HLA DR genes or the > abnormalities in the leptin/MSH pathway are the " Holy > Grail " of CFS research, but will admit that there are > unique HLA genes in his CFS patients; that his Sick > Building Syndrome patients have at least three unique > triplets of gene biomarkers; his Post-lyme patients > have two; and that these gene-types are quite > different from each other. Is CFS an illness that > includes a genetic susceptibility to particular > neurotoxins, which trigger cytokines associated with > carrying CNS, that produce nerve, hormone and immune > system dysfunction in the ventromedial nucleus of the > hypothalamus? Maybe, says Shoemaker. > " If our study shows that replacement of MSH improves > many (or most!) of the abnormalities of CFS, I'll > believe that, " says Shoemaker. That study will be done > after the animal studies required by the FDA are > completed. They hope it will establish an effective > MSH dose and the most effective method of MSH > delivery, as well as confirm that symptoms reoccur > when MSH is stopped, and then again show benefit when > an effective does is reinstituted. > They'll do baseline VCS tests and MSH levels first, > and will attempt to show that high levels of > plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), tumor > necrosis factor alpha and leptin improve after > treatment. > A longer trial is planned, pending initial results. > That study, which will be done when funds are > obtained, will also attempt to show that high levels > of PAI-1 and leptin improve after treatment. Shoemaker > believes PAI-1 is likely to be responsible for the > extra clotting and vascular disease frequently found > in CFS patients, and that once leptin levels fall, CFS > patients who have gained weight will be able to lose > it. > The website > Before you can take the CS exam at Dr. Shoemaker's web > site (http://www.chronicneurotoxins.com), you have to > register and get a log-in identity and password, as > well as answer symptom and medical history > questionnaires. Then you can buy a VCS test for $8.95, > or a package with several tests and treatment > protocols for $49.95. The preliminary test (a free > questionnaire) assesses the symptoms commonly > associated with biotoxin-induced illness, as well as > your potential for exposure. > " Many symptoms of and potential exposures to biotoxins > are not yet well known by physicians, " says Shoemaker, > " So they're easily overlooked. " > After you take the test, your results are available > immediately. They can also be sent to your physician. > If your physician isn't familiar with the theory or > protocol, the website mentions a list of referral > physicians across the nation, or you can request to > see Dr. Shoemaker in his Pokomoke City office. (A > second part to this article will detail the author's > diagnostic and treatment experiences at Dr. > Shoemaker's clinic.) > The treatment protocol > Cholestyramine (CSM) is an FDA-approved medication > which has been used to safely lower elevated levels of > cholesterol for more than 20 years. It isn't absorbed; > if it's not taken with food, it binds cholesterol, > bile salts and biological toxins from bile in the > small intestine, and then the CSM-toxin complex is > excreted harmlessly. Science - or Shoemaker and > Hudnell -doesn't have definitive answers yet as to > exactly how or why CSM clears neurotoxins from the > body, but a double-blind, placebo-controlled, > cross-over clinical trial of eight Pfiesteria patients > positive for biotoxins showed that those who took a > placebo remained ill, but improved following CSM > treatment. Data from 30 others he's gathered since > matches the original study data. > Shoemaker says while some patients notice immediate > improvements, lyme disease patients who've been sick > for more than five years usually require toxin-binding > therapy for 4-8 weeks, he says. " Most patients improve > in two weeks, some with complete abatement of > symptoms, but depending on the amount of toxin in your > body, it may take longer, " says Shoemaker. > He believes the response of these patients to CSM > therapy shows the underlying common theme of > neurotoxin-mediated illness, and that the proof that > toxins were responsible for the illness is found when > patients recover, i.e., have no symptoms following > treatment with his protocol. > " The proof of neurotoxin effect comes from watching > the biomarkers change with treatment and relapse with > re-exposure, " says Shoemaker. " There's very strong > evidence, especially in the Sick Building Syndrome > patients. " Hudnell agrees. > " The best evidence that biotoxins are causing the > illnesses comes from cases with repeated illness, " > says the toxicologist. " When you see patients with > chronic illness recover vision as symptoms resolve > while being treated with a drug that can do nothing > but remove compounds from circulation, then see vision > plummet and symptoms return following re-exposure to > sources of toxins, and finally see re-recovery with > re-treatment, sometimes for three or four cycles, you > become convinced that it's the toxins causing the > illness. " > In another study of 51 post lyme disease patients > treated with CSM after a tick bite, both those who > tested positive and those who tested negative to lyme > had the same number of symptoms after treatment as > matched controls. Shoemaker says that data from more > than 500 other patients he's seen since matches the > study data. Prior to treatment, the chronic lyme > disease patients had a statistically significant VCS > deficit. Following treatment, all patients' clinical > syndrome was gone; and their VCS scores and the number > of symptoms were the same as that of the controls. > Some of these lyme disease patients, especially those > who'd been sick longer then three years, suffered what > Shoemaker calls " a symptom intensification reaction " > early in CSM therapy, similar to, but more intense > than, the Herxheimer reactions experienced previously > during antibiotic treatment. The reaction was reduced > with pioglitazone (Actos) therapy or prevented by > pretreatment with Actos, which downregulates > proinflammatory cytokine production by fat cells. > Patients who weren't reexposed to another tick bite > didn't relapse, though follow-up was stopped at 18 > months. > There are other diagnoses- chronic Ciguatera seafood > poisoning, Possible Estuary Associated Syndrome, brown > recluse spider bites and mycotoxicosis-that were > thought to involve biotoxins, but for which there was > no known, effective treatment. Shoemaker has treated > patients with these illnesses successfully with > cholestyramine, too. Over the years Hudnell has done > studies that linked environmental exposure to > neurotoxicants like airborne solvents and metals to > adverse neurologic effects in humans, including VCS > deficits. But there was no treatment for it. > " There was nothing I could do to help them, and the > impairments were permanent, " he said. " So I was > ecstatic when we found that a simple treatment, taken > for a short period of time, could benefit so many > people who had suffered severe chronic illness due to > biotoxins. " News spreading Others have gotten excited > about this research: Cheney has used the VCS test > and a modified version of the protocol to treat > patients at his Bald Head Island Clinic in North > Carolina. > Chuck Lapp, director of the Hunter Hopkins Center in > Charlotte, NC, also plans to put one of the machines > in his office. " A number of my patients have > complained that I wear loud, patterned clothing, and > that it bothers their vision when I wear a patterned > tie, so I think there may be something to this, " he > said. > There are also almost 50 physicians in a nationwide > referral network who are familiar with the VCS test > and the treatment protocol; for more information, > contact the website for the name and number of the > doctor nearest you. > Recent advances > In June, Hudnell and Shoemaker presented data from > their latest studies on Sick Building Syndrome and > Post lyme Syndrome at the 8th International Symposium > on Neurobehavioral Methods and Effects in Occupational > and Environmental Health in Brescia, Italy, where Dr. > Hudnell chaired a session on biotoxins. Shoemaker > co-chaired. Next, they plan to conduct human studies > that will more definitively characterize the > proinflammatory cytokine basis of chronic, > biotoxin-induced illness, and describe the permanent > damage that they think has occurred in the > hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of those who > had the highest exposure levels for the longest > periods of time. > They also want to do the animal studies and human > trials needed for FDA approval of hormone replacement > therapy that they think will help those with permanent > damage. To that end, Dr. Shoemaker has established a > not-for-profit corporation, the Center for Research on > Biotoxin Associated Illness (CRBAI). > " If the research is to get done, CRBAI needs to raise > funds through grants and donations from private > organizations and individuals because there is > virtually no Federal funding of research in this > area, " said Shoemaker. > In the meantime, he still sees patients every day in > his Market Street office, many suffering from chronic, > neurotoxic illnesses. Both Shoemaker and Hudnell > routinely get calls from all over the world asking for > advice on toxic outbreaks and how to treat them. New > patients are still taking the tests on the website and > beginning CSM treatment. > So as physician Osler advocated long before > the advent of the biotoxin-mediated illness theory, to > find the proper diagnosis, Ritchie Shoemaker listens > to the patient. > " Recognizing the pattern of a neurotoxic illness is as > subtle as being run over by a steamroller, once you > learn how to ask the right questions, " he says. > Physicians need to learn to ask the patient a few more > questions in a new order-in essence, take an organized > neurotoxin history, he says. " All our biomarkers and > all our data and all our nice molecular models simply > provide an academic foundation for what the bedside > physician already knows to be true, " insists > Shoemaker. " The toxins did it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 27, 2004 Report Share Posted October 27, 2004 Am I mistaken or do they use these 'neurotoxins' as a bacterial killer, so that no bacteria grows in the vaccine, bacteria which could make a person very ill?? Not that that's any excuse however. I mean, why use a neurotoxin to kill bacteria when something else that doesn't harm our nervous system is in order eh?? > Vaccines = Neurotoxins > > I haven't read all of this yet, but wanted to put it > out there for any other interested party. I have been > saying that there are a great deal of illnesses that > can be connected to vaccines. My co-workers used to > think i was crazy because i would try, with success i > might add, to link many illnesses that walked through > the door to a recent vaccine. If your interested in > reading this i would keep in mind that vaccines > *attack* the immune system and the neurological > system. Let me know what you think. > > > New Theory Links Neurotoxins with Chronic Fatigue > Syndrome, lyme, MCS and Other Mystery Illnesses > ImmuneSupport.com > > 11-29-2002 > > By Patti Schmidt > PART 1 of 2 > Two doctors believe they've discovered a new brand of > illness and a new way for pathogens to make people > sick. They also have an FDA-approved treatment that > was effective in a small, preliminary clinical trial. > neurotoxic /nõr'ò tok'sik/, anything having a > poisonous effect on nerves and nerve cells, such as > the effect of lead on the brain and nerves. -The Mosby > Medical Encyclopedia > There are many theories and much disagreement about > what causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Multiple > Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), fibromyalgia (FM) and some > other chronic multi-symptom illnesses. Some science > points to abnormalities in the immune system's > viral-fighting pathways; other research to a cascading > combination of genealogical, environmental, and > health-and personality-related events and factors that > begin with a predisposition and a " bug " and ends with > someone who's chronically ill. And despite a rash of > recent scientific evidence to the contrary, some > out-of-touch physicians still insist sufferers are > just depressed. > While some blame stress and societal ills for the > widespread fatigue, depression, joint pain and > cognitive problems common to these illnesses, recent > research suggests these problems may instead be linked > to toxins generated by cells gone awry-that many > people are chronically ill due to biotoxins in their > system they cannot eliminate naturally. > Two scientists - family practice physician Ritchie C. > Shoemaker and EPA neurotoxicologist H. > Hudnell, Ph.D., - have collected data to back up this > " neurotoxin-mediated illness " theory, and they've > developed both a simple way to test for neurotoxins > and a treatment protocol featuring an effective, > FDA-approved prescription medicine that flushes toxins > safely from the body. > Shoemaker's website features information and research > as well as a way to measure toxin exposure potential. > After answering a brief health questionnaire about > symptoms and some questions designed to eliminate > confounding factors, it takes just five minutes and > $8.95 to take the online Visual Contrast Sensitivity > (VCS) test, which measures the impact of neurotoxins > on brain function. > Data from the questionnaire and vision test are > analyzed immediately to determine if users are likely > " positive " or " negative " for neurotoxins. The website > doesn't make an official diagnosis, but gives a push > in the right direction. Users can then take the test > results to a physician so they can be treated if > necessary. > The two say they have data to support the claim that > 90 percent of the people who test positive for > neurotoxins improve following their treatment > protocol. > " If you have the VCS deficit, the potential for > biotoxin exposure, and don't have other exposures or > medical conditions that could explain the deficit, our > data indicate that the response to toxin-binding > therapy is over 90 percent, " says Ritchie C. > Shoemaker, M.D., the physician who helped develop the > theory and the treatment. The story of how a > small-town family practice physician and a civil > servant who works for the EPA came up with that > theory- and how they found a treatment for the 10 > million Americans they claim it can help- is at least > as interesting as the theory itself. > The scientist > Ritchie Shoemaker always planned to have a rural > primary care practice. He graduated from Duke > University Medical School in North Carolina in 1977, > courtesy of the National Health Service Corps, which > paid for his medical education in return for a stint > serving under-served areas of the U.S. In July of > 1980, following a Family Practice residency in > port, Pa., the NHSC sent him to its clinic in > Pokomoke City, Md. > " I could hardly believe that the government was going > to pay my way through a few years at Duke Medical > School, in order to do something I already wanted to > do, " he said. > Pokomoke City was then a thinly populated small town > situated along the Pokomoke River, a tributary of the > 200-mile long Chesapeake Bay. The Pokomoke itself > flows South from Delaware, 80-miles long and just 50 > yards wide in some places. > At the time they settled there, Shoemaker and his > young wife JoAnn were newlyweds. Taking great pleasure > in the idyllic setting, they became involved in civic > activities; had a daughter, Sally; and began > protecting the unique ecology of the Lower Eastern > Shore, building and restoring wetland ponds, wetland > gardens and a mile-long nature trail. > " This was everything I had ever wanted, " said the > doctor. " I had the love of a spouse and family, the > love of my practice and of my land. I was happy. " > In 1996, the first reports of " sick fish " in the river > began appearing in local newspapers. It wasn't long > afterward that some of his friends and patients began > complaining of flu-like symptoms. " They had nasty > headaches, diarrhea, rash, cough, persistent muscle > aches and failures in short-term memory, " says > Shoemaker. > His intuition, backed by a solid grounding in science > (he was a biology major in his undergraduate days) > told him the sick fish and the sudden illness among > his patients were related. When someone brought him a > dead fish, fresh from the Pokomoke, the curious young > doctor put it under a microscope. > " The link was the river, " Shoemaker says in the book > he wrote about these events, Pfiesteria: Crossing Dark > Water. " Each one of them had spent time working or > playing in the slow-moving Pokomoke during the summer > of 1997. " > He had no idea that what was under that microscope > would change his life and put him at the uneasy nexus > where politics, ecology and medicine meet. > The collaborator > Meanwhile, Shoemaker's research collaborator Hilton > Hudnell, PhD, a calm, soft-spoken > neurotoxicologist, was building a civil service career > at the Environmental Protection Agency. > Ken Hudnell grew up in North Carolina, where the Neuse > and Trent rivers join at New Bern. In a twist of fate, > the Neuse was where Pfiesteria-related fish kills were > first found - the very same organism thought to > produce the devastating effects Shoemaker observed > under his microscope and in his clinic. > " It's not the same river system that I played on while > growing up, " says Hudnell today. " Back then there were > few fish kills, and people didn't associate human > illness with them. My nemesis was seaweed growing on > the bottom and clogging my outboard motor. Now in many > places, the seaweed has been choked out by surface > blooms of cyanobacteria-blue-green algae- due to > pollutant runoff from massive hog farms upstream from > New Bern. " > A one-celled dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria piscicida is > colloquially known as the " fish killer " in areas where > it has wreaked its havoc on the local ecosystem. > Pfiesteria wasn't the first dinoflagellate that caught > Ken Hudnell's attention. After majoring in chemistry > and psychology at the University of North Carolina at > Chapel Hill, he moved to the Virgin Islands for three > years to start a diving business. > " I soon learned that you don't eat certain types of > fish that feed around the reefs, " he remembered. > " Those fish ate a dinoflagellate called Ciguatera and > accumulated their toxins. When people ate the fish, > they got violently ill. Many recovered completely > after a few days, but others remained chronically ill. > Now I know why - they had biotoxin circulating in > their bodies that they couldn't eliminate. " His > experience with ciguatoxins and other biotoxins in the > Caribbean compelled Hudnell to return to the U.S. to > enter graduate school. " I wanted to understand the > relationships between neurobiology, toxic exposures > and human illness, " he said. > Hudnell received a graduate degree from his alma mater > and is an adjunct professor there now. His work at the > EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects > Research Laboratory, which involves using a battery of > neurobehavioral and electrophysiological tests to > measure sensory, motor and cognitive functions in > people affected by toxic exposures, has been > recognized with two of the agency's Science and > Technology Achievement Rewards. > At the EPA, Dr. Hudnell developed a theory explaining > the worldwide increase in biotoxin-related events: > human activities and natural events impact the earth's > water, land and air, altering the habitat and > promoting the development and spread of toxic > organisms. Those toxic organisms, in turn, impact man > as well as the ecosystem we all have to share. > It's an interdependent circle, which features mankind > using up land, air and sea resources, all the while > ignoring the symptoms of burgeoning environmental > problems that place us in peril. > Two hundred and fifty miles north, Ritchie Shoemaker > was independently coming to the same conclusions. > Chronic illness, he was beginning to believe, was > partly a result of the damage we've done to the > ecosystem. > Take lyme disease, for example: As millions of people > in the city moved to the suburbs- and then further out > into the countryside when the suburbs became crowded- > they altered the habitat to one favored by mice and > deer. Houses and new landscaping provided food and > cover, and eliminated the predators of a growing deer > population. > Deer and mice are tolerant hosts, allowing ticks to > complete their life cycle by providing a reservoir of > blood-borne pathogens for the ticks to deposit into a > human who happens to be in the " wrong " place (like his > back yard), at the wrong time, leaving behind a tell > tale trail of acute or chronic illness. If we hadn't > destroyed their original habitat, in other words, we > may never have gotten close enough to become a > temporary feeding trough for the tick. > The doctor and the scientist met when Shoemaker, > hungry for more data on Pfiesteria, called Hudnell at > the EPA one July morning in 1998. " At 10:15 a.m., I > read that Ken had found Pfiesteria patients showed a > visual contrast deficit that lasted a year or more, " > remembers Shoemaker. " By 10:17 a.m., we were on the > phone and working together. " > Hudnell's early work as a UNC undergraduate led him to > the VCS literature. He developed a VCS test on an > oscilloscope screen early in his graduate studies > there, soon after it was first reported in the > scientific literature that the visual system was more > sensitive to mid-size bar patterns than to smaller- or > larger-size bar patterns. " I realized that this meant > there were different processes in the eye and brain > for detecting different aspects of a visual pattern, > and I wanted to understand how they worked, " he said. > " Later I found that those processes were > differentially susceptible to disruption by various > toxins and disease processes. " > While VCS testing had been used in neurotoxic > exposure, Hudnell was the first to use it to measure > the effects of biotoxin exposure and heavy metal > toxicity, or as a marker for neurotoxic exposures like > Pfiesteria. > The mystery > Back at microscope in the summer of 1997, Shoemaker > found a slimy fish that was the first example he saw > of just how much damage a toxin-producing organism > could do in the right set of circumstances. > In his search for answers, over the next few years he > became intimately familiar with the habits and > neurotoxic illnesses of fresh water and sea animals > including fish, birds, alligators, turtles and > pelicans. He studied basic and esoteric subjects, > including predator-prey relationships of aquatic > invertebrates; plants; phytoplankton; the pathology of > invertebrate organisms in marine and estuarine > environments; pesticide physiology; and the study of > the rhizosphere, the interface between a root and its > immediate environment. > He consulted experts in fields such as pathology; > toxicology; biochemistry; geochemistry; physiology; > estuarine limnology; and even membrane ionophore > chemistry, the study of the passage of organisms and > molecules in aqueous solutions across membranes. He > learned how pesticides degrade in air, water and > subsoils. > Given the intense political controversy that an > environmentally acquired illness like Pfiesteria > created, he needed this knowledge to piece together a > mystery: Was there a link between the fish kills and > the illnesses his patients were suffering? Why didn't > the body rid itself of these toxins naturally? Do > bacteria, fungi, algae and other tiny organisms > manufacture toxins that linger on in the human body, > long after the organisms themselves are dead? > Eventually, Shoemaker figured out that his patients > had a new illness, originally named Pfiesteria human > illness syndrome in his 1997 article in the land > Medical Journal. The CDC renamed the illness > " Estuarine-Associated Syndrome " in 1998, and " Possible > Estuarine-Associated Syndrome " (PEAS) in 2000. > It took Shoemaker a few more years to put together his > " chronic neurotoxin-mediated illness " theory and some > time after that to gather the data to tell him his > theory was sound. In the end, he believes he and > Hudnell have discovered a new brand of illness and a > new way for pathogens to make people sick. The two > have continued to gather data fleshing out the theory > with more clinical and molecular information. > In the meantime, Shoemaker built up his medical > practice, winning the 2000 land Family Doctor of > the Year Award and being named one of five finalists > for the National Family Practice Doctor of the Year > Award in 2002. At the same time, he battled state and > local bureaucrats who continued to tell people, " the > river is safe, " despite evidence to the contrary. > When Shoemaker went to the press with his theory and > his data during the outbreak in land in 1997, the > bureaucrats did everything they could to ruin his > reputation. One state official quoted in the local > newspapers accused him of " scientific malpractice, " > and claimed he was " out of his field " when it came to > the sciences. > Their refusal to see -and say -the truth simply drove > him to work harder. When residents near the St. Lucie > River near Stuart on Florida's East Coast suffered a > rash of dinoflagellate illnesses in 1998, they > listened to Shoemaker's theories of copper toxicity. > Copper binds to pesticides, giving them easier > entrance into organisms. If predators of > dinoflagellates are more susceptible to the > copper-pesticide toxicity than dinoflagellates, a > decrease in the predator population could result in an > increase in the dinoflagellate population. Also, if > prey of dinoflagellates are killed at lower exposure > levels than dinoflagellates, this might put pressure > on the dinoflagellates to produce and release toxins > in order to kill fish for a food source. > Then Florida officials earmarked $30 million to build > lagoons that filter runoff from copper-laden citrus > groves, bought wetland farms to restore them and > dredged contaminated sections of the St. Lucie. They > levied a three-year, one percent sales tax to pay for > these improvements. > The CSM treatment proved just as effective in Florida > as it did in land. About 15 residents and > investigators working on the St. Lucie became ill with > multiple systems symptoms and suffered a VCS deficit. > They responded well to CSM therapy given by four local > Florida physicians. > But like the guy who discovered that a bug causes > ulcers, Shoemaker found the medical community in > land reluctant to applaud his new theory. In fact, > it was met with active resistance, he said. For > example, the head of ophthalmology at the University > of land School of Medicine dismissed the value of > visual contrast testing in helping to diagnose lyme > disease by simply saying, " I don't think so. " > In his spare time, Shoemaker also wrote four books: > Gateway Press, in Baltimore, Md., published > Pfiesteria: Crossing Dark Water, a 360-page tally of > the outbreak in the waters of the Pokomoke, in 1997; > Weight Loss and Maintenance: My Way Works, a 325-page > explanation of a weight loss mechanism with > maintenance rates that exceed 70 percent, in 1998; and > Desperation Medicine, the 519-page saga of his > findings that neurotoxins are responsible for many > chronic illnesses, in 2001. His latest book, Lose the > Weight You Hate, is a 454-page update of his earlier > diet primer which adds recipes, an explanation of how > neurotoxic illnesses contribute to obesity and > diabetes, and a discussion of the importance of genes > and how they effect weight loss. > The test > Despite the disbelief, Shoemaker and Hudnell can point > to data, accumulated since the mid-60s, that visual > contrast sensitivity deficits exist in diseases like > Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and in > Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. > In fact, experts suspect that many diseases involve > deficits in visual perception, but there's little > research relating toxic exposures to differences in > visual function before diagnosing disease. Visual > contrast sensitivity testing assesses the quality of > vision. It differs from typical visual acuity testing > in that it simulates " real-world " circumstances, while > routine visual acuity testing measures eyesight under > the best possible conditions. > " That's why measuring visual contrast sensitivity in > patients who report difficulty with their vision, yet > see well on the conventional visual acuity eye chart, > is particularly useful, " says Hudnell. The test is > performed by showing the patient a series of stripes > or bars that slant in different directions. The > patient must identify which way each series of stripes > is tilted. As the test progresses, the bars become > thinner and lighter. People with excellent contrast > sensitivity can discern the orientation of even very > light, thin bars; patients with neurotoxic damage > cannot. > After chronic exposure to many organic solvents, VCS > is the most sensitive indicator of effects from many > toxins, either because the visual system is highly > susceptible to neurotoxins or because even small > deficits can be measured, according to Hudnell. > " The visual system is the ideal place to look for > evidence of neurotoxicity, " he says. " The retina is a > microcosm of the brain; it contains most of the cell > types and biochemicals that are in the brain. So the > retina is as susceptible as the rest of the brain to > neurotoxic effects. " > According to Hudnell, this " piece of brain, " being > near the front of the face, is in close contact with > the environment. Chemicals may be directly absorbed > from the air into the retina, so the potential for > exposure to neurotoxins is greater in the retina than > in the brain. But unlike the brain, he points out, the > visual system has few functional outputs (pattern and > motion detection, or color discrimination, for > example) and we can easily measure them. The VCS test > measures the least amount of stimulation needed to > detect a stationary pattern. > " As neurologic function decreases due to toxicity, > more and more stimulation is needed to see the > patterns, " he explains. > The effect can be huge; the Pfiesteria cohort in one > of Shoemaker and Hudnell's studies showed a 60 percent > loss of VCS on average relative to controls. > " When we see VCS drops like this following exposure, > and see it recover following treatment to eliminate > the toxins, we're seeing an indication of how strongly > the toxins may be affecting the entire nervous > system, " says Hudnell. " Of course, biotoxins don't > just affect the nervous system. They trigger release > of inflammatory agents in the body that can inflame > almost any organ and cause multiple-system symptoms. " > The theory > And that's where Shoemaker and Hudnell's theory > begins, with biotoxins in the body that some people - > as many as 10 million Americans - cannot naturally > eliminate, resulting in many chronic illnesses. > The two men believe these poisonous chemical compounds > continually circuit the human body, shuttling from > nerve to muscle to brain to sinus to G.I. tract and > other organs, triggering the familiar symptoms. > These symptoms are similar to those caused by > infectious agents, and so is the effect they have on > nerve, muscle, lung, intestines, brain and sinus, say > the researchers. > Shoemaker and Hudnell say the compounds are > manufactured by a growing number of microorganisms > that thrive in our ecosystem due to changes in the > human habitat. > " New biotoxins or toxin-forming organisms are being > identified all the time, " notes Hudnell. > Some, like the deer tick that passes along lyme > disease, do so directly. Toxin-forming bugs such as > the fungi (Stachybotrys and others) that cause > " sick-building syndrome " and the blue-green algae > (Cylindrospermopsis and Microcystis) that poison > people and animals in most of the lakes in Central > Florida, do their work by releasing their toxins into > air or water. > And although the pathogens differ, Shoemaker and > Hudnell say the biotoxins they produce all do their > damage by setting off a similar " exaggerated > inflammatory response " in humans. While hiding out in > fatty tissues where blood-borne disease-fighters can't > get at them, they trick the body's immune system into > launching attacks against joints, muscles, nerves and > brain. > There is increasing evidence to show these attacks are > carried out by a newly discovered group of molecules, > the " pro-inflammatory cytokines, " and that the > destruction they cause is linked to recent surges in > the rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes. > Illnesses once blamed solely on diet and life-style > choices are now being shown to have an inflammatory > basis. > And while infections cause a cytokine response from > white blood cells, especially macrophages, the > cytokine response to neurotoxins comes from fat cells. > > " The body can turn off the macrophage cytokine > response, so that the achiness, fever, headache and > fatigue of a cold will go away, but there's no > negative feedback that stops the cytokine response > from fat cells, " says Shoemaker. " So the illness > doesn't self-heal. " The team's research found that > through typing of immune response genes, the HLA DR, > they can show that individual susceptibility to > particular neurotoxins is associated with particular > genetic factors not found in others with a different > neurotoxic illness or in controls. In other words, > they're beginning to crack the code to show that some > people are genetically predisposed to get certain > chronic fatiguing illnesses. > But the research that links these things - the > exaggerated inflammatory response, which may also > involve an autoimmune response by a process called > " molecular mimicry " -and its link to heart disease, > for example, is in its infancy, so the medical > community remains skeptical. > Nonetheless, Shoemaker thinks these provocative > discoveries will eventually require researchers to > confront the grim possibility that these organisms > have learned how to skew immune responses by using > powerful toxins to decimate the body's disease > protection system. The diagnosis According to > Shoemaker, a diagnosis of chronic, biotoxin-induced > illness is based on biotoxin exposure potential, > multiple system symptoms, the VCS deficit discovered > by Dr. Hudnell, and no other reasonable explanation > for the illness. " As opposed to illnesses which have > no supporting tests or biomarkers like fibromyalgia, > CFS, depression, irritable bowel disease, or just > getting older, our approach gives the physician > readily obtained hard data to use as a marker and, > more importantly, as a monitor that changes > dynamically with response to treatment, " says > Shoemaker. > Hudnell points out that new tests for cytokine levels, > hormone levels and blood flow in the microvasculature > of the retina help characterize how biotoxins induce > chronic illness. The new HLA genotype tests (the DNA > PCR assays -not the serology or transplant tests) also > help identify people who are at risk for developing > chronic illness from particular biotoxins because > they're unable to eliminate those toxins. > " Patients must have a compatible history, the deficit > in VCS, the HLA genotype, an abnormal cytokine > response, and the abnormal effects of cytokines on > hypothalamic hormones, especially melanocyte > stimulating hormone (MSH), " said Shoemaker. " All CFS > patients should have the MSH test done. " > Shoemaker and Hudnell's data show that there's a group > of CSM treatment-resistant CFS patients who are > coagulase negative Staph (CNS) positive and who have > high leptin levels. Leptin is a hormone made by fat > cells that signals the satiety center in the > hypothalamus that a person is no longer hungry. > Leptin stimulates the production of alpha melanocyte > stimulating hormone (MSH), which in turn controls > production of endorphins (the body's natural > " opiates " ) and melatonin (which regulates sleep) in > the hypothalamus. CFS patients rarely have much MSH. > Eradicating CNS does nothing to the high leptin and > low MSH levels in patients with " end-stage CFS, " says > Shoemaker, but it certainly does in patients who are > diagnosed acutely and treated aggressively, preventing > irreversible damage to the MSH-manufacturing pathway. > " We must recognize that the process by which CFS > develops may include an acute neurotoxic event which > includes upper respiratory symptoms, " says Shoemaker. > Shoemaker believes that the secondary cytokine damage > from neurotoxic exposure changes the mucus membranes > in the nose, allowing biofilm-forming, slow-growing > CNS to release hemolysins (once called delta toxins) > that in turn activate a powerful cytokine response. > The boost in cytokines disrupts the leptin-MSH > production link. This classic, positive feedback > system increases cytokines and CNS and reduces MSH. > " While the data is certainly compatible with this > model, I haven't asked for volunteers to put CNS in > their noses to watch for subsequent development of > CFS, " says Shoemaker jokingly. But the team has found > particular genotypes of the immune response genes in > HLA-DR that show marked consistency within a diagnosis > group and marked disparity in other diagnostic groups. > > Shoemaker won't yet say that the HLA DR genes or the > abnormalities in the leptin/MSH pathway are the " Holy > Grail " of CFS research, but will admit that there are > unique HLA genes in his CFS patients; that his Sick > Building Syndrome patients have at least three unique > triplets of gene biomarkers; his Post-lyme patients > have two; and that these gene-types are quite > different from each other. Is CFS an illness that > includes a genetic susceptibility to particular > neurotoxins, which trigger cytokines associated with > carrying CNS, that produce nerve, hormone and immune > system dysfunction in the ventromedial nucleus of the > hypothalamus? Maybe, says Shoemaker. > " If our study shows that replacement of MSH improves > many (or most!) of the abnormalities of CFS, I'll > believe that, " says Shoemaker. That study will be done > after the animal studies required by the FDA are > completed. They hope it will establish an effective > MSH dose and the most effective method of MSH > delivery, as well as confirm that symptoms reoccur > when MSH is stopped, and then again show benefit when > an effective does is reinstituted. > They'll do baseline VCS tests and MSH levels first, > and will attempt to show that high levels of > plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), tumor > necrosis factor alpha and leptin improve after > treatment. > A longer trial is planned, pending initial results. > That study, which will be done when funds are > obtained, will also attempt to show that high levels > of PAI-1 and leptin improve after treatment. Shoemaker > believes PAI-1 is likely to be responsible for the > extra clotting and vascular disease frequently found > in CFS patients, and that once leptin levels fall, CFS > patients who have gained weight will be able to lose > it. > The website > Before you can take the CS exam at Dr. Shoemaker's web > site (http://www.chronicneurotoxins.com), you have to > register and get a log-in identity and password, as > well as answer symptom and medical history > questionnaires. Then you can buy a VCS test for $8.95, > or a package with several tests and treatment > protocols for $49.95. The preliminary test (a free > questionnaire) assesses the symptoms commonly > associated with biotoxin-induced illness, as well as > your potential for exposure. > " Many symptoms of and potential exposures to biotoxins > are not yet well known by physicians, " says Shoemaker, > " So they're easily overlooked. " > After you take the test, your results are available > immediately. They can also be sent to your physician. > If your physician isn't familiar with the theory or > protocol, the website mentions a list of referral > physicians across the nation, or you can request to > see Dr. Shoemaker in his Pokomoke City office. (A > second part to this article will detail the author's > diagnostic and treatment experiences at Dr. > Shoemaker's clinic.) > The treatment protocol > Cholestyramine (CSM) is an FDA-approved medication > which has been used to safely lower elevated levels of > cholesterol for more than 20 years. It isn't absorbed; > if it's not taken with food, it binds cholesterol, > bile salts and biological toxins from bile in the > small intestine, and then the CSM-toxin complex is > excreted harmlessly. Science - or Shoemaker and > Hudnell -doesn't have definitive answers yet as to > exactly how or why CSM clears neurotoxins from the > body, but a double-blind, placebo-controlled, > cross-over clinical trial of eight Pfiesteria patients > positive for biotoxins showed that those who took a > placebo remained ill, but improved following CSM > treatment. Data from 30 others he's gathered since > matches the original study data. > Shoemaker says while some patients notice immediate > improvements, lyme disease patients who've been sick > for more than five years usually require toxin-binding > therapy for 4-8 weeks, he says. " Most patients improve > in two weeks, some with complete abatement of > symptoms, but depending on the amount of toxin in your > body, it may take longer, " says Shoemaker. > He believes the response of these patients to CSM > therapy shows the underlying common theme of > neurotoxin-mediated illness, and that the proof that > toxins were responsible for the illness is found when > patients recover, i.e., have no symptoms following > treatment with his protocol. > " The proof of neurotoxin effect comes from watching > the biomarkers change with treatment and relapse with > re-exposure, " says Shoemaker. " There's very strong > evidence, especially in the Sick Building Syndrome > patients. " Hudnell agrees. > " The best evidence that biotoxins are causing the > illnesses comes from cases with repeated illness, " > says the toxicologist. " When you see patients with > chronic illness recover vision as symptoms resolve > while being treated with a drug that can do nothing > but remove compounds from circulation, then see vision > plummet and symptoms return following re-exposure to > sources of toxins, and finally see re-recovery with > re-treatment, sometimes for three or four cycles, you > become convinced that it's the toxins causing the > illness. " > In another study of 51 post lyme disease patients > treated with CSM after a tick bite, both those who > tested positive and those who tested negative to lyme > had the same number of symptoms after treatment as > matched controls. Shoemaker says that data from more > than 500 other patients he's seen since matches the > study data. Prior to treatment, the chronic lyme > disease patients had a statistically significant VCS > deficit. Following treatment, all patients' clinical > syndrome was gone; and their VCS scores and the number > of symptoms were the same as that of the controls. > Some of these lyme disease patients, especially those > who'd been sick longer then three years, suffered what > Shoemaker calls " a symptom intensification reaction " > early in CSM therapy, similar to, but more intense > than, the Herxheimer reactions experienced previously > during antibiotic treatment. The reaction was reduced > with pioglitazone (Actos) therapy or prevented by > pretreatment with Actos, which downregulates > proinflammatory cytokine production by fat cells. > Patients who weren't reexposed to another tick bite > didn't relapse, though follow-up was stopped at 18 > months. > There are other diagnoses- chronic Ciguatera seafood > poisoning, Possible Estuary Associated Syndrome, brown > recluse spider bites and mycotoxicosis-that were > thought to involve biotoxins, but for which there was > no known, effective treatment. Shoemaker has treated > patients with these illnesses successfully with > cholestyramine, too. Over the years Hudnell has done > studies that linked environmental exposure to > neurotoxicants like airborne solvents and metals to > adverse neurologic effects in humans, including VCS > deficits. But there was no treatment for it. > " There was nothing I could do to help them, and the > impairments were permanent, " he said. " So I was > ecstatic when we found that a simple treatment, taken > for a short period of time, could benefit so many > people who had suffered severe chronic illness due to > biotoxins. " News spreading Others have gotten excited > about this research: Cheney has used the VCS test > and a modified version of the protocol to treat > patients at his Bald Head Island Clinic in North > Carolina. > Chuck Lapp, director of the Hunter Hopkins Center in > Charlotte, NC, also plans to put one of the machines > in his office. " A number of my patients have > complained that I wear loud, patterned clothing, and > that it bothers their vision when I wear a patterned > tie, so I think there may be something to this, " he > said. > There are also almost 50 physicians in a nationwide > referral network who are familiar with the VCS test > and the treatment protocol; for more information, > contact the website for the name and number of the > doctor nearest you. > Recent advances > In June, Hudnell and Shoemaker presented data from > their latest studies on Sick Building Syndrome and > Post lyme Syndrome at the 8th International Symposium > on Neurobehavioral Methods and Effects in Occupational > and Environmental Health in Brescia, Italy, where Dr. > Hudnell chaired a session on biotoxins. Shoemaker > co-chaired. Next, they plan to conduct human studies > that will more definitively characterize the > proinflammatory cytokine basis of chronic, > biotoxin-induced illness, and describe the permanent > damage that they think has occurred in the > hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of those who > had the highest exposure levels for the longest > periods of time. > They also want to do the animal studies and human > trials needed for FDA approval of hormone replacement > therapy that they think will help those with permanent > damage. To that end, Dr. Shoemaker has established a > not-for-profit corporation, the Center for Research on > Biotoxin Associated Illness (CRBAI). > " If the research is to get done, CRBAI needs to raise > funds through grants and donations from private > organizations and individuals because there is > virtually no Federal funding of research in this > area, " said Shoemaker. > In the meantime, he still sees patients every day in > his Market Street office, many suffering from chronic, > neurotoxic illnesses. Both Shoemaker and Hudnell > routinely get calls from all over the world asking for > advice on toxic outbreaks and how to treat them. New > patients are still taking the tests on the website and > beginning CSM treatment. > So as physician Osler advocated long before > the advent of the biotoxin-mediated illness theory, to > find the proper diagnosis, Ritchie Shoemaker listens > to the patient. > " Recognizing the pattern of a neurotoxic illness is as > subtle as being run over by a steamroller, once you > learn how to ask the right questions, " he says. > Physicians need to learn to ask the patient a few more > questions in a new order-in essence, take an organized > neurotoxin history, he says. " All our biomarkers and > all our data and all our nice molecular models simply > provide an academic foundation for what the bedside > physician already knows to be true, " insists > Shoemaker. " The toxins did it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 27, 2004 Report Share Posted October 27, 2004 >Am I mistaken or do they use these 'neurotoxins' as >a bacterial >killer, so that no bacteria grows in the vaccine, >bacteria which >could make a person very ill?? If i understood the last article i read that is exactly what it is for. I guess bacteria would show immediate signs of illness, where as damage from the mercury in *most* cases creeps up on you slowly, sometimes you don't really know what's hit you until it's so far down the road you can't connect it to the vaccine. Unless you know what to look for and what your dealing with you think it's just your destiny or something you did to cause it and so you proceed to your local doctor and he proceeds in putting you on dangerous drugs to mask the symptoms caused by the vaccine. They are sooooo sneaky! Connie > Vaccines = Neurotoxins > > I haven't read all of this yet, but wanted to put it > out there for any other interested party. I have been > saying that there are a great deal of illnesses that > can be connected to vaccines. My co-workers used to > think i was crazy because i would try, with success i > might add, to link many illnesses that walked through > the door to a recent vaccine. If your interested in > reading this i would keep in mind that vaccines > *attack* the immune system and the neurological > system. Let me know what you think. > > > New Theory Links Neurotoxins with Chronic Fatigue > Syndrome, lyme, MCS and Other Mystery Illnesses > ImmuneSupport.com > > 11-29-2002 > > By Patti Schmidt > PART 1 of 2 > Two doctors believe they've discovered a new brand of > illness and a new way for pathogens to make people > sick. They also have an FDA-approved treatment that > was effective in a small, preliminary clinical trial. > neurotoxic /nõr'ò tok'sik/, anything having a > poisonous effect on nerves and nerve cells, such as > the effect of lead on the brain and nerves. -The Mosby > Medical Encyclopedia > There are many theories and much disagreement about > what causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Multiple > Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), fibromyalgia (FM) and some > other chronic multi-symptom illnesses. Some science > points to abnormalities in the immune system's > viral-fighting pathways; other research to a cascading > combination of genealogical, environmental, and > health-and personality-related events and factors that > begin with a predisposition and a " bug " and ends with > someone who's chronically ill. And despite a rash of > recent scientific evidence to the contrary, some > out-of-touch physicians still insist sufferers are > just depressed. > While some blame stress and societal ills for the > widespread fatigue, depression, joint pain and > cognitive problems common to these illnesses, recent > research suggests these problems may instead be linked > to toxins generated by cells gone awry-that many > people are chronically ill due to biotoxins in their > system they cannot eliminate naturally. > Two scientists - family practice physician Ritchie C. > Shoemaker and EPA neurotoxicologist H. > Hudnell, Ph.D., - have collected data to back up this > " neurotoxin-mediated illness " theory, and they've > developed both a simple way to test for neurotoxins > and a treatment protocol featuring an effective, > FDA-approved prescription medicine that flushes toxins > safely from the body. > Shoemaker's website features information and research > as well as a way to measure toxin exposure potential. > After answering a brief health questionnaire about > symptoms and some questions designed to eliminate > confounding factors, it takes just five minutes and > $8.95 to take the online Visual Contrast Sensitivity > (VCS) test, which measures the impact of neurotoxins > on brain function. > Data from the questionnaire and vision test are > analyzed immediately to determine if users are likely > " positive " or " negative " for neurotoxins. The website > doesn't make an official diagnosis, but gives a push > in the right direction. Users can then take the test > results to a physician so they can be treated if > necessary. > The two say they have data to support the claim that > 90 percent of the people who test positive for > neurotoxins improve following their treatment > protocol. > " If you have the VCS deficit, the potential for > biotoxin exposure, and don't have other exposures or > medical conditions that could explain the deficit, our > data indicate that the response to toxin-binding > therapy is over 90 percent, " says Ritchie C. > Shoemaker, M.D., the physician who helped develop the > theory and the treatment. The story of how a > small-town family practice physician and a civil > servant who works for the EPA came up with that > theory- and how they found a treatment for the 10 > million Americans they claim it can help- is at least > as interesting as the theory itself. > The scientist > Ritchie Shoemaker always planned to have a rural > primary care practice. He graduated from Duke > University Medical School in North Carolina in 1977, > courtesy of the National Health Service Corps, which > paid for his medical education in return for a stint > serving under-served areas of the U.S. In July of > 1980, following a Family Practice residency in > port, Pa., the NHSC sent him to its clinic in > Pokomoke City, Md. > " I could hardly believe that the government was going > to pay my way through a few years at Duke Medical > School, in order to do something I already wanted to > do, " he said. > Pokomoke City was then a thinly populated small town > situated along the Pokomoke River, a tributary of the > 200-mile long Chesapeake Bay. The Pokomoke itself > flows South from Delaware, 80-miles long and just 50 > yards wide in some places. > At the time they settled there, Shoemaker and his > young wife JoAnn were newlyweds. Taking great pleasure > in the idyllic setting, they became involved in civic > activities; had a daughter, Sally; and began > protecting the unique ecology of the Lower Eastern > Shore, building and restoring wetland ponds, wetland > gardens and a mile-long nature trail. > " This was everything I had ever wanted, " said the > doctor. " I had the love of a spouse and family, the > love of my practice and of my land. I was happy. " > In 1996, the first reports of " sick fish " in the river > began appearing in local newspapers. It wasn't long > afterward that some of his friends and patients began > complaining of flu-like symptoms. " They had nasty > headaches, diarrhea, rash, cough, persistent muscle > aches and failures in short-term memory, " says > Shoemaker. > His intuition, backed by a solid grounding in science > (he was a biology major in his undergraduate days) > told him the sick fish and the sudden illness among > his patients were related. When someone brought him a > dead fish, fresh from the Pokomoke, the curious young > doctor put it under a microscope. > " The link was the river, " Shoemaker says in the book > he wrote about these events, Pfiesteria: Crossing Dark > Water. " Each one of them had spent time working or > playing in the slow-moving Pokomoke during the summer > of 1997. " > He had no idea that what was under that microscope > would change his life and put him at the uneasy nexus > where politics, ecology and medicine meet. > The collaborator > Meanwhile, Shoemaker's research collaborator Hilton > Hudnell, PhD, a calm, soft-spoken > neurotoxicologist, was building a civil service career > at the Environmental Protection Agency. > Ken Hudnell grew up in North Carolina, where the Neuse > and Trent rivers join at New Bern. In a twist of fate, > the Neuse was where Pfiesteria-related fish kills were > first found - the very same organism thought to > produce the devastating effects Shoemaker observed > under his microscope and in his clinic. > " It's not the same river system that I played on while > growing up, " says Hudnell today. " Back then there were > few fish kills, and people didn't associate human > illness with them. My nemesis was seaweed growing on > the bottom and clogging my outboard motor. Now in many > places, the seaweed has been choked out by surface > blooms of cyanobacteria-blue-green algae- due to > pollutant runoff from massive hog farms upstream from > New Bern. " > A one-celled dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria piscicida is > colloquially known as the " fish killer " in areas where > it has wreaked its havoc on the local ecosystem. > Pfiesteria wasn't the first dinoflagellate that caught > Ken Hudnell's attention. After majoring in chemistry > and psychology at the University of North Carolina at > Chapel Hill, he moved to the Virgin Islands for three > years to start a diving business. > " I soon learned that you don't eat certain types of > fish that feed around the reefs, " he remembered. > " Those fish ate a dinoflagellate called Ciguatera and > accumulated their toxins. When people ate the fish, > they got violently ill. Many recovered completely > after a few days, but others remained chronically ill. > Now I know why - they had biotoxin circulating in > their bodies that they couldn't eliminate. " His > experience with ciguatoxins and other biotoxins in the > Caribbean compelled Hudnell to return to the U.S. to > enter graduate school. " I wanted to understand the > relationships between neurobiology, toxic exposures > and human illness, " he said. > Hudnell received a graduate degree from his alma mater > and is an adjunct professor there now. His work at the > EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects > Research Laboratory, which involves using a battery of > neurobehavioral and electrophysiological tests to > measure sensory, motor and cognitive functions in > people affected by toxic exposures, has been > recognized with two of the agency's Science and > Technology Achievement Rewards. > At the EPA, Dr. Hudnell developed a theory explaining > the worldwide increase in biotoxin-related events: > human activities and natural events impact the earth's > water, land and air, altering the habitat and > promoting the development and spread of toxic > organisms. Those toxic organisms, in turn, impact man > as well as the ecosystem we all have to share. > It's an interdependent circle, which features mankind > using up land, air and sea resources, all the while > ignoring the symptoms of burgeoning environmental > problems that place us in peril. > Two hundred and fifty miles north, Ritchie Shoemaker > was independently coming to the same conclusions. > Chronic illness, he was beginning to believe, was > partly a result of the damage we've done to the > ecosystem. > Take lyme disease, for example: As millions of people > in the city moved to the suburbs- and then further out > into the countryside when the suburbs became crowded- > they altered the habitat to one favored by mice and > deer. Houses and new landscaping provided food and > cover, and eliminated the predators of a growing deer > population. > Deer and mice are tolerant hosts, allowing ticks to > complete their life cycle by providing a reservoir of > blood-borne pathogens for the ticks to deposit into a > human who happens to be in the " wrong " place (like his > back yard), at the wrong time, leaving behind a tell > tale trail of acute or chronic illness. If we hadn't > destroyed their original habitat, in other words, we > may never have gotten close enough to become a > temporary feeding trough for the tick. > The doctor and the scientist met when Shoemaker, > hungry for more data on Pfiesteria, called Hudnell at > the EPA one July morning in 1998. " At 10:15 a.m., I > read that Ken had found Pfiesteria patients showed a > visual contrast deficit that lasted a year or more, " > remembers Shoemaker. " By 10:17 a.m., we were on the > phone and working together. " > Hudnell's early work as a UNC undergraduate led him to > the VCS literature. He developed a VCS test on an > oscilloscope screen early in his graduate studies > there, soon after it was first reported in the > scientific literature that the visual system was more > sensitive to mid-size bar patterns than to smaller- or > larger-size bar patterns. " I realized that this meant > there were different processes in the eye and brain > for detecting different aspects of a visual pattern, > and I wanted to understand how they worked, " he said. > " Later I found that those processes were > differentially susceptible to disruption by various > toxins and disease processes. " > While VCS testing had been used in neurotoxic > exposure, Hudnell was the first to use it to measure > the effects of biotoxin exposure and heavy metal > toxicity, or as a marker for neurotoxic exposures like > Pfiesteria. > The mystery > Back at microscope in the summer of 1997, Shoemaker > found a slimy fish that was the first example he saw > of just how much damage a toxin-producing organism > could do in the right set of circumstances. > In his search for answers, over the next few years he > became intimately familiar with the habits and > neurotoxic illnesses of fresh water and sea animals > including fish, birds, alligators, turtles and > pelicans. He studied basic and esoteric subjects, > including predator-prey relationships of aquatic > invertebrates; plants; phytoplankton; the pathology of > invertebrate organisms in marine and estuarine > environments; pesticide physiology; and the study of > the rhizosphere, the interface between a root and its > immediate environment. > He consulted experts in fields such as pathology; > toxicology; biochemistry; geochemistry; physiology; > estuarine limnology; and even membrane ionophore > chemistry, the study of the passage of organisms and > molecules in aqueous solutions across membranes. He > learned how pesticides degrade in air, water and > subsoils. > Given the intense political controversy that an > environmentally acquired illness like Pfiesteria > created, he needed this knowledge to piece together a > mystery: Was there a link between the fish kills and > the illnesses his patients were suffering? Why didn't > the body rid itself of these toxins naturally? Do > bacteria, fungi, algae and other tiny organisms > manufacture toxins that linger on in the human body, > long after the organisms themselves are dead? > Eventually, Shoemaker figured out that his patients > had a new illness, originally named Pfiesteria human > illness syndrome in his 1997 article in the land > Medical Journal. The CDC renamed the illness > " Estuarine-Associated Syndrome " in 1998, and " Possible > Estuarine-Associated Syndrome " (PEAS) in 2000. > It took Shoemaker a few more years to put together his > " chronic neurotoxin-mediated illness " theory and some > time after that to gather the data to tell him his > theory was sound. In the end, he believes he and > Hudnell have discovered a new brand of illness and a > new way for pathogens to make people sick. The two > have continued to gather data fleshing out the theory > with more clinical and molecular information. > In the meantime, Shoemaker built up his medical > practice, winning the 2000 land Family Doctor of > the Year Award and being named one of five finalists > for the National Family Practice Doctor of the Year > Award in 2002. At the same time, he battled state and > local bureaucrats who continued to tell people, " the > river is safe, " despite evidence to the contrary. > When Shoemaker went to the press with his theory and > his data during the outbreak in land in 1997, the > bureaucrats did everything they could to ruin his > reputation. One state official quoted in the local > newspapers accused him of " scientific malpractice, " > and claimed he was " out of his field " when it came to > the sciences. > Their refusal to see -and say -the truth simply drove > him to work harder. When residents near the St. Lucie > River near Stuart on Florida's East Coast suffered a > rash of dinoflagellate illnesses in 1998, they > listened to Shoemaker's theories of copper toxicity. > Copper binds to pesticides, giving them easier > entrance into organisms. If predators of > dinoflagellates are more susceptible to the > copper-pesticide toxicity than dinoflagellates, a > decrease in the predator population could result in an > increase in the dinoflagellate population. Also, if > prey of dinoflagellates are killed at lower exposure > levels than dinoflagellates, this might put pressure > on the dinoflagellates to produce and release toxins > in order to kill fish for a food source. > Then Florida officials earmarked $30 million to build > lagoons that filter runoff from copper-laden citrus > groves, bought wetland farms to restore them and > dredged contaminated sections of the St. Lucie. They > levied a three-year, one percent sales tax to pay for > these improvements. > The CSM treatment proved just as effective in Florida > as it did in land. About 15 residents and > investigators working on the St. Lucie became ill with > multiple systems symptoms and suffered a VCS deficit. > They responded well to CSM therapy given by four local > Florida physicians. > But like the guy who discovered that a bug causes > ulcers, Shoemaker found the medical community in > land reluctant to applaud his new theory. In fact, > it was met with active resistance, he said. For > example, the head of ophthalmology at the University > of land School of Medicine dismissed the value of > visual contrast testing in helping to diagnose lyme > disease by simply saying, " I don't think so. " > In his spare time, Shoemaker also wrote four books: > Gateway Press, in Baltimore, Md., published > Pfiesteria: Crossing Dark Water, a 360-page tally of > the outbreak in the waters of the Pokomoke, in 1997; > Weight Loss and Maintenance: My Way Works, a 325-page > explanation of a weight loss mechanism with > maintenance rates that exceed 70 percent, in 1998; and > Desperation Medicine, the 519-page saga of his > findings that neurotoxins are responsible for many > chronic illnesses, in 2001. His latest book, Lose the > Weight You Hate, is a 454-page update of his earlier > diet primer which adds recipes, an explanation of how > neurotoxic illnesses contribute to obesity and > diabetes, and a discussion of the importance of genes > and how they effect weight loss. > The test > Despite the disbelief, Shoemaker and Hudnell can point > to data, accumulated since the mid-60s, that visual > contrast sensitivity deficits exist in diseases like > Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and in > Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. > In fact, experts suspect that many diseases involve > deficits in visual perception, but there's little > research relating toxic exposures to differences in > visual function before diagnosing disease. Visual > contrast sensitivity testing assesses the quality of > vision. It differs from typical visual acuity testing > in that it simulates " real-world " circumstances, while > routine visual acuity testing measures eyesight under > the best possible conditions. > " That's why measuring visual contrast sensitivity in > patients who report difficulty with their vision, yet > see well on the conventional visual acuity eye chart, > is particularly useful, " says Hudnell. The test is > performed by showing the patient a series of stripes > or bars that slant in different directions. The > patient must identify which way each series of stripes > is tilted. As the test progresses, the bars become > thinner and lighter. People with excellent contrast > sensitivity can discern the orientation of even very > light, thin bars; patients with neurotoxic damage > cannot. > After chronic exposure to many organic solvents, VCS > is the most sensitive indicator of effects from many > toxins, either because the visual system is highly > susceptible to neurotoxins or because even small > deficits can be measured, according to Hudnell. > " The visual system is the ideal place to look for > evidence of neurotoxicity, " he says. " The retina is a > microcosm of the brain; it contains most of the cell > types and biochemicals that are in the brain. So the > retina is as susceptible as the rest of the brain to > neurotoxic effects. " > According to Hudnell, this " piece of brain, " being > near the front of the face, is in close contact with > the environment. Chemicals may be directly absorbed > from the air into the retina, so the potential for > exposure to neurotoxins is greater in the retina than > in the brain. But unlike the brain, he points out, the > visual system has few functional outputs (pattern and > motion detection, or color discrimination, for > example) and we can easily measure them. The VCS test > measures the least amount of stimulation needed to > detect a stationary pattern. > " As neurologic function decreases due to toxicity, > more and more stimulation is needed to see the > patterns, " he explains. > The effect can be huge; the Pfiesteria cohort in one > of Shoemaker and Hudnell's studies showed a 60 percent > loss of VCS on average relative to controls. > " When we see VCS drops like this following exposure, > and see it recover following treatment to eliminate > the toxins, we're seeing an indication of how strongly > the toxins may be affecting the entire nervous > system, " says Hudnell. " Of course, biotoxins don't > just affect the nervous system. They trigger release > of inflammatory agents in the body that can inflame > almost any organ and cause multiple-system symptoms. " > The theory > And that's where Shoemaker and Hudnell's theory > begins, with biotoxins in the body that some people - > as many as 10 million Americans - cannot naturally > eliminate, resulting in many chronic illnesses. > The two men believe these poisonous chemical compounds > continually circuit the human body, shuttling from > nerve to muscle to brain to sinus to G.I. tract and > other organs, triggering the familiar symptoms. > These symptoms are similar to those caused by > infectious agents, and so is the effect they have on > nerve, muscle, lung, intestines, brain and sinus, say > the researchers. > Shoemaker and Hudnell say the compounds are > manufactured by a growing number of microorganisms > that thrive in our ecosystem due to changes in the > human habitat. > " New biotoxins or toxin-forming organisms are being > identified all the time, " notes Hudnell. > Some, like the deer tick that passes along lyme > disease, do so directly. Toxin-forming bugs such as > the fungi (Stachybotrys and others) that cause > " sick-building syndrome " and the blue-green algae > (Cylindrospermopsis and Microcystis) that poison > people and animals in most of the lakes in Central > Florida, do their work by releasing their toxins into > air or water. > And although the pathogens differ, Shoemaker and > Hudnell say the biotoxins they produce all do their > damage by setting off a similar " exaggerated > inflammatory response " in humans. While hiding out in > fatty tissues where blood-borne disease-fighters can't > get at them, they trick the body's immune system into > launching attacks against joints, muscles, nerves and > brain. > There is increasing evidence to show these attacks are > carried out by a newly discovered group of molecules, > the " pro-inflammatory cytokines, " and that the > destruction they cause is linked to recent surges in > the rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes. > Illnesses once blamed solely on diet and life-style > choices are now being shown to have an inflammatory > basis. > And while infections cause a cytokine response from > white blood cells, especially macrophages, the > cytokine response to neurotoxins comes from fat cells. > > " The body can turn off the macrophage cytokine > response, so that the achiness, fever, headache and > fatigue of a cold will go away, but there's no > negative feedback that stops the cytokine response > from fat cells, " says Shoemaker. " So the illness > doesn't self-heal. " The team's research found that > through typing of immune response genes, the HLA DR, > they can show that individual susceptibility to > particular neurotoxins is associated with particular > genetic factors not found in others with a different > neurotoxic illness or in controls. In other words, > they're beginning to crack the code to show that some > people are genetically predisposed to get certain > chronic fatiguing illnesses. > But the research that links these things - the > exaggerated inflammatory response, which may also > involve an autoimmune response by a process called > " molecular mimicry " -and its link to heart disease, > for example, is in its infancy, so the medical > community remains skeptical. > Nonetheless, Shoemaker thinks these provocative > discoveries will eventually require researchers to > confront the grim possibility that these organisms > have learned how to skew immune responses by using > powerful toxins to decimate the body's disease > protection system. The diagnosis According to > Shoemaker, a diagnosis of chronic, biotoxin-induced > illness is based on biotoxin exposure potential, > multiple system symptoms, the VCS deficit discovered > by Dr. Hudnell, and no other reasonable explanation > for the illness. " As opposed to illnesses which have > no supporting tests or biomarkers like fibromyalgia, > CFS, depression, irritable bowel disease, or just > getting older, our approach gives the physician > readily obtained hard data to use as a marker and, > more importantly, as a monitor that changes > dynamically with response to treatment, " says > Shoemaker. > Hudnell points out that new tests for cytokine levels, > hormone levels and blood flow in the microvasculature > of the retina help characterize how biotoxins induce > chronic illness. The new HLA genotype tests (the DNA > PCR assays -not the serology or transplant tests) also > help identify people who are at risk for developing > chronic illness from particular biotoxins because > they're unable to eliminate those toxins. > " Patients must have a compatible history, the deficit > in VCS, the HLA genotype, an abnormal cytokine > response, and the abnormal effects of cytokines on > hypothalamic hormones, especially melanocyte > stimulating hormone (MSH), " said Shoemaker. " All CFS > patients should have the MSH test done. " > Shoemaker and Hudnell's data show that there's a group > of CSM treatment-resistant CFS patients who are > coagulase negative Staph (CNS) positive and who have > high leptin levels. Leptin is a hormone made by fat > cells that signals the satiety center in the > hypothalamus that a person is no longer hungry. > Leptin stimulates the production of alpha melanocyte > stimulating hormone (MSH), which in turn controls > production of endorphins (the body's natural > " opiates " ) and melatonin (which regulates sleep) in > the hypothalamus. CFS patients rarely have much MSH. > Eradicating CNS does nothing to the high leptin and > low MSH levels in patients with " end-stage CFS, " says > Shoemaker, but it certainly does in patients who are > diagnosed acutely and treated aggressively, preventing > irreversible damage to the MSH-manufacturing pathway. > " We must recognize that the process by which CFS > develops may include an acute neurotoxic event which > includes upper respiratory symptoms, " says Shoemaker. > Shoemaker believes that the secondary cytokine damage > from neurotoxic exposure changes the mucus membranes > in the nose, allowing biofilm-forming, slow-growing > CNS to release hemolysins (once called delta toxins) > that in turn activate a powerful cytokine response. > The boost in cytokines disrupts the leptin-MSH > production link. This classic, positive feedback > system increases cytokines and CNS and reduces MSH. > " While the data is certainly compatible with this > model, I haven't asked for volunteers to put CNS in > their noses to watch for subsequent development of > CFS, " says Shoemaker jokingly. But the team has found > particular genotypes of the immune response genes in > HLA-DR that show marked consistency within a diagnosis > group and marked disparity in other diagnostic groups. > > Shoemaker won't yet say that the HLA DR genes or the > abnormalities in the leptin/MSH pathway are the " Holy > Grail " of CFS research, but will admit that there are > unique HLA genes in his CFS patients; that his Sick > Building Syndrome patients have at least three unique > triplets of gene biomarkers; his Post-lyme patients > have two; and that these gene-types are quite > different from each other. Is CFS an illness that > includes a genetic susceptibility to particular > neurotoxins, which trigger cytokines associated with > carrying CNS, that produce nerve, hormone and immune > system dysfunction in the ventromedial nucleus of the > hypothalamus? Maybe, says Shoemaker. > " If our study shows that replacement of MSH improves > many (or most!) of the abnormalities of CFS, I'll > believe that, " says Shoemaker. That study will be done > after the animal studies required by the FDA are > completed. They hope it will establish an effective > MSH dose and the most effective method of MSH > delivery, as well as confirm that symptoms reoccur > when MSH is stopped, and then again show benefit when > an effective does is reinstituted. > They'll do baseline VCS tests and MSH levels first, > and will attempt to show that high levels of > plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), tumor > necrosis factor alpha and leptin improve after > treatment. > A longer trial is planned, pending initial results. > That study, which will be done when funds are > obtained, will also attempt to show that high levels > of PAI-1 and leptin improve after treatment. Shoemaker > believes PAI-1 is likely to be responsible for the > extra clotting and vascular disease frequently found > in CFS patients, and that once leptin levels fall, CFS > patients who have gained weight will be able to lose > it. > The website > Before you can take the CS exam at Dr. Shoemaker's web > site (http://www.chronicneurotoxins.com), you have to > register and get a log-in identity and password, as > well as answer symptom and medical history > questionnaires. Then you can buy a VCS test for $8.95, > or a package with several tests and treatment > protocols for $49.95. The preliminary test (a free > questionnaire) assesses the symptoms commonly > associated with biotoxin-induced illness, as well as > your potential for exposure. > " Many symptoms of and potential exposures to biotoxins > are not yet well known by physicians, " says Shoemaker, > " So they're easily overlooked. " > After you take the test, your results are available > immediately. They can also be sent to your physician. > If your physician isn't familiar with the theory or > protocol, the website mentions a list of referral > physicians across the nation, or you can request to > see Dr. Shoemaker in his Pokomoke City office. (A > second part to this article will detail the author's > diagnostic and treatment experiences at Dr. > Shoemaker's clinic.) > The treatment protocol > Cholestyramine (CSM) is an FDA-approved medication > which has been used to safely lower elevated levels of > cholesterol for more than 20 years. It isn't absorbed; > if it's not taken with food, it binds cholesterol, > bile salts and biological toxins from bile in the > small intestine, and then the CSM-toxin complex is > excreted harmlessly. Science - or Shoemaker and > Hudnell -doesn't have definitive answers yet as to > exactly how or why CSM clears neurotoxins from the > body, but a double-blind, placebo-controlled, > cross-over clinical trial of eight Pfiesteria patients > positive for biotoxins showed that those who took a > placebo remained ill, but improved following CSM > treatment. Data from 30 others he's gathered since > matches the original study data. > Shoemaker says while some patients notice immediate > improvements, lyme disease patients who've been sick > for more than five years usually require toxin-binding > therapy for 4-8 weeks, he says. " Most patients improve > in two weeks, some with complete abatement of > symptoms, but depending on the amount of toxin in your > body, it may take longer, " says Shoemaker. > He believes the response of these patients to CSM > therapy shows the underlying common theme of > neurotoxin-mediated illness, and that the proof that > toxins were responsible for the illness is found when > patients recover, i.e., have no symptoms following > treatment with his protocol. > " The proof of neurotoxin effect comes from watching > the biomarkers change with treatment and relapse with > re-exposure, " says Shoemaker. " There's very strong > evidence, especially in the Sick Building Syndrome > patients. " Hudnell agrees. > " The best evidence that biotoxins are causing the > illnesses comes from cases with repeated illness, " > says the toxicologist. " When you see patients with > chronic illness recover vision as symptoms resolve > while being treated with a drug that can do nothing > but remove compounds from circulation, then see vision > plummet and symptoms return following re-exposure to > sources of toxins, and finally see re-recovery with > re-treatment, sometimes for three or four cycles, you > become convinced that it's the toxins causing the > illness. " > In another study of 51 post lyme disease patients > treated with CSM after a tick bite, both those who > tested positive and those who tested negative to lyme > had the same number of symptoms after treatment as > matched controls. Shoemaker says that data from more > than 500 other patients he's seen since matches the > study data. Prior to treatment, the chronic lyme > disease patients had a statistically significant VCS > deficit. Following treatment, all patients' clinical > syndrome was gone; and their VCS scores and the number > of symptoms were the same as that of the controls. > Some of these lyme disease patients, especially those > who'd been sick longer then three years, suffered what > Shoemaker calls " a symptom intensification reaction " > early in CSM therapy, similar to, but more intense > than, the Herxheimer reactions experienced previously > during antibiotic treatment. The reaction was reduced > with pioglitazone (Actos) therapy or prevented by > pretreatment with Actos, which downregulates > proinflammatory cytokine production by fat cells. > Patients who weren't reexposed to another tick bite > didn't relapse, though follow-up was stopped at 18 > months. > There are other diagnoses- chronic Ciguatera seafood > poisoning, Possible Estuary Associated Syndrome, brown > recluse spider bites and mycotoxicosis-that were > thought to involve biotoxins, but for which there was > no known, effective treatment. Shoemaker has treated > patients with these illnesses successfully with > cholestyramine, too. Over the years Hudnell has done > studies that linked environmental exposure to > neurotoxicants like airborne solvents and metals to > adverse neurologic effects in humans, including VCS > deficits. But there was no treatment for it. > " There was nothing I could do to help them, and the > impairments were permanent, " he said. " So I was > ecstatic when we found that a simple treatment, taken > for a short period of time, could benefit so many > people who had suffered severe chronic illness due to > biotoxins. " News spreading Others have gotten excited > about this research: Cheney has used the VCS test > and a modified version of the protocol to treat > patients at his Bald Head Island Clinic in North > Carolina. > Chuck Lapp, director of the Hunter Hopkins Center in > Charlotte, NC, also plans to put one of the machines > in his office. " A number of my patients have > complained that I wear loud, patterned clothing, and > that it bothers their vision when I wear a patterned > tie, so I think there may be something to this, " he > said. > There are also almost 50 physicians in a nationwide > referral network who are familiar with the VCS test > and the treatment protocol; for more information, > contact the website for the name and number of the > doctor nearest you. > Recent advances > In June, Hudnell and Shoemaker presented data from > their latest studies on Sick Building Syndrome and > Post lyme Syndrome at the 8th International Symposium > on Neurobehavioral Methods and Effects in Occupational > and Environmental Health in Brescia, Italy, where Dr. > Hudnell chaired a session on biotoxins. Shoemaker > co-chaired. Next, they plan to conduct human studies > that will more definitively characterize the > proinflammatory cytokine basis of chronic, > biotoxin-induced illness, and describe the permanent > damage that they think has occurred in the > hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of those who > had the highest exposure levels for the longest > periods of time. > They also want to do the animal studies and human > trials needed for FDA approval of hormone replacement > therapy that they think will help those with permanent > damage. To that end, Dr. Shoemaker has established a > not-for-profit corporation, the Center for Research on > Biotoxin Associated Illness (CRBAI). > " If the research is to get done, CRBAI needs to raise > funds through grants and donations from private > organizations and individuals because there is > virtually no Federal funding of research in this > area, " said Shoemaker. > In the meantime, he still sees patients every day in > his Market Street office, many suffering from chronic, > neurotoxic illnesses. Both Shoemaker and Hudnell > routinely get calls from all over the world asking for > advice on toxic outbreaks and how to treat them. New > patients are still taking the tests on the website and > beginning CSM treatment. > So as physician Osler advocated long before > the advent of the biotoxin-mediated illness theory, to > find the proper diagnosis, Ritchie Shoemaker listens > to the patient. > " Recognizing the pattern of a neurotoxic illness is as > subtle as being run over by a steamroller, once you > learn how to ask the right questions, " he says. > Physicians need to learn to ask the patient a few more > questions in a new order-in essence, take an organized > neurotoxin history, he says. " All our biomarkers and > all our data and all our nice molecular models simply > provide an academic foundation for what the bedside > physician already knows to be true, " insists > Shoemaker. " The toxins did it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 27, 2004 Report Share Posted October 27, 2004 The mercury is put into vaccines which are in multi dose vials. The ones without mercury are in individual dose vials. I'm sure the mercury is used to kill bacteria that might be introduced by multiple sticks of the vial but I don't know if it is used to increase shelf life of the vaccine. > > Vaccines = Neurotoxins > > > > I haven't read all of this yet, but wanted to put it > > out there for any other interested party. I have > been > > saying that there are a great deal of illnesses that > > can be connected to vaccines. My co-workers used to > > think i was crazy because i would try, with success > i > > might add, to link many illnesses that walked > through > > the door to a recent vaccine. If your interested in > > reading this i would keep in mind that vaccines > > *attack* the immune system and the neurological > > system. Let me know what you think. > > > > > > New Theory Links Neurotoxins with Chronic Fatigue > > Syndrome, lyme, MCS and Other Mystery Illnesses > > ImmuneSupport.com > > > > 11-29-2002 > > > > By Patti Schmidt > > PART 1 of 2 > > Two doctors believe they've discovered a new brand > of > > illness and a new way for pathogens to make people > > sick. They also have an FDA-approved treatment that > > was effective in a small, preliminary clinical > trial. > > neurotoxic /nõr'ò tok'sik/, anything having a > > poisonous effect on nerves and nerve cells, such as > > the effect of lead on the brain and nerves. -The > Mosby > > Medical Encyclopedia > > There are many theories and much disagreement about > > what causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Multiple > > Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), fibromyalgia (FM) and > some > > other chronic multi-symptom illnesses. Some science > > points to abnormalities in the immune system's > > viral-fighting pathways; other research to a > cascading > > combination of genealogical, environmental, and > > health-and personality-related events and factors > that > > begin with a predisposition and a " bug " and ends > with > > someone who's chronically ill. And despite a rash of > > recent scientific evidence to the contrary, some > > out-of-touch physicians still insist sufferers are > > just depressed. > > While some blame stress and societal ills for the > > widespread fatigue, depression, joint pain and > > cognitive problems common to these illnesses, recent > > research suggests these problems may instead be > linked > > to toxins generated by cells gone awry-that many > > people are chronically ill due to biotoxins in their > > system they cannot eliminate naturally. > > Two scientists - family practice physician Ritchie > C. > > Shoemaker and EPA neurotoxicologist H. > > Hudnell, Ph.D., - have collected data to back up > this > > " neurotoxin-mediated illness " theory, and they've > > developed both a simple way to test for neurotoxins > > and a treatment protocol featuring an effective, > > FDA-approved prescription medicine that flushes > toxins > > safely from the body. > > Shoemaker's website features information and > research > > as well as a way to measure toxin exposure > potential. > > After answering a brief health questionnaire about > > symptoms and some questions designed to eliminate > > confounding factors, it takes just five minutes and > > $8.95 to take the online Visual Contrast Sensitivity > > (VCS) test, which measures the impact of neurotoxins > > on brain function. > > Data from the questionnaire and vision test are > > analyzed immediately to determine if users are > likely > > " positive " or " negative " for neurotoxins. The > website > > doesn't make an official diagnosis, but gives a push > > in the right direction. Users can then take the test > > results to a physician so they can be treated if > > necessary. > > The two say they have data to support the claim that > > 90 percent of the people who test positive for > > neurotoxins improve following their treatment > > protocol. > > " If you have the VCS deficit, the potential for > > biotoxin exposure, and don't have other exposures or > > medical conditions that could explain the deficit, > our > > data indicate that the response to toxin-binding > > therapy is over 90 percent, " says Ritchie C. > > Shoemaker, M.D., the physician who helped develop > the > > theory and the treatment. The story of how a > > small-town family practice physician and a civil > > servant who works for the EPA came up with that > > theory- and how they found a treatment for the 10 > > million Americans they claim it can help- is at > least > > as interesting as the theory itself. > > The scientist > > Ritchie Shoemaker always planned to have a rural > > primary care practice. He graduated from Duke > > University Medical School in North Carolina in 1977, > > courtesy of the National Health Service Corps, which > > paid for his medical education in return for a stint > > serving under-served areas of the U.S. In July of > > 1980, following a Family Practice residency in > > port, Pa., the NHSC sent him to its clinic > in > > Pokomoke City, Md. > > " I could hardly believe that the government was > going > > to pay my way through a few years at Duke Medical > > School, in order to do something I already wanted to > > do, " he said. > > Pokomoke City was then a thinly populated small town > > situated along the Pokomoke River, a tributary of > the > > 200-mile long Chesapeake Bay. The Pokomoke itself > > flows South from Delaware, 80-miles long and just 50 > > yards wide in some places. > > At the time they settled there, Shoemaker and his > > young wife JoAnn were newlyweds. Taking great > pleasure > > in the idyllic setting, they became involved in > civic > > activities; had a daughter, Sally; and began > > protecting the unique ecology of the Lower Eastern > > Shore, building and restoring wetland ponds, wetland > > gardens and a mile-long nature trail. > > " This was everything I had ever wanted, " said the > > doctor. " I had the love of a spouse and family, the > > love of my practice and of my land. I was happy. " > > In 1996, the first reports of " sick fish " in the > river > > began appearing in local newspapers. It wasn't long > > afterward that some of his friends and patients > began > > complaining of flu-like symptoms. " They had nasty > > headaches, diarrhea, rash, cough, persistent muscle > > aches and failures in short-term memory, " says > > Shoemaker. > > His intuition, backed by a solid grounding in > science > > (he was a biology major in his undergraduate days) > > told him the sick fish and the sudden illness among > > his patients were related. When someone brought him > a > > dead fish, fresh from the Pokomoke, the curious > young > > doctor put it under a microscope. > > " The link was the river, " Shoemaker says in the book > > he wrote about these events, Pfiesteria: Crossing > Dark > > Water. " Each one of them had spent time working or > > playing in the slow-moving Pokomoke during the > summer > > of 1997. " > > He had no idea that what was under that microscope > > would change his life and put him at the uneasy > nexus > > where politics, ecology and medicine meet. > > The collaborator > > Meanwhile, Shoemaker's research collaborator Hilton > > Hudnell, PhD, a calm, soft-spoken > > neurotoxicologist, was building a civil service > career > > at the Environmental Protection Agency. > > Ken Hudnell grew up in North Carolina, where the > Neuse > > and Trent rivers join at New Bern. In a twist of > fate, > > the Neuse was where Pfiesteria-related fish kills > were > > first found - the very same organism thought to > > produce the devastating effects Shoemaker observed > > under his microscope and in his clinic. > > " It's not the same river system that I played on > while > > growing up, " says Hudnell today. " Back then there > were > > few fish kills, and people didn't associate human > > illness with them. My nemesis was seaweed growing on > > the bottom and clogging my outboard motor. Now in > many > > places, the seaweed has been choked out by surface > > blooms of cyanobacteria-blue-green algae- due to > > pollutant runoff from massive hog farms upstream > from > > New Bern. " > > A one-celled dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria piscicida is > > colloquially known as the " fish killer " in areas > where > > it has wreaked its havoc on the local ecosystem. > > Pfiesteria wasn't the first dinoflagellate that > caught > > Ken Hudnell's attention. After majoring in chemistry > > and psychology at the University of North Carolina > at > > Chapel Hill, he moved to the Virgin Islands for > three > > years to start a diving business. > > " I soon learned that you don't eat certain types of > > fish that feed around the reefs, " he remembered. > > " Those fish ate a dinoflagellate called Ciguatera > and > > accumulated their toxins. When people ate the fish, > > they got violently ill. Many recovered completely > > after a few days, but others remained chronically > ill. > > Now I know why - they had biotoxin circulating in > > their bodies that they couldn't eliminate. " His > > experience with ciguatoxins and other biotoxins in > the > > Caribbean compelled Hudnell to return to the U.S. to > > enter graduate school. " I wanted to understand the > > relationships between neurobiology, toxic exposures > > and human illness, " he said. > > Hudnell received a graduate degree from his alma > mater > > and is an adjunct professor there now. His work at > the > > EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects > > Research Laboratory, which involves using a battery > of > > neurobehavioral and electrophysiological tests to > > measure sensory, motor and cognitive functions in > > people affected by toxic exposures, has been > > recognized with two of the agency's Science and > > Technology Achievement Rewards. > > At the EPA, Dr. Hudnell developed a theory > explaining > > the worldwide increase in biotoxin-related events: > > human activities and natural events impact the > earth's > > water, land and air, altering the habitat and > > promoting the development and spread of toxic > > organisms. Those toxic organisms, in turn, impact > man > > as well as the ecosystem we all have to share. > > It's an interdependent circle, which features > mankind > > using up land, air and sea resources, all the while > > ignoring the symptoms of burgeoning environmental > > problems that place us in peril. > > Two hundred and fifty miles north, Ritchie Shoemaker > > was independently coming to the same conclusions. > > Chronic illness, he was beginning to believe, was > > partly a result of the damage we've done to the > > ecosystem. > > Take lyme disease, for example: As millions of > people > > in the city moved to the suburbs- and then further > out > > into the countryside when the suburbs became > crowded- > > they altered the habitat to one favored by mice and > > deer. Houses and new landscaping provided food and > > cover, and eliminated the predators of a growing > deer > > population. > > Deer and mice are tolerant hosts, allowing ticks to > > complete their life cycle by providing a reservoir > of > > blood-borne pathogens for the ticks to deposit into > a > > human who happens to be in the " wrong " place (like > his > > back yard), at the wrong time, leaving behind a tell > > tale trail of acute or chronic illness. If we hadn't > > destroyed their original habitat, in other words, we > > may never have gotten close enough to become a > > temporary feeding trough for the tick. > > The doctor and the scientist met when Shoemaker, > > hungry for more data on Pfiesteria, called Hudnell > at > > the EPA one July morning in 1998. " At 10:15 a.m., I > > read that Ken had found Pfiesteria patients showed a > > visual contrast deficit that lasted a year or more, " > > remembers Shoemaker. " By 10:17 a.m., we were on the > > phone and working together. " > > Hudnell's early work as a UNC undergraduate led him > to > > the VCS literature. He developed a VCS test on an > > oscilloscope screen early in his graduate studies > > there, soon after it was first reported in the > > scientific literature that the visual system was > more > > sensitive to mid-size bar patterns than to smaller- > or > > larger-size bar patterns. " I realized that this > meant > > there were different processes in the eye and brain > > for detecting different aspects of a visual pattern, > > and I wanted to understand how they worked, " he > said. > > " Later I found that those processes were > > differentially susceptible to disruption by various > > toxins and disease processes. " > > While VCS testing had been used in neurotoxic > > exposure, Hudnell was the first to use it to measure > > the effects of biotoxin exposure and heavy metal > > toxicity, or as a marker for neurotoxic exposures > like > > Pfiesteria. > > The mystery > > Back at microscope in the summer of 1997, Shoemaker > > found a slimy fish that was the first example he saw > > of just how much damage a toxin-producing organism > > could do in the right set of circumstances. > > In his search for answers, over the next few years > he > > became intimately familiar with the habits and > > neurotoxic illnesses of fresh water and sea animals > > including fish, birds, alligators, turtles and > > pelicans. He studied basic and esoteric subjects, > > including predator-prey relationships of aquatic > > invertebrates; plants; phytoplankton; the pathology > of > > invertebrate organisms in marine and estuarine > > environments; pesticide physiology; and the study of > > the rhizosphere, the interface between a root and > its > > immediate environment. > > He consulted experts in fields such as pathology; > > toxicology; biochemistry; geochemistry; physiology; > > estuarine limnology; and even membrane ionophore > > chemistry, the study of the passage of organisms and > > molecules in aqueous solutions across membranes. He > > learned how pesticides degrade in air, water and > > subsoils. > > Given the intense political controversy that an > > environmentally acquired illness like Pfiesteria > > created, he needed this knowledge to piece together > a > > mystery: Was there a link between the fish kills and > > the illnesses his patients were suffering? Why > didn't > > the body rid itself of these toxins naturally? Do > > bacteria, fungi, algae and other tiny organisms > > manufacture toxins that linger on in the human body, > > long after the organisms themselves are dead? > > Eventually, Shoemaker figured out that his patients > > had a new illness, originally named Pfiesteria human > > illness syndrome in his 1997 article in the land > > Medical Journal. The CDC renamed the illness > > " Estuarine-Associated Syndrome " in 1998, and > " Possible > > Estuarine-Associated Syndrome " (PEAS) in 2000. > > It took Shoemaker a few more years to put together > his > > " chronic neurotoxin-mediated illness " theory and > some > > time after that to gather the data to tell him his > > theory was sound. In the end, he believes he and > > Hudnell have discovered a new brand of illness and a > > new way for pathogens to make people sick. The two > > have continued to gather data fleshing out the > theory > > with more clinical and molecular information. > > In the meantime, Shoemaker built up his medical > > practice, winning the 2000 land Family Doctor of > > the Year Award and being named one of five finalists > > for the National Family Practice Doctor of the Year > > Award in 2002. At the same time, he battled state > and > > local bureaucrats who continued to tell people, " the > > river is safe, " despite evidence to the contrary. > > When Shoemaker went to the press with his theory and > > his data during the outbreak in land in 1997, > the > > bureaucrats did everything they could to ruin his > > reputation. One state official quoted in the local > > newspapers accused him of " scientific malpractice, " > > and claimed he was " out of his field " when it came > to > > the sciences. > > Their refusal to see -and say -the truth simply > drove > > him to work harder. When residents near the St. > Lucie > > River near Stuart on Florida's East Coast suffered a > > rash of dinoflagellate illnesses in 1998, they > > listened to Shoemaker's theories of copper toxicity. > > Copper binds to pesticides, giving them easier > > entrance into organisms. If predators of > > dinoflagellates are more susceptible to the > > copper-pesticide toxicity than dinoflagellates, a > > decrease in the predator population could result in > an > > increase in the dinoflagellate population. Also, if > > prey of dinoflagellates are killed at lower exposure > > levels than dinoflagellates, this might put pressure > > on the dinoflagellates to produce and release toxins > > in order to kill fish for a food source. > > Then Florida officials earmarked $30 million to > build > > lagoons that filter runoff from copper-laden citrus > > groves, bought wetland farms to restore them and > > dredged contaminated sections of the St. Lucie. They > > levied a three-year, one percent sales tax to pay > for > > these improvements. > > The CSM treatment proved just as effective in > Florida > > as it did in land. About 15 residents and > > investigators working on the St. Lucie became ill > with > > multiple systems symptoms and suffered a VCS > deficit. > > They responded well to CSM therapy given by four > local > > Florida physicians. > > But like the guy who discovered that a bug causes > > ulcers, Shoemaker found the medical community in > > land reluctant to applaud his new theory. In > fact, > > it was met with active resistance, he said. For > > example, the head of ophthalmology at the University > > of land School of Medicine dismissed the value > of > > visual contrast testing in helping to diagnose lyme > > disease by simply saying, " I don't think so. " > > In his spare time, Shoemaker also wrote four books: > > Gateway Press, in Baltimore, Md., published > > Pfiesteria: Crossing Dark Water, a 360-page tally of > > the outbreak in the waters of the Pokomoke, in 1997; > > Weight Loss and Maintenance: My Way Works, a > 325-page > > explanation of a weight loss mechanism with > > maintenance rates that exceed 70 percent, in 1998; > and > > Desperation Medicine, the 519-page saga of his > > findings that neurotoxins are responsible for many > > chronic illnesses, in 2001. His latest book, Lose > the > > Weight You Hate, is a 454-page update of his earlier > > diet primer which adds recipes, an explanation of > how > > neurotoxic illnesses contribute to obesity and > > diabetes, and a discussion of the importance of > genes > > and how they effect weight loss. > > The test > > Despite the disbelief, Shoemaker and Hudnell can > point > > to data, accumulated since the mid-60s, that visual > > contrast sensitivity deficits exist in diseases like > > Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and in > > Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. > > In fact, experts suspect that many diseases involve > > deficits in visual perception, but there's little > > research relating toxic exposures to differences in > > visual function before diagnosing disease. Visual > > contrast sensitivity testing assesses the quality of > > vision. It differs from typical visual acuity > testing > > in that it simulates " real-world " circumstances, > while > > routine visual acuity testing measures eyesight > under > > the best possible conditions. > > " That's why measuring visual contrast sensitivity in > > patients who report difficulty with their vision, > yet > > see well on the conventional visual acuity eye > chart, > > is particularly useful, " says Hudnell. The test is > > performed by showing the patient a series of stripes > > or bars that slant in different directions. The > > patient must identify which way each series of > stripes > > is tilted. As the test progresses, the bars become > > thinner and lighter. People with excellent contrast > > sensitivity can discern the orientation of even very > > light, thin bars; patients with neurotoxic damage > > cannot. > > After chronic exposure to many organic solvents, VCS > > is the most sensitive indicator of effects from many > > toxins, either because the visual system is highly > > susceptible to neurotoxins or because even small > > deficits can be measured, according to Hudnell. > > " The visual system is the ideal place to look for > > evidence of neurotoxicity, " he says. " The retina is > a > > microcosm of the brain; it contains most of the cell > > types and biochemicals that are in the brain. So the > > retina is as susceptible as the rest of the brain to > > neurotoxic effects. " > > According to Hudnell, this " piece of brain, " being > > near the front of the face, is in close contact with > > the environment. Chemicals may be directly absorbed > > from the air into the retina, so the potential for > > exposure to neurotoxins is greater in the retina > than > > in the brain. But unlike the brain, he points out, > the > > visual system has few functional outputs (pattern > and > > motion detection, or color discrimination, for > > example) and we can easily measure them. The VCS > test > > measures the least amount of stimulation needed to > > detect a stationary pattern. > > " As neurologic function decreases due to toxicity, > > more and more stimulation is needed to see the > > patterns, " he explains. > > The effect can be huge; the Pfiesteria cohort in one > > of Shoemaker and Hudnell's studies showed a 60 > percent > > loss of VCS on average relative to controls. > > " When we see VCS drops like this following exposure, > > and see it recover following treatment to eliminate > > the toxins, we're seeing an indication of how > strongly > > the toxins may be affecting the entire nervous > > system, " says Hudnell. " Of course, biotoxins don't > > just affect the nervous system. They trigger release > > of inflammatory agents in the body that can inflame > > almost any organ and cause multiple-system > symptoms. " > > The theory > > And that's where Shoemaker and Hudnell's theory > > begins, with biotoxins in the body that some people > - > > as many as 10 million Americans - cannot naturally > > eliminate, resulting in many chronic illnesses. > > The two men believe these poisonous chemical > compounds > > continually circuit the human body, shuttling from > > nerve to muscle to brain to sinus to G.I. tract and > > other organs, triggering the familiar symptoms. > > These symptoms are similar to those caused by > > infectious agents, and so is the effect they have on > > nerve, muscle, lung, intestines, brain and sinus, > say > > the researchers. > > Shoemaker and Hudnell say the compounds are > > manufactured by a growing number of microorganisms > > that thrive in our ecosystem due to changes in the > > human habitat. > > " New biotoxins or toxin-forming organisms are being > > identified all the time, " notes Hudnell. > > Some, like the deer tick that passes along lyme > > disease, do so directly. Toxin-forming bugs such as > > the fungi (Stachybotrys and others) that cause > > " sick-building syndrome " and the blue-green algae > > (Cylindrospermopsis and Microcystis) that poison > > people and animals in most of the lakes in Central > > Florida, do their work by releasing their toxins > into > > air or water. > > And although the pathogens differ, Shoemaker and > > Hudnell say the biotoxins they produce all do their > > damage by setting off a similar " exaggerated > > inflammatory response " in humans. While hiding out > in > > fatty tissues where blood-borne disease-fighters > can't > > get at them, they trick the body's immune system > into > > launching attacks against joints, muscles, nerves > and > > brain. > > There is increasing evidence to show these attacks > are > > carried out by a newly discovered group of > molecules, > > the " pro-inflammatory cytokines, " and that the > > destruction they cause is linked to recent surges in > > the rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes. > > Illnesses once blamed solely on diet and life-style > > choices are now being shown to have an inflammatory > > basis. > > And while infections cause a cytokine response from > > white blood cells, especially macrophages, the > > cytokine response to neurotoxins comes from fat > cells. > > > > " The body can turn off the macrophage cytokine > > response, so that the achiness, fever, headache and > > fatigue of a cold will go away, but there's no > > negative feedback that stops the cytokine response > > from fat cells, " says Shoemaker. " So the illness > > doesn't self-heal. " The team's research found that > > through typing of immune response genes, the HLA DR, > > they can show that individual susceptibility to > > particular neurotoxins is associated with particular > > genetic factors not found in others with a different > > neurotoxic illness or in controls. In other words, > > they're beginning to crack the code to show that > some > > people are genetically predisposed to get certain > > chronic fatiguing illnesses. > > But the research that links these things - the > > exaggerated inflammatory response, which may also > > involve an autoimmune response by a process called > > " molecular mimicry " -and its link to heart disease, > > for example, is in its infancy, so the medical > > community remains skeptical. > > Nonetheless, Shoemaker thinks these provocative > > discoveries will eventually require researchers to > > confront the grim possibility that these organisms > > have learned how to skew immune responses by using > > powerful toxins to decimate the body's disease > > protection system. The diagnosis According to > > Shoemaker, a diagnosis of chronic, biotoxin-induced > > illness is based on biotoxin exposure potential, > > multiple system symptoms, the VCS deficit discovered > > by Dr. Hudnell, and no other reasonable explanation > > for the illness. " As opposed to illnesses which have > > no supporting tests or biomarkers like fibromyalgia, > > CFS, depression, irritable bowel disease, or just > > getting older, our approach gives the physician > > readily obtained hard data to use as a marker and, > > more importantly, as a monitor that changes > > dynamically with response to treatment, " says > > Shoemaker. > > Hudnell points out that new tests for cytokine > levels, > > hormone levels and blood flow in the > microvasculature > > of the retina help characterize how biotoxins induce > > chronic illness. The new HLA genotype tests (the DNA > > PCR assays -not the serology or transplant tests) > also > > help identify people who are at risk for developing > > chronic illness from particular biotoxins because > > they're unable to eliminate those toxins. > > " Patients must have a compatible history, the > deficit > > in VCS, the HLA genotype, an abnormal cytokine > > response, and the abnormal effects of cytokines on > > hypothalamic hormones, especially melanocyte > > stimulating hormone (MSH), " said Shoemaker. " All CFS > > patients should have the MSH test done. " > > Shoemaker and Hudnell's data show that there's a > group > > of CSM treatment-resistant CFS patients who are > > coagulase negative Staph (CNS) positive and who have > > high leptin levels. Leptin is a hormone made by fat > > cells that signals the satiety center in the > > hypothalamus that a person is no longer hungry. > > Leptin stimulates the production of alpha melanocyte > > stimulating hormone (MSH), which in turn controls > > production of endorphins (the body's natural > > " opiates " ) and melatonin (which regulates sleep) in > > the hypothalamus. CFS patients rarely have much MSH. > > Eradicating CNS does nothing to the high leptin and > > low MSH levels in patients with " end-stage CFS, " > says > > Shoemaker, but it certainly does in patients who are > > diagnosed acutely and treated aggressively, > preventing > > irreversible damage to the MSH-manufacturing > pathway. > > " We must recognize that the process by which CFS > > develops may include an acute neurotoxic event which > > includes upper respiratory symptoms, " says > Shoemaker. > > Shoemaker believes that the secondary cytokine > damage > > from neurotoxic exposure changes the mucus membranes > > in the nose, allowing biofilm-forming, slow-growing > > CNS to release hemolysins (once called delta toxins) > > that in turn activate a powerful cytokine response. > > The boost in cytokines disrupts the leptin-MSH > > production link. This classic, positive feedback > > system increases cytokines and CNS and reduces MSH. > > " While the data is certainly compatible with this > > model, I haven't asked for volunteers to put CNS in > > their noses to watch for subsequent development of > > CFS, " says Shoemaker jokingly. But the team has > found > > particular genotypes of the immune response genes in > > HLA-DR that show marked consistency within a > diagnosis > > group and marked disparity in other diagnostic > groups. > > > > Shoemaker won't yet say that the HLA DR genes or the > > abnormalities in the leptin/MSH pathway are the > " Holy > > Grail " of CFS research, but will admit that there > are > > unique HLA genes in his CFS patients; that his Sick > > Building Syndrome patients have at least three > unique > > triplets of gene biomarkers; his Post-lyme patients > > have two; and that these gene-types are quite > > different from each other. Is CFS an illness that > > includes a genetic susceptibility to particular > > neurotoxins, which trigger cytokines associated with > > carrying CNS, that produce nerve, hormone and immune > > system dysfunction in the ventromedial nucleus of > the > > hypothalamus? Maybe, says Shoemaker. > > " If our study shows that replacement of MSH improves > > many (or most!) of the abnormalities of CFS, I'll > > believe that, " says Shoemaker. That study will be > done > > after the animal studies required by the FDA are > > completed. They hope it will establish an effective > > MSH dose and the most effective method of MSH > > delivery, as well as confirm that symptoms reoccur > > when MSH is stopped, and then again show benefit > when > > an effective does is reinstituted. > > They'll do baseline VCS tests and MSH levels first, > > and will attempt to show that high levels of > > plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), tumor > > necrosis factor alpha and leptin improve after > > treatment. > > A longer trial is planned, pending initial results. > > That study, which will be done when funds are > > obtained, will also attempt to show that high levels > > of PAI-1 and leptin improve after treatment. > Shoemaker > > believes PAI-1 is likely to be responsible for the > > extra clotting and vascular disease frequently found > > in CFS patients, and that once leptin levels fall, > CFS > > patients who have gained weight will be able to lose > > it. > > The website > > Before you can take the CS exam at Dr. Shoemaker's > web > > site (http://www.chronicneurotoxins.com), you have > to > > register and get a log-in identity and password, as > > well as answer symptom and medical history > > questionnaires. Then you can buy a VCS test for > $8.95, > > or a package with several tests and treatment > > protocols for $49.95. The preliminary test (a free > > questionnaire) assesses the symptoms commonly > > associated with biotoxin-induced illness, as well as > > your potential for exposure. > > " Many symptoms of and potential exposures to > biotoxins > > are not yet well known by physicians, " says > Shoemaker, > > " So they're easily overlooked. " > > After you take the test, your results are available > > immediately. They can also be sent to your > physician. > > If your physician isn't familiar with the theory or > > protocol, the website mentions a list of referral > > physicians across the nation, or you can request to > > see Dr. Shoemaker in his Pokomoke City office. (A > > second part to this article will detail the author's > > diagnostic and treatment experiences at Dr. > > Shoemaker's clinic.) > > The treatment protocol > > Cholestyramine (CSM) is an FDA-approved medication > > which has been used to safely lower elevated levels > of > > cholesterol for more than 20 years. It isn't > absorbed; > > if it's not taken with food, it binds cholesterol, > > bile salts and biological toxins from bile in the > > small intestine, and then the CSM-toxin complex is > > excreted harmlessly. Science - or Shoemaker and > > Hudnell -doesn't have definitive answers yet as to > > exactly how or why CSM clears neurotoxins from the > > body, but a double-blind, placebo-controlled, > > cross-over clinical trial of eight Pfiesteria > patients > > positive for biotoxins showed that those who took a > > placebo remained ill, but improved following CSM > > treatment. Data from 30 others he's gathered since > > matches the original study data. > > Shoemaker says while some patients notice immediate > > improvements, lyme disease patients who've been sick > > for more than five years usually require > toxin-binding > > therapy for 4-8 weeks, he says. " Most patients > improve > > in two weeks, some with complete abatement of > > symptoms, but depending on the amount of toxin in > your > > body, it may take longer, " says Shoemaker. > > He believes the response of these patients to CSM > > therapy shows the underlying common theme of > > neurotoxin-mediated illness, and that the proof that > > toxins were responsible for the illness is found > when > > patients recover, i.e., have no symptoms following > > treatment with his protocol. > > " The proof of neurotoxin effect comes from watching > > the biomarkers change with treatment and relapse > with > > re-exposure, " says Shoemaker. " There's very strong > > evidence, especially in the Sick Building Syndrome > > patients. " Hudnell agrees. > > " The best evidence that biotoxins are causing the > > illnesses comes from cases with repeated illness, " > > says the toxicologist. " When you see patients with > > chronic illness recover vision as symptoms resolve > > while being treated with a drug that can do nothing > > but remove compounds from circulation, then see > vision > > plummet and symptoms return following re-exposure to > > sources of toxins, and finally see re-recovery with > > re-treatment, sometimes for three or four cycles, > you > > become convinced that it's the toxins causing the > > illness. " > > In another study of 51 post lyme disease patients > > treated with CSM after a tick bite, both those who > > tested positive and those who tested negative to > lyme > > had the same number of symptoms after treatment as > > matched controls. Shoemaker says that data from more > > than 500 other patients he's seen since matches the > > study data. Prior to treatment, the chronic lyme > > disease patients had a statistically significant VCS > > deficit. Following treatment, all patients' clinical > > syndrome was gone; and their VCS scores and the > number > > of symptoms were the same as that of the controls. > > Some of these lyme disease patients, especially > those > > who'd been sick longer then three years, suffered > what > > Shoemaker calls " a symptom intensification reaction " > > early in CSM therapy, similar to, but more intense > > than, the Herxheimer reactions experienced > previously > > during antibiotic treatment. The reaction was > reduced > > with pioglitazone (Actos) therapy or prevented by > > pretreatment with Actos, which downregulates > > proinflammatory cytokine production by fat cells. > > Patients who weren't reexposed to another tick bite > > didn't relapse, though follow-up was stopped at 18 > > months. > > There are other diagnoses- chronic Ciguatera seafood > > poisoning, Possible Estuary Associated Syndrome, > brown > > recluse spider bites and mycotoxicosis-that were > > thought to involve biotoxins, but for which there > was > > no known, effective treatment. Shoemaker has treated > > patients with these illnesses successfully with > > cholestyramine, too. Over the years Hudnell has done > > studies that linked environmental exposure to > > neurotoxicants like airborne solvents and metals to > > adverse neurologic effects in humans, including VCS > > deficits. But there was no treatment for it. > > " There was nothing I could do to help them, and the > > impairments were permanent, " he said. " So I was > > ecstatic when we found that a simple treatment, > taken > > for a short period of time, could benefit so many > > people who had suffered severe chronic illness due > to > > biotoxins. " News spreading Others have gotten > excited > > about this research: Cheney has used the VCS > test > > and a modified version of the protocol to treat > > patients at his Bald Head Island Clinic in North > > Carolina. > > Chuck Lapp, director of the Hunter Hopkins Center in > > Charlotte, NC, also plans to put one of the machines > > in his office. " A number of my patients have > > complained that I wear loud, patterned clothing, and > > that it bothers their vision when I wear a patterned > > tie, so I think there may be something to this, " he > > said. > > There are also almost 50 physicians in a nationwide > > referral network who are familiar with the VCS test > > and the treatment protocol; for more information, > > contact the website for the name and number of the > > doctor nearest you. > > Recent advances > > In June, Hudnell and Shoemaker presented data from > > their latest studies on Sick Building Syndrome and > > Post lyme Syndrome at the 8th International > Symposium > > on Neurobehavioral Methods and Effects in > Occupational > > and Environmental Health in Brescia, Italy, where > Dr. > > Hudnell chaired a session on biotoxins. Shoemaker > > co-chaired. Next, they plan to conduct human studies > > that will more definitively characterize the > > proinflammatory cytokine basis of chronic, > > biotoxin-induced illness, and describe the permanent > > damage that they think has occurred in the > > hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of those > who > > had the highest exposure levels for the longest > > periods of time. > > They also want to do the animal studies and human > > trials needed for FDA approval of hormone > replacement > > therapy that they think will help those with > permanent > > damage. To that end, Dr. Shoemaker has established a > > not-for-profit corporation, the Center for Research > on > > Biotoxin Associated Illness (CRBAI). > > " If the research is to get done, CRBAI needs to > raise > > funds through grants and donations from private > > organizations and individuals because there is > > virtually no Federal funding of research in this > > area, " said Shoemaker. > > In the meantime, he still sees patients every day in > > his Market Street office, many suffering from > chronic, > > neurotoxic illnesses. Both Shoemaker and Hudnell > > routinely get calls from all over the world asking > for > > advice on toxic outbreaks and how to treat them. New > > patients are still taking the tests on the website > and > > beginning CSM treatment. > > So as physician Osler advocated long before > > the advent of the biotoxin-mediated illness theory, > to > > find the proper diagnosis, Ritchie Shoemaker listens > > to the patient. > > " Recognizing the pattern of a neurotoxic illness is > as > > subtle as being run over by a steamroller, once you > > learn how to ask the right questions, " he says. > > Physicians need to learn to ask the patient a few > more > > questions in a new order-in essence, take an > organized > > neurotoxin history, he says. " All our biomarkers and > > all our data and all our nice molecular models > simply > > provide an academic foundation for what the bedside > > physician already knows to be true, " insists > > Shoemaker. " The toxins did it > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 27, 2004 Report Share Posted October 27, 2004 The mercury is put into vaccines which are in multi dose vials. The ones without mercury are in individual dose vials. I'm sure the mercury is used to kill bacteria that might be introduced by multiple sticks of the vial but I don't know if it is used to increase shelf life of the vaccine. (CONNIE, WHO IS NOT YELLING) I wouldn't be so sure about there not being mercury in single dose vials. > > Vaccines = Neurotoxins > > > > I haven't read all of this yet, but wanted to put it > > out there for any other interested party. I have > been > > saying that there are a great deal of illnesses that > > can be connected to vaccines. My co-workers used to > > think i was crazy because i would try, with success > i > > might add, to link many illnesses that walked > through > > the door to a recent vaccine. If your interested in > > reading this i would keep in mind that vaccines > > *attack* the immune system and the neurological > > system. Let me know what you think. > > > > > > New Theory Links Neurotoxins with Chronic Fatigue > > Syndrome, lyme, MCS and Other Mystery Illnesses > > ImmuneSupport.com > > > > 11-29-2002 > > > > By Patti Schmidt > > PART 1 of 2 > > Two doctors believe they've discovered a new brand > of > > illness and a new way for pathogens to make people > > sick. They also have an FDA-approved treatment that > > was effective in a small, preliminary clinical > trial. > > neurotoxic /nõr'ò tok'sik/, anything having a > > poisonous effect on nerves and nerve cells, such as > > the effect of lead on the brain and nerves. -The > Mosby > > Medical Encyclopedia > > There are many theories and much disagreement about > > what causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Multiple > > Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), fibromyalgia (FM) and > some > > other chronic multi-symptom illnesses. Some science > > points to abnormalities in the immune system's > > viral-fighting pathways; other research to a > cascading > > combination of genealogical, environmental, and > > health-and personality-related events and factors > that > > begin with a predisposition and a " bug " and ends > with > > someone who's chronically ill. And despite a rash of > > recent scientific evidence to the contrary, some > > out-of-touch physicians still insist sufferers are > > just depressed. > > While some blame stress and societal ills for the > > widespread fatigue, depression, joint pain and > > cognitive problems common to these illnesses, recent > > research suggests these problems may instead be > linked > > to toxins generated by cells gone awry-that many > > people are chronically ill due to biotoxins in their > > system they cannot eliminate naturally. > > Two scientists - family practice physician Ritchie > C. > > Shoemaker and EPA neurotoxicologist H. > > Hudnell, Ph.D., - have collected data to back up > this > > " neurotoxin-mediated illness " theory, and they've > > developed both a simple way to test for neurotoxins > > and a treatment protocol featuring an effective, > > FDA-approved prescription medicine that flushes > toxins > > safely from the body. > > Shoemaker's website features information and > research > > as well as a way to measure toxin exposure > potential. > > After answering a brief health questionnaire about > > symptoms and some questions designed to eliminate > > confounding factors, it takes just five minutes and > > $8.95 to take the online Visual Contrast Sensitivity > > (VCS) test, which measures the impact of neurotoxins > > on brain function. > > Data from the questionnaire and vision test are > > analyzed immediately to determine if users are > likely > > " positive " or " negative " for neurotoxins. The > website > > doesn't make an official diagnosis, but gives a push > > in the right direction. Users can then take the test > > results to a physician so they can be treated if > > necessary. > > The two say they have data to support the claim that > > 90 percent of the people who test positive for > > neurotoxins improve following their treatment > > protocol. > > " If you have the VCS deficit, the potential for > > biotoxin exposure, and don't have other exposures or > > medical conditions that could explain the deficit, > our > > data indicate that the response to toxin-binding > > therapy is over 90 percent, " says Ritchie C. > > Shoemaker, M.D., the physician who helped develop > the > > theory and the treatment. The story of how a > > small-town family practice physician and a civil > > servant who works for the EPA came up with that > > theory- and how they found a treatment for the 10 > > million Americans they claim it can help- is at > least > > as interesting as the theory itself. > > The scientist > > Ritchie Shoemaker always planned to have a rural > > primary care practice. He graduated from Duke > > University Medical School in North Carolina in 1977, > > courtesy of the National Health Service Corps, which > > paid for his medical education in return for a stint > > serving under-served areas of the U.S. In July of > > 1980, following a Family Practice residency in > > port, Pa., the NHSC sent him to its clinic > in > > Pokomoke City, Md. > > " I could hardly believe that the government was > going > > to pay my way through a few years at Duke Medical > > School, in order to do something I already wanted to > > do, " he said. > > Pokomoke City was then a thinly populated small town > > situated along the Pokomoke River, a tributary of > the > > 200-mile long Chesapeake Bay. The Pokomoke itself > > flows South from Delaware, 80-miles long and just 50 > > yards wide in some places. > > At the time they settled there, Shoemaker and his > > young wife JoAnn were newlyweds. Taking great > pleasure > > in the idyllic setting, they became involved in > civic > > activities; had a daughter, Sally; and began > > protecting the unique ecology of the Lower Eastern > > Shore, building and restoring wetland ponds, wetland > > gardens and a mile-long nature trail. > > " This was everything I had ever wanted, " said the > > doctor. " I had the love of a spouse and family, the > > love of my practice and of my land. I was happy. " > > In 1996, the first reports of " sick fish " in the > river > > began appearing in local newspapers. It wasn't long > > afterward that some of his friends and patients > began > > complaining of flu-like symptoms. " They had nasty > > headaches, diarrhea, rash, cough, persistent muscle > > aches and failures in short-term memory, " says > > Shoemaker. > > His intuition, backed by a solid grounding in > science > > (he was a biology major in his undergraduate days) > > told him the sick fish and the sudden illness among > > his patients were related. When someone brought him > a > > dead fish, fresh from the Pokomoke, the curious > young > > doctor put it under a microscope. > > " The link was the river, " Shoemaker says in the book > > he wrote about these events, Pfiesteria: Crossing > Dark > > Water. " Each one of them had spent time working or > > playing in the slow-moving Pokomoke during the > summer > > of 1997. " > > He had no idea that what was under that microscope > > would change his life and put him at the uneasy > nexus > > where politics, ecology and medicine meet. > > The collaborator > > Meanwhile, Shoemaker's research collaborator Hilton > > Hudnell, PhD, a calm, soft-spoken > > neurotoxicologist, was building a civil service > career > > at the Environmental Protection Agency. > > Ken Hudnell grew up in North Carolina, where the > Neuse > > and Trent rivers join at New Bern. In a twist of > fate, > > the Neuse was where Pfiesteria-related fish kills > were > > first found - the very same organism thought to > > produce the devastating effects Shoemaker observed > > under his microscope and in his clinic. > > " It's not the same river system that I played on > while > > growing up, " says Hudnell today. " Back then there > were > > few fish kills, and people didn't associate human > > illness with them. My nemesis was seaweed growing on > > the bottom and clogging my outboard motor. Now in > many > > places, the seaweed has been choked out by surface > > blooms of cyanobacteria-blue-green algae- due to > > pollutant runoff from massive hog farms upstream > from > > New Bern. " > > A one-celled dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria piscicida is > > colloquially known as the " fish killer " in areas > where > > it has wreaked its havoc on the local ecosystem. > > Pfiesteria wasn't the first dinoflagellate that > caught > > Ken Hudnell's attention. After majoring in chemistry > > and psychology at the University of North Carolina > at > > Chapel Hill, he moved to the Virgin Islands for > three > > years to start a diving business. > > " I soon learned that you don't eat certain types of > > fish that feed around the reefs, " he remembered. > > " Those fish ate a dinoflagellate called Ciguatera > and > > accumulated their toxins. When people ate the fish, > > they got violently ill. Many recovered completely > > after a few days, but others remained chronically > ill. > > Now I know why - they had biotoxin circulating in > > their bodies that they couldn't eliminate. " His > > experience with ciguatoxins and other biotoxins in > the > > Caribbean compelled Hudnell to return to the U.S. to > > enter graduate school. " I wanted to understand the > > relationships between neurobiology, toxic exposures > > and human illness, " he said. > > Hudnell received a graduate degree from his alma > mater > > and is an adjunct professor there now. His work at > the > > EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects > > Research Laboratory, which involves using a battery > of > > neurobehavioral and electrophysiological tests to > > measure sensory, motor and cognitive functions in > > people affected by toxic exposures, has been > > recognized with two of the agency's Science and > > Technology Achievement Rewards. > > At the EPA, Dr. Hudnell developed a theory > explaining > > the worldwide increase in biotoxin-related events: > > human activities and natural events impact the > earth's > > water, land and air, altering the habitat and > > promoting the development and spread of toxic > > organisms. Those toxic organisms, in turn, impact > man > > as well as the ecosystem we all have to share. > > It's an interdependent circle, which features > mankind > > using up land, air and sea resources, all the while > > ignoring the symptoms of burgeoning environmental > > problems that place us in peril. > > Two hundred and fifty miles north, Ritchie Shoemaker > > was independently coming to the same conclusions. > > Chronic illness, he was beginning to believe, was > > partly a result of the damage we've done to the > > ecosystem. > > Take lyme disease, for example: As millions of > people > > in the city moved to the suburbs- and then further > out > > into the countryside when the suburbs became > crowded- > > they altered the habitat to one favored by mice and > > deer. Houses and new landscaping provided food and > > cover, and eliminated the predators of a growing > deer > > population. > > Deer and mice are tolerant hosts, allowing ticks to > > complete their life cycle by providing a reservoir > of > > blood-borne pathogens for the ticks to deposit into > a > > human who happens to be in the " wrong " place (like > his > > back yard), at the wrong time, leaving behind a tell > > tale trail of acute or chronic illness. If we hadn't > > destroyed their original habitat, in other words, we > > may never have gotten close enough to become a > > temporary feeding trough for the tick. > > The doctor and the scientist met when Shoemaker, > > hungry for more data on Pfiesteria, called Hudnell > at > > the EPA one July morning in 1998. " At 10:15 a.m., I > > read that Ken had found Pfiesteria patients showed a > > visual contrast deficit that lasted a year or more, " > > remembers Shoemaker. " By 10:17 a.m., we were on the > > phone and working together. " > > Hudnell's early work as a UNC undergraduate led him > to > > the VCS literature. He developed a VCS test on an > > oscilloscope screen early in his graduate studies > > there, soon after it was first reported in the > > scientific literature that the visual system was > more > > sensitive to mid-size bar patterns than to smaller- > or > > larger-size bar patterns. " I realized that this > meant > > there were different processes in the eye and brain > > for detecting different aspects of a visual pattern, > > and I wanted to understand how they worked, " he > said. > > " Later I found that those processes were > > differentially susceptible to disruption by various > > toxins and disease processes. " > > While VCS testing had been used in neurotoxic > > exposure, Hudnell was the first to use it to measure > > the effects of biotoxin exposure and heavy metal > > toxicity, or as a marker for neurotoxic exposures > like > > Pfiesteria. > > The mystery > > Back at microscope in the summer of 1997, Shoemaker > > found a slimy fish that was the first example he saw > > of just how much damage a toxin-producing organism > > could do in the right set of circumstances. > > In his search for answers, over the next few years > he > > became intimately familiar with the habits and > > neurotoxic illnesses of fresh water and sea animals > > including fish, birds, alligators, turtles and > > pelicans. He studied basic and esoteric subjects, > > including predator-prey relationships of aquatic > > invertebrates; plants; phytoplankton; the pathology > of > > invertebrate organisms in marine and estuarine > > environments; pesticide physiology; and the study of > > the rhizosphere, the interface between a root and > its > > immediate environment. > > He consulted experts in fields such as pathology; > > toxicology; biochemistry; geochemistry; physiology; > > estuarine limnology; and even membrane ionophore > > chemistry, the study of the passage of organisms and > > molecules in aqueous solutions across membranes. He > > learned how pesticides degrade in air, water and > > subsoils. > > Given the intense political controversy that an > > environmentally acquired illness like Pfiesteria > > created, he needed this knowledge to piece together > a > > mystery: Was there a link between the fish kills and > > the illnesses his patients were suffering? Why > didn't > > the body rid itself of these toxins naturally? Do > > bacteria, fungi, algae and other tiny organisms > > manufacture toxins that linger on in the human body, > > long after the organisms themselves are dead? > > Eventually, Shoemaker figured out that his patients > > had a new illness, originally named Pfiesteria human > > illness syndrome in his 1997 article in the land > > Medical Journal. The CDC renamed the illness > > " Estuarine-Associated Syndrome " in 1998, and > " Possible > > Estuarine-Associated Syndrome " (PEAS) in 2000. > > It took Shoemaker a few more years to put together > his > > " chronic neurotoxin-mediated illness " theory and > some > > time after that to gather the data to tell him his > > theory was sound. In the end, he believes he and > > Hudnell have discovered a new brand of illness and a > > new way for pathogens to make people sick. The two > > have continued to gather data fleshing out the > theory > > with more clinical and molecular information. > > In the meantime, Shoemaker built up his medical > > practice, winning the 2000 land Family Doctor of > > the Year Award and being named one of five finalists > > for the National Family Practice Doctor of the Year > > Award in 2002. At the same time, he battled state > and > > local bureaucrats who continued to tell people, " the > > river is safe, " despite evidence to the contrary. > > When Shoemaker went to the press with his theory and > > his data during the outbreak in land in 1997, > the > > bureaucrats did everything they could to ruin his > > reputation. One state official quoted in the local > > newspapers accused him of " scientific malpractice, " > > and claimed he was " out of his field " when it came > to > > the sciences. > > Their refusal to see -and say -the truth simply > drove > > him to work harder. When residents near the St. > Lucie > > River near Stuart on Florida's East Coast suffered a > > rash of dinoflagellate illnesses in 1998, they > > listened to Shoemaker's theories of copper toxicity. > > Copper binds to pesticides, giving them easier > > entrance into organisms. If predators of > > dinoflagellates are more susceptible to the > > copper-pesticide toxicity than dinoflagellates, a > > decrease in the predator population could result in > an > > increase in the dinoflagellate population. Also, if > > prey of dinoflagellates are killed at lower exposure > > levels than dinoflagellates, this might put pressure > > on the dinoflagellates to produce and release toxins > > in order to kill fish for a food source. > > Then Florida officials earmarked $30 million to > build > > lagoons that filter runoff from copper-laden citrus > > groves, bought wetland farms to restore them and > > dredged contaminated sections of the St. Lucie. They > > levied a three-year, one percent sales tax to pay > for > > these improvements. > > The CSM treatment proved just as effective in > Florida > > as it did in land. About 15 residents and > > investigators working on the St. Lucie became ill > with > > multiple systems symptoms and suffered a VCS > deficit. > > They responded well to CSM therapy given by four > local > > Florida physicians. > > But like the guy who discovered that a bug causes > > ulcers, Shoemaker found the medical community in > > land reluctant to applaud his new theory. In > fact, > > it was met with active resistance, he said. For > > example, the head of ophthalmology at the University > > of land School of Medicine dismissed the value > of > > visual contrast testing in helping to diagnose lyme > > disease by simply saying, " I don't think so. " > > In his spare time, Shoemaker also wrote four books: > > Gateway Press, in Baltimore, Md., published > > Pfiesteria: Crossing Dark Water, a 360-page tally of > > the outbreak in the waters of the Pokomoke, in 1997; > > Weight Loss and Maintenance: My Way Works, a > 325-page > > explanation of a weight loss mechanism with > > maintenance rates that exceed 70 percent, in 1998; > and > > Desperation Medicine, the 519-page saga of his > > findings that neurotoxins are responsible for many > > chronic illnesses, in 2001. His latest book, Lose > the > > Weight You Hate, is a 454-page update of his earlier > > diet primer which adds recipes, an explanation of > how > > neurotoxic illnesses contribute to obesity and > > diabetes, and a discussion of the importance of > genes > > and how they effect weight loss. > > The test > > Despite the disbelief, Shoemaker and Hudnell can > point > > to data, accumulated since the mid-60s, that visual > > contrast sensitivity deficits exist in diseases like > > Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and in > > Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. > > In fact, experts suspect that many diseases involve > > deficits in visual perception, but there's little > > research relating toxic exposures to differences in > > visual function before diagnosing disease. Visual > > contrast sensitivity testing assesses the quality of > > vision. It differs from typical visual acuity > testing > > in that it simulates " real-world " circumstances, > while > > routine visual acuity testing measures eyesight > under > > the best possible conditions. > > " That's why measuring visual contrast sensitivity in > > patients who report difficulty with their vision, > yet > > see well on the conventional visual acuity eye > chart, > > is particularly useful, " says Hudnell. The test is > > performed by showing the patient a series of stripes > > or bars that slant in different directions. The > > patient must identify which way each series of > stripes > > is tilted. As the test progresses, the bars become > > thinner and lighter. People with excellent contrast > > sensitivity can discern the orientation of even very > > light, thin bars; patients with neurotoxic damage > > cannot. > > After chronic exposure to many organic solvents, VCS > > is the most sensitive indicator of effects from many > > toxins, either because the visual system is highly > > susceptible to neurotoxins or because even small > > deficits can be measured, according to Hudnell. > > " The visual system is the ideal place to look for > > evidence of neurotoxicity, " he says. " The retina is > a > > microcosm of the brain; it contains most of the cell > > types and biochemicals that are in the brain. So the > > retina is as susceptible as the rest of the brain to > > neurotoxic effects. " > > According to Hudnell, this " piece of brain, " being > > near the front of the face, is in close contact with > > the environment. Chemicals may be directly absorbed > > from the air into the retina, so the potential for > > exposure to neurotoxins is greater in the retina > than > > in the brain. But unlike the brain, he points out, > the > > visual system has few functional outputs (pattern > and > > motion detection, or color discrimination, for > > example) and we can easily measure them. The VCS > test > > measures the least amount of stimulation needed to > > detect a stationary pattern. > > " As neurologic function decreases due to toxicity, > > more and more stimulation is needed to see the > > patterns, " he explains. > > The effect can be huge; the Pfiesteria cohort in one > > of Shoemaker and Hudnell's studies showed a 60 > percent > > loss of VCS on average relative to controls. > > " When we see VCS drops like this following exposure, > > and see it recover following treatment to eliminate > > the toxins, we're seeing an indication of how > strongly > > the toxins may be affecting the entire nervous > > system, " says Hudnell. " Of course, biotoxins don't > > just affect the nervous system. They trigger release > > of inflammatory agents in the body that can inflame > > almost any organ and cause multiple-system > symptoms. " > > The theory > > And that's where Shoemaker and Hudnell's theory > > begins, with biotoxins in the body that some people > - > > as many as 10 million Americans - cannot naturally > > eliminate, resulting in many chronic illnesses. > > The two men believe these poisonous chemical > compounds > > continually circuit the human body, shuttling from > > nerve to muscle to brain to sinus to G.I. tract and > > other organs, triggering the familiar symptoms. > > These symptoms are similar to those caused by > > infectious agents, and so is the effect they have on > > nerve, muscle, lung, intestines, brain and sinus, > say > > the researchers. > > Shoemaker and Hudnell say the compounds are > > manufactured by a growing number of microorganisms > > that thrive in our ecosystem due to changes in the > > human habitat. > > " New biotoxins or toxin-forming organisms are being > > identified all the time, " notes Hudnell. > > Some, like the deer tick that passes along lyme > > disease, do so directly. Toxin-forming bugs such as > > the fungi (Stachybotrys and others) that cause > > " sick-building syndrome " and the blue-green algae > > (Cylindrospermopsis and Microcystis) that poison > > people and animals in most of the lakes in Central > > Florida, do their work by releasing their toxins > into > > air or water. > > And although the pathogens differ, Shoemaker and > > Hudnell say the biotoxins they produce all do their > > damage by setting off a similar " exaggerated > > inflammatory response " in humans. While hiding out > in > > fatty tissues where blood-borne disease-fighters > can't > > get at them, they trick the body's immune system > into > > launching attacks against joints, muscles, nerves > and > > brain. > > There is increasing evidence to show these attacks > are > > carried out by a newly discovered group of > molecules, > > the " pro-inflammatory cytokines, " and that the > > destruction they cause is linked to recent surges in > > the rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes. > > Illnesses once blamed solely on diet and life-style > > choices are now being shown to have an inflammatory > > basis. > > And while infections cause a cytokine response from > > white blood cells, especially macrophages, the > > cytokine response to neurotoxins comes from fat > cells. > > > > " The body can turn off the macrophage cytokine > > response, so that the achiness, fever, headache and > > fatigue of a cold will go away, but there's no > > negative feedback that stops the cytokine response > > from fat cells, " says Shoemaker. " So the illness > > doesn't self-heal. " The team's research found that > > through typing of immune response genes, the HLA DR, > > they can show that individual susceptibility to > > particular neurotoxins is associated with particular > > genetic factors not found in others with a different > > neurotoxic illness or in controls. In other words, > > they're beginning to crack the code to show that > some > > people are genetically predisposed to get certain > > chronic fatiguing illnesses. > > But the research that links these things - the > > exaggerated inflammatory response, which may also > > involve an autoimmune response by a process called > > " molecular mimicry " -and its link to heart disease, > > for example, is in its infancy, so the medical > > community remains skeptical. > > Nonetheless, Shoemaker thinks these provocative > > discoveries will eventually require researchers to > > confront the grim possibility that these organisms > > have learned how to skew immune responses by using > > powerful toxins to decimate the body's disease > > protection system. The diagnosis According to > > Shoemaker, a diagnosis of chronic, biotoxin-induced > > illness is based on biotoxin exposure potential, > > multiple system symptoms, the VCS deficit discovered > > by Dr. Hudnell, and no other reasonable explanation > > for the illness. " As opposed to illnesses which have > > no supporting tests or biomarkers like fibromyalgia, > > CFS, depression, irritable bowel disease, or just > > getting older, our approach gives the physician > > readily obtained hard data to use as a marker and, > > more importantly, as a monitor that changes > > dynamically with response to treatment, " says > > Shoemaker. > > Hudnell points out that new tests for cytokine > levels, > > hormone levels and blood flow in the > microvasculature > > of the retina help characterize how biotoxins induce > > chronic illness. The new HLA genotype tests (the DNA > > PCR assays -not the serology or transplant tests) > also > > help identify people who are at risk for developing > > chronic illness from particular biotoxins because > > they're unable to eliminate those toxins. > > " Patients must have a compatible history, the > deficit > > in VCS, the HLA genotype, an abnormal cytokine > > response, and the abnormal effects of cytokines on > > hypothalamic hormones, especially melanocyte > > stimulating hormone (MSH), " said Shoemaker. " All CFS > > patients should have the MSH test done. " > > Shoemaker and Hudnell's data show that there's a > group > > of CSM treatment-resistant CFS patients who are > > coagulase negative Staph (CNS) positive and who have > > high leptin levels. Leptin is a hormone made by fat > > cells that signals the satiety center in the > > hypothalamus that a person is no longer hungry. > > Leptin stimulates the production of alpha melanocyte > > stimulating hormone (MSH), which in turn controls > > production of endorphins (the body's natural > > " opiates " ) and melatonin (which regulates sleep) in > > the hypothalamus. CFS patients rarely have much MSH. > > Eradicating CNS does nothing to the high leptin and > > low MSH levels in patients with " end-stage CFS, " > says > > Shoemaker, but it certainly does in patients who are > > diagnosed acutely and treated aggressively, > preventing > > irreversible damage to the MSH-manufacturing > pathway. > > " We must recognize that the process by which CFS > > develops may include an acute neurotoxic event which > > includes upper respiratory symptoms, " says > Shoemaker. > > Shoemaker believes that the secondary cytokine > damage > > from neurotoxic exposure changes the mucus membranes > > in the nose, allowing biofilm-forming, slow-growing > > CNS to release hemolysins (once called delta toxins) > > that in turn activate a powerful cytokine response. > > The boost in cytokines disrupts the leptin-MSH > > production link. This classic, positive feedback > > system increases cytokines and CNS and reduces MSH. > > " While the data is certainly compatible with this > > model, I haven't asked for volunteers to put CNS in > > their noses to watch for subsequent development of > > CFS, " says Shoemaker jokingly. But the team has > found > > particular genotypes of the immune response genes in > > HLA-DR that show marked consistency within a > diagnosis > > group and marked disparity in other diagnostic > groups. > > > > Shoemaker won't yet say that the HLA DR genes or the > > abnormalities in the leptin/MSH pathway are the > " Holy > > Grail " of CFS research, but will admit that there > are > > unique HLA genes in his CFS patients; that his Sick > > Building Syndrome patients have at least three > unique > > triplets of gene biomarkers; his Post-lyme patients > > have two; and that these gene-types are quite > > different from each other. Is CFS an illness that > > includes a genetic susceptibility to particular > > neurotoxins, which trigger cytokines associated with > > carrying CNS, that produce nerve, hormone and immune > > system dysfunction in the ventromedial nucleus of > the > > hypothalamus? Maybe, says Shoemaker. > > " If our study shows that replacement of MSH improves > > many (or most!) of the abnormalities of CFS, I'll > > believe that, " says Shoemaker. That study will be > done > > after the animal studies required by the FDA are > > completed. They hope it will establish an effective > > MSH dose and the most effective method of MSH > > delivery, as well as confirm that symptoms reoccur > > when MSH is stopped, and then again show benefit > when > > an effective does is reinstituted. > > They'll do baseline VCS tests and MSH levels first, > > and will attempt to show that high levels of > > plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), tumor > > necrosis factor alpha and leptin improve after > > treatment. > > A longer trial is planned, pending initial results. > > That study, which will be done when funds are > > obtained, will also attempt to show that high levels > > of PAI-1 and leptin improve after treatment. > Shoemaker > > believes PAI-1 is likely to be responsible for the > > extra clotting and vascular disease frequently found > > in CFS patients, and that once leptin levels fall, > CFS > > patients who have gained weight will be able to lose > > it. > > The website > > Before you can take the CS exam at Dr. Shoemaker's > web > > site (http://www.chronicneurotoxins.com), you have > to > > register and get a log-in identity and password, as > > well as answer symptom and medical history > > questionnaires. Then you can buy a VCS test for > $8.95, > > or a package with several tests and treatment > > protocols for $49.95. The preliminary test (a free > > questionnaire) assesses the symptoms commonly > > associated with biotoxin-induced illness, as well as > > your potential for exposure. > > " Many symptoms of and potential exposures to > biotoxins > > are not yet well known by physicians, " says > Shoemaker, > > " So they're easily overlooked. " > > After you take the test, your results are available > > immediately. They can also be sent to your > physician. > > If your physician isn't familiar with the theory or > > protocol, the website mentions a list of referral > > physicians across the nation, or you can request to > > see Dr. Shoemaker in his Pokomoke City office. (A > > second part to this article will detail the author's > > diagnostic and treatment experiences at Dr. > > Shoemaker's clinic.) > > The treatment protocol > > Cholestyramine (CSM) is an FDA-approved medication > > which has been used to safely lower elevated levels > of > > cholesterol for more than 20 years. It isn't > absorbed; > > if it's not taken with food, it binds cholesterol, > > bile salts and biological toxins from bile in the > > small intestine, and then the CSM-toxin complex is > > excreted harmlessly. Science - or Shoemaker and > > Hudnell -doesn't have definitive answers yet as to > > exactly how or why CSM clears neurotoxins from the > > body, but a double-blind, placebo-controlled, > > cross-over clinical trial of eight Pfiesteria > patients > > positive for biotoxins showed that those who took a > > placebo remained ill, but improved following CSM > > treatment. Data from 30 others he's gathered since > > matches the original study data. > > Shoemaker says while some patients notice immediate > > improvements, lyme disease patients who've been sick > > for more than five years usually require > toxin-binding > > therapy for 4-8 weeks, he says. " Most patients > improve > > in two weeks, some with complete abatement of > > symptoms, but depending on the amount of toxin in > your > > body, it may take longer, " says Shoemaker. > > He believes the response of these patients to CSM > > therapy shows the underlying common theme of > > neurotoxin-mediated illness, and that the proof that > > toxins were responsible for the illness is found > when > > patients recover, i.e., have no symptoms following > > treatment with his protocol. > > " The proof of neurotoxin effect comes from watching > > the biomarkers change with treatment and relapse > with > > re-exposure, " says Shoemaker. " There's very strong > > evidence, especially in the Sick Building Syndrome > > patients. " Hudnell agrees. > > " The best evidence that biotoxins are causing the > > illnesses comes from cases with repeated illness, " > > says the toxicologist. " When you see patients with > > chronic illness recover vision as symptoms resolve > > while being treated with a drug that can do nothing > > but remove compounds from circulation, then see > vision > > plummet and symptoms return following re-exposure to > > sources of toxins, and finally see re-recovery with > > re-treatment, sometimes for three or four cycles, > you > > become convinced that it's the toxins causing the > > illness. " > > In another study of 51 post lyme disease patients > > treated with CSM after a tick bite, both those who > > tested positive and those who tested negative to > lyme > > had the same number of symptoms after treatment as > > matched controls. Shoemaker says that data from more > > than 500 other patients he's seen since matches the > > study data. Prior to treatment, the chronic lyme > > disease patients had a statistically significant VCS > > deficit. Following treatment, all patients' clinical > > syndrome was gone; and their VCS scores and the > number > > of symptoms were the same as that of the controls. > > Some of these lyme disease patients, especially > those > > who'd been sick longer then three years, suffered > what > > Shoemaker calls " a symptom intensification reaction " > > early in CSM therapy, similar to, but more intense > > than, the Herxheimer reactions experienced > previously > > during antibiotic treatment. The reaction was > reduced > > with pioglitazone (Actos) therapy or prevented by > > pretreatment with Actos, which downregulates > > proinflammatory cytokine production by fat cells. > > Patients who weren't reexposed to another tick bite > > didn't relapse, though follow-up was stopped at 18 > > months. > > There are other diagnoses- chronic Ciguatera seafood > > poisoning, Possible Estuary Associated Syndrome, > brown > > recluse spider bites and mycotoxicosis-that were > > thought to involve biotoxins, but for which there > was > > no known, effective treatment. Shoemaker has treated > > patients with these illnesses successfully with > > cholestyramine, too. Over the years Hudnell has done > > studies that linked environmental exposure to > > neurotoxicants like airborne solvents and metals to > > adverse neurologic effects in humans, including VCS > > deficits. But there was no treatment for it. > > " There was nothing I could do to help them, and the > > impairments were permanent, " he said. " So I was > > ecstatic when we found that a simple treatment, > taken > > for a short period of time, could benefit so many > > people who had suffered severe chronic illness due > to > > biotoxins. " News spreading Others have gotten > excited > > about this research: Cheney has used the VCS > test > > and a modified version of the protocol to treat > > patients at his Bald Head Island Clinic in North > > Carolina. > > Chuck Lapp, director of the Hunter Hopkins Center in > > Charlotte, NC, also plans to put one of the machines > > in his office. " A number of my patients have > > complained that I wear loud, patterned clothing, and > > that it bothers their vision when I wear a patterned > > tie, so I think there may be something to this, " he > > said. > > There are also almost 50 physicians in a nationwide > > referral network who are familiar with the VCS test > > and the treatment protocol; for more information, > > contact the website for the name and number of the > > doctor nearest you. > > Recent advances > > In June, Hudnell and Shoemaker presented data from > > their latest studies on Sick Building Syndrome and > > Post lyme Syndrome at the 8th International > Symposium > > on Neurobehavioral Methods and Effects in > Occupational > > and Environmental Health in Brescia, Italy, where > Dr. > > Hudnell chaired a session on biotoxins. Shoemaker > > co-chaired. Next, they plan to conduct human studies > > that will more definitively characterize the > > proinflammatory cytokine basis of chronic, > > biotoxin-induced illness, and describe the permanent > > damage that they think has occurred in the > > hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of those > who > > had the highest exposure levels for the longest > > periods of time. > > They also want to do the animal studies and human > > trials needed for FDA approval of hormone > replacement > > therapy that they think will help those with > permanent > > damage. To that end, Dr. Shoemaker has established a > > not-for-profit corporation, the Center for Research > on > > Biotoxin Associated Illness (CRBAI). > > " If the research is to get done, CRBAI needs to > raise > > funds through grants and donations from private > > organizations and individuals because there is > > virtually no Federal funding of research in this > > area, " said Shoemaker. > > In the meantime, he still sees patients every day in > > his Market Street office, many suffering from > chronic, > > neurotoxic illnesses. Both Shoemaker and Hudnell > > routinely get calls from all over the world asking > for > > advice on toxic outbreaks and how to treat them. New > > patients are still taking the tests on the website > and > > beginning CSM treatment. > > So as physician Osler advocated long before > > the advent of the biotoxin-mediated illness theory, > to > > find the proper diagnosis, Ritchie Shoemaker listens > > to the patient. > > " Recognizing the pattern of a neurotoxic illness is > as > > subtle as being run over by a steamroller, once you > > learn how to ask the right questions, " he says. > > Physicians need to learn to ask the patient a few > more > > questions in a new order-in essence, take an > organized > > neurotoxin history, he says. " All our biomarkers and > > all our data and all our nice molecular models > simply > > provide an academic foundation for what the bedside > > physician already knows to be true, " insists > > Shoemaker. " The toxins did it > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 I'm sensitive to inhalants (I have MCS) and the symptoms are light-headedness, inability to walk straight (my gait is way way off), severe anxiety and depression. I also have light sensitiivity. Are these symptoms due to neurotoxins? How can I detox? I have CFS. Thanks. Ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 Detox is like 4 Iv bags of saline and heavy sweating and massaging the scar tissue. Everything else everyone may suggest is like pidgeon poo.You really have to get the blood flowing thru the diseased area while concentrating on sweating things out. The gut issues are also of major importance because any stool not solid is toxic and you pay for it.Oh I forgot, the dna angle is still crap in my opinion. Tony- that no longer suffers anything resembling fibromyalgia or cfs after a few smart years of aggresive therapies. > > Network BlitzI'm sensitive to inhalants (I have MCS) and the symptoms are > light-headedness, inability to walk straight (my gait is way way off), > severe anxiety and depression. > > I also have light sensitiivity. > > Are these symptoms due to neurotoxins? How can I detox? > > I have CFS. > > Thanks. > > Ann > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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