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Living with Chemical Sensitivities

I was interested in the note from Fred about [his sensitivity to material dyes and sizing] in the 12-12-07 newsletter. I had the same problems very acutely in the early ‘80s. I could not even walk past the open door of a magazine or bookstore or go into a fabric store, a clothing store, or the detergent aisle of the grocery store. I also could not wear synthetic clothing or cook on my gas stove without losing my breath.

I ended up in the emergency room and had the good fortune to find a doctor who believed me. What turned out to be at the root of all of these seemingly different problems was sensitivity to petroleum products. I had to avoid petroleum derivatives whenever possible. We kept our gas heat, but switched to an electric stove, switched to vegetable based soaps and detergents, and put all our books away.

I did not read any magazines or newspapers. (This was a great hardship as I am a voracious reader.) I thought I would never be able to work as a librarian again.

I discovered that I could wear cotton and silk, but I had to wash them before wearing. When my mother developed the same condition, she bought her ‘new’ natural fiber clothes at thrift stores to avoid fabric finishes. We discovered we were able to read by putting a clear picture box frame over the book and limit our reading time severely. Eventually she got talking books from the library.

By doing all this I was able to get to the point after four years that I could take a job cataloging new books and could even read newsprint, which is the worst. I still have a lot of sensitivities, but I can get along much better now by limiting exposures to petroleum. - Deb

Disability and Divorce

This is information for anyone who is going through a divorce and is disabled by the Social Security Administration. Having a full disability judgment by SSA does not prove that you are not able to work and support yourself - according to the San Bernardino Superior Court, San Bernardino County, California… I am diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction, carpal tunnel syndrome, coagulation defect, depression, hormone dysfunction, and chronic Lyme disease.

My doctors will not release me to work, and the family and civil court does not accept any information concerning my illness as valid but hearsay. Because of the court’s judgment, I have lost my spousal support and have a judgment that I have to pay child support out of my SS disability payment. The judges are not medical doctors but can make decisions detrimental to anyone’s financial existence. – M

Guaifenesin – Pros and Cons

Following are two of the many comments following the recent “Q&A Session with R. Paul St. Amand, MD”

Pro: I found the Q&A session with Dr. St. Amand very interesting. It never hurts to find out more about your illness. His theory is the only one that makes sense to me, of all the things I have read over the 20 years I've had the disease. Over the years I have tried every pill, potion, & therapy possible. This treatment is a little challenging, but it is definitely worth it. I can actually sit through a whole movie without major pain. I still have a long way to go, as I respond at a high dose, but the improvements are there, no denying it. – devo433

Con: I would like to inject a note of skepticism. I gave guai my very best try for about three years, including flying out to California (from Virginia) for examination and confirmation of FMS diagnosis by Dr. St. Amand, scrupulous adherence to the no-salicylates regime, attempts to have my body "mapped" for the lumps and bumps, and raising the guai dose to the very highest. It did absolutely nothing. I think Dr. St. Amand raises unrealistic hopes by promising absolutely that you will feel better if you follow his protocol strictly. I did follow it strictly, participated for several years in the guai support group, and all it did was waste time and money. For those who get better, bless you. For those who feel better because of a placebo effect, bless you too. I hope it lasts awhile. For those that don't benefit, keep looking. This is not the be-all and end-all of treatments for diseases that are still poorly understood. – Susan

Hypochlorhydria Comments

Dr. Sarah Myhill’s article “Lack of Stomach Acid - Hypochlorhydria - Can Cause Lots of Problems” generated some interesting responses. Below are two representative comments:

HCL Helpful: I never would have guessed I had hypochlorhydria, but a very smart nutritionist figured it out for me. When I had the acid reflux, we first tried solutions for HYPER-chlorhydria [excess stomach acid], but when that made things worse, she then suggested the Betaine HCL pills, which worked instantly to reduce my symptoms.

The biggest hint was that I had a lot of acid reflux with a big protein meal, so I became vegetarian. Big mistake. Already I wasn't getting enough vitamins and nutrients from the damaged intestines, so then I was starving it of essential proteins. Thank goodness we all figured things out, and now I'm on the caveman paleolithic diet with no need for HCL any longer. It was a long struggle, but this article is right on the money for problems that we suffer. – Sandy

HCL Not Helpful: I was told by a health store manager that my GERD could be from not enough acid, so I bought digestive enzymes with the HCL in them and it made my acid reflux much worse. So not everyone has acid reflux caused because of not enough acid – mine was from too much. Plus I have Barrett's esophagus, and adding acid was not a good idea for me! Now I take a good digestive enzyme and a probiotic supplement daily that has no added acid. I am doing well with my IBS now under control with no meds. I also had acid reflux surgery that helped a lot, as my esophageal sphincter was not working at all. – Sue

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Note: This information has not been reviewed by the FDA. It is generic and is not intended to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure any disease. It is very important that you make no change in your healthcare plan or health support regimen without researching and discussing it in collaboration with your professional healthcare team.