Right you are. The 'amalgam chronicles' goes on for far too long. However,
Ilena Rosenthal and others persist in educating our patients. Look at what
Ilena presents as Gospel - she even quotes chapter and verse .....

If you read it carefully, you will note that the posts agree that there is
NO association with amalgam, yet she quotes it anyway!

***

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MCS and poisoning by dental amalgam
Posted by Mai on May 31, 1999 at 20:35:44:
CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME
MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY & GULF WAR SYNDROME
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as Chronic Fatigue and Immune
Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS),
Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS), Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), and Gulf
War Syndrome (GWS) share many of
same symptoms, as described below, and often occur together, but they do
differ greatly only in the methods used for
their diagnosis and treatment.
Which of these diagnoses a person receives usually depends on the type of
specialist he or she sees. CFS is most
likely to be diagnosed by infectious disease specialists, FMS by
rheumatologists, MCS by occupational and
environmental medicine physicians, and GWS by physicians in Veterans'
Affairs hospitals.
COMPARISON OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, FIBROMYALGIA, AND
MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITIES.
Dedra Buchwald; Deborah Garrity.
Author's Abstract: COPYRIGHT American Medical Association 1994
Background: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), and multiple
chemical sensitivities (MCS) are conditions associated with fatigue and a
variety of other symptoms that appear to share many clinical and demographic
features. Our objectives were to describe the similarities and differences
among patients with CFS, FM, and MCS. Additional objectives were to
determine how frequently patients with MCS and FM met the criteria for CFS
and if they differed in their health locus of control. Methods: Demographic,
clinical and psychosocial measures were prospectively collected in 90
patients, 30 each with CFS, FM, and MCS.
Patients were recruited from a university-based referral clinic devoted to
the evaluation and treatment of chronic fatigue and three private practices.
Variables included demographic features, symptoms characteristic of each
condition, psychological complaints, a measure of health locus of control,
and information on health care use. Results: Overall, the three patient
groups were remarkably similar in demographic characteristics and the
presence of specific symptoms. Patients with CFS and FM frequently reported
symptoms compatible with MCS. Likewise, 70% of patients with FM and 30% of
those with MCS met the criteria for CFS. Health care use was substantial
among patients with CFS, FM, and MCS, with an average of 22.1, 39.7, and
23.3 visits, respectively, to a medical provider during the prior year.
Health locus of control did not differ among the three populations.
Conclusions: In general, demographic and clinical factors and health locus
of control do not clearly distinguish patients with CFS, FM, and MCS.
Symptoms typical of each disorder are prevalent in the other two conditions.
(Arch Intern Med. 1994;154:2049-2053)
CFS is defined by the Centers for Disease Control as persistent or relapsing
fatigue lasting greater than six
months that occurs in combination with at least four of the following eight
symptoms: 1) short term memory loss,
2) sore throat, 3) tender cervical or axillary lymph nodes, 4) muscle pain,
5) joint pain without swelling or
redness, 6) headaches, 7) unrefreshing sleep, or 8) postexertional malaise
that lasts more than 24 hours. CFS
may develop at any age but usually starts in mid-life, often in conjunction
with a flu-like illness, and is diagnosed
more frequently in women. Numerous biochemical abnormalities have been
identified in CFS patients but none
as yet are considered diagnostic. And although many different treatments are
available that appear to help with
some CFS symptoms, no lasting cure has been found.
FMS is characterized primarily by widespread chronic muscle and joint pain
that is usually associated with
disrupted sleep, chronic fatigue, cognitive problems, and many other
variable symptoms. According to the
American College of Rheumatology, FMS affects about 3% of the population
and, like CFS and MCS, is much more
common in women. It is easily diagnosed with a brief physical exam that
involves the testing of 18 pressure (or
tender) points. Treatments focus on relieving pain, avoiding stress,
improving sleep and correcting hormonal
imbalances. FMS also may be initiated by infection or chemical exposure.
MCS, like CFS, is diagnosed primarily by the patient's history. It also is
characterized by many diverse symptoms
affecting multiple organs (such as the central nervous system and the
respiratory system) that wax and wane in
response to previously tolerated levels of chemical exposure. These
exposures may be either inhaled (like
perfume), ingested (like food, {*filter*} and medications), or absorbed through
skin contact (like cosmetics).
Other common exposures that aggravate MCS symptoms include fresh paint, new
carpet, solvents, pesticides, diesel
exhaust and poor indoor air quality known as in tight "sick" buildings
syndrome.
A 1994 study found that 70% of patients with FMS and 30% of those with MCS
met the strict 1988 criteria for CFS.
Up to 67% of those with CFS and/or FMS reported a worsening of symptoms
following exposure to air pollution,
cigarette smoke, solvent fumes or perfumes. Post exertional fatigue,
however, was significantly more common in
patients with CFS and FMS than in patients with MCS. This and other studies
document the substantial overlap of
commonly reported symptoms among CFS, FMS and MCS patients.
Journal of A1lergy and Clinical immunology: April 1997, 990422
ABSTRACTS
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Official Publication of the
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
April 1997, volume 99 number 4
Copyright by Mosby-Year Book, Inc.
Panic response to sodium lactate infusion in patients with multiple chemical
sensitivity syndrome
Karen E. Binkley, MD, and Stan Kutcher, MDb
Toronto, Ontario, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Background:Many patients who are first seen with what has been called
multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome (MCS) experience symptoms suggestive
of panic disorder including chest tightness, shortness of breath,
palpitations, paresthesias, lightheadedness, and mental confusion. Although
such patients are often convinced that these symptoms reflect toxic effects
of environmental "chemicals," direct evidence of this is lacking . To the
contrary, a previous study has shown that some of these individuals exhibit
hyperventilation responses on exposure to non noxious stimuli, and it has
been suggested that the resulting hypocarbia accounts for their symptoms. We
postulated that some patients with self-identified MCS had an underlying
condition similar to panic disorder and would therefore demonstrate similar
responses to provocative challenges, such as sodium lactate infusion.
Methods: Patients referred to an allergy and clinical immunology service for
evaluation of "chemical sensitivity" were investigated to rule out
underlying medical conditions, including asthma, as a cause of their
symptoms and were enrolled for study after giving informed consent. After a
standardized psychiatric assessment was performed, patients underwent
single-blind intravenous infusions of normal saline solution placebo) and
sodium lactate (which reproduces symptoms in individuals with underlying
panic disorder). All patients were referred for independent psychiatric
assessment.
Results: The standardized psychiatric assessment identified four of five
patients as meeting DSM III-R diagnostic criteria for panic disorder along
with other depressive and/or anxiety-related disorders. All five patients
with self-identified chemical sensitivity exhibited a positive symptomatic
response to sodium lactate compared with placebo infusion. Independent
psychiatric assessment confirmed the diagnosis of panic disorder on the
basis of DSM III-R criteria in each of the five patients.
Conclusions: These results suggest that MCS may have a neurobiologic basis
similar, if not identical, to that of panic disorder.We speculate that
treatments with demonstrated efficacy in panic disorder may also be of
benefit in MCS, and conversely, treatments that reinforce anticipatory
anxiety and avoidance behavior in patients with MCS may be detrimental
(J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997;99:4.)

GWS is less well defined and refers to the cluster of undiagnosed symptoms
of unknown cause that have been reported by over 10% of the US veterans
involved in the 1991 war against Iraq (more than 80,000 troops to date).
Although studies published by the Department of Defense, Department of
Veterans' Affairs, the National Institute
of Medicine, and the Centers for Disease Control have failed to identify a
"unique syndrome," the symptoms most
commonly reported by ill veterans--including chronic fatigue, muscle and
joint pain, sleep disturbances, and
neurocognitive problems--are almost identical to those seen in CFS, FMS and
MCS. Some independent
researchers attribute the symptoms of GWS to pesticide (methyl mercury) and
chemical weapons exposures, while others report finding a mycoplasma
infection that can be treated, although not cured, with long-term use of
antibiotics.
Summers (1994) has proposed that set of unexplained symptoms in PGW veterans
(skin rashes, chronic fatigue, headaches, sore joints, hair loss,
irritability, insomnia, diarrhea, and depression) are related to mercury
toxicity as result of installation of dental amalgams just prior to or
immediately after service in PGW. This hipotesis asserts that installation
of these amalgams resulted in clinically evident elemental mercury toxicity
that continues as patients have ongoing exposure to mercury.
It is clear that the placement of dental amalgams results in systemic
exposure to mercury (Gross and Harrisson, 1989;
Researchers suggest that Gulf War veterans and others who meet the
diagnostic criteria for more than one
of CFS, FMS and/or MCS may all be suffering from dental amalgam poisoning
but as yet not undefined common
syndrome. Summers et al. 1993). It is also clear that significant exposure
to elemental mercury results in toxic syndrome with complex clinical
presentation (Wyngaarden et al. 1992.) At the same time, relatively few
human studies of adverse effects of amalgams have been done. Interest in
diminishing elemental mercury exposure has resulted in proposals in Sweden,
Denmark and Germany for restrictions on the use of mercury - containing
dental amalgams.
To date, the hypothesis of unexplained symptoms in PGW veterans associated
with the recent installation of dental amalgams has not been directly
investigated to the best of our knowledge.
All, for example, seem to share heightened sensitivity to a diverse range of
stresses, from physical exertion and infection to environmental exposures.
In addition to chemical sensitivity, they often also report heightened
sensitivity to bright lights, loud noises, hot and/or cold weather, and/or
being touched. Until further research clarifies the nature of this overlap,
however, the majority of physicians, insurers, attorneys and support groups
continue to regard CFS, FMS, MCS and GWS for legal claims are trying to
define as separate and distinct conditions.
Neurophysiological Effects of Flickering Light in Patients with
Perceived Electrical Hypersensitivity.

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