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From: lightlady on 4 Jun 2005 23:19
i found this info, and it got me to comparing symtoms of these 2 ailments of
which i suffer... i know others suffer with both as well, and some who do,
but don't know why they do (did that make sense??? i should probably head to
bed after this post <g>) so here 's the info FWIW.

http://www.mcsrr.org/resources/biomarkers.html
Abnormal Medical Tests and Physical Signs Associated with Multiple Chemical
Sensitivity

Compiled by Albert Donnay, MCS Referral & Resources, adonnay @ mcsrr.org,
410-889-6666, 2/1999, rev'd 8/2000

This table lists the medical tests physical signs that have been found to be
abnormal in some studies of MCS patients. They are listed alphabetically and
the cited references are listed the below. Some of these biomarkers are used
to confirm the diagnosis of other disorders that commonly overlap with MCS
(such as methacholine challenge testing for asthma, punch biopsy for mast
cell disorders, blood enzyme testing for porphyrin disorders).

No single one of these tests is considered "diagnostic" of MCS, but if
abnormalities are reported or suspected in any of these areas, they should
be fully evaluated and appropriately treated. Some of these biomarkers may
be abnormal at all times while others wax and wane with exposure. Given that
MCS by definition is a disease provoked by chemical exposure, physicians
should evaluate MCS cases both before (at baseline) and after an offending
chemical exposure ? either accidentally encountered or deliberately arranged
under a doctor's supervision, preferably as a "blinded' exposure to an
odorless gas like CO2 if inhaled or a tasteless liquid if ingested.
Subcutaneous injections and dermal patches may also be used to test
"blinded" reactions to certain chemicals.

Allergy: increased risk of IgE allergies to mold, pollen, dust, dander,
etc (Baldwin 1998b)

Blood: low P(a-v)O2 gap due mostly to high PvO2), low P(a-v) CO2 gap due
mostly due to low PvCO2,
high 2,3-DPG, low red blood cell mass, low plasma volume, high plasma
lactate, some cases involve a genetic pyrvate kinase deficiency in which the
carrier state is symptomatic (Wilcox 1996),

Breath: elevated carbon monoxide after standard 23 second breath hold,
over 3ppm. This is a sensitive but not specific marker as elevated CO also
has been reported in breath of smokers, 2nd hand smokers, people who live
with gas appliances or attached garages, and people with chronic diseases of
the heart, lungs, blood and brain.

Cardiac: tachycardia, other arrhythmia, mitral valve prolapse (Ziem
1997), abnormal echocardiogram (Bell 1998a, Baldwin 1998a)

Cerebral: reduced blood flow on SPECT (Callender 1993, Heuser 1994),
increased resting alpha on qEEG (Bell 1998b)

Circulatory: small vessel vasculitis (punch biopsy of fingertip),
nontraumatic thrombophlebitis (Rea 1976, Rea 1977), neurally mediated
hypotension (in undifferentiated CFS patients)

Detoxification: impaired function of Phase I (cP450) and/or Phase II
detox pathway (Ziem 1997); caffeine clearance, salicylic acid conversion,
paracetamol conversion (Monro 1997); low sulphoxidation and low glutathione
(Scadding 1988, McFadden 1996, Ziem 1997), low superoxide dismutase and
glutathione peroxidase (Ziem, unpublished)

Ears: abnormal brain stem auditory evoked potentials (Cary 1997);
tinnitus is commonly reported but not quantifiable

Endocrine: variable hyper or hypo function in thyroid, adrenals and HPA
axis (Levin 1987)

Eyes: photophobia as measured by reaction time; dry eyes or weeping tear
glands in response to exposure

Gastrointestinal: esophagitis, 'nutcracker' esophagus, increased
intestinal permeability, lactose breath test, bacterial overgrowth breath
test (Monro 1997)

Immune: chronic T-cell activation, impaired NK cell function, variable
auto-immunity especially elevated ANA (McGovern 1983, Heuser 1992, Ziem
1997), reduced secretory IgA and other Ig (Ziem 1999)

Mast Cells: increased number on punch biopsy (Heuser 1996), increased
sensitivity to stimuli seen with scratch test, variably abnormal serum
tryptase during reactions (Schwartz 1987) Mast cell punch biopsy has 80%
SENSITIVITY (second highest of any MCS report), SPECIFICITY > 99%

Minerals: numerous deficiencies, especially magnesium, molybdenum,
manganese, zinc, selenium and copper. (Galland 1987, Ziem unpublished).

Musculoskeletal: fibromyalgia tender points (Donnay 1999)

Neurocognitive: impaired learning and/or retention in short-term memory
(visual and verbal), attention span and reaction times (Ziem 1997).
Abnormalities seen in PASAT, WAIS-R (Ziem 1997), computerized Divided
Attention Test (Bell 1995), STROOP tests (Little 1999), Knox Cubes, and in
non-dominant hand on Tactual Performance Test

Nose: degraded nasal epithelium, chronic inflammation, rhinitis and
sinusitus (Meggs 1993b)

Porphyrin Metabolism: multiple blood enzyme deficiencies, especially
ALA-D, PBG-D, UPG-D (Ziem 1997),
Porphyrin enzyme abnormalities have 86% SENSITIVITY (highest of any MCS
report), SPECIFICITY > 99%

Respiratory: inflammation in larynx & trachea; abnormal methacholine
challenge (Bell 1998a)

Sensory Nerves: altered somatosensory potentials (Hummel 1996),
peripheral neuropathy (Ziem 1997)

Skin: rash in response to chemicals and irritants, hypersensitive to
touch, vibration, and cold; "loose" skin if pinched

Sleep: frequently disrupted with abnormal EEG (Bell 1996)

Vestibular: impaired Romberg and other balance testing (Ziem 1997)

Vitamins: numerous deficiencies, especially in the B series (Galland
1987, Ziem 1997)

Xenobiotics: various markers of poisoning by heavy metals (lead,
mercury, depleted uranium) and pesticides (chlorinated or organophosphate)
may be detected in urine, stool, blood, hair and/or fat (Heuser 1992)

REFERENCES

Compiled by Albert Donnay, MCS Referral & Resources, adonnay @ mcsrr.org,
410-889-6666, 2/1999, rev'd 8/2000

Baldwin, CM and Bell, IR. 1998a. Increased cardiopulmonary disease risk in a
community-based sample with chemical odor intolerance: implications for
women's health and health- care utilization. Arch Environ Health 53:
347-353.

Baldwin CM, Bell IR, O'Rourke M, Nadella S, and Lebowitz MD. 1998b. Allergen
risk ratios for a community sample with and without self-reports of multiple
chemical sensitivity. Chem Senses 20: 661-662.

Bell I.R. Baldwin, C.M. and Schwartz, G.E. 1998a. Illness from low levels of
environmental chemicals: relevance to chronic fatigue syndrome and
fibromyalgia. Am J Med 105: 74S-82S.

Bell, I.R., Schwartz, G.E., Baldwin, C.M., Hardin, E.E. and Kline, J.P.
1998b. Differential resting quantitative electroencephalographic alpha
patterns in women with environmental chemical intolerance, depressives, and
normals. Biol Psychiatry 43: 376-388.

Bell, I.R., Bootzin, R.R., Ritenbaugh, C., Wyatt, J.K., DeGiovanni, G.,
Kulinovich, T., Anthony, J.L., Kuo, T.F., Rider, S.P., Peterson, J.M.,
Schwartz, G.E. and Johnson, K.A. 1996. A polysomnographic study of sleep
disturbance in community elderly with self-reported environmental chemical
odor intolerance. Biol Psychiatry 40: 123-133.

Bell, I.R., Wyatt, J.K., Bootzin, R.R. and Schwartz, G.E. 1995. Slowed
reaction time performance on a divided attention task in elderly with
environmental chemical odor intolerance. Int.J Neurosci. 84: 127-134.

Callender, T.J., Morrow, L.A. and Subramanian, K. 1993. Evaluation of
chronic neurological sequelae after acute pesticide exposure using SPECT
brain scans. J.Toxicol.Ind.Health 41: 275-284.

Cary, R., Clarke, S. and Delic, J. 1997. Effects of combined exposure to
noise and toxic substances--critical review of the literature. Ann Occup Hyg
41: 455-465.

Donnay A. and Ziem G. 1995. Protocol for diagnosing disorders of porphyrin
metabolism in chemically sensitive patients. Baltimore, MD: MCS Referral &
Resources

Donnay A. and Ziem, G.1999. Prevalence and overlap of chronic fatigue
syndrome and fibromyalgia syndrome among 100 new patients with multiple
chemical sensitivity syndrome. J.Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. 5:2 [in press]

Galland, L. 1987. Biochemical abnormalities in patients with multiple
chemical sensitivities. Occup.Med. 2:713-720.

Heuser, G. and Kent, P. 1996. Mast cell disorder after chemical exposure.
124th nnual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, New York NY,
20 November 1996 [abstract and presentation]

Heuser, G., Mena, I. and Alamos, F. 1994. NeuroSPECT findings in patients
exposed to neurotoxic chemicals. Toxicol.Ind.Health 10: 561-571.

Heuser G., Wodjani A. and Heuser S. 1992. Diagnostic markers in chemical
sensitivity. In Multiple Chemical Sensitivities: Addendum to Biologic
Markers in Immunotoxicology, 117-138. Washington DC: National Academy Press

Hummel, T., Roscher, S., Jaumann, M.P. and Kobal, G. (1996) Intranasal
chemoreception in patients with multiple chemical sensitivities: a
double-blind investigation. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 24: Pt 2):S79-86

Levin, A.S. and Byers, V.S. 1987. Environmental illness: a disorder of
immune regulation. Occup.Med. 2: 669-681.

McFadden, S.A. (1996) Phenotypic variation in xenobiotic metabolism and
adverse environmental response: focus on sulfur-dependent detoxification
pathways. Toxicology 111: 43-65.

McGovern, J.J., Jr., Lazaroni, J.A., Hicks, M.F., Adler, J.C. and Cleary, P.
1983. Food and chemical sensitivity. Clinical and immunologic correlates.
Arch Otolaryngol. 109: 292-297.

Meggs W.J., Cleveland C.H., Jr. 1993b. Rhinolaryngoscopic examination of
patients with the multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome.
Arch.Environ.Health 48:14-18.j

Meggs, W.J. 1993a. Neurogenic inflammation and sensitivity to environmental
chemicals. Environ Health Perspect 101:234-238.

Monro J.M. 1997. Laboratory tests found to be effective in the evaluation of
chemical sensitivity: derived from 12,000 patient evaluations. 32nd Annual
Meeting of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, La Jolla CA,
24-27 October 1997 [abstract and presentation]

Rea, W.J. 1976. Environmentally triggered thrombophlebitis. Ann.Allergy 37:
101-109.

Rea, W.J. 1977. Environmentally triggered small vessel vasculitis.
Ann.Allergy 38: 245-251.

Schwartz, L.B., Metcalfe, D.D., Miller, J.S., Earl, H., and Sullivan, T.
1987. Tryptase levels as an indicator of mast-cell activation in systemic
anaphylaxis and mastocytosis. N.Engl.J.Med. 316:1622-26

Ziem, G. and McTamney, J. 1997. Profile of patients with chemical injury and
sensitivity. Environ Health Perspect 105: 417-436.

--
lynn


From: lightlady on 4 Jun 2005 23:29
here i go replying to myself <g> i found another site (that's newer) that
is saying the same thing FWIW :-)

http://www.mcshealthenviron.org/CFS-Fibro-MCS.htm

Chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and chemical sensitivity are
chronic, debilitating conditions that have overlapping symptoms.

They can occur at any age, in persons of any race or gender, and with great
variation in severity.

Early symptoms are often mistaken for allergies or the flu.

When one or more of these conditions affect a person, the lives of all
members of the household are disrupted.

Children and adolescents suffer especially because these conditions impact
not only their physical health but also their emotional, social, and
educational development.

Some contributing factors are known and current research is suggesting
further answers, but much remains to be discovered about these profoundly
life-affecting conditions.
Overlapping Symptoms

The symptoms seen in CFS, FM, and CS frequently overlap, although certain
symptoms predominate in each condition. Each person's symptoms are unique,
and more than one condition can occur in an individual.
Symptoms may include:

* persistent fatigue
* difficulty concentrating, memory loss, cognitive dysfunction
* muscle pain
* joint pain
* disrupted or unrefreshing sleep
* sore throat / tender lymph nodes
* respiratory problems
* headache
* dizziness or lightheadedness
* irregular or abnormal blood preassure and heart rate
* gastrointestinal problems
* food and medication sensitivities

Distinguishing Features

Chronic fatigue syndrome: Prolonged, disabling fatigue with post-exertional
malaise

Fibromyalgia: Widespread muscle and joint pain with tender points

Chemical sensitivity: Reactions induced by exposure to previously tolerated
chemicals
<snip rest of article>

--
lynn
"lightlady" <me(a)privacy.net> wrote in message
news:3gf9cuFc4svlU1(a)individual.net...
> i found this info, and it got me to comparing symtoms of these 2 ailments
of
> which i suffer... i know others suffer with both as well, and some who do,
> but don't know why they do (did that make sense??? i should probably head
to
> bed after this post <g>) so here 's the info FWIW.
>
> http://www.mcsrr.org/resources/biomarkers.html
> Abnormal Medical Tests and Physical Signs Associated with Multiple
Chemical
> Sensitivity
>
<snip>


From: Trixie on 5 Jun 2005 16:26
Thank you for all the links and information you post to this newsgroup. I
save everything!

Trixie

"lightlady" <me(a)privacy.net> wrote in message
news:3gf9cuFc4svlU1(a)individual.net...
>i found this info, and it got me to comparing symtoms of these 2 ailments
>of
> which i suffer... i know others suffer with both as well, and some who do,
> but don't know why they do (did that make sense??? i should probably head
> to
> bed after this post <g>) so here 's the info FWIW.
>
> http://www.mcsrr.org/resources/biomarkers.html
> Abnormal Medical Tests and Physical Signs Associated with Multiple
> Chemical
> Sensitivity
>
> Compiled by Albert Donnay, MCS Referral & Resources, adonnay @ mcsrr.org,
> 410-889-6666, 2/1999, rev'd 8/2000
>
> This table lists the medical tests physical signs that have been found to
> be
> abnormal in some studies of MCS patients. They are listed alphabetically
> and
> the cited references are listed the below. Some of these biomarkers are
> used
> to confirm the diagnosis of other disorders that commonly overlap with MCS
> (such as methacholine challenge testing for asthma, punch biopsy for mast
> cell disorders, blood enzyme testing for porphyrin disorders).
>
> No single one of these tests is considered "diagnostic" of MCS, but if
> abnormalities are reported or suspected in any of these areas, they should
> be fully evaluated and appropriately treated. Some of these biomarkers may
> be abnormal at all times while others wax and wane with exposure. Given
> that
> MCS by definition is a disease provoked by chemical exposure, physicians
> should evaluate MCS cases both before (at baseline) and after an offending
> chemical exposure ? either accidentally encountered or deliberately
> arranged
> under a doctor's supervision, preferably as a "blinded' exposure to an
> odorless gas like CO2 if inhaled or a tasteless liquid if ingested.
> Subcutaneous injections and dermal patches may also be used to test
> "blinded" reactions to certain chemicals.
>
> Allergy: increased risk of IgE allergies to mold, pollen, dust, dander,
> etc (Baldwin 1998b)
>
> Blood: low P(a-v)O2 gap due mostly to high PvO2), low P(a-v) CO2 gap
> due
> mostly due to low PvCO2,
> high 2,3-DPG, low red blood cell mass, low plasma volume, high plasma
> lactate, some cases involve a genetic pyrvate kinase deficiency in which
> the
> carrier state is symptomatic (Wilcox 1996),
>
> Breath: elevated carbon monoxide after standard 23 second breath hold,
> over 3ppm. This is a sensitive but not specific marker as elevated CO also
> has been reported in breath of smokers, 2nd hand smokers, people who live
> with gas appliances or attached garages, and people with chronic diseases
> of
> the heart, lungs, blood and brain.
>
> Cardiac: tachycardia, other arrhythmia, mitral valve prolapse (Ziem
> 1997), abnormal echocardiogram (Bell 1998a, Baldwin 1998a)
>
> Cerebral: reduced blood flow on SPECT (Callender 1993, Heuser 1994),
> increased resting alpha on qEEG (Bell 1998b)
>
> Circulatory: small vessel vasculitis (punch biopsy of fingertip),
> nontraumatic thrombophlebitis (Rea 1976, Rea 1977), neurally mediated
> hypotension (in undifferentiated CFS patients)
>
> Detoxification: impaired function of Phase I (cP450) and/or Phase II
> detox pathway (Ziem 1997); caffeine clearance, salicylic acid conversion,
> paracetamol conversion (Monro 1997); low sulphoxidation and low
> glutathione
> (Scadding 1988, McFadden 1996, Ziem 1997), low superoxide dismutase and
> glutathione peroxidase (Ziem, unpublished)
>
> Ears: abnormal brain stem auditory evoked potentials (Cary 1997);
> tinnitus is commonly reported but not quantifiable
>
> Endocrine: variable hyper or hypo function in thyroid, adrenals and HPA
> axis (Levin 1987)
>
> Eyes: photophobia as measured by reaction time; dry eyes or weeping
> tear
> glands in response to exposure
>
> Gastrointestinal: esophagitis, 'nutcracker' esophagus, increased
> intestinal permeability, lactose breath test, bacterial overgrowth breath
> test (Monro 1997)
>
> Immune: chronic T-cell activation, impaired NK cell function, variable
> auto-immunity especially elevated ANA (McGovern 1983, Heuser 1992, Ziem
> 1997), reduced secretory IgA and other Ig (Ziem 1999)
>
> Mast Cells: increased number on punch biopsy (Heuser 1996), increased
> sensitivity to stimuli seen with scratch test, variably abnormal serum
> tryptase during reactions (Schwartz 1987) Mast cell punch biopsy has 80%
> SENSITIVITY (second highest of any MCS report), SPECIFICITY > 99%
>
> Minerals: numerous deficiencies, especially magnesium, molybdenum,
> manganese, zinc, selenium and copper. (Galland 1987, Ziem unpublished).
>
> Musculoskeletal: fibromyalgia tender points (Donnay 1999)
>
> Neurocognitive: impaired learning and/or retention in short-term memory
> (visual and verbal), attention span and reaction times (Ziem 1997).
> Abnormalities seen in PASAT, WAIS-R (Ziem 1997), computerized Divided
> Attention Test (Bell 1995), STROOP tests (Little 1999), Knox Cubes, and in
> non-dominant hand on Tactual Performance Test
>
> Nose: degraded nasal epithelium, chronic inflammation, rhinitis and
> sinusitus (Meggs 1993b)
>
> Porphyrin Metabolism: multiple blood enzyme deficiencies, especially
> ALA-D, PBG-D, UPG-D (Ziem 1997),
> Porphyrin enzyme abnormalities have 86% SENSITIVITY (highest of any MCS
> report), SPECIFICITY > 99%
>
> Respiratory: inflammation in larynx & trachea; abnormal methacholine
> challenge (Bell 1998a)
>
> Sensory Nerves: altered somatosensory potentials (Hummel 1996),
> peripheral neuropathy (Ziem 1997)
>
> Skin: rash in response to chemicals and irritants, hypersensitive to
> touch, vibration, and cold; "loose" skin if pinched
>
> Sleep: frequently disrupted with abnormal EEG (Bell 1996)
>
> Vestibular: impaired Romberg and other balance testing (Ziem 1997)
>
> Vitamins: numerous deficiencies, especially in the B series (Galland
> 1987, Ziem 1997)
>
> Xenobiotics: various markers of poisoning by heavy metals (lead,
> mercury, depleted uranium) and pesticides (chlorinated or organophosphate)
> may be detected in urine, stool, blood, hair and/or fat (Heuser 1992)
>
> REFERENCES
>
> Compiled by Albert Donnay, MCS Referral & Resources, adonnay @ mcsrr.org,
> 410-889-6666, 2/1999, rev'd 8/2000
>
> Baldwin, CM and Bell, IR. 1998a. Increased cardiopulmonary disease risk in
> a
> community-based sample with chemical odor intolerance: implications for
> women's health and health- care utilization. Arch Environ Health 53:
> 347-353.
>
> Baldwin CM, Bell IR, O'Rourke M, Nadella S, and Lebowitz MD. 1998b.
> Allergen
> risk ratios for a community sample with and without self-reports of
> multiple
> chemical sensitivity. Chem Senses 20: 661-662.
>
> Bell I.R. Baldwin, C.M. and Schwartz, G.E. 1998a. Illness from low levels
> of
> environmental chemicals: relevance to chronic fatigue syndrome and
> fibromyalgia. Am J Med 105: 74S-82S.
>
> Bell, I.R., Schwartz, G.E., Baldwin, C.M., Hardin, E.E. and Kline, J.P.
> 1998b. Differential resting quantitative electroencephalographic alpha
> patterns in women with environmental chemical intolerance, depressives,
> and
> normals. Biol Psychiatry 43: 376-388.
>
> Bell, I.R., Bootzin, R.R., Ritenbaugh, C., Wyatt, J.K., DeGiovanni, G.,
> Kulinovich, T., Anthony, J.L., Kuo, T.F., Rider, S.P., Peterson, J.M.,
> Schwartz, G.E. and Johnson, K.A. 1996. A polysomnographic study of sleep
> disturbance in community elderly with self-reported environmental chemical
> odor intolerance. Biol Psychiatry 40: 123-133.
>
> Bell, I.R., Wyatt, J.K., Bootzin, R.R. and Schwartz, G.E. 1995. Slowed
> reaction time performance on a divided attention task in elderly with
> environmental chemical odor intolerance. Int.J Neurosci. 84: 127-134.
>
> Callender, T.J., Morrow, L.A. and Subramanian, K. 1993. Evaluation of
> chronic neurological sequelae after acute pesticide exposure using SPECT
> brain scans. J.Toxicol.Ind.Health 41: 275-284.
>
> Cary, R., Clarke, S. and Delic, J. 1997. Effects of combined exposure to
> noise and toxic substances--critical review of the literature. Ann Occup
> Hyg
> 41: 455-465.
>
> Donnay A. and Ziem G. 1995. Protocol for diagnosing disorders of porphyrin
> metabolism in chemically sensitive patients. Baltimore, MD: MCS Referral &
> Resources
>
> Donnay A. and Ziem, G.1999. Prevalence and overlap of chronic fatigue
> syndrome and fibromyalgia syndrome among 100 new patients with multiple
> chemical sensitivity syndrome. J.Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. 5:2 [in press]
>
> Galland, L. 1987. Biochemical abnormalities in patients with multiple
> chemical sensitivities. Occup.Med. 2:713-720.
>
> Heuser, G. and Kent, P. 1996. Mast cell disorder after chemical exposure.
> 124th nnual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, New York
> NY,
> 20 November 1996 [abstract and presentation]
>
> Heuser, G., Mena, I. and Alamos, F. 1994. NeuroSPECT findings in patients
> exposed to neurotoxic chemicals. Toxicol.Ind.Health 10: 561-571.
>
> Heuser G., Wodjani A. and Heuser S. 1992. Diagnostic markers in chemical
> sensitivity. In Multiple Chemical Sensitivities: Addendum to Biologic
> Markers in Immunotoxicology, 117-138. Washington DC: National Academy
> Press
>
> Hummel, T., Roscher, S., Jaumann, M.P. and Kobal, G. (1996) Intranasal
> chemoreception in patients with multiple chemical sensitivities: a
> double-blind investigation. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 24: Pt 2):S79-86
>
> Levin, A.S. and Byers, V.S. 1987. Environmental illness: a disorder of
> immune regulation. Occup.Med. 2: 669-681.
>
> McFadden, S.A. (1996) Phenotypic variation in xenobiotic metabolism and
> adverse environmental response: focus on sulfur-dependent detoxification
> pathways. Toxicology 111: 43-65.
>
> McGovern, J.J., Jr., Lazaroni, J.A., Hicks, M.F., Adler, J.C. and Cleary,
> P.
> 1983. Food and chemical sensitivity. Clinical and immunologic correlates.
> Arch Otolaryngol. 109: 292-297.
>
> Meggs W.J., Cleveland C.H., Jr. 1993b. Rhinolaryngoscopic examination of
> patients with the multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome.
> Arch.Environ.Health 48:14-18.j
>
> Meggs, W.J. 1993a. Neurogenic inflammation and sensitivity to
> environmental
> chemicals. Environ Health Perspect 101:234-238.
>
> Monro J.M. 1997. Laboratory tests found to be effective in the evaluation
> of
> chemical sensitivity: derived from 12,000 patient evaluations. 32nd Annual
> Meeting of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, La Jolla CA,
> 24-27 October 1997 [abstract and presentation]
>
> Rea, W.J. 1976. Environmentally triggered thrombophlebitis. Ann.Allergy
> 37:
> 101-109.
>
> Rea, W.J. 1977. Environmentally triggered small vessel vasculitis.
> Ann.Allergy 38: 245-251.
>
> Schwartz, L.B., Metcalfe, D.D., Miller, J.S., Earl, H., and Sullivan, T.
> 1987. Tryptase levels as an indicator of mast-cell activation in systemic
> anaphylaxis and mastocytosis. N.Engl.J.Med. 316:1622-26
>
> Ziem, G. and McTamney, J. 1997. Profile of patients with chemical injury
> and
> sensitivity. Environ Health Perspect 105: 417-436.
>
> --
> lynn
>
>


From: Cheeky Bastard on 5 Jun 2005 17:14
Trixie just hit on something my SIGNOT told me.
We can save and send all the links we want and read them until we are blue
in the face but more often than not they do not get us the help we need.

I only have one doctor right now and I am loosing faith in her daily and
looking for other doctors.
There is one article I have that it has been suggested to me that I put in
front of her and highlight the sections I want her to see and read and then
ask her "why haven't you ordered any of these test?"

I know the both of us are tired of getting round-about answers to our
questions.

Example:

What is the present day physician's approach to the patient who walks into
her office with concerns related to Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome?

You, the patient, come into the physician's office with need for diagnosis
and relief of your symptoms of pain, lethargy, fatigue, sleep disturbance,
concentration deficits and muscle stiffness. Most of your symptoms are
considered to be controlled by the Central Nervous System (consisting of the
brain and spinal cord). Therefore, a neurological evaluation would be
considered appropriate in your case.

The physician is presented then with her first hurdle. Let us assume that
your physical examination showed "no objective abnormalities" (i.e., there
is nothing that the physician sees outside of your verbal report of pain or
discomfort). A neurological evaluation might include: EMG/NCV, MRI, CT, EEG,
various blood chemistries and antibody evaluations, Evoked Potential
studies, and perhaps others. The managed care company will refuse to give
approval for these studies because of the lack of "objective evidence" to
justify these expensive procedures.

(Also, in many cases physicians are reimbursed, or given incentive, not to
perform tests and a percentage of the cost savings are paid to the
physician.)


"Trixie" <no_spam(a)no_spam.com> wrote in message
news:-Nqdnao7xOKJ_T7fRVn-ow(a)comcast.com
> Thank you for all the links and information you post to this
> newsgroup. I save everything!
>
> Trixie
>
> "lightlady" <me(a)privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:3gf9cuFc4svlU1(a)individual.net...
>> i found this info, and it got me to comparing symtoms of these 2
>> ailments of
>> which i suffer... i know others suffer with both as well, and some
>> who do, but don't know why they do (did that make sense??? i should
>> probably head to
>> bed after this post <g>) so here 's the info FWIW.
>>
>> http://www.mcsrr.org/resources/biomarkers.html
>> Abnormal Medical Tests and Physical Signs Associated with Multiple
>> Chemical
>> Sensitivity
>>
>> Compiled by Albert Donnay, MCS Referral & Resources, adonnay @
>> mcsrr.org, 410-889-6666, 2/1999, rev'd 8/2000
>>
>> This table lists the medical tests physical signs that have been
>> found to be
>> abnormal in some studies of MCS patients. They are listed
>> alphabetically and
>> the cited references are listed the below. Some of these biomarkers
>> are used
>> to confirm the diagnosis of other disorders that commonly overlap
>> with MCS (such as methacholine challenge testing for asthma, punch
>> biopsy for mast cell disorders, blood enzyme testing for porphyrin
>> disorders). No single one of these tests is considered "diagnostic" of
>> MCS, but
>> if abnormalities are reported or suspected in any of these areas,
>> they should be fully evaluated and appropriately treated. Some of
>> these biomarkers may be abnormal at all times while others wax and
>> wane with exposure. Given that
>> MCS by definition is a disease provoked by chemical exposure,
>> physicians should evaluate MCS cases both before (at baseline) and
>> after an offending chemical exposure ? either accidentally
>> encountered or deliberately arranged
>> under a doctor's supervision, preferably as a "blinded' exposure to
>> an odorless gas like CO2 if inhaled or a tasteless liquid if
>> ingested. Subcutaneous injections and dermal patches may also be
>> used to test "blinded" reactions to certain chemicals.
>>
>> Allergy: increased risk of IgE allergies to mold, pollen, dust,
>> dander, etc (Baldwin 1998b)
>>
>> Blood: low P(a-v)O2 gap due mostly to high PvO2), low P(a-v) CO2
>> gap due
>> mostly due to low PvCO2,
>> high 2,3-DPG, low red blood cell mass, low plasma volume, high
>> plasma lactate, some cases involve a genetic pyrvate kinase
>> deficiency in which the
>> carrier state is symptomatic (Wilcox 1996),
>>
>> Breath: elevated carbon monoxide after standard 23 second breath
>> hold, over 3ppm. This is a sensitive but not specific marker as
>> elevated CO also has been reported in breath of smokers, 2nd hand
>> smokers, people who live with gas appliances or attached garages,
>> and people with chronic diseases of
>> the heart, lungs, blood and brain.
>>
>> Cardiac: tachycardia, other arrhythmia, mitral valve prolapse
>> (Ziem 1997), abnormal echocardiogram (Bell 1998a, Baldwin 1998a)
>>
>> Cerebral: reduced blood flow on SPECT (Callender 1993, Heuser
>> 1994), increased resting alpha on qEEG (Bell 1998b)
>>
>> Circulatory: small vessel vasculitis (punch biopsy of fingertip),
>> nontraumatic thrombophlebitis (Rea 1976, Rea 1977), neurally mediated
>> hypotension (in undifferentiated CFS patients)
>>
>> Detoxification: impaired function of Phase I (cP450) and/or Phase
>> II detox pathway (Ziem 1997); caffeine clearance, salicylic acid
>> conversion, paracetamol conversion (Monro 1997); low sulphoxidation
>> and low glutathione
>> (Scadding 1988, McFadden 1996, Ziem 1997), low superoxide dismutase
>> and glutathione peroxidase (Ziem, unpublished)
>>
>> Ears: abnormal brain stem auditory evoked potentials (Cary 1997);
>> tinnitus is commonly reported but not quantifiable
>>
>> Endocrine: variable hyper or hypo function in thyroid, adrenals
>> and HPA axis (Levin 1987)
>>
>> Eyes: photophobia as measured by reaction time; dry eyes or
>> weeping tear
>> glands in response to exposure
>>
>> Gastrointestinal: esophagitis, 'nutcracker' esophagus, increased
>> intestinal permeability, lactose breath test, bacterial overgrowth
>> breath test (Monro 1997)
>>
>> Immune: chronic T-cell activation, impaired NK cell function,
>> variable auto-immunity especially elevated ANA (McGovern 1983,
>> Heuser 1992, Ziem 1997), reduced secretory IgA and other Ig (Ziem
>> 1999) Mast Cells: increased number on punch biopsy (Heuser 1996),
>> increased sensitivity to stimuli seen with scratch test, variably
>> abnormal serum tryptase during reactions (Schwartz 1987) Mast cell
>> punch biopsy has 80% SENSITIVITY (second highest of any MCS report),
>> SPECIFICITY > 99% Minerals: numerous deficiencies, especially magnesium,
>> molybdenum,
>> manganese, zinc, selenium and copper. (Galland 1987, Ziem
>> unpublished). Musculoskeletal: fibromyalgia tender points (Donnay 1999)
>>
>> Neurocognitive: impaired learning and/or retention in short-term
>> memory (visual and verbal), attention span and reaction times (Ziem
>> 1997). Abnormalities seen in PASAT, WAIS-R (Ziem 1997), computerized
>> Divided Attention Test (Bell 1995), STROOP tests (Little 1999), Knox
>> Cubes, and in non-dominant hand on Tactual Performance Test
>>
>> Nose: degraded nasal epithelium, chronic inflammation, rhinitis
>> and sinusitus (Meggs 1993b)
>>
>> Porphyrin Metabolism: multiple blood enzyme deficiencies,
>> especially ALA-D, PBG-D, UPG-D (Ziem 1997),
>> Porphyrin enzyme abnormalities have 86% SENSITIVITY (highest of
>> any MCS report), SPECIFICITY > 99%
>>
>> Respiratory: inflammation in larynx & trachea; abnormal
>> methacholine challenge (Bell 1998a)
>>
>> Sensory Nerves: altered somatosensory potentials (Hummel 1996),
>> peripheral neuropathy (Ziem 1997)
>>
>> Skin: rash in response to chemicals and irritants, hypersensitive
>> to touch, vibration, and cold; "loose" skin if pinched
>>
>> Sleep: frequently disrupted with abnormal EEG (Bell 1996)
>>
>> Vestibular: impaired Romberg and other balance testing (Ziem 1997)
>>
>> Vitamins: numerous deficiencies, especially in the B series
>> (Galland 1987, Ziem 1997)
>>
>> Xenobiotics: various markers of poisoning by heavy metals (lead,
>> mercury, depleted uranium) and pesticides (chlorinated or
>> organophosphate) may be detected in urine, stool, blood, hair and/or
>> fat (Heuser 1992) REFERENCES
>>
>> Compiled by Albert Donnay, MCS Referral & Resources, adonnay @
>> mcsrr.org, 410-889-6666, 2/1999, rev'd 8/2000
>>
>> Baldwin, CM and Bell, IR. 1998a. Increased cardiopulmonary disease
>> risk in a
>> community-based sample with chemical odor intolerance: implications
>> for women's health and health- care utilization. Arch Environ Health
>> 53: 347-353.
>>
>> Baldwin CM, Bell IR, O'Rourke M, Nadella S, and Lebowitz MD. 1998b.
>> Allergen
>> risk ratios for a community sample with and without self-reports of
>> multiple
>> chemical sensitivity. Chem Senses 20: 661-662.
>>
>> Bell I.R. Baldwin, C.M. and Schwartz, G.E. 1998a. Illness from low
>> levels of
>> environmental chemicals: relevance to chronic fatigue syndrome and
>> fibromyalgia. Am J Med 105: 74S-82S.
>>
>> Bell, I.R., Schwartz, G.E., Baldwin, C.M., Hardin, E.E. and Kline,
>> J.P. 1998b. Differential resting quantitative
>> electroencephalographic alpha patterns in women with environmental
>> chemical intolerance, depressives, and
>> normals. Biol Psychiatry 43: 376-388.
>>
>> Bell, I.R., Bootzin, R.R., Ritenbaugh, C., Wyatt, J.K., DeGiovanni,
>> G., Kulinovich, T., Anthony, J.L., Kuo, T.F., Rider, S.P., Peterson,
>> J.M., Schwartz, G.E. and Johnson, K.A. 1996. A polysomnographic
>> study of sleep disturbance in community elderly with self-reported
>> environmental chemical odor intolerance. Biol Psychiatry 40: 123-133.
>>
>> Bell, I.R., Wyatt, J.K., Bootzin, R.R. and Schwartz, G.E. 1995.
>> Slowed reaction time performance on a divided attention task in
>> elderly with environmental chemical odor intolerance. Int.J
>> Neurosci. 84: 127-134. Callender, T.J., Morrow, L.A. and Subramanian, K.
>> 1993. Evaluation of
>> chronic neurological sequelae after acute pesticide exposure using
>> SPECT brain scans. J.Toxicol.Ind.Health 41: 275-284.
>>
>> Cary, R., Clarke, S. and Delic, J. 1997. Effects of combined
>> exposure to noise and toxic substances--critical review of the
>> literature. Ann Occup Hyg
>> 41: 455-465.
>>
>> Donnay A. and Ziem G. 1995. Protocol for diagnosing disorders of
>> porphyrin metabolism in chemically sensitive patients. Baltimore,
>> MD: MCS Referral & Resources
>>
>> Donnay A. and Ziem, G.1999. Prevalence and overlap of chronic fatigue
>> syndrome and fibromyalgia syndrome among 100 new patients with
>> multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome. J.Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
>> 5:2 [in press] Galland, L. 1987. Biochemical abnormalities in patients
>> with multiple
>> chemical sensitivities. Occup.Med. 2:713-720.
>>
>> Heuser, G. and Kent, P. 1996. Mast cell disorder after chemical
>> exposure. 124th nnual Meeting of the American Public Health
>> Association, New York NY,
>> 20 November 1996 [abstract and presentation]
>>
>> Heuser, G., Mena, I. and Alamos, F. 1994. NeuroSPECT findings in
>> patients exposed to neurotoxic chemicals. Toxicol.Ind.Health 10:
>> 561-571. Heuser G., Wodjani A. and Heuser S. 1992. Diagnostic markers in
>> chemical sensitivity. In Multiple Chemical Sensitivities: Addendum
>> to Biologic Markers in Immunotoxicology, 117-138. Washington DC:
>> National Academy Press
>>
>> Hummel, T., Roscher, S., Jaumann, M.P. and Kobal, G. (1996)
>> Intranasal chemoreception in patients with multiple chemical
>> sensitivities: a double-blind investigation. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol
>> 24: Pt 2):S79-86 Levin, A.S. and Byers, V.S. 1987. Environmental illness:
>> a disorder
>> of immune regulation. Occup.Med. 2: 669-681.
>>
>> McFadden, S.A. (1996) Phenotypic variation in xenobiotic metabolism
>> and adverse environmental response: focus on sulfur-dependent
>> detoxification pathways. Toxicology 111: 43-65.
>>
>> McGovern, J.J., Jr., Lazaroni, J.A., Hicks, M.F., Adler, J.C. and
>> Cleary, P.
>> 1983. Food and chemical sensitivity. Clinical and immunologic
>> correlates. Arch Otolaryngol. 109: 292-297.
>>
>> Meggs W.J., Cleveland C.H., Jr. 1993b. Rhinolaryngoscopic
>> examination of patients with the multiple chemical sensitivity
>> syndrome. Arch.Environ.Health 48:14-18.j
>>
>> Meggs, W.J. 1993a. Neurogenic inflammation and sensitivity to
>> environmental
>> chemicals. Environ Health Perspect 101:234-238.
>>
>> Monro J.M. 1997. Laboratory tests found to be effective in the
>> evaluation of
>> chemical sensitivity: derived from 12,000 patient evaluations. 32nd
>> Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, La
>> Jolla CA, 24-27 October 1997 [abstract and presentation]
>>
>> Rea, W.J. 1976. Environmentally triggered thrombophlebitis.
>> Ann.Allergy 37:
>> 101-109.
>>
>> Rea, W.J. 1977. Environmentally triggered small vessel vasculitis.
>> Ann.Allergy 38: 245-251.
>>
>> Schwartz, L.B., Metcalfe, D.D., Miller, J.S., Earl, H., and
>> Sullivan, T. 1987. Tryptase levels as an indicator of mast-cell
>> activation in systemic anaphylaxis and mastocytosis. N.Engl.J.Med.
>> 316:1622-26 Ziem, G. and McTamney, J. 1997. Profile of patients with
>> chemical
>> injury and
>> sensitivity. Environ Health Perspect 105: 417-436.
>>
>> --
>> lynn


From: Janey Pooh on 5 Jun 2005 18:05
Cheeky said (well, lots of stuff, but mainly - for my purposes)
>>A neurological evaluation might include: EMG/NCV, MRI, CT, EEG,
>>various blood chemistries and antibody evaluations, Evoked Potential
>>studies, and perhaps others. The managed care company will refuse to give
>>approval for these studies because of the lack of "objective evidence" to
>>justify these expensive procedures.

Then Rosie said (again, lots of stuff, but mainly - for my purposes)
> In order to show high Substance P, they need to do a spinal tap. A
>spinal tap to diagnose FM? Good luck finding a neurologist who will.

Hey, you guys, I jsut thought of a way I could've helped AMF and I
dropped the ball.

I've recently had almost ALL these tests. I had a CT, MRI, EEG, Spinal
Tap, couple angiograms -- they could've used my brain for science.
DAMN! why didn't I think of it at the time?

ROFLMAO!!

Gotta go. Take GOOD Care,

Jane

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