Parkinsons and Pesticides, Paints, Poisons

I am seeing Parkinson's more and more these days in the clinic.

Is it coincidence or is there something going on?

I recently received this question:

Dear Dr Ben,

Two yrs ago my husband had overactive thyroid and they sapped it with radiation and killed the thyroid too much so he in now on synthroid....the next yr his left hand started shaking and they said he has Parkinson's......

He was raised on a dairy farm and has farmed himself his whole life using pesticides, herbicides and commercial fertilizers and drank well water from these farms.....

My question is could the parkinsons be from the polluted chemicals and if so is there a way or getting them out of his body so it won't progress....the shaking is more noticeable after one year.....

I find your web site very very helpful ....

Thank you ahead of time for your answer...

My response:

Hi there –

Im sorry to hear this about your husband.

Most definitely the farm life can be a cause of Parkinson’s. However, your husband may have a genetic tendency to develop the Parkinson’s but it would not necessarily ‘activate’ without enough stimuli – ie. Pesticides, etc

The overactive thyroid could have been easily linked to the chemical bombardment as well. Hormones get very altered with chemical exposures and they then have a hard time doing their job properly. Thus, organs begin malfunctioning.

There is a ton of research on halogens and thyroid malfunction; common halogens being bromine, chlorine, fluorine and iodine.

Removing the exposures and attempting removal of environmental chemicals from the body are what is needed in order to move away from further organ/body system malfunctioning.

Xenobiotics is a term heavily used for environmental toxicants.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenobiotic

With Parkinson’s the neurological system is becoming more affected which makes sense given the history of your husband. Nerves are composed of much fat and many chemicals and environmental pollutants head right for the adipose tissue ie fat.

What is needed is to do a fat biopsy and blood analysis of toxic exposure.

Locate an environmental medicine physician –
http://www.aaemonline.org/

Other useful websites to help – search for the terms Parkinson’s or herbicides or pesticides etc…
www.ewg.org

www.ehponline.org

www.environmentalhealthnews.org

A useful lab:
http://www.doctorsdata.com/tests_assessments_info.asp

Call Doctors Data and request a physician recommendation based on your needs and location. They work with the leading environmental doctors.

There is much that can be done to slow the progression or possibly even stop it if you locate the right physician. I personally know of a few patients with Parkinson’s and they have stopped progressing completely.

Basic methods used to detox:
• Lab testing – fat biopsy, genetic testing, blood toxicant levels, organ evaluation/function
• Thorough history
• Sauna/heat therapy
• Phosphatidylcholine
• Essential fatty acids
• Many nutrients
• Homeopathy
• Diet
• IV nutrients/therapy

Please do recommend others to www.HealthEGoods.com and to my blog: www.HealthEGoods.com/blog.html

Thank you and may your husband recover well.

In health,
Dr Ben

Have a story to share about an environmental exposure and a health condition? Post a comment. I'll leave my feedback as well for you.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis & Grass | Steroids?

Question:
Dear Ben,

Congratulations on your recent accomplishment. I wish you all the best.

My health question is the following. My 34 year old husband has been fighting a loosing battle with allergic contact dermatitis. We think that he may have contacted it 3 weeks ago while sitting on the grass at the school play ground near our house.

At first we thought it was flea bites and he started to scratch profusely on both the front of his legs and on the "fish belly" of his right arm. However, the next two days it started to spread up his arm and on his abdomen at which point it was bright red and swollen. needless to say, we ended up in urgent care on our vacation where he was given a steroid shot and a 6 day dose of oral steroids as well as antibiotics for fear of the skin becoming infected.

Although the steroids worked for the amount of time they were prescribed, the rash appeared again in a different part of his body and again he went to urgent care where he was prescribed a second and longer 8 day dose of steroid tablets. Even though the rash is disapating and the pills seem to be working, I am afraid that the rash will come back and flare up again.

Do you have any information that can help cure this naturally? I know we should avoid the offending agent at all costs, but I feel bad for him because the itching and swelling gets so bad that he is miserable. Any advice will be helpful.

Thanks!


ANSWER:
Thank you for the congrats

My first thought is: When did the school spray last on the lawn?

Many schools are banning the use of herbicides and pesticides - but many aren't also.

He may be having a chemical reaction and steroids are not going to help remove the cause as those chemicals need to come out.

Sauna may be the best thing to get the chemicals out - and also ask the school what the hell is on their grass.

I personally would sauna daily, take 1 gram of vitamin C every hour as that has been researched to stop histamine production, take liquid vitamin B drops 4 times a day to support the body in detoxing, and take MSM to also help the body detox.

Sauna may do the trick.

Careful with repeated use of steroids - especially orally - as they may cause avascular necrosis (dying bones) down the line. Get off them as soon as the docs say you can - do not just stop them - talk with your doc.

Since you've been prescribed antibiotics, make sure he takes a good amount of acidophilus or some healthy probiotics to re-establish healthy gut flora again - otherwise he is getting set up for stomach problems, food allergies and weak immune function.

Consider finding a real good soap for chemical burns or chemical contact - off the top of my head I don't know any but ask.

Let me know how it goes and what you find out.

Best
Dr Ben, ND