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.

Infertility: Alternative Therapies for Infertile Women

Being infertile may not be the end-all diagnosis and it may not have to require $10,000 dollars which may or may not correct the problem. If you find that you are not ovulating (which is anovulation), there are many causative factors.

During Endocrinology this morning, a naturopathic physician brought up some interesting points regarding anovulation:

• sleep with your room absolutely black as this blocks melatonin production. If you cannot get your room black, get an eye mask.
• evaluate serum prolactin levels as elevated prolactin stops ovulation. (this is why breastfeeding mom's do not ovulate)
• evaluate thyroid hormone levels because if they are elevated, then TRH is elevated which then elevates prolactin.
• if you are taking melatonin supplements, this may be a factor as melatonin slows the release of GnRH which triggers sex hormones to be released
• have a full spectrum light and stare into it for 30 minutes every morning
• as mentioned above, make sure your bedroom is pitch black every night except for nights 12-14 have a 5 watt night light plugged in. This little light acts as artificial moonlight which is known to trigger ovulation. Make sure that the night light is only 5 watts and on for nights 12-14 of your cycle.

A case study of an infertile woman:

A woman of child-bearing age who was not ovulating was evaluated for infertility. The doctors found that she had a fibrotic fallopian tube which prevented her from getting pregnant. They said the only way she could get pregnant is if they surgically repaired the tube.

I guess they forgot that woman have two fallopian tubes.

She came to see a naturopathic physician as she didn't want the surgery. The ND ordered the following labs: TSH, prolactin, CBC, chem panel, female sex hormones along with a few others. Her labs showed she was hypothyroid, had elevated prolactin and her estrogen and progesterone levels were fine.

The ND prescribed armour thyroid, multivitamin, and told her about how to sleep properly with a dark bedroom except for nights 12-14 with the night light, stop taking her melatonin supplement and to stare into the full spectrum light each morning for 30 minutes.

In 3 months, she was pregnant as her thyroid stabilized, prolactin went back to normal levels and allowed her body to ovulate.

If you're diagnosed as infertile, locate a physician who will work with you to find the cause. Why are you infertile? That is the question and then it is up to your physician to assist you in finding ways to resolve it.

It is not always necessary to have expensive treatments.