The Canary Report

Gas well drilling operation impacts health of an entire neighborhood

Posted on Mar 10, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Government Regulation, MCS, Susie Collins

Woman with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is the first in  her neighborhood to detect toxic emissions from gas well drilling site; her health deteriorates while she fights for clean air.

Drilling at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Sandra DenBraber

Sandra DenBraber, who has Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, sent me an update about the toxic emissions from a natural gas drill site near her home. She wanted me to share with Canary Report readers an update about her health and a report in the Fort Worth Weekly published today.

“I really wanted you to have this story since the reporter did such an excellent job,” she wrote me. “The more people that hear about what happens to chemically sensitive people the more hope for change. I will continue to fight for change in drilling. It is essential since now 25% of children in the drilling area have respiratory problems per a recent news article.”

Here’s an excerpt from the Fort Worth Weekly report:

DenBraber, a former occupational health nurse, moved to her neighborhood more than 24 years ago after developing severe chemical sensitivities that forced her to quit her job. She went to great lengths to make sure her environment was as free of chemicals as possible: Her home has no carpeting, no gas lines, and several heavy-duty air filtration units. She lived there in relative good health, getting by on disability payments supplemented by a small income from making and selling charcoal masks for others who suffer from the same problem.

But in 2008, in the midst of drilling operations near UTA conducted by Houston-based Carrizo Oil and Gas, her health declined rapidly. Both DenBraber and her physician, Dr. Alfred Johnson, began to suspect emissions from the well site might be responsible.

“It got to the point I wasn’t able to leave my home without getting an instant migraine,” DenBraber said. “I have an above-ground pool for exercise [following joint replacement surgeries] that I was unable to use. I couldn’t work in my garden; I couldn’t step out the door.”

The change in her health became so pronounced that both Johnson and Dr. Susan Murphy , a rehabilitation specialist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, sent letters to Carrizo on her behalf in March and April of 2008, asking that the company work with DenBraber to find a mutually agreeable solution to her situation.

“Sandy tends to react more strongly to chemical exposure than most because of her chemical sensitivity,” Johnson said. “In a sense, she’s kind of like the canary in a mineshaft.”

My guess is that no one from Carrizo Oil and Gas lives anywhere near this operation. It shouldn’t be that the people who have been made ill are the ones at the front lines of the battles for clean air, but that is too often the case. Sandra has my respect and admiration for fighting the good fight not just for herself, but for the health, safety and welfare of her entire neighborhood. Brava, Sandra! I hope this is resolved soon so that you and your neighbors, including the students at UTA, are soon protected from this major polluter.

Photo credit of drilling site, Carrizo Oil and Gas.

Photo of Sandra ©2010 Sandra DenBraber

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Tags: Air, Children's Health, Environment, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Nontoxic, Policy, Pollution, Stink, Toxic

$100K awarded to woman with chemical sensitivity denied proper accomodations at work

Posted on Mar 10, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Disability Rights, MCS, Susie Collins, Worker's Rights

Woman with chemical sensitivity awarded $100K for being denied proper accommodations at work; her coworker’s perfume made it difficult for her to breathe.

Modern perfume contains known toxic chemicals that can cause serious cognitive and respiratory problems in people with chemical sensitivity.

On Point reports a Detroit city planner with an allergy to perfume is savoring the sweet smell of legal success after the city agreed to pay her $100,000 and be more sensitive to the chemically sensitive.

The agreement -– obtained by On Point through a public records act request — settled Susan McBride’s lawsuit under the Americans With Disabilities Act which alleged the City of Detroit failed to reasonably accommodate her allergy after she complained that a co-worker’s perfume made it difficult for her to breathe.

Some critics attacked McBride for being overly sensitive and abusing the court system. But many workplaces are now perfume-free and a judge in November 2008 denied the city’s motion to dismiss, ruling McBride could proceed with a disability claim “based on the major life activity of breathing.”

As part of the settlement, which the parties signed last month, the city will post a notice on bulletin boards in its offices announcing that “Our goal is to be sensitive to employees with perfume and chemical sensitivities”

Let’s hope it sets precedent for future cases. If you have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and are having trouble with your employer giving you proper accommodations, you might like to share the agreement with them. This is an access issue, the same as any other disability protected under the ADA.

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/momoe365photos/4154731316/”>Photo credit.

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Tags: Air, Chemicals, Environmental Illness, Fragrance, Law, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Perfume, Personal Care, Policy, Sick Building, Stink, Toxic, Work

Please sign Italian petition for recognition of Multiple Chemcial Sensitivity

Posted on Mar 07, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Disability Rights, MCS, Social Justice, Susie Collins

Our fellow canaries in Italy are asking for our support: Please take a minute to sign this petition for the recognition of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in Italy.

Italian flag

There are just a couple more days left to sign in support of the Italian petition to recognize Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. In the middle of March, the Association for Chronic and/or Environmental Diseases by Intoxication (AMICA) will meet with Senators to present the petition. Please sign; last day to sign is March 10.

Click here to sign– it’s all in Italian, so once you get to that page, click on “Firma,” then fill in the fields for First Name, Last Name, Email, Telephone (not necessary), and postal code (CAP). Direct link here to sign the petition.

THE PETITION TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH:

Petition promoted by the Association for Chronic and/or Environmental Diseases by Intoxication (AMICA) www.sensibilitachimica.it

To the Presidency of the Senate of the Italian Republic

To the President of the Chamber of Deputies

To the XII Committee of the Social Affairs at the Chamber of Deputies

To the XII Commission of the Senate Health and Hygiene

Since the Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is a chronic disabling condition that involves multiorgan reactions to exposure to various chemicals in quantities normally tolerated by the general population and that the diagnostic criteria were established by international consensus in 1999;

Seen that from 2 to 10% of the population is hyper-sensitive to environmental chemicals and products in common use and an increasing proportion is affected by multiple substances – that is suffering multiple chemical sensitivity, or MCS – with impaired capacity for work, social life and autonomy that varies from mild to very severe depending on the stages of the disease;

Since the MCS is recognized in the United States by federal law for the Disabled American with Disabilities Act, federal agencies – such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, the Social Security Administration – and many local governments;

Since the MCS is recognized by Canada federal and Provincial government agencies;

Since the MCS is classified by Germany since 1998 in the International Code of Diseases by the T 78.4 in Chapter 19 (Injury, poisoning and other consequences resulting from external causes) and Section T66-T78 (Other and unspecified damage from external factors);

As the Ministry of Welfare and Labor of Germany, who had classified the MCS in the of list of motor disability (as compared to those for the inability of patients to move), has removed the description of illness as psychosomatic (of psychological origin / Psychiatry), putting an end to discrimination of this disease environment;

As the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Japan), which for years have recognized the sick building syndrome – similar to the MCS, said insert MCS October 2009 in the list of diseases covered by the insurance of the National Health Service;

Since in Italy there is no law that equalize the rights of the environmental patients (not only MCS, but also of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, to Elettrosensibilità of Fibromyalgia, Sick Building Syndrome, etc..) Than those of any other form of disability in terms of job protection, the right to treatment, the right to a home “safe”, etc..;

The petitioners demand that are challenged with the highest priority of the six bills initiative of the House of Representatives (No. 1621 August 5, 2008, No. 1654 of September 18, 2008, No. 1667 of 18 September 2008, N . 2287 March 12, 2009) and Senate (NS1019 of 17 September 2008, No. 1165 of 28 October 2008) for the recognition of MCS as a social disease, using the international consensus in 1999 as a benchmark for the diagnosis, as in the world.

Thanks Rose and Francesca! Keep up the good work!

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Tags: Law, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Policy, Support

Who’s chirping about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity?

Posted on Mar 04, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins

Here’s what some members of our Canary Report community are up to!

Kimberly at Adventurous Canary reports that the Sedona Film Festival is going scent-free.

Meg is looking for land, in or around the state of Virginia, to park her new airstream trailer. If you have any leads or ideas, please let Meg know!

My airstream trailer will finally be done soon. I have been trying for a year or so to find safe land to put it on, but no luck so far. Not entirely surprising, considering how polluted this part of the country is! I just need someplace for a bit here until I am well enough to really move to a better place. Anyone know of anything? I would be happy to rent or possibly buy, or rent with someone else if they are understanding of extremely severe MCS.

Rob at DTOX Radio created a blogroll page that includes The Canary Report and the blogs of several of our members. Thanks for the shout out, Rob!

Kathy wrote a post on her blog at Open Salon called There is no other way to tell you this… but YOU STINK!

Melva at Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Living with Altered DNA recently redesigned her website. She’s included a link to The Canary Report cap on her links page. Thanks, Melva!

Spanish blogger Eva at NO FUN launched an English section. Now peeps like me who weren’t paying enough attention in Spanish class can read some of Eva’s blog!

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Tags: MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

MCS researcher Martin Pall published at The Townsend

Posted on Feb 25, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Research, Susie Collins

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity researcher Martin L. Pall’s paper, “How Can We Cure NO/ONOO− Cycle Diseases? Approaches to Curing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Gulf War Syndrome and Possibly Many Others,” is published in the February/March 2010 issue of The Townsend Letter: The Examiner of Alternative Medicine. Pall is Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Science at Washington State University.

The entire essay is published at the Townsend, here’s an excerpt:

Feb/March 2010 cover of The Townsend Letter

The NO/ONOO− cycle is a biochemical vicious cycle that is thought to cause such diseases as chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME), multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), fibromyalgia (FM), and possibly a large number of other chronic inflammatory diseases. The chemistry/biochemistry of the cycle predicts that the primary mechanism is local such the depending on where it is localized in the body, it may cause a variety of different diseases.

Previous studies have shown that agents that lower such cycle elements as oxidative stress, nitric oxide, inflammatory responses, mitochondrial dysfunction, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) depletion and NMDA activity produce clinical improvements in CFS/ME and FM patients, consistent with the predictions of the cycle mechanism. Multiagent protocols lowering several aspects of the cycle appear to be the most promising approaches to therapy. These include an entirely over-the-counter nutritional support protocol developed by the author in conjunction with the Allergy Research Group.

However, such mulitagent protocols to date have not produced any substantial numbers of cures of these presumed NO/ONOO− cycle disease. Why is that? This paper argues that what is called the central couplet of the cycle, the reciprocal relation between peroxynitrite elevation and BH4 depletion, is not being adequately downregulated by these multiagent protocols. Ten agents/classes of agents are available, each of which downregulates one or the other end of this central couplet. It is suggested, then, that treatments that simultaneously effectively downregulate both ends to the central couplet, when used along with multiagent protocols lowering other aspects of the cycle and avoidance of stressors that otherwise upregulate the cycle, will lead to substantial numbers of cures of these chronic diseases.

Martin L. Pall, PhD

It’s very exciting to see Pall published at The Townsend. I think he’s on the leading edge of MCS research, and I urge you to learn more about his findings.

A major paper on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity by Pall (at left) was published last year as chapter XX in a prestigious reference work for professional toxicologists,  General and Applied Toxicology, 3rd Edition (2009, John Wiley & Sons). Pall’s paper, entitled “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Toxicological Questions and Mechanisms,” establishes five important facts about MCS: 1) MCS is common; 2) MCS is caused by toxic chemical exposure; 3) the role of chemicals acting as toxicants in MCS has been confirmed by genetic studies; 4) there is a detailed and generally well supported mechanism for MCS, the NO/ONOO- cycle; and 5) MCS is a physiological disease initiated by toxic chemical exposure that has been falsely claimed to be psychogenic.

Pall is located on Pacific time in the U.S. and can be contacted at: 503-232-3883 and at martin_pall@wsu.edu. His web site is: thetenthparadigm.org.

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Tags: MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Research

A canary’s vacation to the Dominican Republic

Posted on Feb 20, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Franny Armstrong, Leisure, MCS

Our trip to the Dominican Republic was wonderful, but along the journey we sucked in a ton of diesel fumes.

Post by Franny Armstrong.

Not as pretty as it looks; boats give off fumes.

My trip to the Dominican Republic was wonderful. I’m paying the price now but in the long run, I believe it was worth it. Even I have to come out of my cave now and then.

~~~

The Dominican Republic is a beautiful island full of lush green grasses, trees, and greenery that takes your breath away (literally). The poverty was stunning, yet the people were kind, happy, and welcomed you with a smile or an “ola, mi amiga.” A twenty year old man sat next to my husband and I as we drank a beer each. Hubby bought the man one and I conversed with him, me with my minimal Spanish, he with his minimal English. It was fun to chat with him. After he told Dan and I we were old enough to be his parents, he gave me his phone number. LOL I guess I’m like a fine wine or an old cheddar, still kicking! HAHAHA

Smoggy street

~~~

Along the journey we sucked in a ton of diesel fumes. There is no monitoring of exhaust in DR. Dan was told not to drink from the bottles of beer along the roadside as they use them to refill and sell new and used fuel. Sometimes they siphon it out of vehicles.

[...]

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Tags: Air, Chemicals, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Toxic

Metamorphosis inside Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Posted on Feb 16, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Guest Bloggers, MCS, Media/Videos

My most radical metamorphosis was when I fell ill with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

By guestblogger Eva Caballé, Spain.

Originally published in Spanish at Delirio, No 5.

As originally published at Delirio online magazine.

During our lives we suffer several metamorphoses, some are painful, others are positive, chosen or not. The experience, the life itself, makes us change and evolve.

My story is not different, although my most radical metamorphosis was when I fell ill with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. But although I got sick suddenly, the process itself happened slowly. I was preparing for MCS for many years before I was aware of it. My body was warning me repeatedly without my understanding what it wanted to tell me. But how could I know that everything happening to me was the prelude to MCS? It’s almost impossible to know since information about MCS is kept secret from the public and when anyone dares to raise a voice, they are automatically silenced by those who say MCS is all in the minds of the patients.

It’s not easy to understand what happens to you as you search for a diagnosis, all the while trying not to fail during the long journey while you are riddled with attempts to damage your self-esteem as you struggle with a more diminished health status every day. The last stage of this particular metamorphosis happens when you finally know what it is happening: you have MCS. And then you start to reconsider the life you have known before in order to adapt yourself and to survive into the future.

[...]

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Tags: Books, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

International Multiple Chemical Sensitivity awareness project is launched

Posted on Feb 13, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins

Some members of our flock have launched an MCS awareness campaign: If you or someone you know suffers from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, please wear a yellow scarf, yellow hat, or yellow feathers pinned on a tie or top to help raise awareness for this debilitating and avoidable modern illness!

MCS feather pin by Karen, who lives in Australia.

Karen, a member of our community from Australia, wrote me a week or so ago with a wonderful idea:

Can we have a “yellow hat day” for MCS, to send a message out to others that wearing yellow like the Canary badge — yellow on our hats or a yellow feather pin or tie or in our hair –  means “stay away, I am sensitive to your perfume or cigarette smoke.” That way people will get to know about this illness and will be able to help by staying clear of us. And maybe look at chemicals in a different light, for their own lives. We can pass the word around via the Face Book and Canary Report and all the other internet means.

I wrote Karen back telling her I thought it sounded like a really fun project. Next thing you know, word was spreading and people were coming up with cute ideas about how to wear yellow, like the beautiful pin above made by Katarina. People from USA, Germany, Australia, Spain and Japan translated the announcement into their own language and shared on Facebook. I don’t think the campaign is limited to just one day, but I do like the catchy phrase “Yellow Hat Day!”

Here’s the announcement of the project in several languages. Please share!

If you or someone you know suffers from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity please wear a yellow scarf or yellow HAT or yellow feathers pinned on a tie or top to help raise awareness for this debilitating and avoidable modern illness! The yellow represents the Canary in the coal mine, and stands as a symbolic warning that these toxins effect on everyone. Please copy and paste this message onto their profile page. Thanks to all.

SPANISH – Si usted o alguien que conoce, sufre de SQM porfa lleve un pañuelo o sombrero o plumas amarillas puestas en una corbata o encima de su ropa. Así podrá ayudar a crear conciencia de esta enfermedad debilitante moderna y evitable! El amarillo representa el canario en la mina de carbón, y es una advertencia simbólica todos estos efectos tóxicos que afectan a todos. Por favor, copia y pega este mensaje en su perfil. Gracias a todos.

DUTCH: Als u of een kennis van U lijdt aan multiple chemical sensitivity, draag dan aub gele sjaal of hoed of pluim bevestigd aan uw hoed/pet of op uw kleding. Zo helpt U bij de bewustwording van deze slopende en vermijdbare moderne ziekte! Het gele vertegenwoordigt de kanarie in de kolenmijn, en is een symbolische waarschuwing voor deze toxinen die op iedereen effect kunnen hebben. Kopieer dit en plak het op hun profiel page. Bedankt

FRENCH: Si vous ou quelqu’un que vous connaissez souffre de SQM svp portez un foulard, un chapeau ou une plume de couleur jaune pour aider à sensibiliser la population de cette maladie debilitante, moderne et évitable! Le jaune représente le canari dans la mine de charbon, et constitue un avertissement symbolique de l’effet de ces toxines sur tous le monde. Svp copier et coller ce message sur leur page de profil. Merci a tous

ITALIAN: Se voi o qualcuno che conosci soffre da Sensibilità Chimica Multipla si prega di indossare un foulard giallo o cappello giallo o piume gialle appuntato su un pareggio o superiore per contribuire ad aumentare la consapevolezza di questa malattia debilitante ed evitabile moderna! Il giallo rappresenta il Canarie nella miniera di carbone, e si pone come un monito simbolico che queste tossine effetto su tutti. Copia e incolla questo messaggio sulla pagina del loro profilo.

GERMAN: Wenn Du oder jemand, den Du kennst, an Multiple Chemical Sensitivity leidet, tragt bitte einen gelben Schal oder einen gelben Hut oder eine gelbe Feder am Kragen oder am Oberteil, um Aufmerksamkeit für diese schwächende und vermeidbare moderne Krankheit zu erzeugen! Die Farbe Gelb repräsentiert den Kanarienvogel in der Kohlengrube und steht für eine symbolische Warnung, das diese Schadstoffe jeden betreffen. Bitte kopiere und füge diese Mitteilung auf deren Profilseite ein. Danke an alle für’s Mitmachen.

JAPANESE: もし、あなたかあなたが知っている誰かが化学物質過敏症で苦しんでいるならば、人を衰弱させもするが予防可能なこの現代病についての関心を高めるために、黄色いスカーフや黄色い帽子を身につけるか、黄色い羽根をネクタイや上着にピンで留めてください。黄色は、炭鉱のカナリアを表し、有害物質は誰にも影響を及ぼすことへの警告を象徴的に表しています。このメッセージをあなた方のプロフィールページにコピーして貼り付けてください。すべての協力者に感謝します。

Thanks to Cathy, Lourdes, Silvia, and Ryozo for the various translations!

2/14 UPDATE: And more translations coming in!

SWEDISH: Om du eller någon som du känner, lider från Multipel Kemisk Känslighet be dem att ha på sig en gul scarf eller gul hatt eller gul fjäder som klämmas fast på en slips eller blus för att skapa medvetande om denna försvagande och undvikbara moderna sjuka! Gul färg föreställer kanariefågeln i kolgruvan och står som en symbolisk varning att dessa toxiner påverkar alla. Kopiera och klistra detta meddelande på deras profiler sidan.

Thanks, Katarina!

2/26 UPDATE: Sherry also contributed to the original announcement.

Thanks, Sherry!

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Tags: MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Support

The risk of developing Multiple Chemical Sensitivity from exposure to photocopiers and laser printers

Posted on Feb 13, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Guest Bloggers, MCS, Worker's Rights

Some persons suffering from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity may have developed their conditions or worsened them due to exposures to the toxic chemicals given off by photocopiers and laser printers in their office jobs.

By guestblogger M.R.E.

The following is information for the readers of The Canary Report concerning potential risks of exposure to photocopiers and laser printers. I have suffered a devastating respiratory condition from exposure to these types of machines, and so I am trying to raise awareness about this health hazard to hopefully receive feedback and get in touch with other persons who suffer the same.

Due to exposure to photocopiers and laser printers, I have suffered a devastating respiratory condition which produces in an extreme degree: difficulty for breathing, chest pain and oppression, fatigue, cough, mucosal dryness, inability to sneeze and plenty of disturbances in the throat, nose, mouth, eyes, skin, stomach and other systems plus an extreme, lasting intolerance to all chemicals in the air. After a lot of troubles it was diagnosed in two university hospitals as non-specific bronchial hyper-reactivity and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). The syndrome was caused by the irritant vapors released by a photocopier and a laser printer in my jobs and this appears very obvious from the full details of my story, too long for this page. Although my illness was initiated within 24 hours of intense exposure to these gases, it has not been officially recognized as occupational for any purpose. As many other sufferers with MCS, I have lived a nightmare of sickness and social neglect, but thanks to my family, who financially and psychologically supported me, I did not fall into marginality and eventual tragedy.

From my own experience of nearly three decades with this problem I see that the following points should be carefully taken into account:

[...]

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Tags: Air, Asthma, Chemicals, Environmental Illness, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Products, Research, Sick Building, Toxic, Work

More blogging canaries

Posted on Feb 09, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins

I’ve discovered a couple more blogs by canaries!

On her blog After Gadget, Sharon blogs about life after the loss of her beloved service dog Gadget. After Gadget is a new blog with only a few posts, but if you get hooked like I did, you’ll read every page and then subscribe so you don’t miss the next entry!

Along with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Sharon also suffers myalgic encephalopathy (ME), also called chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS). Her bio is here. An excerpt from the page about how MCS affects her life:

In my case, the low-level, constant exposure to the sick building was the initial trigger. If I had recognized what was happening and taken steps to lower my toxic burden, I might have regained my health and not become disabled. Instead, I moved into an apartment with freshly painted walls, bought cheap pine furniture (which is usually imbued with fungicides, insecticides, and formaldehyde), and then painted the new furniture. My symptoms increased in severity and number, and still I didn’t see the connection. Being so ill, I was forced to stay home from work and from teaching; I didn’t know this was the nail in the coffin of my health. The ancient gas stove and furnace in my kitchen and living room were leaking. As a result, I suffered several months of low-level, chronic carbon dioxide poisoning. By the time I found a doctor who diagnosed me with MCS and told me to shut off my gas, I’d developed severe MCS and CFIDS/ME.

Here’s Gadget delivering a message for Sharon to someone in another part of the house:

Because Sharon has speech disabilities, when she lost Gadget, she also lost this way of communicating with others in her home, which increased her sense of isolation and loss. But she’s adapting to life after Gadget, and while her heart still mourns for him, she’s also looking forward to bringing home a puppy in the very near future.

~~~

Faith at An Ocean of Joy gave The Canary Report two shout outs, so nice of her! First post here and second here. In the more recent, she explores biochemist Martin Pall’s MCS research. Faith has mast cell problems, and through process of elimination, has recently come to the conclusion that she has Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. I’m not familiar with mast cell problems, so I welcome the education I’m getting from her blog on that topic.

Pall explains how mast cells can be triggered by the cycle in the context of MCS, which may be of interest to anyone with Mast Cell Activation Disorder. In addition, he lists the 6 genetic polymorphisms associated with a susceptibility to MCS, including the UGT1A1 polymorphism associated with the heretofor ‘benign’ Gilbert’s Syndrome.

The way out of the cycle, according to Pall, is to reduce nitric oxide levels in the body, and he presents an experimental treatment protocol designed to do so.

Thanks for the education, Faith!

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Tags: Children's Health, Environment, Environmental Illness, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Research, Sick Building, Toxic, Work

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity associations in Spain meet with Ministry of Health officials

Posted on Feb 05, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Disability Rights, Government Regulation, Guest Bloggers, MCS, Social Justice

Eva Caballé reports on the meeting between Multiple Chemical Sensitivity associations and Ministry of Health officals in Spain, Feb. 4, 2010

Translated from Spanish by Eva Caballé

On February 4th 2010 at 12:00h has been held the meeting with Ministry of Health to state the situation of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sufferers in Spain.

Mr José Martínez Olmos, Secretary General of the Ministry of Health, Mr Alberto Infante Campos, General Director of Professional Planning, Cohesion of SNS and High Inspection and Mr Francisco Valero Bonilla have attended to the meeting representing the Ministry of Health. One person by almost each MCS association has attended to the meeting and also Jaume Cortés, lawyer of Colectivo Ronda, and Dr. Pablo Arnold, immunologist specialized in MCS.

• ACAF: Cristina Montané
• AFCISQUIM: María Roldán
• Alas de Mariposa- SQM: Tránsito Rodríguez
• ALTEA – SQM: Cristobalina Bejarano
• APQUIRA: Mª Carmen Gómez de Bonilla
• AQUA: Mario Arias
• ASQUIFYDE: Francisca Gutiérrez
• AVASFASEM-AVASQ: Francisca García
• ENA: Laura Domínguez
• MERCURIADOS: Mª Carmen Miravete
• Plataforma Estatal Contra la Contaminación Ambiental: Minerva Palomar
• PLATAFORMA PARA LA FM ,SFC, SQM, reivindicación de derechos, Asociación Nacional: Elena Navarro

A petitions document done by MCS associations under David Palma coordination has been submitted. This document has been signed by:

• ABAF: Margarita Pascual
• ACAF: Maite Ribera
• AFCISQUIM: María Roldán
• Alas de Mariposa- SQM: Irene Escudero
• ALTEA – SQM: Cristobalina Bejarano
• APQUIRA: Mª Carmen Gómez de Bonilla
• AQUA: Mario Arias
• ASQUIFYDE: Francisca Gutiérrez
• AVASFASEM-AVASQ: Francisca García
• ENA: Rosa de Gabriel
• MERCURIADOS: Servando Pérez
• Plataforma Estatal Contra la Contaminación Ambiental: Minerva Palomar
• PLATAFORMA PARA LA FM ,SFC, SQM, reivindicación de derechos, Asociación Nacional: Elena Navarro
• Eva Caballé

Also a copy of Desaparecida: Una vida rota por la Sensibilidad Química Múltiple (Missing: A life broken by Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) has been hand delivered on behalf of Eva Caballé, who couldn’t attend to the meeting, as an example of what MCS sufferers have to go through in Spain.

The meeting with Ministry of Health has meant an agreement on minimum standards by the Ministry, but a big hope for all MCS sufferers.

Representatives of Ministry of Health have committed to contact MCS associations within 2 weeks to jointly agree on experts to form a Scientific Committee to create a document of consensus on the MCS. They have stated that this is the first step to make possible the inclusion of the MCS in ICD-10, i.e. its official recognition as disease in Spain. They have demonstrated that later there would be necessary to start creating the protocols.

All people who have been part of this process are thrilled by the result of the meeting, because doors have opened us to obtain the recognition of the Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in Spain and to achieve that MCS sufferers have the same rights as the other chronically ill people.

Link

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Tags: Children's Health, Environmental Health, Environmental Illness, Law, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Policy, Research, Work

Professor of chemical engineering urges students to go fragrance-free

Posted on Feb 03, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins

Chemical engineering professor at the University of New Hampshire encourages students to “be considerate to human canaries and help them to enjoy life to the fullest.”

Ihab Farag, professor of chemical engineering at the University of New Hampshire and member of our Canary Report community, wrote a letter to the editor at his school’s student paper to raise awareness about chemical sensitivity. And they published it! I’m a huge supporter of letters to the editor. Bravo, Ihab!

Many of us are familiar with canaries, the beautiful, colorful birds that tend to sing most of the time. Canaries also saved many human lives in coalmines. This is because canaries are much more sensitive to toxic gases than humans. Miners would take canaries with them in the coalmine. If the canary stopped singing and fell (or died), the miners knew to leave the coal mine quickly to safety.

There are individuals who have developed a very strong sensitivity to many common chemicals. These people can be very negatively affected and irritated by fumes, chemical cleaners, disinfectants, cigarette/cigar smoke, engine exhaust, solvents, etc. These people are often called “Human Canaries” of the modern world, because of the chemical sensitivity similarity to that of Canaries. Human Canaries of the 21st century tend to be very strongly irritated by everyday chemicals like perfumes, hair products, shampoos, shower gels, after shave lotions, antiperspirants, deodorants, hand sanitizers, chap sticks, finger nail polish, etc. Human canaries look the same as other people, and when you see one you probably will not recognize he or she is a human canary until an offensive toxic chemical triggers his or her sensitivity.

Please be considerate to human canaries and help them to enjoy life to the fullest. One way you can help the human canary and at the same time lower your exposure to undesirable chemicals, is to go fragrance-free: avoiding perfumes, and fragranced personal care products.

Ihab Farag
Professor, Chemical Engineering Department

Link to Dr. Farag’s home page at the University of New Hampshire.

Canary photo credit

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Fragrance, Health, Healthy Living, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Perfume, Products, Sick Building, Toxic, Work

MCS researcher Martin Pall to speak in five European countries

Posted on Feb 01, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Research, Susie Collins

Martin Pall announces speaking tour in five European countries starting April 10.

Guest post by Martin L. Pall, Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences, Washington State University and Research Director, the Tenth Paradigm Research Group.

I will be giving 11 talks in five countries in Europe, starting on the tenth of April, all on the NO/ONOO cycle. Nine of these are being scheduled to correspond with my trip to Europe, including several entire meetings. The talks are as follows:

I will start with an all day workshop in Berlin, to be presented by me and also Dr. Peter Ohnsorge. My presentation will be simultaneously translated into German. I will speak on multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and on therapy and may discuss other topics that will be covered in my talk in London which follows.

In London, I will be presenting three 90 minute talks, for a total of 4 1/2 hours, all at the Royal Society of Medicine, one of the most prestigious locations in the world. The first talk will focus on the NO/ONOO-cycle mechanism and how it plays out in the etiology of CFS/ME and also fibromyalgia. The second talk will focus on how that same mechanism explains MCS and also the three classic neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. The three neurodegenerative diseases were also discussed as apparent NO/ONOO-cycle diseases in my book, “Explaining ‘Unexplained Illnesses’”, but there is substantial new evidence that further buttresses the case. Specifically, there is compelling evidence, that the four specific features, the formation of amyloid beta protein (A-beta) aggregates in Alzheimer’s, the formation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein aggregates leading to neurofibrillary tangles (also Alzheimer’s), the formation of Lewy bodies (Parkinson’s) and the formation of neurofilament aggregates (ALS) are all formed under the influence of NO/ONOO-cycle elements of which peroxynitrite is the most important but several others have roles as well. What is interesting is that both A-beta aggregates and neurofilament aggregates act, in turn, to increased NO/ONOO-cycle elements, acting therefore as tissue-specific elements of the cycle. Recent studies of the A-beta aggregates have elucidated the mechanism by which this occurs.

The third talk at the Royal Society of Medicine will be entirely on therapy– how we can be down-regulate the NO/ONOO cycle.

I then fly on to Rome for a presentation on the morning of April 17, flying later that day to Catania, Sicily for a meeting on MCS. That meeting is again being scheduled to correspond to my European trip and is the first meeting ever to be held in Italy on MCS. I then return to Rome for an informal meeting with people at the National Institute of Health to discuss the mechanism of MCS. The situation in Italy is an amazing turn around compared with the situation when I visited there in November 2008. At that time, and I gave talks at the medical school in Brescia in Northern Italy and also in Rome, I was told that the situation regarding MCS in Italy was positively barbaric, with physicians being prosecuted and thrown in jail for treating their patients for MCS. Maybe, just maybe, I will have turned the situation around in that country within 1 1/2 years? We can only hope.

From Rome, I fly to Paris to talk at a meeting on MCS. That meeting is the first meeting ever to be held on MCS in France and was again scheduled to correspond to my European trip. It follows a talk that I gave at the Environmental Medicine meeting in Aix-en-Provence last April. The latter talk was the first talk ever given on MCS at the French Environmental Medicine meeting, a meeting that in the past, was largely dominated by environmental carcinogenesis. The situation in France has change dramatically in other ways. My web page paper on MCS has been translated into German and French and the response in both countries have been impressive. The French professional society of allergists has asked for and been given permission to post that French translation on their web site. Both French and German translations have been placed on several web sites.

After the Paris meeting, I go to Wurzburg for another meeting– an already scheduled one. I have been asked explicitly to give two talks– one on Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS as NO/ONOO-cycle diseases– this will follow much of the material I outlined above on this topic for the London meeting. I have also been asked to give a talk on therapy– how we can down-regulate the NO/ONOO cycle.

After the Wurzburg meeting, it’s on to Madrid for the last meeting of the trip. I am not completely sure what I will be speaking on at that meeting, but am leaning towards talking about excessive NMDA activity as a common “end point” of large numbers of environmental toxicants. This is, in some ways, the most important new understanding that came out of my recently published big MCS review– that large numbers of environmental toxicants all produce increases in NMDA activity and have been shown to have their toxic responses greatly lowered by NMDA antagonists. Previously, there have been two major toxicant end points– what has been called genotoxicity for many carcinogens– and a second, endocrine disruption. So this is a third, and it is almost certainly more important than endocrine disruption in terms of its implications for human health.

I had a wonderful trip to Europe in November 2008, ending up that six-country speaking tour as the only non-European invited to a special session of the Council of Nations (the EU Parliament) on environmental medicine, but this next one promises to be even better.

Martin L. (Marty) Pall
Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Science at Washington State University
503-232-3883
martin_pall@wsu.edu
thetenthparadigm.org

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02/04/10 Update: This announcement is now translated into Spanish. Thanks, Cathy!

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Related posts:

Interview with Martin Pall

Research shows toxic chemicals initiate Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity now recognized as a toxicological phenomenon

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity researcher launches website

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Tags: MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Research

Request for help composing an advance letter to health care specialists

Posted on Feb 01, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Disability Rights, MCS, Susie Collins

What should be included in a letter to a physician that arrives before WE do?

Elaine Willis, who has Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and a host of other illnesses, contacted me for help in composing an advance letter for her health care specialists. She’d love to have input from as many people with MCS as possible. Please leave your thoughts in the comment section.

My family doctor (primary care physician) has asked that I prepare the letter that will go to specialists prior to my first arrival. It needs to elucidate in few words what to do to make my visit safe. It must also explain MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) to a physician who may have had no education about or exposure to a patient with the kind of symptoms I experience. My symptoms can be mild (for me) which may include coughing, asthma, brain fog and increased ataxia (you see I already I have ataxia – the hereditary kind). Or, they can be medium, slurred speech, severe ataxia, altered blood pressure, complete inability to focus or answer questions, stuttering, poor word-finding skills and dizziness. And of course, the biggie… anaphylaxis… and it happens too often.

So, my desire with this post is to engage the assistance of others with MCS. What should be included in a letter to a physician that arrives before WE do? First appointment of the day? No waiting? This is a brainstorm – so all ideas are accepted. I will choose the ones I want for my letter and post it. Maybe it will be useful for others, too!

Please leave your suggestions here in the comment section. Thank you!

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Read more about Elaine here:

Perfume blogger dismisses concerns from a member of our community

Canadian teacher fights for her right to workplace accommodations

Meet Elaine Willis

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This post was originally published on Elaine’s blog and republished here on The Canary Report with her permission.

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Tags: Asthma, Health Care, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Support

MCS support group in Alaska is covered on local TV news

Posted on Jan 27, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

KTVA television news in Alaska does a two-part report on a group of women with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

A wonderful group of activist women have formed an MCS support group in Alaska. KTVA television news covered their story, filming the group at the cafe where they meet once a month. The women do a good job of explaining life with MCS; one of the group is in tears as she describes how difficult it is to get people to understand the illness.

The report is fine as long as it’s listening to the women with MCS. Unfortunately, the reporter then uses an allergist as her primary source. He, of course, doesn’t have a clue about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity since MCS is not an allergy and therefore clearly outside his area of expertise. By the way, did you know that the antibody IgE was discovered in 1967 and gave the key scientific basis to allergy as a medical condition? Before that no one really understood allergies. Sound familiar? Ironically it’s allergists who are often the greatest and most powerful opponents to the recognition of MCS. MCS, by the way, does not produce the antibody IgE, therefore it is not an allergy.

Oh, and one more ding on the report: the reporter does not explore the ingredients of the products mentioned by the women with MCS, nor does she explain the known health hazards of the products and chemicals that the women cite as intoxicants.

The first part of the report covers the group and the uninformed allergist.

The second part films one of the women in her home.

Thanks to Kathy for bringing this report to my attention! And thanks to Harry for his insight about allergies and the discovery of the antibody IgE!

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Tags: Chemicals, Environmental Illness, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Support, Video