Medical Treatments for Airborne Poisons
Posted by Mark Sircus on 30 June 2010 |
The IMVA is doing what no other medical or health organization is doing – sending out an emergency alert to doctors to prepare for a serious public health threat from aerosolized oil and associated gases. This report and treatment recommendations are meant to maximize survival and health under adverse environmental conditions. The key to avoiding long-term harm is to help the body deal with the chemical assault from the very first moments when one notices foul smell, taste or flu-like symptoms.
When exposure to toxins is dramatically increased, as is the case for people in the Gulf area, the body rapidly becomes overwhelmed and the detoxification pathways normally used to excrete toxins cannot keep up with the exposure. It is well known that airborne toxins documented to be present in a number of Gulf communities are at levels that are many times the maximum allowed by the EPA.
These toxins are coming from both the oil leak and from the chemical dispersants being used to mitigate the accumulation of oil on the water surface. When the body becomes overwhelmed by this level of exposure, it will then “scramble” to store these excess fat soluble toxins in fat cells throughout the body. As these toxins accumulate, the increasing toxic burden can trigger a multitude of health problems.
This document suggests emergency medical treatments with safe non-toxic substances for anyone feeling the signs and symptoms being reported in the Gulf region. The offered protocol outlines basic treatments to capitalize on the body’s own ability to excrete toxic oil substances. By assisting the body in eliminating these toxins before they build up to critical levels, we can protect ourselves from developing the health challenges associated with exposure to these toxins. The process of detoxification is just that – a process. It is imperative to assist the body in eliminating these toxins.
See this map of complaints to see what geographic areas are most threatened.
[Could not get the map to load. Perhaps someone else can? If not, you can check it out on the link to the blog]
Today we smelled for about the tenth time in a couple of months a
chemical smell. It smells a bit like paint thinner- not an oil smell. We
seem to smell this on less windy days here in NOLA. Usually the smell
lasts a few hours, but today it was most of the day. Today is June 27.
Emergency medical treatments should be initiated immediately if you want to neutralize the hazardous toxicity from the beginning before too much damage is done. Don’t listen to any doctor or healthcare official who says negative effects are temporary. If you can smell it you are in danger. When you are poisoned with oil compounds, some of which are the nastiest chemicals on earth, like benzene, the damage is deep enough to breakup your DNA. Dr. Blanca Laffon at the University of A Coruna in Spain tested several hundred cleanup workers, both professionals and volunteers, for evidence of DNA damage in the nuclei of their cells. Laffon says exposure to oil did induce DNA damage that was greater in those with more exposure. So again do not listen to anyone who suggests exposure is not dangerous to your long-term health.
Dan Rather, reporting in the Huffington Post, says (incorrectly), “What will be the long-term effects of those large oil plumes, now called clouds, far below the surface? We don’t know. What is the toxicity of all that chemical dispersant being used at the site of the gusher and in the open waters of the Gulf? We don’t know.” We do know and the medical community has to know with precision what is going on or our ignorance is going to hurt a lot of people. We can look at worse-case scenarios and see situations that exceed anything medicine has ever faced. It is ill-prepared for this emergency that will gather itself up with each million gallons more leaked into the Gulf.
The United States government should organize a worldwide effort to provide to the citizens of the affected area large tonnages of sodium bicarbonate and magnesium salts of different types. Clay also should be provided for both internal and external cleansing. Glutathione suppositories need to be taken instantly upon symptom onset. For intense exposure, glutathione IVs are required; selenium IVs should be high on the list as well, though oral dosing will do for mild cases. Highly concentrated medicinal baths with baking soda and magnesium is also an excellent emergency procedure that can be done at home. The government needs to be called in or perhaps some rich family will have a heart and organize relief efforts for the exposed. Some organized help is necessary for if even only a small percent of the people in affected areas try to order necessary supplies stocks will be overwhelmed quite quickly.
There are several ways to increase your glutathione levels. It is a good idea to proceed slowly at first if your glutathione has been depleted for an extended period of time (months to years), because toxins and infections may have been allowed to build up in the absence of sufficient glutathione to keep them under control. If glutathione is then brought up rapidly, the mobilization of toxins can produce a Jarisch Herxheimer reaction, which is an exacerbation of symptoms that can make a person feel very unpleasant.
Intravenous glutathione is best for emergency application but our recommendation for treating Gulf Toxicity Syndrome is to use suppositories, which are about 60 percent as effective as IVs. Transdermal application would probably come in at around 40 percent with oral glutathione supplements being of questionable use. The highly vascular intestines provide a perfect way for beneficial substances to be absorbed into the bloodstream without being broken down by the stomach’s acids or deactivated by the enzymes in the liver. My recommendation is to start doses at one suppository a day of 500 mg to monitor for reactions, then work up to 3-4 a day if exposure levels are high, and do this for an extended period of time.
The foundation of our protocol is based in nutritional not pharmaceutical medicine. Using toxic drugs on top of the toxic exposure does not make any sense. People new to this type of medicine might be comforted to know that some of the best emergency room and intensive care medicines are in reality nutritional medicines. Sodium bicarbonate and magnesium chloride are both used to save lives every day but the medical industrial complex does not like to brag about this because there is no money in these common substances. We have a real problem though for doctors can’t hold an intelligent conversation about nutrition.
“For every molecule of pesticide that your body detoxifies, you throw away or use up forever a molecule of glutathione, magnesium and more,” says Dr. Sherry Rogers, who goes on to say that, “Your body uses nutrients to make this glutathione and it uses up energy as well. Every time we detoxify a chemical, we use up, lose, throw away forever a certain amount of nutrients.”
Under No Circumstance Underestimate the Danger
“People, including pregnant women, can be exposed to these chemicals by breathing them (air), by swallowing them (water, food), or by touching them (skin). If possible, everyone, including pregnant women, should avoid the oil and spill-affected areas,” writes the CDC (Center for Disease Control). They suggest that people stay indoors and turn their air conditioners to internal venting to avoid exposure when they can smell it.
The President’s Cancer Panel issued a landmark report last month suggesting that public health officials have “grossly underestimated” the extent of environmentally-induced cancer among the 1.5 million Americans diagnosed with the disease annually. So don’t believe a word more you read on the CDC site for surrounding their clear statement of warning and danger – everything else they say detracts and makes light of the threat.
Acute inhalation exposure to high levels of methylene
chloride in humans has resulted in effects on the
central nervous system (CNS) including decreased
visual, auditory, and psychomotor functions.
EPA
Protocol
This document outlines a basic core protocol using, in order of priority: sodium bicarbonate, magnesium chloride, selenium, glutathione, clay, concentrated superfoods like spirulina and chlorella, and formulations like Rejuvenate. The entire cadre of essential nutrients is needed for detoxification to work properly (e.g. vitamins, minerals, essential fats, antioxidants such as vitamin C and bioflavonoids). Most of these are in the spirulina and chlorella, but many more are in the Rejuvenate, which tastes a whole lot better.
Sodium bicarbonate is a vitally important part of the detoxification process because of its ability to modulate body pH. But that is only one of the many reasons everyone needs to turn their attention to the single most helpful substance in an environmental disaster. That good old Arm and Hammer baking soda can save the day. It is very important for doctors to know that even a slightly over acidity in the body can impede detoxification.
Activated charcoal and distilled (or other very pure water) are other super essential substances to have on hand to maximize the body’s ability to excrete highly toxic oil gases. Instructions on teaching people how to make homemade gas masks is on the list of poison gas threats so one will really need that charcoal for anyone downwind of the Gulf disaster. A testimony in John Dinsley book Charcoal Remedies tells an important story about severe benzene exposure. “After taking the charcoal capsules, I made an appointment with my family doctor. I told him about the benzene and asked for another blood test. When the test came back a week later, it showed that I had no benzene in my system.” There is also the coffee enema (organic), which detoxifies the liver, our most important toxin filter.
According to Parris Kidd, PhD and nutritional researcher, “Detoxification capacity varies widely from person to person and what one person can effectively detoxify may cause liver damage or cancer in another. The liver relies heavily on antioxidants and antioxidant cofactors for its detoxification work, so supplementation with vitamins B (complex), C, E, and glutathione precursors have top priority.”[1] Dr. Kidd recommends glutathione precursors alpha-lipoic acid (100 mg/day) and N-acetylcysteine (600 mg/day) along with B, E and C vitamins, phosphatidylcholine and taurine.
The Rejuvenate formulas cover all of this nutritional territory in a most superb way. Spirulina and chlorella cover most but they do not contain any C. Full hydration with pure fluids is absolutely essential in any detoxification protocol thus organic juice fasts or eating very lightly as one flushes and nourishes the system with fluids with these superfoods dissolved is central to an effective protocol. Dr. Leonard Mehlmauer, a naturopath says that, “Each case would be different but diet would be a primary medical tool with the use of pure and raw liquids playing a large part in recovery. The more severe cases would very likely go on all pure raw liquids, especially green smoothies laced with superfoods.”
One needs to know how vitally important magnesium and selenium are for increasing glutathione, the cornerstone enzyme that we need to detoxify chemicals and heavy metals from our body’s tissues. Order a supply of glutathione suppositories as well as supplies for IVs if you are a doctor that uses them. Activated charcoal should also be brought into the area in large quantities for it holds the potential to help a lot of people in the Gulf Region.
It is crucially important that in our diagnostic model of Gulf Toxicity Syndrome the local populations of the southern states are already exposed to the highest airborne mercury levels; so these people’s toxic levels are unusually high and their immune and detoxification systems are unusually low. Glutathione levels have been diminished and then crashed down even further due to inhaled VOCs. Thus, replenishing glutathione levels quickly is an essential foundation for appropriate emergency and long-term treatment.
Dr. Garry Gordon agrees, suggesting, “IV Glutathione is at the top of the list for effective detoxification for virtually every toxic exposure. Those who are already showing serious symptoms need IV glutathione and vitamin C and extra magnesium – often called a MYER’s cocktail. The doses of C we like are from 8 to 16 grams a day and there are specialized products that most people can tolerate in those higher levels without upsetting the intestine too much. When we give vitamin C IVs we use from 25 to 100 grams in a slow drip and do this 2-4 times a week for as long as needed; but always use high dosages of oral C too. I am very impressed with NAC (N-acetyl cysteine); take 500-600 mg capsules at least twice a day for a few months.
A great part of the idea is to increase cell adaptability and resistance to chemical stress, open detoxification pathways, increase cell wall permeability to allow more nutrients to enter and toxic wastes to exit, increase available glutathione, and provide a large influx of minerals that will increase enzyme activity and help neutralize heavy metals and noxious chemicals from the system. We concentrate on high oral intake of medicinals with high ORAC values. The idea is to increase Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC), an assay that measures the degree of inhibition of peroxy-radical-induced oxidation by the compounds of interest in a chemical milieu. One of the Rejuvenate formulas has an ORAC reading of 14,300 for a 41-gram serving. An equal amount of spirulina measures around 3,600. For reference sake approximately 5 servings of fruits and vegetables would typically have an ORAC value in the range of 3,000-5000 units.
There are many ways that spirulina and chlorella helps us and both have always been known to facilitate detoxification during fasting and thus they are also very useful during chelation. One of their functions, through their high concentration of amino acids and carotenes, is to raise glutathione levels, thus reducing kidney and liver toxicity caused by the heavy metals, pharmaceutical drugs and other toxins. One of the reasons that spirulina and chlorella are so effective in cases of radioactivity is the discovery that they do in fact increase glutathione levels.[2]
A large adult man would probably want to take as many as fifty tablets of 500 mgs of spirulina or chlorella (25 grams) but would have to work up to that and be taking lots of fluids. With a Rejuvenate I would easily double or triple the serving, which would then add up to 90 grams. This gets expensive and British Petroleum should be paying for all of this but they won’t of course.
The influence of spirulina extracts significantly increased GSH (glutathione) levels compared with untreated cells according to Dr. H. Hana et al at the National Research Center in Cairo, Egypt. The GSH level of untreated cells was 6.1µg10G cells while those treated with S. plantensis and S. maxima increased the GSH level to 70.32µg10G and even higher. Mike Adams recommends taking chlorella powder in a jar of strong unsweetened lime or lemon water creating a mix that bypasses the unpleasant taste.
Detoxification through the skin is also a very important pathway for healing oneself from chemical overexposure. Besides the bicarbonate and magnesium salt baths the two most useful methods of transdermal elimination are clay baths or clay packs and saunas. Taking a clay bath is one of the most effective methods in existence to help assist the body in the elimination of toxic substances which have accumulated in the body. Applied over one’s organs, such as the liver, clay poultices and packs aid in detoxification and not quite as messy as a bath. Once you have used the clay, it will be full of toxins, so please dispose of it and wash your skin off with a good natural soap.
Clay is very important to have on hand for medical, environmental and nuclear emergencies. Clay baths are a very strong way of removing heavy metals from the body and would increase our chances of survival if exposed to nuclear fallout. In addition, clay can be ingested and is very effective in removing toxins through the process of elimination. For ingestion, I recommend the daily use of a product called Edible Clay from LL’s Magnetic Clay. The use of clay for both internal and external use puts in our hands the healing power of mother earth and there is little that can compare or compete in the world of medicine.I explain this fully in my recent essay Edible Clay; Healing with Mother Earth. For general health, one heaping teaspoon of Edible Earth in an 8 oz glass of water daily is sufficient. And study your iodine, you will need that on hand as well.
Far Infrared saunas (FIR) in particular stimulate multiple pathways in the body including the liver detoxification metabolic pathways. They also supports kidney filtration and elimination. Most importantly far infrared sauna triggers subcutaneous toxin release via perspiration – thereby bringing “online” this additional detoxification pathway. Families and organizations can share the cost of a FIR sauna, which can be used round the clock by many when situations call for such use.
First Steps
One can be overwhelmed when first introduced to nutritional medicine, detoxification principles and chelation of heavy metals. There is a lot to learn and a lot of people say different things about it. Orthodox medicine has taken a strong stand against any of these processes so it will be impotent in its response to this expanding health nightmare. Almost forty thousand people are working in or around the Gulf and a few million on shore are in harm’s way.
The average life span of a person who did cleanup on the Exxon Valdez is 51 years meaning almost all of them are already dead yet British Petroleum is not informing doctors nor making communications that help the public.
It’s important to always remember that the first rule is to avoid exposure for even the very best protocol cannot save you if you have been hit by a toxic truck. When told by the CDC not to touch the oil it is good to remember one of the greatest lessons in the field of toxicology. There once was a scientist, Karen Wetterhahn who was an internationally respected Professor of Chemistry, an expert researcher in the field of the effects of heavy metals upon living systems, especially in their role in causing cancer. Wetterhahn spilling a drop or two of Dimethylmercury ((CH3)2Hg) on her gloved hand. Less than a year later, she was dead from the effects of mercury poisoning.
Dimethylmercury, a colorless liquid, is one of the strongest known neurotoxins. It is described as having a slightly sweet smell, although inhaling enough vapors to detect its odor would be extremely hazardous. Test showed subsequently that Dimethylmercury would have penetrated the glove and started entering her skin within 15 seconds.
Shortly after the accident she began to notice definite symptoms that worried her – tingly fingers and toes, slurred speech. She began to have problems with her balance and her field of vision started to shrink. When one is exposed to oil smell and its accompanying chemicals or even oil on the beach or in puddles from rainfall should beware and take great care. Though oil toxicity might not be as dangerous as Dimethylmercury one should remember the lessons of Karen Wetterhahn, who was wearing protective gear. It was a great lesson because no one dreamed it was as dangerous as it is and they are repeating the same mistake in the Gulf.
A new chemical dispersant is being used in the cleanup effort — it’s toxic, it’s largely experimental, and it’s being sprayed in abundance into the ocean. It’s unclear at this point what exactly its long term impact on life. The active ingredient of the toxic chemical dispersant is a neurotoxin pesticide that is acutely toxic to both human and aquatic life, causes cancer, causes damage to internal organs such as the liver and kidneys simply by absorbing it through the skin and may cause reproductive side effects. The main ingredients of Corexit it is 2-Butoxyethanol, which is known to cause cancer, birth defects and has been found to cause genetic mutations and is a delayed chronic health hazard as well as an environmental hazardous material. Corexit also contains Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Mercury, and Cyanide.
My suggestion for first steps is to read our site on sodium bicarbonate and then on magnesium chloride. Purchase and immediately get familiar with what is called magnesium oil and learn about transdermal medicine, for that’s how these medicinals are best applied. If you’re anywhere near where the wind could blow the poisons that are gathering in and above the Gulf, go to Cosco or the supermarket and buy fifty pounds of bicarbonate, you just might need it. The affected area will eventually include much of the southern and southeastern United States – probably an area that includes upwards of 50 million people, so expect supplies to sell out from all possible domestic sources very quickly for most of the substances if this information gets out and the oil flow is not stopped, which no one at this point is indicating or promising.
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[1] _www.dockidd.com/articals/freedom.htmn
[2] Spirulina Species as a Source of Carotenoids and “-Tocopherol and its Anticarcinoma Factors. Hanaa H. Abd El-Baky, Farouk K. El Baz and Gamal S. El-Baroty National Research Center, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Egypt. Biotechnology, Volume 2 Number 3: 222-240, 2003 ISSN 1682-2978 _www.ansinet.org/fulltext/biotech/biotech23222-240.pdf
