Jim avoided all soft drinks, all sugar, and especially all products made from grapes for a week. We then reintroduced into his diet, one by one, chemically uncontaminated grapes, commercial grape juice, and various kinds of sugar. There was no reaction; in fact, he felt better than he had in months. Then he was given a big glass of the same “junk food” soft drink to which he had been addicted. Within minutes, he fell to the floor, his body stiffened, and he went into what looked like a typical epileptic seizure.

When he recovered, a few minutes later, I discussed the cause of these seizures and the fatigue with him and his mother. I explained that chemicals in the environment, and especially food, can be a cause of these symptoms, and that if Jimmy wanted to regain his strength and health, he would have to stay away from all contaminated foods and other major chemical exposures. As long as he did this, he was not troubled with these problems again.

*19\110\2*

The NSAID that everyone knows is aspirin, which belongs to a group of drugs called salicylates. There are many other NSAIDs, and they are very varied chemically, the only common factor being their effect on prostaglandin synthesis.

Because prostaglandins do a variety of different jobs in the body, a drug that interferes with their production is likely to have side-effects. In particular, prostaglandins play an important role in the stomach, and NSAIDs tend to cause stomach upsets, or more serious damage to the stomach lining. Aspirin is the worst offender in this respect. Various modified forms of aspirin have been introduced in an effort to reduce its side-effects on the stomach. But these may still affect the stomach, and should not be taken by anyone who has ever had a stomach ulcer. Asp/r/n-containing drugs are listed in the next section.

Prostaglandins also play an important role in the kidney, and some NSAIDs affect kidney function causing water retention (oedema). Long-term use of NSAIDs, without proper supervision, can lead to kidney damage, but this is rare.

Some people appear to be particularly sensitive to aspirin (see p55) and may suffer from asthma or urticaria as a result. Some of these people react in a similar way to other NSAIDs, and some may be affected by paracetamol as well. There are other painkillers, available on prescription, that are suitable for such patients.

7 A Drugs used for rheumatoid arthritis containing aspirin and other salicylates

aloxiprin (Palaprin)

aspirin (Anadin, Caprin, Claradin, Nu-

Seals, Paynocil, Solprin) benorylate (Benoral) diflunisal (Dolobid) salsalate (Disalcid)

choline magnesium trisalicylate (Trilisate)

7B Propionic acid derivatives

Another important group of NSAIDs are the propionic acid derivatives. These do not reduce inflammation quite as well as aspirin, but they are effective pain-killers and cause far fewer problems in the stomach than aspirin. However, some patients may suffer from stomach upsets or rashes, and some of the drugs can also cause headaches, drowsiness and other minor problems. These drugs are generally used for mild forms of rheumatoid arthritis, where the inflammation is not very great. They include:

ibuprofen (Apsifen, Brufen, Ebufac, Fenbid Spansule, Lidifen, Motrin, Paxofen)

fenbufen (Lederfen)

fenoprofen (Fenopron, Progesic)

flurbiprofen (Froben)

ketoprofen (Alrheumat, Orudis, Oruvail)

naproxen (Laraflex, Naprosyn, Synflex)

tiaprofenic acid (Surgam)

Mefenamic acid (Ponstan) is a similar drug whose main value is in relieving pain. It can cause diarrhoea or rashes, and is not generally given to elderly patients.

*434\180\8*

Avoiding foods containing salicylates is unlikely to be of benefit in most cases. But if you show a pronounced reaction to aspirin, yet are still not well after avoiding aspirin, a low-salicylate diet maybe worth trying. For further information see p55 and p323.

The following foods are high in salicylates:

Most herbs, particularly mint, thyme, tarragon, rosemary, dill, sage, oregano, marjoram and basil. Also celery seed and sesame seed.

Most spices, particularly aniseed, cayenne, cinnamon, cumin, curry powder, fenugreek, mace, mustard, paprika and turmeric.

Most fruits, with the exception of bananas, peeled pears, pomegranates, mangoes and papaya. Most vegetables, with the exception of cabbage, brussels sprouts, beansprouts, celery, leeks, lettuce and peas. Cucumbers, gherkins, olives and endive are particularly rich in salicylates. Potato skins, but not potatoes themselves. Sweetcorn, sweet potatoes. Almonds, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts. Also, coconut and water chestnuts.

Coffee, tea, Coca-Cola and peppermint tea.

Fruit juices, most alcoholic drinks (but not gin or vodka), honey, liquorice, peppermints.

Marmite, stock cubes and other yeast-rich products.

Tomato sauce and Worcester sauce. Many processed foods and instant meals.

The following foods are low in salicylates:

Meat, fish and shellfish.

Milk, cheese and eggs.

Wheat, rye, oats, barley and rice.

Some fruits and vegetables, as listed

above.

*387\180\8*

Sign or symptom:

Cracks at corners of mouth • Recurrent mouth ulcers Dry, cracked lips Smooth sore tongue Fissured tongue Taste buds at tip of tongue enlarged, red and sore Bruising or enlargement of veins under tongue Red, greasy skin on face, especially sides of nose Rough pimply skin on upper arms and thighs Red itchy rash on scrotum or vulva

Dry, rough, cracked or peeling skin Poor hair growth Dandruff

Bloodshot, gritty, sensitive eyes Poor vision after dark Dry eyes

Brittle or split nails White spots on nails Pale appearance

(Adapted from Nutritional Medicine by kind permission of the authors, Dr Stephen Davies and Dr Alan Stewart.)

Can be caused by deficiencies of:

iron, vitamins B2 or B6, or folic acid iron, folic acid or vitamin B12 vitamin B2

iron, vitamins B2 or B12, or folic acid vitamin B3 vitamins B2 or B6

vitamin C

vitamins B2 or B6, zinc or essential fatty acids

B vitamins, vitamin E or essential fatty acids

vitamin B2, zinc

zinc, essential fatty acids

iron or zinc

vitamins B6 or C, zinc or essential fatty acids

vitamins A or B2

vitamin A or zinc

vitamin A or essential fatty acids

iron, zinc or essential fatty acids

zinc

iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid

*340\180\8*

It has to be said that the existence of self-help books, such as this one, is regarded as part of the problem by some doctors. Munchausen’s syndrome is usually seen amongst those with some medical knowledge, such as failed medical students or nurses. Consequently, some doctors believe that ‘ignorance is bliss’ – if medical knowledge were more widespread, there would be more cases of Munchausen’s and Munchausen-by-proxy. So books that seek to inform the public about illness are simply adding to the problem.

*291\180\8*

Doctors describe this constellation of symptoms as atopy, a word whose derivation and meaning is difficult to pin down. It comes from the Greek and is variously defined as meaning ‘no place’, ‘out of place’ or ‘another place’. It is generally understood to mean that there is a deep-rooted problem which may produce symptoms in various places on the body, not just in one place as with most diseases. Patients with any of these classical allergic symptoms tend to be described as as atopic, especially if other members of their family have allergies. They almost always show a positive reaction to the skin-prick test when tested with a variety of common allergens.

Although atopics have more IgE in their blood than the average person, if the offending allergen can be eliminated – by avoiding a particular food for example – their IgE levels often return to normal. So it seems possible that the root-cause of the problem is a failure to suppress IgE production to particular substances. v-

Clearly the genes responsible for these control mechanisms are not operating normally, but why the controls are so specific for particular substances is not known. It is especially puzzling in individuals who are violently allergic to just one substance. Other, less fortunate, individuals are allergic to a wide range of substances and readily develop new allergic reactions – in such cases it would seem that there is a more generalized fault in the IgE control-mechanism.

*41\180\8*

Standard skin and laboratory tests for allergy are quite reliable at detecting allergy to inhaled fibre particles such as wool and cotton. There are no reliable tests other than avoidance and reintroduction for chemical sensitivity to synthetic fibres.

Allergic and sensitivity reactions to fibres are caused by inhaling particles or vapours as well as by touching the fibres directly. Other people’s clothes, or fibres from furniture or furnishings, or fibres at work, may therefore affect you if you are very sensitive, since particles and fumes will circulate in the air and you will breathe them in. If you get symptoms when you fold laundry, sort clothes or make beds, then inhaling fibres may be the cause, although moulds and house dust mites are possible culprits as well.

If you only get symptoms when you wear, sleep on, or come close to specific fibres, then you will have a clear guide to the source of the trouble. If there is a label, consult it to see what the fabric composition is, and think whether you can see any pattern to your reactions.

There is a relatively cheap and easy way to test at home for allergy or sensitivity to specific fibres – the Pillow Test (overleaf). Washing the cloth with sodium bicarbomate and drying thoroughly before use will minimise the possibility of sensitivity to laundry agents, chemical treatments or moulds interfering with the test.

You will get clearer results from the test if you are able to avoid totally the fibre you are planning to test for at least a day, preferably several days, before you do the test. You can then confirm the Pillow Test by avoiding totally (or as far as is practicable) the fibre that you suspect for a period of a week, and then reintroducing it by wearing or using it again. Monitor any symptoms for the period of avoidance and on reintroduction.

You may not need to replace totally anything you use or wear. It may be sufficient to place a cloth of a material you tolerate over your pillow or over the upper part of your bed clothes, or wear underclothes of a fibre you tolerate next to your skin or around your neck. Try this before replacing anything.

*86 \117\8*

• sensitivity to electro-magnetism

• seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

• occupational sensitivity (such as reactions to VDU use)

• sick building syndrome

These illnesses are beyond the scope of this book. Other such illnesses include Candidiasis (overgrowth of Candida) and Myalgo-encephalitis (ME), which are disorders that sometimes respond to treatment for allergy, food intolerance and chemical sensitivity. These conditions are included in the Guide wherever relevant. If you want to know more about the subject of allergy and environmental medicine.

*17\117\8*

Get a specialist doctor’s advice before embarking on trying to identify food or other sensitivity. Make sure that you have a proper diagnosis of your child’s condition, and specialist guidance.

Many parts of the rest of this book will be helpful to you if you are trying to sort out what your child reacts to, and how to avoid things.

There is a charity which offers help and advice specifically for the hyperactive child – The Hyperactive Children’s Support Group. They can provide invaluable support, and put you in contact with fellow carers to meet and talk to. They also offer advice on their own dietary programme, based on the Feingold Diet, which, as noted above, can be extremely effective for a small proportion of hyperactive children. Contact the HACSG at

The Hyperactive Children’s Support Group.

*291\117\8*

If there are still no obvious candidates, then keep a Foods Diary for a few days, writing down absolutely everything you consume and the time, and noting down the time and nature of any of the baby’s symptoms, to see if there is any correlation. Some foods that the mother eats will break down rapidly, and be absorbed almost straightaway or within a couple of hours into the bloodstream and into the milk – fruit juices, drinks, many fruits and vegetables, often sugar. Other foods, such as grains or proteins, break down more slowly. Their molecules may not reach the mother’s bloodstream for up to eight to twelve hours later, and may not affect the baby for a further few hours.

So if your baby reacts first thing in the morning, before the mother has eaten, and after his or her first feed, it may be due to foods eaten by the mother at lunch or supper the day before, slowly breaking down. If the baby reacts mid-morning, after the mother has had breakfast, it may perhaps be due to drinks such as juice, tea or coffee, or to milk or fruit going straight into the system.

Sometimes no clear pattern of timing emerges from a Foods Diary and, in that circumstance, you probably just have to pick one prime suspect (such as cow’s milk, wheat, corn, eggs or orange juice) and reduce the amount you eat or leave it out of your diet totally to see. It is best to test out only one food at a time to be sure of your results.

*223\117\8*