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- This letter will be of great concern
to everyone who is diagnosed with CFIDS or Fibromyalgia (like me!). Please
send this article to anyone concerned or publish it in your newsletters,
newspapers, etc. My name is Philip de Sterke and I work for the Dutch Liver
patients Organization. You can correspond through internet: pdesterke@altavista.net
or p_de_sterke@hotmail.com
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- This article can also be read on: http://members.tripod.com/~hemochromatose/onderwerpen/24
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- A (possible) underestimated cause of
chronic fatigue: Hemochromatosis
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- Dr. Philip H.L. de Sterke.
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- Hemochromatosis (iron overload) is the
most common genetic disorder. Approximately 1 in 200 to 300 humans have
this disorder (1-5). Most doctors still think it is a rare disorder (1).
About 10% of the population carries the gene that causes iron overload.
When someone inherits this gene from both parents, he or she may(6) absorb
to much iron from their normal diet. This iron will be stored in the liver
and several other tissues in the body and can cause a great number of symptoms.
These symptoms, as a cause of Hemochromatosis, can be found in babies and
small children, but it is most common above the age of 40. Unfortunately,
when symptoms are found at this age, it is considered a "late diagnosis"
and the damage has been done. Early screening and diagnosis could help
patients completely avoid organ damage and premature death.
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- One or more of the following complaints
can point to Hemochromatosis. * Chronic fatigue * Increased susceptibility
for infections * Liver function abnormalities * Arthritis (pain, swelling
and morning stiffness of certain joints, often the hands) * Diabetes *
Loss of libido (less desire in sex) and impotence * Infertility * Swollen
stomach (or uncomfortable, heavy feeling, mostly on the right side of the
belly) * Heart complaints * Shortness of breath with physical effort *
Skin pigmentation (bronze or grey coloured skin) * Loss of weight * Decrease
in body hair * Early menopause * Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
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- Every doctor should consider Hemochromatosis
in his diagnose when there is no direct cause found for one of the above
complaints (2, p. 158-9), 3, 7-9).
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- Striking is that not all of these complaints
are mentioned in every publication. This is probably because of the great
variety of complaints caused by the excess iron. Chronic fatigue is most
often mentioned, and one article is entirely devoted to this problem (8).
This article states for example: "Fatigue is the most commonest symptom
present at diagnosis regardless of whether cirrhosis is present or not.
Although also a symptom of liver failure and cirrhosis, fatigue is often
a prominent symptom of precirrhotic haemochromatosis with normal liver
functions, suggesting that it is iron overload per se that causes this
symptom" (...) "A number of studies have examined the usefulness
of a variety of investigations in the assessment of patients presenting
with chronic fatigue in general practice. In general such investigations
have not proved useful as only a low yield of abnormal results has been
found. However, such studies have not included screening tests for haemochromatosis
and sometimes even liver function tests are not included"(8).
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- On the preceding list of symptoms we
can add that patients with Hemochromatosis can have problems with: diarrhea,
constipation, depression, cramp, irritability, less appetite, fainting,
confusion, immune-disorders, less concentration, sleeping problems, change
in body temperature, hair loss and food intolerance (3, 10).
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- There are doctors who state that patients
with a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia, CFIDS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
have a greatly increased chance of having Hemochromatosis (10). This sound
logical, but until now there has been nothing published about this in the
scientific magazines.
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- A first diagnosis can be made most cost-effectively
by measuring the Transferrin Saturation % (T.S.% (11)) and the serum ferritin
(by taking some blood from the patient). When the T.S. is above 45 % and/or
ferritin is above 150 there will follow further examination to establish
the diagnosis (12). With a DNA-test (cheapest is $78) the diagnosis is
confirmed in about 85% off all cases (13). A liver biopsy, until recently
"the gold standard" , is not necessary for the diagnosis of hemochromatosis
(2, 9) but your doctor can ask for this to establish the diagnosis with
more precision. When there is doubt about the diagnosis or the biopsy is
refused, for understandable reasons, a trial of phlebotomy can establish
the final diagnosis (2; p.153, 3). A liver biopsy however could be useful
to estimate the damage to the liver!
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- When you are having one of the above
symptoms and your doctor can not find a direct cause, you should ask your
doctor if (s)he has already done the mentioned tests or if (s)he wants
to do this. Also an eventual anemia (shortage of iron) should be tracked
this way. Measuring of hemoglobin and/or hematocrit does not give a certain
diagnosis and they are therefore of no use for the diagnosis of this disorder!
Be sure to know your own exact T.S.% and serum ferritin level! As mentioned
before, doctors underestimate the problem of iron overload and use too
high serum values for their "normal range" and/or do not respond
when they are elevated.
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- This is concerning, as it is essential
to intervene as quickly as possible. For this reason, several investigations
and (medical-) organizations dispute for the preventive screening of the
whole population on Hemochromatosis. According to them this should be done
with everyone above the age of 20 years (1, 2; p. 140). Despite overwhelming
evidence supporting the necessity of screening, several investigators and
mainstream medical organizations still dispute the benefits of preventive
screening.
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- Most people still think that when you
are tired you should take iron supplements. After what you have read here,
it should be clear that iron supplements should not be taken before one
is thoroughly examined, (14) including the above mentioned tests. This
is not always done, with possible negative consequences. If you used iron-supplements
(in great quantities?) in the past, without being thoroughly examined,
you should ask for these tests.
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- The treatment of Hemochromatosis is simple
and cheap, namely bloodletting. With this method excess iron is removed
easily and quickly in large amounts in the most efficient way. When bloodletting
is not possible there are alternative options. After treatment, and if
the diagnosis is fairly early, most complaints usually disappear.
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- When you want more information on hemochromatosis,
you can contact: American Hemochromatosis Society, Inc. 777 E. Atlantic
Avenue, Z-363 Delray Beach, Florida USA 33483-5352 Email: ahs@emi.net http://www.americanhs.org
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- Please send a SASE with two stamps for
free AHS educational brochures...
-
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- Commentary
- Dr. McCain
<drherbs@mvtel.net 6-4-99
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- I am Dr. McCain a practicing naturopathic doctor and
I was alarmed at this article. It is completely opposite in most cases
to my research. I use a Live Field Microscopy system, (a Dr. Bradford
developed scope) and my findings for the Chronic Fatigue patients as well
as the Fibromyalgia patients is this. In EVERY case studied the patients
had fungus in the blood stream. Systemic candida. When that was detoxed,
and it is tricky, the patient recovers quite nicely. This fungus in the
blood stream is also seen in my cancer patients, lupus and others.
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- In Dr. Bradfords clinic in Mexico, where I trained, the
statistics for cancer patients with systemic yeast infections in the blood
is staggering. Bradford estimates 80% of all cancer patients die from the
systemic yeast infection, not the cancer. It is truly epidemic in the American
population at this time. The feds closed my microscope clinic down from
public use two years ago, when I started to publish my findings. Now,
I do private research which they have no jurisdiction over. The other
classic with this chronic systemic infection is anemia. Yes, the people
need iron. I look directly at the red blood cells on a live slide and
can see anemic cells in about 60 seconds. The very nature of chronic
fatigue is fatigue and this is due in great part to anemia and exhausted
immune response trying to fight the yeast.
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- Some of the causes I am investigating : a) increased
radiation on the planet (this increases fungal growth) b) pathenogens
deliberately let into the environment c) medical treatment with radiation
& chemotherapy d) parasitic infections are often seen with the fungal
infection e) contaminated water supply
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- Many of these ailments were not in the medical books
10 years ago! I noticed a huge surge in sickness in the entire US population
after the Gulf War. GWS patients also have systemic yeast as well as some
other infections. Now this systemic yeast is deadly when left untreated.
Conventional medicine does nothing. The antibiotics make it worse.
Most patients end up on Prozac! One of the number one symptoms is acid
reflux (caused by yeast fermentation). You have seen advertisements for
stomach medicine on the TV for this new Reflux Disease. This new disease
has sprung up in the last few years!
-
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- Reflux, indigestion, joint pain and stiffness (often
diagnosed and treated like arthritis), hair loss, loose and bleeding teeth,
chronic fatigue, depression (due to the infection going into the liver),
skin rashes (due to liver overload and body trying to get rid of it throught
the skin), kidney problems (due to infection in the kidneys - dialysis
centers popping up like donut shops in every plaza now-a-days) are all
associated with chronic systemic yeast infections (candida & mutant
forms of it).
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- I have also found many mysterious bacterial infections
that are chronic in many of my patients. Their immune systems are working
overtime to rid the body of them, and when they can't then the body starts
to break down in other areas.
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- I have also found in my research that certain leukemia
disorders are infectious (contagious). The medical field has little success
in treating this ailment. My approach is simple. In leukemia the white
blood cells (immune response) come out in full force and attack the red
blood cells. The conventional medical field finds this anomally acceptable.
I don't. I don't believe the white blood cells just attack for no reason.
I had a patients who had just been to a hospital for 2 weeks with her
mother who had died of leukemia. She also had leukemia and did not know
it until I looked in her blood. In my testing I have a protocol that looks
for a viral band (even though I can not see the actual virus with this
scope - need electron scope for that) The viral band was present indicating
a viral infection was present. It was my feeling that it must be in the
red blood cells and that is why the white cells are attacking. I treated
her with a powerful natural antivirals as well as pumped in antioxidants
to fight along with the immune system offering support for the white blood
cells (conventional medicine takes the other approach and tries to kill
off the white cells.) In less than 2 weeks, she was back to normal!
Had she have gone conventional chemo and radiation she would be dead.
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- I have helped thousands of people worldwide. I can
be reached at drherbs@aol.com. I have been in the natural medicine field
for 20 years. There is much more going on out there and in my opinion conventional
medicine theories and hereditary clap trap is a smoke screen to cover up
the real truth. I am currently researching homeopathic formulas to help
with this nasty contrail issue. More on that later...
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- Dr. McCain
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