Add To The Diagnosis Criteria

I believe that anxiety needs to be placed higher in the symptoms list and I also believe that Multiple Chemical/Food Sensitivities needs to be added.

Over my life I had many of the TMS symptoms – IBS – anxiety – TMJ – fibro and MCS. Never all at once but every few years my body would express another warning.

When I had MCS it was so severe that we moved 45 miles into the woods away from civilization and I eventually recovered. I was made worse by both allopathic and holistic treatments so I started my own crusade for the why of chemical/food sensitivity.

I found hard scientific research that stress allows the blood brain barrier to become more permeable and this allows in chemicals and substances that are not designed to be in the brain and those that are, are in higher concentrations than normal. There is even some research that the way the body detoxes drugs and other toxins is altered during stress.

The Israeli army wondered why a person not in a war zone could tolerate a give dose of medication but once they were moved to the front they showed signs of overdose or more symptoms....stress!!

I now believe that living in the woods and not working allowed my nervous system to calm and the MCS resolved. This is the same reason people are drug sensitive.

When we are under stress the body also releases histamines that can make us not only sensitive to foods but also cause functional gastrointestinal symptoms.

 

It certainly would seem to explain the explosion of "gluten" sensitive people in the past few years wouldn't it?

 

I also think gluten - lyme and candida are products the holistic doctors have to sell

 

Great analysis Rik. Having recently discovered the theories of Dr. Mate, I'm sure that he (and others like him) would agree with you 100%. He uses the term stress - not everyday stress, but the stress caused by repressed emotions. Anyway, he clearly describes (in terms far too technical for me to understand) the endocrinological (SP?) basis for many pathological conditions which arise as a result of the overproduction of the stress hormones.

As Dr. Sarno always said, the pain is real. And so are many other conditions which are caused by repression.

Fascinating stuff.

Jan