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Editor,
The Journal of Integrative Medicine
Formerly, Associate Professor of Pathology (adj.), College
of Physicians
and Surgeons of Columbia University, NY
Formerly, President of Staff and Chief Pathologist,
Holy Name Hospital, Teaneck, NJ
Fellow, Royal
College of Surgeons of England -
Diplomate,
American Board of Anatomic and Clinical Pathology
Diplomate, American Boards of Environmental Medicine
Past President Capital University of Integrative
Medicine |
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SIMPLE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATIONS
OF THE CAUSES OF FIBROMYALGIA
I ask the readers to carefully consider the following facts
about fibromyalgia. While some of the terms and concepts may seem tedious, once the
meaning of those terms is grasped, fibromyalgia will no longer be a mystery malady. It
will be easy for them to understand how their symptoms are produced. More importantly,
they will be able to intelligently participate in planning a program of recovery with
their physicians. I also ask them to overlook obvious repetitions in some areas of core
importance. Such repetition is a small price to pay for clarity in thought. The readers
need to understand the following:
A. Three Sets of Causes of Fibromyalgia
1. Metabolic oxidants
2. Microbial oxidants
3. Man-made oxidants
(Oxidants are substances that damage tissues.)
B. Three Molecular Mechanisms of Fibromyalgia
1. Oxidosis (too much
oxidation)
2.
dysoxygenosis (too little
oxygen)
3. Acidosis (too much
acidity) (Oxidosis is rapid breakdown. Dysoxygenosis
[dys-oxy-gen-osis] is abnormal oxygen metabolism.)
C. Three Levels of Injured Cellular and Organ Ecosystems and an Ecologic
Road Map to Recovery
1. The base trio of
the bowel, blood, and liver ecosystems
2. The middle trio of the
thyroid,
adrenals, and pancreas ecosystems
3. The top trio of the limbic
system, sex hormones, and neurotransmitters.
TOXINS:
Metabolic, Microbial, and Man-Made
Of the three main types of toxins identified above that lead to
fibromyalgia, the metabolic toxins are the least important in the initial stages, but the
most dangerous in advanced stages of fibromyalgia. The reason for that is that all kinds
of metabolic havoc are wreaked on the human tissues once oxygen metabolism becomes
dysfunctional. The full significance of that statement becomes obvious in the chapters
devoted to oxygen metabolism later in this volume.
Metabolism (the sum total of all life processes) produces many oxidants
as waste products. In health, the detox mechanisms of the body neutralize and clear such
oxidants. In illness, such oxidants are produced in such large quantities that the detox
systems fail. Excess oxidants accumulate and cause oxidosis which, in turn, leads to
dysoxygenosis and acidosis. The states of illness that lead to oxidosis and dysoxygenosis
include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, chemical sensitivity syndrome, and others.
Microbial oxidants are produced in large quantities by microbes which
live in the body in health. Those microbes multiply rapidly in the bowel and blood
ecosystems with
sugar overload, antibiotic abuse, pesticides, pollutants, and other
toxins. All microbial oxidants cause oxidosis which, in turn, leads to dysoxygenosis and
acidosis. Microbial oxidants include those produced by:
1. Yeasts (mycotoxins);
2. Bacteria (endotoxins and exotoxins);
3. Viruses (oxidants produced by damaged cells); and
4. Parasites (oxidants produced by parasites as well
as by cells and tissues
damaged by
parasites).
Man-made oxidants include designer killer molecules (such as
pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides), industrial pollutants, toxic metal compounds
(such as dental mercury amalgams), and synthetic hormones. The toxic burden of chemicals
has increased markedly during this century. For example, in the U.S. more than nineteen
million pounds of antibiotics are fed to cattle and chicken every year.
THREE FURIES:OXIDOSIS, DYSOXYGENOSIS, AND ACIDOSIS
Oxidosis is the build-up of oxidants in the body that leads to
excessive oxidative injury to molecules, cells, and tissues. Oxidosis is the basic
mechanism of all cellular and tissue injury. It creates both dysoxygenosis and acidosis.
Fibromyalgia cannot be understood without a full grasp of this simple scientific fact. Nor
can anyone design a rational and scientific plan of recovery from fibromyalgia without
grounding all therapies on this fact.
Dysoxygenosis is my term for abnormal oxygen metabolism. It is not
simply a lack of available oxygen in the lungs or tissues. In dysoxygenosis, cells and
tissues cannot fully utilize oxygen that is available to them. The symptom-complexes of
fibromyalgia cannot be understood without a full grasp of this scientific fact.
Dysoxygenosis is caused by oxidosis and, in turn, fans the flames of oxidosis as well as
acidosis. Consider the following: A healthy young man sprints two hundred yards on a
beach, stops to catch his breath, and within minutes is ready to sprint again. That is not
the case with a young fibro canary. If he were ever to sprint (even after a lightning
storm, when the beach air has been cleared of pollutants), he will not be able to get out
of his bed the next day. Indeed, many fibro canaries may be bedridden for days after such
exertion. There will evidently be no deficiency of oxygen in the air by the sea, nor in
his lungs. His problem will be abnormal oxygen metabolism.
Acidosis disturbs the delicate balance between acids and alkalies (pH
level) in the body. The changes in pH seriously interfere with the activities of enzymes
involved in the digestive- absorptive, detox, neurotransmitter, and energy functions of
the body. Acidosis is caused by oxidosis and dysoxygenosis which, in turn, feeds the fires
of both oxidosis and dysoxygenosis.
SLUGGISH BLOOD AND STAGNANT LYMPH
Oxidative Coagulopathy and Oxidative Lymphopathy
The white and the yellow of an egg harden when it is boiled. Milk turns
sour and forms tiny curdles when a few drops of lemon juice are squeezed into it. Milk
turns into yogurt when a culture of microbes in added to it. Those are three examples of
how proteins solidify when they are:
1. Heated (as in boiling of an egg).
2. When acids are added to them (as when citric acid
in lemon juice causes
milk to form
tiny curdles).
3. When enzymes in microbes work on them (as in the
making of yogurt).
The proteins in the circulating blood are solidify and form microclots
when exposed to:
1. Excessive oxidative stress caused by lifestyle and
biologic stresses.
2. Organic acids produced in excess during metabolic
stresses.
3. Enzymes of microbes (bacteria and yeast) and
toxins produced by viruses and parasites.
Blood clots and unclots at all times. But there is a limit to its
ability to clear microclots. Blood thickens and becomes sluggish and lymph becomes
stagnant when that happens.
Oxidative Coagulopathy
Oxidative coagulpathy is a term for formation of microscopic blood
clots in the circulating blood. Blood clots and unclots at all times. In health,
microscopic clots formed in the blood are readily dissolved so that such clots are seen
infrequently in freshly prepared blood smears. When microscopic clotting is speeded up by
any of the factors mentioned above, excessive microclots accumulate in the blood and are
lodged in different parts of the body, choking the blood supply to that part and causing
accelerated oxidative injury. This is called oxidative coagulopathy. (Ref: Ali M, Ali O.
AA oxidopathy. The Journal of Integrative Medicine 1997;1:6-112.)
Oxidative Lymphopathy
Lymphopathy is a term for formation of microscopic clots in lymph, the
pale white fluid that flows in lymphatic channels. Like circulating blood, circulating
lymph also clots and unclots at all times. In health, like blood microclots, lymph
microclots also unclot readily so that excess microclot formation does not occur. When
excessive oxidative coagulopathy occurs in the circulating blood, lymph also curdles
excessively. Curdles of oxidized lymph stagnate in the muscles and choke muscle cells,
causing severe muscle pain and trigger points. (Ref: Ali M. Oxidative regression to
primordial cellular ecology. The Journal of Integrative Medicine 1998;2:4-49.)
FIBRO IS REAL
If you are a fibro canary, you know that fibromyalgia is real. If your
physicians doubt that, they cannot help you. Be kind to yourself and find another
physician who understands this problem. The road to recovery from fibromyalgia is often
long and difficult. You need not make it much more difficult.
FIBRO IS REVERSIBLE
If you are a fibro canary, please be kind to yourself and shun people
who insist fibromyalgia is irreversible. The road to recovery from fibromyalgia is often
long and difficult. You need not absorb the negativity of others.
FIBRO CANNOT BE REVERSED WITH DRUGS
If you are a fibro canary, please know that fibromyalgia cannot be
reversed with any drugs. You will learn that sooner or later. No drug at present is known
to cure fibromyalgia. It seems highly unlikely that such a drug will be synthesized in the
foreseeable future. In this volume, I discuss at length my reasons for that view.
Healing is an energy phenomenon. Hope is another word for healing.
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