Allergic to everything
Over recent years, our clinic has seen an increasing number of clients with a grab bag of complaints that, on the surface, make little sense. Della was just such a case. By the time she’d listed all her problems, my head was swimming. Della was totally intolerant of dairy foods. Fruits and vegetables brought on chest pains and asthma-like symptoms with a runny nose, swollen hands and puffy face. Dried fruits and nuts resulted in exactly the same reaction. Grains and cereals were always followed by muscle and bone pains and numbness in her hands and forearms.
When asked what she could actually cope with, the answer was quinoa, tomatoes, cucumbers, linseeds and an occasional serve of fish. However, fish repeated on her and immediately made her hair and skin dry. She also noticed that her urine became very frothy and the corners of her mouth split open after eating seafoods. Eating sensitising foods also tended to bring on nausea, vomiting and even diarrhoea.
Everything Della ate was organic and she prepared all her food herself. She’d been avoiding processed foods for years. She hadn’t menstruated for the past five years and had felt unwell for at least seven years. “My memory is failing to such an extent I’m really getting worried,” she sighed.
“No one knows what’s wrong with me,” she added. “Though my problems were very minor to begin with, they have progressively become worse. I’ve been told by an allergy specialist that nothing can be done for me and that I’ll need drugs for the rest of my life to cope.”
Physical examination revealed a rather underweight, anxious, apprehensive lady with thyroid swelling, dull hair, pale complexion, poor skin turgor, weak, irregular pulse and bloated abdomen. Neck and shoulder muscles were extremely tense, there were eczematous patches inside and around both ears, her toenails were riddled with fungal infection and, although generally cool to touch, both palms were extremely sweaty. Gums were puffy and red and bled on slight pressure.
Tests revealed the following: serum phosphorus levels were decidedly low; aluminium was markedly raised; most B vitamins were deficient; basal metabolic rate fluctuated wildly; all pH profiles were extremely acidic. There were strong indications of parathyroid gland underactivity and liver incompetence. Iron and haemoglobin profiles were sub-optimal, red blood count poor, white blood cells deficient.
The three things I felt were most pertinent to Della’s poor health included her high aluminium readings, hypoparathyroid status and phosphorus deficiency. Della’s hand grasp noticeably lacked strength and there was a slight but visible tremor in her fingers. These signs are often an indication of low phosphorus reserves. Many B complex vitamins depend on phosphorus for their activation and vitamin B deficiencies were a repetitive feature in Della’s blood tests.
Della had been in the catering business for many years and I was not surprised to hear that most of her large cooking pots were made of aluminium — even though she was aware that aluminium is readily absorbed by foods prepared in such containers. Despite the expense, it was recommended that she switch gradually to stainless steel. (When purchasing a new pot I always take a magnet to the store to make sure I correctly identify steel cookware.)
Interestingly, aluminium is needed by our brains in minute quantities to activate certain vital enzyme systems. Some research has indicated that the element may even play a role in protein synthesis. Too great an accumulation, however, has been repeatedly implicated in Alzheimer’s dementia. Aluminium is primarily absorbed through our digestive tracts but is also absorbed via skin and lungs.
I’m amazed at how many people — including Della — are still unaware that everyday tap water is treated with aluminium sulphate to settle any murkiness. There have been a number of scientific papers published that show people drinking water contaminated with high aluminium are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Still worse is the fact that aluminium links up with fluoride in our blood to form aluminium fluoride. (Many municipal water sources these days contain added sodium fluoride — an industrial waste from aluminium refining.)
There is evidence that fluoride prevents our bodies from eliminating aluminium. It has been found that aluminium fluoride can pass exceptionally easily through biological barriers, in particular the blood-brain barrier, resulting in a toxic build-up.
With Della’s help we identified a number of other contamination sources she was unaware of: the salt she used contained sodium aluminosilicate as a moisture absorber; her toothpaste contained dihydroxyaluminium and her antiperspirant listed aluminium chlorhydrate among its ingredients. She happily invested in a reverse-osmosis filter as a pure source of drinking water.
Urgent attention was given to reducing Della’s allergic reactions to virtually every major food group. The breakthrough came when we increased Della’s intake of essential fatty acids to the full dose for her bodyweight. This is something we have often explained in clinical practice — the correct dose is just as important as the correct supplement.
Airborne fungal spores, omnipresent in the atmosphere we breathe, were one of Della’s nemeses. It’s surprising how often multiple allergies improve when obvious places such as shower stalls, air-conditioners, carpets and roof spaces are mould-proofed and well ventilated. Internally, Della used a homoeopathic solution of Penicillium roquefortii and Acidum formicicum to repair fungal-damaged intestinal mucosa.
Carotenoids play an essential role in reversing all forms of sensitivity, whether food or environmental. These nutrients protect respiratory organs and the digestive tract, improve insulin response, boost liver detoxification, support pancreatic function, stimulate immunity and underpin adrenal metabolism and stress responses.
Most carotenoids are fat-soluble, which is a stumbling block for people with impaired pancreatic or liver bile metabolism. Della was, therefore, given a carotenoid supplement that was both water and lipid miscible to make quite sure she was maximising absorption and assimilation.
We also prepared our favourite comprehensive anti-allergy formula, which often gives good results in cases of multiple chemical and food sensitivity. The remedy is a trituraton of Betula alba, Caltha palustris, Sedum acre, Thuja occidentalis, Clematis erecta, Hedera helix, Juniperus communis, Ononis spinosa, Sempervivum tectorium, Echinacea angustifolia, Nitricum acidum, Argentum metallicum, Calc fluor, phosphorus, Aurum metallicum, Apis mellifica, pyrogenium, Galium aparine, Galium mollugo and Urtica urens.
It took a few months for her remedies and supplements to fully kick in but, gradually, Della was able to sample a wider spectrum of healthy food choices without adverse reactions. When she last contacted us, Della gave an enthusiastic verdict. “Everything is working well and I feel great! Yes! Yes!”
