Page 36 - 201006 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - June 2010

June 2010_june_july_2009.qxd 30/06/2010 11:48 PM Page 36 36 5 Crazy Diseases 5 Crazy Diseases intensive treatments for years just to lessen the -- the symptoms are strangely horrific. pain. And for some patients, the pain can According to the Morgellons Research become so profound that they must undergo the Foundation, a nonprofit organization, some of If mainstream media has made one thing clear, most extreme and expensive of therapies -- the crazy symptoms include skin lesions it’s that we the people crave the bizarre. And being placed under a Ketamine coma -- to accompanied by pain or intense itching, fibrous sometimes, the bizarre is beyond what anyone essentially reset the pain connections of the material in and extending out of the lesions, could have imagined. Such is the case with body. In 2003, under the guidance of German crawling sensations like insects under the skin certain rare and crazy diseases -- disorders that colleagues of renowned RSD specialist Dr. who are moving, stinging or biting, and joint seem to defy reality. Unfortunately for the many Robert Schwartzman, 14-year-old Lindsay and muscle pain, among others. The disease is sufferers out there, some diseases, however Wurtenberg of the U.S. underwent Ketamine so bizarre that many physicians regard crazy they may be, are very real -- and equally coma-therapy and successfully recovered from Morgellons disease as delusional parasitosis, as frightening. Here are just a few crazy a particularly debilitating case of RSD that but this opinion is neither conclusive nor diseases to whet your appetite for the bizarre. developed following a harmless spider bite. “I unanimous. don’t think there is a worse pain problem,” said Those affected with the disease, Polyglandular Addison’s disease Dr. Schwartzman of Lindsay’s condition. He however, are deathly defiant against doubters. was probably right. Former Oakland A’s pitcher Billy Koch claims Type of Disease: Hormonal disorder to have the disease; in fact, it forced him to Crazy Because: Can cause instantaneous death Trimethylaminuria withdraw from baseball, and the former ace from sudden emotional distress offered some choice words for the public in an Cure: None, but manageable by medication Type of Disease: Metabolic Disorder interview with KTVU: “There's no reasonable Crazy Because: Causes patients to smell like explanation for it. I'm not seeing things. l'm In February 2008, media reports swirled rotting fish watching it happen. We're pretty sane people," around the story of Jennifer Lloyd, a 10-year- Cure: None; limited treatment options Billy insisted of his family. The CDC is old from Prestwich, who is one of only six currently conducting a large-scale investigation known sufferers in the U.K. of polyglandular Trimethylaminuria (TMAU), also known as fish to once and for all define the existence of this Addison’s disease. Addison’s disease is a malodor syndrome, is a rare metabolic disorder bizarre and crazy disease. hormonal disorder named after Dr. Thomas that prevents affected individuals from properly Addison who first described the disease in breaking down trimethylamine (TMA), instead (Continued on Page 40) 1855. The polyglandular form is much rarer letting it build up in the body. TMA is then than the ordinary disorder, leaving affected released in the breath, sweat, urine, and other patients literally unable to produce adrenaline in body secretions, giving off a strong fishy odor response to stress. Adrenaline, or epinephrine, is that literally cannot be masked. For people with the “fight or flight” hormone that prepares the this crazy disease, frequent showering and the body for action. Without adrenaline, the body’s use of deodorants, perfumes and colognes are organs cannot respond to stress and instead go not enough; the smell remains, sometimes into shock and shut down, leaving those becoming so strong so as to fill entire rooms or affected critically ill. Patients such as Jennifer even auditoriums. The result can be socially and require constant attention and steroidal psychologically devastating: "People think this medication just to live out their daily lives: disease is a laughing matter, but for the people "Something as simple as walking the dog can be who have it, it is not. This syndrome can be a worry,” Jennifer’s mother told the BBC. In highly destructive to a person's personal and Jennifer’s case, even watching a movie, playing social life and to their work and career," Robert sports or dancing requires strict supervision in L. Smith, a molecular toxicologist at the case she becomes overly excited. Despite the Imperial College School of Medicine in mundane outlook for Jennifer and other patients London, told the Science News. with this crazy disease, most can lead normal Currently, there is no cure for TMAU. lives with the help of medication. Affected patients can only reduce the smell by restricting the diet to foods that are not CHECKOUT THE ALL NEW Reflex sympathetic dystrophy converted to TMA -- a daunting task ‘X’ ZONE STORE FOR YOUR considering that everyday foods like eggs, ‘X’ ZONE RADIO & TV SHOW Type of Disease: Nerve disorder legumes as well as certain meats and fish all AND Crazy Because: Causes searing pain as if on fire contain the amino acid choline, a precursor PARAGATORS GEAR! Cure: Complex; disease may spontaneously molecule to TMA. resolve, but treatment usually only lessens symptoms Morgellons disease Imagine being tormented every waking moment Type of Disease: Skin disorder of every day by searing pain in your limbs. Your Crazy Because: The disease remains disputed; arms feel like they are on fire, they are swollen, is it real? hot to the touch, and you sweat excessively. Cure: ? These are just a few of the symptoms of reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), a poorly Sometimes you read about something so crazy understood disorder defined by pain in the limbs that you just can’t tell if it’s real -- such is the that is way out of proportion from what is case with Morgellons disease, a disorder that expected following a particular injury or expands the imagination. As it currently stands, harmful event, such as surgery or stroke. The the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) disease is believed to be caused by an abnormal claims that “the cause of this condition is www.xzonestore.com chain reaction of the sympathetic nervous unknown, and the medical community has www.xzonestore.com system, the body system that regulates blood insufficient information to determine whether www.xzonestore.com flow and other aspects of the skin. Experts liken persons who identify themselves as having this the pain response to that of an engine revving condition have a common cause for their www.xzonestore.com out of control. symptoms or share common risk factors.” www.xzonestore.com While the disease may spontaneously www.xzonestore.com disappear on its own, many patients undergo And it’s no wonder why experts remain baffled www.xzonestore.com