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December 1998
Dear Silicone Survivors and Friends:
For those of you who have called and sent cards, the biopsy on my remaining
breast was negative. That is probably not the end of the search since the
blood test (tumor markers) was elevated, but I am relieved for now. After
I repeat the blood test late in January or early February, I will then know
if I need to do bone scans and an abdominal scan, etc. I have some local
infection that must be dealt with (no antibiotics that I can take that we
can find), but that, too, will pass. Until then, life as usual!! Thanks
for all the good thoughts and prayers. I think they worked.
Because of all the events that are now occurring (mostly legal), we have
made a decision to continue to publish the newsletter. I think that this
next year will be the end of much of the work on the bankruptcy and the
finalization of much of the class action lawsuit. We will evaluate again
next December to see if we need to continue. Please continue to give us
your support and your subscriptions so we can continue to inform you on
what is happening in silicone land (silicone-gate?)
UPCOMING EVENTS:. No longer upcoming, the National Science Panel has
released its report. Nothing that helps us was included, at least as far
as I can see. Here is the AP Release on the Panel's report. Birmingham,
AL: A landmark panel of court-appointed scientists said it found no proven
links between silicone breast implants and diseases claimed by women suing
implant manufacturers. The long-anticipated findings of the independent
committee will help shape the future of U.S. implant litigation because
they can be used in courts nationwide. The four-member panel, appointed by
U.S. District Judge Sam Pointer of Birmingham to review conflicting
scientific claims, found no definite links between implants and women's
illnesses in four major areas: toxicology, immunology, epidemiology &
rheumatology, the study of diseases of connective tissue such as rheumatoid
arthritis.
"It is our informed opinion that the large majority of scientists in our
respective disciplines would find merit in our reviews and analyses," the
panel reported to Pointer, who oversees thousands of implant cases
nationwide. There is a possibility that Sjogren's syndrome, marked by
unusual dryness of the mouth, may be linked to silicone from implants, the
panel said, but its symptoms "are nonspecific and relatively common in any
population group." The report was welcomed by implant companies, which
have spent years and millions of dollars defending themselves against
implant lawsuits. "This adds to the trend of the past couple of years of
courts rejecting the hypothesis that breast implants cause disease," said
Doug Schoettinger, a lawyer for Dow Corning Corp., once the largest implant
maker.
But Suzanne Turner, a spokeswoman for plaintiff's attorneys, called the
report "terrible news for women." Sybil Goldrich, an implant recipient
and an activist for fellow recipients who have had problems, faulted the
panel for not looking at the medical records of women who have filed suit
over their implants. "Nobody looks at those until they get to a
courtroom," she said today. The panel looked at previously published
studies. Thousands of women sued manufacturers blaming implants for
sicknesses including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, body aches, fatigue,
memory loss and hardening of the breasts. Their lawyers contend scientific
studies back up the claims.
Manufacturers deny hurting anyone and point to other studies that found no
links between implants and health problems. They contend women's attorneys
built their cases on flawed science. Expert panels have reviewed evidence
in previous cases, but never before did a committee have the ability to
affect so many cases nationwide, according to the Washington-based Federal
Judicial Center. The findings could play a significant role for thousands
of women who sued Dow Corning Corp. Under a proposed $3.2 billion
settlement announced last month, women could either take the money the
company offered (payments would range from $12,000 to $300,000) or continue
their lawsuits. If they continue the lawsuits, the panel's findings could
then be presented as evidence. "Women will have to make the choice to
litigate or choose the settlement path with full knowledge about what this
panel decided," said Barbara Carmichael, a Dow Corning vice president.
When he announced the creation of the panel in May 1996, Pointer said the
panel could provide "neutral commentary" in videotaped testimony for
federal and state courts. The experts had to be chosen from among those who
had not worked with implant companies or women's attorneys. Panel members
are immunologist Betty A. Diamond of the Einstein College of Medicine in
New York; epidemiologist Barbara S. Hulka of the University of North
Carolina; rheumatologist Peter Tugwell of the University of Ottawa in
Ontario, Canada; and toxicologist Nancy I. Kerkvliet of Oregon State
University.
The following announcement is from our side: Washington, DC, 12/1/98
PRNewswire: The Command Trust Network, an information clearinghouse for
women with breast implants, issued the following quote from Sybil Niden
Goldrich: "Nowhere in the report does the Pointer panel say that silicone
is safe in the body. The essential question still has not been resolved:
Why have so many thousands of women been struck with joint pains and
neurological disorders and other health problems after receiving breast
implants? The reason we don't know the answer is because implants were sold
for thirty years without adequate safety testing, as the FDA concluded in
1992 when it banned general sales of implants. Since then the industry has
tried to fill in the huge gap in research with carefully orchestrated
studies meant to improve its legal standing, nothing more. The Pointer
report only proves that the research gap still exists and that we need
reliable government scientists to find trustworthy answers as to why
thousands of women are sick."
Sybil Niden Goldrich received silicone breast implants after a mastectomy
in the 1980s. Persistent ill health led to two implant replacement
operations. The article she wrote for Ms. Magazine in 1986 and her activism
drew widespread public attention and ultimately led to the US FDA
moratorium on silicone breast implants in 1992. Source: Command Trust
Network, Inc.
Also from our side: Michael W. Liberman, M.D., Ph.D., Department of
Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030 Press
Conference remarks 12/1/98: I want to begin by saying that I think the
panel Judge Pointer convened did an excellent job in sifting through a
voluminous stack of data. The task was not an easy one and they are to be
commended. However, I would like to call attention to several important
studies from Baylor College of Medicine that I believe have received
insufficient attention from the panel and one that is scheduled to be
published in April that the panel has not yet seen. As many of you know,
the material in silicone breast implants is composed primarily of polymer,
that is, high molecular weight compounds that are made up of many repeating
units called monomers. These polymers form a gel used in implants. In the
manufacture of polymers the process can be incomplete and result in the
formation of compounds that have only 3 to 20 repeating units instead of
the great number that are present in the polymerized gel. These incomplete
units are called oligomers or low molecular weight siloxanes.
Research on silicones at Baylor College of Medicine has focused on these
siloxane oligomers. All the work I am going to tell you about has appeared
or has been accepted for publication in nationally recognized research
journals. I want to emphasize four significant findings. First Dr. Ernest
Lykissa and his colleagues have demonstrated that breast implant material
is not pure polymer, but contains these siloxane oligomers. In addition
the implants contain platinum, the catalyst used to help form polymers from
nonomers. A second finding of Dr. Lykissa and his colleagues is that these
materials can
migrate out of intact implants. That is, if an intact implant is placed in
fluid and maintained at body temperature, the siloxane and the platinum can
be found in that fluid. Simply put, these siloxane oligomers and platinum
can escape through the intact implant capsule into the surrounding
environment. In a third line of investigation, I have worked with Dr.
Lykissa and others to investigate the fate of these oligomers. Our results
have demonstrated that these siloxane oligomers, if injected under the skin
of mice, are taken up and deposited in organs of the mice and in their fat.
We have found these compounds in the lymph nodes, uterus, ovary, fat, and
seven other organs. They persist for at least a year which is
approximately 40% of the life span of a mouse. They may be present for
longer periods of time, but we have not examined periods longer than one year.
The fourth point I wish to make is that these siloxane oligomers are toxic
to mice. In fact, they are lethal. This work has not yet been published.
It is scheduled to appear in the April issue of Environmental Health
Perspectives, the official journal of the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences. Normally, one is not supposed to talk about
unpublished work in public. But I felt that this work was so important
that I have contacted Dr. Kenneth Olden, the Director of NIEHS, and he has
assured me that there is no conflict if I present this material that is
still in the process of being published. The story is this: If one injects
these compounds into the abdomen of female mice, they produce severe liver
and lung injury and mice die approximately 7 days after the injection.
We have studied one of these siloxane oligomers, known as D4, in more
detail. Injection of approximately 0.2mi (about 4%of a teaspoon) will kill
approximately 50% of the mice in this time period. This degree of toxicity
is about the same as that of carbon tetrachloride and triechloroethylene,
two compounds that are widely recognized as model toxins and in fact are
used by many researchers in their work to understand how toxic chemicals
harm the body. Let me conclude by noting that I believe there is
significant evidence that components of breast implants are highly toxic
and may cause serious health effects. (The news conference was called by
Congressman Gene Greene.)
LEGAL INFORMATION: For those who have wondered why GE was dismissed from
all silicone claims, their silicone was clearly marked: NOT INTENDED FOR
BIOLOGICAL USE. The gel they supplied was of industrial quality, not
medical quality, and they clearly "warned" of this on their packaging. Of
course, medical-grade silicone was much more expensive because it was more
"pure" and Heyer-Schulte chose to use the cheap stuff (they were in this to
make money, not to provide a safe or lasting product, remember) without
"informing" GE that the silicone ultimately wound up in implants. General
Electric claims they did not know that the gel was going into implants, or
other medical devices, as opposed to caulk, pesticides, or other industrial
devices/uses. Remember that the silicone went through an extensive
chemical process to turn it into the gel that was ultimately used in
implants. GE had no control over what happened to their silicone once they
supplied it, and supplying silicone in and of itself is not negligent or
illegal.
For those who may not have registered for the Dow Bankruptcy, this is what
the proposal says: DOW CORNING SETTLEMENT PROGRAM AND CLAIMS RESOLUTION
PROCEDURES (b) Rule 3005 Claims. (i) Filing of Notice of Intent.
Claimants who did not timely file a Proof of Claim in the Case but on whose
behalf a Proof of Claim has been timely filed pursuant to Bankruptcy Rule
3005 ("Rule 3005 Claim or Claimant") may file a notice of intent with the
Court as provided in Bankruptcy Rule 3005 to act on her or his own behalf
with respect to such Claim ("Notice of Intent"). Notwithstanding Bankruptcy
Rule 3005, a Rule 3005 Claimant will be entitled to file the Notice of
Intent on or before the date that is 90 days after the Effective Date. Such
Claimant will thereby have all rights as specified in the 3005 filing and
be subject to all deadlines applicable to Claimants who are deemed
registered under (a) above. The Claims of Rule 3005 Claimants who do not
timely file a Notice of Intent shall be disallowed.
(ii) Submission of Participation Forms. If a Rule 3005 Claimant timely
files a Notice of Intent under paragraph 2.02(b)(i) above and returns a
signed Participation Form to the Claims Office on or before the six-month
anniversary of the Effective Date, as specified in Section 3.02(c) below,
such Claimant will have the right to elect settlement or litigation. Rule
3005 Claimants who do not timely elect litigation or who do not return a
signed Participation Form to the Claims Office on or before the six-month
anniversary of the Effective Date shall be deemed Settling Personal Injury
Claimants for all purposes of this Annex A to the Settlement Facility
Agreement and the Plan.
Also: Possible good news for those women who did not timely file a proof
of claim in the dow bankruptcy (deadline to file was in January 1997).
Recently Dow Chemical filed co-debtor claims for everyone who ever had a
Dow implant or an implant with any Dow component (ie, gel or shell). A
woman can "piggy-back" on that Dow filing by using a form called a "Notice
of Intent." This basically puts the woman into the shoes of Dow Chemical
and allows her to proceed as a timely claimant. Later, a "Participation
Form" will have to be filed to complete these "substitution" of claimants
from Dow Chemical to the woman. The Notice of Intent forms are available
from the Tort Claimants Committee. You need to contact the Tort Claimant's
Committee at the law offices of Verner, Liipfert, Bernard, McPherson &
Hand, 1111 Bagby, Ste. 4700, Houston, TX 77002, 713-225-7200, fax
713-752-2199.
Frequently Asked Bankruptcy Questions 1. What am I supposed to do now? If
you have registered with Daticon in the Dow Corning bankruptcy case and
have received a postcard confirming your registration, you do not need to
do anything right now. When the bankruptcy court approves the materials,
you will receive a package containing the settlement terms. If you are not
sure whether you have registered in the Dow Corning Bankruptcy case, you
may find out by calling (713) 225-7200 and asking for Pam, Lisa or Ken. If
you are forwarded to voice mail, please leave your name and telephone
number. Note that hundreds of calls are being received so it may be a day
or two before you get a return call. If you or your attorney did not
register your claim with Daticon or a late claim was filed on your behalf
in the bankruptcy and assuming the Joint Plan is approved, certain
procedures must be followed in order for you to participate in the plan.
It will be necessary to file a "Notice of Intent" form, a copy of which
will be available at a later date. However, we will need your address in
order to send you additional information regarding these procedures. Please
call (800) 960-6784 to be added to our mailing list. We anticipate that
information on these procedures will be mailed out in the next 30 days.
2. How can I get a copy of the Plan? An electronic copy of the bankruptcy
plan and other related documents can be obtained from the MDL 926 webpage,
located at:
3. What if my implants weren't manufactured by Dow Corning? If your
implants were manufactured by a company other than Dow Corning, that
purchased silicone gel from Dow Corning, such as Bioplasty, Mentor or
Cox-Uphoff (CUI) and you have not had implants made by any other
manufacturer, you may be able to recover some money from a fund of $57.5
million set aside for disease claims. Claimants who have only Bristol or
Baxter silicone breast implants may apply as well, but they are required to
"marshal" their recoveries (i.e., first obtain all compensation available
to them from the manufacturer of their implants). Their recovery will be
reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis. If you have already filed with
Daticon, you need do nothing at this time. If you have not yet registered
or registered late, you will also be required to file a Notice of Intent
form, a copy of which will be available at a later date. We will need your
address in order to send you additional information regarding these
procedures. Accordingly, please call (800) 960-6784 to be added to our
mailing list. Information on these procedures will be mailed out on a
weekly basis. If you have questions or need information about a claim
against your manufacturer, you can call Claims Assistance Counsel at (513)
665-9770. 4. How much money am I going to receive? At this time, we
cannot answer questions concerning how much money you might receive under
this plan for a number of reasons. However, below you will find a brief
summary of the claims resolution procedures contained in the documents
filed by Dow Corning and the Tort Claimants' Committee. 5. When might
we receive our money? We cannot estimate when payments might be made under
this Plan, particularly since the timeline established by the court must
necessarily include a sufficient amount of time in which to vote on the
Plan, as well as allow for other necessary administrative procedures.
6. How much is my attorney allowed to charge for fees? Attorneys fees for
all settling defendants are capped and there are some amounts to which a
claimant may be entitled on which an attorney cannot collect fees. The plan
provides in Section 5.10: the fees and expenses of attorneys representing
any of the Settling Personal Injury Claimants (other than Claimants in
Classes 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D, whose rights shall be governed by the settlement
agreements applicable to those classes) who receive payment from the
Settlement Facility will be borne by such Claimants based on applicable
state law and the individual arrangements made between them and their
attorneys, subject to the following limitations: 1.The fees charged
by individually-retained attorneys to a Settling Personal
Injury Claimant shall not exceed the sum of: (a) 10% of the
first $10,000 paid to such Claimant; (b) 22.5% of the next $40,000 paid to
such Claimant; and (c) 30% of the amount in excess of $50,000 paid to such
Claimant. 2.Amounts paid pursuant to either the Expedited Payment
Option or the Explant Payment Option under the Settlement Facility shall
not be counted as amounts paid to a Settling Personal Injury Claimant for
purposes of this section and no fees shall be paid with
respect to such amounts. Particular questions on the bankruptcy settlement
can be answered at: (800) 960-6784. From what has been published so far,
this includes all costs and expenses. Nothing else except liens can be
charged to the women. Website for Tort Claimant Committee (TCC):
The same rules on fees and expenses apply to the RSP of the MDL. As to the
actual percentage of attorney fees charged, for those who remained in the
RSP (revised settlement program) of the MDL, fees are restricted to 10% of
the first $10,000, 22.5% up to $50,000 and 30% for amounts over $50,000.
This is the same structure proposed in the Dow Bankruptcy. Liens signed by
you can be charged back to you, but not expenses for legal services. If
you were charged more than you should have been in the MDL Revised
Settlement (if your atty. charged you above the percentage listed, ie. for
extra office expenses, etc.) those instances should be reported to the
court (Judge Pointer) and to Ernie Hornsby (he's a plaintiffs' attorney who
has reviewed instances of fee abuse in the RSP). Ernie's e-mail address
is: ehornsby@ala.net. You can also reach him at (334) 793-2424. Your
attorney may be in trouble and may have to refund those extra expenses
charged (to you)
Women who settled out of the class action often received little or no funds
after their attorneys took out all expenses. I recently had one woman in
my group who told me that she was billed for $3000 after her settlement.
Her attorney took everything and billed her for more!!! And she is lucky
to be alive! Her illnes is severe. For those who opted out of the
original global and/or RSP and pursued litigation, attorney fees are
dictated by the agreement between the lawyer and client as governed by the
state's rules of professional conduct. Tort Claimants Committee phone # for
bankruptcy inquiries: Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel Office (800) 960-6784.
MDL 926 Claims office (800) 600-0311. Dow Corning (800) 222-7198. Claims
Assistance for Inamed (CUI, etc.) (513) 665-9770.
In the Dow Bankruptcy, a person is only eligible for one fund -- either the
Dow Corning Fund or the Silicone Claimant Material Fund. She cannot
recover from both. So, if you had a rupture of a Mentor or Bioplasty
implant, you cannot collect for a rupture, only the 40% for the the
Silicone Claimant Material Fund. This means that they must have a silicone
gel breast implant, it must have been implanted after 1/1/76 and before
1/1/92 and it must be made by either Bristol, Baxter, Bioplasty, Cox-Uphoff
or Mentor. Women who do not qualify for this fund are called Raw Material
Claimants and are treated much differently. There are no benefits
available to Raw Material Claimants. Mentor saline implant recipients
would not be eligible for the Silicone Material Claimant Fund.
Silicone injections are not compensated under the proposed Plan. Persons
with these claims would have to litigate them. Why they were not covered
is still a question to many of us!! Dow Corning did not supply the silicone
gel to 3M. Also, the gel in Porex implants came from Koken in Japan.
Toronto Star Staff Reporter (Nicholas Keung): Ontario women with Dow
Corning silicone breast implants are one step closer to claiming $26.4
million in compensation for related illnesses. An Ontario Court, general
division judge yesterday approved the settlement in a class-action suit
against the implant manufacturer, giving between $10,000 to $100,000 to
some 2,500 women in the province. Although none of the claimants attended
yesterday's hearing, the decision was hailed by their lawyers and Dow
Corning Corp. "It's my view....that the settlement is fair, reasonable and
in the best interest to the class members,'' declared Mr. Justice Warren
Winkler in his ruling. The settlement, part of a $4.9 billion global
package expected to be approved next year, is subject to approval by a
judge and creditors of Michigan-based Dow Corning, which filed for Chapter
11 bankruptcy protection in 1995 because of the crush of implant claims.
If two-thirds of the claimants vote for the Ontario plan after a 60-day
review, they may get paid as soon as next Summer. Winkler pointed to
provisions allowing women who had previously decided not to participate in
the class action to be a part of the settlement. They are to be
compensated if they develop symptoms as a result of their implants. Women
who have not experienced any medical problems can choose to cash in a
one-time payment of $1,800. Lawyer Michael Eizenga, who represented the
Ontario women, said the decision was good news for his clients, who have
claimed implant leaks caused serious diseases of the immune system, as well
as depression and kidney disease. "It means we're nearing the end of a very
long road and I think this settlement will give these women a sense of
closure,'' he said, speaking outside court. While acknowledging outside
court that the settlement was fair, Dow Corning Canada spokesperson John
Davis said it implies no admission of liability. All parties are to return
to court in January to appoint a senior official from an insurance company
as claims administrator.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: The RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) has
beefed up a criminal investigation into Health Canada's regulation of
breast implants and a possible cover-up. "The investigation has been
stepped up," Corporal Marc Richer said. "It is a serious investigation and
it will be followed through." Acting on a complaint from a British
Columbia woman, the RCMP assigned one investigator this spring to determine
if Health Canada met its responsibility to make sure silicone gel breast
implants were safe before allowing them on the market. After interviewing
former Health Canada employees who believe their superiors in the
department's health protection branch ignored warnings for years that the
implants were dangerous, the Mounties determined there is a potential for
criminal charges, Richer said.
Government employees believed their bosses ignored warnings for years. The
safety of the implants, which Ottawa finally banned in 1993, has been the
subject of intense debate in the medical community and among the estimated
150,000 women in Canada who had the devices inserted. In August, the RCMP
added two officers and gave its investigative team further clout by
assigning an inspector to head up the investigation. Earlier this month,
the investigators surveyed their material and determined there was enough
substance to the allegations to continue to investigate. As part of their
efforts, officers travelled to British Columbia to interview the woman who
laid the original complaint. They also spoke to Linda Wilson, who asked
for an RCMP investigation as far back as 1990 only to be turned down by
then-RCMP commissioner Norman Inkster. Wilson wrote to Inkster complaining
that the Quebec distributor of the
Meme breast implant, Real Laperriere, was allowed to market the foam
covered devices in Canada without proof that they were safe, as required by
the Food and Drugs Act.
The investigation has also broadened beyond breast implants into the health
protection branch's regulation of other medical devices and into the
federal government's awarding of research grants, one source told The Star.
"The investigation is now radiating horizontally into lobbies, it's
radiating into the professional groups, including some surgeons connected
to government," the source said. "There are a number of other angles." The
Toronto Star, 11/27/98, Laura Eggertson, Ottawa Bureau.
MEDICAL INFORMATION: Washington, 11/13/98 (Bloomberg): The U.S. Food and
Drug Administration sent a letter to doctors warning that they should be
careful giving an intravenous blood product known as immune globulin to
patients because it may cause kidney problems. Immune globulin, sold by a
number of companies, is made from donated blood and used to boost the
damaged immune systems of very sick patients. Since becoming available in
1981, immune globulin intravenous use has been associated with 114 reports
of kidney problems around the world, the FDA said. Most of the time,
doctors were able to treat the problems, though 17 patients died, the FDA
said. Still, many of those patients already had serious health problems,
the agency said.
To minimize the risks, the agency asked doctors to check patients' fluid
levels and assess their kidney function before giving immune globulin. The
agency also advised them to be extra careful when giving it to patients at
risk for kidney failure and not to give a higher dose than is recommended.
There's some evidence that immune globulin preparations that contain
sucrose, such as those distributed by Centeon LLC and Novartis AG, may pose
a higher risk, the FDA said. "Manufacturers are working with the FDA to
revise their prescribing information to reflect these reports," the agency
said. "The agency is prepared to take further measures in the future as may
be appropriate to ensure product safety." Yoshitomi Pharmaceutical
Industries Ltd's Alpha Therapeutic Corp., Baxter International Inc. and
Bayer AG also sell the immune globulin products, the FDA said.
London, 9/29/98 (Reuters--Jonathan Birt) Scientists have isolated a gene
which they believe acts as an on/off switch for the body's
immune system, promising new ways of treating conditions ranging from
cancer to Crohn's Disease, the British company behind the breakthrough said
on Tuesday. Researchers at the U.S. arm of Chiroscience Group Plc are
also close to locating a second gene which could reverse bone wasting
caused by osteoporosis, a condition which affects millions of people over
60 and leads to more than one million fractures in the U.S. every year.
Research and Development Director Robert Jackson said uncovering the gene
which regulates the body's immune response could one day lead to
development of a whole new range of drugs. "Sometimes you want to turn it
off and sometimes you want to turn it on,'' Jackson told Reuters.
Turning the immune sytem on or up could help in conditions like AIDS and
cancer, where the body's efforts to fight off tumours are currently too
weak. "If we could strengthen that, we could develop drugs to help the body
react to tumours,'' Jackson said. But switching it off or down might be
useful in a range of diseases caused by an overly fierce immune response,
such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, psoriasis, Crohn's Disease,
ulcerative colitis and allergy. Gene-based research at the former Darwin
Molecular business in Seattle, Washington, which Chiroscience bought in
1996, is also close to locating a mutant gene which may offer a way of
reversing the effects of osteoporosis for the first time. Scientists
are studying around 100 people and their families in South Africa with
extremely strong bones caused by a mutant gene which causes bone density to
increase as people age, the exact opposite of osteoporosis. "We are close
to identifying a unique bone structure gene for osteoporosis," Chief
Executive Officer John Padfield told Reuters. "All other treatments try to
stop bone loss getting worse. What our gene appears to do is increase bone
density very substantially, if this turns out to be true when we test a
drug, that would be a revolutionary treatment for osteoporosis." The
company announced the discoveries as part of a day-long update on its
research and development activities. Shares in Chiroscience were up seven
percent or 17 1/2 pence in early afternoon trading in London. Chiroscience
said it will also work with the small British genome company Gemini
Research, which has built up a database of genetic information based on
identical twins. The two companies are to look for mutant genes linked to
obesity.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Researchers said Monday they had discovered a
technique that might eventually be able to prevent kidney damage caused in
many patients by the autoimmune disease lupus. Scientists at the
University of California, Los Angeles, identified a sequence of amino acids
that sets off a chain of events in the body that causes kidney damage. They
then injected mice with the amino acids to induce tolerance so the body did
not react to the harmful protein in the future. Mice in the control group
died on average after 35 weeks, while 80% of mice who had been treated were
still alive at 60 weeks, with the majority of them having no kidney damage.
Lupus, which causes inflammation of various organs, affects more than 1
million Americans. It can cause arthritis, skin rashes and strokes, destroy
heart valves and trigger a variety of other problems. About 5% of lupus
patients suffer kidney damage that either kills them or requires dialysis.
"A similar strategy might be developed to use in therapy of human lupus,"
said Dr. Bevra Hahn of UCLA, who led the research team. Hahn presented her
findings at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in
San Diego.
Survival rates of lupus have improved in recent years. The disease can be
treated with cortisone and chemotherapy drugs, but those drugs suppress the
entire immune system, thereby increasing the possibility of potentially
fatal infections. If Hahn's research eventually led to a treatment for
humans, it would have the advantage of not suppressing the overall immune
system. But it takes years of research to translate findings in mice into
treatments for humans, and most breakthroughs in animal tests eventually
fail in humans.
King of Prussia, PA.,11/20/98: PRNewswire: A Virginia woman's heart valve
damage lawsuit, which was scheduled for trial Dec. 7 against the makers of
fenfluramine, has settled for a confidential amount, Mealey Publications
has reported (Sabine Sisk v. A.H. Robins Company Inc., No. 971062, Va.
Cir., Alexandria City). Had it proceeded to trial, the action filed by
Sabine Sisk would have been the first fen-phen trial against pharmaceutical
companies. A.H. Robins Company Inc., Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories and
American Home Products Corp. were the remaining defendants; Sisk had
previously voluntarily dismissed the phentermine defendants. The lawsuit
was also notable because Sisk was one of the 24 patients in the initial
Mayo Clinic study on fen-phen use and heart valve damage. Sources said
Sisk was Patient No. 4 in that study, which appeared in the Aug. 28, 1997,
issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. Sisk, who is in her early
50s, sued in December 1997, alleging that she ingested Pondimin and
phentermine between May 1995 and May 1996. Sisk underwent surgery to
repair her mitral valve and is now partially disabled. Her lawsuit sought
$5 million in compensatory and punitive damages, plus interest.
Durham, NC: (Reuters): High amounts of an amino acid commonly found in the
blood of elderly people may be associated with Alzheimer's disease,
researchers reported Sunday. The findings are important because they
provide a hypothesis that it may be possible to prevent Alzheimer's disease
from developing in some potential sufferers since the amino acid can be
lowered by taking folic acid, said A. David Smith, a researcher. Smith and
Robert Clarke reported on a study of 164 patients aged 55 and older who had
Alzheimer's-type dementia. They found elevated levels of homocysteine in
the patients' blood.
M Howse, L Bindoff, A Carmichael, South Tees Acute Hospitals Trust,
Middlesbrough TS4 3BW UK: We report a case of facial vasculitic rash
associated with intravenous immunoglobulin to show that intravenous
immunoglobulin should be added to the list of drugs that can precipitate
cutaneous vasculitis. A 30 year old woman presented with an 18 month
history of slowly progressive dysaesthesia of her arms and legs and
weakness of her feet and hands. She was not taking any drugs and did not
have a history of atopy or rashes. Chronic inflammatory demyelinating
polyneuropathy was confirmed electromyelographically. Erythrocyte
sedimentation rate, C reactive protein, thyroid function, blood glucose
concentration, serum vitamin B-12 concentration, results of protein
electrophoresis, cerebrospinal fluid constituents, results of syphilis
serology, urinary porphyrin concentrations, and concentrations of
antinuclear antibody, extractable nuclear antigen antibodies, neutrophil
cytoplasmic antibody & ganglioside antibody were all normal or negative.
She was treated with intravenous human immunoglobulin (Sandoglobulin) 0.4
g/kg/day for five days.
On the third day of treatment she developed an itchy papular facial rash,
which deteriorated over the next week, extending to her upper back and
palms. Some lesions developed non-blanching purpura and others painful
superficial skin necrosis. She was not feverish and was systemically well.
Urine analysis gave negative results. A skin biopsy specimen showed a
leucocytoclastic vasculitis and no granulomata. The rash resolved with
clobetasone butyrate cream (Eumovate) twice a day and cetirizine 10 mg
daily for a week, leaving a few areas of scarring. The rash did not recur
over the next six months. In view of the severity of the reaction,
rechallenge was not considered to be ethical.
LABS: Another valuable resource for those wishing to find out just what
their implants are or to validate their condition: mtr@resch.com 402)
476-7616, (402) 476-7637 Resch Engineering, Inc. (Michael Resch) 227 N.
9th Street, Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68508
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. Harvesting the Fruit of Letting Go (Bastyr
University) Melody Beattie: LETTING GO...WITH LOVE: whenever possible,
be gentle with yourself and others. Find the balance between assertive
action taken in our own best interest, and love for others. Our path can be
a gentle one, walked in love, learning to set boundaries and detach.
LETTING GO...OF SADNESS: Many of us didn't have the tools, support or
safety we needed to acknowledge and accept pain and sadness in our past.
It's okay. Now we can begin the process of feeling what we have denied for
so long. It's okay to cry and feel the sadness many of us have stored for
so long. We can feel and release those feelings. LETTING GO ...OF FEAR:
Fear can motivate us to control situations or neglect ourselves. We may
have relied on fear to protect ourselves. But now, we can choose to live
life differently. It's time to thank our old fears for helping us survive,
then wave good-bye to them...and welcome peace, trust, acceptance and
safety. LETTING GO ...OF GUILT: the things we feel guilty about are not
always our issues. Another person may behave inappropriately or in some
way violate our boundaries. We challenge their behavior, they get angry
and defensive...then we feel guilty. Guilt can prevent us from setting the
boundaries that would be in our best interests. Guilt can stop us from
taking healthy care of ourselves. We don't have to be controlled by
guilt...we can let go of our guilty feelings and trust ourselves to know
when our boundaries are being violated. LETTING GO...OF A NEED TO CONTROL:
Letting go of our need to control can set us and others free. The rewards
from detachment are great...serenity; a deep sense of peace; the ability to
give and receive love in self-enhancing energizing ways; and the freedom to
find real solutions to our problems. LETTING GO ...OF PERFECTION: Stop
expecting perfection from yourself and those around you. Our expectations
need to be reasonable...and expecting perfection is not reasonable. Have,
and set boundaries. Have reasonable expectations. Strive to do your
best...and encourage others to do the same, but know that we and others
will make mistakes... know that we and others will have learning
experiences. LETTING GO...SELF DOUBT Many of us, so confident about our
ability to take care of others, doubt our inherent strength to care for
ourselves. We may have come to believe, from past or present
circumstances, that we need to take care of others and we need them to take
care of us. No matter where this self defeating belief was born, we can
release it and replace it with a better one, a healthier one, a more
accurate one...WE CAN TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES, whether we are in or out of a
relationship. LETTING GO...OF ANGER Anger is a powerful and sometimes
frightening emotion. It can be beneficial, if it's not allowed to harden
into resentment or used as a battering ram to punish or abuse people.
Anger is a warning signal. It points to problems needing to be solved; it
points to boundaries we need to set; or it may be the final burst of energy
before "letting go" or acceptance settles in. Remember to breathe deeply.
We can shamelessly feel all our feelings, including anger. We can take
responsibility for our behavior and learn to release our feelings in a
healthy way. ("the language of letting go" by Melody Beattie).
Cellular and Humoral Immunity: White blood cells (WBCs) can be considered
the soldiers of the immune system. They are manufactured in the bone
marrow, and mature cells constitute five different types: lymphocytes,
monocytes, basophils, neutrophils, and eosinophils. Mature WBCs "wiggle"
out of blood vessels into intercellular spaces filled with tissue fluid.
Here they can move freely to protect all tissues. The WBCs differentiate
into many forms, giving the immune defense force an impressive array of
physical and chemical weapons.
Some lymphocytes migrate into lymphatic tissues including the thymus and
lymph nodes. Here they are transformed into T-cells and B-cells that
provide cellular immunity to these organs. T-cells form several highly
specialized subsets including T-helper, T-suppresser, T-cytotoxic, T-4, and
T-8 cells. T-cells produce hormone-like proteins called cytokines, some of
which are interferon, interleukin and tumor necrosis (killing) factor.
B-cells turn into plasma cells that produce antibodies-including
immunoglobulins such as IgA, IgG and IgM--in response to an unwelcome
antigen. Antibodies "remember" the antigen and make it difficult for it to
get very far the next time it tries to enter the body. This gives the body
future protection against the outsider and is called humoral immunity.
Further differentiation of lymphocytes produces natural killer (NK) cells
that specialize in destruction of foreign cells like cancer when in the
presence of interferon. Monocytes swell into larger cells, called
macrophages, once they enter the tissue fluid. Some macrophages attach
themselves to strategic locations on tissues, while others roam about.
These large, active cells are constantly on the alert and are the first to
react when encountering infection or trauma. They initially form a rosette
shape, indicating their alarm, and then send a chemical message, the
enzymatic complement system, to other WBCs, alerting them to come quickly
and attack the invader.
After basophils migrate into intercellular spaces they form mast cells.
These proliferate in the presence of sensitizing allergens and release a
protein called histamine. Histamine's role is to protect the body, but
allergic over-sensitization of the immune response often makes histamine
seem like an enemy. Neutrophils function like scouts and foot soldiers
that rove about in search of bacteria and viruses that have entered the
body. These are the WBCs "notified" by macrophages when danger is present.
Once invaders are identified, the neutrophils move in to destroy the
invaders. Eosinophils may, unfortunately, be familiar to most of us
because these are the WBCs that increased dramatically in the group of
people who had taken contaminated L-tryptophan. Eosinophils respond when
chemical contaminants enter the body. Their job is to participate in the
inflammatory response that will remove the toxic threat. As we know, the
contaminant, not L-tryptophan, triggered the release of large numbers of
eosinophils.
8/13/98 Vertigoheel(R): Shown to be Safe and Effective in the Treatment of
Vertigo: A study published in the August issue of the American Medical
Association Journal Archives of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
shows that Vertigoheel(R), a prescription homeopathic medication, is as
effective and safe as betahistine, a histamine analogue considered standard
therapy in Europe for the management of vertigo symptoms. The publication
of this study in an AMA journal reflects the growing interest in
homeopathic medicine. In fact, in the July 15, 1998 issue of the Journal of
the American Medical Association (JAMA), a survey of readers identified
"alternative medicine" such as homeopathy, as one of the top ten topics of
which more information should be published.
Vestibular or balance disorders such as vertigo, dizziness, and motion
sickness affect approximately two million people in the U.S. Despite the
severity of vertigo, American physicians lack a conventional medication
proven to be an effective treatment for the disease. This study represents
the first equivalence trial comparing a homeopathic treatment for vertigo
to standard drug therapy. "This is the first time that the AMA has
published a study of a homeopathic drug, a study that was designed
according to modern scientific methodology," said Dana Ullman, MPH,
president of the Foundation for Homeopathic Education and Research, and
author of numerous books on homeopathy. "Other respected, peer-reviewed
medical publications such as The Lancet, Pediatrics and British Medical
Journal are now joined by the AMA's Archives of Otolaryngology in their
scientific review of homeopathic studies."
Spray starch contains silicone. Check labels.
Brain Injury: When brain injury occurs, irrespective of the cause, brain
blood flow is either directly or indirectly altered and almost invariably
decreased. In the region of the injury there is a continue decrease in
blood flow between the high flow at the edge of the wound to the absence of
blood flow in the center of the wound. The compromised blood flow implies
that there is a simultaneous decrease in blood pressure along the affected
vessels as well as a decrease in the oxygen delivered to the cells supplied
by those affected blood vessels. Significantly decreased blood flow,
accompanied by marked decreases in available oxygen , is referred to as
ischemia. Research in animals and humans showed that when the available
oxygen fall below a certain minimal level, the nerve cells, although alive,
become sluggish in their metabolism and can no longer conduct bio-electric
impulses. Brain cells which cannot conduct bio-electric impulses behave
as if they are metabolically sluggish and electrically non-functioning are
called idling neurons. The region of the wound in which idling neurons are
located is referred to as the ischemic penumbra. As the available oxygen
and blood flow drop by an additional 50% and the nerve cells eventually
die. The amount of brain tissue that dies depends primarily on the extent
of damage to and interference with brain blood flow. With tiny wounds,
such as may be seen in certain cases of brain decompression sickness, there
is less likelihood that the cells will die. However, with large wounds in
the brain, such as occur in major strokes, a fair amount of brain tissue
dies. However, all brain injuries have varying amounts of ischemic
penumbral areas containing idling neurons. Idling neurons may remain
quiescent for years.
How Oxygen Works: The exact mechanism whereby oxygen exerts its beneficial
effects on the brain is not known. It, too, is under investigation. The
investigators think that oxygen is working in the brain in a fashion
similar to the way it works in the treatment of other wounds. Oxygen is
know to stimulate: 1. The metabolism of nerve cells that have been
deprived of oxygen. 2. The removal of toxic metabolic products or waste. 3.
The efficiency of cells that clean out damaged and dead tissue. 4. The
number of cells that produce new connective tissue in the cleaned out
areas. 5. The amount of new connective tissue to fill in the empty spaces.
6. The formation of new blood vessels that will provide a continuous
source of oxygen, nutrients and the removal of waste products for all the
new cells that have been formed. Neurbauer and Gorrlieb, based on their
clinical studies have found that in their experience has supported the
hypothesis in that patients with chronic brain injury or various etiologies
have responded favorably to HYPERBARIC Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).
In California, check out this address for hyperbaric help at a reasonable
cost. Susan is a silicone survivor who trained and opened a clinic for us.
The address is: Rapid Recovery Hyperbarics, 1455 N Waterman Ave
124,125,126, San Bernardino, CA. hyperbaric1@earthlink.net (909) 989-3378
INFORMATION AVAILABLE: Too good to be true???????? 10-3-98: New Herbal
Product Featured on the Maury Povich Show Causes Women's Breasts To Grow!
Las Vegas' own Angela Harris appeared on the Maury Povich show on July
28th, 1998. She spoke about her revolutionary new product, Grobust. Yes, it
does what its name says, it causes women's breasts to grow. Maury Povich
says that the most-asked-about product that he has ever featured on the
show was the Grobust. The show was literally inundated with telephone calls
for weeks after the show. Angela Harris is truly a remarkable woman. She
was on Maury's Home Remedies show to briefly discuss the Grobust product,
but there is more to the story than that! She was diagnosed with deadly
lymphoma when she was pregnant with her 6th child. She refused traditional
treatment, and instead opted for alternative herbal treatments. In effect,
she ended up curing her own cancer, and now has 7 children. She works
throughout the United States and Mexico teaching cancer patients her
methods and is responsible for saving many lives! She also works with
women who are unable to conceive, helping them to balance their hormones,
and has a VERY high success rate. In working with these women, one of the
outstanding results, (other than successful pregnancies), is the fact that
they all increased their bust size. Hence, she refined and perfected an
herbal product that causes women's breasts to grow. This is noteworthy
because many women are so desperate to increase their breast size they are
resorting to mutilating their own bodies with implant surgery. Angela's
success rate has been 90%, at a fraction of the cost of implant surgery.
Since we have been working with women and this new herbal product, it has
become painfully obvious that this is a VERY serious problem. What was once
thought of as a vanity issue, it is now known to be much more important
than that. Many times a day, we have women call us who are in obvious
mental anguish. They will not wear a bathing suit, they cannot look at
themselves in the mirror, they will not undress in front of their husbands,
or worse yet, they will not allow themselves to get close to a man, all
because of their insecurities because of their small breasts. We have
"saved" many women from undergoing the dangerous implant surgery and would
like to get the word out even more. Angela is available for television or
radio interviews. If you would like more information about the Grobust and
the remarkable success she has had with women enlarging their breast size
1-3 cup sizes without invasive surgery, please do not hesitate to contact
me. Warmest regards, Karen Sheldon (800) 887-9130
IMPORTANT: Health and Medical Issues in the News: Are Researchers PAID
Off? The health implications of PAID are indeed worrisome, particularly
the potential for research bias. This patient, er, doctor exhibits an
advanced case of Pecuniary Associated Infectious Disease. (A.
Shepherd/ABCNEWS.com) By Nicholas Regush ABCNEWS.com: This menace to
public health is known as PAID (Pecuniary Associated Infectious Disease).
In recent years, there have been outbreaks, and, of late, members of the
medical research community appear to be falling victim, like flies to
sticky tape. The cause of PAID? It's believed to be fistfuls of research
money, along with special consulting trips to Europe, Hawaii and Asia and
an assortment of trinkets (like computers) for educational review. The
suppliers are corporations that manufacture drugs, medical devices and the
like. Tell-tale PAID Symptoms: A possible cofactor for the disease is the
pursuit of recognition within the research ranks, which is mainly realized
by heavily sponsored travel to special conferences where learned
commentaries can be imparted in the limelight. Afterwards, there will be
special meals, along with treats for spouses. This is all known as PAID
Status. One of the early symptoms of PAID is the belief by the recipients
of these special benefits that their research will in no way be influenced
by the expectations of their benefactors. This is known as PAID Denial. At
this stage of progression, typical pronouncements include "I am fully
capable of withstanding any pressure from my sponsors, and, I can be truly
objective." One recent instance of PAID Denial made the news when three
doctors editorialized in the British Medical Journal against the idea that
Prozac and similar antidepressant drugs are addictive, a controversial
issue. When it was later learned that Prozac's manufacturer, Eli Lilly,
had sponsored the doctors trip to a symposium in Phoenix, some observers
naturally wondered about their editorial stance. One of the authors told
the journal that he didn't think his relationship with Lilly was important.
Typical. You Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours. A sure sign that PAID
is highly infectious comes from the study published this year in the New
England Journal of Medicine, showing that the vast majority of authors who
backed a controversial group of heart disease drugs called calcium channel
blockers had financial relationships with manufacturers of these products.
Most didn¼t even think of disclosing the ties. Such group behavior is known
as PAID Spread. In contrast, among those critical of the drugs, there were
far fewer financial relationships with the companies. I think I know what
may lie at the core of PAID: The afflicted are actually embarrassed to
tell all, particularly when they wish to express a strong point of view
about a product. For example, sometimes receive letters from irate medical
researchers questioning the intelligence of reports that I produce for
World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. A little bit of digging usually
reveals that the researchers have financial ties with companies whose
products are under scrutiny. In other words, PAID Secrets.
PAID Promotion is the stage reached when the researcher with company
backing ends up hyping the very same product he or she was testing.
Implications and Treatment. The health implications of PAID are indeed
worrisome, particularly the potential for research bias, which, in turn,
might lead to exaggerated claims of benefit for a product and minimization
of safety issues. Fortunately, there is now much discussion of PAID in
the medical literature. And there is financial ties that may inhibit
complete consideration of the scientific picture. It's late in the epidemic
for excuses. Unfortunately, there is no reliable treatment for PAID.
Dr. George Lundberg, editor of the Journal of the American Medical
Association, has stated that the issue of financial disclosure is broad and
difficult and that many journals have strict guidelines. Absolutely true.
Nonetheless, epidemics require aggressive surveillance. Perhaps the medical
journals could all try a little harder to ferret out PAID Secrets.
Otherwise, we all start to think that the drug ads which help them keep
publishing are somehow PAID related. Medical researchers and journal
publishers aren't the only ones affected by PAID. Next we all look at how
PAID affects medical reporting. (Nicholas Regush)
BOOKS: A new breast implant book is out: Silicone Spills: Breast Implants
on Trial by Mary White Stewart. It is published by Praeger Press of
Greenwood Publishing Group in Westport, CT. You can find this book at
Barnes & Noble or on the internet at Amazon.com Mary is a professor at a
Univ. In Nevada and her brother is an attorney.
THIS MONTH'S POEM:
Truth in Science?
Well, I guess I should be disillusioned
Or angry, or frustrated, or more.
Or maybe I should just ignore it
(I know I've done that before.)
I can't say that I'm surprised
Though disappointed I certainly am
For an opportunity again has been lost
To expose this breast implant scam.
Once again we've been ignored
(Did they really want to see?)
For a veritable treasure trove
Our medical records could be!
Biased studies will never bring truth
And ignoring us won't make us leave.
For truth will out-no matter what
Even though the companies'deceive.
Truth has a way of finding a path
Time will be shown as a friend
For those who doubt our resolve
To you, this message we send.
Even the National Science Panel
Will not suppress what we know
Nothing has changed, we are still sick
And we have a lot to show.
Our words will never be squelched
And our fight will never end
When one tires, two more stand up
This deception to transcend.
So keep your biased science
Keep your lies and your deceit
The fight is just beginning
Your corruption to defeat.
Your denials still continue
You've gone to extreme lengths
But you underestimate our will
You just don't know our strength.
While today you may seem strong
We've had our day before.
Truth is always on our side
We'll even up the score.
THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS NEWSLETTER ARE THOSE OF THE EDITOR AND ANY
CONTRIBUTORS AND ARE NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. ANY
ARTICLES OR INFORMATION SUBMITTED MAY BE EDITED BECAUSE OF SPACE, CONTENT
OR GRAMMATICAL ERRORS.
LYNDA ROTH, EDITOR
PREVIOUS NEWSLETTER INFORMATION: Previous issues of newsletters available:
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indicate months' desired and proper sums. Some covered subjects:
Auto-immune 1/93; Fibromyalgia 2/93; Medical Testing 3/93; Sjogren's 4/93;
Vasculitis 4/93; Arthritis 5/93; Chronic Fatigue 6/93; Lupus 7/93;
Irritable Bowel Syndrome & Inflammatory Bowel Disease 8/93; Insurance 8/93,
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Dystrophy 1/94; Misc. Med. Info. II 2/94; Scleroderma 3/94; Costochondritis
4/94; Peripheral Neuropathy 4/94; Class Action 5/94; Fungal Infections
6/94; Hypercalcemia (low calcium) 7/94; Raynaud's Phenomenon 8/94;
Fibromyalgia Update 9/94; Sarcoidosis 10/94; Free Radicals 11/94;
Porphyria 12/94; Interstitial Cystitis 1/95; Mixed Connective Tissue
Disease 2/95; Flap Procedures 3/95; Misc. Med. 4/95; Thyroid Disease 5/95;
Stress 6/95; Natural Healing 7/95; Adrenal Malfunctions 8/95; Multiple
Myeloma 9/95; DHEA 10/95; Chelation Therapy 11/95; Sleep Disorders 12/95;
Meniere's Disease 1/96; 33 Tips to Improve Your Health 2/96; Amino Acids
3/96; Enzymes 4/96; Minerals 5/96; Aluminum Toxicity, DHEA Update 6/96;
Addictions & Food Sensitivities 7/96; Misc. Med. Info. IV 8/96; Misc. Med.
Info. V 9/96; Misc. Med. Info. VI 10/96; Misc. Med. Info. VII 11/96;
Transcient Ischemic Attacks 12/96; Symptoms of Breast Implant Problems
1/97; Pap Tests 2/97; Parasitic Infections 3/97; B-Complex Deficiency
Syndrome 4/97; Myofascial Pain Syndrome 5/97; Inositol 6/97; Misc. Med.
Info. VIII 7/97; High Blood Pressure 8/97; Plaquenil 9/97; Misc. Med. Info.
IX 10/97; Misc. Med. Info. X 11/97; Gastroesophageal or acid reflux 12/97;
Smoking Dangers 1/98; Misc. Med XI 2/98; Multiple
Chemical Sensitivities 3/98; Misc. Med. XII 4/98; Misc. Med. XIII 5/98;
Baylor Studies 6/98; Hyperbaric Oxygen 7/98; IOM Summaries 8/98; CFS 9/98;
Trace Metal Toxicology 10/98; Restless Leg Syndrome, Tamoxifen 11/98;
Legal info. and info. on Alternative Medicine Info. contained in most issues.
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