thimerosil

[Jimjams]

Interesting article on thimerosil:

www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,7,00.html

(thanks tamum)

BTW if you want thimerosil free DTP for your children ask for the brand Infanrix-hib. NHS surgeries will order it in for you if you ask.

(Just as an aside I think thimerosil - or at least the DTP- was the first push towards autism for ds1).

i heard it this pm - disturbing. will be looking into this further for no 2.

not sure it's aimed at the wrong target robinw- just that they've missed one Autistic children tend to have very dodgy immune systems (very hypersensitive) and I'm pretty sure different factors can kick off autism. The best estimates suggest that about 10% of autism may be triggered by the MMR (or at least that is the final straw) but that still leaves 90% with other causes. Of course some of these will have pre-natatl causes but there will be other factors as well. Frequent use of antibiotics seems to be very common amongst children with the type of autism now recognised asa "allergy induced"- and these children also appear to not respond very well to vacinations. Who knows it could be the thimerosil - or it could be the vaccinations themselves). One interesting thing is that autistic children often have high levels of toxic compounds such as lead- maybe they just aren't very good at detoxifying heavy metals and are therefore susceptible to damage from compounds such as thimerosil? It just comes down to where the level of acceptable collateral lies really.

Here is a link to the radio 4 programme with a written summary:

www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/fileon4/index.shtml

As always, the government's incentive behind not distributing mercury-free vaccines has to be financial. The drugs companies provide them in bulk the way they always have and it would be very expensive to change. Despite the fact that the level of mercury babies receive through their vaccines in their first 3 months is 40x higher than that recommended that women should ingest when anticipating being pregnant, being pregnant and breastfeeding.

Jimjams - have been chatting to my dh about the mercury. I dont know if you know about the study with children and mercury in their hair? A study he has read discovered that autistic children have lower levels of mercury in their hair than children who arent autistic, and the more profound the ASD, the less mercury they have in their hair. The theory is that autistic children cant metabolise mercury and therefore get it into their hair, it stays in their body somewhere. He's not sure where he read it but thinks it must have been somewhere in the medical press. So what you said about lead and heavy metals is certainly true.
Must go, but thought you would like to know that. You could probably find it online somewhere but dont know where, sorry. Dh's practice are looking into going mercury free, but arent sure how feasible it is going to be.

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Wow fantastic info. Dd is due to have pre school boosters next week will enquire about mercury free. Thanks

susanmt- brilliant thanks- that makes perfect sense. In fact I think (from dim and distant memory) it sits in their brains! (therefore a little difficult to measure!) Robinw- many autistic children have a high level of IAG in their urine (ds1 does). What this means is that all their membranes are extra leaky- hence the gut problems but also the blood brain barrier. I think it makes sense really. In the good old days of the 80's when children weren't given as many vaccinations the ones they were given (DTP polio) were more spread out. DTP (ie the ones containing thimerosil) were given at 12 weeks- 3 months later this was follwd by polio (thimerosil free) then 6-8 weeks after that they received second DTP and 2 to 4 months after that they received the third DTP. That gives a considerably longer time to metabolise thimerosil. I suspect that susecptible children are now overwhelmed with thimerosil at 8, 12 and 16 weeks, off it goes to their brains and oh dear they're stuffed. Of course this has all hapened so early the parents are then told it is "genetic" and to stop whinging.

Oh dear I'm far too cynical for someone who's just been on holiday.

BTW our consultant refused to check ds1's mercury levels (although from the sounds of it a low level would have been bad!). Does anyone know the best way to check levels and how to go about it?

Jimjams - please can I pick your brain, I've read loads of threads re: mmr/autism and you really know your stuff! Could you tell me if you've read anywhere that dd could be contra-indicated for mmr as her grandmother has shoegrens syndrome and rheumatoid arthiritis both of which are immune system disorders? I've been wading through mmr/autism stuff for 2 days and my brain is fried. Thanks for any help you can give.

It won't be contrindicated officially.

Are there other autoimmune conditions in the family? I wouldn't worry too much about a grandma just because it's not a particularly close relationship in genetic terms. Certainly the children I know tend to have a ridiculous number of autoimmune conditions in the family. Having said that it's always wise to be careful with MMR if in any doubt. Are there any signs of eczema or asthma for your dd?

The best place to ask for advice really is the Autism Research Unit in Sunderland (I've put links elsewhere- but google will get you there if not). Paul Shattock is great. He won't tell you whether or not to go for MMR but he would be able to point you in the direction of the lastest research (I'm not all that up to date at the moment). Also might be worth seeing if you can track down a Natasha Campbell McBride in Cambridge- she really knows her stuff on this issue (she's a qualified dr, but works as a nutritionist in private practice so can be a bit more outspoken).

Jimjams - thanks for your reply, I am going to look at univ. of sunderland. Have decided to go for singles now, so am on quest for reputable clinic but can see from other threads that jabs is a good place to go, so I'll start the trawl. Thanks again

Now the hols are over we are getting back onto the immunisation trail. As previously reported, I had no trouble getting Infanrix for my baby but now need to know if Hiberix and Menjugate and thimerosil-free. I've got the leaflets from the packets and can't see the word thimerosil anywhere on either but I'd like to check. I can go to the Holborn Medical Centre and get mercury-free privately whcih I'm happy to do but it would be easier just to go to my GP's baby clinic. We have an appointment tomorrow afternoon but if nothing else we can have the last Infanrix while I check out the others. Thanks.

I shouldn't be lazy and should have checked Google first! Just found this link which says that both Infanrix and Menjugate and thimerosil free. Hooray! Much more convenient and cheaper
INFO

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I have a 10 year old daughter that is autistic/mentally retarded. Austism is such a blanket term. We have tested her for everything.
We have another daughter that is older by about a year and a half.
Both were born through midwives. They monitored my blood levels for everything. The first was born as a 10 on the scale...screaming, pink etc. The second was slightly lower but we called her our "by the book baby". She hit all the steps right on schedule...crawling, sitting etc. She had words, would play...she was normal.
When we moved I decided we had to have her vaccinated because we were going to a different state and she was due for her MMR. The only difference was we got it through the city hall and not her and her sisters regular doctor.
Thimerisol was in the vaccines at that time. It was the only difference in the two sisters. I noticed almost immediately a loss of words (she doesn't speak now) and it progressed to the point where she wasn't anything more than a lifelike doll. She wouldn't acknowledge anyone, she didn't respond to sounds (we had her hearing checked, she isn't deaf) and I was floored when a neurologist pronounced her "autistic".
She isn't potty trained, she doesn't speak and she started school at age 3 because we couldn't get her into a program before that age.
The government refuses to believe Thimerisol has any effect on children becoming autistic. They won't even know if there is a significant drop in autistic numbers until 2011 when all the vaccinations have changed over.
I've heard all the arguments. I used to be so pro vaccination but now I consider myself naive. The government (and your doctors) aren't going to take care of your autistic children. Neither are any of the other lucky parents that consider your child a threat to their herd immunity groups. Do your research and make the best decisions (informed decisions) that you can. In the long run only you and your child will benefit from this.