Toxicity and Complications
of Breast Implants
The
most serious complications include toxic shock syndrome, implants breaking
through the skin, or skin dying. A few studies have shown that patients
have died or had gangrene as a result of breast augmentation surgery. These
are rare but they do happen. Many breast augmentation patients need additional
surgery within 5 years of getting breast implants. Within 10-12 years,
most women will need at least one additional surgery. 4 out of 10 reconstruction
patients need additional surgery within three years of getting implants.
Breast augmentation may interfere with your ability to breastfeed. There
are serious concerns about whether a leaking implant could harm a nursing
infant, but no studies have been conducted. What
You Need to Know Before You Get Breast Implants
BREAST IMPLANTS STORIES
Mindy's Saline Breast Implants
Story: The Toxicity and Sickness that Followed and Mindy's Recovery
"My name is Mindy and I'm 29 years old. I wasn't happy with the
way I looked and felt about myself so I wanted breast implants. My Aunt
and a few other's told me to love myself and don't get these breast implants.
My Aunt told me that sometimes your body won't accept foreign objects but
I was so stubborn I didn't listen to anyone because Doctors and FDA said
the saline were safe. A saline breast implant is a sac (implant shell)
made of silicone elastomer (rubber), which is surgically implanted under
your chest tissues and/or muscle, and then filled with saline, a saltwater
solution, through a valve. They were approved by the FDA in May 2000.
So on March.31, 2005 I had FDA approved McGan style 68 smooth, round
saline
implants put into my body with a breast lift and I had surgical drains
in for three weeks that measured out a coffee cup of blood a day.
I also had an infection in the left breast. It was about six months
after my surgery I became extremely tired and very depressed. I thought
at first maybe it was the stress of the surgery. Then I got more
fatigue,
insomnia, depressed, cold and numb hands and feet, dry mouth, dry eyes,
night sweats, muscle and breast pain. I started losing my hair
by the hand full, I had no sex drive, the worst part
it was difficult
to hold my children and at one point I needed help to the shower and getting
dressed. I went to numorous doctors from Internists, Rheumatologists,
Neurologists, Gynocolgists, Family Practioners and I had brain MRI's, hundreds
of blood tests, breast MRI'S and mamograms. Every single test came
back normal so then the doctors would tell me this wasn't the breast implants.
Doctors would say; they are made of water they can't harm you. Doctor's
would say; they are FDA Approved HA! HA!
Since I couldn't get any relief from the doctor I had to do something
because I felt like I was slowly dying and all the energy in my body left.
It
felt like the life out of my body had left and I quietly felt like I was
a vegetable. Everyone thought I was crazy and no one would believe
me about my symptoms and that hurt me the worst. I was always a person
full of life and excitement and always smiling and bubbly and my Aunt took
some notice because I quit calling her and people in general it was just
too exhausting. I kept on trying to fight a fight to find a reason why
my spirit my health was going down hill so fast.
I got some relief from natural medicine but not complete relief
so then I tried taking about 20 different vitamins a day but still felt
sick to some degree. After my Aunt got involved she did listen to me but
my husband didn't believe that it was the implants, so her and my uncle
had to listen to both side's but my Aunt was close to me and she said,
when something is going on in the body physically and can affect you mentally
so she wanted me to start with the depression so I could see through the
fog. I knew it was the implants and that hurt so much because I needed
some one on my side. My Aunt did believe me but she wanted me to start
ruling out things since I have been going to natural doctors and got a
little relief. She searched the internet because she was good on the internet
and it gave me somewhat hope again and she tried to pick me up but inside
I felt like I was looking on the outside and dying on the inside but because
someone was helping me now it helped me search again.
Than I found this doctor in Atlanta and she ordered me a blood test
in my State from her office in her State. So I took a mold test called
the Alpha MSH TEST and it came back positive for black mold in the summer
of 2007. My Aunt wanted me to take some anti depressants and I told everyone
I was and just tried to fool them because I knew I wasn't crazy and maybe
they would have helped but I wanted nothing but the answers to why my body
changed to begin with. I don't smoke I don't drink and I’ve always been
an active person and exercised and my whole life changed after these implants
were in my body. So with my Aunt's support she help lift me somewhat but
I had someone in my corner and believe me that matters when everyone thinks
your crazy or you know deep down inside you are dying inside and no-one
is listening including the only one that can help you THE MEDICAL DOCTORS.
I never felt so hopeless in my life.
I
did some more research on my own and come to find out an
Implant shell is made of silicone and there are 40 different TOXIC METALS
on the outside shell of every implant: tin, zinc, or platinum lead, cadmium,
mercury, arsenic just to name a few. The FDA breast implant
advisor said yes the toxic metals are there but in small amounts and aren't
harmful to the human body that is such a joke heavy metals are heavy metals
they are harmful in any level and are a killer. I told all theses doctors
and they all thought I was crazy. So I went to a MD but he believes in
Natural Medicine too and he tested me for these metals and My test were
off the charts with all high Metals in my body and I had an overgrowth
of yeast all over my body too. (click
here to view Mindy's blood test result that shows the various levels of
toxic metals that had leaked from her silicone breast implants into her
body and devastated her health.)
I have so many medical bills from this and my husband lost some of his
hair from the 2.5 years of hell we went through. My children missed
out on there happy, bubbly mom and instead had a mom that laid around sick
not being able to play with them, hold them, laugh with them. I can’t tell
you how many times I felt like fainting, my hair loss was everyday by the
handfuls. My husband had to carry me I don’t know how many times. I was
disabled and no one could help me. I then decided it was time to rid my
body of these horrible things. This cost us our life savings and almost
my marriage. My husband was so stressed because I was stressed and I wasn’t
the person he married, it created my husbands hair to fall out which ended
up turning into an Autoimmune
Disease. My children were depressed because they lost their mommy physically
because I wasn’t the same person. This affected my whole family.
My Aunt was doing research to help her ex husband that had cancer. That's
when she learned about a powerfull
immune booster product and how this natural product can helps
build the Immune system. She witnessed this immune booster product raise
this man's white blood cell count dramatically - it trippled his
amount of white blood cells . Doctors at the hospital had never seen anything
like this - they were simply amazed because none of their conventional
medicine could produce the results that a simple inexpensive natural product,
like this product
could.
I took this
immune booster product before the surgery to remove my breast implants.
I took double the recommended dosage of 2 capsules a day. I had
warned the surgeon that I was a bleeder because of all the blood I lost
when I had the implants put in. Because of this immune product, I
experienced very little swelling and the bleeding was minimal. Again, the
surgeon was amazed - he could not believe his eyes! I have healed
wonderfully and now I am taking this
product for my recovery and I am taking the special cream
to promote the healing of my scar tissue.
Removing those implants on October.2, 2007 was the best thing I could
have done for myself. Just a day after surgery I felt like a new person!
No more pain, my energy level and vitality was back. My 13-year-old daughter
who had been complaining that I wasn't the same person after the implants,
was overjoyed to have her mom back. She said: "Mom you have taught
me to love myself the way God made me and to never alter my body."
A study of 56 women with silicone implants and scleroderma
(skin thickening which damages tissues) revealed that scleroderma symptoms
developed an average of nine years after implantation. Of these, 77% also
had Raynaud's
phenomenon (extreme skin pallor and coldness in hands and feet), 53%
had swallowing difficulties, 47% had lung problems, and 83% had antinuclear
antibodies. (Current Topics in Microbiological Immunology
210 [1996], 283-90.) Doctors at the CompreCare Clinic in Houston,
Texas, found that 26 women developed a systemic disease with central nervous
system involvement (resembling multiple
sclerosis) an average of 5.7 years after receiving silicone implants.
(Southern
Medical Journal 89:2 [February 1996], 179-88.)
Doctors at the Louisiana State University Medical Center at New Orleans
examined 300 women (average age, 44) with silicone implants and musculoskeletal
complaints. The symptoms developed an average of 6.8 years after receiving
the implants; 83% had symptoms highly suggestive of an underlying connective
tissue disorder;and 54% met the criteria for a fibromyalgia
(chronic muscle pain) diagnosis. (Clinical Rheumatology 14:6
[November 1995], 667-672.) According to Douglas R. Shanklin, M.D.,
and David L. Smalley, M.D., both professors of pathology at the University
of Tennessee at Memphis, there is little if any difference between the
effects of direct injection [of silicone] and the effects of gel-filled
devices [implants]. In either case, the human body reacts to the presence
of this alien substanceî by forming granulomas which then produce
a chronic
inflammation. Direct injection of silicone into
the breast for enlargement was outlawed because it produced serious, toxic
effects in women; it is illogical, state Drs. Shanklin and Smalley,
that this practice is still permitted via ruptured leaking implants. (Science
and Medicine 3:5 [September/October 1996], 22-31.) more...
List of
toxic ingredients in my implants.
I had a wonderful caring doctor in Dallas Texas who removed my implants
. He was honest and compassionate. He understood everything I was going
through. Dr.
Melmed MD didn't only care about what I was going through he cared
about the way I looked and felt about myself after the removal. He is an
artist with his work and he truley cares about the women that suffer from
Saline Breast Implants because he knows they have been mislead by the silicone
shells that hold the saline. I would highly recommend this doctor no matter
what the cost because he cares for the women inside and out. I credit both
Dr. Melmed and the powerfull
immune booster product for giving me my life back. I also used
this cream
after the surgery which has helped with any scarring. (Dr.
Edward Melmed, M.D can be contacted at 972-566-7755
Mindy
and Patricia, as well as other member of the support group are available
for help and support to women who are experiencing the horrific side effects
of breast implants, but have little or no hope of recovery because doctors
do not listen to them and do not believe them. Mindy and
other
victims of breast implants are willing to appear on talk shows and
tell our stories on Saline or Silicone Implants to the world. If you would
like to share YOUR breast implant story, please
or call her at 602-790-7030 or cell 281-772-3269. If you'd like to
share your breast implant story for review and posting on this website,,
please include your full name, address and phone number. Your information
remains private. We will only use your first name unless you specify otherwise.
(NOTE: If the
email links above do not work for you, you can use
this contact page.)
Dr. Edward Melmed articles:
Implants
still not safe --- Do
My Breast Implants Have a Warranty?
Other Breast Implant Horror
Stories: Gretchen
--- Rose
--- Jeena
--- Pam
--- Tracey
--- Lisa
--- Mary
--- CJ
--- Justine
--- Cindi
--- Jen
--- Shirl
--- Linda
--- Ang
--- Mandy
--- Ann
--- Anna
--- Phyllis
---
Lipstick
--- Rosanne
--- Donna
--- Pixie
--- Keli
--- Mary
R. --- Kathy
R --- Maria
--- Patty
--- Dawn
--- Tanya
--- Gena
--- Sunny
--- Shari
--- AzJay---
Jean
--- Pam
2 --- Terri
--- Coral
--- Nikki
--- Kacey
--- Sjeanine
--- Vondell
--- Lynn
J --- Beth
-- TxJade
Other
Breast Implant Sickness Stories
Humantics
Foundation Breast Implants: Recovery & Discovery
FDA
Breast Implant Consumer Handbook
Dr.
Jerry Tennant, MD - "The high density of nutrients found in marine
phytoplankton algae is extremely important to maintain human cell membranes
in structure and function. This is vital for cell detoxification, and for
the overall metabolism of human cells."
Dr. Ted H Spence, DDS, ND, PhD/DSc, MPH - "Detoxification comes
in many forms and refers to many
different programs that cleanse the body of toxins. Today, our environment
is toxic and the foods we eat, even the air we breathe and the water we
drink is laden with chemicals foreign to our system. Therefore, everyone
is undergoing some type of detoxification to maintain life and health.
Although basic detoxification begins with diet, detox programs may include
nutritional fortification for the liver, lungs, kidneys, bowels and blood.
Detoxification for the body may refer to the cleansing of the bowels, kidneys,
lungs, the liver or the blood, since these are the organs involved in detoxification
of chemicals and toxins from the body. The liver acts as an in-line filter
for the removal of foreign substances and wastes from the blood. The kidneys
filter wastes from the blood into the urine, while the lungs remove volatile
gases as we breathe."
Do
you have a question or need guidance? Tamara Gonsor volunteers her
time to provide guidance and support in your quest to find relevant information.
She can be reached at 602-790-7030 or cell
281-772-3269 (USA) or
.
FDA
Breast Implants: Complications and Reoperations
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) completed its independent review of
past and ongoing scientific research of silicone [both saline-filled and
silicone-gel filled] breast implant safety in June 1999
Breast implant manufacturers Inamed Aesthetics and Mentor Corporation
were asked by the FDA to conduct research on saline breast implant complications
occurring in breast augmentation and reconstruction patients. Here are
the Top 10 issues after 5 years.
9% Implant is in a bad position.
10% Loss of nipple sensation.
10% Intense, painful nipple sensation.
12% Asymmetry. (breasts look different from each other)
12% Implant can be felt or seen.
12% Implant replacement / removal for any reason.
11% Capsular contracture. (hardening of breast)
14% Wrinkled appearance of breast.
17% Breast Pain.
26% Needed another operation.
Prospective studies of saline-filled breast implants approved by FDA
in May 2000 showed re-operation rates of 13-21% at 3 years and 20-26% at
5 years for augmentation patients. The same studies showed re-operation
rates of 39-40% at 3 years and 43-45% at 5 years for reconstruction patients.
Implant Removal Rates
Prospective studies of saline-filled breast implants approved by FDA
in May 2000 showed implant removal rates of 8% at 3 years and 12-14% at
5 years for augmentation patients. The same studies showed implant removal
rates of 23-27% at 3 years and 28-30% at 5 years for reconstruction patients.
What is a Saline Breast Implant?
A saline breast implant is a sac (implant
shell) made of silicone elastomer (rubber),
which is surgically implanted under your chest tissues and/or muscle, and
then filled with saline, a saltwater solution, through a valve. They were
approved by the FDA in May 2000.
![Doctors at the Louisiana State University Medical Center at New Orleans examined 300 women (average age, 44) with silicone implants and musculoskeletal complaints. The symptoms developed an average of 6.8 years after receiving the implants; 83% had symptoms highly suggestive of an underlying connective tissue disorder;and 54% met the criteria for a fibromyalgia (chronic muscle pain) diagnosis. (Clinical Rheumatology 14:6 [November 1995], 667-672.) According to Douglas R. Shanklin, M.D., and David L. Smalley, M.D., both professors of pathology at the University of Tennessee at Memphis, there is little if any difference between the effects of direct injection [of silicone] and the effects of gel-filled devices [implants]. In either case, the human body reacts to the presence of this alien substanceî by forming granulomas which then produce a chronic inflammation. Direct injection of silicone into the breast for enlargement was outlawed because it produced serious, toxic effects in women;](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/411855XG9TL._AA240_.jpg)
Toxic
Silicone Poisoning - The TRUE Breast Implant Stories:
The TRUTH of the GREATEST TRAVESTY AGAINST WOMEN in the 20th century
To reveal to the "people"
what has actually happened to these women before and after implantation
and their sufferings and realizations concerning the manipulation of general
opinion and media interests by large corporations and the major cover-up
that has taken place in this medical device industry. There are thirty-eight
known chemicals in the manufacturing and contents of silicone gel filled
breast implants! These thirty-eight chemicals are all toxic alone
if inhaled, ingested, or even handled; some causing cancer, some causing
neurological damage; organ damage or tissue damages. Combined all
together; however, they become a “chemical soup” that the F D A, the government,
the National Institute of Medicine, the Judicial System, the manufacturers
and their public relations’ firms, their lawyers, and the medical community
have allowed to be classified as a “medical device” and “suitable for implantation”
in the human
body! In the “informed consent” papers one must sign before having
the surgery for implantation of these “medical devices” no where does it
state any information about this “chemical soup”, no where does it state
any of the damage that could take place with these toxic “things” in the
human body!
Do
you have a question or need guidance? Tamara Gonsor volunteers her
time to provide guidance and support in your quest to find relevant information.
She can be reached at 602-790-7030 or cell
281-772-3269 (USA) or
.
450,000
Siliconized Women Sue
Hundreds of thousands of women with breast implants—both silicone and
saline—filed lawsuits against implant manufacturers in the 1990s. Yet the
implants remained available in clinical trials for the next 13 years so
that the manufacturer could gather long-term safety data.
In 1984, setting a precedent for all women with implants and silicone-associated
illnesses, a woman named Maria Stern won $1.5 million in damages for autoimmune
symptoms produced by her implants. Litigation momentum has been building
ever since. By 1995, an estimated 450,000 American women had qualified
to be part of a gigantic $4.25 billion class action suit against the silicone
implant manufacturers. Many of the injured women fell through the litigation
cracks in 1995 when Dow Corning, one of the principal defendants, declared
bankruptcy, thereby taking itself conveniently off the fiscal hook. But
now that Dow Corning has agreed to a smaller global settlement ($3.2 billion
allocated, announced in July 1998), perhaps some injured women will finally
receive at least some recompense.
As medical authorities and scientific experts continually downplay the
risks of implants and assert that no association between implants and symptoms
has been proven, the case for silicone implant toxicity is growing, fueled
in large measure by the fact-finding efforts of the Plaintiffís
Steering Committee 
(PSC)
for the National Breast Implant Litigation, consolidated in Birmingham,
Alabama. This national committee, appointed by U.S. District Court Judge
Sam Pointer, is comprised of 17 attorneys from around the country.
The nationally consolidated cases are known as the Silicone Gel Breast
Implant Product Liability, Multi-District Litigation Action No. 926.Part
of the Committeeís job, according to Karen E. Read, chief staff
attorney for the PSC Office of Liaison Counsel, is to gather and organize
evidence suitable for use in any and all court actions against the silicone
implant makers. In legal terms, itís called discovery. learn
more
Since their introduction in 1962, silicone breast implants have been
surgically emplaced in an estimated two million American women. Some women
get them as part of breast reconstruction therapy following mastectomy
for breast cancer, but the majority get them because they want larger breasts.
Now, 36 years later, it is alarmingly apparent that bigger, siliconized
breasts can be hazardous to your health. We are beginning to see that the
real cost of cosmetic breast enhancement may not be the $6,000 in surgical
fees to implant them, but a host of autoimmune
symptoms and strange illnesses that can crop up, typically within about
seven years of implantation. Breast pain, breast hardness, and numbness
in the nipple are common complications that 
may
last for years, and may never go away. Breast pain, breast hardness,
and numbness in the nipple are common complications that may last for years,
and may never go away. Scientific
evidence proves that: Silicone breast implants can produce autoimmune
illnesses
Science
On Trial: The Clash pf Medical Evidence and the Law in the Breast Implant
Case
Angell, executive editor
of the New England Journal of Medicine, explores here a preposterous situation:
an industrial giant, Dow Corning, forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy by
numerous lawsuits filed on behalf of recipients of Dow's silicone breast
implants?despite the fact that medical evidence to date shows no link between
implants and autoimmune disorders, cancer or any other disease. In a style
that ranges from gently didactic to plodding, Angell describes the events
leading up to the FDA's ban on implants, the torrent of lawsuits that followed
and the implications of the verdicts?overwhelmingly favorable to the plaintiffs
and often carrying cash awards in the millions of dollars?for science and
industry. Manufacturers have threatened to stop producing heart valves,
shunts and other vital medical devices because of the threat of liability;
further, suppliers of raw materials for these devices often refuse to sell
to American companies for fear of ending up in an American courtroom. The
author gives a clear explanation of the way science calculates risk (by
considering populations, not individuals) and ably contrasts this with
our judicial system, where the focus is on the individual seeking restitution.
Angell is an effective champion of the scientific method and does a good
job of exposing the chaos caused by a runaway tort system
Silicone
Spills: Breast Implants on Trial
"This is a tragic story of
big business, disinterested government, a powerful medical profession,
and certainly less powerful female consumers....
Arguing that pseudoscientific
theories of race from the 19th and early 20th centuries still impact our
current standards of beauty and "unhappiness" with our own bodies, prolific
critic Gilman (Difference and Pathology) explores plastic surgery as an
extension of psychotherapy. He traces the history of aesthetic surgery
from its initial function of hiding disease (most particularly syphilis)
to its later incarnation as a means of erasing ethnic identity (specifically
Jewish identifications by nose shape and size) and creating a more "normal"
appearance. Freud and other analysts were instrumental in establishing
theories of aesthetic surgery and, Gilman argues, "provided a label for
what it cured: inferiority." Several of Gilman's chapters are devoted to
tracing this intersection between theories of race, aesthetics and psychology
in the works of early psychoanalysts. Although his overarching argument
is compelling, Gilman's work relies heavily on technical language. This
work will be most useful to the surgeons and therapists who counsel people
seeking plastic surgery and to cultural critics interested in tracing mutations
in concepts of health, happiness and beauty. (Nov.) FYI: Also due in November
is Silicone Spill: Breast Implants on Trial, by Univ. of Nevada sociologist
Mary White Weaver, depicting the social, legal and health-care battles
fought by women with implant-related health problems.
Silicone
produces abnormalities in immune system functioning
Silicone elicits antibody responses and immunological abnormalities,according
to a study of 40 women who had received implants more than ten years earlier.
Among these women, 60% had an elevated ratio of helper T cells to suppressor
T cells; 20% had a blockage in particular functions of T cells and natural
killer cells. (Toxicology Industrial Health 8:6 [November/December
1992], 415-429.) Scientists at the University of California at Davis
reported that evidence suggests that the degradation products of silicone
inactivate CD8+ suppressor T cells (key immune cells) and thereby lead
to an inflammatory state in the body. (Food and Chemical
Toxicology 32:11 [November 1994], 1089-1100.) The activity of natural
killer cells is significantly suppressedin at least 50% of women with silicone
implants observed in a study; this puts the women at a higher risk of developing
cancer. The same effect was demonstrated in animals; it was reversed upon
removal of the silicone. (Toxicology and Industrial Health
10:3 [May/June 1994], 149-154.)
Kenneth
Bock, MD - "Because transfer factors can function
as immune system modulators, they can help to restore immune system balance
in many types of clinical situations."Kenneth Bock, MD, best selling author
on immune system modulation.
High levels of anti-nuclear antibodies (ANAs), immune markers associated
with lupus erythematosus, were observed in ten of 11 women with implants
reporting autoimmune
symptoms. (Lancet 340:8831 [November 28, 1992], 1304-1307.)
When 500 women with silicone implants were examined, 30% tested positive
for ANA levels; those women also had rheumatic symptoms. The results strongly
suggested immune activation in women with silicone implants.(Current
Topics in Microbiological Immunology 210 [1996], 277-282.) Based
on a study of 3,380 breast implant recipients, scientists state there is
a sixfold increased likelihood that testing these women will show elevated
ANAs; the longer the implant has been in place, the greater the likelihood.
(Current
Topics in Microbiological Immunology 210 [1996], 337-353.)
In a study of 111 women (with and without implants), those with implants
had a statistically significant elevationof anti-silicone antibodies (immune
cells focused against silicone as a foreign substance in the body); the
highest levels were observed in women with noticeable implant rupture or
leakage. (FASEB 7:13 [October 1993], 1265-1268.) Researchers
at the University of Wisconsin at Madison School of Medicine reported that
autoantibodies of unclear significance may be found in 5% to 30% of women
with silicone breast implants.(Archives of Internal Medicine
153:23 [December 1993], 2638-2644.) Researchers at Monash University
in Clayton, Victoria, in Australia, found that women with silicone implants
(70 were studied) have elevated levels of autoantibodies to collagen, in
a manner highly similar to women with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. (Current
Topics in Microbiological Immunology 210 [1996], 307-316.)
Among 310 symptomatic women with silicone implants, there were elevated
levels of novel autoreactive antibodies to silicone associated antigens(a
specific type of heightened immune response) compared to healthy women
without implants. (Current Topics in Microbiological Immunology
210 [1996], 327-336.) Scientists at the Technical University of
Munich in Germany examined 239 breast implant recipients and found the
following immunological abnormalities: levels of complement C3 were elevated
in 42% of the women; complement C4 was elevated in 21%; and antithyroglobulin
(an antibody that attacks a substance in the thyroid gland) was higher
in 28%. (Annals of Plastic Surgery 36:5 [May 1996], 512-518.)
When silicone leaks from implants, immune cells form granulomas (microscopic
lumps) around the droplets; the granulomas are capable of severely disrupting
the immune system. Silicone plays the role of an adjuvant,providing constant
nonspecific stimulation of the immune system.(Journal of
Investigative Surgery 9:1 [January/February 1996], 1-12.)
Do
you have a question or need guidance? Tamara Gonsor volunteers her
time to provide guidance and support in your quest to find relevant information.
She can be reached at 602-790-7030 or cell
281-772-3269 (USA) or
.
Silicone produces a classifiable new disease marked by
autoimmune
symptoms
Among physicians willing to credit silicone with toxicological and immunological
effects, a variety of names for silicone-induced disease have been proposed:
siliconosis, undifferentiated or atypical connective tissue disease, silicone
related disease, silicone reactive disorder, silicone disease syndrome,
and silicone implant disease (SID). Typical symptoms associated with silicone
include cognitive dysfunction, short-term memory loss, Sjögrenís
syndrome (dryness in glands, such as the mouth, kidneys, eyes, and lungs),
scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, severe joint 
and
muscle pain, incapacitating fatigue, swollen lymph glands, skin problems,
peripheral numbness, multiple allergies, headaches, hair loss, sunlight
sensitivity, central nervous system disorders (similar to multiple sclerosis),
and others.
Among 176 breast implant patients examined by doctors at the Hospital
for Joint Diseases, Orthopaedic Institute, in New York City, the most frequently
reported symptoms were chronic fatigue (77%), cognitive dysfunction (65%),
severe joint pain (56%), dry mouth (53%), dry eye (50%), hair loss (40%),
and difficulty in swallowing (35%). (Seminars in Arthritis
and Rheumatology 24:1 Suppl 1 [August 1994], 29-37.) A study of
50 women with implants revealed that 89% complained of fatigue, 75% of
generalized stiffness, 71% of poor sleep, and 78% of joint pain. Positive
ANAs were found in 38% of these patients. (Seminars in Arthritis
and Rheumatology 24:1 Suppl 1 [August 1994], 44-53.)
Richard
Bennett, PhD - "The immunity provided by transfer
factors is long lived and can help all ages who are suffering from
a variety of ailments or those who want to stay well.”
Other Horrific Stories of Breast Implants
(read
Mindy's story above)
Colleen
Rose McKenzie's Breast Implants Story My name is Colleen
Rose McKenzie. This is the story of my years of struggle with illness caused
by my breast implants. I was an average sized girl with an athletic build
and small breasts. Many times I wished I had larger breasts because I thought
I would look better, clothes would fit better and I would have higher self
esteem. Hearing about saline breast implants,
which were supposed to be the safe alternative to silicone gel, seemed
like an answer to my prayers. At my consultation with the surgeon, I was
told that the worst thing that could happen was that the implants could
rupture (which would take the impact of a car crash) and I would have to
have them replaced. Also, the implant rupture may cause a small infection
that could be quickly cured with antibiotics. It sounded too good to be
true...little did I know it was. I was implanted in 1997 at the age of
19 with saline-filled breast implants. I was happy with the way my new
breasts looked.
About
a year and a half later, I started feeling like I had the flu constantly.
I was calling in sick to work and going to the doctor often. I did the
best I could at work, where I worked as a graphic designer, and tried to
ignore the way I was feeling. I started having extreme fatigue where I
would fall asleep at work and some days, couldn't even get out of bed.
When I was awake, I was very dizzy and too much activity would cause me
to pass out. I was put through all the tests and was diagnosed with depression.
I saw a psychologist once a week and was put on two anti-depressants and
an anxiety medication. I just got worse and worse and ended up taking a
leave of absence from work. I laid in bed every day and cried. I was distraught
and suicidal. A member of my family was with me almost all the time taking
care of me. I could not function. Eventually, because I was so medicated,
I managed to go back to work. I couldn't focus or think and I could barely
read. At this time, I was still blaming all of my symptoms of illness on
depression, because that was the only diagnosis I had gotten. It was a
daily struggle to do my best to concentrate with this fog in my head. I
was constantly sick, taking days off for flu or sinus infections. It was
so hard not being able to tell my employer why I was so sick all the time,
because I really didn't know myself. Then the pain started. My joints,
muscles and bones ached all over my body. I started having significant
memory loss which greatly affected my work. Soon, working was no longer
an option.
I continued to get worse. I couldn't drive, read or do anything that
required focus and my body was racked with constant pain. Sometimes, I
couldn't even hold a conversation. All I could do was lie in bed every
day and wonder if I was going to live through this. For a while, I didn't
think I would.
After countless visits to specialists, and too many tests to list, I
was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Epstein Barr Syndrome and
Fibromyalgia. The medicine I was put on did not help my symptoms, and I
continued to get sicker. One day, my mom brought up the subject of my implants.
I guess the thought that my implants were making me sick was always there
in the back of my mind, but I figured that surely the doctors I had seen
would have told me if that was a possibility. I did some research on the
internet and found most of my symptoms congruent with women who had silicone
poisoning. But I had saline implants, not
silicone. Further research told me that, yes, my implants contain saline,
but the shell is made out of silicone. I contacted an online support group
by email asking about tests or some way to know if my implants were to
blame for my sickness. The email I received back from the support group
referred me to a doctor who had developed a test for silicone poisoning.
His name is Dr. Douglas R. Shanklin. They went on to list his contact information.
I was shocked and elated to see that his office was in Memphis, where I
live! I contacted Dr. Shanklin, who sent me to a pathology lab and had
me tested. The results came back positive. Finally, I had an answer! I
was happy that I now knew what was making me so sick, but at the same time,
so devastated that something I had chosen to do to improve my appearance
was the cause. I felt so selfish. My family and I had been through so much
suffering because I wanted larger breasts.
My greatest symptoms were:
* depression
* extreme fatigue
* fainting
* nausea
* fazes of extreme sleepiness and insomnia
* constant joint, muscle and bone pain
* swollen, sore lymph nodes
* cognitive difficulties including memory loss
* blurred vision and temporary vision loss in one
eye
* swollen abdomen, face and hands
* rashes
* daily fever
* "flu feeling" constantly
* hair loss
* bruising
* extreme nose bleeds resulting in trips to the
ER
* difficulty breathing
* weight gain
Dr. Shanklin referred me to a surgeon who had experience removing breast
implants. I had a bilateral capsulectomy with removal of implants on August
22, 2003. Immediately, my vision improved (I could barely make out people's
faces before) and the Fibromyalgia pain seemed to be less intense. About
three weeks after having my implants removed, I felt like I was on my way
to recovery. Through talks with Dr. Shanklin, who I truly believe to be
my guardian angel, I know that I may or may not ever recover fully.
My marriage suffered greatly because of my illness. I was really hard
for my husband to understand for a long time because we had no diagnosis.
He just wanted me to get up, go back to work and be his wife again...but
I couldn't and I couldn't tell him. He had to take care of everything around
the house and get a second job to barely have enough money to pay our bills.
When I began to recover, I realized how much I had changed, My priorities
and the way I viewed myself and life in general changed so much. My husband
and I grew apart more and more. We decided to file for divorce after seven
years of marriage.
It is difficult for me to put into words how much my family and I have
suffered. I have lost years that should have been some of the best of my
life. I still deal with anger and bitterness toward the implant manufacturers,
plastic surgeons and society for it's views of women and the size of their
breasts. Also, I have guilt that all these years of pain and suffering
were caused by something that I chose to do...I wanted larger breasts and
it almost killed me. Worst of all, I put my family through hell. Read
the rest of Colleen Rose McKenzie's breast implant nightmare
Do
you have a question or need guidance? Tamara Gonsor volunteers her
time to provide guidance and support in your quest to find relevant information.
She can be reached at 602-790-7030 or cell
281-772-3269 (USA) or
.
Mary McDonough Breast Implant Story - "If I had been told by
my doctor that after having implants I might break out in rashes, run fevers,
and become sensitive to light, I never would have had implants. If I had
been told I would have muscle pain, that I would be stiff, and have chronic
fatigue, I never would have had implants. If my doctor had told me that
I would wake up feeling like I was hit in the head with a frying pan, that
I would have dry eyes, shooting pain in my ribs and chest, and my breasts
would ache, I never would have had implants. If he had told me there was
even the slightest chance that I might develop connective tissue disease
or that I wouldn't be able to pick my daughter up or hold her close, believe
me, I never would have made that choice. Within the first 24 hours my chest
and back had a terrible rash. The other symptoms developed over the years.
I never imagined that the implants were the cause. As I got sicker and
sicker, my career went downhill. My illness also put a strain on my marriage."
Read
the rest of Mary McDonough's breast implant nightmare
Kacey Long Breast Implant Story - "Immediately after surgery,
I began experiencing weird, shooting arm pains. Then slowly, every joint/bone/muscle
in my body was in excruciating pain. I was exhausted all of the time, had
no energy, experienced hair loss, and had pains in my chest, heart, and
ribs. I had trouble remembering things and thinking clearly. The list goes
on and on---before implants, I just had allergies. I was diagnosed with
rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondilitis (arthritis of the neck
and spine), fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. My doctor thought
silicone was the problem. I lived in doctor's offices, I was bed-ridden,
and I was disabled. (I've got the handicapped parking pass and am waiting
on my lawyer's appeal for my disability claim). My "safe" saline
breast implants cost me everything. The surgery to put them in cost $4500,
and to take them out was the best $6400 my parents could have spent. Yep,
my parents helped me, because I was still paying the cost to have them
put in. I never thought about my implants being dangerous. Almost all of
my doctors agreed that my health problems were not related to implants.
The fact is, these saline implants are encased in silicone, and silicone
can be harmful to your body! The silicone shell is enough to cause autoimmune
diseases and various health problems. I was tested for silicone poisoning,
and I came up positive. My breast implants were removed 6 months ago (in
the fall of 2003), and my health has improved dramatically. I feel like
I will eventually get my life back, but it won't be without a fight and
a continuous struggle."
Read
the rest of Kacey Long's breast implant nightmare
Humantics
Foundation Breast Implants: Recovery & Discovery
Other
Breast Implant Sickness Stories
FDA
Breast Implant Consumer Handbook
Silicone
is a biologically active and toxic substance
The
original statement by the Dow Chemical Company in the 1940s, repeated hundreds
of times since, that silicone is biologically inert and nontoxic, was based
on a single one-week study of rats and guineas pigs. (In 1943, Dow Chemical
Company and Corning Glassworks formed Dow Corning Corporation to market
silicone and silicone implants.)
The basic gel implant fillerñDC 360 silicone fluidñwas
once considered worth following upfor development by Dow Corning scientists
as a potent insecticide, one of the few known substances capable of killing
cockroaches. Dow Corning researchers also studied silicone as a possible
better chemical warfare and riot control agent,according to a 1969 internal
memorandum obtained by the PSC.
The silicone gel is not a single substance but a fluid comprised of
numerous different versions of silicone, such that it is better termed
a chemical soup.î
Research collected by the PSC shows that silicone has marked effects
on the adrenal glands and liver, induces chronic inflammation, and degrades
into smaller molecules, including silica. Silicone fed to rabbits produced
widespread toxic effects including kidney and spleen damage within four
months. (Stanford Medical Bulletin, 10:1 [1952], 23-26.)
That silicone is toxic in both animals and man is well proven,stated
John S. Sergent, M.D., and colleagues in Textbook of Rheumatology (W.B.
Saunders Company, 1993). Silicone degrades into silica, usually at the
surface of the gel implant, then fragments and subdivides into millions
of microdroplets capable of migrating throughout the body (PSC Records
No. 1352, 7017: these are documents produced by Dow Corning in national
litigation). Silica in the body is a toxic, carcinogenic substance, damaging
the immune system, killing cells, and producing silicosis.
Silicone and its contaminants which bleed through its surrounding implant
envelope into neighboring tissue have the potential for significant toxicity
in the implant recipient.(Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatology 24:1 Suppl
1 [August 1994], 11-17.) According to research gathered by attorney
Richard Alexander, of the Alexander Law Firm in San Jose, California, Dow
Chemical and Dow Corning have been aware of the toxic effects of silicone
and silica since the 1950s, based on their own studies, but never published
the data. They knew these substances were bioreactive, immunogenic, toxic,
and inflammatory when introduced into the human body,states Alexander.
(Update on Breast Implants,January 1998, website: http://consumerlawpage.com.)
Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles School of
Medicine concluded in 1995: From a pathophysiological perspective, silicones
should be expected to be bioactive materials and the physico-chemical and
immunological data at the experimental level are compelling.(Journal of
Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition 7:2 [1995], 101-13.
Dr.
Jerry Tennant, MD - "The high density of nutrients found in marine
phytoplankton algae is extremely important to maintain human cell membranes
in structure and function. This is vital for cell detoxification, and for
the overall metabolism of human cells."
Dr. Ted H Spence, DDS,
ND, PhD/DSc, MPH - "Detoxification comes in many forms and refers tomany
different programs that cleanse the body of toxins. Today, our environment
is toxic and the foods we eat, even the air we breathe and the water we
drink is laden with chemicals foreign to our system. Therefore, everyone
is undergoing some type of detoxification to maintain life and health.
Although basic detoxification begins with diet, detox programs may include
nutritional fortification for the liver, lungs, kidneys, bowels and blood.
Detoxification for the body may refer to the cleansing of the bowels, kidneys,
lungs, the liver or the blood, since these are the organs involved in detoxification
of chemicals and toxins from the body. The liver acts as an in-line filter
for the removal of foreign substances and wastes from the blood. The kidneys
filter wastes from the blood into the urine, while the lungs remove volatile
gases as we breathe."
Do
you have a question or need guidance? Tamara Gonsor volunteers her
time to provide guidance and support in your quest to find relevant information.
She can be reached at 602-790-7030 or cell
281-772-3269 (USA) or
.
CHEMICALS FOUND IN BREAST IMPLANTS - THE COMPLETE LIST
1. Methyl Ethyl Ketone
2. Cyclohexanone
3. Isopropyl alcohol
4. Denatured Alcohol
5. Acetone
6. Urethane
7. Polyvinyl Chloride
(Liquid vinyl) This ingredient was used in all medical devices made
atEdwards Lab, from tubing to gel.
8. Lacquer Thinner
9. Ethyl Acetate
10. Epoxy Resin
11. Epoxy Hardener -
both 10 & 11 are chemically known as glycosides Ether of Bisphenol
A.
12. Amine
13. Printing Ink
14. Toluene
15. Dichloromethan (Methylene
Chloride) This breaks down in the body so blood cannot carry oxygen: Metabolizes
carbon monoxide poisoning. Causes CSN depression.
16. Freon
17. Silicone
18. Flux
19. Solder
20. Metal cleaning Acid
21. Lofol (Formaldehyde)
22. Talcum Powder
23. Color Pigments as
Release Agents
24. Oakite (Cleaning
Solvent)
25. Eastman 910 glue
(Cyanoacyrylates)
26. Ethylene Oxide (ETO)
27. Carbon Black
28. Xylene
29. Hexone
30. Hexanone2
31. Thixon-OSN-2
32. Antioxidant (Rubber)
33. Acid stearic
34. Zinc Oxide
35. Naptha (Rubber
Solvent)
36. Phenol
37. Benzene - Known
Carcinogen!!!!! KNOWN TO CAUSE IMMUNE DISEASE!!!!!!
Abbreviations:
ACGIH -American Conference
of Governmental Industrial Hygienists
ATSDR -Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
CDC -Center for Disease
Control
IDLH -Immediately
dangerous to life and
health. Unless otherwise
noted NIOSH
IDLH data is used.
EPA -Environmental
Protection Agency
LOAEL -Lowest observable
adverse effects level
MG/M3 -Milligrams
per cubic meter
MRL -Minimal risk
level (non-cancer)
NAS -National Academy
of Science
NE -No evidence could
be found for the existence of an IDLH
NIOSH -National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health
NOAEL -No observable
adverse effects level
NRC -National Research
Council
OSHA -Occupational
Safety and Health Administration
OTS -Office of Toxic
Substances
PEL -Permissible
exposure level
PP/S -Personal protective
equipment and/or sanitary measures required for PEL exposure
PPB -Part (s) per
billion
PPM -Part (s) per
million
REL -Recommended
exposure level
TLV -Threshold Value
Limits
TN -Trade Name
UG/KG -Microgram
per kilogram
UG/DL -Microgram
per deciliter Unknown -Lack of data
Notice: This material may
be protected by copyright law (title 17 U.S.code)
information
on numbers
HolisticWomen's Health:
-
Herbal treatment for Water Retention Edema (Excessive accumulation
of fluid in body tissues and cavities.)
-
Calcium and Strong Bones: Protecting Your Bones
-
Herbal and nutritional treatment for Cystitis (Acute or chronic
infection of the urinary bladder.)
-
Herbal, homeopathic and nutritional treatment for : Infertility,
CANDIDA, Thyroid disorder
-
Healthy Bones/Hip Fractures
-
Stress Reduction for Relief of Fibroids and Endometriosis
-
Homeopathy for Women's Health: Bladder Infections, Cramps, Breast
Cancer, Cystitis Hysterectomy, Menstruation, Uterine Fibroids, and much
more.
-
Herbal program to balance the hormonal system
Nutritional Medicine:
Life Stage Programs for Adult Women, for
Pregnancy, for Lactation, Vegetarian Diets for Pregnancy, and Life Stage
Programs for Menopause and Bone Health
Enter
-
Estrogen's Deadly Truth: a story
of deception, betrayal, hidden agendas, propaganda and misinformation.
"I saw these patients who were on estrogen and they were getting swollen
breasts and fibrosistic breast disease, they were getting fat around their
middle, their hips, their abdomen, losing libido and getting depressed."
Dr. John Lee
-
CANDIDA: Conquering Yeast Infections: The Non-Drug
Solution
-
Calcium and Strong Bones Study show
that women who got the most calcium from dairy products actually broke
more bones than women who rarely drank milk
-
Infertility and Miscarriage - the holistic
approach to infertility.
-
Homeopathy for Women's Health
-
Natural Weight Loss Programs: drugless approach
-
PMS and Menstrual Cramps - Lifting the Curse
of PMS
.
What
Every Parent Should Know BEFORE Their Childen Are Vaccinated! Why
are a growing number of parents and health care professionals around the
world questioning vaccination? The controversy stems from the thousands
of deaths and permanent disabilities attributed to vaccination annually,
as well as the many published medical studies, government statistics, congressional
testimonies, and other credible sources that directly contradict commonly
held assumptions about vaccine safety and effectiveness.
More pictures of vaccine damage available
to view at the
CDC
website
"Bart Classen,
a Maryland physician, published data showing that diabetes rates rose significantly
in New Zealand following a massive hepatitis B vaccine campaign in young
children, and that diabetes rates also went up sharply in Finland after
three new childhood vaccines were introduced." Nicholas
Regush ABCNEWS.com
In fall 1997, two influential
professional magazines featured articles asking the question: Has the decrease
of infectious diseases in childhood through the mass use of vaccines been
replaced with an increase in chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma?
The Economist, a prestigious international magazine read by world leaders
in government, business and public policy, and Science News, a magazine
read by both health care professionals and the general public, explored
the reported links between vaccines and chronic diseases in their November
22, 1997 issues. Learn more about vaccine
and diabetes connection --- asthma and vaccine connection ---
SIDS
and autism and vaccine connection --- "Shaken Baby Syndrome":
the vaccination link
Congressman is calling
for criminal penalties for any government agency that knew about the dangers
of thimerosal in vaccines and did nothing to protect American children.
Congressman
Dan Burton (R-Indiana) during Congressional Hearing: "You mean to
tell me that since 1929, we've been using Thimerosal, and the only
test that you know of is from 1929, and every one of those people had mennigitis,
and they all died?" For nearly an hour, Burton repeatedly asked FDA and
CDC officials what they knew and when they knew it. (Thimerosal contains
a related mercury compound called ethyl mercury. Mercury is a toxic metal
that can cause immune, sensory, neurological, motor, and behavioral dysfunctions.)
Please get informed!Enter
the vaccine information site
Homeopathy
can be used successfully to prevent and treat smallpox, measles,
whooping
cough, chickenpox, and other ailments.
Would you allow big brother
to enforce vaccinations on your kids? Government
Enforced Vaccinations Vaccination Tracking Registry - Government programs
that limit your choices -and your rights- in health care when it comes
to mandatory vaccination. These mandates last for 40 or so years
and they're impossible to repeal. Also, learn about Legal Requirements
and Exemptions
Are we placing our animals
at risk too? Most recently, an article appeared in the Journal of the
American Veterinary Medical Association entitled
"Are We Vaccinating
Too Much?" Read the comments of veterinarians
who
believe that vaccines are damaging our pets.
Natural Health for
Women PART 1
Do
you have a question or need guidance? Tamara Gonsor volunteers her
time to provide guidance and support in your quest to find relevant information.
She can be reached at 602-790-7030 or cell
281-772-3269 (USA) or
.
Toxicity
and Complications of Breast Implants - Personal Stories of Healing ---
Women's
Natural Health part 1
Tell
Your Congressperson to Co Sponsor the Health Freedom Protection Act, H.R.
2117 This bill will stop the FDA & FTC longtime efforts of censorship
and restriction to access supplements and educational information.
Optimum
Nutrition and Natural Health for Animals:
Holistic
Health for Horses,
for
dogs,
for Pet Birds,
for 
Ferrets
and for Cats
Natural
Health for Women:
Natural
Health for Children:
