Evidence of Harm -- Mercury in Vaccines?? ADD, ADHD, &...

I also think part of the "increase" in ADHD and autism is actually an increase in diagnosing conditions that weren't diagnosed before. And possibly overdiagnosing some cases of ADD that would not have even been considered a disability in the past.

I do believe that drug manufacturers are out for the money in most cases.
 
RE: Evidence of Harm -- Mercury in Vaccines?? ADD, ADH...

I have been sitting here reading this thread and feeling many different emotions..

I am a mother of 3 children 2 with Autism and ADHD, and my 1 child has ADHD and severe learning disability. I have heard it all..try fish oils, change their diet, try this medication try that medication, cut out dairy, cut processed foods from their diet, have this test done have that test done, try this vitamin, try this supplement, read this book, read this article, go to this doctor go to this therapist, this causes Autism, that causes ADD/ ADHD....Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

I would not be a bit surprised that mercury in vaccinations causes all of this stuff..Anymore I would not be surprised by a lot of things that our Government does anymore...We could all debate all day about the evils of the world, and that would not solve anything!! Hell drug companys release medications all the time that end up doing more harm that good..the more medications your on..the more you need to be on!

I know someplace in this thread someone made a comment about Lazy parents in relation to ADD/ADHD and Autism..I am hoping that this person was talking about parents just wanting a quick fix to their childs issues by getting a dx of ADD or ADHD and Autism, and not about parents being lazy with their children in their parenting.

This past week was horrid for me as my twins with Autism just started middle school this year and there are so many issues! The thing that makes me mad as HELL is that the school "professionals" dealing with my children on a daily basis don't know anything about dealing with children that have Autism..I am so damn frustrated with the school!

I have a co-worker that has a son with Autism and other issues, and I started to tell her about this past week, she looked at me and her eyes became teary and we both just broke down crying hugging each other. Two women totally bonded in one moment of complete understanding, only another parent of a child with a disability can truly understand the issues of daily life and the struggles that we face, the things that will never be, the dreams lost!

Autism is a spectrum disorder and it can fall from mild to severe in scale. Individuals with Autism can also be thought of as high functioning and low functioning. It is a wide space where these people can fall along the spectrum.I am amazed that the general public is so ignorant about this disorder..even health care professionals like physicians and therapists!
The face of Autism is no longer a child in a corner in their own world, or Dustin Hoffman in the movie Rain man. I can't tell you how many people try to argue with me about my childrens behaviors and abilities. Recently we had our first appointment with a therapist for my son with Autism and this guy said to me
"Oh I see that Spencer is making good eye contact with me"...yeah and my son kept looking away when he was talking, and hiding under a blanket that was on the couch..my son is 12 years old!! Then later in the session he went on to tell me that kids with Autism don't ever make good eye contact when you talk to them...I was like WHATEVER!Plus my son had to ask him several times what simple emotional words meant..like anxious and tense..like when he asked Spencer if he felt tense or anxious, my son did not know what those words meant!

I am sorry for my rant! This past week just sucked for me on many levels!

;(
 
RE: Evidence of Harm -- Mercury in Vaccines?? ADD, ADH...

just wanted to give you hugs spinin. 3 children has got to be very tough. we chose to have no more for a good while until we can learn how to handle what we already have on our plate. like i said let's stop the blame and start working to the solution.

and the person didn't mean anything about the lazy parenting. its mostly those parents look for the quick fix rather then do the work of actualy parenting like some of us do. my heart goes out to you b/c i can't imagine more then one child with any of this. i hope you find some help with the school. have you got an advocate? i am working on that myself but i have a really good school so its not to much of an issue.

kassia


When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be
disappointed to discover they are not it -- Bernard Bailey
 
I didn't read all of the posts here, but I do want to share.

I don't trust the government and I am skeptical about many modern medicinal practices. I don't put my faith in anything blindly or easily and I make sure that I educate myself before I make decisions, especially when it comes to my kids. Quite honestly, you can find a study anywhere to support what you believe, for or against anything be it immunizations or consuming dairy. It is hard to find unbiased research anywhere for anything.

I actually did study out immunizations, pros and cons, read studies on both sides of the spectrum. I decided to vaccinate my kids (though I waited until they were a year old) because the pros of getting it done far outweight the cons of not getting it done. Everyone is free to make their own decision, and that is the way it should be, but that is my choice. My grandma had polio when she was a teenager and she would tell you that the vaccine is the greatest thing on Earth and she would have had it had it been available to her.

There is nothing that we do or don't do that is without risk. The flouride in our toothpaste can cause brittle bone disease even though it protects our enamel. You could live in a big city breathing pollution and be a 2 pack a day smoker and never get lung cancer or have a problem a day in your life because of it. You could live a life doing everything right and have a heart attack at age 40.

I know that this has gotten long and I sorry. I guess that my point is to not walk into anything blindly and make the most educated decision possible, and look at everything from every angle. It is easy to put a slant on everything and not all studies are without their faults and errors. (That is much simpler and sweeter, huh?)

Missy
 
RE: Evidence of Harm -- Mercury in Vaccines?? ADD, ADH...

I have learned from my own life experiences never to judge other too quickly b/c I haven't walked in their shoes. So, I refuse to judge a parent of an autistic or special needs child, as I cannot possibly know the challenges and frustrations you must overcome on a daily basis. There by the grace of G-d go I, with my two "normal" kids. My empathy arises from dealing w/ my first child, who died during surgery to fix a severe heart defect. Her gift to me was to never feel I am immune to catastrophe and to feel pain for another parents' suffering. So I believe the truth lies usually somewhere in the "middle". I have a friend w/ a son w/ severe autism; she is an occupational therapist and her husband is a well-respected surgeon. Several days ago, she actually told me there are studies that show that the rate of autism doubled once mercury was added to vaccinations in the US and also has been corrolated to the same actions in the UK. I don't know if it's true b/c I haven't read the studies but I view her as a highly intelligent person. Perhaps there is some truth in this matter. I'm sorry for your pain. /karen
 
RE: Evidence of Harm -- Mercury in Vaccines?? ADD, ADH...

Catwoman,

I just want to show my support to your post as well. It takes guts to bring up such controversial issues. I am skeptical and don't trust the government, doctors, or drug companies. I've seen too many cases where it's all about the money. Granted, there are some miracles in modern medicine, but for the most part, we live in an overmedicated society.

Doctors are way too quick to prescribe a pill or recommend surgery rather than suggest lifestyle and diet changes. There are many "alternative therapies" that can help people without all the side effects of drugs. Why would people choose something chemically altered over something natural? Sadly, people who actually think for themselves and question modern medicine and the government are considered quacks.

People are much too trusting of the government. They assume if it's FDA approved, it's got to be safe. Yeah right. Your example of aspartame is a good one, however there are so many other things we ingest that are killing us too. The government isn't protecting us - it's protecting itself.

I could go on and on, but I won't. Just wanted to show my support.
 
I'm only going to add one fact to this conversation.

All children who are citizen's of the U.S. are required to have childhood immunization's before they can attend public school.

So, you can hash all day about the causes of various mental disorder's in children and whether you should or should not have your children vaccinated but the fact remains that unless you plan on homeschooling your child/children they are required by law to have the full series of immunization's before they start kindergarten. If they do not have the required immunization's your child will not be allowed to attend school until the immunization's are completed.

I would also like to add that there are many, many more children in this country than there was 50 years ago. Besides seeing an increase in autism, ADD, and ADHD...there are also alot more murderer's, rapists and child molestor's in the world too. And next we could throw in the increases in the incidence of cancer's. Fifty years ago you never heard of prostate cancer. Today one in ten men will be diagnosed with it.

This list could go on and on. Like someone said before, just because it's written in a book doesn't mean it's gospel. We took corporal punishment out of schools because parents complained it was harmful to their children. Fifty years ago you didn't have students attacking teacher's or bringing guns to school.

Our environment keeps changing and not necessarily for the better.
 
RE: Evidence of Harm -- Mercury in Vaccines?? ADD, ADH...

I know there has been a lot of controversy over vaccines and possible side effects. I know autism has gotten most of the press. To be honest, I just don't know what to believe. However, I do believe in the general integrity of the people who work in the medical research fields. I don't believe that any one of them would intentionally inflict harm on an unsuspecting public. After all, they have families of their own who receive these meds too.

If there is a connection between autism and vaccines, I hope they figure it out. My 2 sons have Crohn's disease. I read an article just last week that some medical professional suspect that it may be linked to the MMR vaccine in a person who is genetically predisposed to Crohn's. No studies have been done to prove it one way or another. I would like answers too but I know nobody meant for my kids to be impacted. Hopefully, they will find an answer to this too.

It is frightening to think that we could be causing problems while treating other problems and just don't know it yet.
 
Just want to correct some misinformation here....about being able to go to public schools. There are exemptions to every rule. And it wouldn't be "public" if they are able to keep certain groups of children out. As far as vaccines go, a parent can get either a medical, philosophical or personal belief exemption. It will vary by state which ones are accepted.

As for me and my family, I choose not to vaccinate. I've read TONS of books and research...and really, all I had to do in the end was read the list of vaccine ingredients...it goes well beyond mercury for me. I'm not injecting those items into my children. (just do a google search for vaccine ingredients if you are curious)

I'll leave it at that, but please know that I did not make this decision lightly...and I definitely don't consider myself an incompetent parent.

Jamie
 
<As for me and my family, I choose not to vaccinate. I've read TONS of books and research...and really, all I had to do in the end was read the list of vaccine ingredients...it goes well beyond mercury for me. I'm not injecting those items into my children. (just do a google search for vaccine ingredients if you are curious)>

I repsect your decision, though I have read the research and made the opposite choice. As I stated before, I prefer primary sources over secondary sources but not everyone is in the position to access and critique research. I also do not consider myself incompotent or a bad parent because I chose to vaccinate. In fact, I am well-trained to rip research and pharmaceutical reps apart. :) The key is INFORMED CONSENT, which does not end in unanimous choices/decisions. I agree with Catwoman on the fact that we must be well-informed consumers.
 
I don't trust drug companies either. Also, all the fillings you let the dentist put in your kids mouth have mercury in them too. I chose after much debate to get my children vaccinated and am thankful they didn't have any adverse reactions. I know there have been many cases that their children have had bad results. If you don
t feel good and go to the doctor, I am sure they have a prescription for it. Take care.
 
win1jam...it also makes a difference whether or not the child is a citizen of the U.S. which is the sticking point for me. I have asked our local schools, why is it okay for an alien, illegal or not, to send their unimmunized child to school along side all the other children who are REQUIRED to be immunized?? All I get is run-around. So most certainly, there are different rules for different groups of people, right or wrong.
 
This is my last post on this topic.

I am so tired of all the rhetoric about pill pushing doctors trying to suck the money out of your wallets, and how they never practice or teach prevention, and the evil drug companies trying to poison the children. Enough already!

Are you going in for your routine check-ups? What do you want your doctor to do when you go to see him/her and you're sick? What should s/he do when you tell them you've been sick for 3 months and you're just now coming in to see them?

There have been studies that suggest people feel their doctor didn't help them unless they received a prescription. People doctor hop just so they can get prescriptions. Most of our friends are in the medical profession and I don't know a single one that will prescribe a medication unless they feel it is necessary. Hey--if you don't want it don't take it.

We're talking about people that have years and years of education and training. They run the risk of being sued every single time they see a patient. Do you really believe they can afford this brand of intentional negligience? Do you not realize that they have spouses and parents and children of their own that they would not submit to such horrors as you've accused them of?

Just think about it.

Michele
 
RE: Evidence of Harm -- Mercury in Vaccines?? ADD, ADH...

Absolutely, Michele.

When I hear someone complaining that all their doctor does is push pills to get them to shut up I say, if you're not happy with the treatment you're getting...SEE ANOTHER DOCTOR. Common sense is free.

As for the ingredients in vaccines and the possible side effects, like everything in life these days, there is always a risk. Now, whether or not some of these chemicals/compounds are causing ill effects will take years before any concrete evidence could be established. We also need to take into consideration environmental exposure to toxins. None of us lives in a glass bubble and anytime we or our children are exposed to unnatural substances we are at a risk of reacting physically to it.

You can avoid foreign substances by not vaccinating your children but what about the toxins in the air they breath, the dirt they play in, and the wet wipes you wipe their bottoms with? Are disposable diapers free of chemicals? Are laundry detergents free of chemicals and the water you are washing your laundy in? Are you exposing them to secondhand cigarette smoke at any time? Do you feed your children junk food, Kool-aid, or any UNNATURAL manmade or factory processed food/drinks where preservatives and colorants are added? Look at the ingredient list on your hand lotion's and hair shampoos.

Unfortunately there is no way to avoid toxins in this world. The playsets at the parks are chemically treated and parks routinely sprayed for insects. The pool they swim in is chuck full of chemicals. The public restroom that you use and touch the surfaces in...we've all seen those 60 Minute stories. All that plasticware you use at home is full of toxins that we are now told we should not heat food in those types of containers because we're probably getting cancer from doing it.

So, all that in mind, I would rather take my chances with vaccines and immunize my children for polio and tetanus. There isn't a cure for either.
 
RE: Evidence of Harm -- Mercury in Vaccines?? ADD, ADH...

This controversy over mercury causing autism spectrum issues has been going on for years. This is not a new theory.

Someone said what I was thinking "plan on homeschooling if you aren't going to have your kids immunized". It's the law in most states I believe. I didn't know about non-citizens not having to be immunized. That IS unfair.

But as the poster before me said, the affects of NOT having immunizations could be much worse. While autism is a serious disorder (it's not a disease), people don't die from it. Polio etc......you bet it can kill.

My son is diagnosed as ADHD and autistic. When he was born 13 years ago, none of this mercury link was talked about. I might have considered withholding a vaccine, but he wouldn't have been able to attend school.

Jill
 
Seems to me there are a couple of issues here. One is the debate over mercury which as at least one other poster said has been going on for years. My heart goes out to all parents watching their kids suffer through autism, ADD, ADHD, etc. As the parent of a nearly 15 year old girl diagnosed over three years ago with OCD, I can tell you the decisions to vaccinate, not vaccinate, put on meds, not put on meds, etc. are NEVER easy. As parents we must think with our brains instead of our hearts and do research and ask a million questions, because they are our children and we owe it to them to be INFORMED. What parent wouldn't do that for their children????

That brings me to the second point here. INFORMED opinions. The book mentioned that started this whole thread was not written based on peer-reviewed controlled studies. I may upset a few people here but I prefer to do a lot of research on things and find scientific studies as oppposed to someone who manages to publish a book based on junk science and conspiracy theories. Anyone can do that. My job entails finding authoritative medical literature for claims handlers so they can make informed, intelligent decisions concerning injury claims. You'd better believe I have to know what I'm doing and where to look because an insurance file is a legal document and if I write something in there that references a book or an article or a website, it had better not be quackery. It upsets me to think someone would pick up a random book and come onto a public message board and basically preach to over 9,000 registered users, telling us we must believe this and we are "blissfully ignorant" if we do not. How dare you. I am not blissfully ignorant of anything and I'm willing to bet most of the folks on here are not either. I'm a RN who is college-educated and who can read for herself, thank you very much. It is my RIGHT to choose what to believe and what not to believe, and if you want me to respect your right to believe in this book, you need to respect my right NOT to. As far as some people saying answers to the original poster were "rude", the only "rudeness" I saw were the posts telling us we should believe this author's words without question, as if we're blind sheep who can't think or read for ourselves. THAT is rude. Bringing up controversial topics is one thing, but preaching blind acceptance of a bunch of theories is just ridiculous. We are human beings and have the right to CHOOSE what we believe or not believe. And if you can't respect that in an individual, you have problems far beyond vaccines or mercury or any other precious metal on this planet.

I'm tired too of the posts on here from non-medical people dissing the entire medical community as if we were all a bunch of money-grubbing dishonest jerks who are lurking in the shadows, waiting to hurt people. I hope you never have to put your life in the hands of a doctor or ICU nurse. I spent 7 years taking care of innocent babies in Neonatal ICU, some of whom were born to mothers who did terrible things to their bodies while they were pregnant. Some died. A lot of them died in fact. Do you think I lined my pockets with money when that happened? Ever been to a baby funeral? The coffin is SMALL. It's horrible. I then spent 11 years taking care of adults in ICU, most of whom did the thing that put them there to themselves either by doing something really ignorant like riding a dirt bike in the rain while drunk, or refusing to quit smoking despite several heart attacks, or drinking themselves into an ICU before the age of 40. What fun it was to deal with the ignorance and arrogance of people who wanted to blame the doctors and nurses for their own stupidity and abuse of their bodies. Yeah ... right. I got rich off that. NOT.

As for vaccinces, read some history. Polio, diptheria, tetenus, pertussis (whooping cough), measles, Rubella, mumps ... these things can kill or scar for life. If they came up with an AIDS vaccine would you deny it to a loved one? Have you ever taken care of a baby who contracted chicken pox in the womb and died after a very long horrible illness? I have. Have you ever taken care of a young mom who contracted it from her toddler and subsequently got Varicella pneuomonia and died? I have. Have you ever taken care of a woman who had polio as a child and now has to "talk" by nodding her head yes or no to letters you point to a board because her head is all she can move?? I have.

It's my CHOICE to vaccinate myself and my daughter and if you disagree with it, that's your right to do so. But don't tell me I'm wrong and you're right. A choice is not "wrong" or "right" - it's a CHOICE - and the person making it has sole responsibility for the consequences.

Rant over. Thanks for listening.

Carol
 
I tried to edit my post but the time passed so I have a few more things to say and then I'll shut up.

I realize FDA approval does not mean what it once did but that does not make all drug companies greedy corporations out to get your money and hurt you in the process. The recent court cases involving Vioxx and similar drugs are public knowledge. The side effects of these drugs were probably known beforehand and the unfortunate people who died or were seriously hurt from them are the exception, not the rule. Yes, there is a risk with all medications. Even over the counter drugs can hurt you or kill you if you aren't careful or if you exceed the recommended dosage. But drugs also save lives and give hope where none existed before. Research goes on to find new and better ways to extend our lives, or cure previously incurable diseases. There is good in there. We don't see the good however splashed across the media - we only see the bad because it's "news". The thousands of lives I've seen saved from medications doesn't make news. It never will. But in my little corner of the world it is news. Seeing my daughter function again and not be afraid of everything in her life is worth Zoloft's weight in gold, as far as I'm concerned. I understand everyone's concern about the recent events concerning drug companies, but for anyone who has a loved one that was saved by a medication, you know where I'm going with this. What is an "acceptable" risk? That's not an easy question to answer. An acceptable risk is the one bad side effect you or a loved one happens to avoid, I guess. But if not for research and new medications, people would still be dying of diarrhea and heart attacks and strokes. Not to mention the advances made into treatment for certain types of cancer and AIDS. These diagnoses are no longer automatic death sentences. The people taking these experimental drugs probably feel the benefits far outweigh the risks. It's all a matter of perspective.

Again, I think we can respect each other's right to choose in this regard as well.

Thanks again. I think I'm done now.

Carol
 
RE: Evidence of Harm -- Mercury in Vaccines?? ADD, ADH...

Good points Carol. I'm with you on this one. I am a RN (albeit a SAHM right now) and both of my children are vaccinated.

Everyone has a right to their own opinions. :) To me the risks of the diseases outweighed the risk of the vaccines.
 
A few facts about THIMEROSAL (also spelled THIOMERSAL in some publications) from the CDC site and various pediatric journals:

1) introduced as a preservative in the 1930's without prior FDA review

2) never in MMR vaccine because this one is a "live" vaccine

3) removed in 1999 from vaccines on recommendation of both FDA and CDC

Here are some links from peer-reviewed scientific journals/studies. There are many others.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/107/5/1147

http://www.pkids.org/LANCET.pdf

http://www.whale.to/a/pdf/Bernard et al 2001.pdf

Carol
:)
 
Here is what bothers me the most out of the whole thing...we should not have to be forced to do anything by the government. We are in a free country that tells us what to do? That makes no sense. We should have a right to choose vaccs or no vaccs. Knowledge is power and to let the government take power from us is sad. We shouldn't be forced to get vaccs...if we don't want them. I think we all have the right to our opinions like many have said but we should also have the right to live by them. We don't need to force our opinions on others but we should be able to live by what we believe in.
Sarah
 
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