DEET and fibromyalgia

[sjymusic]

Has anyone discovered a link between the use of insect repellent containing DEET and their own fibromyalgia? I have been off work since last september with a wild array of symptoms including arthritis, (hands and legs) insomnia. chronic exhaustion, food intolerances (all grains and alcoholic drinks), chemical intolerance (my new carpets), skin rashes, problems with body temperature, diahorrea and constipation, mouth ulcers and sore lips, muscle twitching (especially in the autumn) and some psychological anomalies too probably.
I live in the Welsh valleys and when I was gardening last year I used insect repellant containing DEET nearly every day for well over a month prior to the start of all this. . . . .
It just occurred to me today that, back when we had the heatwave at the end of May I was feeling quite a lot better and attempted a longer walk. It was hot and I put both sunlotion and repellant on that day. I was terrible afterwards again and I thought it was because of the walk but am now wondering if it couldnt be due to the repellent! I bought the stuff from sainsburys and its marked 50% DEET which, to my horror, when I googled it is illegal in America now! Any thoughts?

[java]

Since an over toxic system is linked to FM, it certainly seems that it could be a contributing factor. Have you gone through a detox since then? I also wonder about supplementing with trace minerals and micro nutrients. Hope you can find some help on this. Best wishes.

[dukey]

The active ingredient in many insect repellents, deet, has been found to be toxic to the central nervous system. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Biology say that more investigations are urgently needed to confirm or dismiss any potential neurotoxicity to humans, especially when deet-based repellents are used in combination with other neurotoxic insecticides.

Vincent Corbel from the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement in Montpellier, and Bruno Lapied from the University of Angers, France, led a team of researchers who investigated the mode of action and toxicity of deet (N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide). Corbel said, "We've found that deet is not simply a behavior-modifying chemical but also inhibits the activity of a key central nervous system enzyme, acetycholinesterase, in both insects and mammals".

Discovered in 1953, deet is still the most common ingredient in insect repellent preparations. It is effective against a broad spectrum of medically important pests, including mosquitoes. Despite its widespread use, controversies remain concerning both the identification of its target sites at the molecular level and its mechanism of action in insects. In a series of experiments, Corbel and his colleagues found that deet inhibits the acetylcholinesterase enzyme - the same mode of action used by organophosphate and carbamate insecticides. These insecticides are often used in combination with deet, and the researchers also found that deet interacts with carbamate insecticides to increase their toxicity. Corbel concludes, "These findings question the safety of deet, particularly in combination with other chemicals, and they highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to the development of safer insect repellents for use in public health".

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159880.php

It's possible you poisoned yourself with this stuff. Maybe the only cure is time.