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Subscribe to RSSA 36-year-old is now experiencing the same odd verbal and motor tics first reported in teenage girls who live in LeRoy, N.Y. NBC's Amy Robach reports.
By Amy Robach, Kevin Monahan and Christina Caron
NBC News
LeROY, N.Y. -- The mystery illness now producing Tourette’s-like symptoms in a more than a dozen girls from upstate New York is also affecting a 36-year-old who is experiencing the same tics as the teens.
Nurse practitioner Marge Fitzsimmons, who has spent her whole life in LeRoy, N.Y., lives just a few miles from the school the teens attend.
“It started out with sudden head jerks in the middle of October,” Fitzsimmons told NBC News, the tics occasionally interfering with her ability to talk.
It got so bad she had to leave her job working with developmentally disabled patients until the tics subside.
“The motor tics wouldn't stop, and the vocal tics started, and I went to one of the bosses and said I have to go.”
She hasn't been back to work in two months. On a good day, Fitzsimmons said, the tics are sporadic. On a bad day, she cannot control them. Extensive testing – including a CAT scan and blood work – didn’t provide any answers, the same frustration experienced by the teens.
“When it first started I thought maybe I'm going crazy,” she said. “As an adult, I can't imagine these teenagers going through this and for anyone to think that they're faking it at all. Try living a day in their shoes.”
Some neurologists, including Fitzsimmons’ doctors, have suggested the illness could be “conversion disorder,” or mass hysteria – something Fitzsimmons has accepted “because that's what gets me out of the bed every day. That is my answer.”
According to Dr. Laszlo Mechtler, vice president of the Dent Neurological Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., the disorder “occurs in small groups, especially girls in schools in small towns.”
“What happens is that one individual – the so-called index case – may have a neurological disorder,” Dr. Mechtler told NBC in January. “And then all of a sudden several other ladies have similar symptoms.”
High school student Thera Sanchez, 17, and 14 others started experiencing the odd symptoms last fall, around the same time as Fitzsimmons: stammering, verbal outbursts and limb spasms.
“I want an answer,” Sanchez told NBC in January, her words periodically punctuated with jerking motions and involuntary grunts. “I’ve had psychological treatment. They say this is stress induced. My psychological treatment …. That’s all they do is stress me out more.”
The teens’ plight captured the attention of environmental activist Erin Brockovich, who began speaking out about a 1970 train accident that spilled cyanide and industrial solvent four miles from the teens’ school, LeRoy Junior-Senior High School. According to a 1999 Environmental Protection Agency report, approximately 35,000 gallons of TCE (trichloroethene) contaminated the area near the derailment.
The EPA has been doing "routine maintenance" on the train derailment site in LeRoy, but said in a statement it “appears unrelated to the illness.” And after investigating the case for months, the New York State Health Department concluded the school grounds are not to blame for the girls’ symptoms.
“We have conclusively ruled out any form of infection or communicable disease and there’s no evidence of any environmental factor,’’ Dr. Gregory Young of the New York Department of Health told NBC News in January.
Click here to read the full report from the Le Roy Central School District.
Now Brockovich’s team is testing the area.
Fitzsimmons told NBC News that when she was a teenager, she used to hang out in the same area where the train had derailed. And now she wants to know if her own hometown – rather than “conversion disorder” – could be the root of her symptoms.
“This is really scary; it's like somebody came in and took home away. LeRoy has always been home for me,” Fitzsimmons said. “At least somebody is trying to get answers.”
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
- Teen girls' medical mystery baffles doctors
- Doctor offers new details on teen girls' mystery illness
Leave a Comment:
Wow, I had no idea this was going on. I hope they're able to find the cause of this disorder and effectively treat these people!
I find it hard to believe it's some sort of mass hysteria. There must be something all these people have in common.
Yes, the thing that they have in common is that they are all female! Don't you think it's a bit strange that no men have been affected?
Stay tuned ....
One of the kids is a boy.
Actually Auzzie there was a report of one teen boy being affected after the first group of teen girls. I've not heard mention of him again in any reports however.
Don't forget, although men and women are both humans they are still different. They have different parts, produce different chemicals, and many of their bodily functions operate differently. So the fact that the majority are women may point to something specific about women - or more specifically a trait that's more dominant in women. Why do certain demographics of people such as blacks tend to get certain types of cancers that others don't? It usually points to something specific about them - if it's understood at all. Hope they figure this out quick.
AG99 - I find it incredible you can make diaignosis with only this article. YOu must be a Medical FROG@!$%#!!! genius. SOrry - urine nose!!THe old TOurette's is acting up again.
I'm not a Dr., but I'd bet my bottom dollar this will be exposed as psychosomatic.
I am not a doctor, but I am not convinced these people are suffering from a Psychological disorder without an underlying physical etiology. I do know for a fact that a psychological diagnosis, including "conversion disorder", is sometimes given when 1) doctors cannot identify what the true pathology is, and 2) when there is reason to not identify or "cover-up" the true source and cause of the problem. The doctor who is interviewed for this article states that "conversion disorder" can affect those prone to anxiety, but in my opinion, anxiety is most often the body's way of telling us that something is wrong. Yes, that something can be "psychological" such as in a person who is experiencing incredible stress in their life situation or someone who has insomnia preventing the body from getting enough rest, but anxiety is very often a sign of a physically based pathology, as well, in my opinion. A person who has undiagnosed cardiac problems that they are not aware of may experience anxiety, as an example...even though they have no knowledge of the cardiac problem. I think there probably is some physical pathology behind the tourette's type symptoms that these people are experiencing...and it could definitely be related to some toxic exposure, as many toxins are known to affect/damage the nervous system. It doesn't necessarily have to be some toxic exposure from the train wreck...all (or most?) these students attend the same High School, and now this Nurse Practitioner who lives close by could have all had exposure to some toxin (or virus?) from some source other than the train wreck contamination.
At any rate, the tics and verbal outbursts are indicative of nervous system involvement/pathology. There was a recent article that cited a UC Urvine Research Study that has shown the dietary supplement, N-acetylglucosamine, to be promising (in mice) in halting and even reversing nerve damage caused by abnormal immune cells called T-cells that would otherwise orchestrate immune system attacks on the tissue that insulates nerves. It has shown promise in treating Multiple Sclerosis and has also been shown to be helpful in children with auto immune response related inflammatory bowel disease. Since it is only a dietary supplement with no dangerous side effects, and most likely can have some beneficial effects to nervous system tissue, maybe they should try giving it to these girls affected with this nervous system condition to see if maybe it could help. Of course, if it does help, there will be some psychiatrists who will claim it is the "placebo effect"... but then they can argue that out later.
It's my assumption that there is hydraulic fracking for natural gas somewhere 'upstream' from the groundwater flow to this area and since last fall when symptoms started appearing was about the time the toxins from the corporation in charge of making all the money from poisoning the groundwater for a 1000 miles, is to blame. But of course, the paid-off Dr's will do as their told to do--maybe even get a nice little check from Obozo for playing along--and just tell the world it's "all in their heads." Kindof like all those blackbirds died from "fireworks" on New Years. That's hilarious. You never see any birds die anywhere in the country on July 4th!!
@Purnell Meagre Jr.
Actually, less than 15% of all those with Tourettes shout out obscenities... or anything, for that matter.
Don't take the vaccines!
For those "so not inclined", the US Chemical industry
especially in the North East and in places like Texas - Oklahoma
(or anywhere they can hide) has been producing things
like "fertilizers" (atrazine) that can take a male frog and
completely revamp it's genitalia so that it can reproduce
and become a female "in the wild".
We have a historical Nazi set of companies that are of
German origin that put people on boards of this
company and that company to produce "chemicals".
Look at one of the more recent UN charters where the
IMF nearly requires countries needing to borrow money
to ALLOW USE of these chemicals that cause everything
from Parkinsons to Cancer.
As genetically biased and set as we are, children are
now being born with +4 codons (24 and now counting).
These children don't have to be exposed, just the moms
and dads. Go back 40 or 50 years and then there's this
oops, it fell off the train tracks?
We've got leaking pipes, pumps and pump stations that
service gasoline and the many other chemistries which
have produced fuel for home, car, boat, plane... etc.
The EPA is a mishmesh of State vs. Feds and most of these
people have been young grads with little experience in sniffing out
the "reality" (meaning they could NOT assemble the necessary
clues to form a result) that are doing the field work. IN my
own work I've had to train them about what was relevant
and what possible given the funds and other available.
When the regs conflict between Fed and State... maybe
6 years before things get resolved -- I've been on teams
that have won Governor's awards for Environmental work
to both clean-up and change the Industrial Processes for
a much cleaner way of doing business. IF a company is
spending MORE THAN 1 penny for 1 dollar of product produced
they need to get some "real help" because it's either the
PROCESS or the MATERIALS that need to get adjusted.
Where do you go, when you're not the industrial toxicologist?
Nukes are around too (cesium, plutonium, uranium and a few
others they do not want us to know about). We live in a WOMAD
nation, it's not a secret. Those WOMADs have to be stored, made
and created somewhere on this planet, usually in a back yard some
Body.
What about the Nerve altering Chemicals that the US DOD has been
developing on a regular basis. Do we have dogs to sniff out chemicals?
NO, only drugs.
We don't call this illegal chemical use, just oops and we hope you don't
suffer too much. The cleanups of chemicals (air, water, soil) are VERY
expensive. IF they get cleaned up OR leave pockets of these materials
here, we have not one idea.
Something that is rampant at this point in our history, CHINESE imports
have many of the substances and chemicals carted up and sent over on
ships so we can have industrial, medical and military facilities use these
Mind, Heart, Nerve, Muscle, .... Micro and Nucleic biologic reactors in our
systems now. Not to mention Lead on the US-children's toys and dolls?
Then while we're talking about the near macro level, what if we die from
a small dispersion of nano-bots that are being developed in Canada, USA
and other countries around the world. How can anyONE guarantee that
a nano-bot cannot get out into the general population when people (who
are working in these facilities) are actually the hosts. Swap a few DNA
samples during a lively bout of conjugal relations and ... oops... what is
it that we cannot detect that is happening to our children.
It would make sense to think that a Nation that sponsored the sterilization
of Native women on the West Coast (without their knowledge or consent)
so the "land" would become available, would be able to do something like
this, now wouldn't it? The concept of conscious and willful violation of a people
should NOT be allowed and especially NOT be profited from.
It's also interesting when we look at the "biology" behind our eco-systems
that lack of sperm count in men (which has been declining for years) can
automatically reduce a population. Certain Eskimo peoples are living this
experiment where the chemicals used in Color Printing inks that have been
outlawed in many Nations is showing up "from China" through the Seals
and other food these people eat. PCBs... there's another one.
Cheshire, OH ....place of note, ....a power plant "bought the town", so it could keep
producing the cancer causing chemistry from burning Coal. Another industry that takes
about 30,000 lives per year. IF ALL of us in the USA took the approach to reduce our
PERSONAL HOME consumption of energy off-grid at least 80% (which is reasonable
with modern technologies) we could put a major dent in this portion of pollution.
We have to, "at some level" be able to protect ourselves from many things. A lot
of what we used to take for granted, is no longer the case.
Does a Billionaire from Texas need to go Fracking in other people's states. Do they
own the rights to NY, PA, WY, etc.?, because that's what's happening.... right now.....
and when they are done Fracking your water supply to kingdom come... they simply
brush their hands off and start looking for the next place to create a dump site.
EPA (not the Billionaire's) is currently shipping towns in PA water in tanker trucks
because the alternative to the 19 or 20-something homes with pipes, costs about
$9 MM. The other gotcha with all of this is that the Billionaires will put in Pipelines
to Transport this Natural Gas (and other) to LA or TX so they can they get the highest
rate on the OPEN Market (which is usually sending US-Fuel offshore). There are also
Turbine Generators sitting next to some of these well-heads that we are NOT allowed
to turn on in upstate NY because it would "cause a problem" for the local Utility that
would then NOT be making money, but paying money to the cheaper, cleaner Co-Gen
facility.
Now you wonder why there's something called.....
-- Occupy --
It's funny when we think Darwin and others associated us
with evolution and being "of intelligence".
Lordy-be,
intelligence....;-)
Thats some reporting , the whole report on the Nurse. How about finding out what was in the train that derailed that makes them feel like it has anything to do with there problem.
So help me god, if tourettes is contagious I'm never going to New York.
It usually effects girls in small towns? seriously?
Medical Nothing...Try Spiritual..!?!?!?
Matthew 4:24
And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
Matthew 4:23-25 (in Context) Matthew 4 (Whole Chapter)
When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
Matthew 8:15-17 (in Context) Matthew 8 (Whole Chapter)
And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
Matthew 8:27-29 (in Context) Matthew 8 (Whole Chapter)
As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.
Matthew 9:31-33 (in Context) Matthew 9 (Whole Chapter)
Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
Matthew 12:21-23 (in Context) Matthew 12 (Whole Chapter)
And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
Matthew 15:21-23 (in Context) Matthew 15 (Whole Chapter)
And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.
Mark 1:31-33 (in Context) Mark 1 (Whole Chapter)
And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
Mark 5:14-16 (in Context) Mark 5 (Whole Chapter)
And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.
Mark 5:15-17 (in Context) Mark 5 (Whole Chapter)
And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
Mark 5:17-19 (in Context) Mark 5 (Whole Chapter)
And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
Mark 6:12-14 (in Context) Mark 6 (Whole Chapter)
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mark 16:16-18 (in Context) Mark 16 (Whole Chapter)
And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,
Luke 4:32-34 (in Context) Luke 4 (Whole Chapter)
Actually, it did remind me of the Salem witch trials. I'm glad we're more civilized and aren't about to start lynching people.
all i heard was thump,thump,thump,thump..
Yes Amanda. I was thinking the same about the Salem Witch trials. The girls involved went through pretty much the same illness. "Mass Hysteria" they called it.
Tourettes can be caused by different things, although I've never seen it in large groups before. I'd like to know what type of vaccinations they all might have had recently.
I've been thinking they were all faking or psychosomatic. I suffer from myoconlus and tics that have an unknown origin. It started when I was 15 out of the blue and now I'm 35. I've been medicated before with anti-seizure meds and they worked mostly, but I decided to just deal with the shakes than suffer the side effects. This whole time I've been thinking they were faking and it made me angry as someone who deals with this life daily, but now I'm wondering if they're not. :( Mine started out of the blue too.
I think if they would broaden their search they would find more teen's suffering from the same thing. I know of a girl in Texas that has the same thing and the doctors are trying to tell her mom it's psychological, but why didn't it show up until after she had a sever illness. This is no mass hysteria... it's an actual medical problem and until someone puts their foot down and digs deeper we won't find the cause of even treatment/cure for these kids.
here is a possibility... have doctors see if there is a connection between the individuals that have the "tics" to an eye or ear doctor... might have had some liquids added to the eyes or ears upon their visit that might have been tainted... upon watching the news i noticed that the brighter the light that they are subjected the "tics" become more active... last possibility to see if there are any abnormal chemicals in them, draw fluids from the eye to exam... everyone is focusing on the train spill or the school that this time which is not giving any answers at this time
You make no sense, impatient girl. How odd to me that you suffer from tics of unknown origin, so you must know how it feels to go through this, but your first response is they are faking or psychosomatic? I would think you would be the one person to say you would see how it could happen and have some sympathy, but instead you just thought they were faking? How odd...would you like us to tell you we think you are, then?I'm not saying you are at all, but if you want people to treat you with compassion, then why not give others the benefit of the doubt? Do you have evidence they are faking or it is psychosomatic? How odd.
I don't think they are and I think people need to stop saying that without evidence. I think something else is going on, and I find the idea of just giving up and saying it's from anxiety pretty offensive, actually. It's typical...we can't find the cause, so you have something psychosomatic and need a psychologist. Just ignore that I as the medical profession haven't found an answer and accept that you need therapy...how about me as the doctors saying I don't have the answer and not assuming people don't have anything just because I can't find it right this minute. Seriously, that isn't good medicine at all and it has happened so many times it is disgusting. (this paragraph isn't to you, impatient, but it general)
Everyone could benefit from a counselor at one point or another, but this isn't automatically the whole answer. It's amazing how many times medicine looks at a scan or two and a blood test and says, "Oh, it's you and there is nothing wrong that a good counselor can't fix". I've know a few women who went to the ER with classic appendicitis symptoms and were told they were ovulating and to go home. Two ended up with a burst appendix and serious infections and the other two came back and insisted they get treatment for their very real appendicitis...none were simply ovulating.
These posts should be limited to 500 words or less....some of you really like to read what you write or hear yourselves talking!
The reality is that it can be a Conversion Disorder. Everyone in the community is now aware of the situation. Although the victims truly do suffer, most of them will resolve the issue after time passes. The stress experienced from the symptoms, however, does not help.
Yes it can be environmental. Many people have Tourette's and do not experience symptoms until a trigger occurs. That can be stress, a chemical reaction or some other situation that triggers the symptoms. My son has the same symptoms that only appear when he is extremely stressed. It is not uncommon, just in the group that has been described above.
I would go on for 6 more pages like some of the other writers....but why?
If you think "Salem," then think of ergot poisoning, because spoiled rye flour was the cause. Their brains are being affected, and many more people in that town could come down with Parkinson's disease in coming years. It is probably not ergot, but it could be cyanide or another chemical.
My one gripe is that the first to be affected, the teens, were automatically labeled with a psychological disease first. Why? Pediatricians will do the same for girls with bad cramps, even though they have proven endometriosis. Pediatricians are qualified to treat babies, but teens really have body chemistry that these doctors are not prepared to treat, and the mix of hormones and chemicals is very bad, affecting the pituitary gland. As soon as the adult is sick, she goes to a different kind of doctor, and suddenly there is a real diagnosis: probably a chemical cause. Why? Because you probably have a better doctor. My daughter went through teen misdiagnosis followed by a real diagnosis as an adult; I'll bet that is common.
There are psychological disorders that can cause strange symptoms, but they are different. Psychological disorders such as "hysteria" will paralyze or cause spasms in one small area, not create overall twitches, speech problems, and a whole host of disabilities that look much more like brain damage.
The candidates for a cause are: poison, genetics (but they are not related), a rare physical disease such as amoeba or other illness, and possibly some other source not yet known. Just because doctors did not find a disease means nothing: remember legionaires' disease that was not found for over a month? Doctors do not test for poisons, because of our bad health system that is not universal, the BUSINESSES pay for health insurance, so doctors will not look at anything that could get them off the list of doctors that insurance will pay for. I once had a doctor back away from me when I was exposed to a chemical at work; he didn't want to touch the problem because it might have affected his paycheck, and I had a hazardous materials report in my hands.
And meanwhile the governor in my state of Ohio wants more drilling, more disposal of waste, and less taxes on the oil industry. Don't people know the dangers of chemicals by now? This is 2012; I hope people vote for people that really support a clean environment, because all people are affected by these poisons.
being older... I begin to remember other instances where serious maladies were first manifesting themselves. The first so called reported cases are now known as a result of "Agent Orange". the second to come to mind is from those who fought in the middle east's Persian Gulf war. Both were passed off as psychological; a non existent episode made up in their minds, only to be later diagnosed as being caused by something very real. Don't write this off as being withdrawn teens looking for attention.
note to Elizabeth Fracking is causing earthquakes. this in turn is going to close nuclear power plants. Who is going to benefit from that, Big oil.
Everyone it's affected was born after that spill from the train. I'd like to know if the mothers might have lived in that area before or during pregnancy...
Mass Hysteria, my eye!
If those affected were nearly all male instead of female, would the diagnosis would be different? Why is it that when male doctors don't understand female patients' symptoms, it must be psychological?
Sorry, but these girls sure look like they are suffering from neurological injuries, aka brain damage. And with a nasty chemical spill that was never properly cleaned up nearby, well, wouldn't you think they would want to at least explore the possibility of a connection?
No, I don't think these girls are faking. No, I don't think it's conversion disorder. I think it's convenient to blame the girls for their symptoms so those responsible for not cleaning the spill can escape the monetary consequences of their lack of action.
It's Aspartame. Woman tend to drink more diet sodas and diet products than men.
If it is indeed conversion disorder or "mass hysteria," what could be a cure? The mind is a powerful organ that influences the entire biological system by producing hormones, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, etc. Has anyone tried hypnosis, or deep meditation? Everyone has heard of the "placebo" effect; sometimes just the firm belief that you are being treated will actually improve your symptoms. What would it hurt to tell one of these girls that they have found a "cure" and then "treat" them (saline injections, sugar pills, etc)?
I am not surprised that women are more susceptible to this kind of thing. Women are really the social glue of our society. Close women friends will start to cycle together monthly, syncing up to ovulate/menstruate at the same time. It's a deep hormonal/social/biological process. Very fascinating really.
Conversion hysteria?
Focus on a very old chem spill?
How about the NEW chem spill that happened to coincide with the onset of these symptoms? Everyone is missing the obvious!
I am not sure if anyone is aware that there are several fracked gas well that have leaked fracking fluid on the school grounds killing trees and grass. Seeing that no commenter has pointed this out, I am assuming that the site owner here is editing this out of the comments.... also Google is not showing links to the investigative reports that show this.... very strange... this article is one of the few that come up on Google, omitting the gas well stories. search D r d r e w p i n s k y
Allen,
I didn't know they were fracking in the area until today, (Saturday,) but I wondered. The more I learn about fracking, the less I like it.
I have also noticed it is not as easy as some might think to find information about fracking. Why is that? Perhaps they don't really want us to know?
Elizabeth - just an FYI, but the theory about the rye flour is just that - only one unproven theory about what could have caused the Salem incident. I've seen that History Channel program, too. It is a good theory and a fairly persuasive one, but there is no more actual evidence to support it than any other theory. Mass hysteria is one of the other possible explanations. Again, a good theory, but no solid evidence to back it up. A less innocuous theory I have heard is that it was a prank that got out of control as people used the cover of "witchcraft" to settle old scores. Once people get whipped into a frenzy and the superstitious courts came in, who is going to say "Sorry, I was only kidding. I just wanted to get even for something..."? It could have also been a combination of these things. Maybe a few girls did suffer ergot poisoning, a few other girls fell into mass hysteria following these index cases and then their parents pointed their accusing fingers in the direction of those they held a grudge against. Who knows?
My point is, it is perfectly legitimate to speculate a comparison between this case and one theory about the Salem witch trials. The symptoms certainly seem similar enough. Only we have new superstitions -- instead of witches, we have government cover-ups and villainous doctors with their poisonous vaccines and blatant disregard for their patients. The cause of these girls' (and one boy) symptoms may be different than Salem (or not), but I think there is a lesson to be learned. We need to be careful not to go off the same deep end as the unaffected grown ups in Salem by falling prey to our own superstitions. Keep an open mind -- maybe there is an environmental cause, but maybe it is just mass hysteria. Let's let the officials do their work and not try to diagnose from afar.
Is this the beginning of the zombie apocalypse?
I thought the exact same thing when I first saw this! Glad I wasn't the only one who made that connection.
Better stock up on some Zombie Max... Just in case...
And Twinkies!
I cant believe you are making light of this disorder Matt, it looks like a TERRIBLE condition to live with, shame on you!
I thought it was funny Matt. Considering people have used humor to deal with fear, hate, love, misunderstanding and pretty much everything else since the beginning of whatever I'm always amazed at people who think it is inappropriate.
So the zombie apocalypse will involve us being chased by twitching, swearing 17-year-old girls? This could get interesting...
dr chrissy--lighten up. If you are an actual doctor, you realize the health benefits of humor. Even those that suffer utilize humor as a coping mechanism. Enjoy life!
I thought this was going to be about a town that was actually in Upstate NY. LeRoy, NY is in what we consider "Western" NY.
This might make for a good episode in the "Twilight" saga: Teenagers in upstate NY... being bitten by vampires! Augh!
it's Aspartame
kinda wondered too....
...spreading....
..zombies.....
MrFaisel, I have been drinking Aspartame for years, several times a day, and I never
aljldsjl
[jLKknsfdlj
khldshkl
This is creepy...hope it doesn't spread throughout the country.
And I'd be pissed off too if I wasn't getting answers. They need to investigate, everything, everywhere. This sounds like something that you'd see on that Discovery Health show, Mystery Diagnoses.
Say fracking, and try not to stutter. When that water comes up, we'll all be twitching.
I'm so FRACKING tired of greedy companies leaving their FRACKED up messes behind to poison us and the environment, then denying responsibility of any kind. They don't care how many people it FRACKS up! We pay the price, they get the profit. Yeah, well, FRACK that!
Ricken-racking, fricken-fracking!
It's aspartame. Mine went away as soon as I stopped consuming it.
So did Fitzsimmons start having symptoms BEFORE the media reported the teens problems? Since this has been going on for 4 months with her, when was the first story locally reported about this that she might have saw?
If it's because the media is reporting it, shouldn't more people be experiencing it?
Not necessarily. People respond to media reports of these things differently.
There was a massive chemical spill not far from the school in the past. Some say this might be connected to the problem.
some say a lot of things though. correlation is not always causation.
It's aspartame.
My child has a rare form of staph that has affected her organs and her skin. For the last twenty some years we have heard everything from allergies to stress. One doctor went so far are to say that she was self mutilating. Finally, we came across a doctor that said "I know what this is. I've seen this before in Spain." He began treatment and, as long as she follows her treatment program religiously, she is free of symptoms.
Our experience is that if doctors don't know what something is, they lump it with psychosomatic illness and don't bother thinking outside of their experience.
What was it!!??
Is there a name for your daughter has? More people might have the same but have gotten nowhere with their doctors like you did for so many years.
Betty, how sad your daughter had to go through that to get diagnosed. Her story is exactly what I mean when I say just because medicine can't find an answer doesn't automatically mean they are having some mass hysteria. That assumption can keep the real answer hidden and affects the people involved...I mean you have symptoms and are told it's just anxiety and nothing else is going on??
Betty that is so true! Over 30 years ago I had a thyroid disorder that went undiagnosed for so long that by the time it was diagnosed I was suffering from malnutrition. I was accused many times of being anorexic, yet I was eating constantly like there was no tomorrow, I went to several doctors with my symptoms - insomnia, severe heartburn, weight loss, tremors and it made me behave irrationally as in severe mood swings. Every doctor I saw said it was psychosomatic. I was 5'8" and my weight had dropped to 104 lbs. I could not walk across a room without sitting down to catch my breath. I had just about given up hope when my neighbor suggested I see her doctor. As it turns out he was only a physicians assistant but he listened to my symptoms and said I think I know what this is and ran an extensive blood panel. 3 days later he had a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism. He prescribed a drug called Tapazole. It took a few months for the drug be fully effective. It was also a drug that had many side effects one of which was bone marrow deterioration so I had to have a blood test once a month to make sure this wasn't happening. Slowly all my symptoms went away and I got back to my normal weight. But before seeing him it was suggested to me by another doctor that I admit myself to a psych ward. I actually considered it at the time out of desperation until I found out they wanted to treat me for anorexia, which I knew I did not have. I could eat a full meal, go back for seconds and 30 minutes later I was starving again. I never lost the food. I was just so hungry all the time. The severe heartburn was from my stomach producing too much acid due to the thyroid gland being overactive. It was causing every gland in my body to overreact. I would be freezing cold but sweating at the same time. The physicians assistant said that every bite of food I had was burned to energy immediately and I was not getting any nutritional value at all. It is a disorder that is well known these days and I get tested every couple of years to make sure it isn't returning. But this is a prime example of people dismissing something as psychosomatic when there are many other factors that need to be looked at and studied.
I feel for these people and hope they get a diagnosis and treatment that works. I definitely don't believe this is a mass hysteria psychosomatic thing. Something is very wrong here and it sounds like something is being covered up or out of ignorance they are being dismissed as having psychosomatic problems.
Midway, I'm glad you found something that works. Lots of people don't. I think only the wealthy get real care.
My daughter took a nap one day and woke up almost as though she was drunk. Next she did have small tics and lost her balance a lot. We took her to the ER thinking she ate or drank something or was exposed to something. The doc tried to convince us that it was psychological and not something physical. Things subsided for a day or so and came back even worse. Back to the ER when the school called saying she could not stand. I had her transferred to a children's hospital where they explained that a simple cold led to a virus in her spinal chord that basically effected her neurological system. It could have been deadly. She did get better but it took over a month for her to return to normal.
As a mom who has a special needs child and been through the brain surgeries, seizures, tics ect. I can say without a doubt in my mind there is something effecting the neurological system of these people. One girl said her seizures began again and they had been under control for a long time. Another said her head jerks to the side. It's almost as if they are having seizure activity, which would also explain the light comment. This should be pretty easy to detect. My only question is why they are not finding neuro problems.
Mike, it is a rare form of Staphacaucal Folliculitis that can only be detected through a nasal swab, not a skin biopsy. She is, in effect, producing an toxic oil that is poisoning herself. There is a very stringent set of cleansing rituals and medication procedures that have to be followed but the biggest problem is that other people can be carriers without ever knowing it.
I praise the parents for thier NEED for answers. When I first read this... "Mass Hysteria"... give me a break. There are too many people with the same symptoms. I sincerely hope someone has an answer for these kids. If it was my child.. i sure wouldn't accept that diagnosis.
While agree that I wouldn't want to settle on that diagnosis without massive investigation and I do praise the parents for demanding more investigation, I find it rather odd that you say there are too many people with the same symptoms as if that's a reason it couldn't be mass hysteria. In fact, in order for mass hysteria to happen, there has to be a large(ish) number of people with the same symptoms and these symptoms need to be psychologically based. So, either this is mass hysteria or mass some other diagnosis.
Look up the word mass hysteria. You don't know what it means. Within a week a drug company will market a drug for it, advertise it and the incidence of it will explode throughout the country.
Too many people for it to be mass hysteria? Hmmmm
It doesn't seem like 'mass hysteria' to me. Maybe birth control pills. There has to be a common link in these women or girls cause this just doesn't make any since that several people from the same town has the same problems at the same time.
Right now, I lean more toward the hysteria bit. How odd that all of a sudden is when several get the same symptoms. If environment contact years ago from the TCE, one would think that the problem would have manifested itself one person at a time over a reasonable periord of time instead of many all at one time. If physical, I'd be looking for a more recent common denominator, i.e. chemicals in the water that weren't there a year ago (and all get water from the same source), drinking the same brand of soft drink or juice, eating the same brand of bread, etc.
hysteria |hiˈsterÄ“É™, -ˈsti(É™)rÄ“É™|nounexaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement, esp. among a group of people: the mass hysteria that characterizes the week before Christmas.• Psychiatry a psychological disorder (not now regarded as a single definite condition) whose symptoms include conversion of psychological stress into physical symptoms (somatization), selective amnesia, shallow volatile emotions, and overdramatic or attention-seeking behavior. The term has a controversial history as it was formerly regarded as a disease specific to women.
strep. same thing happened to my son. was put on lengthy course of antibiotics. sometimes the strep tests even said negative until they really incubated the swab they took and on the third day it reported strep. it was awful. it's known as PANDAS.
What I didn't hear mentioned is the high school student in Corinth, NY who has developed the same syptoms after a trip to Leroy for a sporting event.
... and the plot thickens!
Obviously, it's a problem only in Leroy. I bet Erin Brokovitch is on to something. Go get 'em Erin!
exactly! Thanks for mentioning the sports connection. Could something on the atheltic field or nearby fields be making these kids sick? Could they be having a reaction to a chemical or pesticide? The fact is there have been other cases across the country one a football team in Oregon, a football team in Texas and a marching band in Texas where students have become mysteriously ill after being on an athletic field . Those investigating should test the turf on the field and soil in nearby fields for pesticides. Also the girls urine should be tested for pesticide related chemicals or any chemicals for that matter. Leave no stone unturned. The fact that this is spreading is obviously not good.
What seems strange is that , so far, only females are being affected. If it was a toxic spill or environmental issue we would see BOTH genders affected. Perhaps there is something in the girls locker room or something similar to the TSS ( toxic shock syndrome) that recently reared it's head again? Is anyone thinking along those lines?
In another, NY-based story, it was reported that one of the HS students is a boy. It's all very puzzling nonetheless. I hope they can pin down the cause and help these poor kids and this lady. The environmental link sounds sadly likely.
Statistically speaking, females are more likely to complain of symptoms and seek out help and answers about medicine.
There is. They live near an environmental disaster area.
Just because the local government or EPA says it's not related, that doesn't mean it isn't. They just don't want to have to pay the damages. After the current private investigation is completed, we'll probably have a good idea what it is. If you look up the side effects of exposure to TCE, you'll see why I'm fairly confident about the outcome.
That high school was built about 10 years ago and they had problems with the land on which it was built. Perhaps they should test around the school. Glad to see they pronounced the name of the town correctly. Local folks in that town pronounce it "LEE ROY". It's a french name and should be pronounced La Roy, but the locals prefer the country sound.
"It's a french name and should be pronounced La Roy, but the locals prefer the country sound" is condescending and patently untrue. People in any area pronounce local names the way their forebears did. They don't just wake up one morning and decide they'd like to sound more cosmopolitan.
This is horrible. And, I know one thing; I don't believe those doctors for one minute. I think "mass hysteria" (conversion disorder) is a ridiculous answer. They obviously just don't know, and can't figure it out, so, they have to find something to blame it on. I really hope someone finds some answers for these girls and lady. And, hope it doesn't keep spreading.
Salem Witch Trials anyone?
That was my initial thought,too, when the psychological condition was mentioned.
Modern day version, with Erin Brockovich as Cotton Mather:
The Salem witch trials were likely the result of psychosis from ergot (alkaloid) poisoning.. Another environmentally caused incident blamed on "mass hysteria."
There is some evidence that the young women in the Salem incidence were afflicted by something chemically induced but it was the hysteria surrounding the incidence that was sad. Blame was placed on so many innocent people. Without positive proof as to what caused the young women in Salem to act they way they did it will forever be known as the holocaust of the United States.
What if nothing is proven after all of this attention? I wonder what will happen with these young women once the attention is no longer focused on them.
Not to get off subject but as far as the girls from the witch trials go, i had read somewhere that they had thought one of the possibilities was the girls had ate some psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and didn't know what they had ingested. When you don't know that you are tripping it can turn into a very bad situation within the mind. I know the diagnosis had been for the ergot poisoning, but not sure that was 100%. The psilocybin does make some sense.
I absolutely agree! that was my first thought when this was first reported. Didn't the symptoms in those girls disappear as mysteriously as they started?
How come it only seems to affect females?
Please don't hand me this straight line--it is so easy to say something like, "Because when boys start shouting out obscenties, having tics, and jerking their limbs about like morons, nobody finds it unusual." Please--no straight lines--it's just too easy.
As I said above: Statistically speaking, females are more likely to complain of symptoms and seek out help and answers about medicine.
Men and women are sometimes affected differently for various reasons, too, and a boy was affected.
Mass hysteria sounds kind of a weak determination, but that's jmo. As those parents are very concerned, I myself would be asking for more of an explanation than Mass hysteria. Sounds to me like maybe the medical profession is blowing this off as MH just to have something to tell these people.
I watched an episode of Mystery Diagnosis and it was about a middle school age child who started having "behaviors" and the doctors could not find anything physically wrong, and labeled is a psychosis, then finally they found a doctor that said it was a staph infection, once they started treatment it subsided. They need to check these girls for staph infections not just in the blood but lungs, ect.
Pandas was the name of the condition
MHRN, I saw the same show. It was strep (not staph), but a very interesting show.
I think a woman above mentioned her son had been diagnosed and treated for PANDAS. Wouldn't it be a bizarre coincidence if the show you two saw was about her son?
I know, completely unrelated, but it was I thought I felt the need to share.
Evening: It is truly unfortunate that those engaged in "journaism" as a profession choose not to verify the "facts" of a story and just sensationalize a story for the sake of ratings. Professionals who are Psychologist specialized in treating children and adholescents have made it very clear that "This unnecessary attention" is detrimental to the welfare of the individuals. I have witnessed similar "behavior" by adholescents during my many years working with children and adholescents. It is shameful that "journalists?" choose to "negatively reinforce" the behavior. Let's end this and allow the professionals do their job.
You're right, of course. We should just ignore them all so they can have these symptoms and be left to tic. I know what you are saying and see your point, and really having them all on tv from this point isn't most likely going to help them, but no, I don't think they should be ignored. They professionals seem to be mostly saying it's psychological and moving on.
Oh, and just because you have seen "behaviors" before doesn't mean they all had the same origin or that what you saw was just a "behavior" in any or all cases. It's also unfortunate that a person who's never met them already assumes to know what is going on with them and how it should be treated..no one absolutely does at this point, and that includes you despite what you think you saw other places.
The conspiracy theories about this just keep getting more and more ridiculous. They are going to spend copious amounts of time and millions of dollars running after a culprit that doesn't exist. People think that the doctors in this case came to the diagnosis lightly without considering the other possibilities and ruling them out. Not likely. "Mass hysteria", which for the record is an outdated term used only for its scare factor, or also when as mass psychogenic illness or a group form of conversion disorder is a diagnosis of exclusion. The chemical in question, trichloroethane, isn't even really known to cause the types of symptoms these girls are having. And beyond that, if it really was something chemical or infectious in nature it would be affecting much more than a small subset of girls. Much of this is common sense and how quickly people seem to forget that when they get a conspiracy theory in their head. The doctor's are not saying that these girls are faking it. They have real symptoms but the symptoms are simply not based on an organic cause such as brain abnormalities, neurological disorders, infections, toxins, or something else tangibile but are instead the result of a psychosomatic illness. That doesn't equal fake. Depression is not fake and neither is this disease. It's just that psychological disorders have been so stigmatized in this country that people hear the word and think that doctors are saying "it's all in your head" and refuse to listen to another word. Praising these parents need for answers is one thing but throwing off this diagnosis because you think it doesn't make sense is quite another. You assume there is an answer beyond the one they have and the reality of it is that there very likely isn't one. If people accepted that, these girls could really get the help they need and not attention they don't.
This is not psychological. There was also a cyanide spill. It is a known fact that poisons cause neurological damage. This poison has been in slow release mode and has affected those who are most susceptible for one reason or another, be it genetic or other health factors.
Really? You know for sure it's not pyschological? Give me a break! There was a spill of trichloroethane, yes. But please point me in the direction of any chemical that has a specific propensity for only females and beyond that only a small subset of them. Many more people would be sick if it were cyanide. It's common sense. You are making a whole lot of assumptions without anything to back them up. Slow release mode? Sounds like nothing more than a convenient descriptor to make your theory make sense. Cyanide is a deadly poision, it affects all people whether or not they are susceptible or not. Beyond that, cyanide has a number of effects outside of the nervous system and these people have been thoroughly tested and not had anything else wrong with them. Chronic exposure doesn't fit. And beyond that, you can detect cyanide in the blood. It would have shown up on tests.
Why don't the country with the best medician in the world have any idea. Whops SORRY I forgot we got the most expensive not the best. I wish the news networks would work on this story(Instead of politics 24/7) and maybe we could get some pressure on our government to help
Perfect way to kill off a specie , render the females insane and infertile . We'll be gone in 75 years...
Again, with all respect to the "health professionals" and celebrity attorney's; you folks really need to ask the Center for Disease (CDC) control to get involved. You folks really need to think about the possibility that this is cluster caused by a flu or viral like infection that is being passed around. The CDC should be asked to work with the state health department and several universities to take case histories, as well as look closely at the individuals for tell-tale disease signatures including confirmation or denial of the presence of known viruses and bacteria that are well known in the literature to cause meningitis symptoms that include tourette's type noises, facial spasms and worse Bell's Palsy. These viruses include but are not limited to: Herpes simplex virus 1 & 2, epstein-barr (aka "mono"), chicken pox (varicella zoster), mumps, measles, LCMV, polio and HIV. Some bacteria like Borrelia burgdorferi (aka Lyme Disease) and syphilis have also has been known to cause "asceptic" meningitis. It is worth considering that at least one historian has raised the hypothesis that a similar type outbreak of facial spasms, tourette's and meningitis like symptoms happened in the time before hygiene, anti-biotics and anti-virals in Salem Mass with innocent women being condemned to torture and hanging. Let's claim progress and have the CDC look at this spreading cluster and put together a Venn diagram of all the factors and see where the connections lie. Start with viruses and then look at how many people may have those drain tubes in their inner ears thus opening a path right to the nerves that control the face. Think about it. 'Nuff said.
I agree with you that all aspects should be looked at, however, my issue with your post - and many others on this thread - is that you are assuming that this is not being done. I would be willing to bet that the doctors involved in this are in fact looking - or have already looked - at all of the possibilities that you mentioned. It blows me away how many people seem to just assume that the Doctors involved are simply deeming to not do a thorough job and going for the quick answer. There may well be an environmental issue causing these symptoms, and it should be, as it is being, investigated by both the government (which already did and ruled it out) and private organizations. In the meantime however, I think the best thing to do is too let the professionals who actually know all of the facts of the situation, not just those that can be gleaned from a news report, make the best medical decisions in their opinion. As more facts come in they can adjust those decisions accordingly. Spreading all kinds of theories with no basis in factual information from this actual case - not too say you are wrong regarding the possibility of those things you mentioned being involved; just assuming that you are not a doctor working on this case and point out that this case has not shown facts backing up any claim that this is what is going on here from the information I have seen - simply causes further fear and if in fact it is a case of conversion disorder (aka mass hysteria) can only make the situation worse.
There was an article in the last week about Eric Brockovich's group going up there investigate and take soil and water samples. The School Board allowed them to walk around the campus but not film or take any samples. It might take the CDC to get it done. Unfortunately they are usually called in by doctors and the doctors now are saying it is not environmental.
I would say chemical exposure. I have similar problems and it is traced back to chemical exposure.
Well, sucks to be a chick. And the reason is due to a 40-year old train derailment, "near" the school. not at the school, but near the school. and the woman with no connection to school has symptoms nonetheless?
The woman grew up there and played there. Did you not read the article?
That's because the culprit is Aspartame.
yup
Typo, I've never heard of "Eric Brockovich"
Google her.
Erin's brother. lol
Didn't something like this happen in Salem Massachusetts in 1692
Modern day version with Erin Brockovich as Cotton Mather:
I was just about to post this comment! Turned out to be moldy rye bread.
That's just a theory, Dianne. Other say it was just a bunch of bored, sexually awakened, highly repressed teenage girls desperate for attention and excitement. Sounds like the same thing this time, minus the high-necked gowns and cotton bonnets.