Fluoride Alert Newsletter

A Mother's Letter to FAN Members

Kyle's Story:

What's wrong with that turkey?!...and other food troubles (part three)

The trouble with food is that it is very inconsistent.  Long ago I made the poor assumption that a food was safe if my favorite natural/organic store sold it.  My trust was misplaced because unlabeled ingredients are the norm, and unless it's a dental product, fluoride is one big secret.  Buyer beware.
Here I was, completely unprepared to safely feed my profoundly chemically sensitive---but hungry---teenage autistic son, Kyle.  I learned as I went and, since I had stopped his chronic 24/7 pain by halting his fluoridated drinking water, I could finally see the results of my food mistakes...and rather quickly.
I remember a particular trip---I was taking an intimidating stack of paperwork regarding Kyle's disability to a state agency.  As we drove, Kyle was calm and happy...that is, until he ate the "natural" protein bar I handed him.  In barely more than a minute, Kyle's 220 pound frame was madly butt-pounding the seat next to me (that's what happens when you "jump" while still wearing a seat belt---he's compliant with rules).  My car was literally jumping down the road.  It was hard to control the car, but impossible to control my son---screaming in pain, heart pounding, sweating profusely.  It was a terrible day, but it did get the attention of the otherwise bored state worker as we arrived.

I didn't know then that the chocolate in the protein bar could contain high levels of fluoride due to pesticides, but it's right here on this FAN website and also this one.   Organic cocoa and chocolate is safe, but conventional can be quite risky.

Another food event, this time Thanksgiving, when Kyle was in his early 20's.  There were 14 eager eaters and I had had the (not so) bright idea of cooking an "all natural" turkey breast instead of a whole bird.  The very few ingredients on the label were all safe.  Kyle adores family, but he cherishes food above nearly all things.  He was the first one eagerly seated at the Thanksgiving table and, without waiting, helped himself to the turkey I had just put on the table.  In approximately 5 bites' time (for Kyle that's about 60 seconds), he shot up out of his chair, instantly screaming, running, jumping, all over the house---heart pounding so hard it was literally visible through his shirt---cherry red ears and large red blotches on his face, neck and chest.  He didn't stop for about a half hour when he finally collapsed on the couch, panting and sweating, in pain.  He finally slept, unable to eat.  Everyone was traumatized.  It was as if my guests had witnessed a terrible accident...and I guess it was.  An "accident" I caused, just to save a little time.  I hadn't even spiced the meat.  So what on earth was wrong with that turkey breast?! 
FAN's website answered my question---there it was, clearly listed, avoid "mechanically deboned poultry", due to high fluoride content.  (Exactly how remains a mystery to me.)  About 2 years later I bravely (or stupidly) tried organic chicken breast.  Kyle had an identical reaction, but much less severe and not as long.  The next day I called the 800 number on the chicken package and learned that the very same mechanical deboning method is used for organic poultry.  Kyle can eat any poultry still on the bone without pain, organic or conventional, but he doesn't prefer it thanks to bad memories.
The good news is that I can describe certain events that were the result of acute fluoride exposures ONLY because Kyle is not suffering from chronic fluoride toxicity from fluoridated water anymore.  FAN's ongoing dedicated work will someday result in eliminating chronic fluoride poisoning from tap water for those children whose parents have no idea that it's contributing to similar frightening behavior.
And thanks to my awareness of fluoride due to Kyle's hyper-sensitivity (and all the information at my fingertips through FAN), I made some very interesting discoveries about my own reactions to fluoride ingestion that I would not have understood otherwise.  I do not get headaches (and I don't scream and jump either!), but I do get mild to very severe pain in certain joints---specifically, the joint that was at the lowest point during sleep (whichever hip) or the joint most used during the day---about 4-5 hours after consuming certain non-organic chocolate products. 
I do not have arthritis, but I do love chocolate and I have experienced more than a dozen acute arthritic-like pain events (over several years' time) for stupidly eating conventional chocolate.  Sometimes even just tiny amounts of it, like last Friday. Unfortunately, it's like Russian Roulette with chocolate because many conventionally grown cocoa products are okay while others can be very high in fluoride, depending on the (unlabeled) pesticide levels.  But the only way I can determine with certainty that the pain was caused by a specific food item is to wait a month or more, and free of any pain, then re-test that same chocolate product on myself.  Unfortunately for the testee (me!), I have positively confirmed the pain culprit every time I have done this, which really takes the fun out of chocolate.
I wasn't brave enough, however, to re-test myself when I had a horrible reaction to organic green tea.  I knew both green and black tea can be very high in fluoride, but I had a momentary lack of judgment.  (Organic tea can be better, but wasn't this time.)  I drank it in late morning and, according to my own special "fluoride clock" started feeling an uncomfortable right shoulder at 2-ish and crying pain by 5pm.  What was I doing?  Typing and "mousing" on the computer.
Pain from fluoride is a very mysterious thing and I don't pretend to understand it, but I do want to impress upon you that if you are chronically exposing yourself to fluoride, for example by drinking tea or a mocha latte every day, you cannot know for sure that the pains you have are not caused by it. 
FAN is an incredible resource for those of us who already know we are hyper-sensitive to fluorides, and for those of you who perhaps haven't yet realized it, or those whose symptoms might take much longer to manifest.  Let's keep this good thing going strong!  Please consider a donation to FAN today. 

Audrey Adams

Washington Action for Safe Water