Reader Seeks Help with Neurofibromatosis-1

An 11-year-old family member of mine, let’s call him “Joe,” was born with the “café-au-lait” brown spots that are diagnostic of the genetic disease von Recklinghausen disease, a.k.a. neurofibromatosis 1, or NF1. It’s related to “Elephant Man disease.”

The symptoms of NF1 are usually marble-sized lumps under the skin surface anywhere or everywhere on the body. These bumps are nerve tumors, usually small and benign, embarrassing at the least and potentially deadly at worst.

When Joe’s deciduous teeth erupted, they were blackened and eventually crumbling with severe dental fluorosis. When he was 6 years old, the family had to borrow $8000 to have all his teeth temporarily capped. I believe now that there’s a definite fluoride connection with NF1.Working temporarily as a waitress, his mother drank a good deal of tea during his gestation. Tea is naturally very high in fluoride (up to 8 ppm), and it was also made with fluoridated water. She drank fluoride-free water at home.

Fluoride can cause DNA damage resulting in genetic diseases and cancers. A British study compared the incidence of Down syndrome incidences between the fluoridated and unfluoridated areas in Britain. They found Down’s syndrome to be 30% higher in fluoridated communities. an NJ Health Dept. study found osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, to be 3 to 7 times higher in fluoridated areas. This fluoride connection was confirmed in an EPA rat study. This cancer, osteosarcoma, usually hits young 8 to 10 year old boys during their early bone growth spurts and is often fatal. It is very rare in adults.

I believe NF1 and osteosarcoma are results of fluoride toxicity which causes a rather newly recognized disease, called hypothyroidism 2. This disease was named by Mark Starr, MD, author of Hypothyroidism Type 2 the Epidemic. I read an article by him and wrote to him about a fluoride connection. It wasn’t mentioned in his book but he added my suggestion on p. 199 in his next edition and kindly sent me a copy. Note: Dr. Starr tragically died a relatively young man this past October.

I believe that NF1 and osteosarcoma are both results of hypothyroidism caused by fluoride. Joe has very little evidence of the disease now. The symptoms don’t usually manifest until after puberty. This disease, unlike traditional low thyroid, is at epidemic levels in this country. Some doctors who can recognize it have reported it in up to 80% of their patients from only about 40% reported in the 1970s.

Regular hypothyroidism can be diagnosed by a blood test for adequate thyroid hormones but Hypothyroidism 2 is caused not by an absence of the thyroxin hormone but by the hormone’s inability to enter the cells where it can raise body temperature. To test for hypothyroidism, the temperature is taken before arising in the morning. It should be at least 97.9 ºF. Joe’s temperature runs about 95 ºF all the time.

When a person’s temperature is low, the body partially shuts down the blood supply to the skin, to preserve body heat. Without of antioxidants from the blood, in the case of the tumors of NF1, they don’t manifest internally but right at the skin level because there’s not a sufficient blood supply there to fight their creation or elimination.

I would greatly appreciate it if those professionals who treat NF1 patients or the patients themselves after taking a few morning temperature readings would contact me and relay the results of this readings. If thyroid medication is being taken, please relay that also.

Additionally, any professional who wants to try this hypothesis, after finding a low temperature reading in an NF1 patient, please keep in touch and share any results. An 11-year-old boy needs help before NF1 symptoms appear. Thanks.

Janet Reed Pettit

Palatka, Florida

jpettit@tds.net