Brain allergy

Randolph and Moss, An Alternative Approach to Allergies, 1990

Like Candida, brain allergy or ecologic mental illness (Randolph, 1959, 1974) is another "diagnosis" which is not accepted by evidence-based medicine doctors but promoted by clinical ecologists and other complementary and alternative medicine practitioners. A review by Eis (1999) characterized clinical ecology as an unproved approach in the context of environmental medicine. According to the beliefs of clinical ecologists, behavioral and mental illnesses are related to food and chemicals, whereby this occurrence is considered a "cerebral allergy". The term "allergy" is, however, understood in the broader sense, as opposed to the usual medical term, to include non-immunological, pseudo-allergic and other intolerance reactions. According to one definition, "Brain allergy or ecological mental illness is a general term used to describe any abnormal reaction to a food or other substance that creates psychological, emotional, or neurological symptoms" (Cornish, 2003). The symptoms claimed to be associated with brain allergy encompass almost the entire clinical spectrum of neurology and psychiatry, as can be seen from a list compiled by the previously quoted author (see here).

According to Eis (1999), "Clinical ecology is concerned with unspecified, little understood health disorders and chronically fluctuating illnesses" (p. 291). Thus it comes as no surprise that brain allergy has also been suggested as cause for persisting perception disorder (PPD). Given the often limited therapeutic possibilities in persistent aura without infarction and HPPD, many patients with PPD are critical of the lack of an adequate treatment. They tend to search for simple answers and "alternative" treatment possibilities associated with it. Clinical ecologists and other alternative medicine practitioners respond to this demand.

Cfite (subject #297), a persistent visual snow sufferer for about 7 years, related: "I went to a new neuro today that is supposed to be an ace. He was familiar with the whole VS thing and wants to treat me, which is great as others have blown it off, and advised that he has been able to stop these symptoms about 99% of the time. He said that the symptoms were probably onset from a brain allergy to a medication or drug... He also said that pill medication was not the answer due to the longevity of my symptoms, and that he has rarely had any success prescribing pills to anyone with my symptoms. He gave me an injection of Imitrex [sumatriptan succinate, a triptan drug used in the therapy of the acute migraine attack, whereas its use in persistent aura without infarction has not been reported previously, although prominent or prolonged aura may not represent a reasonable contraindication to triptan therapy (Klapper et al., 2001)] and advised that some people's symptoms have been cured with that. However, it did not completely alleviate mine but I did notice a change for the good. Once he came back in 15 -20 minutes after I had been injected and I informed him of the results he advised that he would like to treat me with an IV mixture composed of depakote [valproic acid, a drug reported by Rothrock (1999) to have been effective in 2 patients with persistent aura without infarction lasting 2 months and 2 years, respectively] and some other [which?] high powered drugs to break the cylce. He said that was probably the only way to achieve results due to me having the VS issues for about 7 years. He wants me to come in and stay in the hospital and receive the IV treatements every eight hours to see if he can break the symptoms and then get me on a preventative medication to keep it from coming back. He says that he has treated people this way before and has had a good success rate so I think I will give it a go. I was just wondering if anybody else had tried anything like this and what success they may or may not have had."

(cfite [subject #297], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussion - New treatment that may work, November 19, 2007; additions in square brackets by Klaus Podoll)

"... he believes that it is due to a brain allergy to a medication. For me it was probably Maxalt [rizatriptan benzoate, another triptan drug used in the therapy of the acute migraine attack] if I remember right that caused it. For most people he said VS like symptoms caused by meds or recreational drugs are temporary but for some it remains until the cycle is broken. I still think that persistent migraine aura is a different animal, though everyone has shifted to that definition of VS. What he said really made sense and matches alot of what I have seen on the forum over the years as far as causes of VS."

(cfite [subject #297], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussion - New treatment that may work, November 19, 2007; additions in square brackets by Klaus Podoll)

References

Cornish T. Mental Illness or Allergy? Website WholeApproach.com, 2003.
Eis D. Clinical ecology--an unproved approach in the context of environmental medicine. Zentralbl Hyg Umweltmed 1999; 202: 291-330.
Klapper J, Mathew N, Nett R. Triptans in the treatment of basilar migraine and migraine with prolonged aura. Headache 2001; 41: 981-984.
Randolph TG. Ecologic mental illness - Psychiatry exteriorized. J Lab & Clin Med 1959; 54: 936-...
Randolph TG. The history of ecologic mental illness. In: Frazier CA (ed) Annual review of allergy, 1973. Medical Examination Publishing Co. Inc., Flushing, NY 1974, pp. 425-441.
Randolph TG, Moss R. Alternative Approach to Allergies. The New Field of Clinical Ecology Unravels the Environmental Causes of Mental and Physical Ills. Harper Perennial, New York, NY 1990.
Rothrock JF. Successful treatment of persistent migraine aura with divalproex sodium. Neurology 1997; 48: 261-262.

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