<b>DRUGS - v - OP’S</b>

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DRUGS - v - OP’S

DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS

Due to the way OP (Organophosphate) poisoning affects your body, to the best of my knowledge the following drugs have been known to react against this damage in a fatal way. Many OP victims are unable to tolerate the following drugs.

Please seriously consider the consequences before accepting treatment with these drugs, and don’t forget ………. not all GP’s, hospitals and dentists (or Coroners) have studied this problem in depth and are therefore not always aware of the dangers!

For those of you who feel that any part of this document could relate to you, I would recommend that you leave a copy with somebody who’s easily contactable and carry a note in an SOS bracelet or necklace. Suggested wording would be:

Text Box: ORGANOPHOSPHATE POISONED! Please do not administer any medication/anaesthetic until you have phoned this number:

…………………………………………………….
Failure to comply may lead to legal action!

AMBIGUOUS DRUG

NOTES

Suxamethonlum (scolinc)

Organophosphates inhibit Butyrylcholinesterase (Pseudocholinesterase or BuChE), which is responsible for the hydrolysis of these drugs

(Ref A)

Mivacurlum

Esmolol

Procaine

Diamorphine

Scoline

Following on from the above, there could be more serious interactions with these muscle relaxants                                          (Ref A)

Mivacurlum

Nicotine

Permanently inactivated alpha 4 beta 2 and alpha 7 neuronal nicotinic ACh receptions (Kuryatov et al. 2000).

Animals treated chronically with OP’s exhibit reduced sensitivity to muscarinic agonists, probably due to down-regulation of muscarinlc acetylcholine receptors                                                             (Ref A)

Pertussis Vaccine (Roseberry et al. 2001)

Animal studies show that these can modulate muscarinic receptor function                                                                                   (Ref A)

Oestradlol (Abdalla et al, 2000)

Cocaine

Interacts with Nicotinic ACh receptors (Zachariou et at 2001) (Ref A)

Succinylcholine

Contraindicated drugs for Ops                                                     (Ref B)

Suxamethonium

Morphine

Contraindicated drugs for Ops                                                    (Ref F)

Aminophylline

Phenothiazine tranquilizers & barbituates

Pralidoxime Chloride

When administered early (usually less than 48 hours after poisoning) Pralidoxime relieves the nicotinic as well as the muscarinic effects of poisoning.                                                                                   (Ref G)

After the first 48 hrs it should not be used to treat poisoning by carbamates or organophosphorus compounds without anticholinesterase activity. Use with caution in patients with myasthenia gravis or impaired kidney function."                          (Ref H)

Cont………..
DRUGS - v - OP’S cont…… (Page 2 of 3)

AMBIGUOUS DRUG	NOTES
Theophyline	Muscle relaxants and anaesthetics (Ref B)
Reserpine
Phenothiazine
Barbiturates
Antihistamine
Flagyl (Metronidiazole)	Brand names to avoid (Ref B)
(Ciproxin) Ciprofloxacin	Brand names to avoid (Ref B)
Theophyline	These were thought to have caused serious heart problems when prescribed at the same time - a recognised deadly combination without the additional complications of OP synergy (Ref B)
Erythromicin
Edrophonium	Other cholinesterase inhibiting drugs (Ref B)
The Carbamates
Neostigmine
Pyridostigmine
Physostigmine
Abenonium
Demecarium
Echothiophate
Amitriptyline	The deadly side effects of these 4 drugs are the results of the anticholinergic action. (Ref B & J)
Atropine
Atrovent (Ipratropium Bromide)
Spiriva (tiotropium)
Stilnoct (zolpidem)	Reduces the functioning of certain areas of the brain. This results in sleepiness, a decrease in anxiety and relaxation of muscles – not advisable for OP victims (Ref B)
Benzodiazepene.
Succinylcholine	Given in conjunction with anaesthesia, “symptomless depression of Cholinesterase levels may render a person much more susceptible to the action of depolarising muscle relaxants” (Ref C)
Galanthamine Hydrobromide	This drug could increase the severity of symptoms. This enzyme breaks down acetylcholine, a substance which helps to transmit signals within the nervous system and so switches off the signals when they are no longer required. However, its mode of action is in many ways similar to that of nerve gases which kill by totally blocking the nervous system’s “off switches”. OP pesticides work in the same way - it is like exposing OP victims all over again (Ref D)
Home products: Flea sprays, treatment for head lice, plant sprays and fly killers, new furniture, carpets, paint, smelly cleaning chemicals, perfumes, scented soaps, polishes or sprays, washing powder	These are just some of the household products to try and avoid (Ref E) No doubt there are many other dangerous products not listed. It is known, but not proven, that magnetic fields from pylons could be one of them, also chlorine. Some vaccines contain mercury in the preservative ‘Thimerosal’ – mercury is known to enhance the effects of other poisons so it’s advisable to check that it’s not present before accepting e.g. flu vaccine

Cont………..

DRUGS - v - OP’S cont…… (Page 3 of 3)

ANTIDOTES AND OTHER DRUGS WHICH MAY BE USEFUL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PESTICIDE EXPOSURES (all are readily available pharmaceuticals unless otherwise stated)

ANTIDOTE/DRUG	TRADE NAME	FORMULATION
Activated charcoal	Carbomix Medicoal	25 & 50g packs 5g sachet
Amethocaine eye drops	Minims	0.5% or 1% eye drops
Amyl nitrite¹	None	0.3 millitre vitrellae
Atropine sulphate	None	1 millilitre ampoules, 600 mg/millilitre 1 millilitre ampoules, 2mg/millilitre²
Calcium gluconate	None	10 millilitre ampoules, 10% solution
Dicobalt edetate	Kelocyanor	20 millilitre ampoules, 15mg/millilitre
Dimercaprol (BAL)	None	2 mililitre ampoules, 50mg/millilitre
Fullers’ earth ³	None	24g and 60g packs
Magnesium sulphate	None	-
Mannitol	None	20% solution for intravenous infusion
Methylene blue⁴	None	5 millilitre ampoules, 50mg/millilitre
N-Acetylcysteine	Parvolex	10 millilitre ampoules, 200mg/millilitre
Oxygen	-	-
Phytomenadione (Vitamin K₁)	Konakion	10mg tablets 1 millilitre ampoules, 10mg/millilitre
Pralidoxime mesylate⁵	P₂S	5 milllilitre ampoules, 200mg/millilitre
Sodium 2,3-mercapto-1- propanesulphonate (DMPS)⁶	Dimaval	5 millilitre ampoules, 50mg/millilitre 100mg capsules
Sodium Nitrite⁷	None	10 millilitre ampoules, 30mg/millilitre
Sodium thiosulphate⁷	None	20 millilitre ampoules, 500mg/millilitre

(ref. I)

REFERENCES

A. LD Karailledde et al.. Food & Chemical Toxicology 441 (2003) 1-13

B. CoM in a letter dated September 1994

C. Pesticide Poisoning, Notes for the Guidance of Medical Practitioners, Medical Panel of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides, Department of Health 1983)

D World News, Organophosphate Link to Troubled Drug Trials, (Reporter: Judith Perera)

E World News, ENVIRONMENT-HEALTH: Women in the Home Face Hazardous Chemicals (Reporter: Judith Perera)

F US Environmental Protection Agency

G EPA

H Bloomsbury book "Medicines, the comprehensive guide" 1997.

I Dept. of Health, “Pesticide Poisoning 2^nd edition. Notes for the guidance of medical practitioners”

(Appendix 5) Edited by Dr. Alex Proudfoot

J British Medical Association New Guide to Medicines & Drugs 2004

This document was put together for those highly sensitive to ambient chemical exposure, which includes victims such as Gulf War Veterans and those poisoned by products other than organophosphates. It is also known that many poisoned victims have been misdiagnosed, which is due to lack of data on poisoning or lack of training within medical professions.

This information was compiled by OP Victim George Wescott

1^st Edition (September 2003)

AMBIGUOUS DRUG	NOTES
Suxamethonlum (scolinc)	Organophosphates inhibit Butyrylcholinesterase (Pseudocholinesterase or BuChE), which is responsible for the hydrolysis of these drugs (Ref A)
Mivacurlum
Esmolol
Procaine
Diamorphine
Scoline	Following on from the above, there could be more serious interactions with these muscle relaxants (Ref A)
Mivacurlum
Nicotine	Permanently inactivated alpha 4 beta 2 and alpha 7 neuronal nicotinic ACh receptions (Kuryatov et al. 2000). Animals treated chronically with OP’s exhibit reduced sensitivity to muscarinic agonists, probably due to down-regulation of muscarinlc acetylcholine receptors (Ref A)
Pertussis Vaccine (Roseberry et al. 2001)	Animal studies show that these can modulate muscarinic receptor function (Ref A)
Oestradlol (Abdalla et al, 2000)
Cocaine	Interacts with Nicotinic ACh receptors (Zachariou et at 2001) (Ref A)
Succinylcholine	Contraindicated drugs for Ops (Ref B)
Suxamethonium	Contraindicated drugs for Ops (Ref B)
Morphine	Contraindicated drugs for Ops (Ref F)
Aminophylline
Phenothiazine tranquilizers & barbituates
Pralidoxime Chloride	When administered early (usually less than 48 hours after poisoning) Pralidoxime relieves the nicotinic as well as the muscarinic effects of poisoning. (Ref G) After the first 48 hrs it should not be used to treat poisoning by carbamates or organophosphorus compounds without anticholinesterase activity. Use with caution in patients with myasthenia gravis or impaired kidney function." (Ref H)