Connective tissue is affected with the exposures to 2-butoxyethanol. One lady of the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup told me she has had multiple operations to put the joints back together - that they are 'falling apart' Joints hurt with this sub group of those exposed (at least with them there weren't 100 other possible causes of harm, only one) Again, I think the USA govt is stumped too. I don't think anyone but some chemical company somewhere knows what's going on & they are walking off with mucho bucks.

Anyway, a mini synopsis of how to find the harm of this chemical (EVOS workers doctors haven't yet - I haven't even heard of any of their doctors that have had an interest more than a couple of extra tests... & then forget it):

To reiterate, please bear with me:
Retic ratio in itself is not a diagnosis for blood anemia of the red blood cells, but it would support such. As long as the bone marrow is still producing red blood cells to compensate for the early death of RBCs (before 120 days) you may not notice too much in the RBC counts, and thus doctors don't think to check more.
This

quote:

---

elastase is an enzyme in the granules of leukocytes. It causes epithelial damage, vascular hyperpermeability, mucus hypersecretion etc. Increased release will contribute to the symptons in CFS

---

In the extreme, can this cause paralysis? I'm not a doctor, or any type of medical person, but I believe the answer to this is YES, based on talking with the families of those who have been afflicted by this - & knowing what 2-butoxyethanol is supposed to do (sad story) So many people are affected: those who clean, those who paint or use many automotive, hobby and home cleaning products even! ... and the military How many solvents are they exposed to in munitions, in gun cleaning? How much repetitive exposures do they get in war-time vs non wartime?

I started learning about this damage to red blood cells when I read up on 2-butoxyethanol, aka ethylene glycol monobutyl ether that was used in the cleanup chemicals of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Not many of these get an accurate diagnosis, as doctors are stumped, and workers don't realize that they were exposed to such a chemical (Probably wouldn't help for them to know, as doctors don't study chemical exposures and the effects on the body) Maybe we need to enlist the services of toxicologists?

Anyway I found this thread of interest, because it would be an aspect of helping to get an accurate diagnosis for those, at least, who were exposed to too much solvent of this type. (It is also a pesticide & a poison)

It is the red blood cells that are damaged (& I believe the cause of the fatigue these have). Ask for the Retic ratio and ask for a lab tech to comment on the red blood cells. And realize 2-butoxyethanol causes:

• Narcosis
  
• Damage to the kidney
  
• Damage to the liver
  
• Present an abnormal blood picture showing: Erythropenia
  
• Present an abnormal blood picture showing: Reticulocytosis
  
• Present an abnormal blood picture showing: Granulocytosis
  
• Present an abnormal blood picture showing: Leukocytosis
  
• Likely to Cause Fragility of Erythrocytes
  
• Likely to Cause Hematuria
  
• Causes central nervous system effects, depression, etc
  
• Damages skin, & mucous lining of sinuses and upper respiratory
  
• Causes endocrine disruption (Headaches in area of pituitary gland?)
  
• AND damage to connective tissues, too?

Now, I suggest that those whose chronic fatigue syndrome is from blood damage of the red blood cells - your body would have need of more oxygen. AND that coupled with taking a lot of medications could cause seizures?  And

I believe it's the solvents of this type that also are a cause of 'gulf war syndrome' & chronic fatigue is at the top of their list of symptoms! They may have enough counts of red blood cells but with low function?

'Mother Margaret'
Who am I?

e-mail