Methamphetamine exposure and chronic illness in police officers

Abstract

Background: The medical literature reports health hazards for law enforcement personnel from repeated exposure to methamphetamine and related chemical compounds. Most effects appear transitory, but some Utah police officers with employment-related methamphetamine exposures developed chronic symptoms, some leading to disability. This report is of an uncontrolled retrospective medical chart evaluation of symptomatic officers treated with a sauna detoxification protocol designed to reduce the chronic symptoms and improve the quality of life. Methods: Sixty-nine officers consecutively entering the Utah Meth Cops Project were assessed before and after a treatment program involving gradual exercise, comprehensive nutritional support and physical sauna therapy. Evaluations included pre- and post-treatment scores of the Research and Development Corporation (RAND) 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) in comparison with RAND population norms, pre- and post-treatment symptom score intensities, neurotoxicity scores, Mini-Mental Status Examination, presenting symptom frequencies and a structured evaluation of treatment program safety. Results: Statistically significant health improvements were seen in the SF-36 evaluations, symptom scores and neurotoxicity scores. The detoxification protocol was well tolerated, with a 92.8% completion rate. Conclusions: This investigation strongly suggests that utilizing sauna and nutritional therapy may alleviate chronic symptoms appearing after chemical exposures associated with methamphetamine-related law enforcement activities. This report also has relevance to addressing the apparent ill effects of other complex chemical exposures. In view of the positive clinical outcomes in this group, broader investigation of this sauna-based treatment regimen appears warranted.

Biomonitoring and Elimination of Perfluorinated Compounds and Polychlorinated Biphenyls through Perspiration: Blood, Urine, and Sweat Study

“…Various studies now confirm that depuration through induced perspiration may be an effective way to facilitate human clearance of many persistent pollutants from within the body [15, 17, 22]. This study demonstrates, however, that the perfluorinated compounds PFHxS, PFOS, and PFOA are not effectively eliminated in perspiration.…”

“…An easily accessible method to facilitate removal of a broad range of environmental chemicals is through induced perspiration [11, 13–17]. Efficacy of this mode of xenobiotic excretion is not surprising given the fact that multiple drugs can be reliably detected in human sweat samples [18–21].…”

Das Potenzial der Sauna im Rahmen der Prävention - eine Übersicht neuerer Erkenntnisse

“…Es ist auch nicht von der Hand zu weisen, dass das durch Sauna oder vergleichbare Maßnahmen hervorgerufene Wohlbefinden die Compliance der Patienten fördert. 2012 berichteten Ross und Sternquist [36] in einer Studie über Saunaanwendungen, die zusammen mit einer Ernährungstherapie das subjektive Befinden und damit auch die Compliance bei einer Entwöhnungsbehandlung nach Aphetamin-Missbrauch signifikant verbesserten.…”

Wärmeanwendungen unter Berücksichtigung der Wärmeregulation - Teil 2

“…- Aus naturheilkundlicher Sicht [10,11] werden Ganzkörperwärmeanwendungen zu den diaphoretischen, ausleitenden Verfahren gerechnet [12]. Die deutliche Erhöhung der Gewebeperfusion verbunden mit der Stoffwechselanregung erreicht im Gewebe (Interzellularraum) eine Mobilisierung von Stoffwechselprodukten und eine Alkalisierung auf Blut-pH-Niveau.…”