Is there mercury/thimerisol in a TB test?

[guy123]

I got a test today at the immunologist for TB. It was an injection that makes a little bump in your arm and in 48 hours they're going to evaluate it.

 

I didn't even think until after they ha given it to me that it might have thimerisol in it. I was unable to find evidence one way or another online.

 

Does anyone here know? It's not the TB vaccine... it's the skin test to see if you have TB.

 

Thanks.

[faith]

guy,

I sure hope not. because I had that test too when I was pregnant with my son (who has tics). I always worried about that in hindsight. I had done a little research a little ways back but didn't really come to anything conclusive of it being harmful. I may have discussed this somewhere on the board a while back. Let me know if you find out anything. Why did you have that done? I had to because I was gonna work in a hospital and it was apparently mandatory. I questioned it simply because i was about 3 months pregnant at the time, and my ob said it would be okay, and this doctor who worked in the human resources dept of the hospital was adamant that I had to have it or I couldn't work there, and she was like 101 years old, I swear. of course at the time, I had no other children so I knew nothing about all the stuff I know now, but now that I look back, I get nervous of having had this test. my instinct tells me it probably had nothing to do with it, but ya never know.

 

Faith

[guy123]

guy,

I sure hope not. because I had that test too when I was pregnant with my son (who has tics). I always worried about that in hindsight. I had done a little research a little ways back but didn't really come to anything conclusive of it being harmful. I may have discussed this somewhere on the board a while back. Let me know if you find out anything. Why did you have that done? I had to because I was gonna work in a hospital and it was apparently mandatory. I questioned it simply because i was about 3 months pregnant at the time, and my ob said it would be okay, and this doctor who worked in the human resources dept of the hospital was adamant that I had to have it or I couldn't work there, and she was like 101 years old, I swear. of course at the time, I had no other children so I knew nothing about all the stuff I know now, but now that I look back, I get nervous of having had this test. my instinct tells me it probably had nothing to do with it, but ya never know.

 

Faith

 

I did find a post on another forum stating there is no mercury in it. However it was just someone asking about it and someone else saying "there's no mercury in it." So I don't know how accurate it is. It does appear to have Phenol in it which is also super toxic.

 

I had it done as part of a series of tests I've had over the last 6 months because I've been having gastrointestinal issues ever since October and so far 5 doctors cannot figure out what's wrong with me. The immunologist I went to yesterday said it could be TB (even tho I've been vaccinated???) and sometimes it manifests in the intestines. I was like oooookay then.

 

Just in case anyone here has any ideas, I'll post my symptoms and tests.

 

Symptoms

- Nausea

- Mild to moderate lower right quadrant abdominal pain (moves from navel area to right hip bone area to lower right groin area, but never in more than one of those places at a time)

- loose bowel movements (made worse by even light exercise)

- gas and bloating

 

The symptoms seem to come and go. They'll almost fade away for a week or so and then come back randomly.

 

I've been keeping detailed logs of everything I eat and my BMs ever since October and there is no correlation between food and getting sick

 

Tests

- CT scan - showed "mild bowel thickening in the terminal illeum"

- Colonoscopy - showed "evidence of granuloma" (which is "suggestive" but not "indicative" of Crohn's Disease)

- Upper endoscopy - nothing

- Small Bowel Follow Through (Barium Xray) - nothing

- Blood test for genetic markers of Crohn's and UC - negative (although my doctor told me this has false positives and negatives all the time and isn't diagnostic)

- Numerous hernia exams (all negative)

- Two urine tests for kidney stones (all negative)

- Stool tests for C. Diff, Giardia, Blood (all negative)

- Thyroid normal

- CBC normal

 

I'm waiting on insurance approval for a small capsule endoscopy (camera pill to look at my small intestine)

 

It's worth noting that I have not had a fever at all through any of this.

 

I did a 20 day course of Xifaxan (antibiotic active only in the intestines) which didn't help.

 

It's also worth mentioning that I've tried a few different probiotics (Danactive and Kefir) at the suggestion of my doctor, and each time, by the 3rd day my symptoms were much worse.

 

Does anyone know any diseases that are exacerbated by probiotics?

 

Things that it's not:

- Cancer (at least that's what they said from looking at my CT scan)

- Celiac

- Lactose Intolerance

 

So my GI doc keeps saying that it kind of looks like Crohn's but not really, and all the tests have either been negative or inconclusive.

 

I decided to go to an immunologist to see if he had another perspective. So he gave me the TB test and some blood tests for a bunch of stuff I've never heard of. I know there are some parasites that can mimic Crohn's, so he's giving me a parasite stool test as well (which I hear give a lot of false negatives anyway).

 

Seriously tho, I've felt like crap since about October. I used to be a competitive weightlifter weighing around 175lbs, now I'm between 140 and 145.

 

As much as Crohn's Disease sucks and can ruin your life from the people I've talked to online who have it, I REALLY hope I don't have it because the first line of treatment is corticosteroids and I can't use those because of my tic. Fortunately, my doctor's aren't convinced I have Crohn's yet.

[Chemar]

Guy

you symptoms sound very much like what my son used to have

 

he is dx with Crohn's (confirmed by colonoscopy)

 

he has managed to keep it in remission by careful diet and specific supplements

 

from what I know, the skin test seldom reveals GIT tuberculin infection

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/376015-overview

 

let me know if you would like any of the info on how my son is keeping the Crohn's under control

[guy123]

Guy

you symptoms sound very much like what my son used to have

 

he is dx with Crohn's (confirmed by colonoscopy)

 

he has managed to keep it in remission by careful diet and specific supplements

 

from what I know, the skin test seldom reveals GIT tuberculin infection

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/376015-overview

 

let me know if you would like any of the info on how my son is keeping the Crohn's under control

 

I'm really hoping I don't have Crohn's as that wouldn't jive with the kind of life I want to have. After my colonoscopy the doctor said he didn't see any evidence of Crohns.

 

But if I do, I think it's time to move to California and get a medical marijuana card, since marijuana seems to help Crohn's more than most of the prescription drugs.

 

Did your son ever run a fever or have bloody stools? I have neither of those.

[TCMstudent]

Hey Guy,

 

I am an alternative medicine student. I was actually doing a Google search to see what I could find about toxicity in reference to TB skin tests, as I will need to get one soon as a health care practitioner and I wanted to comment when I read your plea for help =)

 

I read the details regarding your medical condition and I just want to encourage you to seek out alternative medical advice. It already sounds like you are against taking corticosteroids (YAY!). Also, anti-biotics are complete ###### on ALL of the bacteria and flora of your intestines... whether beneficial or pathological and taking a little yogurt may or may not be able to counteract that. Have you tried taking a high quality pro-biotic? Just know that one option you can try is Chinese medicine (more commonly known as acupuncture, but it entails so much more). It seems you haven't been officially diagnosed by your physician but an acupuncturist should be able to help you any way. Diagnosis is made by SYMPTOMS rather then a one-size fits all DISEASE... everyone presents a disease a little bit differently.

 

Also, Chinese medicine has some amazing herbs which have been known to completely stop the symptoms of Crohn's in a matter of months... whereas Western medicine can take years or never stop the symptoms at all. This I know via the fact that I have been studying Chinese herbs for several years now. Just wanted to let you know that there is hope out there and other options available. Western medicine has its limitations!

 

Best of luck to you!

[guy123]

Also, Chinese medicine has some amazing herbs which have been known to completely stop the symptoms of Crohn's in a matter of months... whereas Western medicine can take years or never stop the symptoms at all. This I know via the fact that I have been studying Chinese herbs for several years now. Just wanted to let you know that there is hope out there and other options available. Western medicine has its limitations!

 

Best of luck to you!

 

Which herbs are you referring to?

 

Thanks.