Did you use Round Up Weed Killer?

[Joel]

Given the apparent connection between glyphosate (i.e., Roundup) and auto-immune disorders in general, and the apparent connection between brain inflammation (i.e., auto-immune malfunction) and Parkinson’s, the explosion of Parkinson’s in the past two generations and the dominance in our diets of pre-packaged food sourced from giant agri corporations do look suspicious next to one another.

There is a very real sense in which we *all* use Roundup, even if we don’t farm with the stuff, since traces of it are ubiquitous in our food supply. If your Dad was handling the stuff directly, I share his suspicion—in fact, I believe environmental toxins are a factor in many modern illnesses besides PD—but I am not aware of any studies directly linking the two.

I *am* aware that there are studies, as recently as 2017, linking Paraquat (banned in 32 countries, so toxic it kills what even Roundup won’t kill) and Parkinson’s. The MJ Fox Foundation has sent letters and petitions to the EPA linking these studies, but I guess so far the EPA (stands for “Every Poison Allowed”) has  found the campaign contributions to their bosses from the corporations owning the corporations that make herbicides somewhat more convincing.

[Robert Weber]

yes, use it  on  food plot  that we have for  deer  hunting

[Beata]

I remember when I was 12 or so, my parents and neighbors hired a light plane to spray the neighborhood with DDT to kill the mosquitos. The plane flew low and we chased the plume of white mist, playing and laughing. I remember my skin was moist from the mist.

[Bob Glisson]

Yes, I have suspected all along that Roundup was the cause of my PD. There is no history of PD in my family.

I used Roundup like mad at our previous home for 15 years or so, as Florida has a non-stop growing season. I, most certainly, over-exposed myself to this collection of toxic chemicals, and was diagnosed in 2013 at age 58.

[Skip Shaputnic]

With mounting evidence of the exposure to harmful chemicals that are ubiquitous in our environment and the risk of developing neurological disorders later in life, there is little doubt to me that a strong connection exists. Please see my post of Monday “New Forum topic—Toxins’ Insidious Effects on the Brain” https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/forums/forums/topic/new-forum-topic-toxins-insidious-effects-on-the-brain-8-24-20/

In it, there’s an action opportunity from the Michael J. Fox foundation urging Congress to ban many of these toxins–mainly paraquat.

Joel, I like your more fitting title of the EPA (I refer to it as the Environmental Pollution Agency). It’s no coincidence that a proposed EPA ban on paraquat was postponed indefinitely 3 years ago under this current administration. You’re right about the EPA kow-towing to campaign contributions. This also has to stop.

Paraquat, along with many other toxins, has no place in our environment. Continual use is gravely detrimental to our collective health and must be halted. Please consider taking action!

 

New Forum topic—Toxins’ Insidious Effects on the Brain 8-24-20  

[Todd Kitten]

Yes I did, growing up on a cotton farm. I remember when it first came out. I’m sure I was also exposed to paraquat, which was used for defoliation in years when harvest time arrived before a hard freeze. That was also true for my father, who also had PD. On the other hand, I doubt my grandfather (my father’s father) was exposed much, and he had PD as well. Conversely, my three brothers, two of whom are older than me, were probably exposed to the same extent I was to both and none of them have developed PD–at least not yet. As a scientist, I find this whole process of trying to identify environmental causes frustrating. There are plenty of reasons to suspect they exist, but it’s difficult to tease out which ones are most important and for whom. Still, I’m encouraged by programs like Fox Insight. Although it’s just answering questionnaires, this may be our best hope for addressing questions like this concerning causality, particularly if we can get to the point of pairing these responses with rich genetic data.

[Mary Beth Skylis]

Wow. This is unsettling. My Dad (diagnosed in 2013) has had a lot of exposure to Round Up. He thinks that it might have something to do with his diagnosis. Bob, he used Round Up for many years in a similar manner. It wasn’t until recently that he made the connection.

[Andrew L.]

Ran behind the DDT truck as young child laughing in the fog many summer nights. Used to call it the “fogging man”. Big treat then. NOT NOW 🙁

[richard gitschlag]

Not all that much. My dad was Plant Manager of a weed killer manufacturing plant, making 2,4-D and MCPA, not to mention 2,4,5-T in earlier years. We used those as I was growing up. y dad lived into his high 80’s, as did my uncle, who worked out in the plant. We lost Dad to dementia, with only a slight Parkinson’s toward the end. I think this may have increased my risk factors, but I don’t see a direct cause-and-effect in my Parkinsons.