Toxicity and Dysautonomia
In our last article, we discussed dysautonomia, which is a group of potentially devastating neurological conditions in which the autonomic nervous system (ANS) has gone awry. The ANS is the part of the nervous system that functions without a person’s conscious effort. With dysautonomia, the body’s ability to do basic functions like digestion, temperature regulation, blood pressure regulation, urination, etc. may be hindered.
There is a lot of confusion around dysautonomia, and it’s often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. We touched on potential causes of dysautonomia in our last article. In this article, we dive more into one category of potential causes: toxicity.
by Josh Riemer on Unsplash
In regard to toxicity that may cause dysautonomia, a variety of toxins can be the cause. These may include toxins from mold, heavy metal exposure, alcoholism, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and drugs, such as those from chemotherapy. We briefly dive into each of these causes and their impact on dysautonomia below.
Mold
A lesser known toxin that can be associated with dysautonomia is mold. Remember that molds are fungi that are present in both the indoor and outdoor environments. Molds have toxic chemicals on their mold spores, and these toxic chemicals are called mycotoxins. Mycotoxins easily travel through the air and can enter the human body through inhalation, through the skin, or through digestion of mold-contaminated food. Mycotoxins prompt the body to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines, which can wreak havoc on the body.
While larger scale research on the connection between mold and dysautonomia is in its infancy, clinical cases make this association well worth exploring. One particular case is of an 18-year-old female who suddenly struggled with fainting spells. She was diagnosed with POTS, though she wasn’t able to find significant improvement until mold levels in her home were tested. Once the mold was remediated and she was put on a mold protocol, she began to feel symptoms resolve (1).
There is also research documenting mold exposure and various neurological symptoms (2). In a study with a cohort of nurses who were working in a water-damaged/moldy hospital compared to an unexposed cohort, the nurses who were exposed to mold had higher symptoms of the central or peripheral nervous system as well as multiple chemical sensitivities, brain fog, and arrhythmias (3).
In another study, 100 participants went through a variety of assessments after being exposed to high amounts of molds and mycotoxins in their homes. All 100 of these participants had positive tests when assessed for abnormal ANS (4).
Lead and Other Heavy Metals
We all know that lead is a neurotoxin that we need to take very seriously. While lead paint was banned in 1978, and lead in a variety of products is now often regulated, it is still very much present in our environment.
In a case study, a 24-year-old male developed autonomic dysfunction, intestinal pseudo-obstruction, and anemia because of lead poisoning. The researchers measured autonomic function over a year’s period of time. At the beginning of the year, he had severe loss of autonomic tone and reactivity (5). This gradually improved over the year’s research. The good news of this case study was that most of his autonomic function had returned to normal at the conclusion of the year, with the exception of some mild parasympathetic reactivity. Lead leaving the body may depend on the function of a person’s detox pathways, which can vary greatly. There’s also evidence that both more consistent lead exposure and intermittent lead exposure can lead to autonomic dysfunction (6).
Lead isn’t the only heavy metal that can cause issues with the autonomic nervous system. Arsenic (7), cadmium (8), and mercury (9), among others, are also neurotoxins that can contribute to dysautonomia.
Certain foods can help detox from heavy metals, such as green tea, wild blueberries, cilantro, garlic, spirulina, and tomatoes. In severe cases, it’s important to detox under the care of a skilled practitioner.
Alcoholism
There is evidence that excessive alcohol consumption can also lead to ANS dysfunction at some level. In a review of 55 studies of a highly heterogeneous population, the most common symptom among those who abused alcohol was erectile dysfunction. Though not as common, postural dizziness was also a symptom seen among participants (10).
While we know that dysfunction of the ANS is often seen when alcoholism reaches the point of liver issues, we see that it can also begin even when the liver appears healthy by normal standards. In a study that compared 30 healthy non-alcoholics with normal liver function to 30 “healthy” alcoholics with normal liver function, researchers found that in the alcoholic group, there was a significant increase in blood pressure based on postural change as well as a significant difference in heart rate (11).
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies
We know that vitamins and minerals play a major role in how the body functions and how necessary it is to have appropriate levels of vitamins in our bodies for optimal function. This holds true for optimal ANS function as well. We give a couple of examples below.
Those with POTS often have low vitamin D3 status. In a study with 180 patients with POTS, researchers found that 56% of participants had low vitamin D levels (12). While we don’t know if vitamin D deficiency can cause POTS or vice versa, supplementing with vitamin D3 may significantly help POTS symptoms (13).
In another study that looked at vitamin B12 deficiency, adolescents with POTS were compared to adolescents who did not have POTS. Researchers found that the adolescents who had POTS had significantly lower B12 levels compared to those without (14). Additionally, adolescents with POTS have a higher chance of iron deficiency, low iron storage, and anemia (15).
Chemotherapy
While chemotherapy can be a life-saving treatment for those battling cancer, its side effects should not be dismissed. There is some evidence suggesting ANS impairment following chemotherapy treatment. ANS impairment can also lead to cardiovascular issues (16, 17).
While chemotherapy’s intention is to kill cancer cells, it often harms or kills healthy cells along the way. ANS impairment after chemotherapy can occur when nerves that control involuntary bodily functions are damaged during the treatment. The nerve damage then causes communication interference between the brain and parts of the ANS. The symptoms that a person experiences will depend on the specific nerves that are affected (18).
If you have been treated with chemotherapy and possess any symptoms of dysautonomia, it could be helpful to work with a skilled functional medicine practitioner to evaluate if the toxins from this treatment could be contributing to your symptoms.
What To Do If You Suspect Dysautonomia
As always, we want to look for the root cause of a condition in order to truly resolve symptoms and restore health to the body. If you have been diagnosed with a type of dysautonomia or suspect dysautonomia, it’s important to look at conditions that have potentially caused this complication, and it’s highly important to examine and reduce toxic load and look for nutritional deficiencies.
Please call our office if you suspect that you may have dysautonomia. We would love to help.
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