News

* A recent report suggests that monosodium glutamate (MSG) may be a trigger for the chronic pain syndrome fibromyalgia. Four women with fibromyalgia for two to 17 years that did not respond to conventional treatments experienced near-complete or complete resolution of their symptoms within months of eliminating the excitotoxin from their diet. In each woman, symptoms returned when MSG was ingested. The authors suggest that removing MSG and its relative, aspartame, may significantly benefit some fibromyalgia sufferers (Ann Pharmacother, 2001; 35: 702-6).

*In the Netherlands, a woman was admitted to hospital with septic shock three days after cosmetic liposuction of the abdomen (Lancet, 2001; 358: 1509). Eventually, she required a skin graft to replace rotting abdominal skin and a stay in hospital of five weeks. The bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes was the cause.

Similarly, in Italy, three women developed septic syndrome within 12 to 18 hours of liposuction. Two developed multiple organ failure that led to death in one case. The third recovered after being diagnosed with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Again, S. pyogenes was found, probably from poorly sanitised surgical equipment (Lancet, 1999; 353: 1164).