Welding Fumes and Parkinson's

[journeyer80]

I found this article interesting since I have alot of these symptoms along with all over twitching i have been welding for 16 yearsManganese welding fumes used by Wisconsin welders and welders elsewhere are known to cause Parkinson's disease-like symptoms. There are a variety of welding processes including: Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW, stick), Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW, MIG), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW, TIG), Flux Colored Arc Welding (FCAW), Plasma Arc Welding (PAC, PAW), Submerged Arc Welding (SAW), Carbon Arc Welding (CAW), Electro Slag Welding (ESW), Electro Gas Welding (EGW), Stand Welding, Oxyacetylene Welding, Beddon Plate Welding, Torch Brazing, Oxygen Cutting, Air Carbon, and Arc Cutting. Our Wisconsin personal injury law firm investigates such manganese welding fumes cases. Here are symptoms associated with manganese welding fumes: Moving slower Shaking/tremors Loss of balance Physical stiffness Leg cramps at night Less coordination Slurring speech Face muscles tightening Poor handwriting Walking difficulties Anxiousness & irritability Impotence Emotional changes Short term loss of memory Welders with manganese are sometimes diagnosed with ordinary Parkinson's disease or Lou Gehrig's disease (a/k/a ALS) or multiple sclerosis.A March, 2004 Neurology article discusses a treatment, L-Dopa or levodopa, given for "parkinsonism" associated with manganese in welders. "Effect of levodopa treatment for parkinsonism in welders: A double-blind study," from neurologists at Mount Sinai studied the L-dopa treatment in welders with manganese. Those neurologists said manganese is known to cause a parkinsonian syndrome that has similar symptoms to Parkinson disease. Since levodopa was known respond in those with Parkinson's disease but it's effect on manganese induced parkinsonism was vague, the neurologists analyzed the latter. In the study, manganese parkinsonism patients were studied using an established Parkinson's Disease rating scale, walk and tap testing, general impression scores, and adverse reactions. The neurologists showed there was no significant difference between placebos and L-dopa. Thus, levodopa is not effective for manganese parkinsonism in welders but it might help to set apart Parkinson disease from the caused by manganese welding rods.

 

[onesMJonesy]

Thanks so much for posting this. This is so unrelat4ed to BFS for me but it may explain my dads condition. He is 80 and very frail. He was a welder for 55 years and he displays many of the mentioned symptoms, but not twitching thank goodness. His doctor even once said to me that his walk is Parkinson like. You know there is probably nothing that the doctors can do for him but it is so good to be able to make a connection with his symptoms.