Static Electricity And Iron/Ferritin Levels

[tankasnowgod]

I realized something interesting recently....

I am back working in the same building that I regularly worked in about 7 years ago. Back then, I would CONTANTLY shock myself on the metal doors, and shock computer screens off. Since I have been back working here, it has happened very rarely, if at all.

However, other people do have the same issue I used to, with the constant shocks.

I wondered the other day if it was due to me having a high iron burden previously. Seemed a bit unlikely, as even when you are iron loaded, it's still a few extra grams of iron in your body, and an adult usually weighs 50-100 kilograms.

Well, I came across this newsletter from the Iron Disorders Institute, and maybe I was on to something....

http://www.irondisorders.org/Websites/idi/Images/In Touch-January-February, 2006.pdf

(starting on page 6)

BIZARRE EXPERIENCES

Browsing through the Guide to Hemochromatosis, I came across a quotation of Dr. Weinberg’s that reminded me of the many bizarre experiences I have heard of or read about from patients with hemochromatosis or other disorders of excess iron. Experiences; such as wristwatches that stopped keeping time while being worn, yet kept perfect time when removed from the person’s wrist; airport metal detectors setting off alarms when subsequent body searches reveal no indica-tion of what may have triggered the alarm; and extreme cases of static electricity build-up observed in persons by sparks when one touches a metal door knob or tries to pet the family cat with the animal taking off in a fit of howling.

Oddly, I knew a girl back in high school that could not wear wristwatches, as they would stop working when she wore them.

Anyone else have any similar experiences to what is described in the letter?

 

[Lucas]

My ferritin is more than 200 and I always get shock whit the door of my car after driving, is this related?

 

[tankasnowgod]

My ferritin is more than 200 and I always get shock whit the door of my car after driving, is this related?

Maybe. If you get de-ironed, maybe make keep track of that in a journal, see if anything changes. It sure seems to have made a difference in my case, and according to that newsletter, others have noticed similar things.

 

[Diokine]

Interesting. I've noticed changes in my level of "charge" also but never correlated it to anything. I'll start paying more attention.

 

[Wagner83]

Someone I know was diagnosed with "excess iron" (not sure about the type of bloodtest performed though) and has a lot of those electricity / shocks problems.

 

[tankasnowgod]

Paging @Cirion... this is highly, highly speculative on my part, but I know you are big on avoiding EMFs. My own experience, and now the seeming confirmation via the "BIZARRE EXPERIENCES" listed in the Iron Disorders newsletter got me thinking...... maybe lowering iron to near deficiency could help minimize the effects of EMFs? At the very least, you may be interested in reading the "Phantom Itch" story listed in the newsletter I posted above.

 

[tankasnowgod]

Someone I know was diagnosed with "excess iron" (not sure about the type of bloodtest performed though) and has a lot of those electricity / shocks problems.

By any chance, did he have visible discharges? I remember seeing little arcs, almost like tiny lightning bolts or sparks similar to a Jacob's Ladder, when I would touch the metal doors. Admittedly, this is just me remembering from years ago, so it might not be totally accurate. But I'm not sure it's normal to have "visible bolts" when discharging static electricity, but I recall it seeming normal for me at the time.

 

[Mary Lyn]

I remember these problems when I was young. I would get shocks from touching the outside of my fathers car when I was getting in or out; my watch would not keep good time or would stop; there would be sparks or clinging from my clothes when I took them off; my hair would be 'fly away' sometines. No-one else I knew had the same problems.

I believe I am from Celtic stock which I believe has higher levels of HC. There has been a lot of CVD in my fathers family and his mother and sister diet from heart attacks. His was stroke. I am going to check it up on my 23andMe results and will report back.

I have had no problems like the ones reported since I grew up.

 

[achillea]

My wife has this static shocking problem and has noticed if she keeps her electrolytes in order and if she takes salt/soda baths the shocking stops for a while.

 

[achillea]

I stand corrected as we have tried many electrolyte formulas. This homemade version is by far the best as it doesn't seem to cause any reaction except she drinks it away from foods as it is alkaline and digestion can be interfered with if taken during meals. We mix into orange juice with added honey. Here it is.

Home made electrolyte mix - Living Network

 

[Cirion]

I am still not sold about the iron paranoia though. I get it, too much of iron is bad, but I'm really not too concerned about it especially now that I have started a trifecta of things that should lower Iron (not even on purpose either, just happened to do it for other reasons other than lowering iron).

- Increased caffeine intake
- Lowered Iron intake in diet (almost all protein from gelatin or milk, low iron sources), only meat once or twice a week
- Increased manganese intake (this inhibits iron, right?)

We had a discussion previously where I mention some people here actually did better when they supplemented iron, like @Douglas Ek. No doubt, some people are suffering from too much iron, especially ones eating the SAD with iron fortification though or if you have hemochromatosis (which is rare, isn't it? Although Chris Masterjohn has that.)

That aside...

I am definitely very sensitive to EMF. I have come to realize where I tend to notice it the most in every day life is driving on the highway. I can feel all the EMF from all the other cars, since probably everyone is on their cell phone and virtually all cars these days are strong sources of magnetic fields, electric fields, dirty electricity, and RF. A car is like a faraday cage almost, so all the signals from all the other cars (and cell towers near highways too) probably get stuck inside and really bombard you. THe highways are the worst though. I notice my symptoms all but vanish the moment I get into the suburbs. Literally at work I was feeling great, after a bunch of carbs & coffee, and the moment I get on the highway I start feeling bad. EMF's are really no joke.

And for what it is worth when I have too much milk + maple syrup I start to feel quite off, I feel like if low iron was a good thing that wouldn't be happening to me. I actually had a strong craving for meat the last couple of days so I gave in and had some liverwurst. Either way, I'm not planning on purposefully getting iron nor avoiding it until I get a chance to test my levels.

Last I did check was 1-2 yr ago or so, was fine then. I guess it may be worth testing again, even if its a small chance that's the problem. My fatigue has been around since the last time I checked it though, so I'm doubting that's the issue.

 

[tankasnowgod]

I am still not sold about the iron paranoia though. I get it, too much of iron is bad, but I'm really not too concerned about it especially now that I have started a trifecta of things that should lower Iron (not even on purpose either, just happened to do it for other reasons other than lowering iron).

- Increased caffeine intake
- Lowered Iron intake in diet (almost all protein from gelatin or milk, low iron sources), only meat once or twice a week
- Increased manganese intake (this inhibits iron, right?)

We had a discussion previously where I mention some people here actually did better when they supplemented iron, like @Douglas Ek. No doubt, some people are suffering from too much iron, especially ones eating the SAD with iron fortification though or if you have hemochromatosis (which is rare, isn't it? Although Chris Masterjohn has that.)

That aside...

I am definitely very sensitive to EMF. I have come to realize where I tend to notice it the most in every day life is driving on the highway. I can feel all the EMF from all the other cars, since probably everyone is on their cell phone and virtually all cars these days are strong sources of magnetic fields, electric fields, dirty electricity, and RF. A car is like a faraday cage almost, so all the signals from all the other cars (and cell towers near highways too) probably get stuck inside and really bombard you. THe highways are the worst though. I notice my symptoms all but vanish the moment I get into the suburbs. Literally at work I was feeling great, after a bunch of carbs & coffee, and the moment I get on the highway I start feeling bad. EMF's are really no joke.

And for what it is worth when I have too much milk + maple syrup I start to feel quite off, I feel like if low iron was a good thing that wouldn't be happening to me. I actually had a strong craving for meat the last couple of days so I gave in and had some liverwurst. Either way, I'm not planning on purposefully getting iron nor avoiding it until I get a chance to test my levels.

Yeah, I know you aren't all that interested in the iron issue, but I thought you might be interested in a possible EMF connection. Though I will point out it's not "iron paranoia," iron reduction has shown absolutely stellar results in RCTs like this one, where cancer risk and severity was absolutely slashed in the iron reduction group- Decreased cancer risk after iron reduction in patients with peripheral arterial disease: results from a randomized trial. - PubMed - NCBI

But that aside, here is the story I was referring to from the above link (it can be somewhat hard to find from there)-

The Phantom Itch

"My strange itching symptoms began in Newport, RI at the Naval Base where I was stationed during the period 1968 through 1970. I was assigned to a computer installation located in a building on one of the two main piers jutting out into Narragansett Bay.Naval warships and utility vessels were berthed on both sides of the pier, many for various repairs and maintenance. Periodically, one or more of these ships underwent a deguassing process. This is a preventive measure; whereby the entire ship, because it is largely metal, is demagnetized to minimize the attraction of magnetic mines.

"One morning at work, I felt this extremely itchy sensation all over my torso, mainly on my back. No amount of scratching or wiggling or rubbing would relieve the itch. I even rubbed my back against a doorjamb like bears do against trees to ease the itch. That didn’t help either. There was no skin discoloration or rash except that caused by my scratching and rubbing. The more I scratched, the more excruciating the itch became. I had scratched myself so much in the first hour that I was certain I was going to remove my skin clear down to the bone. The itching became so distracting; I was unable to focus on my duties. Meanwhile my co-workers, somewhat disbelieving my discomfort, were having a tremendous time laughing at my predicament. I tolerated the itchiness for several more hours before I succumbed, deciding to go home for a change of clothes.

"Fortunately, I only lived about 2 miles from work; thus, a trip home wouldn’t take too long. Once off the pier and inside my Volkswagen camper, I began tearing my tie, white shirt and tee shirt off; while at the same time attempting to drive a 4 speed stick shift. I still can vividly recall driving through the Navy base going through all types of contortions, completely naked from the waist up in the middle of a Newport November. I’ll tell ya’, it was cold and VW heaters in those days didn’t produce much heat. My itch had become so intense by that time I reasoned (irrationally, maybe) that the cold and any embarrassment I might endure would be the lesser evil. Was my wife ever surprised when this half-naked man came bounding through the front door with scratch marks all over his chest and back and half his uniform draped over his arm. More so, when I began stripping off my remaining clothes just inside the front door. Realizing whom it was, my wife was convinced more than ever that her mother had always been correct: she had definitely married a madman.

"Believe me, at that moment I felt that being mad would have been preferable. My wife took my clothes so I could continue undressing. But when she did, she received a shock of another kind – my white blended-cotton dress shirt was electrically charged as if it had just came out of a clothes dryer. I returned to work after completely changing clothes, but my relief was only temporary. Several hours later, the same sensation returned with what seemed like a vengeance. You guessed it. Home again! This time I also took a shower and covered my entire body with lotion. My itch sessions repeated themselves several times a month throughout my tour of duty in Newport, regardless of the season. (Retrospectively, I have a notion that they were more severe during the colder months.)

"The relief process had become second nature. Showering followed by a generous application of body lotion and a complete change of clothes seemed to ease my suffering more than Benadryl or similar antihistamines. Our next door neighbor was truly ecstatic to see me suffer, as she was able to keep me continuously supplied with body lotion. "Avon calling!" My co-workers in the computer installation would never let me handle magnetic computer tapes after my first itching episode, especially after I described to them how my wife received a shock from my shirt.

"However, once I left Newport for warmer climes the itching episodes never occurred again. I dismissed the incidents from my mind until after I had been diagnosed for hemochromatosis in 1979, when my wife reminded me how crazy I had been during those itching attacks, both of us wondering if there was a connection between “the phantom itch” and hemochromatosis. Not too humorous at the time, but now we enjoy a reminiscent laugh every now and then. The “phantom itch” has never returned even though I’ve lived in cold weather climes since. Furthermore, I handle magnetic disks and tapes all the time now without incident. I’ve been de-ironed for more than 27 years now. "

 

[Wagner83]

By any chance, did he have visible discharges? I remember seeing little arcs, almost like tiny lightning bolts or sparks similar to a Jacob's Ladder, when I would touch the metal doors. Admittedly, this is just me remembering from years ago, so it might not be totally accurate. But I'm not sure it's normal to have "visible bolts" when discharging static electricity, but I recall it seeming normal for me at the time.

I have no idea.

 

[Cirion]

I do get shocks a fair bit but it only happens in the winter, I don't really get any itches for the most part. I thought the shocking happens because of low humidity. It is usually low humidity here in the winter. I think as a kid I did use to set off the metal detector, but that stopped happening when I got older for the most part.

Makes me wonder if my dad has iron problems though. He has had a long battle with fatigue that hasn't resolved. Maybe I should tell him to test iron. Now he has had a history of random itching... and I can actually recall him having to use the wall to scratch himself... hmmm

 

[DrJ]

Holy crap that is very interesting. Every once in a while I get an absolutely insane itching at a specific pinpoint on my back that drives me to a corner of a wall to scratch. Scratching doesn't seem to help and then the itch will suddenly go away. There appears to be a mole there, which I think Ray says contain iron. I wonder if it's interacting with a field to cause the itch.

 

[Makrosky]

My wife has this static shocking problem and has noticed if she keeps her electrolytes in order and if she takes salt/soda baths the shocking stops for a while.

@Captain_Coconut

 

[tankasnowgod]

I do get shocks a fair bit but it only happens in the winter, I don't really get any itches for the most part. I thought the shocking happens because of low humidity. It is usually low humidity here in the winter. I think as a kid I did use to set off the metal detector, but that stopped happening when I got older for the most part.

Makes me wonder if my dad has iron problems though. He has had a long battle with fatigue that hasn't resolved. Maybe I should tell him to test iron. Now he has had a history of random itching... and I can actually recall him having to use the wall to scratch himself... hmmm

Men tend to accumulate iron as we get older, as a general rule. If your dad lived in the US, he has also been subject to iron fortification, assuming he hasn't actively avoided bread and cereal products since the 40's. If he's used any alcohol or tobacco, that also tends to increase. A full iron panel is probably one of the smartest health tests that any man over 40 can do with regularity.

The work has lots of electronic equipment, along with heavily air conditioned studios and metal doors. Makes sense that a lot of shocks happen. What is surprising is that it just doesn't happen to me anymore.

 

[Cirion]

I figured the shocks also has to do with Body voltage / lots of exposure to electric fields. Your body can build voltage easily in a high electronic environment, and many of us get frequently exposed to very potent electrical fields.

Just passing by a non-insulated wire can subject you to 100, even 100's of V/M of electric field and induce upwards of 50-100 volts in your body. I have noticed that if I am carrying a charge that my EMF scanner will react to my hand getting close to it lol (Getting a 50+ V/M reading from my body).

I am re-reading Chris's article here but it's long may take me a while.

https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/2017/01/27/need-manage-iron-status/

It looks like Chris's ferritin level was actually not bad but other markers were high, so I think just looking at ferritin is insufficient. Also, if my dad does have the gene defect, I guess that would put me at higher risk of having it as well. Of course it is all speculation. Perhaps I'll get it tested soon then.

It could just be an electrolyte deficiency as @Captain_Coconut found out when he fixed his own sensitivities to EMF.

 

[Javalon]

I realized something interesting recently....

I am back working in the same building that I regularly worked in about 7 years ago. Back then, I would CONTANTLY shock myself on the metal doors, and shock computer screens off. Since I have been back working here, it has happened very rarely, if at all.

However, other people do have the same issue I used to, with the constant shocks.

I wondered the other day if it was due to me having a high iron burden previously. Seemed a bit unlikely, as even when you are iron loaded, it's still a few extra grams of iron in your body, and an adult usually weighs 50-100 kilograms.

Well, I came across this newsletter from the Iron Disorders Institute, and maybe I was on to something....

http://www.irondisorders.org/Websites/idi/Images/In Touch-January-February, 2006.pdf

(starting on page 6)

BIZARRE EXPERIENCES

Browsing through the Guide to Hemochromatosis, I came across a quotation of Dr. Weinberg’s that reminded me of the many bizarre experiences I have heard of or read about from patients with hemochromatosis or other disorders of excess iron. Experiences; such as wristwatches that stopped keeping time while being worn, yet kept perfect time when removed from the person’s wrist; airport metal detectors setting off alarms when subsequent body searches reveal no indica-tion of what may have triggered the alarm; and extreme cases of static electricity build-up observed in persons by sparks when one touches a metal door knob or tries to pet the family cat with the animal taking off in a fit of howling.

Oddly, I knew a girl back in high school that could not wear wristwatches, as they would stop working when she wore them.

Anyone else have any similar experiences to what is described in the letter?

Greetings! Hoping this information will be of help. I had issues with static electricity. Upon doing some research and my own lab testing via MyLabsForLife.com, I found out I had high levels of mycotoxins in my system. My ACTH levels were also whacko. Maybe this info will be of help to you. Here is a link where Dr. Jill Carnahan talks about static electricity as it relates to mold infection: https://highintensityhealth.com/mold-toxins-mold-testing-explained-jill-carnahan-md/

 

[methylenewhite]

Hmm this wrist watch thing makes me think Im not that crazy as I used to assume. I was a young waiter in very very popular restaurant years ago. To sustain the load we got there I used racemic amphetamine sulfate and we were running around serving, serving and serving again non stop from 9am to 2am. I got wristwatch and in some moments at work when I was in a rush to serve all the orders, litterally having no time to pee or drink water, the hands of the watch started to run across the watch face like a doing 2-3 hours in one second. Everything around was like a slow-mo and the only hands of the watch rotating across superfast. I got me scared from quantum perspective as I thought the amphetamine is driving me across the time-space much faster then I supposed to. There is a speculation that stimulators shut body's perception of time and recognition of time-environmental clues. And it was not a technical problem, it happened only in a combination of rush hours + psychostimulator abuse. Those times I used to get static shocks that strong, feels like a punch lol.