By Dr. Matsen

Metals have long been suspected as a likely cause of the many mysterious autoimmune diseases that afflict humans. However, a new suspect surfaced in the early 1990s—silicone leaking from breast implants was accused of causing fibromyalgia, lupus, scleroderma, Sjogren’s syndrome, Raynaud’s syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome.

A May 1991 study done by the FDA using patient questionnaires and MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) found that women whose breast implants had leaked silicone gel had 2.8 times more fibromyalgia complaints, namely muscle pain, fatigue and sleep disorders.

The FDA held hearings in October 1991 on the safety of silicone breast implants and, even though its advisory panel found no evidence that silicone breast implants were unsafe, imposed a temporary moratorium on the use of silicone in implants starting in January of 1992.

Other studies included:

  • In 1993, a University of Texas study found that women receiving breast implants had no more autoimmune diseases than those receiving breast reconstructions with their own tissue.
  • In 1994 and 1995, three studies at the Mayo Clinic, Harvard/Brigham’s Hospital and in Scotland, all found no connection between silicone breast implants and autoimmune (connective tissue) diseases.
  • In 1996, a Canadian study also found no connection between silicone breast implants and autoimmune diseases.
  • In 2000, the Institute of Medicine stated that a review of 17 studies showed that autoimmune diseases are no more common in women with breast implants than in those without them.
  • In 2003, the National Institute of Health reported that a National Cancer Institute 10-year retrospective study of 13,500 women with breast implants actually showed a slight decrease in breast cancer risk.

All these early studies, with their rosy results showing the low toxicity of silicone, came to a grinding halt in 2004 when the National Cancer Institute released a new study that showed “implant patients were three times more likely to die from respiratory tract cancer, two to three times more likely to die from brain cancer, and four to five times more likely to die from suicide.” There was also a doubling of incidence of rheumatoid arthritis and even greater likelihood of lupus and Sjogren’s syndrome.

One of the reasons for the delayed insights into the toxicity of breast implants is that it takes time for them to leak, yet eventually nearly all of them do. Some leak within a few years, some might take ten years, and as they leak the pain and fatigue symptoms begin. But how could apparently “harmless” silicone gel leaking out of implants cause cancer and autoimmune disease?

The biggest insight of recent implant research is that the silicone implants contained something that dramatically increased its toxicity. Platinum had been widely used in the silicone gel as a thickener, to make the silicone oil more “finger friendly.” While platinum isn’t normally considered to be as toxic as other metals, such as mercury, the platinum used in breast implants is first treated with nitric and hydrochloric acids. This acidified platinum is much more reactive and capable of binding, especially to nerve endings.

Susan Maharaj of American University tested ten women with breast implants and compared the results with five controls. It was found that the women with breast implants had sharply higher levels of platinum in their blood and urine.

Ernest Lykissa, the Houston clinical toxicologist who co-authored the report, stated in August 2004 that the reactive platinum “is notorious for attacking nerve endings and interfering with the nerve impulses to the brain.” The most common complaints of patients were: pain in fingers and toes; tics in the eyes; memory lapses; and equilibrium or eyesight imbalances.

In addition, it was found that the breastfed children of these women also complained of eye and hearing disorders, no doubt from platinum passing through their mothers’ milk.

So, after a long search, the true toxicity of silicone breast implants has been identified—it is a heavy metal, platinum. My clinical experience says that one day it will be shown that all those others who suffer from autoimmune or neurological diseases but didn’t have breast implants will also be found to be suffering from metal toxicity.