The_Myodil

ABOUT IOPHENDYLATE (MYODIL, PANTOPAQUE, ETHIODAN)

Iophendylate is a mixture of Isomers produced in 1936 in the USA by Eastman Kodak and was initially developed as a photographic processing chemical and was not originally intended for use on humans. Around 1941 researchers started experimenting on animals with this chemical to test it's suitability as a contrast media for x-ray investigation of back pain related symptoms, but they immediately found it caused meningismus in all tests carried out. Despite this drug producers sold it as safe for doctors to use on humans. It was later discovered the substance “Iophendylate,” was not only harmful but melted plastic and rubber. The FDA did have serious concerns about tests conducted by Steinhausen (1942), but granted a licence in 1944. Iophendylate (U.S. Patent 2,348,231) appeared on the world scene as a myelographic oil-ester for high volume (12-15cc) routine use in diagnosing disc herniations and was widely used as a contrast medium between 1944 and 1987 in spinal x-rays called Myelograms (Myelography).
Eastman Kodak supplied Iophendylate to Lafayette from 1944 and Lafayette sold it under the marketing name Pantopaque. Eastman Kodak supplied Iophendylate through an intemediary company called British Drug Houses, who were granted sole distribution rights to sell Iophendylate throughout Canada under the marketing name Ethiodan, and to Glaxo in the UK, who sold it under the marketing name Myodil. The FDA were concerned about the lack of test data being provided by Lafayette. Lafayette never made public their 1969 findings that it failed scientific studies, but continued selling it as "Safe". In 1977 Lafayette was bought by Alcon (Alcon was at this same time bought by Nestle), at this time Pantopaque represented about 80% of Lafayette's product sales. Glaxo sold Myodil as a service product in the UK when no licensing was required up until 1974. When new licensing laws came in to affect in 1974 Glaxo were automatically granted a licence of right because Myodil was already in production. As far as we are aware Glaxo have never conducted their own safety tests on Myodil, if they did they have never been made public.

THE MYELOGRAM PROCEDURE

In most cases people went in to hospital for investigation of lower back pain. The myelogram (spinal x-ray) procedure involved injecting Myodil directly into the spinal cord mostly in the lumbar region, but some consultants insisted the Myodil was then spread the full length of the spinal cord as far as the base of the brain, which was unnecessary and bad practice. Myodil was designed to illuminate the spinal cord and nerve roots on x-rays. Worldwide, millions of people underwent Myodil Myelograms, but were not warned they were being poisoned (criminal offence?).

THE CONSEQUENCES

    Glaxo initially claimed Myodil was harmless and would aspirate naturally but instead it was a toxic oily sticky substance and non-aspirating, therefore impossible to withdraw after the procedure. Because of this it immediately caused toxic chemical meningitis. This damage to the spinal cord causes intractable pain and organ dysfunction/failure, which can lead to death. Myodil also works it's way around the lining surrounding the brain (causing cranial Arachnoiditis), which can also lead to brain damage and death. Free Iodine in Myodil can also cause Thyroid dysfunction.
    It would appear most doctors were not reporting adverse reactions, that their patients were jumping and jerking, urinating and defecating on the X-ray table, being ill in hospital with fits, nausea, and vomiting for days, weeks, or even months afterwards, and leaving hospital in a wheelchair or limping on cruches, either because they were classing these as normal reactions or they didn't want to admit they were injuring people, which would explain why the drug producers (Lafayette and Glaxo) claim adverse reactions were rare. It's called aiding and abetting, and is a criminal offence, so nobody knows how many it has killed.
    Myodil induced Adhesive Arachnoiditis is Iatrogenic, which means Glaxo and the medical profession caused it, so they don't want to diagnose it. In the UK (due to compensation costs and lost reputations) the NHS guards itself and it's own doctors against medical negligence/injury claims. For decades consultants, doctors, and radiologists have been telling people that their new problems are being caused by the worsening of their original condition, not Myodil (however any underlying condition would not have caused chemically induced diffuse Adhesive Arachnoiditis). This means you can't get a diagnosis or the correct treatment, making you a sufferer of Iatrogenic neglect, which is cruel and has led to a life of pain, poverty, and misery.
    Glaxo's statement is always the same, "we acted responsibly at all times with regard to the supply of Myodil, and warned doctors of the risks." But this isn't true, as far as we are aware Glaxo never conducted scientific tests and prior to 1973, they never told anybody Myodil was toxic and non aspirating and say adverse reaction reports from medical professionals were rare (this is either a lie or doctors weren't reporting adverse reactions, either because they were accepting them as normal or didn't want to be blamed.). In 1972 Glaxo only made reference to removing Myodil after Myelography, but then in 1973 Glaxo advised that Myodil should be aspirated after Myelography, by advising this Glaxo effectively admitted they knew Myodil caused inflammatory reactions and threw responsibility on to the medical profession. They also advised if low back pain and symptoms of sciatica persisted an injection of hydrocortisone sodium succinate (short term anti-inflammatory) should be given intrathecally (however it is now known this was also an extremely dangerous procedure also involving a cocktail of chemicals), which would probably have accelerated the onset of Adhesive Arachnoiditis. On the first UK licence application in 1974 Glaxo admitted Myodil caused Arachnoiditis, thus throwing responsibility on to both the medical profession and the licensing authorities. So Glaxo don't deny this medical injury, they deny being responsible. In effect they are saying they knew it was dangerous but because they warned doctors of the risks they don't hold themselves responsible (but this was only after 1973).

SUMMARY

So you went in to hospital for investigation of your back ache and underwent a routine procedure which was designed to find any problems with your spine and then possibly lead to pain relief, but instead you were strapped to a x-ray table, tortured, and poisoned. Therefore if the investigation did find a problem which could be solved by surgery, the pain relief would be short-lived because you came out of hospital having been poisoned with a toxic chemical which would never leave your body causing chemical meningitis, a devastating incurable untreatable medical injury which progressed over decades leading to diffuse Adhesive Arachnoiditis. Leaving you with all kinds of organ dysfunction: brain damaged, crippled, incontinent/constipated, and in agonizing pain (terminally injured?). Lots of people didn't have anything wrong with their spine and it was discovered their pain was being caused by some other medical problem, but because they underwent a Myodil Myelogram they became permanently disabled.

THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

All the evidence presented on index page 2 of this website is overwhelming, animal tests conducted by Lafayette in the USA, and adverse reaction reports clearly show the drug producers and the medical profession knew it was dangerous and that they were injuring people. But because they had nothing else to use, either through willful ignorance or willful negligence they continued using it, which means this is a criminal medical injury. In the UK there are no statute of limitations on criminal offence, the law also clearly states if you injure somebody intentionally or unintentionally and they die it is murder or manslaughter. I don't know where in law it says it is legal for Glaxo and the medical profession to kowingly poison you causing a progressive, incurable, un-treatable injury which may even kill you.

UK LITIGATION 1994

In the mid-1990s there was litigation in the UK. It was perverted because the NHS demanded they be excluded from litigation and in return they would cooperate fully and release all patients records, the solicitors agreed to this blackmail without informing claimants. This didn't work well for claimants because many of them found that their records had mysteriously disappeared. Also the medical criteria used to diagnose this medical injury was specified by the offenders themselves and therefore purposely flawed for their own benefit so sufferers did not get a diagnosis. The Legal Aid Board put pressure on solicitors and claimants to settle out of court so that the Legal Aid Board could get their money back. This left thousands of sufferers without compensation or even recognition, leaving them to struggle and fend for themselves.