The Case of Desiree Jennings

[Baylor]

Remember 3 years ago when the story broke of an attractive young woman who came down with a serious and bizarre case of dystonia after receiving a swine flu vaccination. She was unable to walk forward without going into spasms, but could walk backwards and run forwards. She also developed a speech impediment, and had serious cognitive dysfunction.

After failed treatments, she went to an osteopath who allegedly treated her successfully with chelation therapy. She claims she never fully recovered but is doing much better. The docotrs who examined her agree her symptoms were not psychogenic and were induced by the flu shot. But other "experts" say her symptoms are likely psychogenic.

I don't know what to make of this case because I don't believe the theory behind chelation therapy, but I don't believe the skeptics either, that she her symptoms are psychogenic or one elaborate hoax.

I think it's possible her case wasn't dystonia but some rare and unknown reaction to the vaccine. She could've recovered on her own, got better from placebo, or the chelation therapy could've worked for some unknown reason. I don't believe her symptoms were psychogenic. Feel free to disagree.

 

[dlorde]

... she went to an osteopath who allegedly treated her successfully with chelation therapy.

I thought osteopaths were bone & joint quacks, no clinical toxicologists... in any case, there's no obvious reason why chelation therapy might be thought suitable, unless she'd also ingested a large dose of some toxic heavy metal(s).

 

[ectoplasm]

I don't know what to make of this case because I don't believe the theory behind chelation therapy, but I don't believe the skeptics either, that she her symptoms are psychogenic or one elaborate hoax.

I think it's possible her case wasn't dystonia but some rare and unknown reaction to the vaccine. She could've recovered on her own, got better from placebo, or the chelation therapy could've worked for some unknown reason. I don't believe her symptoms were psychogenic. Feel free to disagree.

What evidence are you basing your beliefs on?

 

[Estellea]

Her symptoms were psychogenic; the only one(s) who said it was a result of her flu vaccination were the cranks who "cured" her. Rashid Buttar infamous for his "urine therapies" chelated her which was not medically indicated at all. She was also doing just fine until a camera went on her when she suddenly "relapsed" and began speaking in a faux Aussie/Brit accent and walking strangely. There really is no story here other than of an attention-seeking girl and some quackery.

Este

 

[sophia8]

Steve Novella has analysed this case - as a neurologist, he should know what he's talking about.

If it is possible for systemic dystonia to be triggered by a flu vaccine, I want to know about it as a practicing neurologist. And the public should be informed about all the known risks (and benefits) of vaccines. If this is a genuine case, then add it to the list of possible adverse events. Despite the propaganda from AoA and other anti-vaccine sites, no one is seriously denying that vaccines occasionally cause adverse reactions. If this is a case of dystonia from vaccines, it is an exceeding rare reaction.

However, the evidence that is currently in the public domain simply does not support that conclusion. It overwhelmingly supports a different diagnosis – a psychogenic reaction not caused by vaccine injury.

He's also careful to make it clear that "psychogenic" does not mean "fake"; her symptoms were genuine, but did not have a physical cause.

 

[Merton]

I recall watching a news story on this incident in which the reporter, not long after having the interview, ran into her in some kind of parking lot where she was walking normally. I've always chalked it up to a hoax after that.

Of course, this video made the whole debacle worthwhile:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_B09NyZ2IQ

 

[Beerina]

Her symptoms weren't psychogenic. That presumes they were real in even a limited sense.

The symptoms were idiotic and in accordance woth fraud.

 

[theprestige]

The docotrs who examined her agree her symptoms ... were induced by the flu shot.

Really? How did they figure that out? In the absence of an established pathology disease -> symptom, how exactly do doctors determine that X symptom has Y cause?

Was she vaccinated under controlled conditions, and closely observed in comparison to a control group, until she presented the claimed symptoms?

Do you even know the names of the doctors who examined her? Do you even know if they ever actually published their findings, linking flu shots with the symptoms she presented?

ETA: Because that would probably be a pretty rad achievement in the annals of medical research, to demonstrate that the flu vaccine causes some people to act like douchebag con artists.