FAQs: Blocking

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1. Rules about blocking and the term "salicylate-free"
2. What does it feel like if I am blocking?
3. What is the Blocking Test?
4. Will inhaling the scent of candles block guaifenesin?
5. What toothpaste can I use that won't block guaifenesin?
6. Can hair color block my guaifenesin?
7. Can homeopathic medications block guaifenesin?
8. Can walking barefoot on grass block guaifenesin?
9. What is blocking?
10. Will gardening with bare hands block guaifenesin?
11. Will the lactose filler in some guaifenesin pills limit its effectiveness?
12. Will the anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx block guaifenesin?
13. Why do people feel worse when they block?
14. Will laundry soaps block guaifenesin?
15. Do odd smelling urine and abnormal tastes mean I'm blocking?

1 Blocking and  "salicylate-free"
Any product with a coloring or a fragrance contains salicylates. Vegetables you eat contain salicylates except for a very few, and there's no rhyme or reason when you look at lists. I don't know why poppy seeds don't contain ANY while sesame seeds contain some. Or why almonds are high and citrus fruits have almost none. Fruits vary by the part, the ripeness and the crop.

We know that a certain amount of salicylates won't block guaifenesin. You do get some when you eat a salad. Urinary levels of salicylates have been measured and shown to be variable based on diet. Vegetarians do have higher levels of salicylates in the blood because of what they eat. Someone who uses a lot of colored makeup and fragranced creams would be getting more salicylates than someone who wears none and uses only mineral oil. So there are variables at work before we even start looking at the genetic propensities and number of receptors.

Most people who are told they're blocked in the exam room can't think of anything they've changed and as a result send Dr. St. Amand looking for new blockers. I know one who states over and over she was blocked by walking on grass was (as it turned out)  also using natural cleaning products with many plant ingredients with no gloves. The vast majority find something obvious they've missed. In the vast majority of cases the blocker isn't something obscure.

Chewing ums  have some salicylates from the flavors.  If a gum like juicy fruit has a tiny trace of mint in that flavor it's unlikely to block unless you are chewing gum constantly every minute of the day. It's a lot different than a stick of Arctic Blast Mint Gum. Same thing with Fruit Breezers. I can honestly say I've seen no one blocked on them that is no one mapped by Dr. St Amand.   These are not  Vicks drops where the menthol is so strong they burn your mouth.

Exact answers may not be possible, but common sense is. Orange flavor has almost no salicylates. So adding a tiny drop of mint to that --well, if it was such a small amount you can't even taste it, it's not logical to think you might block on it. If you use the product and you suspect blocking you could do a blocking test. But remember, the variables are the other products you are using on that day, and your diet.


2. What does it feel like if I am blocking?
It is difficult to tell because the circumstances can be very different. Some people who have just started guai and are feeling a lot worse, may suddenly feel better when they block. People who have been on guai a long time and are feeling good nearly all the time, may feel worse when they block. But that doesn't always happen, and nobody knows at what point it goes from feeling good when blocking to feeling bad.

Mapping is the best way of telling. When you start to get more lumps and bumps, instead of fewer, that's bad. Your symptom journal may be showing slow but steady progress, but then you reach a point where you seem to stay the same, or maybe old symptoms return. Then you would suspect blocking.

If you have been on guai for long enough to know what your clearing dose really is, then you can do the blocking test. To do the blocking test, you increase your normal dose by one pill. Keep this increased dose for four or five days. If it makes you feel worse, you are NOT blocking. If you don't feel any worse, then you are being blocked by something and you need to look for the offending salicylate.

However, this doesn't work for people who are new to the protocol and aren't yet sure of their cycling dose. Your best bet is to find or train a mapper who can accurately gauge your progress. If you can't, then you absolutely have to be careful to do the protocol 100% perfectly all the time, and keep a good symptom journal to help you keep track of your progress over time. top

3. What is the Blocking Test?
The Blocking Test is one of the tools we use to help find answers when someone is concerned about a lack of progress on the protocol. In conjunction with mapping, checking your products, and a symptom diary it can provide important clues. For example, when a map doesn't show much progress it can be hard to know whether or not you are blocking or if you are simply clearing in areas that are not palpated such as the brain or bowels. If you are blocking, no amount of guaifenesin will change your symptoms. If you are not blocking, and you increase your dose, you should hurt more within a week. To properly use a blocking test do the following:

1. Double your dose of guaifenesin.
2. If the increase in dosage causes an increase in any of your symptoms, you are NOT blocked.
3. If you DON'T experience any increase in symptoms you MAY be blocked.  Remember that the higher your dose, or the farther along you are in reversal, the less dramatic your response to a blocking test will be.
4. To ascertain which is the case, stop using any non-essential products and check all your products for salicylates.
5. If you experienced change when you eliminated products then you were blocking because of those products. If you didn't experience any change, then it's likely you were not blocking and have probably reached your kidney's capacity for purging.
6. If you were blocking you can continue using any products which were confirmed as Salicylate Free and go back to your previous dose of guaifenesin.
7. Discontinue using any of your other products which cannot be confirmed as completely Salicylate Free and continue focusing on your experience.
8. Don't add any product to your daily regimen unless it can be ruled salicylate free.

NOTE -- For those on the higher doses the blocking test isn't as definitive and will require a longer test period. Any changes will be subtle. top

4. Will inhaling the scent of candles block guaifenesin?
No. Salicylates have to come into contact with the skin in order to block, and to be a form that can be absorbed. Waxes and gums cannot be absorbed by the skin.top

5. What toothpaste can I use that won't block guaifenesin?
Refer to the list of toothpastes at www.fibromyalgiatreatment.com/board.  It is kept up to date. Basically use the Cleure (www.cleure.com/ftc) or Tom's of Maine non-mint flavors, Colgate Children's Watermelon, or the Zooth Toothpastes from Oral B.  Marina del Rey Pharmacy carries other brands as well.

The reason for this suggestion is that toothpastes are not required by law to disclose all their ingredients. Flavors may change and the addition of a small amount of mint or menthol, as was done with the Colgate Children's toothpastes a few years ago, can be impossible to detect. Toothpaste companies often purchase "flavor" from other manufacturers and these flavors may vary or be changed without the change being reflected on the label.

At the present time there are other toothpastes on the market that do not contain mint, menthol or methyl salicylate -- such as the children's toothpastes manufactured by Sheffield and Plak Smakers. However, should these products change, it's possible you could block unknowingly.

We always try to make this protocol as easy as possible, and reduce the chances of blocking. It's for this reason that we make our toothpaste recommendations. top

6. Can hair color block my guaifenesin?
Since you don't color your hair every day, it's not a problem even if it contains blockers because you would only block for one day. However, there are many hair colors on the market that do not contain salicylates, and if you want to be perfect you can merely select one of them. top

7. Can homeopathic medications block guaifenesin?
Homeopathic medications are extremely diluted. You can recognize them from the fact that after the name of the plant there is a number and an X. For each X the original ingredient has been diluted 99 times. Homeopathy believes that the memory of the original substance is enough --- and admits that many of their remedies no longer carry any trace of the original ingredient. Therefore, homeopathy is never strong enough to block guaifenesin. top

8. Can walking barefoot on grass block guaifenesin?
If you are walking barefoot on freshly cut grass you could block for that day.  But unless you are grinding the grass into your foot--to the point where it is absorbing the oils from the grass you would not block.  . top

9. What is blocking?
When salicylates enter the body one of the things they do is travel to the kidney where they occupy receptor sites designed for them. Unfortunately, since these are the same sites guaifenesin needs, salicylates block the ability of guaifenesin to help the body excrete phosphates. top

10. Will gardening with bare hands block guaifenesin?
Yes. Plants in your garden produce salicylates to ward off fungus. You should wear gloves that create a barrier between your skin and plant juices. Make sure that your gloves are waterproof--leather or latex (rubber) are best. If you wear cotton gloves be sure to use a barrier cream such as Gloves in a Bottle (www.glovesinabottle.com) to protect your skin from absorbing salicylates. top

11. Will the lactose filler in some guaifenesin pills limit its effectiveness?
Some people who are lactose intolerant believe they cannot take medications that contain lactose. The vast majority of lactose intolerant people will have no reaction to medications with lactose filler because the quantity is so minute. However, it stands to reason that if any filler bothers you -- you should switch to another product. top

12. Will the anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx block guaifenesin?
No, Vioxx will not block guaifenesin. All of the anti-inflammatories have aspirin-like effects, and that's why they cause problems in the stomach, lungs, vasculature and other areas. Vioxx is a Cox-II selective inhibitor, not aspirin, and does not bind to and block the renal receptors used by guaifenesin. Your pharmacist may tell you that your anti-inflammatory is related to aspirin, and it is, but the chemical structure is not similar enough to create a problem. top

13. Why do people feel worse when they block?
It is as though you were taking no medication. The natural course of fibromyalgia is to get worse if left untreated. Insufficient dosage or blocking are just like not treating at all and the illness begins to cycle back in the unfavorable, worsening direction. top

14. Will laundry soaps block guaifenesin?
No. Because you rinse your clothes after the soap is used on them, laundry soaps could not be a problem. In order to block, any substance has to come in contact with and be rubbed into your skin to be absorbed. top

15. Does odd smelling urine and abnormal tastes mean I'm blocking?
No. These are symptoms of FMS and are not indications of blocking. top