This too is going on. Sigh. I have to mend my old clothes and they're looking old. One person went, "Wow!" He thought I was doing an art project! Maybe I am! lol
I'm trying to figure this out. The liver article that Lymetoo posted tonite says there's an enzyme called HNMT, histamine N-methyl transferase, that helps to clear histamine.
However, you have to be able to methylate and my methylation pathways are supposedly blocked by enzyme difficulties as demonstrated by the 23andme testing. Maybe that's why my skin is responding with a histamine response instead of handling chemicals in clothing.
I think I'm in need of clothing without all the chemicals in them. Like pre-40s clothing! Anyone got any really old clothes to recommend?!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Robin, have you been exposed to any chemicals over the past 10 years or so?
I had a friend who lived near a paint manufacturing plant and she could only wear cotton clothing after that. Her skin was a mess.
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
Yes, in 2005 I was exposed to the smell of everything that burned from a fire nextdoor - the sprinkler water came into my room and I worked for the next 24 hours to save my stuff, and that's when I went over-the-top chem sensitive. So that was the chemical injury.
That's when I went online to ask what could be causing such sensitivity to everything I was touching - it was a traumatic change, to lose everything I owned because I couldn't touch it. I saved my last couple clothes from the communal washer/dryer when I realized I was reacting to detergents and fabric softener.
And that's how I found out I have Lyme, as a nurse in VA told me then.
It's like the story of someone who loves to ride a horse. But then they get thrown off the horse and break their leg, so they're suffering. But then the army doesn't accept them for training because they're injured. Etc. Back and forth. How do you judge something? The fire was a bad thing for me, but it's how I got to find out what ailed me. Sigh.
So maybe I need to investigate more what people do who have been exposed to a massive chemical exposure. Are they damaged for life or are there liver tricks to learn about?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
That makes a lot of sense. Absolutely. We had a fire across the street about 2 yrs ago. It was horrible. It scared me because the fire truck blocked the exit out of the area.
Made me realize that if the bldg had gone down, we would have been inhaling that junk for a long time. As it was, they put the fire out in about 20 minutes.
Maybe that is one reason I ended up with hives about 6-8 months later. I don't know.
I think the liver is key.
Posted by Joe Bob (Member # 45015) on :
Yes, I read it is called deep nerve pain and it goes with lyme. I was misdiagnosed in the past with shingles.
Posted by NeedHelpLymeDis (Member # 44394) on :
I have a lot of chemical sensitivities too Robin, some of which include BPA, sulfites and a strong reaction to the smell of memory foam (I simply can't take the off-gassing).
I suspect that treating lyme and, in your case, treating and supporting liver function, will help reverse at least some of the damage. I think it depends partially on how much damage the fire caused versus how much you were aggravated by the fire due to chemical sensitivities from Lyme.
I need to do more research on this as well. I think it would be a good question for your LLMD the next time you have an appointment.
I hope you can get it under control. If you can tolerate Benadryl at night, that might help a bit. However, if I take Benadryl for more than a couple nights, it seems to aggravate my pain-maybe due to dehydration. Also, maybe calamine lotion might help.
I have itching symptoms, but they are mostly due to Lyme and co-infections, which medication has improved.
I also seem to have a reaction to various foods, such as mushrooms. I think it has to do with histamines. I seem to itch and have weird skin symptoms after eating them, particularly if they are not thoroughly cooked. When eating mushrooms, my symptoms look like what is called "Shiitake Dermatitis."
Having chemical sensitivities is hard. Hang in there. I hope you feel better soon and get some answers!
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
So sorry to hear this Robin. I have MCS and it sucks. Will the sauna help? Have you changed detergents or fabric softeners lately? Maybe something here will help: