I have been in a new place for about a week after finding black mold at my house. I bought some thieves oil to diffuse in the apartment. I haven't necessarily felt alot better since being here but I also haven't felt that bad and the rain didn't seem to bother me so horrible here like it did at the house.
Now one day after diffusing the thieves oil I feel really bad, body aches, swollen face and neck, weak and just plain icky.
Could diffusing thieves cause a detox reaction?
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- I would not necessarily consider it a herx but it does seem that your body does not tolerate it (for whatever reason) and I would clear it from your space now.
Put the unit and the liquid (with a paper towel) in an airtight container or serious of heavy plastic bags and ask a friend to take it for you for a while. Maybe in their garage.
Unless you get that out of your place, you could continue reacting.
Then open your windows for a good air flush for as long as possible.
[If little children around, be sure to lock windows to no more than four inches of open space. Last week, some kid near here fell out so that's on my mind.]
Other than some kind of allergic reaction, do you have MCS (multiple chemical sensitivities)?
If so, I find that NONE of the essential oils work for me. They all clobber me, big time.
After years of being scent free, though, I can now tolerate and enjoy Avalon shower and hand soap with real lemon or mint. But no others, even if essential oils.
Mold can certainly cause MCS and you just left a mold issue.
It could be a porphyria attack of some degree. Both essential oils & mold can trigger porphyria attacks.
I did use Thieves a few times and always had a porphyria attack from that.
[But, the swollen face seems not so porphryia-ish. That seems more allergy-related.]
MCS and porphyria are linked. You may want to be evaluated for that. See, first the "Secondary Porphyria" post as that can relate to lyme patients, too.
IDENTIFYING ENVIRONMENTAL ILLNESS & MOLD EXPOSURE IN PATIENTS WITH PERSISTENT LYME DISEASE
Lisa L. Nagy, MD Video $15.
(Excellent to get, even if mold is not an issue, this is full of great information.)
She is NOT A LLMD, however, she understands the kind of toxicity issues faced by many with lyme. She did not have lyme but overcame very serious MCS. She spoke at the recent ILADS conference.
It's a great presentation to see. The DVD can be ordered. Great detail about toxicity issues also here:
Safe Home for Health, Happy Families -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- You say: " . . . I haven't necessarily felt alot better since being here but I also haven't felt that bad and the rain didn't seem to bother me so horrible here like it did at the house." (end quote)
--- Well, just getting out is the first step. After being exposed to mold for a while, just leaving is often not enough. I hope you can contact NAGY's site.
Also want to just say: sorry this is such a bummer. I applaud you for getting away from the mold and know that with all the possibilities or suggestions posted you may just want to scream.
That's understandable. Still, I hope that each day will find you feeling better and better.
In my experience, though, essential oils can be a terrible assault.
Go for a fresh cut lemon, some crushed rosemary and sprigs of mint, straight from the earth, not concentrated. That intense concentration is way too much for many of us. WAY too much. Even one whiff knocks me out.
I can't even have a bottle of essential oil in my apt. - other than tea tree oil for cuts. -
Posted by gigimac (Member # 33353) on :
Thanks for the info and links Keebler, I hadn't considered that I might be having a reaction to the thieves oil. I guess i thought it was a natural substance so it wouldn't be harmful and I didn't find the scent unpleasant at all.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Oh, I did not find the scent unpleasant, either. I LIKE the smell, actually, with the cloves, etc.
But the REACTIONS on the heels of that whiff were always still quite like a wrecking ball to my brain and body.
I tried this many times, over time. Same results. Took me a while to realize that it was not for me. -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Were your personal items somehow cleared of mold before you moved? Hope so. If not, it's important not to shake them all about and get guidance on that step.
I really feel for you. You deserve some good vibes for awhile now so do take care. -
Posted by gigimac (Member # 33353) on :
Wow, I wouldn't think that putting thieves oil on cotton balls and letting it sit out would cause a strong reaction. I don't have a proper diffuser yet so I put 6 drops on each cotton ball and put each one in a room, I may have gotten a bit on my skin.
It is odd that I feel so much worse today and the only thing that is different is the oil.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Do you have MCS? With the recent mold exposure, that is likely. Many with mold exposure develop MCS. Some with lyme also have MCS.
If so, even one drop on a tissue in the room can trigger symptoms.
I can't even have an opened bottle in my apt. as the residue on the collar or what has dripped onto the label still clobbers me.
Same with even a tiny bottle of bleach. It just can't be in my home, anywhere, in any kind of bottle (though plastic is worse).
IF you have MCS, yes, it can matter. Even one drop. It's just so strong.
If you have any kind or degree of porphyria involvement, yes, exposure to even one drop of such a highly concentrated oil could be the proverbial straw.
It may not be the amount but the mere experience of that one whiff can set off a cascade of actions with the liver and brain cells that can toss you over a cliff.
Still, that does not mean what you are experiencing is necessarily from the oil. It could be any number of things. It's just that seems the first thing to consider.
Did you perhaps eat something that triggered this? Other exposure of some kind?
Still, you say: "It is odd that I feel so much worse today and the only thing that is different is the oil." (end quote)
Then, it would certainly seem to be the oil.
Big sigh. I'd put the cotton balls OUT far from your windows, even. You might put the bottle of oil in a thick glass jar and tighten the lid.
Then see if a friend or neighbor would take it for you for a while, and put that in the door of their fridge to keep from getting too warm.
Be sure that not even a tissue with any residue is left in your trash. The only way to test this out is to try to clear it from your space.
Hope that works. -
[ 06-04-2012, 07:27 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posted by gigimac (Member # 33353) on :
Thanks Keebler, I removed the oil from the apartment.
I don't think I have MCS. I have noticed unpleasant reactions when reading old books and sorting through old papers, head pressure and facial twitching. I assumed these things were moldy. I also seem to react to being in a library with all the old used books.
As far as other smells, newspaper ink gives me a headache and I dislike strong perfumes but I can't recall feeling sick from anything else specifically.
Posted by annxyzz (Member # 20404) on :
Keebler , I have afriend with MCs ( not lyme ) and she is an attorney who can no longer work in an office . She was exposed to fomaldehyde in particle board and lost her health for a couple of years . She is better now , but still struggles. Is there anything you found to help with the condition ? Any suggestions I could forward to her ?
Posted by gigimac (Member # 33353) on :
Manybites, what do you recommend for bartonella? Should I ask for levaquin or rifampin or do you know of any herbals etc. that work?