Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
Anybody heard of a formaldehyde sensitivity?
My doctor called this morning. They got blood test results back for food, metal and other toxin sensitivity. I was highly intolerant to formaldehyde.
I did a quick google search, and it seems formaldehyde is in a lot of buidling materials. My symptoms worsened soon after moving into a new office where they are currently doing renovations.
My LLMD is sendig me to an integrative medicine doctor to help me change my lifestyle in response to the results.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
New construction is loaded with formahdlehyde, capets walls, panelling. Insist on ventilation ie: windows open. Most HVAC systems recirculate and will not help.
I was acutely chemically sensitive when I first became ill with lyme
quai
-------------------- "In spite of the ever increasing cost of living, it remains quite popular" S. Shackel Posts: 87 | From walla walla wa | Registered: Dec 2005
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Carol in PA
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 5338
posted
I had several Biology courses in high school where we dissected things that were preserved in formaldehyde.
I inhaled TONS of the stuff, and the skin on my fingertips got hard from handling the preserved tissues.
Then again in nursing school, dissected a cat. Oh gosh, the smell.
Many years later, I read that formaldehyde can be carcinogenic.
Yikes, so MANY of us were exposed to this in school!
Carol
Posts: 6947 | From Lancaster, PA | Registered: Feb 2004
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Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
Do you know what the symptoms of overexposure are? Besides the potential carcinogen aspects.
I am having many muscle control symptoms, and I'm wondering if that's possible from the formaldehyde.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
what test showed the problem with formaldehyde?
Posts: 204 | Registered: Jan 2005
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lymeHerx001
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6215
posted
Yes MCS is a part of this.
I used to get this on and off but when I was younger I LOVED the smell of a good heavy cologne or bathroom spray.
In fact the smells around my house bothered me so much that I would spray air freshner in the room so much. I also would take the scented oils and pour it into those simmer pots.
I put on cologne sprayed stuff in the air everything.
Then I started to get periods of vertigo with MCS where I couldnt stand any smells.
That came and went especially during allergy season. ANtihistamines would work sometimes. But as time went by they worked less and less.
Once I started herxing on the Biaxin it got soooo bad. THen I began to meditate and it got better.
Then... I was detoxing in a sauna and they put in new PVC mats. The smell got to me so much that my sinuses because so sore and my vertigo came back.
After 2 weeks I said F this and used some strong fenugreek capsules that cleared up my sinuses and vertigo.
I was elated!!!!!!! So elated that I figured Id by some citronella oil and put it in a pot because I wanted the smell throught the house.
Stupid me. I poured 1/2 bottle into a crock pot and left the room.
I came back and the smell was so strong. I lifted the top and WHAM. All that steam hit my sinuses and guess what.
The VERTIGO came back and so did the postnasal drip.
I didnt leave either. The drugs the herbs nothing worked. I think I poisoned myself.
Went to at least 6 different doctors including an ENT. They said theres no fluid there and youre nerve is fine, so they gave me some steroid spray and said well if you have LYME then anything is possible.
Well that was 2 years ago. Im still the same.
(************************** the point is my body used to tolerate chemicals, in fact I would love the smell of them, especially scents.
Now I cant wear cologne at all, other peoples cologne bothers me and I cant stand the smell of PVC, I use unscented detergent too. My sense of smell is down about 60% and my throat hurt all the time and my sinuses feel so dry.
************************************
This is just my experience. I pray that this doesnt happen to you because it is torture beyond what I experience with the LYME pain and fatigue and brain fog. I have to deal with this too.
Posts: 2905 | From New England | Registered: Sep 2004
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mlkeen
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1260
posted
Yes, formaldehyde has long been known as an allergen or worse. I've known for 30 years. My family was in the building materials business and often chemical sensitivities were the topic of articles in trade mags.
The only good news is that eventually the formaldehyde off gasses the the exposure is less. The bad news is that every time we add another chemical to our already stressed systems we risk triggering a reaction. Things like room fresheners can do it.
If you have just put on an addition or bought carpeting or new furniture, keeping your house well vented can be helpful. If you are thinking about new stuff, think wood floors and used furniture. I have never had a brand new piece of upholstered furniture. I have bought very nice used pieces over the years.
The reaction to chemicals can be similar to allergic reactions or just about anything. I would think CNS and respitory issues would be most likely.
Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
Thank you all. I'm not have "typical" allergic reactions. No respiratory or vertigo or anything. It's all pain and muscle control issues.
The test was the Elisa-Act test. It's a completely different test than the Lyme Elisa. It shows sensitivities, not allergies, is my understanding. And there is a lot of controversy about the test. My LLMD just started using it.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
Also, formaldhyde is in CLOTHING! SO WASH ALL "NEW" CLOTHING BEFORE WEARING!!
Look sometime at the long list of things the F word is used in!
Hubby bought some boards for shelves above my pc. When he cut them, it let off tremendous gas. so toxic for m; I took them back since they made me sick.
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klutzo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5701
posted
Hi Aniek, Boy can I relate! I have a severe problem with formaldehyde. It started when we decided to get a new sofa, the first new item we bought after I got sick.
I became dizzy and lightheaded, I got an awful headache, my face started to burn, especially between my mouth and nose, my face turned red, my nose started to bleed, I started staggering and slurring my speech, I started to feel nauseous, I started bleeding from my rectum. I took my blood pressure and pulse and found both were dropping and my pulse was dangerously low, so I called my doctor and he said: "Yes, I've heard of this before. Get out of there now before you go into shock". (Low pulse is a sign of shock)
I left and stayed outdoors in fresh air until my husband could get help to come over to carry the sofa out. It had to be left in his workshop,windows open, up on blocks, with an industrial size fan blowing on it, for a whole week, before I could tolerate it.
Since then, we buy only used furniture. Stuff that is used for floor display in furniture stores or in model homes is still new, but has outgassed, so it's a good choice. I always ask how long it's been sitting there. I need at least a month if possible.
My husband builds his own wood furniture, like cabinets and end tables, and we use two coats of a product called "Safe Seal" on it before it comes in the house to prevent outgassing.
He recently put a new door in our computer room. I was in the room when he drilled the hole for the door knob, and even though two coats of Safe Seal were on the door, I had a burning face for two days just from that small exposure.
It is important to avoid more exposures, since it gets worse. Avoid stores with new furniture, new clothes (use mail order or outlet stores), and fabric stores are very bad.
One exception to buying used furniture is a new bed. Nobody wants someone elses' old, saggy bed. The last time we bought a new bed, I had to sleep on our porch for 77 days!
I finally solved the problem by going to a holistic doctor and having an NAET treatment for formaldehyde.....the next night I was able to sleep in the bed. It has not held however, and I now have trouble again with new exposures.
Buying new athletic shoes is torture because of the smell in the store. A new shower curtain has to be hung outside for 3 days before I bring it in the house.
I took a general immune stimulator for a couple of weeks once and had a serious reaction to a chemical that had never bothered me before, so be careful about stimulating the entire immune system. Those of us with MCS need to stimulate the TH1 side and turn down the Th2 side, which is why modulators are a better choice.
I am taking an immune modulator (Samento), but it has not permanently changed this problem. NAET did cure my allergy to cats and temporarily cured the formaldehyde problem. If you can afford it, I would recommend NAET treatments for all your sensitivities on a regular, recurring basis.
This really stinks, and I empathize with you. If you find a permanent solution, please let me know, because it is so inconvenient!
I had to change eye doctors after 20 years recently when he moved into a brand new building.
When our city library remodeled, I was unable to go there for two full years, and I love to read!
I was unable to attend our church for almost two years after a fire caused major remodelling.
We are planning to move soon, and cannot even look at homes with new carpet, new laminate floors, or new cabinetry.
Klutzo
Posts: 1269 | From Clearwater, Florida, USA | Registered: May 2004
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
You mentioned "stinking" so I will relate this episode from today. I've been working on all these special blood/BM/urine/mouth swabs for the last 1 wk. since going to my new LLMD in Minn.
Thank God today ended my last box; 3 separate BMs! The 1st 2 envelopes had 1 vial in each, and today's had 6 in it! I didn't have quite enough "deposit" to fill up the 6 final/special test one!
Most of the bottles had formaldyhide in them ... which stunk worse; I was outside using the wonderful, cool chillings winds, and tried to stay DOWNWIND at all times.!
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