Re: chemicals, I'd like some opinions

[Guest guest]

Meyer wrote:

>

> Do you think I could be worse due to the new job? old building? chemicals in

> the lab?

It's tough to tell. I use to work in a building that contained

chemistry upstairs and physics downstairs (a university). My shop was

downstairs, but I did a lot of work upstairs, and there was some

mingling of air between the two floors. Several of us there have

problems and most of them blamed the air in the building, but I can't

necessarily say that was true. It may be that we had a genetic tendency

towards our illnesses and the chemical set us over the edge, or maybe

the same things would have developed had we been working in a perfectly

clean environment. I sort of wonder if my asthma didn't come because of

the stress on my body and the chemicals, but again, I can't say it

absolutely did. There were tons of people working in that same

environment who had absolutely no illnesses whatsoever.

Darcy

[Guest guest]

Darcy, you havce valid concerns but how long have you been away from the lab in

that university? Do you trace symptoms to that time? I have asthma and

allergies, and yet I am not allergic to cats and dogs, but people in my family

are and not always to both, one of my family members can't go near a cat, amd

another can't touch a dog. So it can be exposure that involves your system, but

it won't always be the same reaction.

I would have headaches if anyone was painting the house near me. I got

really bad headaches. I went to an allergist and got checked out - I am

allergic to chicken feathers, for heaven sake! I think my fibro started

around that time but very subtly, and I also had mono and a whiplash around that

time, either of which could have been a factor.

Go figure! Best. Janet G

Darcy Stockstill wrote:

Meyer wrote:

>

> Do you think I could be worse due to the new job? old building? chemicals in

> the lab?

It's tough to tell. I use to work in a building that contained

chemistry upstairs and physics downstairs (a university). My shop was

downstairs, but I did a lot of work upstairs, and there was some

mingling of air between the two floors. Several of us there have

problems and most of them blamed the air in the building, but I can't

necessarily say that was true. It may be that we had a genetic tendency

towards our illnesses and the chemical set us over the edge, or maybe

the same things would have developed had we been working in a perfectly

clean environment. I sort of wonder if my asthma didn't come because of

the stress on my body and the chemicals, but again, I can't say it

absolutely did. There were tons of people working in that same

environment who had absolutely no illnesses whatsoever.

Darcy

[Guest guest]

janet gruhn wrote:

>

> Darcy, you havce valid concerns but how long have you been away from the lab

in > that university? Do you trace symptoms to that time?

I've been out of that environment for about 15 months now. I still have

the same level of fibro, and asthma, *but* I did notice when I was still

working there, my asthma would sometimes flare when I went up on the

second floor where the chemistry department was. It was step off the

elevator, walk a few steps and start to cough slightly (I have cough

variant asthma). So while I'm not sure the exposure to chemicals caused

the asthma, I do know they aggravated it. So if I hadn't left because

of my fibro, I probably would have had to find another job because of my

asthma.

My fibro symptoms developed a little at a time, and got worse over the

years. I think it's probably more likely due to years of stress (family

members dying one after another) and then the final set of symptoms

after having surgery two years ago. Whether being around chemicals

aggravated my fibro in any way, I can't know for sure, but I think I

lean more towards my body being under fairly constant stress for years.

After all, my symptoms didn't worsen when I went to work on Mondays, and

get better if I was away from the place on vacation.

> I would have headaches if anyone was painting the house near me. I got

really bad headaches. I went to an allergist and got checked out - I am

allergic to chicken feathers, for heaven sake! I think my fibro started

around that time but very subtly, and I also had mono and a whiplash around that

time, either of which could have been a factor.

>

> Go figure!

Exactly!! My allergist said I'm allergic to large amounts of everything

which seems reasonable to me with the way my allergies act. I can go to

the vets one day and have not a bit of problem, but the next time and

I'm digging in my purse for allergy meds. Paint sets me off and we need

to get our living room kitchen painted. I don't know how paint will

affect my asthma, but am not looking forward to seeing how I do. It's

hard to figure out what starts fibro off sometimes if you don't have a

one defining event, don't have it today, have surgery and have it

tomorrow, kind of a thing.

Darcy