Apt Living: Neighbors with Chemicals

[Carrigon]

My neighbor used a combo of bleach and then some kind of strong liquid lysol stuff to clean and every time she does that, the fumes come right into my apartment. I am now all allergy ridden. My throat is choked up, my nose is stuffed up, I was coughing. My eyes are irritated.

My neighbors do not care. They simply do not care that whatever they do makes me sick. And living in an apartment building is really killing me off with the MCS.

I also have a rash on my neck from all the perfumed junk the other tenants put in the laundry machines. I only use perfume free, but it doesn't matter, their junk stays in the machines.

I feel like everyone is determined to kill me off with chemicals

 

[flybro]

When our girls moved out my MCS symptoms improved dramatically.

I've had quite an over load lately, mucho family time, 10hrs plus hospital visiting, and although I've had areally good run my tolerance levels have just tipped and the MCS symptoms are increasing.

There's not too much more we can currently do to lessen my exposure, excpect if I stay in one room with window filters, door drapes and air filters.

Incidentaly I am convinced the chemical sensitivity causes muscle pain / muscle locking.

It dosent suprise how ignorant people can be when it comes to MCS, before I was affected I would have been one of the ones telling myself to stop being such a wimp.

Very recently my daughter in-law spraye half a tin of body spray in a room in the house, theres was so much of it that the smell was over powering on the floor below within a minute of her using it. This put me in bed for two days.

Everynow and again I try out my CK1 in the hope I can tolerate it, but it hasn't happened yet.

if myself and membrs of my own family can be so ignorant then it is no suprise that neighbours are.

we're in a house with neighbours having there laundry in front and back gardens, or there tumble dryer hoses upwind of our windows and doors.

Little girsl playing with perfume and make-up in the front and back gardens.

If I manage to steer clear for a while, I can build up some tolerance, but steering clear means being a hermit, and living in a non-plastic buuble.

I think MCS is a real killer, and people that profit from the manufacture and sale of these noxtious products are murderers.

 

[Dreambirdie]

ADA Laws Regarding "Request for Reasonable Accommodation"

Carrigon, I'm so sorry you have to go through this!

Back in the late '80's, I was chemically poisoned by a neighbor who REPEATEDLY sprayed penta-chloro-phenol on his fence to control termites and wood rot. These exposures (which hit me blindsided) caused the absolute worst of my MCS setbacks, which I have never completely recovered from. Prior to that I could still travel and be out in public for longer periods, without devastating consequences. So I can truly empathize with your outrage and upset.

The possible good news, which I recently discovered from the daughter of a close friend of mine, who has been studying law, is that you might be able to use the ADA ACT to elicit some consideration for YOUR DISABLING MEDICAL CONDITION from your landlord and the other tenants regarding the use of these kinds of TOXIC CHEMICALS.

In California there are now laws that consider a neighbor's spraying, or use of toxic chemicals, as a possible DISCRIMINATORY ACT against those who have a disability that results in illness from that spraying/chemical use. It's called "A Request for Reasonable Accommodation." So in CA, if your neighbor violates your health needs and continues to spray even after he/she has been notified of the adverse health effects this is causing you, they may be legally liable for any injury sustained by you. I don't know what the laws are like in PA, but I recommend you investigate this, and check out the doc's below.

ETA: I'm sorry but I can't figure out how to attach the doc's. If you can PM me and give me your personal email, I know I can send them that way.

 

[Carrigon]

I've been through similar poisoning. My air conditioner in my bedroom was right across from my neighbor's shed and fence, just a few feet from it. One summer, he decided he would paint the whole thing without telling anyone. All the paint fumes were pulled right into my bedroom from my air conditioner and I got really sick from it. I was even getting neurological symptoms. And there was nothing I could do to stop him. I was told he was on his own property and could do as he pleased. It was awful. That seems to be the attitude alot of these people take. They feel they are on their own property and can do anything, regardless if they are making other people sick. It's no different from the attitude of smokers who think their second hand smoke doesn't go directly into our lungs and sinuses.

 

[gracenote]

Speaking of air conditioners (in case this might be helpful to anyone):

I have two window air conditioning units in my home. I buy cut-to-fit filters that (take a guess) I cut to fit and place in my units. I recirculate my indoor air (rather than bring outdoor air in), and have cut down on my pollen and other noxious exposures. There are times when I don't need the cool air, but I do need cleaner air, and I will just run the fan. I change them 3 or 4 times over the summer. Cuts down on dust, too.

I buy these online. BestAir Air Conditioner Filter, One-4-All (EAC2).

 

[beesknees]

Carrigon- I can relate to your problem. I feel bad for anyone who has CFS and lives in an apartment. The smells can be bad. The only thing that I can think of that might help is an airfilter with a HEPA filter. I bought a really nice one that I use when I might burn something I cook and the smell bothers me. Do you share a furnace with your neighbors? Sometimes apartment have connected vents. If so maybe you could close your floor or wall vents or even cover them with plastic since your using your air conditioner anyway.

 

[helsbells]

I so understand we are currently moving (thanks to an able bodied partner) because of serious leves of smells coming through from next door. This caused me enormous anxiety and symptom exacerbation and it has taken us two years to be in position to move. I have severe MCS and will lose consciousness if the exposure is strong enough, it is so stressful to be so out of step with modern life. i have other friends with even quite severe ME who are better able to tolerate meds and chemicals. i am so sorry for you as it just feels like an other thing to contend with.

 

[rebecca1995]

Carrigon and All,

Sorry to hear of everyone's awful MCS experiences (so similar to my own). Another thing that helps me, aside from a HEPA air filter, is this half mask respirator, the North 7700-30M:

http://www.sharpesafety.com/catalog/product-display.php3?ID=523

For cartridges, I use North 7583P100: http://www.sharpesafety.com/catalog/product-display.php3?ID=735

Obviously, you can't wear the respirator all the time, but it's good for emergency exposures. I use it occasionally when I'm exposed to perfume, fumes, paint, car exhaust, etc. It really filters out those vapors/odors. Yeah, it looks awful--and people take you seriously when you wear it.

:mask::mask::mask::mask::mask::mask::mask::mask::mask::mask: <---We can dream of a world where we don't need these!

 

[Lisa]

Ack!

Very sorry to hear about what everyone has to deal with from neighbors. As someone who lives in the extreme to escape these things happening, I can say that even living in a tent in the woods still leaves us with neighbors who do stupid and toxic things.

We have a neighbor who we happen to usually be downwind of, who tends to use some heavy solvents for degreasing tools and stuff a few times a year for her work. Then we suspect (but don't know for sure) that when done, she just tosses the greasy solvent out in the woods to evaporate and wash away in the rain water.

Often times I like to just daydream of winning some massive lottery jackpot so my partner and I can take off, buy a very large track of land next to a warm ocean and finally be done with neighbors.

Hugs to all, Lisa

 

[Tammie]

Carrigon, as usual, I can so relate......totally have the same problems re neighbors cleaning, etc (althouhg as far as the laundry goes, I have found that using vinegar in the wash along with a little scent free detergent does seem to help some).....the lastest at my complex is that my neighbors rt next to me are using their grill (&/or their fire pit) every single day and it totally comes into my apt even if I have the door and sliding glass door closed (& I really hate to close them - this is my favorite time of yr and it kills me not to get fresh air - even though I also have seasonal allergies, they do not bother me like the MCS does)


I so need to move......really, really need to move