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Chemical Sensitivity, fragarances, off gasing of products etc

Vincent

Senior Member
Messages
126
Location
Baltimore, Maryland USA
It seems like most of the stuff I buy, I have to leave it outside for a few days. Recently I purchased blackout curtains from walmart. They smell so bad, even after leaving them outside on the porch for over a weak. I even washed them. They small like plastic that is off gasing chemicals. When I lift the curtain to my nose I get a headache. I purcharsed them online and I'm going to have to return them. Even the curtain rods stank but I put them in the shower for 15 minutes and it went away.

I get the feeling that in China there are chemical used that are not legal here in the usa. When you then get that product it still has some of that residue. I can't have any of those 'air fresheners' either, nor scented cleaning products. I try to buy the 'green' cleaning products, those do not bother me.

Does anyone else have this problem?
 

Dreambirdie

work in progress
Messages
5,569
Location
N. California
The short answer is a BIG YES. I have struggled with MCS and CFS for over 30 years.

It is a major hassle to buy new things. Most of them have to be aired outside for at least 2 weeks, soaked and washed in a vinegar bath several times, and then aired again until they are "detoxified." Some things have taken up to a year to offgass, and some never do.

Being around anyone who uses any commercial products in their laundry, (TIDE and BOUNCE are among the worst), or on their bodies (shampoo, cosmetics, etc) is the kiss of death. They contain neuro toxins and endocrine disruptors. I would like to see all of these chemical ingredients banned here. Truly sickening to have to deal with them.
 

Vincent

Senior Member
Messages
126
Location
Baltimore, Maryland USA
Being around anyone who uses any commercial products in their laundry, (TIDE and BOUNCE are among the worst), or on their bodies (shampoo, cosmetics, etc) is the kiss of death. They contain neuro toxins and endocrine disruptors. I would like to see all of these chemical ingredients banned here. Truly sickening to have to deal with them.

It's no wonder we are all sick. You can't even wash clothes without getting exposed to chemicals! I recently learned that the 'soap' we use isn't even soap at all, it's detergent. They are really surfactants that are left over from the petrochemical industry. Later fragrance is added so people see bubbles and it smells 'fresh' so they assume it's soap. Real soap is made with lye and something else I don't remember.
 

Dreambirdie

work in progress
Messages
5,569
Location
N. California
You don't have to use the noxious toxic laundry detergents. I use Ecover or Seventh Generation unscented and do fine with both of them. AND... I use white vinegar by the gallon, both in my laundry and for most other cleaning. Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide works great as a disinfectant.
 

jeffrez

Senior Member
Messages
1,112
Location
NY
I usually have at least one or two things airing out on the back deck, or in the garage, sometimes for weeks and even months. Agree with your observations on Chinese goods - they definitely seem more toxic than much of the US stuff. The good news is that there are tons of environmentally safe options available now, so you can avoid the most noxious of the chemicals - in your own space, at least. It's more difficult if not often impossible to control what others use.
 

caledonia

Senior Member
Yes, this is a very common problem with ME/CFS. The explanation is that it's due to glutathione depletion. Glutathione helps with detoxification. For every toxin molecule you breathe in, one glutathione molecule is used to detoxify it. If you are depleted in glutathione, you can't detoxify. Thus, a smell that wouldn't bother a normal person with normal glutathione levels, makes you sick.

The first line of defense is avoidance, off gassing new products and so forth.

Another strategy is to raise glutathione by improving the operation of the methylation cycle. This can be complex, but I've had significant reduction in MCS simply by taking Thorne Labs Basic Nutrients multivitamin, which contains the active forms of B12 and folate (the two main things that will help the methylation cycle).

If you decide to try this, start low and go slow, gradually building up to a normal dose. The reason is that restarting the methylation cycle will restart detox. As the toxins come out, you will feel worse. So do it at a level you can tolerate. This might mean only crumbs of one pill to start. (Normal dose is 6 pills a day).
 

Adster

Senior Member
Messages
600
Location
Australia
Yep this is a big issue for lots of us I think. The last time I bought a new computer, it was offgassing so badly I had to make a duct and fan system to suck the fumes out of the room so I could use it. It took months to stop smelling. On the other hand, I bought some new headphones recently that had no smell at all. Fabrics, as you have found, can be really bad. Castille soaps can be a good low chemical option. Bicarb soda is great for cleaning and can also be used to absorb smells.

But yes, it's really frustrating!
 

Dreambirdie

work in progress
Messages
5,569
Location
N. California
The best thing I have to deal with stinky-toxic new things is my ARANIZER. If something is over the top toxic and cannot be washed (like electronic equipment), I stick it in my garage and blast it with the Aranizer for 3-4 days, after which it's usually a lot better.

But you have to be careful not to blast things too long or they will literally decompose. This happened once to a friend's car. He left the Aranizer running for 2 weeks straight with the doors closed up, and it began to turn his dashboard into powder.YIKES! :eek:
 

Gavman

Senior Member
Messages
316
Location
Sydney
To take a bit of extra stink out of clothes in the wardrobe/dust problems, I have a couple of soaps sitting in mine. Works well!
 

ukxmrv

Senior Member
Messages
4,413
Location
London
Baking soda in a wash helps me with the horrible smells.

This is a huge problem for me. Stops me buying things that I need to use. Stops me from buying second hand. It means that my range of cleaning products is small, hard to get and when something is discontinued hard to replace.

Don't have much space to live in or access to much extra outside space.

Hate the MCS, hate it.
 

GracieJ

Senior Member
Messages
772
Location
Utah
Up until this last move, I haven't had too many problems with MCS. I've had to stay away from people wearing perfume and have been careful with household cleaners over the years, but no real biggie. After I moved into my new apartment, I discovered a whole new world of misery. I have several wooden cubes that hold a large writing project from over the years, and they were all wrapped in moving plastic and then stored in a garage for two months in the heat. Unpacked, I couldn't go near them for weeks, and have kept the ionizer running nearby steadily in hopes that I can one day access the project and complete it.

Of course, the oven and carpets were thoroughly cleaned just before I moved in... and the bathroom... I was ill for weeks, keeping the balcony door wide open and fans running constantly, that is until my smoking neighbors were out on THEIR balconies. *Cough, cough.*

I looked up some MCS sites... old carpet can kill mice within days. Looks like my days of liking carpet are over.

I find it interesting that most comments on this thread are about new products, and it does not seem to matter what they are.

My list of chemicals to avoid is growing larger, and I can no longer go anywhere where there will be a lot of people. I cannot attend dances, seminars, classes, church meetings, etc. I feel like a prisoner. There is a cloud of toxins hanging in the air that I can sense the instant I walk into a building where a lot of people are congregating. The times I have stayed thinking I'd tough it out for the meeting content or whatever, I am out the door in ten minutes and straight in bed recuperating the rest of the day. I feel poisoned... stomach aches, headaches, totally drowsy and dopey. Classic reaction to poisoning.

Working on the glutathione issues... more motivated than ever.

A chiropractor once told me that manganese is needed in cases of perfume sensitivity. Never did test that one out. Anyone have any experience or knowledge of that one? also molybdenum...

I regained a huge chunk of my life this summer with function, but at the same time, became a behavioral prisoner to chemical dodging.
 

GracieJ

Senior Member
Messages
772
Location
Utah
One other thing I know that helps but have not been able to try yet... progesterone cream and phytoestrogen cream. We are talking about xenoestrogens here, chemicals that invade hormone receptor sites in our bodies and run the show. For premenopausal women, progesterone can be enough. For perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause, it is wise to add phytoestrogen along with the progesterone.

This is natural progesterone, NOT synthetic progestin.

Men can benefit from a fractional dose of progesterone cream. It does not upset normal body hormones, but does offset the xenoestrogen effect. Progesterone is a natural hormone produced in the body by BOTH males and females, and in men, adequate levels of progesterone are proving to be crucial for their health in many areas.
 

jeffrez

Senior Member
Messages
1,112
Location
NY
Carpets are deadly. The synthetic ones frequently, or used to almost always, include a chemical called 4-PC, aka 4-phenylcyclohexene. 4-PC is essentially the same as another chemical most of us might have heard of called Zyklon-B. Zyklon, in fact, is the German word for "cyclone," as all these chemicals, including mustard gas, are of the same family of cyclohexenes.

After I breathed the toxic fumes from one of these carpets and got sick from it, was done in by a leaky gas oven, and then had a German Jewish doctor telling me I had to take out my amalgams and put gold *into* my teeth, I realized all these chemical sensitivities, some of the fatigue conditions, etc. are really all just karma from the Holocaust & WWII. The Nazis (can I use that word here? :p) are basically the ones who developed all these toxic petrochemical poisons, and the US also of course, to keep up in the "war effort," some of which with the help of Nazi scientists who had gotten "safe haven" in the US in exchange for their scientific work on various things, heavy water projects, etc. Ripples linger and spread out. ;-)
 

Vincent

Senior Member
Messages
126
Location
Baltimore, Maryland USA
Carpets are deadly. The synthetic ones frequently, or used to almost always, include a chemical called 4-PC, aka 4-phenylcyclohexene. 4-PC is essentially the same as another chemical most of us might have heard of called Zyklon-B. Zyklon, in fact, is the German word for "cyclone," as all these chemicals, including mustard gas, are of the same family of cyclohexenes.

After I breathed the toxic fumes from one of these carpets and got sick from it, was done in by a leaky gas oven, and then had a German Jewish doctor telling me I had to take out my amalgams and put gold *into* my teeth, I realized all these chemical sensitivities, some of the fatigue conditions, etc. are really all just karma from the Holocaust & WWII. The Nazis (can I use that word here? :p) are basically the ones who developed all these toxic petrochemical poisons, and the US also of course, to keep up in the "war effort," some of which with the help of Nazi scientists who had gotten "safe haven" in the US in exchange for their scientific work on various things, heavy water projects, etc. Ripples linger and spread out. ;-)

Very interesting I never knew about the carpets and zyklon B. Trouble is in america we secretly imported Nazis and offered them immunity via Operation Paperclip. I guess we are reaping the rewards of letting these criminals evade prosecution.

On another note, should I have my apt tested for Radon? I doubt the landlord here has done so, and I believe this house has been in the family for around 80 years, therefore a test has probably never been done.
 

jeffrez

Senior Member
Messages
1,112
Location
NY
Very interesting I never knew about the carpets and zyklon B. Trouble is in america we secretly imported Nazis and offered them immunity via Operation Paperclip. I guess we are reaping the rewards of letting these criminals evade prosecution.

On another note, should I have my apt tested for Radon? I doubt the landlord here has done so, and I believe this house has been in the family for around 80 years, therefore a test has probably never been done.

Exactly, Operation Paperclip!

I would ask the landlord about testing for radon and whether he/she would be willing to do it, or deduct the costs from your rent if you do it. I think landlords are going to be required to do radon testing in the near future, if they're not already required to (?). So if you offer to do it for them basically free of charge except for the kit, maybe that would sound good to them.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
A chiropractor once told me that manganese is needed in cases of perfume sensitivity. Never did test that one out. Anyone have any experience or knowledge of that one? also molybdenum...

Gracie.. I had issues with MCS which sounds like yours is on a similar scale to the issue I had. Fortunately lots of avoidence of things has improved mine some thou I still have a big issue with perfumes (I often cant wait in the doctors waiting room with others due to that..often end up having to sit outside or in the hall). I found out not to long ago due to a hair analyses that I have almost no molybdenum in my body at all.. it was at the lowest level in which it can be shown (babies deficient in this die). Molybdenum is needed to detoxify various things eg alcohol etc. I regained my ability to do maths in my brain again (something I couldnt do for many years) only after 4 days of Molybdenum supplementation.

I cant right now remember my manganese results.. so cant right now comment on that (I have many things which showed up as very low).
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
To take a bit of extra stink out of clothes in the wardrobe/dust problems, I have a couple of soaps sitting in mine. Works well!

Sounds like your issue isnt really chemicals but rather more so sensitivity to smells. Discuising a smell wont help someone who has an issue with chemicals.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Vincent. I can have issues with new products too. I was dreading when I needed a new bed due to that.. but ended up feeling very relieved as someone gave me their old one.

Fortunately Im not as bad in this area as I used to be, thou it still is an issue for me. I use a lot of bicarb soda for cleaning and use the "ecostore" brand of laundry power (I trialed about 5-6 "no nasty chemical" or natural powers which didnt wash well..one even stained my clothes!!.. before I found this brand).

www.ecostore.co.nz
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
It's definitely something toxic put in products from China (which seems to be everything these days). I've had to throw away two pairs of shoes so far because fumes wafting off them gave me killer headaches every tie I wore them.

As Caledonia said, you need glutathione to detox.

When the offending items are plastic it seems the substance 8whatever it is) is all through so you cannot get it off. When it is fabric, I found I could get them OK by first leaving them out on the washing line day and night for a week (if it rains on them, so much the better). Then washing them with a whole container of bicarbonate of soda in the washing machine, which traps many types of molecule the way charcoal does in the gut. Then a final wash with normal washing powder.

I just wish I knew what the stuff is they are using.
Here in Sicily, where there ar eno health a safety regulations enforced on anything, I've heard lots of stories of people buying clothes made in China and coming out in horrible skin rashes from them, It's been on the news a few times too. So whatever this stuff is, it's toxic for everyone, not only for us very sensitive folk with CFS.