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http://mastcelldisorders.wallack.us/yabb/YaBB.pl General Mast Cell Disorders Discussion >> General Mast Cell Disorder Discussion >> Guess the trigger... whee http://mastcelldisorders.wallack.us/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1297003072 Message started by Starflower on 02/06/11 at 02:37:52

Title: Guess the trigger... whee
Post by Starflower on 02/06/11 at 02:37:52

Yesterday I took my kids to a birthday party... one of my graduate students has a daughter almost the same age as mine. I went there feeling fine! Unfortunately, within half an hour I noticed that my eyes were burning... my nose started running, I was feeling a bit spacey, and worst of all my lower lungs started gurgling (that was weird!). I was ready to take some Benadryl (I really should have), but I figured I could live with it as long as it didn't get any worse.

As soon as we got outside I started feeling better. At home I took some Benadryl... within an hour I was totally back to normal.

What do you think the trigger was? Dogs? Mold? I have no idea. There was something in that house my immune system didn't like. I've never had that kind of "classic allergy" reaction before... I'm not usually allergic to animals.

Heather

Title: Re: Guess the trigger... whee
Post by Riverwn on 02/06/11 at 05:23:03

Maybe she cleaned with chemicals before everyone arrived?? You might not smell an order with some of them but you would react just the same?? Hope you feel better today :)
Love ya
Ramona

Title: Re: Guess the trigger... whee
Post by Starflower on 02/06/11 at 05:56:06

Ah... that's a really good thought, Ramona. We only use non-toxic cleaning products at our house.

I do feel better today :) Totally back to normal.

Love you too,
Heather

Title: Re: Guess the trigger... whee
Post by chaco on 02/06/11 at 09:05:08

The symptoms use list make me think inhalant. Off the top of my head, here are a few possibilities that come to mind: perfume or other scented personal products, pesticides (house recently treated), air freshner/cleaners (VOCs), off-gassing of new flooring/adhesives/particle board (formaldehyde), dirty HVAC/filters, flowers or houseplants (molds, pollens, allergens), pet dander.

Did you notice any odors?

Deb Mc

Title: Re: Guess the trigger... whee
Post by chaco on 02/06/11 at 09:14:08

A few more common household irritants: potpouri, newly painted walls/furniture, natural gas, new upholstery and freshly cleaned carpets (chemical residues/offgassing). Were there latex balloons?

Title: Re: Guess the trigger... whee
Post by Starflower on 02/06/11 at 11:34:24

No latex balloons... wood floors (not new)... I didn't smell anything, but then I have a terrible sense of smell! Ever since my son was born, something has to be really STINKY before I can tell. My husband is constantly asking, "What smells in here... can you smell that?" Um... no. No I can't. It's kind of nice when I'm changing a stinky diaper ;) Not so nice when a child is stinky for a while because I can't tell they're stinky.

The good thing about friends with small children is that they don't usually have time to clean before I come over :)

Heather

Title: Re: Guess the trigger... whee
Post by chaco on 02/06/11 at 15:39:32

Residues of some chemical products can persist long after the smell is gone. For example, organophosphate insecticides, known neurotoxins, have a half life of 24 hours outdoors. However, indoors, away from natural elements that break them down, residues can persist for 6 months or more. Ditto the so-called inert ingredients, which are sometimes more toxic and persistent than the active ingredients.

Add to that the chemical residue left behind from carpet cleaning last month, off-gassing from the sealant/wax that was applied to the wood floors last week, the furniture oil and air freshner applied a few days ago, other pesticide applications (e.g. lysol, applied to pets/children for parasite control, anti-microbial/bacterial products), gas leaking from the stove, continual off-gassing of formaldehyde and VOCs from the particle board cupboards and shelving, not to mention the build-up of crud in the air handling system that hasn't been cleaned out since the house was build 8 years ago and a home could very likely have extremely poor indoor air quality without a noticeable odor.

Ever hear of sick building syndrome?

Title: Re: Guess the trigger... whee
Post by Lisa on 02/06/11 at 16:55:34

Wood floors - not new......WAX! The wax for wood floors now adays not only have the wax itself, if it is indeed wax, but also perfumes to help make it smell better. Yet, although you may not sense it, it's there. Granted, the cleaning products may be the thing, but if you don't trigger on your own cleaning products, and you seem like me Heather in that you're not overly sensitive to these things, then I'd say that the one thing that you may find in that house that you don't do in your own would be that.

Brazilian's use a lot of wax on their floors for our floors are made of slate and it needs about a weekly go over to keep it nice. Yet, I grew up with hard wood floors in my parents home in Virginia and we'd use paste on the floors then - now there's liquid waxes which are more convenient, but I can remember that after we'd hand wax those hard wood floors, the wax smell would last for some time. It never bothered me and still doesn't, but I've heard of pregnant women here in Brazil having a hard time with the smalls of the floor waxes And so this is what makes me think that perhaps this was it - something that lingers, something you might rarely encounter.

It's a shot anyway

Lisa

I'm glad it didn't progress any further!

Title: Re: Guess the trigger... whee
Post by Joan on 02/06/11 at 17:33:24

I think it was a masto trigger or a reaction to a chemical rather than a classic allergic reaction. Definitely something inhaled, and it could have been almost anything. I can have problems like that when other people have used fabric softener sheets in the dryer with their clothing. So hard to know what and why and so frustrating not to be able to pin it down!

I understand not wanting to take extra antihistamines unless it's necessary, but I always figured it was better than scaring the dickens out of a room full of children with a full-blown attack and an ambulance, especially when it's affecting your breathing! Glad you're safe!

Title: Re: Guess the trigger... whee
Post by Starflower on 02/07/11 at 00:15:12

I don't really mind taking the extra Benadryl. When I get that "spacey" feeling it's like everything is running in slow motion. I know what I'm supposed to do... actually doing it is another story. Thank goodness I'm not usually this sensitive to chemicals! It must have been some kind of cleaning product or insecticide. Being a professor I spend a LOT of time around other people. The normal smells like perfume, dryer sheets, deodorant, etc... don't bother me.

Thank goodness we've been really careful about cleaning products... and so were the people who owned our house before us. There's no way I could live with that kind of reaction every day!

Heather

Title: Re: Guess the trigger... whee
Post by missybean on 02/07/11 at 04:27:11

I'm going to guess mold or mildew, when I go to someones house and they have a mildew problem, my nose burns and it starts to hurt to breath a little. There was probably a lot of cleaning products that were used prior to you coming you just couldn't smell it. Who knows probably was everything
Melissa

Title: Re: Guess the trigger... whee
Post by Sandi on 03/01/11 at 16:09:08

yep yep and yep....... could be soooooo many things! My first thought was mold or chemicals. As Chaco said there are plenty you can't smell! Pretty instant trigger means it was pretty potent. Since your sense of smell isn't great, it's probably a little harder for you to pinpoint. As Joan said, (boy Joan we seem to have a lot of similar issues) Just peoples laundry detergent sets me off. I really really hate GAIN, your laundry really does NOT need to still smell 14 days later! Sheesh :o even people "not allergic" should get that for it to smell that long they are wearing some nasty stuff on their skin all day! My husband said he can barely stand to be on a construction site anymore, all the guys reek like gain, and he's not sensitive! Ok got on a soapbox there! :) Here's a special needs Sandi trigger, sometimes when one window or two is open a draft will occur that somehow sends the bathroom sink vents( those two little holes in the sink) air back into the house and I start to get sick. So stupid, it's a moldy, no one but I can smell/feel. But crazy, as soon as I shut the windows it stops, I'm constantly running boiling water down the vents, dumping beneficial natural enzymes, oil of spearmint, tea tree oil, arggh anything. Just tonight I did a mix of water and mint oil...... So even with "hardwood" floors the shower curtain could be moldy, under rugs, drains. Not to mention the "unscented goodies" that can trigger you! I can be outside doing yardwork and start many of the symptoms you describe and If I'm smart I go inside, I know although I can't smell it, someone is spraying their yard, and I am acres and acres away! Hey! If there was someone at the party that you don't really care to be around you could decide that they are the trigger and will need to avoid contact due to your health! ;D

Title: Re: Guess the trigger... whee
Post by Sandi on 03/01/11 at 16:12:15

I was just re reading what you put later Heather, since "smells" don't typically bother you, I'd guess hidden mold!

Title: Re: Guess the trigger... whee
Post by Starflower on 03/02/11 at 00:14:09

Sandi wrote on 03/01/11 at 16:09:08:

Hey! If there was someone at the party that you don't really care to be around you could decide that they are the trigger and will need to avoid contact due to your health! ;D

;D :D ;D :D

It certainly could have been mold... I'm just really glad it was something specific to that house. Imagine if I had that kind of reaction every time I was out in public? I couldn't function like that. :-[