Cadimum and Lung Problems

[Jane1]

Has anyone heard of cadimum ( sp?) in paint being responsible for lung problems - I have been a painter for years and used mainly cadimum red and yellow - I was diagnosed with pulmonary sarc last year after a lung biopsy. I know this is also an additive in cigerettes as well - I have smoked in the passed.

Regards
Jane

[National Jewish]

High intensity inhalation of cadmium can cause pneumonia.  Typically exposure of this nature happens when there is poor ventilation in the work area.  The usual sources of inhaling cadmium are welding, brazing solder, and flame cutting metal.  Lower intensity exposure to cadmium can effect the kidneys rather than the lungs.

Sarcoidosis is a disease that causes small clusters of inflammation, called granulomas.  The granulomas can occur in any area of the body, but are most common in the lungs, lymph nodes, eyes, and skin.  When the inflammation occurs in the lungs it may show up as cloudy areas on the CT scan.

Inflammation in the lungs can cause shortness of breath, wheezing or cough, often a dry cough.  In some people, the symptoms go away completely with or without treatment.  In other people the inflammation leads to permanent scarring or fibrosis.  There is no way to predict the chances of fibrosis for a particular individual.  The cause of sarcoidosis is unknown.

It’s great that you quit smoking!

[Meg, RN]

New research from Johns Hopkins, VA-Vanderbilt and a landmark Swedish study confirms earlier studies that mycoplasma bacteria is the likely cause of pulmonary sarcoidosis.

The granulomatous inflammatory process can be blocked safely with a new class of mild antihypertensive medication called Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs). And very specific antibiotic combinations will eliminate the mycobacteria that trigger this run-away immune system response in people who are genetically susceptible.  

Everything you need to know to put your sarcoidosis into remission is at www.sarcinfo.com

SarcInfo is not really a 'website'. It was created to conduct an Internet-based observational-clinical-trial of therapies which can cure sarcoidosis.

Many of the patients in the SarcInfo cohort are health care workers- Physicians, Nurses and ex-Nurses. Therapy is prescribed and monitored by the patients’ personal physicians. There are over a hundred patients on the Marshall protocol now and most are showing dramatic improvement without further risk to their health.

I hope that you will visit www.sarcinfo.com, read the information, get quick answers to your questions, decide for yourself and then talk to your doctor.

Sincerely,

Meg Mangin, R.N.

[Jane1]

With respect I didn't ask about Sarc Info rather about general information on Cadimum and lung problems - I am sorry but I don't share the views of sarc info in fact I feel the methods advocated there to be quite risky.

With regards
Jane

[Concerned lady]

See this link, at Nat'l Jewish's website, that mentions cadmium.

<a href=http://nationaljewish.org/deoh/eoexposures.html>http://nationaljewish.org/deoh/eoexposures.html</a>

[Jane1]

Thanks a million, concerned lady!

J.

[Concerned lady]

Thanks, Jane. I hope you can be seen at Nat'l Jewish's Environmental & Occupational Health Department, to help you find out exactly what the cadmium (metal) from in the paint might have done to your lungs, (including maybe causing the Sarc?)

I also did a follow up on Meg's suggestion. I checked out a message on 3-6-02, 16:42, at http://www.sarcinfo.com/phorum/topic-1-6-6.html and found an amazing reference to an article written by a doc who now works at Nat'l Jewish. Here's a brief "cut & paste" that you may find interesting:

"Metals that cause sarcoidosis". Newman LS. Department of Medicine, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80206, USA.

"Inhalation of metal dust or fume[s] can cause granulomatous lung disease that mimics sarcoidosis. Particular metals that possess antigenic properties which promote granuloma formation include aluminum, barium, beryllium, cobalt, copper, gold, rare earths (lanthanides), titanium, and zirconium. The occupational and environmental exposure history holds the key to linking such metals with seemingly idiopathic disease. We propose clinicians use a systematic approach to investigating the occupational and environmental history and immunologic responses of patients with sarcoidosis, in order to discriminate metal-induced granulomatosis from sarcoidosis"

Good luck to you.

Concerned lady

[Jane1]

Thanks again Concerned Lady - Interesting information.  I won't be seen at the National Jewish, I am afraid I live too far away, well only a couple of thousand miles, nevertheless I find this site very helpful.  I am going to bring the paint thing up with my consultant when I see him in a couple of weeks, although, I could just have the opinion that the damage is already done, but at least if I narrow the cause down, I could avoid those paints in the future.

Regards
Jane