Smell of certain plastics make me sick

[dvijlbri]

Hi,

Ever since I can remember the smell of certain plastics make me feel sick. I've been searching the internet for some explanation but without any luck.

Since I've never had much health problems I'll state the other things I had just in case these might point you in the right direction:
    - Motion sickness in buses and cars.
    - Hyperventilation

Both these I don't have anymore, I only had these as a child.

Concerning the type of plastic, I know neoprene is 1 but there are others which are worse.

Any ideas?
Thanks,
Dennis

[maria italia]

Relative to dvijlbri's question about the smell of some plastics making her ill, here is my similar story.  In the last several years I too have had a problem with certain plastics.  Most of which can be avoided.  However, those plastics that are used for oxygen tubing, IV tubing and the masks used for oxygen/anesthesia in a surgical setting cannot easily be avoided.  I have become increasing sensitive to these products with the dislike becoming an ill feeling, which has become nausea and a strong feeling that I am going to vomit.  Headache can be a part of this as well.  I have had to give up donating blood because of this.  

However there is now a question of whether these plastics could have had anything to do with a scary pre-op situation, whereby I was unable to be intubated because of tracheal swelling. The anesthesiologist tried so hard to intubate that  I was left with a severly bruised and lacerated trachea and tongue.  I was told afterwards that it was a scary situation, but no one seemed to want to go into any detail relative to exactly what happened.  

Can anyone comment on whether my sensitivity to medical plastics could have been responsible for my tracheal swelling. I do remember that as the mask was placed on my face I reacted to the smell and hoped I would go under quickly.  Could the plastics in the intubation equipment or mask have played a role?  I also received a Cleocin IV as well as succinylcholine and experienced a prolonged meuromuscular paralysis.  Could this have played a role in the tracheal swelling?  It is very important that I learn the cause in order to avoid a similar reaction with a possible not so good outcome.  Surgeries are not always elective.  My doctor has strongly encouraged me to try to make some sense of all of this, but my medical records show nothing other than "unable to intube".

Any information and input would be greatly appreciatd.

[National Jewish]

It is possible that this odor is very irritating to your nasal passages and you react to it by "feeling sick".  This happens to lots of people who are exposed to cigarette smoke and certain other odors, such as perfumes and paints.  Usually this is not an allergic reaction, but rather a "learned" reaction such that the same odor repetitively gives the same reaction.  If this is the case, there is not much you can do about it other than to recognize this is a problem and try to avoid exposure when you can.  Obviously, plastics have permeated our world and avoidance is not very easy to do.