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black mold poisoning?
black mold poisoning? 8 years ago, I moved into the attic (conversion) of a fairly large suburban house. The house is served by 2 air conditioning units, the smaller one is dedicated to the attic (that's me) and I also have a separate central heater unit in the utility closet up here in my room.
My attic conversion living space is a large single room about 30 feet x 15 feet with shower, fridge, all the creature comforts. In each closet and the bathroom, there is a semi-loose fitting "trap door" of about 2x2 feet each which leads to the actual attic space, which is filled with wooden beams and pink insulation. I estimate the house was probably built in the early 80s though I'm not 100% sure.
I don't know if it's just a coincidence or not, but about a year after I moved in here, I started having a very slow onset of a decreased sense of small, dry stuffy nose, vertigo...then after a few more years, I developed a horrendous headache that will not go away (I've had a headache 24/7 for the past 4 years)... Also, after that in the last year or 2, I've had a gradual tightness in my chest develop with a strange sort of "air hunger" associated. I also have had increasing psychiatric symptoms of "depersonalization disorder" (feeling disconnected from reality)..however this is in stark absence of any autonomic hyperactivity associated w/ panic.
Is there some way I could determine if something in my environment is doing this to me? I have left for as long as 30 days with no improvement at all, but then again the symptoms were very slow to onset. I have had a $50,000 in medical bills leading to a dead end, no diagnosis, only finding a benign bone tumor in my head (a red herring to the constant headache?) I have ruled out CO poisoning by installing a low level monitor by the heater.
My attic conversion living space is a large single room about 30 feet x 15 feet with shower, fridge, all the creature comforts. In each closet and the bathroom, there is a semi-loose fitting "trap door" of about 2x2 feet each which leads to the actual attic space, which is filled with wooden beams and pink insulation. I estimate the house was probably built in the early 80s though I'm not 100% sure.
I don't know if it's just a coincidence or not, but about a year after I moved in here, I started having a very slow onset of a decreased sense of small, dry stuffy nose, vertigo...then after a few more years, I developed a horrendous headache that will not go away (I've had a headache 24/7 for the past 4 years)... Also, after that in the last year or 2, I've had a gradual tightness in my chest develop with a strange sort of "air hunger" associated. I also have had increasing psychiatric symptoms of "depersonalization disorder" (feeling disconnected from reality)..however this is in stark absence of any autonomic hyperactivity associated w/ panic.
Is there some way I could determine if something in my environment is doing this to me? I have left for as long as 30 days with no improvement at all, but then again the symptoms were very slow to onset. I have had a $50,000 in medical bills leading to a dead end, no diagnosis, only finding a benign bone tumor in my head (a red herring to the constant headache?) I have ruled out CO poisoning by installing a low level monitor by the heater.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
It is surprising that, after $50,000 in medical bills, no diagnosis has been established, given the magnitude and range of your symptoms, especially the headaches and respiratory symptoms. Your description suggests the possibility that you may have been exposed to some toxin, and the exposure need not have been to black mold.
The best advice I can give you is to contact the local poison control center and seek consultation with a clinical toxicologist to look to the possibility that you may be suffering from chronic poisoning from some substance in your home environment.
Good luck.
The best advice I can give you is to contact the local poison control center and seek consultation with a clinical toxicologist to look to the possibility that you may be suffering from chronic poisoning from some substance in your home environment.
Good luck.
PS, I have little to no actual sinus disease per CT scan or nasal endoscopy. Just, a dry stuffy nose loss of smell; and the other symptoms especially the headache and depersonalization
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