Have been sick for 10 months following massive exposure to many household chemicals and lots of bleach. Can I heal? Any advice on detox or treatment? The docs won't help...

[rocklou]

After getting ready to sell my home  last June and being exposed to oven cleaner, multiple exposures to lots of bleach fumes and air freshner fumes, scented candle fumes , interior paint, lots of dust from sweeping and more in a very short period of time I had an event of what seemd to be bronchitis with a cough that was non productive and there was lots of clear spit type mucus.. This was during allergy season so I found it unusual ( I have had that in the winter from time to time)   My first doctor tried to treat me with several rounds of antibiotics which did not work. I ended up in the ER and was told that it seemd to be asthma. I was put on Advair. Within a day of starting treatment I felt cured and the coughing stopped. I stayed on Advair for a month and stopped it since I was feeling fine. About 6 weeks went by and we moved to a new area. Almost immediately upon moving to our new apartment I  begin to have events of shortness of breath plus I became very  sensitive to   musty odors, cold air hurt to breath and could not tolerate  certain chemicals  such as bleach products, air freshners, cleaning products, scented laundry detergent and even cigarette smoke . I feel like I want to flee when I am around them because my breathing becomes very disturbed and I feel ill and have shortness of breath sometimes for days following an exposure . I was at the doctors  office almost every week since the symptoms were so frightning. Asthma was suspected and ruled out through testing. I was put back on on Advair which I responded pretty well to this time but still have some sensitivity.  I asked my doc how long I had to stay on it and he said til I heal. Its been almost 10 months and when I try to come off advair I have a flair up of the shortness of breath  and sensitivities and I don't think its looking good if I have not healed yet. Has anyone been through this? Is it possible to heal? How can I get more help? Is it possible to detox? I read about MCS which seems to describe me but I have seen an allergist, a pulmonologist who ruled out asthma , and my family doctor and they don't take MCS  seriously. I don't want to be  a siiting duck . How can I get some help, other than the $200 advair which I hope to come off. Each time I try to come off I get more sensitive and have to go back on. Does it sound like MCS or allergies? Does anyone know if there can be a positive prognosis as my doctor suggests? After 10 months I am doubting that I will recover.

  Now 6 months later ( coming on 1 year of being on Advair) I have been having joint cracking and pops in most of my joints throughout the day. I am not sure if this has anyting to do with with what is going on.
.   HELP!!

[Philip Parks, MD]

Hello,

First, I would encourage you to stay positive. The majority of people with symptoms like yours do get better over time.

Second, I would encourage you to work with your providers in a constructive way so that if they recommend a treatment, you strongly consider adhering to their recommendations -- especially if the therapy decreases your symptoms.

"Multiple chemical sensitivities" (MCS) is a poorly understood syndrome that we (the medical and scientific communities) have yet been able to completely explain in terms of the actual pathophysiology (processes in the body that result in symptoms). In fact, the majority of persons that are said to have MCS have testing that falls within normal parameters.

Mark Cullen, MD, a physician and researcher at Yale defined the following criteria as clinical criteria for the diagnosis of MCS:

· it is acquired after a specific health event in association with an environmental exposure
· symptoms involve more than one organ system
· symptoms recur and abate in response to predictable stimuli
· symptoms are elicited by exposure to chemicals of diverse classes and modes of action
· symptoms occur in response to very low levels of chemicals
· no widely available test of organ system function can explain the symptoms.

The clinical guidance for treating persons with chemical sensitivities generally includes the following:
1. Avoidance of chemicals, environments that are thought to be related to the symptoms.
2. Treatment of other medical conditions that may be related - asthma, allergies, fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder.
3. Frequent follow-up with a medical provider.
4. Cognitive behavorial therapy should be considered as a treatment / management option.

The "joint cracking" that you describe is probably unrelated to the Advair therapy.

I hope that this is helpful to you.

~•~ Dr. Parks

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.