This is a dreadful time for me. My landlords have come to stay at our home with us (they're friends and it's a huge house) which is really lovely BUT I am allergic to everything they've brought with them. The soap they have in the bathroom at the sink and in the tub, the dish soap, their laundry soap, the cologne their teenage son douses himself with, their hair products and scented body care stuff. The dog and cat they brought along don't bother me at all but the intense chemical load that's suddenly in my environment is unbearable.
Obviously we're going to have a talk but I don't see how they can become less toxic to me, plus the house is now saturated with substances that I have strong negative reactions to. I am allergic to my own clothes, hair, myself and my children when they hug or get too near us. The air, the surfaces, the furniture, it's absorbing it and will be off-gassing it into my what-used-to-be-clean-air for weeks to come.

Advice? How to bolster my own body to increase tolerance? I am gasping for breath, brain-fog immobilized, nauseous, headachey, sinus and ear inflammation. I'm already taking a very good probiotic, ashwaghanda, turmeric and black pepper, bitters, EFAs. We're going away for a couple of days but will be back with them for at least 4 days after that. I need some emergency support. Help!

Have you always been highly sensitive to face and body products?

Do you think your increased sensitivity to these products is a result of more pure raw food diet?

I'm not quite sure of the area in which you live, but you could always socialize in a more open area (park, woods, walk around the neighborhood, etc). You could take them swimming that would allow them to rinse off per se.

Good luck!

Wow, that's rough.

Other than wearing some sort of filter mask (charcoal filter, etc) around in the house, I don't know what else to really suggest. I am wondering if taking charcoal internally would do anything towards lessening the effects of the chemicals.

I have some charcoal, I'll capsule it and take some. Thanks for that.

I became increasingly sensitive after a massive exposure to pollutants over one summer in my early 20's. Being 100% raw was too much for me, then I was ridiculously sensitive, unpleasantly so. Eating a more balanced level of raw foods lessened that and for me that works so I aim for less than totally raw vegan.

The obnoxious dousing of teenage fragrance has ceased, thank goodness. The bathroom is a hazzard zone of terrible smells, lol. I'm avoiding that room, brushing my teeth in the kitchen and such. Spending time at our fragrance-free neighbours is helpful too.

coco,

I hear you, though I am not as sensitive as this. Charcoal, definitely, and open the windows whenever possible--I know this is rough when it's winter outside--and maybe consider getting candles that could purify the air.

Whoever invented AXE Body Spray, undoubtedly what junior is spritzing himself with, should meet with Biblical justice in the afterlife.

OMG, 3 days spent sleeping in a house (relatives) with a strong wifi signal and on sheets washed with scented soap and fabric softener nearly did me in. Then we got home to the unvented drier running with scented soap washed clothes and drier sheets! Thankfully there are neighbours who are aware of this issue and welcome us into their home whenever we need it. We went over for dinner and stayed as late as my kids could bear then headed home. What did I encounter there? A horridly obnoxiously powerful scent in the hallway outside our bedrooms that seeped into my room all night long. Guess they were burning a scented candle (cheap garbage parafin carginogen thing too, WTF is wrong with them?) in their room all night long. Nearly killed me. Hello migraine, long time no see.

Sigh, this is gonna be a long week. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to Saturday when they leave. The biggest drag is that the kids and I love these people, I just cannot tolerate their smells.

{{{coco}}}

Is moving an option? I'm so sorry for this..I understand exactly what you are talking about. I think everyone is affected by toxins just most people are unaware since they are so toxin loaded. It's like someone not eating salt then eating something that most people eat but for them it's too salty and they can tell.

Your body is doing what it's supposed to do..reject all that crap!

Would they be willing to have alternatives for all that stuff?

Let us know how you are doing.

Love,
Prism

I don't understand why you don't tell them these scents are bothering you. Is it because they're the landlords and there might be reprocussions? If not, I would definitely speak up. It seems reasonable to me that they could skip fragrance, dryer sheets and other things during their stay.

Oh, this is after letting them know how fragrance chemicals affect me. I wonder if there was even one single thing they did to accomodate me, it sure didn't seem like it. They've been gone for 3 days and it still feels like I was double punched in the lungs. I nearly have the stink out of the house though and that's helpful. We will move before sharing space with them again, I'm working on that now. Yuck.
Thanks to all of you for understanding. Some people just REALLY don't get it that there might be human organisms on this earth for whom chemicals are particularly harmful. Bummer.

In the last two days I have had to move away from others at a computer lab because of their cig smoke clinging to their clothes The thing that really sucks is when they spray some perfume on top of the ash tray stench

banana who Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the last two days I have had to move away from
> others at a computer lab because of their cig
> smoke clinging to their clothes The thing that
> really sucks is when they spray some perfume on
> top of the ash tray stench

You said it all! cig smoke is the worst, along with the attempt to mask the odor with perfume/cologne. I do on-site residential repairs at times, and I absolutely abhor going into smoker's homes.

My clothing reaks so much that I must carry a change of clothes in the work van to go on to the next job. The smell gets in everything, even my hair.

coco - some people will never get it.

My in-laws house is a chemical factory, lol. When we go to visit, my sinuses close up almost completely and I can barely breathe through my nose.

They sit there with a smug look on their faces & ask me - "I thought you are healthy eating all this vegan food?"

My answer - "Well, if ya wouldn't be poisioning my clean body with all these chemicals..."

Nah, I just sit there & take it - I rarely say anything...it's not worth the hassle. I will go outside for a few breaths of fresh air at times though.

Even their pets walk around around sneezing, lol.

How about getting one of those air ionizers? I use one when I am doing drywall work, and it helps get the particulate matter out of the air. Here is the one I use: Light to Medium Duty Active Air Ionizer

I do have a very good quality air purifier that ionizes dust and particulates as well as filtering the air, it's in our bedroom. The house is just massive though, I'd need about 10 of them to cover every room.
We live in the country and granted the air here isn't as clean as it could be due to industrial farming and car manufacturing in the nearby cities but still, we're surrounded by trees. I should be overwhelmed by all the fresh air here, not gasping for breath like I do in a big city! It's ridiculous. In a shop this morning I unwittingly stood next to one of those air perfumers that randomly sprays, which it did right then oh joy. And now we're in the library and the student staff member is doused in that horrid teenage body spray. We're going to take a walk to the park, that's about the only place it's safe for me to breathe. Thank goodness for the outdoors!
The thing that gets me most are those sprays in bathrooms, wtf is that? like the scent of p00p and roses is less offensive than just the p00p! LOL!

coco, you ought to try the syntropic antioxidant microorganisms, both as a supplement and using it as a deodorizer. I take SCD BioAg, and put it in a spray bottle with a dilution to water of 1:20, and use it to deodorize things when necessary. This stuff doesn't just cover up the smell, but it eats up the chemicals in the air. If a skunk sprayed something, you could deodorize it with the microbes, though I would use full strength.

I use this to freshen up the yoga studio where I teach before my classes, and if the hallways of my apartment building get filled with cigarette smoke, I use it there. Its deodorize ability is quite powerful and quick.

I also spray the diluted microbes on my bath towel after I get out of the shower, and this keeps the towel from needing to wash the towel for weeks, as it keeps the mildew and mold from growing on the wet towel.

Huh, that stuff by description looks like authentic Willard Water, Prana. I take WW and have experienced many subtle health benefits from it. My houseplants like it, too!

You've recommended the probiotic supplement from this company, I think, and I am hoping to try it when I need to restock on probiotics. Thanks for posting these things

coco, maybe do give a detoxifying product a consideration; it can't hurt.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/2013 02:39PM by Tamukha.