Help Me, Drywall Sanding Symptoms

[helptom]

Ive been a drywall finisher/sander for the past 8 years or so... i stumbles on this site by accident and found a post that said drywall compound contains glutan/wheat starch.... about a month into doing this new occupation i started developing symptoms like insomnia, fatigue, severe panic attacks, jaw muscle tension, chronic tension headaches, heartburn, severe stomach bloating and indigestion... My stomach is constantly distented and irritated... I was wondering if this constant dust exposure could be causing some type of glutan sensitivety? ive never really had a problem with this before i started drywall.... my doc said it was from anxiety/ depression and the usual stress.....i dont know whats going on, ive tried everything so far and nothjing seems to help... the only problem is ive never really had a problem with food until i started drywall, so i dont know if its related or not , since ive never really had trouble until i started the job... Ive never had a day in 8 years where my stomach wanst giving me problems as well as the insomnia.. can anybody tell me or give me your thoughts on what could be causing this... if im glutan sensitive, wouldnt i have had a problem before i stated drywall????god , this is killing me and and i dont know what to do... please help me....do you think i have an allergy to this, i dont seem to have itchy, watery eyes, and congestion like the usual allergy type symptoms to an allergen of some sort.... why have i never had a problem with this before.... Id also like to say that the only thing i ever had a problem before drywall until now is mouth ulcers from time to time.... could this drywall be excaberting something that never really bothered me>

BTW, when i am off for a week ro so the symptoms are still there

[2kids4me]

Have you been working on any renos where mould might be an issue? Any industrial jobs where solvents are used /stored?

Yes drywall; dust can cause problems for celiacs but if the problem only started recently and you havent had symptoms before - keep your mind open to any possibility.

[AndreaB]

I don't have any definative answer for you. I found out through allergy testing that I am allergic to gluten, among other things (see sig). I then went through enterolab and found out I was gluten intolerant. I don't know if you want an official or semi official diagnosis, or none at all. If you want official you would need to go through the blood test route with the celiac panel and if positive go through the biopsy. If you want a semi official you could go through enterolab. They are a highly reputable company and many on this forum have used them. Open Original Shared Link. If you don't need anything on paper you can just go gluten free and see how you feel.

Welcome to the board.

[chrissy]

do you wear a filter mask when you sand?

[elonwy]

My dad was a carpenter for a while and I used to go "help" when I was a kid. Drywall dust makes me incredibly sick almost instantly, tummy, throat, eyes, skin, horrible. I would second the mask. And not just the cotton filter cheapy ones from the store, but a good one with filters like you can get at the hardware store and some goggles. I know construction guys get macho about this stuff, but that stuff is horrible, gluten or no.

Elonwy

[rinne]

While I think it is a good idea to stay open to possiblities it sounds to me like you have figured out the connection between your work and your illness.

I worked in a bakery when I was young and think now it was the trigger that sent me over the edge. I didn't eat the treats, after a brief indulgence, but I breathed in the flour all day long and that was when my migraines began.

[ravenwoodglass]

I come from a family of carpenters and drywall finishers. I was taught how to do both by my Dad and Brother. When I was still doing drywall myself I tried wearing one of the OSHA fine particulate masks and even that gave minimal relief. If you are hanging the 'bug face' mask, long sleeves and pants and getting out of clothes in the doorway at home and into a shower immediately might help. But that is a big might. The reason this may have seem to have 'brought on' your intolerance is because the gluten particles that are released into the air by sanding and cutting the drywall and the compound produces are very fine particles. The mucous membranes of your respiratory system are being coated with the particles when you breathe it in. Some of the dust will make it into your system through your gut also as the mucous washes it down into the stomach but it is also being absorbed bigtime through the membranes in your nose, mouth and throat. It gets into everything. I wish I could tell you a way around this. I know it is a fairly good paying occupation and that the knives, pans and stilts are not cheap. Nonetheless you may need to switch to framing or finish carpentry. I am sorry to be the voice of gloom and doom and here wish I could be of more help. Hopefully someone else will know an effective way around this problem.

[helptom]

thank you very much.. you dont know how much it means to me... im going to make an appointment with a doc but dont know of any good ones around the PITTSBURGH PA area that can test.. id quit my job in a second if i knew i would feel healthier and that was the cause of it... it all started about 2 months after the drywall job i got 8 years ago.... panic attacks as well as the severe stomach problems... The only question i have un- answered is wouldnt i have had the problem with glutan before the drywall job by eating bread and glutan latent foods??? the job means nothing if it meant my health...I always handles stree well until i go this job, and now it feels like i am in a constant state of adrenaline rush or a histime realease expet i dont get the sneazing watery eyes and such......I fell like my nerves are SHOT or something going wrong inseide me and not just stress... i also have insomnia as well, dont know if its all related....one last question if you dont mind, is it possible for me to slowly develope and worsen the symptoms over the years.... i can remember i would, and still do get ulcers in my mouth from time to time and very fatigued... im new to all of this, im just sick of taking sleeping pills, antacids, gas relevers, and all of the indigestion, bloatin

[AndreaB]

I believe it does take time for things to build up in the body before an allergy or an intolerance is noticeable. We don't know what will trigger the obvious problem but it sounds like it has been reached in your situation.

[helptom]

You guys are a great help... as sick as this may sound, i actually HOPE i am glutan intolerant... for the last 8 years i have suffered so much, only to be put on Zoloft , xanax to sleep and a shlew of antacids and other supplements.... Like i said, this all started a month or two into doing drywall sanding...Can anyone tell me if insomnia, and panic attacks can be from glutan as well as stomahc aliments??? BTW, for some odd reason i have had major muscle tension in my forehead that NEVER goes away, Almost like my scalp muscles have "LOCKED" and never released... I can see why this may be related to stress.... Does anyone know any docs in the Pittbrugh area, or how can i go about finding one?

[queenofhearts]

You guys are a great help... as sick as this may sound, i actually HOPE i am glutan intolerant... for the last 8 years i have suffered so much, only to be put on Zoloft , xanax to sleep and a shlew of antacids and other supplements.... Like i said, this all started a month or two into doing drywall sanding...Can anyone tell me if insomnia, and panic attacks can be from glutan as well as stomahc aliments??? BTW, for some odd reason i have had major muscle tension in my forehead that NEVER goes away, Almost like my scalp muscles have "LOCKED" and never released... I can see why this may be related to stress.... Does anyone know any docs in the Pittbrugh area, or how can i go about finding one?

Insomnia & panic attacks are both linked to Celiac. I know what you mean about being happy for the diagnosis after so much uncertainty & feeling like a hypochondriac! Best of luck to you. Wish I knew anybody in Pittsburgh but I don't.

Leah

[ravenwoodglass]

You guys are a great help... as sick as this may sound, i actually HOPE i am glutan intolerant... for the last 8 years i have suffered so much, only to be put on Zoloft , xanax to sleep and a shlew of antacids and other supplements.... Like i said, this all started a month or two into doing drywall sanding...Can anyone tell me if insomnia, and panic attacks can be from glutan as well as stomahc aliments??? BTW, for some odd reason i have had major muscle tension in my forehead that NEVER goes away, Almost like my scalp muscles have "LOCKED" and never released... I can see why this may be related to stress.... Does anyone know any docs in the Pittbrugh area, or how can i go about finding one?

For many of us the panic attacks, depression and anxiety occur for years before GI symptoms become more than an off and on thing. There is a great deal doctors need to learn about celiac here in this country so don't be surprised if they automatically say you don't have it. You may want to check out Enterolab in addition to talking to your doctor. There are many false negatives and low positives that doctors don't tell you about. For doctors if you don't have one you may want to start with an internist or General Practioner and simply ask for a COMPLETE celiac panel along with B12, ferritin and folate. Could you take a 'vacation' from your job for a month or two to try the diet and see if you get some resolution from your problems?

[jerseyangel]

For many of us the panic attacks, depression and anxiety occur for years before GI symptoms become more than an off and on thing.

This is very true, and it was my experience, also.

I also was sick the whole time our basement was being finished--I remember going down there--with drywall dust all over the place--and falling over when I knelt down to look at something. At the time, I didn't know there was a connection.

The fact the all of your issues began a month or two after starting this job makes me think that it may be what triggered this in you. Illness, surgery, stress are things that can trigger Celiac--but so can a period of consuming a lot of gluten--the dust you began inhaling on a daily basis could have worked the same way.

Good luck with everything--let us know how you do

[2kids4me]

Something you can do today - right now - is get a filter mask, not the kind that just goes over your mouth and nose, but the ones with filters on them - someone in the construction industry should be able to tell you where to get one. It would the kind one would wear when working with fertilizers and volatile gases etc... it would enable you to keep your job and not put your health at risk. Wash work clothes separately...if you "shake off" your clothes - dont do it inside and wear your mask when you do.

[GIJane]

Hi All,

I have a question: What is it that actually causes the problems for celiacs--the drywall dust, the taping compound, or plaster put over the drywall? I had some problems when we had our diningroom redone, though that was just new drywall and plaster.

Thanks!

[ravenwoodglass]

Hi All,

I have a question: What is it that actually causes the problems for celiacs--the drywall dust, the taping compound, or plaster put over the drywall? I had some problems when we had our diningroom redone, though that was just new drywall and plaster.

Thanks!

All of the above plus the drywall itself. Many of the "non-toxic' wallpapers and pastes are a problem also.

[2kids4me]

for more information, I found these sites about drywall health problems associated with it and ingredients that would cause problems:

Open Original Shared Link

Construction workers who sand drywall joint compound are often exposed to high concentrations of dusts and, in some cases, respirable silica. Drywall joint compounds are made from many ingredients (i.e., talc, calcite, mica, gypsum, silica). Some of these have been associated with varying degrees of eye, nose, throat, and respiratory tract irritation. Over time, breathing the dust from drywall joint compounds may cause persistent throat and airway irritation, coughing, phlegm production, and breathing difficulties similar to asthma. Smokers or workers with sinus or respiratory conditions may risk even worse health problems

What's in my wallboard, page 8 of the document (pdf)

U.S. gypsum company uses corn and wheat starch as a binder in maunfacturing drywall..

Open Original Shared Link

Depending on the variety of wallboard being produced, certain additives are blended with the plaster of Paris that will form the core of the drywall. Each additional ingredient amounts to less than onehalf of one percent of the amount of gypsum powder. Starch is added to help the paper facings adhere to the core, and paper pulp is added to increase the core's tensile strength (resistance to lengthwise pressure). Unexpanded vermiculite is added when producing fire-resistant grades of gypsum board; in some cases clay is also added.

Open Original Shared Link

[GIJane]

Wow, thank you 2kids4me! You did some great research.

I also had problems with a primer. (I started wildly crying halfway through the paint application). It was a Behr all-purpose primer. I called the manufacturer and they couldn't tell me if it had gluten in it or not.

Has anyone else had problems with a primer?

[ravenwoodglass]

Wow, thank you 2kids4me! You did some great research.

I also had problems with a primer. (I started wildly crying halfway through the paint application). It was a Behr all-purpose primer. I called the manufacturer and they couldn't tell me if it had gluten in it or not.

Has anyone else had problems with a primer?

I have had problems with both paint and primers, a real drag since I am an artist. I just make sure I am wearing gloves, so much for finger painting.