Chemical Sensitivities?

[holiday16]

I've always been sensitive to chemicals, fragrances etc. and my oldest very obviously is as well. I noticed after I went on the diet I'm not as bad as I used to be. At it's worst I could not go anywhere near the cleaning aisles in the grocery or I would get dizzy, chest pains, headaches and other symptoms. After being off gluten it has seemed to improve and while they still bother me it's not to that degree. Is there any connection? All I can think of is that my immune system has gotten better and maybe that plays a role?

[RiceGuy]

Yes, I've always been very sensitive to chemical odors too. I agree that having an already-overwhelmed or hyperactive immune system would seem a logical factor in the sensitivity.

[mamaw]

count me in on being very sensitive to millions of things...

[jerseyangel]

I'm also sensitive to lots of things--chemicals, fragrances, etc.

[Di-gfree]

Me, too. I get dizzy and woozy, sick to my stomach, a headache, tired. I marvel at how anyone can work in those scented candle stores.

[holiday16]

Me, too. I get dizzy and woozy, sick to my stomach, a headache, tired. I marvel at how anyone can work in those scented candle stores.

I've always wondered that too! When we're at the mall I hold my breath past the candle stores. My oldest wanted some lip gloss for Christmas so I held my breath while I found it and then gave it to dh to buy while I ran out, LOL. We ended up taking it back anyway because after looking at the ingredients it had saccharine in it.

[Di-gfree]

I hold my breath, too! I was in a store yesterday, and a lady who was positively coated in perfume seemed to linger around me, and I had to get away from her.

Do any of you have family members/friends who really don't get how fragrance/chemicals can be bothersome? They sort of act like you're over-reacting?

[darlindeb25]

Me too, I have always been sensitive to odors, allergic to smoke. I've been gluten free nearly 8 yrs and it's not getting better. So far, the worst thing for me is Carpet Fresh--it gives me a sinus infection. It changes my breathing almost immediately.

I mentioned in another thread, last week I have a reaction to my hair dye. I have used the same brand for over 4 yrs now, and I don't think they changed anything. The only thing I did differently, I walked on my gazelle while I was waiting for the 25 minutes to be up for the dye to set. I washed out the dye, then in just minutes, I was hit with this severe nausea, I actually thought I was coming down with the flu. Terrible nausea, lasted for about 45 mins, then left, the same way it snuck up on me--had to be the odor. Never happened before.

I hate this allergy.

[RiceGuy]

Do any of you have family members/friends who really don't get how fragrance/chemicals can be bothersome? They sort of act like you're over-reacting?

Yep! It's like they can't smell when they've gotten themselves soaped up and didn't rinse properly. They look at me like I'm nuts. How on Earth can they stand to be in the same room with their own body?

I once volunteered to assemble a child's toy. As I was unwrapping the plastic pieces, I began to feel woozy, though there didn't seem to be any distinct odor from them. My head felt very odd and uncomfortable too. Within ten minutes I was puking my guts out. I figured it must be fumes from the new plastic. After staying away from it for maybe ten to fifteen minutes, I felt fine.

[jerseyangel]

How on Earth can they stand to be in the same room with their own body?

I've often wondered that myself. There are people who are so covered in scent that the smell lingers long after they walk away--that's if we're lucky enough to not be stuck next to them for any length of time.

Jeesh!

[phakephur]

It's like they can't smell when they've gotten themselves soaped up and didn't rinse properly.

I call this "the stench of the well-groomed"

There are people who are so covered in scent that the smell lingers long after they walk away-

I call this "the vapor trail"

One thing I really hate is how Sunday night is laundry night in my neighborhood, and all the dryers are venting dryer sheet stench simultaneously. The entire neighborhood is under a miasma of "mountain breeze" and I can't go walking without getting a headache and sore throat. Why can't clothes just smell like clothes?

[Di-gfree]

I call this "the stench of the well-groomed"

I know a man who drenches himself in aftershave. Even if I wasn't sensitive, it would be horrible. And lol @ vapor trail.

Tne thing I really hate is how Sunday night is laundry night in my neighborhood, and all the dryers are venting dryer sheet stench simultaneously. The entire neighborhood is under a miasma of "mountain breeze" and I can't go walking without getting a headache and sore throat. Why can't clothes just smell like clothes?

Someone else notices this? I'm outside quite a bit, and the smell of the "mountain breeze" fabric sheets permeate the neighbourhood at times. I use unscented tide, and 'natural cloth' fabric 'sheets' (not sure how these work, but there are no chemicals in them).

RiceGuy, plastics bother me, too. Even some shoes they make these days with man-made products give off a horrible smell. I've returned shoes to the store for being 'smelly'.

By the way, my sense of smell is very keen - moreso than most people, it seems.

[huevo-no-bueno]

Me too, I have always been sensitive to odors, allergic to smoke. I've been gluten free nearly 8 yrs and it's not getting better. So far, the worst thing for me is Carpet Fresh--it gives me a sinus infection. It changes my breathing almost immediately.

I mentioned in another thread, last week I have a reaction to my hair dye. I have used the same brand for over 4 yrs now, and I don't think they changed anything. The only thing I did differently, I walked on my gazelle while I was waiting for the 25 minutes to be up for the dye to set. I washed out the dye, then in just minutes, I was hit with this severe nausea, I actually thought I was coming down with the flu. Terrible nausea, lasted for about 45 mins, then left, the same way it snuck up on me--had to be the odor. Never happened before.

I hate this allergy.

Deb,

Check out this website for some information on hair dye allergies. Hope this helps Open Original Shared Link

Everyone--I can totally identify with this. I can't tolerate cologne with synthetic fragrance in it, especially "Curve" for men and "Angel" for women. They make my throat close up. I do think it is much worse if I'm already having an allergic reaction to something else. What unnerves me is that people think they smell good. ???

[loraleena]

I became chemically sensitive overnight a couple years ago after being exposed to a horrible burning smell coming from something that broke in my car. I always got headaches from new cars or sneezed around incense, but this made my whole world change. I can't be around new cars, perfumes, moisturizers, new furniture, carpet, paint, new plastic items, new clothes need to be washed first, laundry detergents, etc. etc. etc. The absolute worst for me is the smell that dryer sheets leave on clothes. My son's friend came over and his clothes made my whole house smell. I had to make him change in to my son's unscented clothing! How embarassing for my son! Within minutes I get chills, dizzy, brain fog, headaches, yawn uncontrollably, fatigue and fevers if around it long enough. I have a special made mask for chem. sensitivities that I keep with me for emergencies. I wear it to do laundry since I share with the others in my building. Luckily for me my work went fragrance free in the last year!! Thank god. My coworkers in my room have been great about only using a unscented moisturizer that I provide in the room for them.

[jerseyangel]

I thought all of you fragrance free folks would get a kick out of this--

I'm seeing a Chiropractor, and I had my second visit yesterday. As we sat in her office discussing the treatment plan, etc. she told me that she likes to use candles in the waiting area sometimes, and remembered that I had sensitivities to scents so from now on she was only going to use unscented candles in the office.

I thought that was so thoughtful.

[holiday16]

Wow, glad to know I'm not alone in this! I was thrilled to see someone else mention the dryer sheets because when we lived in a subdivision I hated when we went on walks you get these overwhelming odors from the dryers. I hated that. Now that we live in the country it's not as bad, but every now and then I get a whiff.

It's interesting to see what is worst for everyone. For me it's Febreze and things like Glade plug-ins. My mother and I did a meeting a while back and the focus was non-toxic cleaners and what effects chemicals have on health etc. and the ironic thing was I ended up with a migraine because the lady I was next to used Febreze laundry soap. I kept trying to edge away without being too obvious...

Paulette

[Di-gfree]

I cringe at those Febreeze commercials. The happy homemaker practically sprays the dog. Also, bathroom 'freshener' sprays - ugh. I like fresh air - oh, which reminds me, one of my biggest problems is with the neighbours who have the lawn companies come by and spray pesticides all summer long. I have to keep my windows closed for days in the heat of summer.

[fedora]

I have sensitivities to some, but not all. As a kid I reacted to pink gas station soap by getting rashes at my wrists. I have had rashes from the pink dyed insulation but not the non formaldhyde white insulation. As a kid I couldn't breath around those cheap kid's perfumes. Fragrences still really bother me, but I do okay with essential oils. It is the chemical stuff. I am not bothered by latex paint, but mostly use low voc stuff, or water based polyurethane. It is strange to me that some things don't bother me at all. I have little in my life though. My whole adult life I haven't used chemical body care or cleaners. I have only used natural, the more basic the better, products.

vapor trail I hate them. It pollutes the air and I can't breath. I literally can't breath around the chemical perfumes and super smelly gift stores with their candles and such.

[phakephur]

I cringe at those Febreeze commercials.

Yeah, the fragrance addicts who can't pry themselves away from the curtains or the couch or whatever has been sprayed.

I call them "the huffers."

[jerseyangel]

I call them "the huffers."

[MDRB]

I used to get migraines and nausea from just about anything: nail polish, cleaning liquid, fabric softener. I used to hate walking through the perfume section in department stores. The worst was when I passed out at work because they had steam cleaned all the carpets with that horrible chemical they use .

I found that my sensitivity completely went away after going gluten-free. I have not heard of any link between the two concepts but I'm certainly not complaining now that mine is gone! (Although I have never re-tested the steam cleaning thing)

Oh and those little perfume things that people attach to their car vents still bother me a little but not to the extent of migraine, passing out, nausea or vomiting, now it just makes me feel a little squirmy and is probably just bad mental associations at work.

[darlindeb25]

Thanks huevo_no_bueno for the website, I will check it out when I get back home. I am having a quiet coffee moment while on vacation. It's very early morning here and my friends cat woke me up for a treat! So, I thought I would check out the forum!

Someone mentioned Glade Plug-ins--me too. Especially the vanilla scented ones. The boss also used those in the office and I got very ill. Candles that come with 3 or 4 different scents will make me sick too.

I read where some people find after going gluten free, they get better. I have found my allergies are intensifing--I wish they would reverse!

[Rachel--24]

I read where some people find after going gluten free, they get better. I have found my allergies are intensifing--I wish they would reverse!

My sensitivities also intensified after eliminating gluten and most processed foods. It may be that the sensitivities became more noticeable at that point however, alot of the foods I switched to I now know were contributing greatly to the problem. I believe that I was actually becoming more toxic....and therefore I was reacting more strongly to perfumes, chemicals, car exhaust, cigarette smoke, etc. etc.

Fabric softeners like Bounce were one of the worst for me...and I definately can relate to not being able to go for a walk in my neighborhood or not being able to do yardwork outside while people are using dryer sheets.

I was pretty disabled by my sensitivities for awhile but forunately its gotten ALOT better.

I'm still sensitive and I have to watch my diet very carefully but I'm not disabled by scents anymore...I have days where I'm not really affected by it. I can go out now and not worry so much about perfumes, candles, etc....which is really exciting for me.

I'm currently still going through treatments and I'm very optimistic that I will continue to improve and the sensitivities will continue to diminish.

[loraleena]

Yea, Febreeze and Glade plug ins are also at the top of my hell list!!

[Gerri]

Very chemical sensitive to many chemicals (smoke, paint, purfumes, soaps, cleaning products etc), causes many asthma attacks. Also allergic to sulfa, sulfites, sulfates, and all sulfer derivatives (sp) Unable to have many medications, for pain from arthritis(s), depression, or (NASH - non alcohol fatty liver disease with inflamation.

Gerri