- Joined
- Dec 20, 2021
- Messages
- 898
This is a long saga. Not sure where to turn next. Not sure what to do next.
I have allergies. Not the sniffly runny nose type allergies. I'm severely allergic to many things, and quite allergic to many many others. Most are outdoor environmental, grasses, trees, molds, etc. Indoor I'm particularly allergic to dust mites, cats, etc. Allergic responses are typically asthma and breathing problems, weakness and jitters, muscle cramps/spasms, to light headed brain fog/confusion, and extreme anger/rage (This is a weird one, I can only explain it as a flight for fight response where I default to fight). At times I get upper GI discomfort from it that can spill over to heart issues needing steroid treatments.
It's taken years to start sorting this out, and if it weren't for working from home during pandemic I might not have figured it out. Through trial and error, and avoiding places and things I was able to pretty much list out what bothers me. Went to an allergist a a year+ ago, and testing confirmed exactly what I knew already. They even had to test at lower levels of allergens due to reacting severely at the standard levels.
Looking back now, I can remember many times over decades where I've had severe reactions. Most of them were outdoor things. Hunting, deer blinds, working at camp, going for a walk, etc. Even went to the ER a time or two, with 'no issues' found.
I do know the worst for me are molds. The family of molds which are the worst a cool/cold wet weather mold. Around here they grow spring, summer, fall, and even emerge when the snow starts melting. These molds are basically unavoidable, they're part of the natural environment just about everywhere (before anyone suggests moving to a desert, also severely allergic to the dry weather molds too.) The brain fog, confusion, and dizzy is the worst to deal with. Drugs don't touch it. There isn't anything other than getting to a 'clean' environment that stops it. Today outside was particularly bad.
Came to realize that the air system in my truck was growing mold (AC coil). Stripped the whole cabin, disinfected, cleaned, washed everything. Basically down to bare metal in the cabin. Removed, soaked and cleaned and eventually replaced the AC Coil. After all of that, one test drive and I was sick again. With only 80K on the truck, sold it and ordered a new one.
Realized I was having problems in my home office. This is a new house. Stripped the whole office empty and cleaned everything. Eventually found one cabinet that was moved from another house with long since dormant mold growth under it. Removed that, deep cleaned the office and was OK in there after a few days with HEPA filter going. Cut the bottom off the cabinet and replaced it, bleached the whole thing, and sealed it in fresh layers of varnish. Put it back, same problem. Pulled it out and cleaned again problem gone.
The building I work in has mold. We can't find it. We've tried cleaning. Cleaning vinegar, bleach, hepa filters. Nothing seems to stop it. It's way worse when it's windy out. I get maybe an 1-2 hours there before I feel like I drank a six pack or two. I'm basically useless at work.
Deer hunting is a no-go for me. Any sunny windy day in the fall, and I'm done. Heated blind has mold in it, and with open tree stands the wind pulls it off the ground.
Wife's car has something in it. Can't ride or drive that one.
These new houses are very tight, and air exchangers are required. At home when that air exchanger is running and it's bad outside, I start having problems inside. It's particularly bad when that air gets dumped to the basement due to how the system is cycling.
After a year the brand new truck is bothering me now too. I think it's mold in the AC coil or heater box, based on the reaction.
Today, one walk from the house to the shop (50 ft) and back, and I'm just done. Can hardly stand up.
None of this includes the food allergies. Those are a whole different set of issues. However many grains typically have molds, so a big part of that may be natural 'contamination'.
---------------------------------
I'm so done with this. Not sure what else to do.
Been out of state to a specialist clinic. They treat allergies with building allergen doses. Last visit, Dr. there was upset with me (why???), because basically no progress in a year.
Local Dr is trying to get me elsewhere for additional testing. Going to GI specialist in a week, looking for possible issues and maybe autoimmune making allergies worse.
Local Dr is also trying to get me into bigger facilities. Not sure if I can just start cold calling some of the specalists, but considering that. Going to look into getting into any studies/research/trial testing of things.
This weekend, my biggest concern is trying to figure out how to clean the incoming air into the air exchanger in the house. That air exchange is a big issue for me.
Also trying to figure out how to improve the air handling filtration in the air handling system in general. Going to start looking for active electrostatic filtration too, if that's even available on a small scale for homes.
Ideas, thoughts?
I have allergies. Not the sniffly runny nose type allergies. I'm severely allergic to many things, and quite allergic to many many others. Most are outdoor environmental, grasses, trees, molds, etc. Indoor I'm particularly allergic to dust mites, cats, etc. Allergic responses are typically asthma and breathing problems, weakness and jitters, muscle cramps/spasms, to light headed brain fog/confusion, and extreme anger/rage (This is a weird one, I can only explain it as a flight for fight response where I default to fight). At times I get upper GI discomfort from it that can spill over to heart issues needing steroid treatments.
It's taken years to start sorting this out, and if it weren't for working from home during pandemic I might not have figured it out. Through trial and error, and avoiding places and things I was able to pretty much list out what bothers me. Went to an allergist a a year+ ago, and testing confirmed exactly what I knew already. They even had to test at lower levels of allergens due to reacting severely at the standard levels.
Looking back now, I can remember many times over decades where I've had severe reactions. Most of them were outdoor things. Hunting, deer blinds, working at camp, going for a walk, etc. Even went to the ER a time or two, with 'no issues' found.
I do know the worst for me are molds. The family of molds which are the worst a cool/cold wet weather mold. Around here they grow spring, summer, fall, and even emerge when the snow starts melting. These molds are basically unavoidable, they're part of the natural environment just about everywhere (before anyone suggests moving to a desert, also severely allergic to the dry weather molds too.) The brain fog, confusion, and dizzy is the worst to deal with. Drugs don't touch it. There isn't anything other than getting to a 'clean' environment that stops it. Today outside was particularly bad.
Came to realize that the air system in my truck was growing mold (AC coil). Stripped the whole cabin, disinfected, cleaned, washed everything. Basically down to bare metal in the cabin. Removed, soaked and cleaned and eventually replaced the AC Coil. After all of that, one test drive and I was sick again. With only 80K on the truck, sold it and ordered a new one.
Realized I was having problems in my home office. This is a new house. Stripped the whole office empty and cleaned everything. Eventually found one cabinet that was moved from another house with long since dormant mold growth under it. Removed that, deep cleaned the office and was OK in there after a few days with HEPA filter going. Cut the bottom off the cabinet and replaced it, bleached the whole thing, and sealed it in fresh layers of varnish. Put it back, same problem. Pulled it out and cleaned again problem gone.
The building I work in has mold. We can't find it. We've tried cleaning. Cleaning vinegar, bleach, hepa filters. Nothing seems to stop it. It's way worse when it's windy out. I get maybe an 1-2 hours there before I feel like I drank a six pack or two. I'm basically useless at work.
Deer hunting is a no-go for me. Any sunny windy day in the fall, and I'm done. Heated blind has mold in it, and with open tree stands the wind pulls it off the ground.
Wife's car has something in it. Can't ride or drive that one.
These new houses are very tight, and air exchangers are required. At home when that air exchanger is running and it's bad outside, I start having problems inside. It's particularly bad when that air gets dumped to the basement due to how the system is cycling.
After a year the brand new truck is bothering me now too. I think it's mold in the AC coil or heater box, based on the reaction.
Today, one walk from the house to the shop (50 ft) and back, and I'm just done. Can hardly stand up.
None of this includes the food allergies. Those are a whole different set of issues. However many grains typically have molds, so a big part of that may be natural 'contamination'.
---------------------------------
I'm so done with this. Not sure what else to do.
Been out of state to a specialist clinic. They treat allergies with building allergen doses. Last visit, Dr. there was upset with me (why???), because basically no progress in a year.
Local Dr is trying to get me elsewhere for additional testing. Going to GI specialist in a week, looking for possible issues and maybe autoimmune making allergies worse.
Local Dr is also trying to get me into bigger facilities. Not sure if I can just start cold calling some of the specalists, but considering that. Going to look into getting into any studies/research/trial testing of things.
This weekend, my biggest concern is trying to figure out how to clean the incoming air into the air exchanger in the house. That air exchange is a big issue for me.
Also trying to figure out how to improve the air handling filtration in the air handling system in general. Going to start looking for active electrostatic filtration too, if that's even available on a small scale for homes.
Ideas, thoughts?