# Lead Poisoning



## BusyBee (Aug 7, 2010)

My DP/DR came on suddenly combined with acute migraines, fever, weight loss and many other physical symptoms.

I was tested for lots of conditions including lyme desease. All came back negitive. Doctors are stumped. I thought it may be something to do with the constant stress hormones during a traumatic relationship id just been in, but cant be sure.

My boss and I both started at our current job at the same time, and a year later, both went sick at the same time, both with nerological symptoms, mine being severe migraine and this bloody DP, hers being peripheral neuropathy. She does not smoke, drink or have diabetes so her doctors have no explaination as to why she develpoed it.

These coincidently are both symptoms of low grade chronic lead poisoning. We boil that kettle for a brew at least 5 times a day!

We work in an old building probably supplied by lead piping. There are dungeons underneath the town and its is local knowledge that you do not step foot in them! I am not sure if the waterboard broke this folk law!

I am getting the council to look into it and i will request ablood test. I am probably wrong, i have been with every other medical explaination ive thought of, but just thought id mention it to give ispiration to others to 'look outside the box'. Drugs clearly can cause DP so there are many other substances that could also.


----------



## Minerva8979 (Jan 30, 2010)

Oh man,..you could be on to something. I would definitely inquire into that. And if you get wishy-washy answers that's a red flag. If possible, I'd suggest asking other ppl who work there if theyve experienced problems, unless youve already done that!


----------



## babybowrain (Aug 24, 2010)

...


----------



## Brando2600 (Apr 22, 2010)

I doubt it's related... might post more but it's time for turkey.


----------



## babybowrain (Aug 24, 2010)

Brando2600 said:


> I doubt it's related... might post more but it's time for turkey.


happy turkey day everyone!


----------



## BusyBee (Aug 7, 2010)

my blood tests are normal...prob. just the hypochandriac in me...
[/quote]
I know you probably aleady know this but they would only find something if they looked for it specifically in the blood. Also, you would have to have constant exposure to something in order for it to show on the blood. If youre worried about past exposures to anything, many labs will be happy to analize a hair sample at a small fee or through your doctors practice.

I may be wrong wrong wrong but its interesting stuff so keep an open mind The council are being very helpful so ill be posting again on here if results come back conclusive.


----------



## Visual (Oct 13, 2010)

This could be very instructive as to what your problem is. Did the office have and strong odors - carpet, fabric, etc.? There are 80,000-90,000 registered chemicals. None are tested thoroughly, let alone in combination. There are no medical tests for them. Not blood or urine. And it would be unusual for the damage caused by them to show in any sort of medical imaging.

*&#8230;both went sick at the same time, both with neurological symptoms&#8230;* This would be a difficult coincidence.

My visual problems are brain injury from toxins from a building - they are not DP. When I read this post and other reports you have of visual problems, I can't help think that you both have injury from chemicals. I had peripheral neuropathy and a lady who was also in the building has it very very badly. Posted some stuff in http://www.dpselfhelp.com/forum/index.php?/topic/22388-tracerstrailsghosting-getting-bad-at-times/page__st__20

I would be interested in what you think.


----------



## BusyBee (Aug 7, 2010)

Visual Dude said:


> This could be very instructive as to what your problem is. Did the office have and strong odors - carpet, fabric, etc.? There are 80,000-90,000 registered chemicals. None are tested thoroughly, let alone in combination. There are no medical tests for them. Not blood or urine. And it would be unusual for the damage caused by them to show in any sort of medical imaging.
> 
> *&#8230;both went sick at the same time, both with neurological symptoms&#8230;* This would be a difficult coincidence.
> 
> ...


Hi again. Ooh youre scaring me now! My collegues think im barking mad but its all too compelling evidence, like you say. My other collegue (who bagan working with us two months after me and my manager) also went and had a visual migraine the other day (everything she described was just as i had, definatly a migraine). She had to sit down all afternoon as obviously could hardly stand after the aura.. I continued to work and took over for the afternoon. I said to her, 'now you know how i feel- imagine that but without a break for 8 months'. She said, 'I know, i dont know how you carried on'

But still, she thinks im round the bend when i mention the lead piping if you pardon the pun!







(im even bringing in bottled water- i got a very srange look!)

May I ask what visual problems you have? Also, I was on the understanding that peripheral neuropathy never went away.. am i wrong on that?

Touch wood, the migraine and weird DP symptoms are all i have left, ive pretty much recovered physically now that im on preventitives for the migraine. Im having no luck getting a test done, the coucil have excuses so ive stopped drinking the water anyway (if i might say i already feel a liiittle brighter but maybe thats just coincidence) but now im seriously thinking about changing jobs... especially as ive been demoted for guess what; being ill and under performing! ooh i cant wait to take them to court if i get hold of some test results!


----------



## Visual (Oct 13, 2010)

*&#8230;you're scaring me now!* Don't mean to scare. Mostly doing detective work, learning and sharing solutions.

*&#8230;visual migraine&#8230;* My ophthalmologist thought it might be visual migraines. However they usually last 15 minutes ... not years. Turned out of be damage relating to dopaminergic neurons.

*May I ask what visual problems you have?* A bunch of stuff is described in Bluetank's "Tracers/Trails/Ghosting getting bad at times". Try the link above. You'll find some interesting things!

*I was on the understanding that peripheral neuropathy never went away&#8230;* I had always believed nerve damage was permanent - you know like Christopher Reeves. However a few years ago I worked with a vet and an herbalist and developed a routine for paralyzed dogs. Little did I know I'd end up using it on myself. The main thing is B12.

Note: The more severe the damage, the more problematic repair is. At some point the repair will function but will not feel or act the same. My fingers are as good as new, yet one spot is ~40%, quickly fatigues (gets numbish) and just feels different.


----------



## BusyBee (Aug 7, 2010)

Visual Dude said:


> *&#8230;you're scaring me now!* Don't mean to scare. Mostly doing detective work, learning and sharing solutions.
> 
> *&#8230;visual migraine&#8230;* My ophthalmologist thought it might be visual migraines. However they usually last 15 minutes ... not years. Turned out of be damage relating to dopaminergic neurons.
> 
> ...


Its okay, best not to get scared as whatever will happen will happen whether im scared or not. YOu get to a stage where youve survived so much that you are always ready for whatever may strike next! And i agree its great to share experiences.

YOuve got me thinknig about chemicals, our building is old.. so wooden fixtures. Bloody door is always open (despite a huge sign: please close the door) so probably, if anything, in the water. Or of course original thinking- stress hormones can do alot of damage. And my manager, as well as we get on now (since weve had something in common how sad) was a stressy type haha.

Thanks for the link, i had a look and spelt astigmatism wrong and couldnd get back to change it!

If youve got any info about what helped the peripheral neuropathy id be grateful if you could post some, to pass it onto her. What you say reminds me, nerves must be able to repair as our neighbour has a sheep dog who jumped out of the back of a truck and damaged her leg.. she carried it for about 10 years and now when she runs she is starting to put it down again.. never thought that would happen. Good news for all of us


----------



## Guest (Mar 9, 2011)

Lead poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the heavy metal lead in the body. Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems.


----------



## babybowrain (Aug 24, 2010)

You know, around the time both me and another relative started acting strange, we lived in this basement...and I wonder what the heath standards there were....I mean who knows, it was just something the previous owner renovated and it's possible it wasn't up to standards.


----------



## babybowrain (Aug 24, 2010)

I found this list of chemicals with side effects it causes: Here you go!


----------



## BusyBee (Aug 7, 2010)

I just cant get anyone to test this. The landlord is probably sunbathing in the maldives, the company really would put up their backs if i raised my conserns with then, the council/environmentle health say its not thir probelm unless the building is residential, the water board got all funny with me and told me that all their water is tested before being piped (er, duh, thats not what im saying..) so i guess il just never know. I stopped drinking the water when i first wrote this post, all i can say is ive seen improvement in that time and i am finally gaining weight too. It does take about two years to get over lead poisoning, but then again, ive been told to expect a two year recovery time form the stressful two year relationship.

Why is Britain so crap as testing? They are so afraid of what would happen if anything 'got out' that they calim that they cant test anything! When i win the lottery im setting up a lab!


----------



## geronimo88 (May 16, 2011)

BusyBee said:


> I just cant get anyone to test this. The landlord is probably sunbathing in the maldives, the company really would put up their backs if i raised my conserns with then, the council/environmentle health say its not thir probelm unless the building is residential, the water board got all funny with me and told me that all their water is tested before being piped (er, duh, thats not what im saying..) so i guess il just never know. I stopped drinking the water when i first wrote this post, all i can say is ive seen improvement in that time and i am finally gaining weight too. It does take about two years to get over lead poisoning, but then again, ive been told to expect a two year recovery time form the stressful two year relationship.
> 
> Why is Britain so crap as testing? They are so afraid of what would happen if anything 'got out' that they calim that they cant test anything! When i win the lottery im setting up a lab!


Can't you get yourself tested for lead poisoning? (If so, if the first test comes back negative, I would take the test again at another clinic, just to be sure.)


----------



## RamonX (Feb 10, 2011)

I have had DP and anxiety during several periods, but for the last 15 years I only had minor symptoms. 9 months ago one evening I completely collapsed and since I have constant horrible DP which still is getting worse and enormous anxiety. In the months before this happened I was working on an old stairway, scraping and sanding and burning all the old layers of paint. I started out without any protection untill I learned that the oldest layers very probably contained lead. 
I had à blood test, but it was two months after exposure, and it is quite possible that it allready was taken up into structures like bones for instance. My GP thinks it unlikely that it is connected, but sometimes I wonder. I doubt though there is anything that can be done now if there is à connection.
But maybe I should try à hair test.

It is very difficult to know what the influence is of all kinds of chemicals in our environment, because so little is known of how genes influence susceptibility. I have a mouth full of amalgam fillings. Officialy they shouln't cause problems according to scientists, but most research doesn't take into account that one person could be far more susceptible than the one. As a teenager I also had this idiotic idea to smoke incense now and then,
which also might have contained strange chemicals.


----------



## BusyBee (Aug 7, 2010)

RamonX said:


> I have had DP and anxiety during several periods, but for the last 15 years I only had minor symptoms. 9 months ago one evening I completely collapsed and since I have constant horrible DP which still is getting worse and enormous anxiety. In the months before this happened I was working on an old stairway, scraping and sanding and burning all the old layers of paint. I started out without any protection untill I learned that the oldest layers very probably contained lead.
> I had à blood test, but it was two months after exposure, and it is quite possible that it allready was taken up into structures like bones for instance. My GP thinks it unlikely that it is connected, but sometimes I wonder. I doubt though there is anything that can be done now if there is à connection.
> But maybe I should try à hair test.
> 
> ...


Depending on how old you are I dont suspect anything you did when you were a teenager would influence your current symptoms. I like your thinking though, I would definitly do a hair test. As it is very likely that the paint did contain lead, testing the paint would be somewhat futile, and like you said it would probably be better to test you as an individual.

I belive that one has to be susceptible to this horrifying symptom: many of my friends for example, could be poisoned by the same chemical and display completly different sets of symptoms.


----------



## BusyBee (Aug 7, 2010)

geronimo88 said:


> Can't you get yourself tested for lead poisoning? (If so, if the first test comes back negative, I would take the test again at another clinic, just to be sure.)


I would like to add, that before I resigned from my job about three weeks ago, I eventually managed to sneak an analysist in to take samples of the water. After deciding to bring my conserns up with the company, I was chastised and told to 'cancel it immediatly' (what did I tell you?) the fact that I have been chronically ill to their knowledge, for the past 18 months, didnt seem to matter.

Anyway, no phone call so I presume they came back negative. So I am now on to testing levels of the chemical protaglandin, as I have a hunch about that.

The above events did nothing but to reinforce my favorite life lesson in that honesty, is _never_ the best policy.


----------

