Neuropathy caused by industrial solvents?

Welcome @bttpe1961, Sorry to hear that you developed your neuropathy due to industrial solvents. I used a lot of different solvents in my early career as an IBM Customer Engineer and wasn't as careful as I should have been. Not much focus on worker safety in those days except for keeping clothing and fingers out of gear boxes on the electromechanical devices we worked on. I shared my neuropathy journey and what helps me in another discussion here - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/310341/.

I'm not sure if you have already seen these two websites but both have a find a doctor search that might be helpful along with other information.
-- Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy: https://www.foundationforpn.org/support/find-a-doctor/
-- Neuropathy Commons: https://neuropathycommons.org/experts-directory/us

You also might find this discussion helpful if you haven't already scanned through it:
-- Neuropathy caused by toxins, poisons and chemicals:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/neuropathy-caused-by-toxins-poisons-and-chemicals/
The solvents I used during my first 15 years with IBM contained trichloroethylene but I didn't have any neuropathy symptoms until my mid to late 50s (81 now) and it started gradually in my toes. I now have some shaking or tremors at times in my hands but not sure of the cause. If you don't mind sharing, what chemicals do you suspect have caused your neuropathy?

@johnbishop Your post struck a chord with me. I worked along with print press operators and hands-on photo print processing for years. Although I had minor exposure, it was increasingly concerning to learn how harmful those chemical were as reports became more widely disseminated about their effects.

I’m curious if you were at IBM in NY. We were there back in the day, I almost took a job at Union Carbide (chemicals, chemicals, chemicals) but my husband and I stayed in the print and graphic arts industry. But I digress.

I’ve come to think that some of the best patient care is at facilities that are located in the hub of disease, where there is also money to fund research and good health insurance coverage. For instance, top cancer centers are nearby high cancer rates, in areas with good funding.

For neurology, I’d be looking for answers at Columbia Presbyterian NY Hospital, Henry Ford, and Mayo Clinic Rochester. I’m sure there are other great neurology centers, too. I find it difficult to specifically look for where the best research is being done on peripheral neuropathy. Central neuropathy seems to have the corner on the market.

🙃 Closest I've been to NY is Washingon D.C. for an IBM product class. I started in the Long Beach, CA office, then South Dakota for a few years and ending in Rochester, MN.

Hi, you may want to consider a neurologist who sees a high volume of older veterans. In my experience, these doctors have assessed and take seriously those with short and long term chemical exposure, even if those chemicals and exposures are unknown. I have seen many go the extra mile in their investigation on a patient's behalf.
Best of wishes for you.

@bttpe1961 - Interesting subject. Among the 5 - 6 neurologists I've been to in the past 9 years, including Mayo trying to figure out why I have PN, one doctor drilled down more than normal about my past. I happened to mention that back in the 50's and 60's, communities in NJ, like other areas, would spray for mosquitoes. At that time, I understand DDT was permitted. DDT was later banned in 1972. One of the main reasons it was banned is because of harm to wildlife. Well, what about humans? And will ALL the effects of DDT ever be disclosed. I added DDT to my list of other possible causes for my PN. Will never know for sure. Ed

I was always in an office capacity for Finance, but my positions were always located at manufacturing complexes which regularly involved me traipsing through the plants to be familiar with the operations. One large complex that I spent 15 years with ended up being designated an EPA Environmental Superfund Cleanup Site because of the poisonous chemicals in our products that infiltrated the soil and waterway. While I had limited hands on exposure and the employee safety measures were pretty state of the art for those who did, I always wondered about the drinking water and fish I ate from the lake…
After a couple of years with my Idiopathic Neuropathy and a separate Idiopathic heart issue, I actually had a cardiologist ask me if I’d had any testing for heavy metals in my system. (I had not). He ordered a blood test that specifically looked for mercury, and I believe arsenic. I recall him mentioning there were other heavy metal tests out there for specific exposures. Maybe you could ask your front line Neurologist or PCP for help in getting bloodwork to a lab that can test for the chemicals you were surrounded by?

I'd start with recent research articles, to see who is publishing and if an MD, where they might practice. And also the reference articles they cite, for the same kinds of threads. It's a sub sub specialty and thus expertise is going to be limited, rare.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9518699/
Second checking out the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy
https://www.foundationforpn.org/causes/toxic-neuropathy/
I generally try to stick to articles not older than 5 years, however it's so rare to find the topic covered
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6901819/

I worked in a steel and wire mill as an electrician and was using trichloroethylene to clean grease off motors etc. My brother was an electrician at Caterpillar. Worked with trichloroethylene. He has Parkinson's and I have PN. I know it's affect on Parkinson's but not on PN. Conencedence ? I wish I knew.

Hi John, I was a manufacturing engineer most of my career with the companies AB Chance in Centralia, MO, Continental Products in Mexico, MO, Watts Water in Springfield, MO and Gates Rubber in Columbia, MO. I was exposed to many chemicals during the past 40 years but these seem to be the most likely to have links to neuropathy 1) From AB Chance (Methylene Chloride, we used it as a general solvent from 1985-1995 with no PPE. We literally washed our hands with it to remove epoxy. The fumes from anhydride cure epoxy were everywhere and not vented or removed during processing. We processed 100's to 1000's of pounds of epoxy every day. Isocyanate from foam blowing. Again, we processed 100's of pounds every day and there was no fume extraction.) 2) Continental Products (Isopropyl Alcohol - used in the printing process as an ink solvent and thinner. We did have extraction at the printing press but it was also used as a general solvent. Nitrile gloves were provided but not always used. I'd estimated we used 30-100 lbs of solvent daily 3) Watts Water (various acids in open baths for the etching and cleaning of copper pipe 100's of pounds of open baths 4) Gates Rubber Products (benzene in low quantities - it's a known nerve degenerative agent with a history of causing neuropathy, toluene 100's of pounds daily mostly vented through an oxidizer, ammonia 10's of lbs, formaldehyde 10's of lbs, and isocyanate off gassed during productions that exceeded OSHA/EPA limits - this was a known fact that Executive Management ignored for several years because of the Capital Cost to remediate.
I think it's interesting that I find many documents that anecdotally link neuropathy to most of these chemicals but no clinical research that supports the problem.

Thanks Terry I will revisit those links. I appreciate your help.