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Smell of rubbing alcohol brings on symptoms
Healthy Living | Last Active: Oct 3, 2023 | Replies (22)Comment receiving replies
@californiazebra and @colely, I can see myself in a lot of what you said here! Is it true that misery loves company? I'm feeling less alone, since dryer sheets are a problem for me, too; Once, before I discovered this problem, I actually bought some and never knew why I was feeling so badly, although I didn't have any dermatological reactions. And I have done things like walking around trying to find the source of my misery like @californiazebra with the scented candles. By far my biggest trigger is rubbing alcohol, not skin contact but just being anywhere around where it's being used, and it is so ubiquitous, especially now with all the covid disinfection protocols and everyone going nuts with the hand sanitizer.
I was interested to read in this article that the ALDH2 deficiency ("Asian flush") wasn't described/discovered by the scientific community until 1981!
https://journals.biologists.com/dmm/article/15/6/dmm049601/275799/ALDH2-variance-in-disease-and-populations
Thank you so much for your affirmation that this is real, and your understanding. I really wasn't holding out any hope that anyone would know what I was talking about, at all. So nice to be proven wrong about that!
Replies to "@californiazebra and @colely, I can see myself in a lot of what you said here! Is..."
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@scolio @colely
Finding others with these issues is like finding Big Foot -- you do exist!!! Scolio, thanks for the info. Very interesting. My heart and body flip out with cleaning products too. Just about every chemical really. Like me, I'll bet neither of you can get near a Bath and Body Works store or a nail salon. I can't be within 50 feet of their door!
How about those people that spray perfume on their clothes and then hug you? Oh no! Men with aftershave give you a hug and that won't come off your face for the next 12 hours no matter what.
A man I worked with years ago told me he was moving to MN to be near family and afford a big house for his wife because of her chemical sensitivity. She had to give up teaching because she started passing out anytime anyone even walks by her with perfume, etc. He said she is like a prisoner and can never leave home so she needed a big home. And visitors had strict instructions before allowed inside. It was really severe. I felt horrible for her and also thought she has a husband who is a saint! Most people get annoyed that our issues infringe on their luxuries, but I always think if they can't give up perfume or whatever to spend a couple hours with me, they should try living with our issues 24/7/365. It's challenging.
I did read in the link you sent that the level of acetaldehydes is 7 times greater indoors than outdoors. Yikes! I usually keep all my windows closed due to all my outdoor allergies to pollens and all that. Hmmm. Maybe I better air this place out more often!
Car exhaust, especially diesel is awful. Last time I went to Catalina Island for the day, I was sooo sick from all the exhaust coming from the boats idling in the harbor. The little island was like a poisonous cloud to me. No one else even noticed it. Sadly, I can never go back there.
Also, after reading the article you sent, I think it's a good thing I don't drink alcohol. I know in college, I always threw up. I haven't touched alcohol since I was pregnant 40 years ago.
Every day I see more ads on TV for a new way to make everything scented. I can hardly go in other homes now. Hard to even find unscented trash bags. Why do those need to be scented? I long for the day that someone comes out to say scented products are bad for the environment and it becomes trendy to go scent free!!! One can hope! Hang in there! 🙂