Multiple Chemical Sensativity - Environmental Disorders Message Board

babiespalace · 02-28-2006, 08:27 PM

Does anyone know what doctor, that is able to diagnose this disorder? All the specialist we have been to say they don't have knowledge.

Here are my daughters symptoms: My daughther was exposed to chemicals all day at her daycare and I don't know if this is mcs or what? How do they treat MCS?

Melanie’s symptoms from when she started daycare were:
1. Eyes and throat irritation. I started noticing her voice changing
2. At night she would have wheezing with sounds of a bear and extra sounds and sometimes I would hear a clicking. But I didn’t hear the clicking often.
3. Her asthma medicine did nothing
4. She was constipated and when she would go for months her stools were tan/white. It almost looked like a BM after you would take barium.-liver panel was done and ruled out liver disease. Her pediatrian put her on crystalose-which did help.
5. continuous ear infections
6. Continuous eye infections-gave her patenol eye drops that did help.
7. severe persistent asthma with no relief with medicines
8. continuous sinus infections-confirmed on 2 ct scans (still continuous)
9. sleep apnea-confirmed on 2 sleep studies. (still continuous)
10. One skin infection-she had a cut on her finger and it got infected and swelled up twice the size.
11. 3 diagnosed pneumonias-assumed other pneumonias
12. Unspecific Rashes occurred sporadically-some said it was from viral infections. (still continuous)
13. Rhinitis (still continuous)
14. Frequent viral infection-but I always thought they were sinus infections.
---Every time I asked the multiple doctors to put her on something for her sinus infections they said this would resolve and called it viral infections. However, I have just learned also that after 10 days it is not a viral infection. Her infections lasted months.
15. Throw up out of no where and then be fine-they treated her for acid reflux, but now after the two ENT's assessed her they do not feel she has acid reflux.
16. Mood changes (still continuous)
17. Night Sweats (still continuous)
18. Forgetful-most of the time she can not remember her age-sometimes has trouble remembering her friends names, forgot most of the arc’s. And my daughter was always very smart. She could sing her ABC’s at 14 months. She was speaking complete sentences at 15 months. She knew almost all of her letters by 2. (still continuous)
19. Irritable (still continuous)
20. Crying, sucking thumb, putting things in her mouth (still continuous)
21. flu like symptoms
22. Short of breath a lot
23. Fatigued complaining of being tired (still continuous)
24. headaches
25. Sometimes she complains of pain when I hold her or touch her. Unspecific. (still continuous)
26. Complains she is out of energy a lot (still continuous)
27. Pronouseation a little off. Example: She used to be able to say her name Melanie, and now she says Melally. (still continuous)
28. Slower to respond at times and has to think a while (still continuous)
29. Gets angry often and bites hand. (still continuous)

sosher · 03-05-2006, 07:59 AM

Babiespalace,

I can clearly see your daughter has some kind of of allergy problems probably from many sources. I can almost detect some Cfids symptoms. (chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome) We don't know what cause the immune system to malfunction first. a infection or virus, than the immune system starts to works against its self. ( I have Cfids myself for 14 Years)
1. Your daughter needs to see an allergist and have all the tests done. You need to know if she has any known allergies.
2. You need to try an allergy reducing environment. Cleaning products that are natural. Try products that are very low in odor. (Orange oil products, you dilute with water yourself.) I believe they work very well. I also sent a bottle to my child's daycare, they are using it instead of pine cleaner. Baking soda and lemon juice, has been used as cleaning fluids They are sometimes hard to use over the long term.
3. Keep your home as dust free as possible. Use mattress and pillow protectors they are important to help with dust and mites, Vacuum as often as you can, remove stuff toys from your child's room, Try a air cleaner/purifier. in her room ( buy a decent quality one but don't go for broke on the $400.00 units because some still need filters and you may need to purchase several for your home. See if it helps her symptoms.
4. Check your home for mold. Not the kind that grows in the showers. but the kind in carpet and the walls of your home from old water leaks and damage. check under kitchen cabinets and in areas were water could have leaked. There are mold tests you can buy from local Home Depots or Loews they are inexpensive and may help you find hidden mold.
5. Check food allergy diets for kids. # 1 allergy for kids is cows milk. try soy if you haven't already.
6. Try local University hospitals for doctors that specialize in allergies in children or Environmental medicine.
7. You need a doctor that will checking her for Mono, Epstein's Barr virus, Lyme's disease chronic fatigue, (cfids) . She sounds like she might have an auto-immune disorder.
8. Keep a journal of her symptoms, illness's, tests and results, list medications she has taken. Keep records of Dr visits. Get a copy of all her medical records, keep them organized in a folder. Don't give your copies away, The doctors office can make copies of your information. This information will help you get your daughters illness diagnosed.
9. Don't give up if you really feel Melanie has a serious allergy or illness keep searching for a doctor to listen. Your records will help you prove the problem.
10. Don't mind me for saying these last things. Your daughter might me fine with above average infections and allergies. She may out grow them.
Most mothers will be overly concerned with their child's health, but be aware that some people will look at you for being over protective or insinuate that the problem with your child health is you. Be prepared for this kind of questions or comments.

11. Be willing to see a psychiatrist or therapist to prove the problems you are having with your child's health. Has nothing to do with being over protective or tiring to get attention. I know this sounds rude. but your proof of seeing a doctor yourself to prove you don't have any mental or emotional issues that are making your child sick. I have used this kind of proof myself to silence any kind of misconceptions from doctors.

I myself have serious allergies and environmental sensitivities and chronic medical problems and had a rough time getting a diagnosis. I was accused of being mentally ill, having a personality disorder and being a neurotic woman and many other nasty untrue hurtful things.

I learned a lot on my own and finally found an allergist that believes and practices environment medicine. I have several medically diagnosed conditions many of my symptoms are treated with medicine.
The diagnosis was only a small part of the problem. I received a validation that my symptoms were real and had an official name. But then you need to find a doctor, like me several doctors to treat the conditions and symptoms. Then you have to work your insurance to pay for your medical treatments. You might need to seek state medical aide if and when your insurance stops paying for your medicine and treatments.
I am confident you and your daughter will find a medical answer to all your questions. I am living proof its possible.
I hope this helps.*
Sher

babiespalace · 03-08-2006, 02:20 PM

Hmm we have went through so many allergy blood and skin testing- all came back negative everytime. I had her to all kinds of immunologist for the infections she kept getting. They fully worked her up several times and told me her immune system is functioning normally.

Since I have taken my daughter out of the daycare preschools the asthma is gone and a lot of her symptoms. However now she is scared constantly, and the sinus infection is almost gone.

I have talked to a couple astmha specialists and they all tell me there is no was to test for chemicals.

All I want to know is what triggered all of this so I can prevent this from happening again.

sosher · 03-10-2006, 06:33 AM

Babiespalace,
You have to figure out the allergen yourself by process of elimination. You start with dust, dust mites, pollen, cleaning products, plastics, molds. food, pet dander. The common allergy testing is a sample of a toxic or known allergic item like dust or strawberries. the sample they tested your daughter with was a sample that is ordered from a company to be used as a test subject sample. I have seen allergist that make there own samples. or can make samples from things from your daughter environment. I mean this sounds strange but the foods you make. the mold, plastics, or strawberries from your yard you grow. These can be different then the controlled samples the doctor is using. One of the doctors I went to has you bring in samples from your own home and work place. swabs of foods, vacuum bags, air vents, plastics, stuffed animal fur. This is were he found that some people with allergies, test normal to his company bought samples. he decided to make his own samples and test patients. That when he realized that his patients were getting better reading from his home made kinds of tests.
This is why I suggested you do the process of elimination with cleaning, mold test your home, use only natural cleaning products,use only unscented laundry products. Try a air cleaner purifier. Keep your own notes.
Most people I know with environment sensitivities and allergies. Have done their own tests. Using the process of elimination. This is how I found out what I was allergic to. I found that I had a serious mold problem I my home. I realized when I left my home for a business trips that I found out my symptoms were better when I was away from home. I started to notice that I felt better before I came home. I got worst after a day in my house. Then my asthma symptoms were getting worst. I started looking in my house for the problem. I thought it could be a mold problem. I did get a slight positive allergy test to mold. I had a air sample done at my house and found that a normal indoor air sample for mold was 10pp. I had 3 hundred million ppm. I had the black mold Stachybotrys.This type of mold make a myrotoxic gas that pollutes the indoor air quality. The problem was serious and there was no odor in my house you could smell until, a hole was cut in one of the walls.
When I found mold in my home I had to have the mold problem fixed the walls and all my belonging cleaned. I had to throw away all porous items that couldn't be cleaned. Once you have mold in your house you have to get rid of everything that has come in contact with the airborne mold spores, or it can regrow.
OK I'm sure you get the picture here. I had to go looking for the problem to find the answers and ask the right questions. Unfortunately there is no easy way to find the problem.
You need to explain allergies to your daughter help her understand not to be scared. ( maybe look for books about allergies for kids.)
Keep looking for a doctor that practices environmental medicine until then you have to start your own research.
I hope this info help alittle.

PJ59 · 03-10-2006, 09:27 AM

Hi Babiespalace,
Your daughters symptoms sound a lot like my own. Do you know if there ever was a head lice out break in the daycare ? - The treatment is usually an insecticide - Lindane-which can cause too many bizarre symptoms, even at very low levels of exposure. This insecticide can have a very long residual(half life of 15 months). I was exposed from animal insecticides. If she is better now that she has been removed from that premise,what exposure was there that isn't at home ?
Another route to help you figure out the possible trigger is by comparing ingredients on labels - medicine,food,personal products,etc..... I got lucky & found my trigger to be benzalkonium chloride which is in most topical medications,shampoos,disinfectants,etc.
I wish you the best of luck in figuring out the trigger. One medical professional told me that I see myself 24 hours a day & drs see a patient only minutes out of every year,so it is up to the patient to do their best to figure out certain problems. Please keep us posted on your daugher's condition.