Aspie F VERY sensitive to pesticides, cleaning fluids. Y tu?

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Hello & thank you for reading/responding. This is a long message. I'm concerned that I may be getting suckered (again) by people who tell me how much they love me, then seem to manipulate me. I was diagnosed as Autistic/Savant at age ten and given the Asperger's diagnosis in my 30's. However, with the DSM-V BS taking place, it really doesn't seem to make a difference except to people like me and in forums like this.. I suppose it keeps the Psychiatrists gainfully employed and off the streets, while possibly cutting services to people who are very much in need of them. Ah, but I didn't intend to get up on that soapbox in this post.

I truly have had and am having issues with peoples' use of pesticides and cleaning products & being put in harm's way. And I'm struggling with trusting the NT people, whose motives are unclear to me.

I react so horribly to pesticides that when a spray containing DEET was applied to me once when I was in my teens, I immediately became dreadfully ill and nearly went into a seizure from the stuff (I kept fighting to keep from losing consciousness.. it was a very nasty experience). I had the stuff washed off of me and changed my clothes and when I felt steady enough, took a shower, but was pretty much out of it for at least two days after.

I realized that being in the yards of people who sprayed "Yard Guard" prior to inviting people to visit was a horrid idea. If I ate anything in these places, I usually threw it up pretty promptly. This was before I realized the environmental cruelty that was being committed so someone could have a birthday party outdoors without having to deal with the inconvenience of the natural world: just poison everything in advance for hours, without considering that the food and people were also getting a dose of whatever vapor hung in the air. At first, I thought it was the anxiety of being around too many people that made me sick...then I began to recognize the scent of these pesticides and asked my host "Did you spray something in your yard...?" And I would have to excuse myself and leave, because there's nothing fun in getting sick.

I would ask people if they knew about natural, organic ways of keeping insects from overwhelming an outdoor event, because I researched hell out of this. It is unnecessary to kill every last living insect (and, I might add, birds are often victims of the pesticides used against insects).Netting can also be purchased that will keep small insects out and prevent birds from being harmed. If the person knew, they simply didn't believe in the effectiveness or don't like the smell of such things as citronella, lemon grass or geranium or found the hanging sticky strips "icky" and "unattractive" to look at and remove. Believe me, there is usually someone around (like me) who will only too happily put these strips in discreet places where they are not visible and will not be squeamish about taking them down. Citronella and geranium can be mixed with other Essential Oils and diluted with a neutral carrier to make really beautiful scents that are as, if not more, effective than the "offending" Essential Oil. People with allergies tend not to be allergic to pure, high quality essential oils and carrier oils or gels. When in doubt, ask.

When I clean, I tend to rely on white vinegar, baking soda, club soda and salt for scrubbing. The only commercial cleaner I use is Simple Green. I once was given a product called "CLR" to clean a bathtub and some stained areas of grout between some of the tiles. There was one window in the bathroom and I had the door open, was wearing gloves and had a small fan circulating air and? Never again do I want to see or smell, let alone USE that stuff for any reason on Earth! It worked very well, but a pumice bar would have taken care of the bathtub and baking soda (or Hydrogen Peroxide) and a scrubbing brush would have cleaned up the stains on the grout. Now when someone hands me a cleaner with a lot of warnings, I just do it my own way. I get the job done just as well and if the person is insulted because I didn't use the nasty chemical they gave me to work with? They can hire someone else to work for them the next time they want a job done who will use it & reimburse me for my materials.

Recently, I have been emotionally torn because I'd made a decision to move from a place where I've been undergoing a lot of emotional stress and unhappiness to a place where I'd been working for several months and it seemed that by moving, I'd be going to a place that was very calm and loving, where I could be myself and not be put through a lot of turmoil. Where I would be moving, the people really needed my help: there are two women, one a few years older and her mother. Both are on oxygen 24/7 and the mother has a Pacemaker implanted. I'd been working outdoors in the yard most of the time and more often, particularly in colder weather, they began to invite me into their home. I had a number of upsetting "events" take place where I've been living and it was difficult for me to hide the distress. About three months ago, I was asked to begin to move into their home. I was thrilled, except for what seemed to be one really heartbreaking problem for me: I have three cats and can only bring one with me when I move. There is not any local "no kill" shelter that will take the other two cats. The daughter recommended to me that I simply "let the other cats loose outdoors to take their chances", which is something I'm having great difficulty doing: I think this is cruel. She has two small dogs and there's "no guarantee" that my one cat will work out. She did make calls to two local "no kill" shelters which told her they have no room for my cats. I wonder how she would feel if she had to make such a decision about one of her dogs -- would it be so simple to just cut it loose and hope it would survive?

The other problem, which is one I consider quite large is the fact that the mother has an EXTREME phobia of insects and when she moved into her daughter's home three years ago, she introduced these things called "Hot Shot No Pest Vapor Hanging Dispensers" which are NOT intended for use in occupied dwellings and are highly toxic. They contain a chemical, Dichlorvos, which is very nasty when inhaled or absorbed through the skin. I was not aware of what the plastic units were hanging throughout the house: there were fully eight of these things hanging in an area of about 450 square feet. There were two and sometimes three of them in every room. As I spent more time in the house, I began to get what seemed like an eye infection that would not quite go away. Then, my sinuses were always irritated. Next, my throat became rough and hoarse. The next thing I knew I was running low fevers and seemed to have pneumonia. My Doctor treated me for pneumonia, which kept me away from the house for more than a week. Meanwhile, the daughter had given me "as a gift" one of these Hot Shot No Pest Vapor Hanging Dispensers brand new in a package and I happened to read the back. She'd assured me this was an entirely safe product and what I read indicated it was anything BUT. So I emailed her while recovering and asked if she knew how hazardous these things were and I was treated as though I was a TROUBLEMAKER. I was informed that her Mother absolutely NEEDED to have at least ONE of these in her room or she would not be able to rest, so great was her fear of insects.

Eight of these Hot Shot Dispensers were removed from the home -- and I'd gotten sick from being in that house again; this time I was eating food that was prepared in the home and every time I'd be sick almost immediately afterwards. I stayed away for four days, recovering. Now every day I speak with the Mother or daughter, they are complaining about seeing a spider or a moth or a fly in the mother's room! The room that was meant for me to move into, I have learned has NO ventilation. There is one window in it and I was just recently told that the window is so old and has not been opened in so long that it "would probably fall apart if I attempted to open it." Meanwhile, that room had those Hot Shot Dispensers in it for THREE years and I am very concerned about moving myself or my cat into a room that has been closed up and cannot be properly aired out. The fact that people seem more comfortable slowly killing themselves with poison rather than using sensible methods of insect control and realizing that an insect WILL occasionally get into a house has really begun to frighten me. That -- plus the fact that I've not moved in and keep working when I'm not suffering ill effects from exposure to pesticide and am being paid next to nothing.

Today, after hearing an "I saw an insect" complaint for the third time, I was on the verge of saying: "I understand that you are afraid. Perhaps it would be best if you allow me to do the housecleaning you wanted to have done and rent the room to someone else who is not so sensitive to pesticides as I am. You seem to have a need for a large number of these insect killers and I am not able to co-exist with these things and am afraid to bring my cat into this room, where neither of us can breathe fresh air. I've told you the truth about how hazardous this chemical is because I care and that is all I can do. I will continue to come here and do the yard work and after you put a bunch more back in, will spend a minimal amount of time doing chores in the house and helping out with trips to town and so on. But it makes no sense to me to keep getting sick from exposure to toxic levels of of a Pesticide."

I'd like to know if others are this sensitive to chemicals -- whether this is something more common to those of us who are on the spectrum. Thanks for your patience in reading and for your feedback!

I knew a peanut allergy sufferer as a kid (life threatening if exposed to the slightest trace), and their experience was that you just can't expect other people to change their habits for you. Just stay away, move out, do whatever it is you need to do to create a healthy environment for yourself.

You may also want to visit a physician/immunologist to figure out what exactly you are sensitive to. It may all be in your head or there may be treatments. Good luck.

I have a severe anaphalactic reaction to Lysol and Fantastic cleaners. In the medical field this has been quite an issue. Usually I can tell someone at work and they either forget or whatever. But usually once they do forget or whatever, then have to treat me because of it, they don't usually do it again.

I am chemically sensitive and I am NT.

I have learned that people don't believe such a condition exists, and are less than compassionate about it. Mostly they mock it or don't say anything but sort of roll their eyes.

I only mention it to others if there is some way it will make a difference or if I have to. For instance it's in my lease that they cannot use pesticides based on chemicals in my rental. They have to use heat or cold methods or something non chemical. Of course, they did it anyway...I was not the same for years after that.

Pesticides are not natural things. They can cause nerve damage, and organ damage. No one should be around them, or using them, in my opinion.

Chemicals that were banned decades ago are still showing up in plants grown today. People who were not even born yet when those were banned, have it in their system if tested.

I can't figure out why anyone would think doing this to our planet or to the creatures who live on the planet (including ourselves) is smart, or ethical, or sensible.

And they act like the people who say so are the crazy ones.

But yeah I get dizzy, trouble breathing, weak, you name it.

By the way: I don't know where you live and please don't say. (I don't believe it's that safe to put too many details on a public forum.)

But, in my city, people pay extra for 'green cleaning' crews. That's right, they pay extra for people who do not and will not use chemicals or pesticides or anything like that.

Somehow our ancestors got along centuries without Dow chemical or any of the other big corporations (not to single any one of them out.) People are so brainwashed by Tv ads they forget that natural cleansers often actually work better and won't poison their children or pets. (Or themselves, even if it's so vague at first they don't notice it.)

Some people become chemically sensitive after years of over exposure so those people who put those dispensers all over their house may regret it some day. They could become way more sensitive to it than you are.

In my experience you can't convince people like that. You can only set your own boundaries and be firm with it. Just state "it is a health issue, I am extremely sensitive/allergic to them" (Drs say it's not a true allergy but, whatever it is, it may be worse.) and leave it at that. If they still try to object then they obviously do not care if you injure yourself in the workplace.

You might try saying to some of them, that you have no workman's comp and work for yourself and cannot afford to take off work due to chemicals having made you sick.

I just plain would refuse to go back to a place like that but maybe you feel you must take the job. I would advertise myself as "green cleaning service" and you might find tons of people who would love to have you clean for them.

I am extremely sensitive to the pesticide used at work. The "bug spray guy" has instructions to not spray in my office. If I am near the pesticide too long I will get light headed, have trouble breathing and lose my voice. Co-workers have said that I look very pale as well. The few times this happened at work I went home. Within a few minutes of leaving I felt better but not 100%

I had a similar reaction when the neighboring business tarred their roof. A few others had headaches... I had to go home.

Also cannot handle cigarette smoke. There have been times in which I was around it for a few minutes then had a mild sore throat for the rest of the day.

I wouldn't say that I'm extra sensitive to chemicals but the one time I had a cleaning job one time they had me use a cleaner that made me sick and dizzy when I breathed in the fumes. Once at my mother's job they made her use a cleaner that made it so she could barely breathe. She managed to get out of doing that part of the job long enough that by the time she had to do it again they switched cleaners to be more environmentally friendly and those didn't bother her.

When I clean house I actually tend to use just hot water or maybe hot water with a tiny dab of cleaner. Scrubbing gets rid of a lot of dirt whether you use chemicals or not. Now that I have a cat I especially don't want to use dangerous chemicals that he might lick.

I've gone pretty much chemical free in my hygiene using things like baking soda, vinegar, and olive oil rather than the usual chemical filled store bought hygiene products. I guess what I was using before was ok but I don't need all that stuff and I'm especially glad to no longer be putting aluminum on my armpits every day.

Windex and Vim. My reaction to those when the smell is very strong are the followings:

-burning throat, nose and chest
-sinuses issue and headache
-drowsiness and possible fainting
-breathing struggle

Random42: Oh roof tar...During the time I was laid up after being dosed with pesticides the building also decided to tar our roof. They were also replacing the roof at the same time I guess. It seemed to go on for a few months. It was also in the hottest part of summer. We are just under the roof and it really was awful. Horrible time.

Ugh. If people cared more about the effect on living things they would not use such caustic materials.