Unless plans are halted, aerial spraying of the Monterey/Santa Cruz regions will begin in June and in the Bay Area, in August. Because the formulation of the spray has still not been disclosed to the public, we can only guess at its potential health effects citizens will suffer. If the spray formula is similar to what was applied to the residents of the Monterey/Santa Cruz region, we do have some idea of what to expect.
I have experienced pesticide poisoning first hand, unfortunately, and I think it is crucial that people learn to recognize the symptoms so that if they see a loved one, a spouse, a child, an elderly parent exhibiting signs of this health damage, they will know what is happening. Unfortunately, too many of the people on the Central Coast had no idea what was happening to them in 2007.
Different pesticides cause different immediate symptoms in humans. Some primarily irritate mucous membranes, eyes and skin. Other cause severe intestinal disorders. Still others affect the functions of the brain and nervous system. *I am not a medical professional. The following information is based on personal experience and my own research.
If the spraying is not halted, be on the look out for symptoms like these in your dear ones:
Difficulty Breathing/Shortness of Breath – It may feel like you just can’t get a deep breath, that there is pressure being put on your lungs or throat.
Athsma/Respiratory Attacks – Wheezing, inability to breathe fully. Many people on the Central Coast who had never before had asthma had their first attack in life when the spraying began.
Vomiting / Diarrhea – It is likely the body’s attempt to rid it self of the poison that causes the stomach and intestinal system to work to empty itself. Several people on the Central Coast reported uncontrollable vomiting that lasted for multiple days.
Swollen Glands and Sore Throat – If you’ve ever had a bad throat infection, you may be able to recall what it feels like when your throat glands become painfully swollen. My lay person’s understanding of this is that glands can become extremely swollen from exposure to toxins, and pesticide poisoning can cause the throat to be terribly sore.
Awful Taste in Mouth – Exposure to pesticides frequently causes a metallic, bitter or rotten taste in the mouth.
Skin Irritation and Rashes – Severe pesticide rashes are ghastly, frankly, wherein the skin erupts in sore, red bumps. Symptoms of irritation can be milder too. Skin may feel itchy.
Eye and Nose Problems – Eyes and nose may sting or have heavy discharge due to pesticide poisoning. Sinus and eye infections may result.
Dizziness – Whether this is caused by damage to the inner ear or simply a lack of fresh air, I have never been able to determine, but people may become very off balance after exposure to pesticides and should take care to avoid falls and accidents.
Fatigue, Listlessness and Lethargy – Just as it would in trying to cope with a virus, the body can become extremely fatigued when exposed to toxins. People who have been poisoned by pesticides may feel disoriented and listless, and may want to just go to sleep. This can be counterproductive to safety in that it may cause us to stay put rather than fleeing from the source of the poison, if possible.
Heart Trouble – Several people on the Central Coast documented rapid or irregular heartbeats. Some feared they were having a heart attack.
Mentrual Irregularities – Many women reported severe menstrual irregularities following the spraying including the recommencement of menstruation in post-menopausal women. Others experienced extreme menstrual discomfort.
Aggressive, Violent Feelings and Behavior – People who have been poisoned by pesticides may experience racing thoughts, the jitters, and impulses to act out violently because of the toxic attack on the brain and nervous system. Be prepared for potential violent behavior in spouses and children who have been poisoned, and if you, yourself, find yourself yelling and screaming without real provocation and beginning to feel ‘crazy’, ‘out of control’, it is so important for you to remember that exposure to certain pesticides are documented to cause just these kinds of adverse reactions in human beings.
Shaking, Tremors, Involuntary Twitching – Pesticides can damage the human nervous system and cause all kinds of involuntary movements.
Death – Exposure to certain pesticides can be fatal to humans.
You will find further documentation and first-person reports of pesticide poisoning at Hope For Truth.
It is also important to remember that some pesticide poisoning symptoms happen immediately upon contact with the substance sprayed, but others may not appear for 12, 24, 48, etc. hours after exposure.
What Should You Do If You Are Poisoned By Aerial Spraying or Ground Applications of Pesticides?
*Seek immediate medical attention
*Insist that your doctor file a pesticide illness report
However, having read the experiences of so many Central Coast poison victims, we need to prepared for several possibilities in seeking medical aid:
1) Doctors may not be able to see you promptly
2) Doctors may be unaware of the aerial/ground pesticide spraying
3) Doctors may simply not know how to treat pesticide poisoning
4) Doctors may be unwilling to acknowledge pesticide poisoning as a fact of pesticide spraying
5) Doctors may be unwilling to fill out pesticide poisoning reports
6) Doctors may refuse to see patients who claim to have been injured by the spraying, or may attempt to discredit patients who claim to have been poisoned
7) Because doctors, nurses, firemen, paramedics and other medical health practitioners are also susceptible to pesticide poisoning, offices, hospitals and emergency services may become critically understaffed when urban populations are sprayed. You may not be able to get prompt medical attention because of this.
I have read the incredibly disturbing reports from people who were unable to find responsible medical care after the 2007 spraying and who were illegally prohibited from filing official complaints of pesticide poisoning. Though OEHHA announced this week that they intend to begin communicating with medical providers, we need to be prepared for the possibility that we may fall ill when we are sprayed and not be able to obtain medical treatment.
Where I live, there is only one small hospital serving some 200,000 citizens in addition to all of the residents of outlying regions. A question I want answered is whether the Bay Area’s hospitals and doctors are physically capable of handling a potential epidemic of illness. Clearly, almost no one was informed or ready to deal with patients who had been poisoned on the Central Coast. If you can discover someone who can answer this question, please share what you know.
It is the case with pesticides that some residents will become severely ill while others may feel only mildly unwell or experience no symptoms at all. We have been told by CDFA that our children, elders and people with chronic illnesses are in greatest danger. To me, this means that parents, teachers, day care workers, elder care providers and medical professionals need to be the most alert for symptoms of pesticide poisoning in the people they take care of.
My personal word to you, as a woman who has suffered pesticide poisoning, is not to let anyone, be they a family member, a doctor, or a government agent, tell you that your symptoms are imaginary. Pesticide poisoning is a documented reality. I have found the most helpful information about the short term effects of pesticide poisoning at East Bay Pesticide Alert.
Please, if you have any helpful information to add to this topic, use the comments section to do so.
22 users commented in " What Does Pesticide Poisoning Feel Like? LBAM Spray Preparedness. "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackbacki went to the doctor and was told we don’t know if your symptoms were caused by the spray. (i knew they were) i was asked if i was anxious. (symptom of pesticide poisoning) i was given nothing in terms of treatment but my form was filled out.
thank you for providing some crucial info that the bay area needs. i hope you are treated better than we were.
Thank you for sharing that experience, Donna. My first hope is, of course, that we will stop the spray. And if not, my second hope is that the doctors who have spoken against this will eagerly document whatever illnesses they encounter and submit this as evidence against CDFA.
So far as I know, there is no treatment for pesticide poisoning, though in the case of respiratory failure, obviously there are asthma-type medications that would likely be given.
I keep thinking about the fact that if people inhale toxins, such as gas from a gas leak, the first thing you are supposed to do is get them outside so they can breathe clean air. Unfortunately, in this case, there will be no clean air to go outside to.
When I think of that, I feel so dreadful.
Mim
I work in the nursery and floral industry, I have experienced almost continual rashes on my arms and hands. Have you any links for me? Your website was very enlightening, (my rash looks vey much like the womans hip)but am looking for more specific info.
Thank you for your time, Kim
Dear Kim,
You are very welcome here, and I thank you for your question.
As it happens, I worked in a nursery as a younger person and also ended up with a very weird rash on my hands. Though I cannot tell you what caused this, or why you are having this rash, you have 5 potential causes to investigate. Let me list them for you so that you can start getting to the bottom of what is giving you this rash.
1) Pesticide:
Both nurseries and the flowers that are delivered to florists are, unfortunately, contaminated with pesticides. Unless the nursery or floral supplier is organic, you could be reacting to any number of pesticides.
2) Fungicides:
Both nurseries and floral industry providers heavily use fungicides to prevent things like powdery mildew on plants and flowers. Flower bulbs are also frequently coated both with fungicide and pesticides. You could be reacting to this.
3) Herbicides:
Nurseries often spray herbicides rather than hand-pulling weeds and these can be very toxic to people.
4) Allergies:
You could simply be allergic to some of the plants you are working with. Certain plants contain sap or have substances on their leaves that cause rashes. As a florist, you are constantly in contact with the plants and it could be that one or more of them is causing a rash.
5) Water:
One of the things that I felt was a culprit in the hand rash I experienced was the fact that my hands were constantly in water as a nursery person. I was wearing gloves all day, but from watering plants, potting things up, cleaning things, water would get into the gloves which were rough inside and this began to really irritate my skin. So, that’s something to consider as well.
Unfortunately, the majority of florists and nurseries have not made a change over to organic practices because they have become dependent on using toxic substances in order to win profits. Rather than teaching patrons to expect that a perfectly good plant might have a few bug nibbles on it, they want to sell blemish-free flowers and this is a very artificial expectation.
Nurseries ought to switch over to treating their stock like parts of a diverse, poly-culture garden that is non-toxic and full of wonderful wildlife like birds that help keep pests in good balances. Failing to do this exposes workers and customers to pesticides, fungicides and herbicides that are life-threatening, in addition to causing skin irritations like you are experiencing.
I am so sorry to hear about the discomfort you are in. I definitely recommend that you see a dermatologist, but am concerned that you may have trouble finding one who understands the link between pesticides and skin irritations. What you are experiencing is serious, as the skin is an organ and if yours is in poor health, you have reason to be concerned that your internal organs may also be in trouble from things you are being exposed to.
On a happier note, Kim, if you love working with flowers, maybe the future holds something special for you. Maybe your experience with the toxic environment of commercial growing might be the beginning of you founding your own organic floral supply. I know I’d plunk my money down for a fresh-cut bouquet from an organic garden and I’d be glad to see a lady bug or two on it. There is a farm down the road for me that sells organic bouquets and charges handsomely for them. Maybe your skills, coupled with your bad experience in conventional agriculture, could be the basis for you becoming a leader in organic flower growing.
I surely wish you luck, and hope my suggestions will help you start researching why you are being harmed by your job.
I hope you’ll comment here again.
Mim
I experienced most of the above symptoms when west Auckland was sprayed with Foray 48B for PAM. I believe I almost died. Many people did die. Bill Duke and Viv Shapcott both died of MND. I suffered many of Bill’s symptoms. Later I read (in the local and national paper) that another west Aucklander Troy Fisher died of MND. And I heard that another spray sick man had returned to the States to get a diagnosis. He died of MND too. But in the States they give this neurological illness another name. Both my dogs died of liver cancer. My son vomited and hallucinated. He suffered horrendous blood noses. We had a lot of deaths at work. In the last year of spray we had 6 funerals in 4 months. Usually at a work site it would be possible to have one unexpected death in 3 years – say a road accident, and I have only worked with one person (before the spraying deaths) in my entire life that died of cancer. I think these sprayers are murderers. But the trouble is that the individuals die of either random (MND) or everyday illnesses (cancer, stroke, heart problems, renal failure, seizure etc).
I sat down on a local golf course, and that was 4 weeks ago, that night a skin rash occurred and it keeps leaving one area of my body, to go to another area of my body.
Aveeno baths, creams, baking soda baths, spraying body with vinegar, using hydrocorisone creams, Epsom Salt baths, all calm itching sensation, but nothing has cured the rash, itch, or pain.
Advil, and cremes take away itch for 4 hours, but itch and pain come right back. Bath subsides itch for 4 hours, but itch comes right back.
Doctor visit to Emergency Room got me no where, Dr. was afraid to put me on Steroids, Dr. visit following week, was put on steroids for two weeks, but nothing happened. Steroids didn’t even budge the rash.
Now am out of Steroids, have Dermatology appointment in the a.m., and pray something can be done to make this go away.
John
Dear John,
First, let me say how sorry I am for the intense discomfort you are in. Rashes may sound minor to some people, but when they persist for a long time, they can make daily life pretty miserable.
I am not a medical professional, but my personal experience with pesticide poisoning helps me to understand what you are going through.
Golf courses maintain their weed-free lawns with 2 toxic substances: herbicides and chemical fertilizers. On a typical golf course, hundreds of pounds of herbicide are used each year and this poses a very real danger to golfers and to people who live near golf courses.
If you research the issue of herbicide use + golf courses, you will find studies citing health harms to golfers and studies claiming that herbicides are perfectly safe to be around. Unfortunately, most documents claiming that herbicides are safe are published with the aim of enabling industries to continue their use of herbicides and cannot be viewed as impartial.
It is documented fact that herbicides cause very real damage to living creatures (fish, frogs, mammals) and also contaminate our drinking water. Damage to skin, eyes and the respiratory system are some of the most common effects of herbicide poisoning.
Most important, perhaps, for you to understand, John, is that if you love the sport of golf and are regularly going to golf courses, your body may be giving you a warning with the rash that you are setting yourself up to develop an autoimmune disease such as Multiple Chemical Sensitivies (MCS) due to repeat chemical exposure.
As you walk through the golf course, your feet are kicking chemicals both from herbicide and chemical fertilizers back up into the air around you. When you sat on the grass, you were sitting right amongst these things. The rash is your body’s way of telling you that it encountered something it can’t handle.
It may also be that you have grass allergies. Some people are extremely allergic to typical lawn grass and will develop puffy white hives from sitting on it. This should also be viewed as a possible cause of or contributor to your persistent rash.
Whether toxic chemicals or simply plants initially caused your rash, it certainly sounds to me that you are having what is called a histamine reaction, and both sources are known to cause these things. Some herbicides work by disrupting histamines in plants and I would not be at all surprised to hear that they disrupt human histamines as well. Your body is in real agitation right now trying to handle the exposure, and most doctors prescribe an antihistamine like Benadryl for this kind of rash, though I have no idea if that would be useful to you.
I think it is such a pity that someone like yourself, who was pursuing exercise and health by playing a game of golf, should be put at risk by the chemicals golf courses use to maintain those unnaturally weed-free, green lawns. Sometimes, it takes a health crisis, like our body breaking out in a rash that won’t go away, for us to learn something new and important about toxins we may be having repeat exposures to, and this knowledge is going to assist you in deciding whether your body can handle further exposures to the chemicals used on golf courses. To me, it sounds like your body is trying to give you a message about something potentially dangerous.
I don’t want to see you go the route that more and more Americans have of developing a permanent autoimmune disease following exposure to chemical toxins, and I hope the above information will be helpful to you in making the best choices for your future.
As for the rash…I’m a little concerned that you’ve listed so many different products you’ve tried to control it. You might actually be making the rash worse by applying too many different substances to your skin, as some of the things you’ve listed are not organic or natural. It would be best to find 1 natural thing that helps and stick with it. By all means, avoid taking any kind of hot shower or bath as this worsens histamine rashes.
Finally, if the dermatologist you see expresses any kind of disbelief regarding the possibility that herbicides could have contributed to your rash, I would urge you to look elsewhere. Unfortunately, the majority of American doctors are either uneducated or bull-headedly blind to the very real damage being done to people by our constant exposure to pesticides and herbicides in public parks, parking lots, roadways and places like golf courses.
If you cannot find help from a conventional dermatologist, find a naturopathic doctor in your region and be sure they understand the seriousness and reality of this kind of poisoning.
I am so wishing you luck, John, and hope you will come back and let me know how you are doing. I will say a prayer for your recovery and for your protection from further chemical exposure.
Mim
Dear JJK Boulton,
I am so sorry that your comment escaped my notice until now (4 months later!). I am horrified by what you have experienced in Auckland. Unfortunately, American and Auckland are on remarkably similar toxic and criminal paths of poisoning and murdering their own citizens while pursuing idiotic aims like the eradication of insects.
Any sane, moral person, if asked to decide whether loss of human life was worth the absence of an insect, would shout a resounding, “NO!” but westernized countries like ours have come to worship this thing we call ‘industry’ to the extent that they are willing to ignore or hide human illness and fatality so long as their money-making, pesticide-based programs can continue.
I am deeply sorry about what has happened to your community, your co-workers, your friends and your companion animals. It’s unforgivable and absolutely a violation of the Geneva Code which prohibits experimentation without consent.
I hope you are telling your story everywhere, JJK, so that silence cannot erase the truth about Australia’s agricultural departments. I thank you for sharing this story here on Vegan Reader, and apologize again that you didn’t receive an immediate response from us.
Allow me to wish you safety and protection.
Mim
I have already posted one comment elsewhere. I can’t remember but I think I mentioned the fact that the genotoxin chloramphenicol that is added to Foray 48b and Dipel(Valent Biosciences chloramphenicol genetic modification patents:6280721 from 2001, 6270760 from 2001, 6303382 from 2001, 5955367 from 1999.)causes the two conditions(problems with insulin igf1 and glutamate levels) that are considered indicative of MND.
I have had chemical poisoning more than once I live in the USA. Michigan to be exact. I live by a golf course less than a mile from it. I feel I was poisoned by aerial spraying, I feel I almost died and I went to the doctor and he ran all kinds of tests and he said I had not been poisoned but I know I had because all my systems were hit my cardio vascular because my heart was beating so hard they did an ultra sound to see if I had an anuerism on the aorta and I didn’t. then they exrayed my lungs because I had so much congestion it was like I had pnuemonia. I did not have that. my kidneys were over working I had diahreah so bad I couldn’t make it to the bath room in time. every muscle on my body was in a spasm. I could no sleep I could not eat the muscles in my throat would not swallow food. my stomach muscles kept working and would not relax and I had a terrible belly ache. I could not stand to hear any noise like the tv, I couldn’t stand to talk to anyone without being real mean to them. this lasted for 5 months before it finally subsided. I have had it three times in the last 30 years. I seen the blue stuff outside by the woods it was about 3 feet off the ground and it looked like blue smoke but it just stayed there for about three days and everyone noticed and wondered what it was, well it was poisonous gases that is what it was and I almost died. I do not like being a human guinea pig for all this stuff they do in this country and we have no say about anything here no more. We live in a very inhumane country. it is evil in fact.
Welcome to VeganReader, Diane,
First, let me tell you how extremely sorry I am that you have experienced symptoms of pesticide poisoning three times in the last 30 years. That is truly dreadful and I am thankful you have survived.
Unfortunately, you have mentioned two major places where pesticides and herbicides are used – golf courses and forests. State and Federal Parks Departments and golf course owners work hand in hand with pesticide and herbicide manufacturers in order for all of them to make money, and they do not acknowledge that their way of earning a living sickens and kills people, animals, birds, insects, fish and other marine life. They want to make money badly enough to ignore, hide and deny the harm they are causing and the use of these deadly toxins is overwhelming in nearly all parts of the United States.
The best thing that you can do is try to educate the people in your own life about the true effects of herbicide and pesticide use. Unfortunately, it isn’t just big parks and golf courses that use these toxins – your neighbors are using them as well on their own yards. Every year, Americans accidentally kill their pets and sicken themselves using pesticides and herbicides on their private properties, and in the end, even the pesticide manufacturers do not profit because they are poisoning their own world. It is a crazy situation and I certainly agree with you that it is an evil one.
Please, tell everyone you know about what pesticides/herbicides did to you, Diane. By breaking the silence that surrounds the drastic effects of pesticide/herbicide use, we are taking the first steps toward having these utterly deadly substances banned.
Please, take care of yourself.
Mim
Hello, this summer I am working on the vineyards again. Two days ago the owners sprayed the entire farm with something (i don’t know what) and yesterday I worked in that area that was just heavily sprayed. It was very dusty, however I was fine till about lunch. I took off my very thin gloves (dollar store cotton gloves) to notice hundreds of bumps all over my hands and forearms. My gut reaction told me to wash it as soon as possible, so I ran to the car and rinsed the area off with water (I had no soap available). I finish the rest of my shift (5hours more) knowing it would only make it worse.
I took today off because the itching is so bad and I know working will make it worse, however I must go back tomorrow. I plan on wearing thicker gloves to give me more protection although I’m sure the heat of being outside in the summer sun 10hours a day will probably make it worse.
My parents being uneducated old-fashion folk came to me with almost 10 ointments to put on. From what I read, you want to allow your skin to breath. Well here I am googling pesticide rashes and how to treat them, unfortunately I can’t seem to get any solid answer.
Would the best treatment just be leaving it alone till it goes away, or can I speed up the healing process with a certain ointment? I’m not expecting any solutions but I will check back here just in case.
I’m not very worried because the same thing happened to me last summer. I took the rest of the summer off and it took almost 3 months for the bumps and rashes to heal completely. However there is still 2 weeks work that needs to be done this summer, two weeks I am not looking forward to.
Any help, suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Bob.
Dear Bobby,
I am not a medical professional and cannot give medical advice.
My guess from your comment is that you are working in a vineyard because you have to, in order to support yourself. However, this being the second time you’ve had this reaction to working at this vineyard, you know now that something about this place is making you sick.
A rash is your body’s way of telling you it is having a big problem. When people react with a rash to a medication, doctors order them to immediately stop taking that medicine because the chemicals are harming the person’s body. You are experiencing harm from your job.
Your first step should be to go to your employers and show them the rash and ask for a written list of any pesticides, herbicides and fungicides they have used in the vineyard prior to your rash appearing. Then you should take this list to a doctor. My understanding is that there is a different treatment recommended for each different kind of chemical, and a doctor will need to know what the poisons are that you’ve been exposed to in order to know how to treat them. The doctor may not be able to do much to help you, but he can’t do anything if he doesn’t know what you’ve been exposed to.
While at the doctor’s office, you need to ask to have him help you fill out a pesticide exposure report, and if you have been harmed by your job, you may be eligible for some type of disability, unemployment or other worker’s compensation. In an ideal world, your employer would be sincerely concerned that you have been sickened on the job, but vineyard owners are unfortunately notorious for exploiting their workers. Every year, vineyard workers like yourself are sickened or die from exposure to the pesticides, herbicides and fungicides used in conventional vineyards.
Bottom line, you need to find out exactly what you were exposed to, you need to see a doctor and have your exposure legally documented and you need to find out if you are eligible for any type of protection or compensation for being harmed on the job. This is very serious and you should not take lightly an exposure which caused you to have a rash for 3 months last year and is now causing you the same symptoms again.
My understanding of rashes is that they are the outward sign that something is not right on the inside. It’s not just your skin that is having a problem – it is a whole system or multiple systems in your body, and the rash is just the part you can see.
Please, take real steps to deal with what is happening to you, Bobby. The effects of chronic exposure to some chemicals include cancer, brain damage, nervous system damage, kidney damage and death. You need to act on this now.
We are so sorry that this has happened to you, Bobby, and sincerely care about you getting help with what you are experiencing. It is good people like you that have made us fight against conventional agriculture and urge all growers to adopt organic growing practices that protect workers’ health by not exposing them to toxic chemicals.
Please, take the steps we’ve suggested and find a doctor who takes pesticide poisoning seriously. Please, feel free to come back and give us an update. We’re going to say a prayer for you and hope you can get help soon.
Mim
Thank you so much for your concern. Things are a little complicated where I work because my uncle got me the job and I wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardize his.
As for updates, the rash seems to be getting worse and I now feel pain in my kidneys. Every time I take a full breath I feel a sharp pain under my right ribcage(i believe that is the kidney). I really hope this passes by like most things that happen to me.
Again thanks for your prayers I will need all the help I can get. This will be my last summer on the vineyards, that is if I make it to the next.
Bob
Dear Bobby,
Thank you for coming back. Please, please go to a doctor. If you don’t have the money, go to an Emergency Hospital as they have to take you whether you can pay or not.
We are very concerned about the pains you are having and I will tell you why: many herbicides/pesticides are linked with kidney damage. This is something you need to find out about right away. Additionally, I wanted to tell you that my husband developed a condition called pleurisy after being exposed to pesticides. He was a perfectly healthy young man before this happened. Pleurisy is an inflammation of the lining of the lungs and it causes very sharp pains in the chest, back and torso when he is having an episode of it. Even years after us moving away from the pesticides he was exposed to, he is still troubled with this several times a year. Pleurisy, in itself, is not dangerous, but when he first got it, he got very bad pneumonia and ended up in the hospital.
Bottom line: we urge you to get medical attention right away. I understand that your uncle got you this job, but jobs are only about money…your uncle would definitely feel that your health is more important than any amount of money.
Please, go to a doctor, Bobby. We’re going to keep praying for you.
Mim
My family and I de flead a home that we had moved into. 2 weeks after I began having burning face hands throat sinuses chest I went to my Dr then several emergency rooms all of them to tell me they didnt know what was wrong with me I have been to 7 drs who have checked for everything accept for the one thing that I ask them to…pesticide poisoning. It has now been 7 months with no help from any doctors my primary care docto even gave up telling me it cant be poison. I have done great research and know that organophosphates are cholinesterase inhibitors they store themselves in your fatty tissues. Well now 7 months later my 13 yr old daughter and my husband are now showing the same horrible symptoms but now for me it is much worse. Twitching sometimes I feel like Im literally being strangled..no doctors will listen. What am I to do. My family doctor wont even give me a referrall to a toxicologist he says it is in my head. How is that possible when my family now has the symptoms. I use to want to be a nurse now with no help from the medical field I have lost all respect for physicians. If anyone knows where I can find some help please let me know. Thank you Oh I am from Ohio so our resources here are limited. My number is 419 455 3044
Dear Peggy,
I am terribly sorry to hear of what you and your family have suffered and your experience with doctors mirrors that of what many people experience when dealing with pesticide exposure.
I would recommend that you get in touch with the people at East Bay Pesticide Alert in California and tell them your story. The editor of that website has more knowledge about pesticide poisoning than anyone else I know.
East Bay Pesticide Alert
510-895-2312
2399 East14th St #24
San Leandro, CA 94577
beneficialbug@netzero.net
http://www.eastbaypesticidealert.org
I wish I could recommend a medical resource for you, but I do not know of one and your doctor should be ashamed of himself for telling you your symptoms are ‘in your head’. I do not know what the medical scene is like in your state. In California, there are numerous alternative medicine doctors who would be more likely to take a story like yours seriously. Can you find an alternative medicine doctor in your state?
I am so wishing you good luck!
Mim
The Canary Report has much useful information for dealing with pesticide poisoning when it turns into chemical sensitivity.
I have found the Pall protocol to be helpful in “knocking down” the reaction to pesticide exposure.
What kind of tests would show pesticide poisoning?(both, for inhaling pesticides or digesting them) How long can poisoning symptoms last? Months, even years?(if I were exposed to pesticides a few years ago, could I still experience the symptoms?) If pesticides were inhaled or consumed through the mouth (I accidentally licked a liquid, which I don’t know what it was, I had a burning feeling in my stomach, and then my stomach was inflated for weeks.
Could it be possible to get pesticide poisoning when smoking marijuana? (they mix all sorts of poisons into weed)
I get weird pressure on my forehead and nose after eating and even drinking water. My arms and legs are twitching for no reason sometimes, If I eat vegetables and home prepared food, the reactions are not so intense, and are tolerable. This has been happening for a few years now.
Can someone please tell me what kind of test should i run? If someone has similar symptoms, please let me know.
Thanks!!
Welcome Tiaa,
We are very sorry to hear that you are concerned you may be suffering from pesticide poisoning. Please, get yourself to a doctor. Some of your symptoms, particularly the muscular twitching, could be serious. Your symptoms could be related to pesticide or could be stemming from something completely different and we urge you to go to a doctor to find out. Don’t count on information on the Internet to try to diagnose yourself. There is no way of knowing who published it – laypeople, doctors, even spammers.
Your best bet will likely be to find a naturopathic-type doctor (one who combines both East and West medical knowledge). Frequently, people who are poisoned by pesticides and seek medical care from typical western doctors have to deal with the ignorance of the doctor who has not been trained to understand the toxicity of pesticides, herbicides and other substances.
I was able to find for you this article that claims to be a physicians guide to testing for pesticide-related illness, but please don’t count on the info in it being 100% correct. It should give you some information, but again, nothing can replace seeking actual medical aid:
http://www.getipm.com/thebestcontrol/physicians_guide/section-III.htm
Find a good doctor in your town, one who will listen to your list of symptoms and concerns and will commit to helping you determine a cause.
Regarding pesticides in marijuana you may be smoking, I can’t imagine it’s healthy to inhale the smoke of anything (tobacco, marijuana, incense, sacred sage plants) that has been grown with herbicides or pesticides, but I’m afraid we just don’t know what the effect of this would be. Using organic foods and other substances is your only protection against ingesting large doses of toxic chemicals.
Tiaa, we certainly hope you will take our well-meant advice and seek good medical aid. We think it’s really important that you do.
Best Wishes,
Mim
Six weeks ago I believe that I accidently smoked pesticide. In an effort to reduce my tobacco use I had been mixing store bought tobacco with Mullein which I picked in the park system in my city. I had been doing this for a number of years. Then 6 weeks ago I took a puff on one of my cigarettes and within seconds my throat began to close and I was gasping to get a breath. I called 911 and was taken by ambulance to the ER. I was able to get air, but choking and coughing uncontrollably. After telling my story, I was given Xanax, a throat X-ray, told to quit smoking, and sent home. I was shocked and later infuriated. Six weeks have passed and my throat is still tight and sore. I have difficulty swallowing and frequent shortness of breath, as well as sinis pain and sores on my tongue and the roof of my mouth.My symtoms have nothing to do with anxiety. How long will this last? Is there anything I can do at this point?
Dear Denise,
First, please let us tell you how sorry we are to hear for the scare you had and the discomfort you are still in. ER doctors are typically not trained to deal with unusual problems, and we would recommend that you find a naturopathic-type doctor who is willing to listen carefully to your story and symptoms. You’ve definitely experienced something that needs attention and we sincerely hope you can find help. Finding a good, caring doctor can be such a challenge. May you be fortunate enough to locate a really skilled one.
Mim
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