I am in bad shape, physically and emotionally, and could use some help.
On Monday, I was exposed to nasty fumes, perhaps lysol fumes, and with all my disabilities, I wasn't able to get away. Yesterday, I had a very nasty migraine and a nasty asthma attack. Today I still have a migraine, but not as bad. I have had similar asthma and migraines after exposure to pine-sol fumes.
Yesterday, I was beaten up by two sets of backup beepers and one car alarm. Today, beaten up by another backup beeper.
Today, adding insult to injury, the paper I used to read posted an editorial about how a certain politician "lacks empathy."
All the beatings, strobings, etc. make me more sensitive to the slurs. Perhaps hypersensitive, but with reason. It's common to dehumanize autistic people by saying we "lack empathy," because we can't always understant allistic people and because allistic people misunderstand us, it hurts whenever anyone writes about "empathy." Of course that politician isn't autistic. It still reinforces the dehumanization, which still reinforces the violence. Just like when people use misogynistic, homophobic, and/or transphobic slurs. It doesn't matter if the target isn't that, it still teaches the same hatred or self-hatred.
Yesterday, I tried to contact my doctor to find out what to do the next time I'm exposed. She's out of town. I also tried to contact Poison Control, but they only use phone numbers and tty numbers. With my disabilities I'm unable to use phones or to register for relay services. I really want to know if there's something comparable to Poison Control, but accessible to more disabled people.
Any ideas?
Comments
I have to assume you can use some websites....
I have to assume you can use some websites since you are using this one.
Here's one on poison control advice: http://webpoisoncontrol.org
Most others that I can find depend on access to telephones.
Here's an online site that offers live chat about poison for people in Georgia:
http://www.georgiapoisoncenter.org
One for New England:
http://www.nnepc.org
One for New Jersey:
http://www.njpies.org/About-NJPIES/Services/Hotline.aspx
Those have phone numbers but also have live online chat.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Thanks. Unfortunately
Thanks. Unfortunately webpoisoncontrol asks people who are already suffering symptoms, who are chronically ill, or who have specific medical issues I've had since I was 13, to call poison control. I can't do that.
“Sorry, we can’t help. The online tool assumes symptoms are not present, yet. Call Poison Control right away at 1-800-222-1222. Poison experts answer, 24/7. Your call is free and confidential. Your call will be routed to the correct US poison center based on your area code and exchange. Don’t guess what you should do. Call now!"
I tried the aapcc website too, but it doesn't work right with my browser (Firefox) and my accessibility tools (animation blockers, ad-blockers, and font settings).
I found that state poison control website, but it doesn't work quite right either, and doesn't show any emergency contact info except pain numbers.
Poisonning
If your symtoms are serious. Call 911. If you cannot talk then just tap on the phone...
someone will come to your house to help you. If you can walk then get yourself to where help is available.
Dayna.
I think I'm suffering the
I think I'm suffering the aftereffects of a lysol allergy or other lysol sensitivity. I also have a scary benadryl allergy, so a misguided attempt to treat one allergy could trigger another.
It was ery bad yesterday, but it is getting better now. I would like some idea of what to do next time.
I am autistic, and have ptsd, too. Since the police reply to unexplained 911 calls, since I have sound and strobe sensitivities, since I am autistic, since I would be triggered, and since I have had nasty flicker vertigo after being hit by flashing lights including police-care lights, and since I collapse in pain even with protection after being hit by loud noises such as sirens, ... I could very easily end up another statistic.
I don't think I should go to the hospital because that would entail more lysol-fume exposure.
If it helps, very very little
If it helps, very very little of the disinfectants used nowadays are the traditional Lysol. You may not be having a reaction to the Lysol itself, but rather the various perfumes that they insist on putting in EVERYTHING. I'm allergic to a lot of perfumes, or possibly the bases they use to make the scents 'hold'. (Lysol is a brand name for (originally) a specific disinfectant. Most disinfectants are not Lysol, and even most Lysol brand disinfectants aren't Lysol.)
If you're having a reaction, the best thing to do is take whatever you can in the way of an antihistamine. (Doxylamine Succinate is an antihistamine. It'll also make you extremely sleepy. It was the main one on the market before 'non-drowsy' Benadryl came out. Yes, that's how much it'll knock you out. They mostly sell it as a sleep aid now) Then, drink a lot of water (and vitamin B if you can. It'll help flush your system). If you aren't too heat sensitive, drink the water, vitamin B, and go outside and _sweat_. Your body will do whatever it can to get rid of toxins, be it through urine, faeces, sweat, or tears.
(Truth be told, I prefer the original Lysol. It comes in a brown bottle, and you dilute it down with water. No additional perfumes, just a weird odor. Causes the least amount of issues for me. Getting difficult to find, even though it's the cheapest way to disinfect the house or kitchen. )
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
The Active Ingredient...
...in Lysol, fwiw, is a relative to Saccharine, and so can easily trigger allergies to that or >other< related chemicals. The most common disinfectants, otherwise, include Sodium Hypochlorite (common Bleach), pine oil with various alcohols and sulfonates (Pine-Sol being the type product), ammonia solutions, and of course ethyl or isopropyl alcohol. All give off fumes that are actively toxic, leading to warnings to use only in well-ventilated situations, and which can trigger reactions regardless in those more sensitive without any additional specific allergy (especially problematic if the increased sensitivity is paired with particularly non-normative sensory neurology). None of these should be ignored as a source of discomfort, as they all carry potentially high health risks, and toxic levels may be present but masked due to differences in reactions to trace amounts.
It also doesn't help that still-common solvents for both cleaning products in spray form, and for scents broadly, include ethyl or isopropyl alcohol. Hence the warnings on such products to avoid open flame or sparks... ^^
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"
Related doesn't mean that it
Related doesn't mean that it'll cause the same effects. Theobromine and Caffeine are related, but their effects are very different. Chocolate isn't the same kind of stimulant as caffeine, or diuretic, for example :)
Me personally? As I said, I've found that almost every issue with "chemicals" that trigger allergies are caused by the perfumes, and perhaps the carrier for said perfume. I don't really understand why people might want their clothes to smell like the inside of a funeral home, or have an air freshener that makes the inside of your house stink like a decaying pine forest after a hurricane comes through.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
I don't know what, exatly
I don't know what, exatly triggers this. I know I have had the same reaction to pine-sol.
For me, in my experience:
* Perfumes trigger immediate tears and asthma, and delayed headaches. I have a breath mask, but it doesn't cover my eyes, so I can't buy soaps, detergents, etc. because I can't see through all the fragrances to read the labels.
* Tobacco smoke triggers immediate but persistant asthma. I can get sick from across the street.
* Antifreeze fumes and Jiffy Lubes trigger immediate nausea. I can get sick from across the street.
* Pine-sol and whatever this was trigger *delayed* headaches and asthma.
* Loud noises such as backup beepers, sirens, etc. are incapacitating pain and can trigger headaches.
* Flashing/animation such as strobe lights, turn signals, flashing crosswalk lights, zooming animation, carousel animation, parallax animation, etc. are nasty pain and disorientation and would cause me to lose my balance, or to walk into the street, and can trigger headaches. Zooming will trigger immediate severe migraines.
* Fast-strobing long-bulb flourescent lights trigger gradual tension-type headaches.
* Flashing lights on alarm clocks, microwaves, dishwashers, etc. definitely worsen migraines.
* My pain threshold is less than 60 db. I know some cities are louder than 60 db. Being hit by a car in June was only 60 to 65 decibels of pain.
* I don't drink alcohol, but some people assume that if they cook with it, then it boils off. It doesn't. For me, sorbitol and ethanol can trigger nasty intestinal pain.
* Mint will trigger immediate vomiting. Latex, and/or benadryl will trigger hives. Spandex, polyester, and/or aloe vera, will trigger severe itching.
* I also seem to have fructose malabsorption and salicylate intolerance, as well as my allergies.
Text to Speech?
Is there a way you could use a text-to-speech program on a phone call? Even if you couldn't use one "live", you could maybe type out a message in advance and then play it when they answer the call? You could open it with, "Hello, my name is [name] and I am autistic and using a text-to-speech program; please bear with me." or something like that.
Also, if you don't feel comfortable calling 911, is there an urgent-care center near you that you could contact? They might be able to offer some advice over the phone or contact an ambulance for you without sending police, too.
Another option...
There are text-to-speech sorts of services that use live voice relays as well. Contacting via non-emergency lines for police, fire, or medical resources can also help reduce the potential for issues re sirens and other loud noises, and can allow you to present important issues like sensitivities, allergies, and neuro-disparance / non-normative stimulus responses in a calm and orderly manner in advance so as to minimize that risk. Alternately, the assistance of a disabilities advocate, such as one's therapist or another similar professional with awareness of one's limitations and assistance-response interface mismatches can help, both in the initial contact and in interface with services. If I had a particular such need, I would contact the local Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (though my reasons for doing so would, of course be different), and would utilize them as an interface buffer between myself and emergency services, as doing so would reduce my stress (improving ability to interface at all), and that of the emergency service personnel (already in a stressful situation and vocation, and with the added stress of interfacing with me). The MCOT here, at least, have thought to use SMS-capable telephony, making that a viable option re your requirements. I couldn't say whether something similar exists in your area, but such a service, if available seems worth researching and, if available, using, just speaking generally.
In that vein, and speaking somewhat à l'impromptu, if you were willing to share your approximate location (with Erin as a broker therefor, if you're uncomfortable doing so openly), someone on the site relatively nearby you might be willing/able to provide such text-to-speech and interface advocacy for you. Just a thought, and pulling deeds from words, I'm in Salt Lake City, Utah (Taylorsville, specifically, but that's not that relevant). If I'm near enough, and can be of help, let me know!
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"
I'm in Virginia. I don't have
I'm in Virginia. I don't have a therapist. I saw one earlier this year, hoping to get occupational therapy, and got triggered instead. I had several earlier. None helped, some hurt.
And I got beaten up against this morning. About 7:40.
You have specialised healthcare needs.
You need to set something up with your doctor(s) so they can know you are in crisis and will send you to the proper location to service those needs as required.
It only needs be setup in advance (assuming you have coverage for such things.)
Once setup you need only call the 'regular 911' type emergency services if absolutely necessary.
You should also consider moving into an assisted living residence where around the clock nursing is available and doctors come to you. Especially as from your description you are a victim just going outside... you need the extra in house treatment options.
Also if your symptoms are as bad as you say perhaps you need a live-in care giver who can call help for you.
I hope you at least carry a card in your wallet so that when you collapse because a loud noise 'beat you up' someone can find a way to treat you.
Dayna.
I couldn't function if a loud noise or blinking light could 'beat me up.' I hope somewhere in that you can find peace.
I think the same chronic
I think the same chronic illness has caused my sound sensitivity/hyperacusis and strobe sensitivity.
Salicylate sensitivity is an obvious candidate, because I already have bad reactions to certain sals, and because it can cause auditory, vestibular, and skin issues. It is treatable, by avoiding salicylates, and by treating any kidney issues causing build-up, but it is hard to avoid salicylates since so many foods contain them. And almost all toothpastes contain them. I've had some success, by cutting down on salicylates.
I suspect that the salicylates have fried my vestibular system. I suspect that the strobe sensitivity may be because I"M USING MY VISUAL SYSTEM TO COMPENSATE< AND FLASHING LIGHTS SCRAMBLE MY VISUAL SYSTEM< SO >>> not again no way I'm retyping all that again anyway:
http://dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/symptoms/visual.htm
Hospital disinfectants
Most hospitals do not use disinfectant products that produce fumes or vapors nowadays, due to the chance of triggering respiratory distress in patients. we occasionally use bleach to clean rooms that have had patients that have organisms that are resistant to the main disinfectant ingredients use now. also, staff in our facility are prohibited from wearing strong fragrances, and rooms can be marked to keep visitors away that wear strong fragrances.
If you live close to a larger population center, there should be a hospital there that is familiar with how to treat your condition, which has similar symptoms to people who have had traumatic brain injuries, they will have extreme sensitivities to loud noises and sounds.
be proactive, contact your local hospital or medical center and explain your condition, if you do need to be hospitalized make arrangements for that ahead of time so they know how to treat you.
Uh... You can't disinfect
Uh... You can't disinfect without a product that produces vapors. It's impossible to do unless you put in high power ultraviolet lamps into all of the light fixtures. If it's a liquid, it vaporizes. This is referred to as evaporation. Low VOC, and eliminating excess perfumes and additives are the best you can do.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
I haven't been to a hospital
I haven't been to a hospital in years, but local clinics still use lysol or something overwhelming to clean the bathrooms, and have incredibly loud painful ear-splitting elevator chimes, and have flashing painscreens in the waiting areas. I'd try to get some relative peace and quiet in the stairwells, while waiting for appointments/exams/tests, but I'd get harassed by security for it.