Dear margaret ,I hope you may be able to help me . I'm a relatively fit 35 year old artistic painter and singer from Canada. I've experienced 3 months of chest and throat pain , have been to 4 separate doctors , my GP a voice doctor and ENT who sold me speech pathology , a pulmonologist , an Internal medicine practitioner and a cardiologist none of whom were able to discover the reasoning for my ailments  , I had a heart scan, have been on nexium in case of gerd for 2 months ,I've tried painkillers  yet symptoms seem gradually worse and wider in range as time progresses. I initially thought I pulled a muscle in my chest from singing to loudly in an operatic style , though backtracking the symptoms were there long before but rather as a discomfort than a pain . The doctors waive off the fact that I have been very exposed to paint toxins for the past 15-20 years as an artist from Benjamin Moore oil glazing liquid to krylon brand and various spray paints Moors recently changed their labeling on the glazing from generic to Poison . after which I've switched to a latex base. The doctors here seem to know or care little about volatile organic compounds and or what to do about them in the system . Ive been singing all my life with no problems until now as even when I speak my chest flares up with greater pain , and I get hoarse .I had my vocal folds checked via videostrobe and have been told that they are beautiful but surrounded by redness .When I mentioned the possibility of a chemical burn to the doctor , I was told that the painting is just an irritant and that it could cause no internal damage and in order to actually be poisoned by paint that I would have to have eaten the paint . I don't know what else I can possibly do to get better or how to rid my body of the poisons [if that's what it is ] nor know of any doctor that specifically knows about the treatment of this awful, painful, and debilitating condition .   please consider and thank you kindly                                                                                            God bless, Painter - Singer

 

was told that the painting is just an irritant and that it could cause no internal damage and in order to actually be poisoned by paint that I would have to have eaten the paint . I don't know what else I can possibly do to get better or how to rid my body of the poisons [if that's what it is ] nor know of any doctor that specifically knows about the treatment of this awful ,painful, and debilitating condition .   please consider and thank you kindly ,
This is the fallacy in thinking of researchers.  Paint, even latex, has warnings about not ingesting paint, but that is not the exposure of the harmful component ... 2-butoxyethanol .... It is vapors in the eyes, and maybe they will find some information of interest here:
 
 
Is there blood in urine?  Do you have (sometimes & then maybe it goes back to normal) ... autoimmune hemolytic anemia?  Do you have fatigue?  These symptoms? http://www.valdezlink.com/pages/flunotflu.htm#is
 
2-butoxyethanol (old name ethylene glycol monobutyl ether) is in many products but not disclosed.  EPA only requires that the warnings be there ... such as 'defats the skin' don't get in the water/streams, rinse eyes each for 15 minutes ...
 

I think since it seems to be the autoimmune causing chemical, cause of much diabetes, the cause of CFS, FM, CFIDS ... that glyconutrients are on the forefront of help 

http://www.valdezlink.com/pages/glyconutrient-intro.htm

 
Oh, yes ... and stop the exposure to 2-butoxyethanol.  What were you doing differently when these add on symptoms showed up 3 months ago?

How did you find me?

Dear Margaret , I found you on a stumble in the tangled web under the research heading 'spray paint intoxication.'

Thank you so much for your response , I feel lately that my prayers have all gone unanswered. Im having trouble thinking that if this is too far gone to treat , I may not get the chance to see my 3 small children even grow up

you mention glyconutrients . is there a specific type/brand  which deals with my problem ? and there seems to be a school of thought out there about a juice fasting cleanse using biotta [beet base vegetable drink]-of the macrobiotic diet. do you know anything about this and would you recommend it prior to or with glyconutrients?

I've not detected any blood in my urine , I don't know about autoimmune hemolytic anemia - should my doctor know how to test for this? Fatigue has been present for many years though I am always one to fight it and try to keep a vigorous schedule  .I have many of the other symptoms also as regards the burning eyes and the memory challenge , depression , etc ... though what hurts me most is that I can no longer sing without pain as I am an emerging gospel singer with an uphill now promising future .

I will never forget your kindness , please keep in touch and remember me in your prayers , In Christ , 

Good nutrition and glyconutrients would be the best help ... & no, things should not be too far gone.  I would wear airtight goggles whenever around the paint fumes, however,
 
Try not to get more exposure.
 
I'm working on a web page for you ...
Is this OK??
 
I would go over the list of chronic fatigue symptoms
& share what ones you have with the doctors
 
Also ... when you had unexplained diarrhea or 'flu-like symptoms
and what was going on then?
 
I'm going to ask a couple of doctors to give their input to your doctors if you think there is one of them interested
 
Or if they share something with me ... I will pass it on
 
Several companies are working with glyconutrients ...
I'm looking into Mannatech  

Margaret Diann  - e-mail

July 9, 2006

You were really looking ... I found these, but not easily

Solvent-induced Neurotoxicity
Nineteen of the 42 are from the panelbeating and spray painting industry - by far the largest ... feelings of intoxication at the end of the day, tiredness, ...
www.valdezlink.com/inipol/pages/neurotoxicity.htm  [Found on Google, MSN Search, Yahoo! Search]

 

Concise International Chemical Assessment Doc on 2-Butoxyethanol ...
... such as spray lacquers, quick-dry lacquers, enamels, varnishes, ... nombre de cas d'intoxication de même que les résultats d'une étude en laboratoire, ...

Also

Study Needed