Re: anyone with MCS and food allergies?, looks like charcoal masks

[Guest guest]

- thanks, Im going to try the honeycomb with charcoal mask from

breath ease, I guess, and maybe I can come up with a home made one

like them, for not being seen in public times, money is tight. my dad

said he'd have mom order them if it would help so I could come up for

a visit, home makes me even sickier than here, its all dirt there,

and all crops and woodstoves and cattle , farm stuff, I'd have to

wear the mask the whole time, just hope it works, maybe with some

quaility time spent with them were Im not suffering with blurred

speach, dizziness, loss of balance, in the bathroom, coughing,

hurting, you know, MCS, would help them see the difference in me, and

open theri eyes to this illness. I've been begging my dad and brother

to use masks when working on the farm, no matter if they understand

or not, they do some when messing with grain bins but they could

more. thank god they got the cab type tractors and are not breathing

all that crap in the air while harvesting. and they did make some

comments about how sometimes breathing that stuff has gave them

headackes, or felt bad for a few days. lol's, I just keep talking, no

matter what they have said or think, hopeing something will sink in.

and if I do get up there, Im signing them into some of these groups

so they can at least read the post and see that Im not the only nut

out there, lol's

(joke) -

- In , " healthier4all "

<Healthier4All@...> wrote:

>

> I'm not Carl but I can say that satin will not filter odors, which

are

> molecules rather than particles. If I want to protect myself from

some

> (common every-day) molecules-odors I will use a charcoal filter

inside a

> mask. I tested this once deciding to go into a smelly thrift store

full of

> odors (molecules) from fabric softeners, artificial fragrances,

etc. With

> the face mask and charcoal filter insert I could not " smell " the

odors when

> I walked in. Without out the charcoal I can immediately smell the

odors as

> soon as I walk in.

>

> Have a friend who bought an expensive air purifier with a charcoal

canister.

> I noticed smells coming out of her air purifier and mentioned to

her. She

> said that's just the peculiar smell of the charcoal. She hadn't

changed it

> in 4 1/2 years saying the company stated it would last for 5

years. Carl

> explained this so well that the charcoal can only absorb so much

and then

> will put back into the air. Yuck! She didn't believe me. So we

need to be

> careful to inspect our charcoal face masks and our charcoal

canisters for

> " smells " . Thank you Carl for pointing this out.

>

> When I painted with enamel my front wrought iron gate I had to use a

> respirator with the charcoal canisters as Carl described. A

regular face

> mask with a charcoal filter insert would not have protected me. It

was

> certainly hot and I was so happy when I finished the project. I

keep it

> with spare canisters for emergencies.

>

> Hope this helps,

> Rosie

> PS: I know our Carl will explain in more detail.

>

> On Behalf Of who

> Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 7:37 PM

>

> thank you carl, I have been reading up on this, can you tell me,

> does satin keep the paticles from smells out or is the charcoal the

> only way to

>

go?

>

> >

> > Perhaps a brief - it really is this time! - discussion will help

> > understand the differing experiences of filter masks.

> >

> > The N95 mask is designed to stop 95% of 0.3 micron particles.

The

> > N100 is actually a HEPA rated mask that stops 99.97% of 0.3

micron

> > particles. Neither of which stops molecules which is what

chemicals

> > and odors are. Molecules are 100s to 1000s of times smaller than

> > particles. They go through HEPA like water through a paper towel.

> > They go through N95 like water through screen wire.

> >

> > The smaller the particle that can be stopped the smaller the

pores

> in

> > the mask. Which means it is harder to get air through it. There

is

> > some air resistance with N95 but even more so with N100. Try

> running

> > while wearing either type.

> >

> > To remove chemicals and odors you need the mask with the charcoal

> > lining or the respirator with the charcoal canisters. It is the

> > charcoal that reduces molecules, IF they will " stick " to it,

called

> > adsorbtion. Even then, the charcoal can adsorb only so much.

> > Canisters cost more than linings but they have more charcoal and

> will

> > last longer. Once the charcoal is " full " then not only will new

> odors

> > pass through as if there were no charcoal, but odors already

> > " stopped " can become " unstuck " and pass through the mask to your

> > nose. When they start " smelling " after awhile, it's time for a

new

> > one.

> >

> > Finally, one reason Janet's N95 will work for her is because some

> > molecules will piggyback on particles. Remove the particle and

the

> > moledules may stay with it. To understand, imagine a grain of

sand

> > expanded to the size of a giant beach ball. Molecules, by

> comparison,

> > would be tiny grains of sand sticking to the beach ball.

> >

> > Carl Grimes

> > Healthy Habitats LLC

>

[Guest guest]

Jeanine you are doing wonderful with your parents and brother. And I'm so

happy your Mom is buying you the mask and charcoal insert. What I do with

people who really are uneducated about environmental hazards is to ask them

questions which make them think and come to their own conclusions. I've

found this works better than telling them directly. You are very informed

and I know you will be able to help your Dad and brother to use protective

measures.

I remember when I had so many contractors in this house after our damage and

many didn't speak much English and had no training with basic protective

gear. I'd have extra N95 (just for dust, particles) masks and would offer

them to the men. They used them and would be surprised what a difference

they made. I also used only non-toxic building materials like sealers,

caulk, paint, etc and they would be surprised at the difference. They

didn't even know such products existed. I've learned to mostly ask obvious

leading questions rather than telling and I'm getting much more reception

responses because they are telling me rather than I telling them.

Do they use pesticides and fungicides on the farm also? Since you have MCS

and are so reactive you might consider taking with you clean clothes.

Change into the clean clothes before you get back into your vehicle and keep

your mask on. Put your other clothes into a plastic bag to be washed later.

Same for the shoes. You might also consider covering your hair during the

visit. The chemicals/odors will cling to your clothes and hair and cause a

reaction even after you have left them. It's better to be safe and by doing

this you will make a statement to them that you love them, want to be with

them but need to protect yourself, that you respect yourself and will

protect yourself.

Do give it a try with all the protective gear, change of clothes, covering

your hair and you'll feel better coming home---remember which each exposure

we can become more sensitized and reactive. I'd love to visit a certain

relative I haven't seen in a few years (she's in her 80's and lives alone)

however she will not tolerate my having a mask on so I cannot visit her.

Last time I did I was ill for days (her home is toxic mold plus

environmental toxins, she knows I react but is unwilling to make changes).

Proud of you, keep asking us questions for more brainstorming. And don't be

afraid to wear your mask in public; it's for your own safety.

Rosie

[] Re: anyone with MCS and food allergies?, looks like

charcoal masks

- thanks, Im going to try the honeycomb with charcoal mask from

breath ease, I guess, and maybe I can come up with a home made one

like them, for not being seen in public times, money is tight. my dad

said he'd have mom order them if it would help so I could come up for

a visit, home makes me even sickier than here, its all dirt there,

and all crops and woodstoves and cattle , farm stuff, I'd have to

wear the mask the whole time, just hope it works, maybe with some

quaility time spent with them were Im not suffering with blurred

speach, dizziness, loss of balance, in the bathroom, coughing,

hurting, you know, MCS, would help them see the difference in me, and

open theri eyes to this illness. I've been begging my dad and brother

to use masks when working on the farm, no matter if they understand

or not, they do some when messing with grain bins but they could

more. thank god they got the cab type tractors and are not breathing

all that crap in the air while harvesting. and they did make some

comments about how sometimes breathing that stuff has gave them

headackes, or felt bad for a few days. lol's, I just keep talking, no

matter what they have said or think, hopeing something will sink in.

and if I do get up there, Im signing them into some of these groups

so they can at least read the post and see that Im not the only nut

out there, lol's

(joke) -

- In , " healthier4all "

<Healthier4All@...> wrote:

>

> I'm not Carl but I can say that satin will not filter odors, which

are

> molecules rather than particles. If I want to protect myself from

some

> (common every-day) molecules-odors I will use a charcoal filter

inside a

> mask. I tested this once deciding to go into a smelly thrift store

full of

> odors (molecules) from fabric softeners, artificial fragrances,

etc. With

> the face mask and charcoal filter insert I could not " smell " the

odors when

> I walked in. Without out the charcoal I can immediately smell the

odors as

> soon as I walk in.

[Guest guest]

Are you taking activated charcoal and lots of (cheap) antioxidants,

esp. C+ E + zinc + selenium (make sure you only take 1x day) ?

And you can duct tape air filters to 20 " fans.. that is also a cheap

mold-fighter..

[Guest guest]

thank Rosie, it still a sore subject, why, am I the one that has to

go threw this to see them, if they understood, theyed leave theri

perfumes at home and come see me in my apartment where I can

breath.

> >

> > I'm not Carl but I can say that satin will not filter odors,

which

> are

> > molecules rather than particles. If I want to protect myself

from

> some

> > (common every-day) molecules-odors I will use a charcoal filter

> inside a

> > mask. I tested this once deciding to go into a smelly thrift

store

> full of

> > odors (molecules) from fabric softeners, artificial fragrances,

> etc. With

> > the face mask and charcoal filter insert I could not " smell " the

> odors when

> > I walked in. Without out the charcoal I can immediately smell the

> odors as

> > soon as I walk in.

>

[Guest guest]

LiveSimply <quackadillian@...> wrote:

Are you taking activated charcoal and lots of (cheap) antioxidants,

esp. C+ E + zinc + selenium (make sure you only take 1x day) ?

And you can duct tape air filters to 20 " fans.. that is also a cheap

mold-fighter..

Everyone who is having eye probs due to mold in the air.. I highly

recommend getting some artificial tear drops (in the one-use tiny

bottles..) I use them several times a day, and it helps wash out the

eye..

My eyes still burn, though, and at night, the mold makes them

blurry..

It gets worse, much worse when its moldy.. I think that some of the

damage might be permanent..

Ive also heard carnosine eye drops can help.. (or oral carnosine..)

Quack.

I recommend that you read " Desperation Medicine " before you go much

further down this line of reasoning.

I've seen a number of people go down your path and reproduce this

same experiment.

The things you are recommending sound quite reasonable, well

intentioned and science based. Looks like a good way to go.

Right up to the point in which you finally realize that it did next

to nothing.

Naturally, that was your choice despite some strong warnings, but

you might consider educating yourself about a predictable effect of

post-exposure dissociation of toxins called " intensification

reaction " .

The " allergy " mental model of illness predicts that when you can

assess how much more of this exposure you wish to withstand, and

make the choice to evacuate when you can stand no more because once

out - it seems almost guaranteed that you have hit bottom and

everything after leaving will be in the direction of recovery.

But if you look at some of our stories, that's not quite how it

works. This is a biotoxin mediated illness.

The disruption of the " dissociation constant " breaks an equilibrium

that intitiates a cytokine storm that intensifies reactivity beyond

anything you can imagine - just when you have bailed out and think

the worst is over.

Prepare yourself. It's not much fun.

-

[Guest guest]

> Change into the clean clothes before you get back into your

vehicle and keep your mask on. Put your other clothes into a plastic

bag to be washed later. Same for the shoes. You might also

consider covering your hair during the visit.

The chemicals/odors will cling to your clothes and hair and cause a

reaction even after you have left them.

Do give it a try with all the protective gear, change of clothes,

covering your hair and you'll feel better coming home---remember

which each exposure we can become more sensitized and reactive.

Last time I did I was ill for days (her home is toxic mold plus

environmental toxins, she knows I react but is unwilling to make

changes).

Rosie

Great advice.

This is a somewhat " less intense " version of MADNESS.

" Mycotoxin Avoidance Decontamination Neurotoxic Exposure Survival

Strategy " .

The variation is that I use an RV that has a shower, make sure I

don't park it in a spore plume - and keep it always handy to " break

the response " BEFORE the cytokine storm gets so out of control that

it makes me ill for days afterward. (that is a really big " BEFORE " )

This was the strategy I proposed to Dr when I was in the

ampligen program, a strategy which he said " probably won't work " .

But here I am, eight years later, still climbing Mt Whitney and

controlling my illness by leading this strange life of extreme

avoidance of spore plumes.

It was amazing that as my reactivity subsided, many chemical

reactivities abated and left me focused on mold alone.

And that by concerted effort upon mold, I no longer have the

problems I did with the chemical exposures and have no particular

need to avoid them anymore.

I never thought I'd be able to tolerate perfume and diesel fumes

again.

Since I figured out a way to stay alive after all doctors had given

up on me - and I could sense that others in their practice were

reactive to mold in the same weird way, I thought that other mold

victims might have been interested in doing " Whatever it takes " to

get some of their life back.

It has been quite a surprise that despite my obvious results,

sufferers were just as disinterested as the doctors, and would even

grow angry, saying " Well that's just you! "

Perhaps not.

-

[Guest guest]

ERIC, right before I got out of the mold, my daughter made a

comment that opened my eyes to something I was to ill to see. she

noticed that I would have what she called withdrawel symptoms when I

left my house. I was misserable in it, but going out would cause my

emotional state to become much worse, I was such a mess and it was

like my body had becomed addicted to the mold, even thow I had found

out it was mold makeing me sick, and it was in my home, everytime I

left I would just want to go back home. after I got out and stayed

out, my body went through some really strange things witch I see now

as withwrawel symptoms,and maybe some detoxing, it was ruff for a

while.I could not go outside in the heat without comeing close to

passing out, this hasnt improved a lot. I also coughed up gallons of

mucus with black, brown hard balls, at first the mucus was green,

yellow and than it became clear , still with these balls, after

awhile the balls became lighter in color. to this day, I still

sometimes cauch up a few of these little somewhat cloudy, clear hard

little balls. I've looked at them closely and they are kindof clear,

but white(cloudy), perfectly round , and they do not smash or loss

theri shape when you try to smash them between your fingers. sorry

thats gross, but Im wondering if this is aspergillious. before

getting out of the mold, I would sometimes cough just one cough and

these would come out, with a little bit of mucus with them,

embarrassingly, when maybe talking to someone.it would happen

tottally at will, with no warning, just one cough. it has become less

over the last few years, anyone

else ?

> Are you taking activated charcoal and lots of (cheap) antioxidants,

> esp. C+ E + zinc + selenium (make sure you only take 1x day) ?

> And you can duct tape air filters to 20 " fans.. that is also a

cheap

> mold-fighter..

>

> Everyone who is having eye probs due to mold in the air.. I highly

> recommend getting some artificial tear drops (in the one-use tiny

> bottles..) I use them several times a day, and it helps wash out the

> eye..

> My eyes still burn, though, and at night, the mold makes them

> blurry..

> It gets worse, much worse when its moldy.. I think that some of the

> damage might be permanent..

> Ive also heard carnosine eye drops can help.. (or oral carnosine..)

>

>

> Quack.

> I recommend that you read " Desperation Medicine " before you go

much

> further down this line of reasoning.

> I've seen a number of people go down your path and reproduce this

> same experiment.

> The things you are recommending sound quite reasonable, well

> intentioned and science based. Looks like a good way to go.

>

> Right up to the point in which you finally realize that it did next

> to nothing.

> Naturally, that was your choice despite some strong warnings, but

> you might consider educating yourself about a predictable effect of

> post-exposure dissociation of toxins called " intensification

> reaction " .

> The " allergy " mental model of illness predicts that when you can

> assess how much more of this exposure you wish to withstand, and

> make the choice to evacuate when you can stand no more because once

> out - it seems almost guaranteed that you have hit bottom and

> everything after leaving will be in the direction of recovery.

> But if you look at some of our stories, that's not quite how it

> works. This is a biotoxin mediated illness.

> The disruption of the " dissociation constant " breaks an

equilibrium

> that intitiates a cytokine storm that intensifies reactivity beyond

> anything you can imagine - just when you have bailed out and think

> the worst is over.

> Prepare yourself. It's not much fun.

> -

>

[Guest guest]

, I see myself way behind you, but following in your footsteps.

my problem is not haveing to money to get a home, and start the

prosses of really healing. still learning, and trail and error will

be a part of it. we all have to find what works best for us.

advoidence is a big, big part. so much to deal with and consider.

town verses country, Im in town now and damn , it just rained, though

I could get a bit of clean air, but the renter under me desides to

BBQ, damn it pisses me off, setting here, get a little wiff, instaint

buzz, I run over to shut the window as fast as I can, to late its in

here, I hate this effect. sorry ahve to cut this

short.

>

>

>

> > Change into the clean clothes before you get back into your

> vehicle and keep your mask on. Put your other clothes into a

plastic

> bag to be washed later. Same for the shoes. You might also

> consider covering your hair during the visit.

> The chemicals/odors will cling to your clothes and hair and cause a

> reaction even after you have left them.

> Do give it a try with all the protective gear, change of

clothes,

> covering your hair and you'll feel better coming home---remember

> which each exposure we can become more sensitized and reactive.

> Last time I did I was ill for days (her home is toxic mold plus

> environmental toxins, she knows I react but is unwilling to make

> changes).

> Rosie

>

> Great advice.

> This is a somewhat " less intense " version of MADNESS.

> " Mycotoxin Avoidance Decontamination Neurotoxic Exposure Survival

> Strategy " .

> The variation is that I use an RV that has a shower, make sure I

> don't park it in a spore plume - and keep it always handy to " break

> the response " BEFORE the cytokine storm gets so out of control that

> it makes me ill for days afterward. (that is a really big " BEFORE " )

> This was the strategy I proposed to Dr when I was in the

> ampligen program, a strategy which he said " probably won't work " .

> But here I am, eight years later, still climbing Mt Whitney and

> controlling my illness by leading this strange life of extreme

> avoidance of spore plumes.

> It was amazing that as my reactivity subsided, many chemical

> reactivities abated and left me focused on mold alone.

> And that by concerted effort upon mold, I no longer have the

> problems I did with the chemical exposures and have no particular

> need to avoid them anymore.

> I never thought I'd be able to tolerate perfume and diesel fumes

> again.

> Since I figured out a way to stay alive after all doctors had

given

> up on me - and I could sense that others in their practice were

> reactive to mold in the same weird way, I thought that other mold

> victims might have been interested in doing " Whatever it takes " to

> get some of their life back.

> It has been quite a surprise that despite my obvious results,

> sufferers were just as disinterested as the doctors, and would even

> grow angry, saying " Well that's just you! "

>

> Perhaps not.

> -

>