Guest guest Posted June 28, 2002 Report Share Posted June 28, 2002 Hey ya'll. This is not critical, just a question, so if any of you are busy, go ahead and move on. I won't blame ya. What does anybody think about small pustules on the skin, about the size of the tip of a dull pencil? They are not red or swollen, and are filled with clear fluid. They itch like heck, and scratching seems to spread them. When they show up, I'll get them a few at a time in symmetric areas (both wrists or several fingers on both hands or the backs of both knees, etc.) I first got them during a super-stressful time when I was 13. I scratched them freely then and had large scabbed-over areas on my hands, wrists, chest and stomach (they bleed a tiny bit when scratched open). One doctor said they were scabies; the next said that was ridiculous (but not until after my mom dumped the $$ on the cure) because bugs don't bite in symmetrical areas, and anyway they're not red or inflamed, which indicates a bite. That doctor called them a " stress rash " and gave me benadryl. In the years since then, they've shown up intermittently, tho I've never had a breakout of the same magnitude as the first one -- I usually get a dusting of them that, if I remember not to scratch, goes away in a week or so. I'm disinclined to believe the stress theory, not just because it sounds rather lame but because the evidence in years since doesn't bear it out. For instance, I have several of them now that started showing up yesterday, but I think perhaps I've never been as relaxed as I've been in the last few days (thanks to concerted effort!). Right now I have them on my nail-beds and a couple on my fingers and arms. Does this sound like anything familiar to any of you? Any leads would be cool; they're not life-threatening or anything, but I'd like to know! Thanks again, Sara T. httpd://www.boredmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 3, 2002 Report Share Posted July 3, 2002 Most likely this is some form of liver stress. Sometimes when the liver is trying to process more irritants than it can handle, it will shunt some of the stuff out to the skin, where it can break out as pimples, rashes, boils, or the little things you describe. In combination with your report of systemic fungus, i would strongly suspect that there is something in your home or neighborhood environment that is a common source of both problems. It could be an industrial pollutant. Nobody likes finding those. And nobody likes it when guys in moon suits show up in their neighborhood. I know a consultant who did that a few times, and left the business because he didn't like freaking people out. On Fri, 28 Jun 2002 12:16:24 -0500 Sara Thustra <tv_is_a_drug wrote: Hey ya'll. This is not critical, just a question, so if any of you are busy, go ahead and move on. I won't blame ya. What does anybody think about small pustules on the skin, about the size of the tip of a dull pencil? They are not red or swollen, and are filled with clear fluid. They itch like heck, and scratching seems to spread them. When they show up, I'll get them a few at a time in symmetric areas (both wrists or several fingers on both hands or the backs of both knees, etc.) I first got them during a super-stressful time when I was 13. I scratched them freely then and had large scabbed-over areas on my hands, wrists, chest and stomach (they bleed a tiny bit when scratched open). One doctor said they were scabies; the next said that was ridiculous (but not until after my mom dumped the $$ on the cure) because bugs don't bite in symmetrical areas, and anyway they're not red or inflamed, which indicates a bite. That doctor called them a " stress rash " and gave me benadryl. In the years since then, they've shown up intermittently, tho I've never had a breakout of the same magnitude as the first one -- I usually get a dusting of them that, if I remember not to scratch, goes away in a week or so. I'm disinclined to believe the stress theory, not just because it sounds rather lame but because the evidence in years since doesn't bear it out. For instance, I have several of them now that started showing up yesterday, but I think perhaps I've never been as relaxed as I've been in the last few days (thanks to concerted effort!). Right now I have them on my nail-beds and a couple on my fingers and arms. Does this sound like anything familiar to any of you? Any leads would be cool; they're not life-threatening or anything, but I'd like to know! Thanks again, Sara T. httpd://www.boredmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 4, 2002 Report Share Posted July 4, 2002 One of the reasons why this is not so helpful is that our society collectively does not consider environmental factors. This is one of the fundamental flaws in our society, and it may eventually kill all of us if we don't turn around. It's ironic how our very success was due to changing our environment. But we ignored the bad effects that occurred at first. Eventually we reluctantly agreed to attempt to understand and mitigate the very worst and most obvious effects, and so the EPA was organized. We need to find a better way. I was trying to be humorous about the moon suits. But it doesn't always come to that. And of course some of the pollutants are very difficult to detect. They don't glow, emit radioactivity, or look like slime. Just to give you an idea -- there is one set of testing techniques known as a Draeger kit. It's commonly used among environmental consultants. But to use a Draeger kit, what you have to do is to guess what pollutant may be in the area. Then, you take out a tube to test for THAT pollutant. There are separate tubes for each pollutant, including things like methyl chloride, formaldehyde, chloroform, and hundreds of others. But first, the consultant has to make the guess. The guess can be made more accurate by knowing how to ask the right questions about the history of a site. Anthropological training helps a lot for that part of it. This testing can be very time-consuming and frustrating, and still there are some chemicals that simply can't be detected this way. This becomes more complicated because some chemicals are proprietary, and it can be almost impossible to get any information about them, particularly newer ones. I never bought a Draeger kit. It was always possible to rent one for a project, but never needed to. Without one, i was still often able to detect the presence of chemicals by using a broad-range gas detector (TIFF brand). There is nothing out there that can reliably detect a chemical and tell you what it is. It is possible to take an air sample, which again needs special equipment that can be rented. The sample is then sent to a laboratory and analyzed using a gas chromatograph. This is a very expensive piece of equipment that takes a lot of training and expertise to operate. Even then, you can't always get an accurate determination. This is why a lot of those " sick building syndrome " investigations don't work out. Everyone is getting horribly ill at some office or school, but nobody can say what the problem is. I have observed investigations like this going on for years, eating up consulting and testing fees with no result. I tried operating an environmental consulting practice from a different perspective. Instead of going into all the high-tech stuff, even though i knew how, i decided to keep things low-tech and accessible. Actually i discovered my nose was the best chemical detecting instrument you could find. And i was able to help some people that way. But it didn't work out financially. No insurance would pay for it, and people couln't afford it on their own. So we had to shut it down, which i think is a very damning commentary on the state of our society. What we should have, and what would help a lot of people in your situation, is indenpendent environmental consultants scattered everywhere. These people would go into homes and workplaces, find problems, and find solutions. This is available in several European countries, especially Germany. And i believe that health is much better there because of it. At 09:52 AM 7/3/02 -0500, you wrote: >Thanks for the answer Michael; it sounds reasonable, but sadly is not very >helpful. I don't have a moon-suit or a geigercounter, I live in the Motor >City so my body is probably more used to industrial toxins than oxygen, >etc. I will keep my eyes open for any strange foam or glowing liquids >around my house of course, and I'll check into the liver angle (seriously; >I will). Thanks again, > >ST > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 5, 2002 Report Share Posted July 5, 2002 Wow, interesting. I work for an environmental engineering firm, and while they don't use them for the best causes, the place is chock-full of engineers who specialize in taking air, water and dirt samples, sending them into labs, etc. I've asked about them doing my house, just as a sort of side-thing for which maybe I could pay them...no way. It might upset GM or one of the other huge clients to know that citizen-level work was going on on the side. All that being understood, do you know of anything that *in general* is good for counteracting nasty chemicals, molds, fungus, and crap like that? Would it help to wash my floors with something special, or burn a certain herb in my house to clear the air? Anything? I mean, I try to keep things clean and disinfected; I keep the bathroom from acculmulating mold-spots, etc. Is there anything more that people can do than that? Thanks again, MSL >One of the reasons why this is not so helpful is that our society >collectively does not consider environmental factors. This is one of the >fundamental flaws in our society, and it may eventually kill all of us if we >don't turn around. It's ironic how our very success was due to changing our >environment. But we ignored the bad effects that occurred at first. >Eventually we reluctantly agreed to attempt to understand and mitigate the >very worst and most obvious effects, and so the EPA was organized. > >We need to find a better way. I was trying to be humorous about the moon >suits. But it doesn't always come to that. And of course some of the >pollutants are very difficult to detect. They don't glow, emit >radioactivity, or look like slime. Just to give you an idea -- there is one >set of testing techniques known as a Draeger kit. It's commonly used among >environmental consultants. But to use a Draeger kit, what you have to do is >to guess what pollutant may be in the area. Then, you take out a tube to >test for THAT pollutant. There are separate tubes for each pollutant, >including things like methyl chloride, formaldehyde, chloroform, and >hundreds of others. But first, the consultant has to make the guess. The >guess can be made more accurate by knowing how to ask the right questions >about the history of a site. Anthropological training helps a lot for that >part of it. This testing can be very time-consuming and frustrating, and >still there are some chemicals that simply can't be detected this way. This >becomes more complicated because some chemicals are proprietary, and it can >be almost impossible to get any information about them, particularly newer ones. > >I never bought a Draeger kit. It was always possible to rent one for a >project, but never needed to. Without one, i was still often able to detect >the presence of chemicals by using a broad-range gas detector (TIFF brand). >There is nothing out there that can reliably detect a chemical and tell you >what it is. It is possible to take an air sample, which again needs special >equipment that can be rented. The sample is then sent to a laboratory and >analyzed using a gas chromatograph. This is a very expensive piece of >equipment that takes a lot of training and expertise to operate. Even then, >you can't always get an accurate determination. > >This is why a lot of those " sick building syndrome " investigations don't >work out. Everyone is getting horribly ill at some office or school, but >nobody can say what the problem is. I have observed investigations like >this going on for years, eating up consulting and testing fees with no result. > >I tried operating an environmental consulting practice from a different >perspective. Instead of going into all the high-tech stuff, even though i >knew how, i decided to keep things low-tech and accessible. Actually i >discovered my nose was the best chemical detecting instrument you could >find. And i was able to help some people that way. But it didn't work out >financially. No insurance would pay for it, and people couln't afford it on >their own. So we had to shut it down, which i think is a very damning >commentary on the state of our society. > >What we should have, and what would help a lot of people in your situation, >is indenpendent environmental consultants scattered everywhere. These >people would go into homes and workplaces, find problems, and find >solutions. This is available in several European countries, especially >Germany. And i believe that health is much better there because of it. > >At 09:52 AM 7/3/02 -0500, you wrote: >>Thanks for the answer Michael; it sounds reasonable, but sadly is not very >>helpful. I don't have a moon-suit or a geigercounter, I live in the Motor >>City so my body is probably more used to industrial toxins than oxygen, >>etc. I will keep my eyes open for any strange foam or glowing liquids >>around my house of course, and I'll check into the liver angle (seriously; >>I will). Thanks again, >> >>ST >> > > > >Federal Law requires that we warn you of the following: >1. Natural methods can sometimes backfire. >2. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before using any natural remedy. >3. The Constitution guarantees you the right to be your own physician and to >prescribe for your own health. >We are not medical doctors although MDs are welcome to post here as long as >they behave themselves. >Any opinions put forth by the list members are exactly that, and any person >following the advice of anyone posting here does so at their own risk. >It is up to you to educate yourself. By accepting advice or products from list members, you are agreeing to >be fully responsible for your own health, and hold the List Owner and members free of any liability. > >Dr. Ian Shillington >Doctor of Naturopathy >Dr.IanShillington > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 8, 2002 Report Share Posted July 8, 2002 Working there must be a real kick. Wish i could have gotten a job like that, but i'm " over-qualified " on one level, and wrongly qualified on another level. Some of that has to do with having authored a whole book. I thought it would do some good, but since i had a small and overly specialized publisher, that actually turned out negative as far as job qualifications go. Right now we're agonizing over whether or not we should revive my environmental consulting practice. Sometimes i get afraid that a lot of environmental engineering firms are paid to cover up problems, and make sure they don't come to public attention. I know from experience there are a lot of scientifically valid, legitimate ways to get the results someone is paying for. Please don't take that as cynicism. I really have no idea how much that sort of thing goes on. But i do know that in the professional environmental engineering world, the most important consideration for a company to be in business is good insurance. I never had insurance. That's working without a net! But, at that time all i owned was a little cabin out in the wilderness of Wyoming with no running water -- what could anyone possibly do to me with a lawsuit? Instead, i depended on the goodwill of my clients, never sought government or large corporate business, and made very sure that whatever i did was of high quality. And occasionally i did turn down a job when things didn't look right. The result of all that was a mountain of debt and many really cool friends. Now for the meat of this post. " In General " is not fully applicable with environmental problems. I do know that chlorine is not good for cleaning up fungus, and should be avoided anywhere except situations where cleaning is happening every day. Calcium carbonate is good, but that's not easy to find. Ordinary baking soda can help. I recently cleaned up a nasty mold in our bathroom with Nutrition for Life E-Lemonator, and it worked very well. These citrus cleaners can be good. For small areas, i use a product called Planet Solutions, which is a unique enzyme cleaner. As for the " anything more " , there will be things available. There are a few products out there which can help. More will come. A new science called Geobiology, which is the study of energies that come from the Earth and how they affect living beings, will make a big difference. Right now i'm in the process of collecting some of the information -- some was included in my late lamented book -- and putting it out for free on a new web site. Rose is beginning to design the new site as i write this message. We don't know where things are going to go from there, but it seems important to do this. Some of the things that people can do are going to be strange. Geobiology so far involves really odd procedures like putting bits of wire in the ground and hanging up copper decorations in certain spots. We have a lot of work to do. This is all part of why i want to visit a very few selected cities, where geobiological problems have had definite effects which can be tracked, and make a few subtle changes. I don't know if this is even going to be possible, but it is something that could help billions of people if it gets worked out. At 08:08 AM 7/5/02 -0500, you wrote: >Wow, interesting. I work for an environmental engineering firm, and while >they don't use them for the best causes, the place is chock-full of >engineers who specialize in taking air, water and dirt samples, sending >them into labs, etc. I've asked about them doing my house, just as a sort >of side-thing for which maybe I could pay them...no way. It might upset GM >or one of the other huge clients to know that citizen-level work was going >on on the side. > >All that being understood, do you know of anything that *in general* is >good for counteracting nasty chemicals, molds, fungus, and crap like that? >Would it help to wash my floors with something special, or burn a certain >herb in my house to clear the air? Anything? I mean, I try to keep things >clean and disinfected; I keep the bathroom from acculmulating mold-spots, >etc. Is there anything more that people can do than that? > >Thanks again, >MSL > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 8, 2002 Report Share Posted July 8, 2002 Very interesting, and you only leave me with one question on the subject. Are things like citrus cleaners and baking soda okay for everyday use? I know that sounds strange. I don't like using Pine-Sol and Tilex, but I just don't feel comfortable that anything gentler is going to get things clean. I consider finding something better than they to use an urgent matter, however; the last thing I want to do is spread poison around my house. But the idea of things not getting clean enough gives me the shudders, too. If anybody can help it's you!! Thanks, ST >Working there must be a real kick. Wish i could have gotten a job like >that, but i'm " over-qualified " on one level, and wrongly qualified on >another level. Some of that has to do with having authored a whole book. I >thought it would do some good, but since i had a small and overly >specialized publisher, that actually turned out negative as far as job >qualifications go. > >Right now we're agonizing over whether or not we should revive my >environmental consulting practice. > >Sometimes i get afraid that a lot of environmental engineering firms are >paid to cover up problems, and make sure they don't come to public >attention. I know from experience there are a lot of scientifically valid, >legitimate ways to get the results someone is paying for. Please don't take >that as cynicism. I really have no idea how much that sort of thing goes >on. But i do know that in the professional environmental engineering world, >the most important consideration for a company to be in business is good >insurance. > >I never had insurance. That's working without a net! But, at that time all >i owned was a little cabin out in the wilderness of Wyoming with no running >water -- what could anyone possibly do to me with a lawsuit? Instead, i >depended on the goodwill of my clients, never sought government or large >corporate business, and made very sure that whatever i did was of high >quality. And occasionally i did turn down a job when things didn't look >right. The result of all that was a mountain of debt and many really cool >friends. > >Now for the meat of this post. " In General " is not fully applicable with >environmental problems. I do know that chlorine is not good for cleaning up >fungus, and should be avoided anywhere except situations where cleaning is >happening every day. Calcium carbonate is good, but that's not easy to >find. Ordinary baking soda can help. I recently cleaned up a nasty mold in >our bathroom with Nutrition for Life E-Lemonator, and it worked very well. >These citrus cleaners can be good. For small areas, i use a product called >Planet Solutions, which is a unique enzyme cleaner. > >As for the " anything more " , there will be things available. There are a few >products out there which can help. More will come. A new science called >Geobiology, which is the study of energies that come from the Earth and how >they affect living beings, will make a big difference. Right now i'm in the >process of collecting some of the information -- some was included in my >late lamented book -- and putting it out for free on a new web site. Rose is >beginning to design the new site as i write this message. We don't know >where things are going to go from there, but it seems important to do this. >Some of the things that people can do are going to be strange. Geobiology >so far involves really odd procedures like putting bits of wire in the >ground and hanging up copper decorations in certain spots. We have a lot of >work to do. This is all part of why i want to visit a very few selected >cities, where geobiological problems have had definite effects which can be >tracked, and make a few subtle changes. I don't know if this is even going >to be possible, but it is something that could help billions of people if it >gets worked out. > >At 08:08 AM 7/5/02 -0500, you wrote: >>Wow, interesting. I work for an environmental engineering firm, and while >>they don't use them for the best causes, the place is chock-full of >>engineers who specialize in taking air, water and dirt samples, sending >>them into labs, etc. I've asked about them doing my house, just as a sort >>of side-thing for which maybe I could pay them...no way. It might upset GM >>or one of the other huge clients to know that citizen-level work was going >>on on the side. >> >>All that being understood, do you know of anything that *in general* is >>good for counteracting nasty chemicals, molds, fungus, and crap like that? >>Would it help to wash my floors with something special, or burn a certain >>herb in my house to clear the air? Anything? I mean, I try to keep things >>clean and disinfected; I keep the bathroom from acculmulating mold-spots, >>etc. Is there anything more that people can do than that? >> >>Thanks again, >>MSL >> > > > > >Federal Law requires that we warn you of the following: >1. Natural methods can sometimes backfire. >2. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before using any natural remedy. >3. The Constitution guarantees you the right to be your own physician and to >prescribe for your own health. >We are not medical doctors although MDs are welcome to post here as long as >they behave themselves. >Any opinions put forth by the list members are exactly that, and any person >following the advice of anyone posting here does so at their own risk. >It is up to you to educate yourself. By accepting advice or products from list members, you are agreeing to >be fully responsible for your own health, and hold the List Owner and members free of any liability. > >Dr. Ian Shillington >Doctor of Naturopathy >Dr.IanShillington > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 9, 2002 Report Share Posted July 9, 2002 Baking soda has been used for generations to absorb odors and take care of some cleaning chores. So you could say it's an everyday product already. Citrus cleaners are fairly versatile. But none of these are as " good " as the modern toxic products. That's the trade off in most cases -- the more powerful stuff is often more toxic. (Actually i don't think Pine-Sol is all that powerful anyway, so you're safe trading that for a citrus cleaner. But 409 is generally more effective, and is the standard i measure against.) Shaklee and Amway products tend to be pretty good, if you can tolerate going through the multilevel process to get them. Either of those brands are effective, but of course Shaklee is made of more ecologically sound material. I am constantly buying small quantities of cleaners and testing them. In some ways, living in a small, old, difficult to clean house has advantages, because i really have a good test area. A few people turn out allergic to citrus cleaners. So they are not completely ideal. But if you are one of the tolerant people, you will enjoy using them. At 03:08 PM 7/8/02 -0500, you wrote: >Very interesting, and you only leave me with one question on the subject. >Are things like citrus cleaners and baking soda okay for everyday use? I >know that sounds strange. I don't like using Pine-Sol and Tilex, but I >just don't feel comfortable that anything gentler is going to get things >clean. I consider finding something better than they to use an urgent >matter, however; the last thing I want to do is spread poison around my >house. But the idea of things not getting clean enough gives me the >shudders, too. If anybody can help it's you!! > >Thanks, >ST > >>Working there must be a real kick. Wish i could have gotten a job like >>that, but i'm " over-qualified " on one level, and wrongly qualified on >>another level. Some of that has to do with having authored a whole book. >I >>thought it would do some good, but since i had a small and overly >>specialized publisher, that actually turned out negative as far as job >>qualifications go. >> >>Right now we're agonizing over whether or not we should revive my >>environmental consulting practice. >> >>Sometimes i get afraid that a lot of environmental engineering firms are >>paid to cover up problems, and make sure they don't come to public >>attention. I know from experience there are a lot of scientifically >valid, >>legitimate ways to get the results someone is paying for. Please don't >take >>that as cynicism. I really have no idea how much that sort of thing goes >>on. But i do know that in the professional environmental engineering >world, >>the most important consideration for a company to be in business is good >>insurance. >> >>I never had insurance. That's working without a net! But, at that time >all >>i owned was a little cabin out in the wilderness of Wyoming with no >running >>water -- what could anyone possibly do to me with a lawsuit? Instead, i >>depended on the goodwill of my clients, never sought government or large >>corporate business, and made very sure that whatever i did was of high >>quality. And occasionally i did turn down a job when things didn't look >>right. The result of all that was a mountain of debt and many really cool >>friends. >> >>Now for the meat of this post. " In General " is not fully applicable with >>environmental problems. I do know that chlorine is not good for cleaning >up >>fungus, and should be avoided anywhere except situations where cleaning is >>happening every day. Calcium carbonate is good, but that's not easy to >>find. Ordinary baking soda can help. I recently cleaned up a nasty mold >in >>our bathroom with Nutrition for Life E-Lemonator, and it worked very well. >>These citrus cleaners can be good. For small areas, i use a product >called >>Planet Solutions, which is a unique enzyme cleaner. >> >>As for the " anything more " , there will be things available. There are a >few >>products out there which can help. More will come. A new science called >>Geobiology, which is the study of energies that come from the Earth and >how >>they affect living beings, will make a big difference. Right now i'm in >the >>process of collecting some of the information -- some was included in my >>late lamented book -- and putting it out for free on a new web site. Rose >is >>beginning to design the new site as i write this message. We don't know >>where things are going to go from there, but it seems important to do >this. >>Some of the things that people can do are going to be strange. Geobiology >>so far involves really odd procedures like putting bits of wire in the >>ground and hanging up copper decorations in certain spots. We have a lot >of >>work to do. This is all part of why i want to visit a very few selected >>cities, where geobiological problems have had definite effects which can >be >>tracked, and make a few subtle changes. I don't know if this is even >going >>to be possible, but it is something that could help billions of people if >it >>gets worked out. >> >>At 08:08 AM 7/5/02 -0500, you wrote: >>>Wow, interesting. I work for an environmental engineering firm, and >while >>>they don't use them for the best causes, the place is chock-full of >>>engineers who specialize in taking air, water and dirt samples, sending >>>them into labs, etc. I've asked about them doing my house, just as a >sort >>>of side-thing for which maybe I could pay them...no way. It might upset >GM >>>or one of the other huge clients to know that citizen-level work was >going >>>on on the side. >>> >>>All that being understood, do you know of anything that *in general* is >>>good for counteracting nasty chemicals, molds, fungus, and crap like >that? >>>Would it help to wash my floors with something special, or burn a certain >>>herb in my house to clear the air? Anything? I mean, I try to keep >things >>>clean and disinfected; I keep the bathroom from acculmulating mold-spots, >>>etc. Is there anything more that people can do than that? >>> >>>Thanks again, >>>MSL >>> >> >> >> >> >>Federal Law requires that we warn you of the following: >>1. Natural methods can sometimes backfire. >>2. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before using any natural >remedy. >>3. The Constitution guarantees you the right to be your own physician and >to >>prescribe for your own health. >>We are not medical doctors although MDs are welcome to post here as long >as >>they behave themselves. >>Any opinions put forth by the list members are exactly that, and any >person >>following the advice of anyone posting here does so at their own risk. >>It is up to you to educate yourself. By accepting advice or products from >list members, you are agreeing to >>be fully responsible for your own health, and hold the List Owner and >members free of any liability. >> >>Dr. Ian Shillington >>Doctor of Naturopathy >>Dr.IanShillington >> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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