Perfume Reaction/Allergy

Beebop

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I have what I can only describe as allergic reactions to some perfumes and thought I'd share about it here, maybe someone has an idea about what is going on, or has similar experiences, maybe not.

I have a very sensitive sense of smell anyway, and toxic fumes bother me more than they do other people, but some perfumes in particular give me a dizzy headache and nausea.

It has got slightly worse recently. Cheap and nasty girl perfume on a train meant I had to move to get fresh air or risk being sick. A couple of days ago I had a similar, milder reaction to the smell of someone's blackcurrant herbal tea. I believe they were the kind that have 'natural blackcurrant flavours'. The other things that often causes dizzy headaches: new car smell, warehouse shops eg. electronics or furniture shops, and 'air fresheners'.

There isn't much I can do to avoid smells - at least in public, and there are so many possible compounds that could be causing a reaction that I would never bother testing or anything. Still, thought I'd share just in case anyone has any wisdom. Maybe there's something I can do to strengthen my body to raise my tolerance. Or maybe it's a sign of something else worth knowing about.

I wish humans would stop using these perfumes - without knowing the cost to health and the environment. I'm sure many of you feel the same way!
 
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Beebop

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Liver overload, interesting. Thanks! Working on the sugar and minerals. Two sugars in my hot chocolate, two in my coffee :)
But I occasionally struggle to eat enough in the day so hypoglycaemia happens too frequently for my liking :(
 
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Beebop

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Jenn said:
It's a liver overload issue.

I've been wondering about this lately. How does this work?
It seems my response to perfume has been getting steadily worse (strongest reaction ever today).

When I inhale the perfume the reaction is immediate. Is that enough time for the liver to respond?
 
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Beebop

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Jenn said:
EAT MORE SUGAR and minerals!

Definitely eating plenty of sugar now.
Which minerals in particular should I make sure I get enough of? Just want to understand the picture a bit more.

Probably not getting enough of all the necessary minerals. Dairy intake has gone up massively, so calcium should be higher than usual. Not taking any supplements at present. Would like to get Epsom salts. Could experiment with eggshell.

Thanks
 

Jenn

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The body is an amazing piece of communication. Yes, smells can be communicated immediately as are visuals and tastes and thoughts even. Putting something sweet in your mouth tells the body to expect something sweet down the pike, whether you eat it or not. Smelling something sweet does the same thing. Smelling chemicals, which is what most perfumes are now, tells your body poison is coming, whether you actually ingest it or not.

Potassium and magnesium are the most used minerals by the liver....and the least retained by the body, especially under stress. They need to be replenished at every meal, if possible, and at least daily. The liver is able to use magnesium better at night when you are asleep because it can focus on repair vs daily functions better.

Good, mineral rich salt is one of the best sources of minerals. Concentrace is a brand that is sea salt minus the sodium for those that may get excess sodium in processed foods....or may need to get back in balance temporarily.

Potatoes is one of the best sources of potassium, cream of tartar is almost all potassium and is made from grapes during the wine making process.
 
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Beebop

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Jenn said:
cream of tartar is almost all potassium

Thanks for your thoughts Jenn. How do you use cream of tartar? I think I've only ever baked cakes with it...

I'm off to buy magnesium sulphate now!
 

Jenn

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When I was "catching up" I added to everything...except coffee. Coffee and cream of tartar don't taste good at all. I added it to ice cream, spaghetti sauce, made home made baking powder, soda, milk, jello, etc. You can take it to bowel tolerance. I probably had up to 5 tbs in a day sometimes. I had a lot of catching up to do. This was in addition to potatoes, OJ, beets that are already naturally high in potassium.
 

Jenn

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I am NOT saying to go out and take 5 TBS worth. I would just take a little through out the day when I had sugar...it ended up being 5 TBS worth sometimes. I ate a lot of sugar. I had a hard time digesting anything else and needed the energy. If I had the sugar without the potassium (cream of tartar) I would start snarling. I used 1/4 tsp COT per TBS of sugar. I have friends that needed a different ratio. Some used a 1:1 ratio, others would get the squirts if they used more than 1/8th tsp at a time.
 
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Beebop

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Just to report back with my cream of tartar experiences.

I tried some yesterday, two tips of a teaspoon in two glasses of OJ. I woke in the middle of the night with pins and needles all the way down my right arm and hand, in my belly and tongue. It was scary, as I wasn't sure what the hell was going on, but I was fine in the morning.

Checked online and pins and needles in hands, feet and tongue is a possible effect of excess potassium.

Of course it could have been something else that caused the reaction, although it's a new one for me. I don't know how I got 'excess potassium' from the tiny amount I took. Maybe it was a lot for my body in one go?

Any thoughts greatly welcomed!
 

charlie

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I just did some quick research on cream of tartar and people report bad reactions to it akin to MSG. Some speculate it's because of the tartaric acid in it.
 

charlie

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And then I find info that says cream of tartar neutralizes MSG poisoning. :crazy:
 
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Beebop

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If the reaction was as a result of the potassium (not certain on that), then it could be a kidney issue. Any ideas for how I would check my kidneys are ok?

Other than just keep going with all the peating and get better ;)

(update: I said I felt fine in the morning but I've actually had the reaction all day today, just to a lesser degree).
 

kiran

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Maybe you should get a blood test that includes a metabolic panel, BUN/creatinine/eGFR.

That ought to tell you something.
 

Jenn

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OJ is already high in potassium, I never take it with just OJ ...unless I am trying to cause loose stools. Sometimes when you speed up one part of the system, it goes faster than another part can handle. Potassium does effect the nerves. I once had a pinch nerve and I took some extra potassium to release it.

You probably want to make sure you are getting enough salt and mag too.
 
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Beebop

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Ah, I could remember you saying that it was disgusting in coffee, so thought you must have been taking it with OJ. But yes that makes sense. I was wondering how you got a sense of when you craved more potassium? Just take it to bowel tolerance and keep taking it at a slightly reduced level?

With salt and sugar I can tell when I need more because I crave it - is it the same with you and potassium/cream of tartar?

I thought I would stick only to eating things I can feel a craving for so I can notice what my body needs. Although come to think of it there are non-craving signs my body sends...
 

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