Cluster Headaches Bleach & Rydlyme

After ten days of sheer hell, I have finally narrowed down my cause of Cluster Headaches (Among other problems like throat pain, sinus pain, watery eyes, blurred vision, weakness, sore facial skin, neck tightness and pain, shoulder tightness, snapping & cracking joints, neck and back, runny nose, wheeziness, difficulty breathing, nausea & various other aches and pains that come and go throughout the day, everyday and usually all night long.)

Spraying a large cooling tower with Rydlyme inside and out, and then spraying it with Bleach inside and out without wearing a respirator is most likely what created this heinous problem for me. No thanks to the HealthOne clinic who said it was bullshit, no thanks to Peliton HR/Safety Consulting who said it was bullshit, no thanks to my previous employer, TRS Inc. of Denver, who fired me for this, and no thanks to North Suburban Medical Center E.R. who said chlorine poisoning doesn't cause headaches and diagnosed me with "Headache". Of course they will probably charge me over $1,500 for the ambulance ride from the HealthOne clinic and for the MRI - all for this pathetic diagnosis. All of the above told me my workers' compensation claim would be denied before I even saw a doctor.

A special thanks for the training class on respirators and air safety, the day after the inhalation. And thanks for printing out my weblog on how to deal with cluster headaches and acting as if that was some kind of evidence against me. LoL. Finally, thanks to the guy that said "You don't need a respirator for this shit.", before I started spraying.

OSHA: Determination of work-relatedness


But here's the scoop:

Chlorine (Sodium hypochlorite) Bleach
Many household cleaners contain chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach, or sodium hypochlorite, is a lung and eye irritant. If mixed with ammonia or acid-based cleaners (including vinegar), chlorine bleach releases toxic chloramine gas. Short-term exposure to this gas may cause mild asthmatic symptoms or more serious respiratory problems. (Source: Washington Toxics Coalition)

Rydlyme - hydrogen chloride, combined with water makes hydrochloric acid. (See poison control center two paragraphs down).
Rydlyme MSDS
Rydlyme Specs - See #8, mixing with chlorine

Wikipedia.com: Hydrogen Chloride
Because of its acidic nature, hydrogen chloride is a corrosive gas, particularly in the presence of any moisture.

Hydrogen chloride forms corrosive hydrochloric acid on contact with water found in body tissue. Inhalation of the fumes can cause coughing, choking, inflammation of the nose, throat, and upper respiratory tract, and in severe cases, pulmonary edema, circulatory system failure, and death. Skin contact can cause redness, pain, and severe skin burns. Hydrogen chloride may cause severe burns to the eye and permanent eye damage.
What Rydlyme is made from

Denver Poison control center:
Rydlyme + Bleach = chlorine gas (Case #1824986)
If someone has ingested or been exposed to a potentially toxic substance, the Poison Control Center provides a 24 hours/day service to help. They can help direct you in how to best handle the situation. They can be reached by phone at: (303) 739-1123

Agency for Toxic substances and disease registry:
Exposure to low levels of chlorine can result in nose, throat, and
eye irritation. At higher levels, breathing chlorine gas may result
in changes in breathing rate and coughing, and damage to the
lungs.

In general, people who suffer from respiratory conditions
such as allergies or hay fever, or who are heavy smokers, tend to experience more severe effects than healthy subjects or nonsmokers. (*I smoke and have hay fever, I'm also allergic to Alfalfa and Clover*)
Chlorine Poisoning

EMedicine.com: Chlorine
Pathophysiology: Chlorine is a greenish yellow gas that is heavier than air in its pure form. It is an oxidizing agent that is highly reactive with water and liberates hypochlorous acid, hydrochloric acid, and oxygen-free radicals, which are toxic to tissues. Chlorine is considered to have intermediate solubility and can exert irritant effects throughout the respiratory tract. The most common site of injury is at the mucous membrane, where water concentrations are highest. The specific sites of chlorine's effects include the eye conjunctiva, nasal mucosa, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and bronchi.
Lung Damaging Agents, Chlorine

Toxicity, Chlorine Gas
History:
* Cough (52-80%)
* Shortness of breath (20-51%)
* Chest pain (33%)
* Burning sensation in the throat and substernal area (14%)
* Nausea or vomiting (8%)
* Ocular and nasal irritation (4-6%)
* Choking
* Muscle weakness
* Dizziness
* Abdominal discomfort
* Headache

Physical:
* Decreased breath sounds
* Tachypnea
* Tachycardia
* Wheezing
* Nasal flaring
* Intercostal and subcostal retractions
* Cyanosis
* Rhinorrhea
* Lacrimation
* Hoarseness of the voice or stridor
* Rales (acute respiratory distress syndrome [ARDS]/noncardiogenic pulmonary edema)
* Crepitus (associated with pneumomediastinum)

Causes:
* Chlorine gas is one of the most common single, irritant, inhalation exposures, occupationally and environmentally. Possible sources of exposure are as follows:
o Industrial bleaching operations
o Sewage treatment
o Household accidents involving the inappropriate mixing of hypochlorite cleaning solutions with acidic agents
o Transportation releases
o Swimming pool chlorination tablet accidents
o Storage tank failure
o Chemical warfare

* Adverse effects of inappropriate mixtures of household cleaners usually are caused by prolonged exposure to an irritant gas in a poorly ventilated area. The most common mixtures of cleaning agents are sodium hypochlorite (bleach) with acids or ammonia. Potential irritants released from such mixtures are chlorine gas, chloramines, and ammonia gas.


The absolute worst part of this whole thing was that virtually everyone, from the beginning, tried to convince me this was a coincidence - that after 30 years of working without a single cluster headache, I mysteriously acquired this ailment the night after I was exposed to Rydlyme and bleach and this exposure had nothing to do with my headaches.

Equally as bad, the cooling tower was at Pres. St. Lukes Hospital in Denver, part of the HealthOne Hospitals network - which includes the HealthOne clinic that said this was bullshit and then called an ambulance as I had an episode in their front lobby.

The HealthOne network used to be IMA Hospitals, I was an Information Systems Director for them twice - at Mountain Medical Affiliates from 1988-89, and at The Healthcare Initiative from 1991-92. Swedish and Rose Hospitals also owned The Healthcare Initiative, but were not part of IMA back then. I was also a consultant for MMA from 1992-93. I connected Swedish Hospital to the Internet in 1993 and I worked in Rose Hospital in 1987-1988 at the Denver Arthritis Clinic.

I still haven't seen a worker's comp. doctor. I have to release my medical records to Peliton first, the same company that told me this was bullshit when I called to get the workers' comp. doctor location. Then they called the clinic and told them to deny the claim before I arrived. The same company that is responsible for Safety Training at TRS, Inc. and provides them with insurance and risk management. Coincidence, conflict of interest?

Peliton

How is it even possible that a company providing liability insurance, risk management, and safety consulting can also provide workers' compensation insurance?

This is a clear cut conflict of interest - Peliton is responsible for the safety rating of TRS, of course they don't want me to see a doctor! *Note*, Peliton isn't the carrier of the workers' compensation insurance, they are an intermediary - Pinnacol provides the actual insurance - Peliton has put themselves in a position to control who can get to a doctor for the sake of safety ratings and risk management.

If I sound angry, it's because I am very, very angry. I worked 10-12 hours a day before I started my job at TRS... and now I can't work at all, and despite the fact that TRS has workers' compensation insurance, they have manipulated the system so that I can't access it - to protect their safety rating.

TRS, Inc.

Famous Quote: (Doctor at HealthOne's workers' compensation clinic, Westminster CO)
"Are you the guy with the headaches?, No way this will be covered under workers' compensation... I'm familiar with Rydlyme and bleach and neither one could cause anything like this. If I see you, I'll deny your claim." Twenty seconds later... "Call an ambulance..."

*Disclaimer* I may be allergic or hypersensitive to bleach and/or chlorine. I have not been able to conclusively prove that bleach or chlorine are responsible for my residual cluster headaches. On two other occasions, while working for TRS, the smell of bleach caused a headache. What I do know is that I have never had cluster headaches before and that I have not been able to see a doctor for workers' compensation.

What I need is some kind of study or proof or evidence that chlorine poisoning can lead to cluster headaches, or hypersensitivity to bleach can lead to cluster headaches after a massive exposure. Anybody willing to help? Links? Studies? Research?


See also:
Dealing with Cluster Headaches.
My plea for help.
Chemical Hypersensitivity / Bleach Hypersensitivity
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity