Hi all,
I was wondering if exposure to chemicals or hazardous waste can be a contributing factor to PN.

We used to incinerate our waste at the hospital but the lab waste was sent out.

Some how.................the lab waste was throw into the cinerato r without my knowledge. (accidently, I think not). The person who did it let me go in and rake up the ashes and chunks so that everything would ignite again.

I started vacation the next week and the following week nothing was said to me because they had the wrong persons name down as working that shift. So I did not have the 24 hr urine or blood testing for almost 3 weeks. By that time mercury, formaldehyde and any other lab chemicals would have already been well absorbed into my tissue and there was no sign of anything but low level mecury which I was told was in normal range.

This was about 5 years ago and the man was fired and nobody pursued it and so I didn't either. I am losing feeling in my left hand, grip strength, muscle mass, there is pain, sensitivity to hot and really bad to cold and also my feet tingle all the time. This has come on quite rapidly and is moving up my wrist in the past month.

Does anyone have any info on this? I am going to get a list of what exactly was burned that day. I want to give the list to Mayo. I am not a person for law suits, but I am sure that it will be like pulling teeth to get that info, but I have my sources.

Any help I can give the doctors may aid them in getting to the root of all of my maladies. Maybe they all tie in.

Any input from you good folks would be greatly appreciated.

Judy

Can't put my hands on citations right now, but the answer is yes.

But if the problem is only on one side, it may be less likely.

rose

about asymmetric neuropathies here. Gold is the only toxin I see mentioned causing asymmetric sx.

Very general rule: Asymmetric neuropathies tend to be more treatable than symmetric types.

Your malady could be a lot of things, ranging from something in the central nervous systems to thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), which has a room on this board. I thought of TOS when you mentioned shoveling.

Thanks Rose and Steve,

I will be leaving for mayo on the 30th and I guess I am grasping for any info that I can gather. Great sites!!!!!!

I don't intend on trying to be the doctor there but anything that I can tell them about my problems and past exposures may assist them in narrowing down my problem.

You help is greatly appreciated, and perhaps by the grace of God and the wonder of medicine, I will return with a diagnosis for the first time and begin the road to recovery.

Thanks for everything and God bless,

Judy

Hope everyone on neurotalk does well and keeps the bond that they have formed.

Were you tested for arsenic?

This rare event was just in the newspapers:
Here is another medical article:
http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic20.htm
Arsenic can be inhaled as a gas from fires. And can be in well water.

toxic exposures in prior life as causes for my PN....can't prove it...Identifying exposures IS important tho...

Usually after such a period of time, toxic effects should not be apparent, unless there are things such as molds, or chemical/metal content waters or foods particular to your area.. It's hard, very hard to prove...Mainly because we don't all live in either 'test tubes' or perfect environments.

That doesn't mean it's wasted effort! All things that mite have happened in the past can, shall I say...predispose you to reactions at this point in time of your life. In my own case that mite be the issue...a long term bout of pneumonia, followed a couple of months later by the 'onset-symptom' stuff.

It's frustrating! So few folks ever find out any direct cause/effect! But hang in there...You have to be your own advocate--wracking your brain about every little thing [it's what one DOES, what else can we do?] It will probably be you w/all the puzzle pieces that will put together the real puzzle picture...even if you can't prove it. Nearly all the time, be sure not to blame yourself...for any aspect....I mean: How the fruitcake were we ever supposed to guess THIS would happen? It's worse odds than trying to win the lottery! At least, then, we could be easily able to pay bills?

Hugs in the meantime...Look up LizaJane's lists and try to herd up as many tests, reports, films, etc. as you can from your prior life.

More hugs! - j