New latex mattress

Specific Illnesses & Conditions VM/MAV
21

Quote “Organic is 100% bullshit” well that sounds about right, judging by the smell it had :lol: What a nightmare for you.

Have been turning the spare bedroom into a “chill out” room so bought one of those recliner chairs with a stool, should have paid a bit extra for the leather one but settled for a plastic thing that looked like leather. I used it for the first time the other day, windows were wide open and I kept thinking “where are those diesel fumes coming from” eventually I realized it was the chair, which has been in there for 6 months! Like you, I can see no alternative, but to get rid of it. The smell gave me a pricky throat and headache and watery eyes.

Last two days, had vertigo all day yesterday and last night, only two things have changed. I ate grapes (are grapes a problem??)
and the awful humidity we have had in the UK, dropped (big change). My ears were popping and tinnitus ramped up yesterday.

This MAV is exhausting to live with, we spend half our life sorting out stuff we have bought, what not to eat, what we shouldnt have eaten, what caused the latest run of heads and dizziness etc. :roll:

We were trying out used cars at the carshops the other day, and the smell from inside the cars was driving me insane. The salesman was trying to talk us into buying one and I ended up falling sideways into the car as he was talking … I explained I had a migraine but all the same … :oops:

All fun and games :frowning:

Christine

22

Hey Christine,

What a nightmare for you too. Can you get all of your money back on the chair? This MCS business is not for the faint of heart that’s for sure and costs a freakin’ fortune. I’m so sick of throwing money away on this crap.

What happened with the bedroom? Weren’t you getting new paint or carpet?

As for me I can only think that the way out of this is to find an older mattress (used) that does not have latex in it. I’m not sure though if it was just the latex or a combo of that plus all of the other crap they put in new mattresses now.

S

23

Sheesh, Scott, this whole situation sounds just awful. I feel so bad for you!

I googled “multiple chemical sensitivity mattress” and came up with something that said some people…

“…with MCS have been able to tolerate aired out camping mattresses.” I’m thinking vinyl might not be as bad as latex? If it’s the latex that’s the problem. Because…

Lourdes Salvador, a lady at the Environmental Illness Resource,

ei-resource.org/columns/mult … sensitive/

said this:

"By law, mattresses must have a flame retardant. Studies have shown that these flame retardants migrate into the blood stream of humans. Even organic mattresses must contain flame retardants.

A wool wrap may be placed around a mattress filling as a flame retardant. But in most cases, a chemical flame retardant is used. Many of these chemicals have been linked to reproductive and other health problems.

Dioxin, a bleaching agent, and formaldehyde are two other troublesome chemicals which may be found in a mattress.

With a doctor’s prescription, an untreated mattress may be purchased. These untreated mattresses come in both organic and conventional materials. This is the first step toward a healthier bed.

Mattresses often trap dust mites and other allergens as well. Once you find a good mattress, wrap it in a barrier cloth similar to the pillow casings designed to block out allergens

Another option involves wrapping a mattress in Mylar. This is usually helpful, albeit a bit noisy. Mylar is an aluminized blanket which acts as a vapor barrier and crunches a bit like aluminum foil. The lose ends may be sealed with a tolerable aluminum tape.

Test all bedding to insure that it is not contributing to allergic or chemical reactions. Dye-free organic sheets are usually best.

If all else fails, think outside the box. Some have found suitable sleep by piling several thick blankets on the floor. Others have created softer and more comfortable beds by placing several comforters on top of a lounge chair.

When it comes to chemical sensitivity, creativity is key!"

Hope some of this helps.

24

Scott, to possibly confuse the issue . . .

We bought a new mattress a couple of years ago, a very expensive bugger, not latex. Supposedly the same as the mattress we’d enjoyed in a hotel room, albeit smaller.

I had a lousy time sleeping on it, and went back into the guest room where our old mattress (way too lumpy for my sweetie to be comfortable) now lives.

I couldn’t sleep well on the new mattress, I’d end up sore here and there, wake up a lot. Didn’t notice any smell, for what that’s worth. It’s just too soft for me. And Mary Jo doesn’t perceive it as particularly soft.*

By now I’ve gotten more or less used to it.

Any chance something like this is going on for you?

*Well, maybe she does by now, having rolled off the edge several times.

25

Scott, cant get the money back on the chair now, too late, will have to sell it for next to nothing. The carpet in the bedroom stank for a week, then stopped. New bedroom furniture arrives next week, I am dreading it. Luckily its Summer and I can keep the windows open all day.

Yes, painted the room a few months ago, that was really bad. The problem was, it took 4 coats of a lighter colour to cover the old colour and it took me weeks, so the fumes were constant and I was sleeping in it. It can all just stay the way it is after this!

I changed mattresses 4 times when my back was bad and had no trouble with fumes or anything, I settled on the plain sprung mattress, the pocket sprung hurt my back (no fumes), I may well have a problem with a Latex one. I couldnt stand the memory foam topper. Not very often, unfortunately, but sometimes, cheaper is best.

I have just found out that the rash on my nose (having changed glasses to rimless (nickel allergy) cost a fortune, is actually the pads which are silicone and I need the hard ones … sigh… and so it goes on. Think I drive everyone mad around me, as well as myself :roll:

We werent made for this world :frowning:

Christine

26

I find this string very interesting. For the past few months, I have become very sensitive to artificial scents. I started making my husband put on his cologne in the garage before heading off to work. Before that, the cologne scent in the bathroom was overpowering to me.

Just this past week, I kept asking him to please not use the cologne on his days off because I couldn’t stand the strong smell. He told me he wasn’t wearing any; it was the UNSCENTED deodorant! I smelled the bottle and it DOES have a scent that the whole family could smell. (It wasn’t just me…)

He threw the deodorant away and purchased a different kind of unscented that has only a very faint smell.

I also don’t like the smell of flowers or room fresheners of any kinds. The only smells that don’t offend me are those associated with food!

27

Me + smells = meltdown.

Ladies perfume makes me homicidal. :evil:
Cologne just a bit after that. :evil:
Air freshener makes my eyeballs roll around in their sockets. :evil:
The laundry detergent isle in the supermarket is like a train wreck. :evil:
Anything that comes out of a spray can makes me want to crack someone in the head. :evil:

Seriously - I never liked smells even before MAV but now they actually make me want to kill people. I flipped out the other day about someone wearing perfume near me! People think I’m actually mental.

Wait, what am I saying - I AM FRICKIN RADIO RENTAL!!!

:arrow:

28

I’m the same way with smells. Can’t tolerate them at all.

29

Some of y’all (and I’m not too far behind) might want to check out the Multiple Chemical Sensitivity folks. MCS has won some legal standing,

30

When you were reacting to the mattress, could you actually smell it in the air or was it doing you in simply from lying on it 8 hours a night and being so close to it do you think?

31

Both – when it was new it was worse. Even now it is a problem with no detectable smell. It’s for sale.