Hello, my name is Nathan and I am quite young. I have had bad fiberglass exposures for a few months in my home. I am since out of there but even a month later there is no improvement. Constant chest pains, back pains, and side pains are continuously felt throughout the day. Tight throat and chest often make me feel short of breath, dry aches in my lungs that are tiny in size but hurt something fierce. I am experiencing constant headache throughout the day, I wake up 2-4 times a night because of the pains. I have a dry cough with dry mouth, mucus always shows tiny white blotches in it with blood strains as a minor occurrence. I have a bloated stomach and have been taking Omneprazole daily yet there is no change. I have acid reflux taste in my mouth, along with a burning in the center of my chest which isn't terrible, but is probably doing a lot of damage from the reflux. Doctors have done chest XRays but to no avail, they say it was just Bronchitis yet this was a month ago. I have plenty more symptoms but it's dragging on in all this text. Below I've given a lot of information that I've come across but I need to know if this is now permanent. Are there any treatments? Cures? Will I get COPD from this or will I eventually heal. If I have been taking Omneprazole daily what should the doctor need to do to diagnose my problems?
-Fiberglass helps cause Bronchitis and asthma inflammation in the lungs. So I definitely had Bronchitis but the pains are all still here.
-Fiberglass causes intestinal problems if it gets stuck, especially in the small intestine. This can cause bloating, GERD, and more if there is blockage. I was constipated for weeks and now I have diarrhea with floating stool every day surrounded by tiny amounts of white bubbles and fat acids.
-Don't know if this is factual but does Fiberglass eventually leave the lungs? I read constant detailed accounts of people who have had these problems for years yet people keep saying the Fiberglass is transported out by Macrophages. It seems there is conflicting reports here, or people are talking about different scenarios.
I am very young and I am extremely scared and uncertain. I want to find out more information and knowledge to help me potentially beat this. We're in the wrong century for Artificial Lungs but we're in the right century for the internet! If anyone is out there I truly am in need of answers. I've already searched far and wide but I am looking for peoples help now as I don't have many to help me in real life. Thank you for your time, stay safe!
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Hi there, so much to cope with. I would be asking for a ct scan in your position and if the NHS say no then I'd beg or borrow to have one privately if only to put my mind at rest. I do sympathise, it's horrible to feel so ill without answers.
The best I can advise is to call the BLF help line 03000 030555 during UK office hours. They can give you expert guidance more than we can.
Regarding your tum, in the past I've eaten & my children have eaten celery &/or asparagus when needing to get rid of something ingested. The fibre is good and the strings tend to 'wrap' around the little problems helping to get rid of them. The same works for dogs when they chomp up sharp bones. Worth a try?
I wish you all the best with getting some answers. In the mean time, please drink plenty of fluid and eat high fibre foods if you can. Peege
Thank you for your reply Peege, it means a lot especially in this period of my life. I will definitely go out and get some celery/asparagus and hope that would at least help a bit. Doctors keep saying it's anxiety but fiberglass particles are too small and clear for them to often find them. Even eye doctors can't see the tiny particles with the salim solutions and the eye lights. I feel so awful right now but your post made me feel a bit better. I will make sure to drink lots of fluids and try to eat the high fiber foods.
i no how you feel i have alot of the same smptoms my throat was so bad at the beginning of all this i couldnt speak i had to write everything down now it comes and goes i sound like a frog lol most days the specialist who first seen me told me my esophagus was burned due to acid its a long story i should of had a biopsy on wed but it was cancelled because this week i have fluid in my lungs i say this week because thats how it is and at first it really upset me the ifs buts and maybes but now i think well if anything is going to happen believe me im going fighting and every min from now on iv started to thing and behave posative because i have to i have people who depend on me and maybe they shouldnt but sometimes people have bigger issuses than me and if im honest i like being needed its always been this way ,it absolutly guts ya when things like this happen but i believe it happens for a reason so just take yourself for a walk to clear your head thats the worst thing you can do let your head work over time we all do it anyway take care x
I really appreciate your reply Dion, I'm really grateful for your story. I'm so sorry to hear you have fluid in your lungs, that must be excruciating. I currently am in a very low place right now but I believe my mentality will get stronger as I go into the future. Thank you for the very kind words, I wish you the best, Nathan
im sure it will i have bipolar so it can be very challengeing to stay posative but i want to be around for awhile yet take 1 day at a time thats all i do now and it seams to work take care x
Your stools sound as if you're having problems digesting fats, or eating a very high fat diet. Try chewing your food very well before swallowing, so that the reduced acid in your stomach from the Omeprazole can break the food down more. Also try reducing the amount of fats in your diet. If you already do these things, try some bromelain or papaya enzymes from a health foods shop and follow the instructions about taking them. They are natural enzymes to aid digestion, made from fruits like pineapples and papaya and mango - so try eating more of those too. Give it a try and see if this helps.
Hey Ergendl, I appreciate your response. I have tried to cut fatty acids and foods out of my diet, sort of successful with that. I will definitely try to chew my food better and I've begun googling about natural enzymes and bromelain/papaya. The GERD is burning my esophogaus, throat, and chest, with a bloat the size of Goliath's with bowel issues. I thank you again for your info, stay safe, Nathan.
Do you drink soda as that can definitely cause bloating? Going from constipation to diarrhea could be due to an inbalance of the bacteria in your intestines. You could try a yogurt with probiotics like Activia. It can take a couple of eeeks to feel the benefit.
If would seem that the exposure you had outside wouldn’t be in high enough concentration to do harm but then I am certainly no expert in fibreglass. I believe it is much harder for the lungs to clear fibreglass fibres than many other foreign objects. Am not sure if the lungs are able to clear fibreglass either partially or completely over time but an internet search should be able to tell you.
Hey Jack, I really appreciate it. I don't drink soda anymore, did a lot before though. I will also start buying yogurt with lots of bacterias as I think that could help too. I was exposed through home exposure for a few months, and now I've got terrible side effects. HVAC kept blowing it around unfortunately and now I reap the consequences. Means a lot for your concern, stay safe, Nathan.
Stopping soda and eating yogurt has really helped me but it does usually take a couple of weeks.
Why was there fibreglass that the HVAC system would be blowing around and for how long of a period did this happen? No amount of exposure is good but if it was a very low concentration and for a reasonably short period of time one wouldn’t think it would be excessively harmful, but certainly wouldn’t hurt to ask someone with more knowledge than what I have.
Hi Nathan, I cant give you any advice as I dont know enough about your condition , would you mind me asking how old you are, I only ask as you sound young and you should have some family supporting you. It is frightening facing these problems that you have on your own. There is alot of support on this site and there are people that I am sure could assist on the helpline. My thoughts and prayers are with you and hope you can find some answers, at least your not alone here. Keep us updated on your progress. Irene x
Hi Izb, I just turned 27 and unfortunately my family has cut contact. I don't really know anybody down here and it's taking a press on my spirit. I am really greatful for all the people to have responded, it makes me feel as though I am not alone all the time. From the looks of things it seems that during the early 1990's and 2000's it was said that fiberglass dissolved in the lungs. Now they are saying that it doesn't and too much exposure will lead to major lung complications. I will most definitely keep you guys updated, I don't believe it'd hurt to document the symptoms in case anyone runs across this. Thanks again, Nathan
HI Nathan, that is hard for you being on your own but try to stay positive and keep yourself occupied, join in as much as you can to make new friends where you are now. I do hope things improve for you. Irene x
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