Advice on fumes re painting

[Auntiesue82]

I have been diagnosed with bronchiectasis and used to use oil paints is it safe to use them now, I also enjoyed alcohol paints but the fumes were really bad for me, should I just use water colour or acrylic, this is probably a trivial question but I would love other’s opinions

[BreatheasyBe]

Hi Auntiesue I believe everyone has different triggers. Years ago I was having a terrible time with one exasperation after another and advised to avoid many things from paint to hair dye. There are now some allergy free paints- I haven’t tried them.

[Auntiesue82 in reply to BreatheasyBe]

Thanks I will look into that,so kind of you to reply

[Hidden]

I found oil paints and acrylics both triggered breathing problems for me. I also have bronchiectasis. I did try water mixable oil paints but didn't really like them so took a big step and switched to watercolour. A new learning process, a new skill...still learning.

[Auntiesue82 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your message, I was looking into techniques for acrylics and surprised they cause a problem, so maybe water colours are the way to go, hope you are well

[Hidden]

Hi Auntiesue82. I have had bronch all of my life ( now 71) and have never had an adverse reaction to any form of paint. Infection of viruses from other people and smoke are my worst enemies because they set off my exacerbations when bacteria take the opportunity to breed. Anyone with asthma or copd with their bronch will have their environmental triggers and of course, we are all different so you do what your body tells you. Don’t forget that you didn’t get bronch overnight. It was coming on over years, usually as a result of childhood infections or lifelong asthma. If you were ok with oil paints all of that time you should be ok with them now. Only you can tell.

[Auntiesue82 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks I am not sure I was ok in the past, it’s 10 years since I did oils but in the past few years I have used alcohol inks etc and actually asked a doctor in hospital if they caused the coughing etc and he said no, but I had not been diagnosed then, I always put my reaction to flu etc down to low immunity due to treatment for cancer, it was a scan with dye that gave the diagnosis after two terrible bouts a month apart

[Hidden in reply to Auntiesue82]

The mist begins to clear I think. The low immunity leads to susceptibility to infections. Repeated infections cause the lung and airway damage that was then diagnosed as bronchiectasis. The coughing is due to the infections and the bronch which you need to learn to manage.It will not have been the paints which gave you the bronch and will not worsen it. Infection worsens bronch.

But having said that, you may find that certain substances do irritate you as they can even ‘normally well’ people. So avoid any that do. Nasanasa gave you an excellent reply from their experience.

Please do keep painting, it is good for your mental health, get control of your bronch and don’t worry about paints making it worse.

You need to make sure that you have a really good bronch specialist. Find one on the internet, take the name to your GP and insist on a referral. GPs are way out of their depth and know nothing about bronch. They tend to treat it like copd which it is not.

Make sure that you empty all mucus from your lungs every day to deprive the bacteria of the warm wet environment that they like to grow in and get plenty of fresh air and exercise.

One of mycolleagues at Shakespeare’s Schoolroom where I volunteer also has bronch and is a wonderful artist in several media, including oils.

Good luck.

[Auntiesue82 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your very welcome advice, perhaps you can answer a question I didn’t want to ask, I am 82 had my two jabs and a booster what would happen if I got covid

[Hidden in reply to Auntiesue82]

Well we are considered clinically extremely vulnerable but my consultant told me that v few of her patients caught it and of those who did before vacc,not many were v ill. My immune system is already going like a train but as you have immune deficiency it could be different for you. I am still taking no chances.

[Auntiesue82 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, hope you enjoyed your lunch, so kind to have answered my questions so clearly

[Hidden]

Many people on this forum have copd which is emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Very different to bronchiectasis and with different types of exacerbation and triggers. It’s worth bearing that in mind.

[Auntiesue82 in reply to Hidden]

How is bronchiectasis different from the other two you mentioned

[Hidden in reply to Auntiesue82]

Just out to lunch. I will explain better later. Basically totally different lung and airway damage and different problems to manage. Therefore different management and drugs. BLF have good leaflets on bronch and copd I think.

[nasanasa]

Hello Auntie Sue, very sorry about your diagnosis.

Please keep painting.

I'm in the same position regarding oil paints.

It's not so much the oil paint, it's the solvents that are bad. I used to use a very smelly fabulous medium, called Liquin with oils but it's really not good to breathe. I also used white spirit for washing up brushes, also bad. There are less volatile things you can use, Zest It is good for cleaning up, and Gamsol is another product that gets high marks for mixing with oil paint with less smell. Linseed oil is fine, but will be slow to dry as you know.I don't think any solvent is good to breath in. In fact Liquin used to make my face bright red, possibly because I was hunched over my painting instead of having it on an easel where the fumes may have missed my face!

Suggestions, although you may have tried these, so I apologise if you have.

Water mixable oils with water mixable mediums, weird to start with but so convenient, there is a faint smell which reminds me of painting by numbers pots from childhood. Feel a bit slippy, I think they are too weird right now, and I also look longily at my tubes of Michael Harding colours....

With oils, use a standing easel next to a window ajar , so fumes go up and not on your face. I use little short brushes but long handled ones make you stand back and paint from the arm (like I was taught but don't). Don't sleep in room with a drying painting (silly I know but I have). And don't have painting too near radiator, gets more smelly.

Use acrylics for the underpainting, if you paint that way.

Use Zest It for cleaning up oils,, could wear a mask for this bit. I know people who use cheap vegetable oil for cleaning up oily brushes and then brush soap.

Don't have smelly oily rags lying about like I used to.

This is what I'm going to try next!

The Americans are really into outdoor painting with their easel boxes. Now, I don't want to sit on a beach with loads of people laughing at me, but I may just sit outside in the garden with it. Our weather is not really as kind. I may get a Julien easel or similar Pochade box on a tripod because can keep all the kit in it and use panels not canvases. Or do I just want to buy more stuff, I love stuff....

Sorry to ramble, first post, but thought you would like to hear from another oily person.

Good luck!

[Auntiesue82 in reply to nasanasa]

What a lovely message, I really enjoyed reading it and so informative, I think it was the alcohol inks and the 99% solution I used that finally did for me, I am a self taught amateur, so looking into acrylics and water colours. I may give all my oil paints to a friend as It’s better to hand them on and be in use, I gave all my alcohol inks away yesterday, I really loved those, but a new medium is a challenge I will be on you tube learning new stuff, thanks again and keep painting

[Alberta56]

Hi Sue, welcome. I was diagnosed with bronch 2 years ago. I totally agree with all the things other people have told you. I found pulmonary rehab classes really helpful- they encouraged me to do a lot of exercises, some of which I would have said were far too strenuous. Covid has messed that up unfortunately. I take Azithromycin, Carbocisteine and I swear by my AeroBika(obtainable on prescription) for bringing up gunk . Amazingly for the last year there has been very little gunk to bring up. I do the Active Cycle of Breathing morning and night. It sounds as if you are on the right track. Good luck in staying that way. 🙂🙂🙂

[Auntiesue82 in reply to Alberta56]

Thanks for all that info what is aerobilka, so you do the active cycle of breathing morning and night even if you don’t bring much up, you have been really helpful thanks again

[Alberta56 in reply to Auntiesue82]

An AeroBika is a small device you breathe in to then out through. After several breaths you huff and hopefully a lot of mucus comes up from your lungs. They don't work for everyone, but mine worked a treat. They are available on prescription, if one's medics are agreeable.

[Auntiesue82 in reply to Alberta56]

Thanks that sounds really good , I will mention it to my respiratory therapist, thanks again, best wishes,

[Jaybird19]

Nasana gave you very good advice, i react to perfumes and the smells of paint and petrol fumes ( I cough) so I use watercolours, I use acrylic inks sometimes but didnt react to acrylic paints when I used them . What you mustn't use is pastels . I loved those and had to give them up . Dont like oil pastels either so that leaves watercolours but experiment with textures with various bits and pieces that are available also pens now available with acrylic and ?water inks . Do you watch the art programmes on TV . Even coloured pencils can produce wonderful effects.,Staedtler do some coloured mechanical pencils as well

You will find something that satisfies.

[Auntiesue82 in reply to Jaybird19]

Thanks you mentioned some really interesting stuff, I have never been in a group like this before , I feel now I can make notes of all this new info and move forward, thanks again