Apparently I'm allergic to cleaning supplies!

[lizbud]

Or the air fresheners. I can't use air fresheners. I can't breathe if I use them.

Same here. I wasn't always this way, but absolutely can not use them
now. I'd definately tackle the women if she goes near the cleaning products
again. Oh, and definately tell the boss about it too. It's a matter of your
health.

[Grace]

Same here. I wasn't always this way, but absolutely can not use them
now. I'd definately tackle the women if she goes near the cleaning products
again. Oh, and definately tell the boss about it too. It's a matter of your
health.

Actually, it might be a matter of your life!! Your boss needs to know, before you enter the store next, that these things can cause you to go into Anaphylactic Shock.

That place should probably be totally aired out BEFORE you enter again. If you're already having hives, you're taking a huge risk by going in without the airing out.

And give that co-worker your medical bills

[Karen]

I am terribly allergic to some cleaning supplies. Others are okay. If you have ones you use at home that you can tolerate, ask if they can use that instead. I am guess she won't care what she gets to use, as long as it's something ...

I have always been this way. At my last office, they hired a new cleaning crew who came and used Tilex to clean everything, and I literally had to go outside for half an hour as I was ill, and dizzy and had an instant and massive headache. After that, we just bought 409 to have in our office, which I can tolerate, and they used that.

My sensitivities are so bad that I used to need an inhaler if I went to the supermarket when it was late and they were washing a floor in part of the store. Anything with ammonia in it is sure to get me. And when I was in college, and a certain Boston MBTA station smelled like urine, I had to hold my breath going in and out or I'd be wheezing up a storm by the time the train came.

At least I am not as sensitive as my sister, who cannot even use soap without a bad allergic reaction. She uses Lowilla or "Pear's Soap" which is actually glycerine, not soap.

[RICHARD]

Please be careful and let people know you have allergies.

Ed's mom was allergic to latex...her doctors told her to take benadryl to counteract the symptoms....

As it turned out?

She was allergic to the dye in the benadryl meds and almost died from the reaction......

You need to be ever so vigilant when dealing with any chemicals...

[catnapper]

Is it possible to have a delayed reation? Thye hives have gone way to simply itchy skin. But my throat is itchy and making me cough and my eyes look like I've been crying for hours (they are also itchy). I can't stand the itchies!!!!

The good thing is I got hubby to give me a very nice back scratch today without so much as one little wimper or whine on his part

I seriously have never experienced anything like this. It scares me as to when/if anything else might happen elsewhere with different chemicals. They say your body chemistry changes every 7 years. Apparently this is my 7 year itch (yeah go ahead and groan at the really bad pun.)

[Grace]

Have you taken any Benadryl - that would help.

I'm serious - you should not go into that store again until it is completely aired out. Tell your boss about the symptoms - the hives, especially the throat swelling. Make sure they know how to dial 911.

[Karen]

The "7 year" things is just an old wives tale. A person's allergies can change at any time, as I am living proof. What do you use to clean with at home?

Talk to your doctor, describe what happened, and get an Epi pen to keep with you. Describe how to use it to a trusted set of coworkers.

And yes, a "delayed reaction" is standard - your body attacked that "threat" with tons of force, and it takes a while for all that to dissipate. It can take a couple days for me to "clear" from a bad episode.

[happylabs]

I feel your pain! I cannot tolerate a lot of scented things either. Perfume really bothers me.

And, oh my gosh...I think this woman's sister is working in my office! Mine jumps up every time a fax comes in and delivers it, usually to the wrong desk. I finally had to ask her to leave my faxes at the machine because same scenario as yours, I'd be walking around asking whether someone took my fax confirmation out of the machine.

She sounds like the type that doesn't listen when you are talking either.

Can you send her for training to another country for a couple months?

[catnapper]

You'll love this -- Clean Freak told my manager and coworkers that I am a Drama Queen Apparently, I was in a grumpy mood and used her cleaning as an excuse to cut out of work early.

Based on who it came from, I am simply choosing to ignore the comment. She's clueless most of the time.

BUT one of the higher ups called today and said, "wow, you sound so much better! how are you feeling?" I spoke to that guy Friday right before the cleaning incident and right after. At the time he was concerned how I went from sounding normal to all itchy throated in ten minutes flat. Allergies, thats how. And somehow, those allergies make me a Drama Queen according to Clean Freak

[Karen]

Hey, ask her to try breathing through an ace bandage wrapped tightly around her throat, nose and mouth for 20 minutes and ask her to react calmly to that!

My family used to compare allergy/asthma attacks to a boa constrictor squeezing tighter and tighter. And adding the itchiness and hives is just insult to injury.

At least as a Drama Queen, she's admitting you are royalty!