Forums > Social Chat > .....possible kerosene poisoning? -- help : /

Posted: 24th Jan 2010
Damn thats awful. How long does it take for the spots to go away? A new fuel would definitely be in order!

"Are you sure it's safe to drink bleach?"
"Yes, bleach is 90% water, we are 90% water, therefore: we are bleach."
-Nathan Explosion, Metalocalypse

Posted: 25th Jan 2010
There’s a fair to middling chance the paraffin (kerosene) is not as pure as what you normally work with,
and 5-8 times a night for 16 consecutive nights is a heck of a lot to expose your self too a toxic substance.
If you can don’t do anything with fire for a few days see what happens.

Posted: 25th Jan 2010
Consult a medical professional straight away, we dont want you dropping dead

But yes you should get a gas mask like the spray painters use if you're going to spin that frequently.

And defiantly use a different fuel, preferably one not from a bowser

Woodsy:Down with the sound, and the people will all yell: "POWER IS MEASURED IN, DECIBEL".
Poje: not Joules?
Woodsy: No...Never

Posted: 27th Jan 2010
The MSDS states that you'll get redness, itching and pain from skin contact (I'm looking at a generic one that I have next to me). Are you wearing anything on your top when you're spinning? Inhalation causes a headache amoung other things.

The best thing you can do is take a break for a while and let your body recover, swapping to a different fuel is likely to have the same affect in the long term for the level of your exposure.

There is a slight possibility that I am not actually right all of the time.

Posted: 27th Jan 2010
Ontop of what Eera said, i would still consult a medical professional about poisoning though. I wouldnt take the risk.

Woodsy:Down with the sound, and the people will all yell: "POWER IS MEASURED IN, DECIBEL".
Poje: not Joules?
Woodsy: No...Never

Posted: 27th Jan 2010
I have only one word I CAN say for you:

Doctor

The only luck is bad luck.

Shut up before I stall my poi up your ass

Posted: 27th Jan 2010
you will want to wear sleaves ive broken out in a way before with bare skin and wraps but i figured it was a combo of my rigs were older kindof letting some of its fiber glass out and kero

Posted: 28th Jan 2010
Thanks so much, everyone, for your replies!

So I went on a bit of a mission to the nearest big town to see a doctor, was somewhat concerned initially that I might end up seeing some kind of witch-doctor or something but they were running a fairly slick operation. Doctor I ended up seeing spoke good English too, had just come back from a year in Sydney.

So he took a look at the spots. Nausea? No. Vertigo? No. Looked in my mouth briefly. Blood pressure. Took some blood. The blood came back normal except for something called C-Reactive-Protein being inflamed. Diagnosis: Dermatitis caused by an allergic/toxic reaction. Prescription: Antihistamines and a topical cream....

So this would seem like the usual doctors strategy of treating the symptoms........ Meanwhile, I've found a place that has a sauna, so I've been doing +30mins in there each day. Also on tons of fluids and just otherwise being super healthy (heaps of fresh fruit n veg, green tea for the antioxidants, lots of vitamins, these funky digestive minerals and I don't drink alcohol or smoke [cigarettes] anyway)....

Somehow I think my body knows what it's doing, it's doing it's best to push these toxins out and I don't expect that to happen overnight.

Other than that, the next time someone comes up from Saigon, I'll get them to find me a proper respirator (as I couldn't find any at the hardware stores in Phan Thiet) and, in lieu of long sleeves (it's hot as here!), I'm gonna coat myself in a layer of coconut butter......

In conclusion: 16 nights in a row doing shows is _too much!_.....

So it's everything in moderation, right?...... (especially moderation!)

Much love, all........ And joyous spinning!

Sincerely and (still) spottily yours,
sven aka starFury

Posted: 28th Jan 2010
Well thats good that you're okay. Sucks that you had it, but thank god its nothing serious >.<'

Woodsy:Down with the sound, and the people will all yell: "POWER IS MEASURED IN, DECIBEL".
Poje: not Joules?
Woodsy: No...Never

Posted: 29th Jan 2010
The respirator sounds like a good idea, It'll look kinda funny though..Since the doctor diagnosed it as an allergic reaction, have you considered that you may be reacting to something other than the fuel?

Posted: 29th Jan 2010
re. the respirator: i go for a bit of a ninja look anyway, so, once i paint it black, i think the respirator might just fit right in......

and yeah, Stout, i have considered it might be something else, but the only thing i've done at all differently over this past month is the excessive fire-dancing...... : /

Posted: 30th Jan 2010
Just wondering..because you said you'd been there two weeks. Could be a switch of laundary detergent, some trees giving off pollen, something specific to the that area.

I thinking that if the Doc reccomended a cream as well as antihistamines he may be thinking it's something your getting on you, rather than in you.

I'm wondering whether the coconut oil will cut it as the kero may be soluable in the oil and cut right through it. if it's contact dermatatis and this stuff is getting on your skin I can't see any other solution than braving the extra warmth and going for long sleeves, long pants.

Posted: 18th Feb 2010
so it's been about 3 weeks now..... i stopped spinning with the kerosene, stopped spinning altogether with fire..... but the headaches haven't gotten any better and the spots r persisting..... i decided to come home so i'm back in australia again, home with my family..... all the doctors i've seen seem to agree it's definitely a toxic reaction, so i guess i have some form of kerosene poisoning..... now i just gotta let my body do it's thing..... so i'm in full-blown detox mode tho, i'm hoping to see some improvement in a couple of weeks if not sooner..... ~fingers crossed~