sick and tired-please help

[P. Robertson]

For the last two or three years I have been sick and unable to work after working so hard to get the perfect job, hours and everything. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivities and about 10 other diseases but I think that I have darkroom disease. If I do does anyone know of a doctor who knows anything about it to help me get better? Can I get better? I need to find someone who knows about it to get help for the right thing or I probably have no hope of ever getting better. I'm bedridden most of the time I am so sick. Maybe I just Have the things the doctors say I have, but I've heard of darkroom disease and would like to think i am being treated for the wrong thing and could get better if I was treated for the right thing. Please help if you know anything. I live in Utah, but I would go somewhere else if I needed to in order to see a Dr. who understands this. Thanks.

[neil poulsen]

Out of interest, what has been your darkroom exposure? Has it been color or black and white and for what length of time? Have you been been exposed to selenium toner, for example?

There's a book called "Over Exposre, Health Hazards in Photography" by Susan Shaw and Monona Rossol. You might contact one of the authors to see if they know of someone good.

[Donald Qualls]

From my (limited) reading, "darkroom disease" seems to be primarily an acquired sensitivity to glutaraldehyde, which is a hardener used in X-ray film emulsions that can become airborne in the high temperature, high speed automated processing of those films. Similar symptoms could also be induced by long term exposure to other aldehydes, the most likely of which to affect a photo worker being formaldehyde, used as a hardener and stabilizer in some brands of C-41 chemistry.

Everything I've read about it was based on New Zealand cases, but that's not to say the glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde aren't present in American emulsions and process chemicals. You might ask your doctor for a referral to a specialist in chemical sensitivities and suggest aldehydes as a possible cause for your condition -- though (again, from my limited reading) long term avoidance of the chemicals is likely to be the only source of genuine improvement.

[Oren Grad]

What specific symptoms do you have, if any, beyond feeling sick and tired in general? When did they start?

What is your line of work?

How much time do you spend in the darkroom, and what types of chemicals or processes do you use?

Why specifically do you think that you have "darkroom disease"?

Which types of physician have you consulted?

Who has given you the diagnoses you mention?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to see if there are any clues that would enable someone here to point you to the right sort of person for help.

[John_5356]

P.

I'm curious, why do you think photography is the cause? I been living with something simular for years but use a lab for dev, so I do not handle photo chemicals. I spent my savings on doctors that were no help at all. Are any of your symtoms digestive? Please consider the possibility that it could be diet and food allergy related. I'm not selling products or service, just ready to share what I've learned about the seemingly unrelated effects from food alergies. This is not the proper place for details, so email me if you would like my help.

[Dan_4341]

I have heard of, and known, people who have had similar symptoms, except their diagnosis was 'Chonic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome'. Please note that the symptoms are not just 'fatigue'. In many cases people have one or more of the following: muscle pain, unusual sensitivites to some chemicals and some foods, low grade fever, sore throat. At this time there is no known cause and no specific means of cure, however some people to do getter and even have eventually feel just as good as new. General means of getting better are lowering stress levels, resting more, doing just a small amount of exercise on a regular basis, healthy diet.

You may want to ask the doctor who diagnosed you about the above. If the doctor feels you have been exposed to hazardous levels of chemicals, then that's another story, and he/she should have referred to to a specialist or given you some ideas on treatment already!

[Paul Fitzgerald]

P.

Here's one from left field : a yeast infection. Ran across an article on a world-class and rated marathon runner who became 'the boy in the bubble' from a yeast infection HE picked up. The doctors never thought to test for it, he had most or all of what you describe. It was an easy fix once they found it but they were a baffled by it.

Hope it's a help, good luck

[John Kasaian]

My sympathies!

FWIW, in my neck of the woods(CA) if the local medicos can't make heads or tails of whats happening, they'll usually send patients to either UCLA or Stanford. You might try asking for a referral.

I hope you get well fast!

[Donald Brewster]

Your local medical school is often the best bet. They are far more used to seeing and diagnosing the tough case (they see it day in and day out) than your local internist who might see one such case a year. In Utah, try this group for diagnosis or referral:

Pain Research Center ° Department of Anesthesiology ° University of Utah
615 Arapeen Drive Suite 200 Salt Lake City Utah 84108
Phone: 801-585-7695 Fax: 801-585-7694

[Bill_1856]

TROLL! First time poster, completely off topic.

[Charles J Moult]

P,
My wife suffers from this and suggested the following.
I expect you know of this book: INSIDE FIBROMYALGIA by Mark J Pellegrino.
Anadem Publishing ISBN 1-890018-36-8
In the UK it is rather expensive. I dont know about the US.
It is on Amazon but I expect any bookshop could order it.
Regards Charles

[monique]

There are many x-ray technicians/radiographers with this illness. It is likely caused by exposure to film processing fumes. You can read my paper here.

http://www.moniquegenton.com/darkroom_disease.htm It's hard to find a doctor who can help. Many DD sufferers also have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and MCS. Some say it is the same illness. There is no easy cure.