Posted by Ted (152.163.207.184) on January 18, 2002 at 11:50:51:
In Reply to: chemical sensitivities and CH posted by steven on January 18, 2002 at 00:31:07:
and people. Can't have clusters without people. Certain chemicals also trigger clusters for those of us already predisposed to them. But, as for the link to CH and sleeping on chemically-laden(Osama's older brother?)mattresses, it never mattered whether I was camping with only my leather coat as a blanket and just the ground beneath me or I was on a mattress in the environs of my home, I would get hit anyway. Always 1 1/2-2 hours after falling asleep. The link to sleep-patterned clusters is more tied to hitting REM sleep than anything else. Smoking can be a trigger from the chemically-laced cigarettes but I think the larger reason would be the intake of nitrogen. I actually never had a cigarette trigger an attack for me. But if I feel the shadows or precursors it will bring it on faster.
This isn't saying there is no relationship to chemicals and CHs. I believe certain chemicals do trigger, not cause, CH. I know I can't sit next to a woman heavily doused in perfume, for example, without an attack soon coming on. Same thing with sitting in a freshly-painted room. And don't get me started on what happens when I eat paint chips. :-) Anyway, while some chemicals may trigger CHs, I doubt they're the cause.