Recovering from chlorine gas poisioning - any experience / advice?

[Gixxerman]

This, most of us aren't medical professionals and those who are can't give medical advice privately anyway.

I wasn't really after a medical opinion. I was just throwing the stone in the pond and hoping that someone might have done something similar (or knows someone who has) and they could recount their experience. Real life experiences can augment medical opinion as there prognosis is largely based on theory.

 

[Milkfloat]

I did almost exactly the same a few years ago - one lungful was enough to really get to me. I did not bother with A+E even though I did vomit, had I read the above I would have gone. It took a couple of weeks to get over it and I felt a bit wheezy for even longer. I think I am back to normal now. I am not sure how much of the effects were in my mind, certainly I forgot about it after a couple of weeks when doing exercise.

 

[ufkacbln]

Go speak with a lung specialist, s/he is by far the best placed to tell you...while a bunch of cyclists on the Internet, however knowledgeable, probably are not

You presumably need your lungs for a little while longer, so it's probably best not to take any uneducated risks

Is you dissing us?

Any fule kno that internet advice is far. More trustworthy and reliable than them so-called professinuls

 

[thecube]

I'm a synthetic chemist, I regularly come across Cl gas. I have used it from a cylinder, but normally it is generated "in situ" by adding HCl (concentrated hydrochloric acid) to Sodium Hypochlorite (bleach) - which is essentially what you did inadvertently (many people do this by mistake too). I wouldn't expect one lung full to do lasting damage. I'd be more worried with a chronic or long term acute exposure. Not even sure how they'd test your lungs, they could test lung function but compare it to what? Maybe if you see a gp they can do this and then in a few weeks test again to see if it has improved? I'd certainly get another opinion if you're worried and feel the gp has fobbed you off. But it may well take a few weeks.

 

[Gixxerman]

Well after speaking to 111 again, they got me an out of hours GP appointment at the hospital. Sats still ok and chest sounds fine. So I suppose it is just a waiting game. Doctor reckons 3-4 weeks until fully recovered. He couldn'r rule out any permanent damage, but re-iterated the advice given last week that it is very unlikely. Plus he added that if I had done myself some real damage, I would have been a lot more unwell than I currently am. I certainly will not be doing it again. No wonder it was used as a weapon, as it is quite effective. One breath has put me out of action for a week or so. So I can appreciate what effect a large dose would have.

 

[jefmcg]

(O2 sats were 98%, BP fine).

I wonder how many patients in casualty between midnight and 7am on a Friday would have such good numbers?

 

[classic33]

I wonder how many patients in casualty between midnight and 7am on a Friday would have such good numbers?

A bit harsh. If he'd mentioned he'd not gone afterwards and had damage, I'd say there'd be a few saying he was daft for not going.

As for the figures, I'll say myself. But far too often for my liking.

 

[si_c]

I wonder how many patients in casualty between midnight and 7am on a Friday would have such good numbers?

Probably more than you'd think. Surprisingly to me when I started working for the NHS Friday and Saturday nights after midnight are not the busy periods, most people come in then via ambulance.

 

[jefmcg]

A bit harsh. If he'd mentioned he'd not gone afterwards and had damage, I'd say there'd be a few saying he was daft for not going.

As for the figures, I'll say myself. But far too often for my liking.

Probably more than you'd think. Surprisingly to me when I started working for the NHS Friday and Saturday nights after midnight are not the busy periods, most people come in then via ambulance.

Wow. My perfectly innocent comment to chivvy up @Gixxerman has been taken as both an attack on him and an attack everyone else.

1. Of course he should have A&E, he'd been poisoned. I would have called him daft if didn't (eg @Milkfloat you are daft - if poison yourself so badly that you vomit, get you arse down to hospital ASAP)
2. People who are in A&E in the wee small hours are sick. How many ambulance patients have good blood pressure and saturation?

 

[Milkfloat]

@Milkfloat you are daft - if poison yourself so badly that you vomit, get you arse down to hospital ASAP

In my defence, I am a man, we are all daft when it comes to things like that

 

[Gixxerman]

I would have called him daft if didn't

Well you would have been correct to do so .
Daft is being very kind LOL. On the plus side, I'm starting to feel much better.

 

[adamangler]

Who would ha thought cleaning the pot would potentially be fatal.

Knowing nothing of chemistry I could have made the same mistake one day.

 

[Profpointy]

As a junior school kid we had access to an utterly brilliant chemistry book which I duly pored over. One of the expirements was preperarion of chlorine gas by mixing bleach and sodium bisulphate (a sulohuric acid substitue more readily available to small children). I followed their safety advice and did it outside. I wish I could remember the title but the book was truly brilliant and no small part of my ongoing love of science, though I eventually drifted, via physics, to a maths degree.

 

[Tin Pot]

Eat well, rest well and talk to doctors.

 

[Gixxerman]

Knowing nothing of chemistry I could have made the same mistake one day.

Please don't. It has nothing to recommend it.