Can cleaning products make you cough up blood?

[nocode]

Hi all,

I never cough up blood and now I just did. Basically I coughed up about 5 or 6 times and instead of the regular yellow mucus I have, I just coughed up what looked like little blood balls. The thing is, I have been cleaning my bathroom for a little over an hour and using a lot of cleaning products, then I felt a tickle in my throat and had to cough.

Does anyone have any experience on cleaning products leading to coughing up blood?

Thanks for any input.

Vera, 31

 

[believingjesus]

No I don't but my son came home for his appt. at the clinic and I sent him home with a box of those face masks for when he cleans his place so he wouldn't breathe in any chemicals. I hope he uses them. That may be an idea for when you clean next. I would ask your CF doctor about what happened tho.

 

[imported_Momto2]

I have never coughed up blood, but until we switched to all-green cleaning products, my asthma and coughing greatly increased on house cleaning days. It clearly had a very negative impact on my lungs.

 

[nocode]

Thank you for your feedback. I will get a medical mask for when I have to use cleaning products!

 

[dmac]

Yes, I have experienced that in the past. I, too, switched to all fragrance-free products, green ones when possible. It helps a great deal. Even if I wasn't the one doing the cleaning but someone else in the house was, the smells used to make me cough horribly to the point of bleeding. Now I don't have that problem. Although too much activity of any kind, cleaning, exercising at one time can bring on bad spells of coughing and eventually blood. So I have had to learn to pace myself over the years -- learn when to stop. It's not that we have to stop doing everything, but learn our own personal limits, and what happens when we go past that. For myself, I've learned that shorter exercise sessions but more frequent ones, works best for me. CF is a learning experience and we are all on this path together. Wish you the best. - Donna, 64 yrs old and every day is a blessing!

 

[nocode]

Thanks Donna! I will follow the advice and try to switch to fragrance free products. Do the normal (most well known) brands have the non fragrance type or do we need to look for different , less well known brands?

 

[Melissa75]

Thanks Donna! I will follow the advice and try to switch to fragrance free products. Do the normal (most well known) brands have the non fragrance type or do we need to look for different , less well known brands?

I second the advice to go for as much fragrance free as you can. One of my kids had a preschool teacher years ago who loved Glade Plug-ins and Potpourri aerosol sprays. After several weeks of twitchy coughing all morning after dropping my son off, I asked her to please use less of these things. It wasn't even about cleaning in her case.

You can use white vinegar mixed with water for most surfaces. I do use a Clorox product for toilets (the label color is green, but it is not a green product)--I can't remember what it is called but they sell it at Costco.

I use Seventh Generation brand: multi-surface spray, dish liquid, laundry detergent, dishwater powder. It is a little more expensive, but I feel it does a great job and that I'm exposing my family and the world to fewer potentially harmful chemicals. Not to mention irritating my lungs a lot less.

 

[Georgiagirl]

Yes, happened to me numerous times. Cannot tolerate bleach or ammonia products. I dilute tea tree oil or use vinegar & baking soda or I am not bothered by citrus. We also use fragrance-free detergent & free dryer sheets.

 

[dmac]

Hi, Some do come fragrance free but I've found that name brand versions of FF products still have an odor to them. Someone mentioned 7th generation. I used to use that but have since gone to Grab Green products found online. They have all sorts of things available. Also, Smarty Method brand seems to work pretty good -- I use their dishwasher pellets and they don't bother my lungs. I'm not sure, but I think they make other products as well. Anyone know about that? I use Green Mountain original unscented hand soap in the shower. (bar soap) And I use Dr. Bronners Baby unscented liquid soap for my hands everyday. It's "organic hand and body shikakai soap" but is labeled baby unscented. It's great for all day use. I have a big container of the stuff at all the sinks. He has a website online. I just decided that having to pay a little bit more was really worth it. These are things we have to use/smell all day long. So lots of brands out there to take a look at and it may take a few trials of different ones to find the ones that work best for you. Here's to breathing easier! Donna

 

[mamaScarlett]

For me, absolutely. I never cough up blood. Once in a blue moon if I'm forced to work with bleach based cleaning products I will have streaks of blood or even tiny dark balls of it. For this reason I got rid of all harsh cleaners from the house, but especially bleach. If there is mold/mildew somewhere and bleach is a must I try to have someone else come in and take care of it.