Can you get GI upset from cleaning supplies?

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My mom just had a bout of GI upset (nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea). She is convinced that an allergic reaction to Clorox Bleach/other cleaning supplies caused the symptoms.

Is it possible to get these symptoms from just touching/being exposed to these types of products. It seems to me that the product would have to be ingested.

If anyone has thoughts on this I would appreciate it! Thanks in advance!

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That's a very interesting question. I have never thought of that. If smells can make a person nauseous I guess they could possibly have other side effects. I'm going to have to search the web. I'm very curious now.

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Ok, found this website:

http://www.doi.gov/greening/sustain/trad.html

From the site:

Nausea or other gastrointestinal ailments: Gastrointestinal ailments can result from ingestion of harmful chemicals or as a side effect of chemical sensitivity or allergy.

I'm confused by their term of "ingestion". Of course if you ingest bleach it's going to cause GI problems.

I'm going to assume it's legit considering it has .gov and is a government agency. Maybe the EPA has more info.

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I will clean just to smell the Clorox Clean UP and Comet and Spic and Span and Pine Sol and there's nothing wrong with me.

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Specializes in Brain injury,vent,peds ,geriatrics,home.

You could get chemical pnuemonia if, for example, you mixed the Clorox with Ammonia!!That could kill you for sure.I ,myself have been wondering of the S/E of spraying airfresheners in the air. Ive been doing that quite often after cleaning my house.You could get sick from absorbing things via breathing,eating ,drinking and through your skin.And Ive always been very environmentally oriented.Im sure thers a correlation.

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Specializes in Diabetes ED, (CDE), CCU, Pulmonary/HIV.

I don't know about GI upset, but clorine bleach can wreck the lungs. When I worked on Pulmonary floor, I had many women who developed pulmonary fibrosis from using Clorox without adequate ventilation.

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The smell of all kinds of things can make me sick to my stomach, so it is possible.

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Did your mom ever figure out what was wrong?

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