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Possible lead poisoning


AF2010

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I would like to share my story here in hopes of finding someone with a similar experience and to also warn new reloaders about the possible hazards of reloading.

 

Around June of last year I began having strange upper abdominal/stomach pain. It came and went until about August when it hit me like a ton of bricks while taking my kids fishing. I can not even begin to explain how terrible I felt. I had severe stomach pain accompanied by extreme lethargy and weakness. I could barely make the walk back to the car and remember thinking that I'm likely to die at any moment.

 

I ended up at the ER where they ran tests and ultimately sent me to a GI doc who ran more tests and found nothing. 

 

Meanwhile I'm dropping 30 pounds in just a few months because I can barely eat. I continued to feel horrible, pretty much gave up on shooting and got set up with a good life insurance plan in preparation for possible death. (I'm 28 years old by the way)

So...finally Around February I started feeling improvements. My appetite returned to normal and stomach pain reduced to pretty tolerable levels and I very slowly continued improving until today, where I am almost 100% back to normal. I just started shooting and reloading again a month ago and while sitting at my bench it came to me..."could I have suffered from lead poisoning?" I immediately looked it up and HOLY CRAP I had a lot of the symptoms and not to mention, right before I got sick I had just purchased a tumbler and was tumbling in my freaking house, standing over it, opening it, inhaling dust and digging through the dirty walnut media with my bare hands like a complete fool. I was also tumbling before de priming which could make things worse??

 

So I'm not 100 percent certain that I had lead poisioning, but it certainly seems that way to me and it feels incredible to maybe, finally have an explanation.

 

Has anyone here ever had any lead related illnesses? Does this sound possible to you guys?

 

I would appreciate any opinions!

 

 

 

Edited by AF2010
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You loading lead cast, or casting your own?  If they drew blood they should have seen some abnormalities, I would think.  Now tumbling in doors is dangerous , I tumble before depriming, but my tumbler is in garage and the lid is on.  I open it out side.  Eating green vegetables is supposed to be good for reducing lead levels.  I do not cast any longer and only shoot coated Blue Bullets.   

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I’m curious as to what kind of tests did they administered on you. The doctors should have done some blood work to find out any abnormalities in your system. Lead poisoning is possible since the dust is inhaled directly into your system because you were standing over your tumbler. I always put a mask and rubber gloves every time I remove the brass from my tumbler. 

 

I’m glad you are doing well now.

 

I always tumble outside. In fact, i pretty much do everything outside with the exception of reloading. I even clean my guns and rifles outside because I don’t want the smell of solvents inside the house.

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Never loaded anything but plated bullets. I had no idea that there was lead in primers until recently. 

 

Yes The greens!! My wife started having me drink these disgusting juiced green drinks. I began noticing that my symptoms were reduced around the same time, so I started drinking them almost daily and I improved steadily.

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It is certainly possible. I tumble and sift outside for this reason. I also wear a mask during the sifting phase.

Shooting at indoor ranges is also a possibility if you do a lot of that. Eating finger foods at matches can also contribute.



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Sounds like you had it bad.

 

About 10 years ago I found out my lead levels were elevated during a physical.  It had not progressed to the point I was displaying any of the symptoms you noted.  Since I was tumbling outdoors and loading only jacketed bullets, we decided it was a poorly ventilated indoor range I was shooting at on a weekly basis.

 

Still reloading but avoiding indoor ranges, my levels have not returned to the old levels.

 

Glad to hear you are on the mend.

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20 minutes ago, George16 said:

I’m curious as to what kind of tests did they administered on you. The doctors should have done some blood work to find out any abnormalities in your system. Lead poisoning is possible since the dust is inhaled directly into your system because you were standing over your tumbler. I always put a mask and rubber gloves every time I remove the brass from my tumbler. 

 

I’m glad you are doing well now.

 

I always tumble outside. In fact, i pretty much do everything outside with the exception of reloading. I even clean my guns and rifles outside because I don’t want the smell of solvents inside the house.

I had two CBC (complete blood count), upper GI scope with biopsies and an ultrasound. 

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I tumble in the garage and handle a lot of primers and bullets and my count is always low. I think shooting indoors A LOT is the biggest contributor. And handling bare lead making bullets lol. I'm not sure the doc would pic it up randomly testing blood. I was told it's a specific test so I asked for one and was pretty normal.

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I kinda doubt it was lead. I also have no other explanation.

 

Tumbling inside a living area is a bad idea, the dust will travel.

 

I've been shooting for over 30 years, lots of it cast, reloading for about 15, casting for 6. I melt down scrap lead, and cast bullets in a detached garage, tumble there too. I handle bare lead, range brass, tumbling media, and dry tumbled cases bare handed. Lead in its solid state does not absorb through skin, it enters through inhalation or ingestion. 

 

I tend not to care much about me, no respirator, not a whole lot of attention paid to washing my hands before grabbing a snack.

Tests no, appreciable symptoms also no. 

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Just to relate my experience: I had to specifically ask my doctor to include a lead test into my yearly blood work routine. As @Sarge mentioned, it is a specific test that must be requested.

 

Thankfully, my levels are fine, so I am good to go, but this should be a great reminder to all of us that we need to be tested regularly, especially if you shoot indoors and reload.

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8 hours ago, Beef15 said:

I kinda doubt it was lead. I also have no other explanation.

 

Tumbling inside a living area is a bad idea, the dust will travel.

 

I've been shooting for over 30 years, lots of it cast, reloading for about 15, casting for 6. I melt down scrap lead, and cast bullets in a detached garage, tumble there too. I handle bare lead, range brass, tumbling media, and dry tumbled cases bare handed. Lead in its solid state does not absorb through skin, it enters through inhalation or ingestion. 

 

I tend not to care much about me, no respirator, not a whole lot of attention paid to washing my hands before grabbing a snack.

Tests no, appreciable symptoms also no. 

Ditto for me, although I have been tested no lead in me.

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Years ago I was shooting bowling pins indoors and it was recommended that i have a blood test because after each session would sweep up with a mask.  Well low and behold my count was 63.  Went through all the tests and chelation therapy was out.  Had to take a year off and was checked every month and with each test it was going down.  Half life in blood if I remember correctly is 30+ days.

 

It is a special test that requires a specific tube for the blood draw. Think the glass is lead free.

 

Anyway get checked and you will have a benchmark to go by.

 

Jon

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Mine has been as high as 43ng/dcl. When I lived in CA I would get letters from the state department of health every year about it as it was a level my doctor had to report it.

 

As far as symptoms my wife blames any absentmindedness I have on lead poisoning.

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One of the local range workers had to quit working at the indoor range. He ran the firing line at the large outdoor range for years with no issues. When the local government shut the outdoor range down he went to work at a large indoor range with a great ventilation system. That indoor range caught on fire and had still yet to be rebuilt. He then went to work at another indoor range that didn't have as great of a ventilation system. After 6 months of working at the new range he had a dangerously high lead level. Ended up having to quit the range, quit reloading, and quit shooting for over a year and do treatment to get his lead levels under control.

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On ‎5‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 9:26 PM, 4n2t0 said:

Instead of assuming you have lead poisoning just ask your doctor to check your lead levels.

 

Very important to determine the cause of such serious symptoms.

 

If it was NOT lead poisoning, I'd make a serious effort to determine

what caused you to feel so poorly    :) 

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I hear tumbling with dry media is one of the major factors of lead contamination. I've also heard stories of people's lead levels decreasing once they started wet tumbling. Whenever I handle primers, I try to use gloves (latex, nitrile, etc.).

I use Lead-Off products when I shoot and reload. After a reloading session, I wash my hands off with their soap and I carry their wipes to matches where I will wipe off my hands, face, and arms. 

 

 

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On 5/15/2018 at 9:26 PM, 4n2t0 said:

Instead of assuming you have lead poisoning just ask your doctor to check your lead levels. I make this part of my annual physical.

 

This.

 

I'm glad that OP seems to have beaten the illness, but I agree that it makes a lot of sense to bring this up to the doctor and get a baseline to work from.

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On 5/14/2018 at 10:55 PM, AF2010 said:

I had two CBC (complete blood count)

 

They don’t check for heavy metals in your blood. It is a specific, unique, and unusual test for most docs.

 

Go get it tested now! If it’s still up over 20 and you haven’t been shooting much you can almost bet it was extremely high beforehand. And could have caused your symptoms.

 

I got up to 22 on mine, and at that point I quit running an indoor match every week. Shooting outdoors only, and wearing gloves while loading a mask when tumbling outdoors? It fell very quickly.

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29 minutes ago, RaylanGivens said:

 

I have a physical coming up and don't particularly want to discuss shooting with my doctor.

 

The 80 year old 280 pound lady he saw right before you was probably chatting with him about this rash over here near her naughty parts and frequent bloody stools.

 

I think he can handle dealing with a person who likes to shoot. 

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7 hours ago, RaylanGivens said:

What reason do you all give your doctors for wanting a lead test?

 

I have a physical coming up and don't particularly want to discuss shooting with my doctor.

 

Take the tin foil hat off and tell him/her you shoot, you shouldn't have to hide anything from your doctor. The truth will set you free!

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8 hours ago, RaylanGivens said:

What reason do you all give your doctors for wanting a lead test?

 

I have a physical coming up and don't particularly want to discuss shooting with my doctor.

Cast fishing lures/weights, do a bunch of soldering, body work on an old car, renovated/demo'd some old house.

 

Not sure if they have to report high levels to the state for adults, they do for children.

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8 hours ago, 4n2t0 said:

 

Take the tin foil hat off and tell him/her you shoot, you shouldn't have to hide anything from your doctor. The truth will set you free!

 

If my Dr. had issues I would start going to appointments wearing a USPSA match shirt & SNS Bullets cap. 

 

Just me though. 

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