almost lose conciousness

[ericrm]

something weird just happened
all this happened in less than 1 minute.
my propane furnace is inside the tool shed
so i was trying to light it up but was unable for some reason so some gaz was unburned ,than it lighted with a big usual woof ,i tough excellent let go on, than suddently i was on the verge of loosing conciousness . i mean 10 sec before everything was fine than 10 sec later im rushing to close the furnace before almost passing out... can the unburned propane did this? it wasent smelling much of propane ... now it been about 20 minute and i still feel dizzy.

if it is not the propane , i have been heating hydrated borax in the stove to remove the water from the crystal but i dont think that borax actually evaporate...
in the furnace sonner today i have fired a new crucible but it was this morning and i was feeling alright...

could the propane realy be the responsible and that fast?

 

[Lou]

Sounds like carbon monoxide poisoning.

You should not operate a gas furnace in an enclosed area without ventilation!!!

 

[solar_plasma]

CO-alarms are quite cheap (got mine for 20€ from amazon) and can save lives. I would take the possiblity of carbon monoxide poisoning serious!

We usaually try to explain phenomenons by correlating them to things that happened at the same time. I would say there is a big chance for it hadn't anything to do with your refining unless this happens again in the same situation.

Could have been a minimal cerebral vascular accident, a stroke, as well or ten thousand other things. If I would have the feeling of having a stroke, I would let someone near me know it, let him check my concious, memory and recognition, if I then find some evidence for a possible stroke, I would take some aspirin, O₂ 5L/min, at least drink a lot (if I have no access to NaCl infusion) and find me the next hospital to let it be checked. If it is a stroke, you can save a lot nerve cells, if you fastly get it treated by the doc....and fast means right now.

In case of possible CO poisoning, stop the source, get a lot of fresh air, O2 if at hand and not be alone.

...no advices...just what I would do.

 

[ericrm]

i dont use it very often because as you said i dont have ventilation to exit the fume but still i have used it before and i never had something like that happened. that was scary ,it hitted me without a first warning

thanks Lou, it is good to know that it is just a little co poisonning

solar it is an interesting point of view, i will see how it goes maybe your right ... ill keep that in mind just in case

 

[jimdoc]

just a little co poisonning

?

 

[solar_plasma]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_vascular_accident#Signs_and_symptoms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CO_poisoning#Signs_and_symptoms

check both!
If you think it's one of them, call the doc or emergency and ask for advice!

 

[Anonymous]

For heavens sakes a stroke? Isn't that just a tad dramatic?

Heaven forfend if you ever have a cough if you view things like that!

 

[ericrm]

just a little co poisonning

?

carbon monoxide CO sorry

 

[solar_plasma]

For heavens sakes a stroke? Isn't that just a tad dramatic?

Heaven forfend if you ever have a cough if you view things like that!

...most strokes will not be recognized, they absolutely do not have to be dramatic, but they do a damage which could have been avoided IF they would have been recognized.
...just the two cents of a paramedic

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah but I don't think I'm having a TIA every time is get a slight headache or dizzy spell either.

Looking for the simplest explanation before thinking about life threatening possibilities is at the heart of medical training. As a Paramedic you will know that. I think to start making comments about the possibility of having had a cerebral event isn't helpful here. It's alarmist.

 

[solar_plasma]

I said check the symptoms, nothing more. If there are no other evidences, - wonderful. Probably it's nothing. I can't follow your ignorant attitude. When I smell smoke, where I normally do not smell smoke, I look around. In every fifth case it hasn't been a barbecue! So what?

 

[rickbb]

Combination of Carbon Monoxide and lack of Oxygen. The sudden burning of all the O2 and release of CO in a small confined space = dizzy spell.

 

[rickbb]

And heating borax to dispel the water will release water vapor AND CO2, as well as the furnace burning up the O2 while releasing the CO. Again in a confined space.

 

[ericrm]

alright alright we will see if i log on tomorow,

before that solar_plasma you are right to look at all the possibility

for the others im not a man knowed to get to the doctor after each little thing that look unusual

 

[Anonymous]

I said check the symptoms, nothing more. If there are no other evidences, - wonderful. Probably it's nothing. I can't follow your ignorant attitude. When I smell smoke, where I normally do not smell smoke, I look around. In every fifth case it hasn't been a barbecue! So what?

Please do me the courtesy of not calling me ignorant. It's impolite, extremely rude and completely out of order.

Just because I don't agree with you does not mean that I'm wrong Sir.

 

[solar_plasma]

-Reread my lines. I did not call you an ignorant person, - never would. I called your attitude, and here I meant your attitude in this special case (I should have elaborated that further, sorry) ignorant. This is not a criticism, it's a fact that ignoring the possibility of an accident is ignorant. It is igorant to ignore something, that not should be ignored. Who says it should not be ignored? Well, I say it. Why should this be valid? Because I have an education, that makes me believe it should not be ignored. This is valid until someone comes along with a higher emergency related medical expertise and says something else. Though, I never met a doc, who would have said, losing consciousness (and almost losing consciousness IS losing consciousness, more precise a clouded awareness) is a cough.

You can think what you want. I don't mind. And I say, what I feel right to have it said.

 

[mls26cwru]

if you are still dizzy, i would call a doc or have it checked out... dizziness setting on that quick means extremely high levels of CO if that is indeed what it is... CO stays in your blood for a while, so i hope you are still doing okay if you haven't had it check out yet.

You shouldn't ever get pass-out dizzy... it is something you may want to talk to a doctor about :/

 

[ericrm]

im fine now , i still got a small head ach and a little dizzy when i sit or turn but by tomorow morning its gonna be a brand new day. i just finished melting the anode that i was trying to melt earlier and nothing happened so i guess that i breated one or 2 realy concentrated in CO air pocket ..... still very scary to see how fast that could have bring me down

 

[alexxx]

be careful buddy,
if you want next time we see each other I will give you a sniffer. it checks for normal levels of O2, CO2, ltl and some other thing I don't remember.

Alex

 

[artart47]

Hey!
Happy you got lucky! If you had there ,a volume of gas that had mixed with not enough oxygen to fully combust to CO2, but just enough to partialy react to form CO, the entire volume can ignite and produce a large volume of carbon monoxide in a very small space. Your face is right there and you suck in a lung of consetrated CO before it had time to dilute in the air. If you were in the room breathing, it could take twenty minutes to get that blood level @ppm. Near your furnace at the time ,consentration could have been 20-30%. A second or third breath may have been fatal.
If something like that ever happens again, don't waste any time , just get out to fresh air fast!
Glad you're OK !
artart47