CO poisoning... do I need to call a doc?

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D

Deleted member 4644

I was hovering over a grill for the last hour, and it wasnt 100% ventilated (it was on a porch closed on about 3 sides.

Right now I feel a very slight headache and feel a tiny bit dizzy.. will I be ok?
 
Mar 22, 2002
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Well, you're still awake and such, you should be alright. Do NOT fall asleep. Go for a drive and get some fresh air or somethin.
 

SmoochyTX

Lifer
Apr 19, 2003
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Originally posted by: LordSegan
I was hovering over a grill for the last hour, and it wasnt 100% ventilated (it was on a porch closed on about 3 sides.

Right now I feel a very slight headache.. will I be ok?
Do you have any crystals around? If so, take a few and put them in your pockets. I swear it works.
 

Gunslinger08

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
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I think you'll be fine. Just go out and get some fresh air. Breathe deeply for a while to get plenty of oxygen flowing.
 

SLU MD

Senior member
Aug 14, 2003
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you'll be fine, just stay in very well ventilated areas for a couple hours. Outdoors is best.

slu M.D.
 

Googer

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
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Originally posted by: LordSegan
I was hovering over a grill for the last hour, and it wasnt 100% ventilated (it was on a porch closed on about 3 sides.

Right now I feel a very slight headache and feel a tiny bit dizzy.. will I be ok?

You need to be put on Oxygen ASAP, call an ambulance before brain damage sets in. Call 911 NOW!
 

flyfish

Senior member
Oct 23, 2000
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You should be O.K in the short term, but I am afraid that the long term prognosis in not good.
 

SirStev0

Lifer
Nov 13, 2003
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Originally posted by: Googer
Originally posted by: LordSegan
I was hovering over a grill for the last hour, and it wasnt 100% ventilated (it was on a porch closed on about 3 sides.

Right now I feel a very slight headache and feel a tiny bit dizzy.. will I be ok?

You need to be put on Oxygen ASAP, call an ambulance before brain damage sets in. Call 911 NOW!

I dont know if you are kidding or not, but I am one hundred percent serious that you need to get to a hospital. They need to assess that you do not have CO poisoning. You do not just get better from a decent CO poisoning. Your red blood cells have a very high affinity for CO and will not give it up. That means no room for oxygen which means you are not getting correct amounts of oxygen to your body. You can die from this.

The only treatment to remove severe CO poisoning is a hyberbolic chamber which will force oxygen into your body. You need to go to a hospital.

I am an EMT in a rural area, I have heard some horror stories of people waking up to dead family members. Go to a hospital.
 

SirStev0

Lifer
Nov 13, 2003
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Originally posted by: eits
yeah, you'll be fine. just drink some water and stay in a ventilated area... go out for a walk or something for a bit...

You are not allowed to use the stethoscope ava and give bad medical advice.
 
D

Deleted member 4644

Originally posted by: SirStev0
Originally posted by: Googer
Originally posted by: LordSegan
I was hovering over a grill for the last hour, and it wasnt 100% ventilated (it was on a porch closed on about 3 sides.

Right now I feel a very slight headache and feel a tiny bit dizzy.. will I be ok?

You need to be put on Oxygen ASAP, call an ambulance before brain damage sets in. Call 911 NOW!

I dont know if you are kidding or not, but I am one hundred percent serious that you need to get to a hospital. They need to assess that you do not have CO poisoning. You do not just get better from a decent CO poisoning. Your red blood cells have a very high affinity for CO and will not give it up. That means no room for oxygen which means you are not getting correct amounts of oxygen to your body. You can die from this.

The only treatment to remove severe CO poisoning is a hyberbolic chamber which will force oxygen into your body. You need to go to a hospital.

I am an EMT in a rural area, I have heard some horror stories of people waking up to dead family members. Go to a hospital.

hmm I feel better now... should I still worry? Maybe wait 30 min?
 

eits

Lifer
Jun 4, 2005
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www.integratedssr.com
Originally posted by: SirStev0
Originally posted by: eits
yeah, you'll be fine. just drink some water and stay in a ventilated area... go out for a walk or something for a bit...

You are not allowed to use the stethoscope ava and give bad medical advice.

it doesn't seem like he's got enough co in his system to warrant going to a hospital. all they'll do is give him oxygen for a bit. so, he'll end up going to the hospital, spending a bunch of time in the e.r., put on some oxygen for a little bit, and then sent home with a bill.

he'll be fine... he just needs some fresh air. it's not like he was in a smoke-filled, burning house and saved by a fireman or something... he was just grilling.
 

eits

Lifer
Jun 4, 2005
25,015
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www.integratedssr.com
Originally posted by: LordSegan
Originally posted by: SirStev0
Originally posted by: Googer
Originally posted by: LordSegan
I was hovering over a grill for the last hour, and it wasnt 100% ventilated (it was on a porch closed on about 3 sides.

Right now I feel a very slight headache and feel a tiny bit dizzy.. will I be ok?

You need to be put on Oxygen ASAP, call an ambulance before brain damage sets in. Call 911 NOW!

I dont know if you are kidding or not, but I am one hundred percent serious that you need to get to a hospital. They need to assess that you do not have CO poisoning. You do not just get better from a decent CO poisoning. Your red blood cells have a very high affinity for CO and will not give it up. That means no room for oxygen which means you are not getting correct amounts of oxygen to your body. You can die from this.

The only treatment to remove severe CO poisoning is a hyberbolic chamber which will force oxygen into your body. You need to go to a hospital.

I am an EMT in a rural area, I have heard some horror stories of people waking up to dead family members. Go to a hospital.

hmm I feel better now... should I still worry? Maybe wait 30 min?

you shouldn't worry... sirstev0 is making a bigger deal about this than it really is. i think he thought you meant that you were LITERALLY hovering over a grill or something... i dunno... like, i think he thought you were constantly breathing in large amounts of co for an hour...
 

SLU MD

Senior member
Aug 14, 2003
471
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If you go to the hospital, they will put you on 100% mask (just breathing the stuff in, like an airplane mask). They will NOT, NOT send you to a hyperbaric chamber. wtf. gimme a break. i've treated numerous people w/ CO posioning, we give them oxygen for a while then send them home.

just be sure to avoid more CO exposure, which can be lethal if you continue to breathe it. So hang out outside, hope its not cold where you are.

slu M.D.
 
D

Deleted member 4644

I think I will be fine... I appreciate both sides of the debate... and I realize that ATOT isnt a great place for this advice. My roommate is here and I feel OK now, so I think I'll just chill. Thanks guys.
 

dxkj

Lifer
Feb 17, 2001
11,772
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Originally posted by: eits
Originally posted by: SirStev0
Originally posted by: eits
yeah, you'll be fine. just drink some water and stay in a ventilated area... go out for a walk or something for a bit...

You are not allowed to use the stethoscope ava and give bad medical advice.

it doesn't seem like he's got enough co in his system to warrant going to a hospital. all they'll do is give him oxygen for a bit. so, he'll end up going to the hospital, spending a bunch of time in the e.r., put on some oxygen for a little bit, and then sent home with a bill.

he'll be fine... he just needs some fresh air. it's not like he was in a smoke-filled, burning house and saved by a fireman or something... he was just grilling.


a bill? you dont think he has decent insurance???

And of course, it makes much more sense to just risk it and hope to save a few dollars... I mean, its not like dying is a big deal :)
 

eits

Lifer
Jun 4, 2005
25,015
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www.integratedssr.com
Originally posted by: SLU MD
If you go to the hospital, they will put you on 100% mask (just breathing the stuff in, like an airplane mask). They will NOT, NOT send you to a hyperbaric chamber. wtf. gimme a break. i've treated numerous people w/ CO posioning, we give them oxygen for a while then send them home.

just be sure to avoid more CO exposure, which can be lethal if you continue to breathe it. So hang out outside, hope its not cold where you are.

slu M.D.

haha that's what i thought... but, apparently, i gave terrible advice... and based on the fact that my advice was pretty damn similar to yours, you gave terrible advice, too.

:thumbsdown::thumbsdown: for us :(
 

Tiamat

Lifer
Nov 25, 2003
14,068
5
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CO poisoning is not a slight headache. When you are exposed, you will get a very nasty headache - one that is extremely odd and not like any other headache. Its very difficult to describe, but you know something is wrong with you when you get a CO-induced headache.

I work with CO in my lab as one of many reactant gases for my flow system and had to get safety training :)

Your slight headache is most likely from the other gases from the grille. As with anything that makes you feel different from normal, cease and desist.
 

SLU MD

Senior member
Aug 14, 2003
471
0
0
Originally posted by: eits
Originally posted by: SLU MD
If you go to the hospital, they will put you on 100% mask (just breathing the stuff in, like an airplane mask). They will NOT, NOT send you to a hyperbaric chamber. wtf. gimme a break. i've treated numerous people w/ CO posioning, we give them oxygen for a while then send them home.

just be sure to avoid more CO exposure, which can be lethal if you continue to breathe it. So hang out outside, hope its not cold where you are.

slu M.D.

haha that's what i thought... but, apparently, i gave terrible advice... and based on the fact that my advice was pretty damn similar to yours, you gave terrible advice, too.

:thumbsdown::thumbsdown: for us :(

no doubt, ha. I wish people unfamiliar with medicine wouldnt post about things they dont understand. I heard a horror story crap doesnt cut it, but i guess thats what happens on internet forums. No offense to the EMT guy, I understand you are being safe, but hospital is unecessary in this instance. night all

slu M.D.

/end thread.
 

eits

Lifer
Jun 4, 2005
25,015
3
81
www.integratedssr.com
Originally posted by: Tiamat
CO poisoning is not a slight headache. When you are exposed, you will get a very nasty headache - one that is extremely odd and not like any other headache. Its very difficult to describe, but you know something is wrong with you when you get a CO-induced headache.

I work with CO in my lab as one of many reactant gases for my flow system and had to get safety training :)

Your slight headache is most likely from the other gases from the grille.

and heat.