About 3 months ago I broke a thermomiter in my bathroom sink. I dont think I got all the mercury out ( I called poison control and they said just clean up what you can, open the windows and shut the door and that its nothing to worry about). I threw out the thermometer in my trash outside and cleaned up what mercury i could find. I keept the door shut and window open for 24 hours and dident use the bathroom much for about a week.
But the odd thing is: I have anxiety disorder and get a lot of odd symptoms, recently I have had symptoms similar to that of mercury poisoning that im pretty sure are related to anxiety (Chills, tingling, ETC.). I had 2 sets of blood tests done and a urine test done (Not because of the mercury, but because of something else) about 2 weeks ago.
Could it be possible that I have dangerous levels of mercury in me? Or would have the tests picked it up?
2007-03-21 15:24:15 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
It is 99% impossible. There is not that much mercury in a thermometer. You had minimal exposure. When we were kids, the dentists would give us liquid mercury to play with!!!! We'd take those squirmy little balls of mercury home and play with them with a toothpick, trying to break them apart and put them back together, getting the stuff on our skin. As a nurse, I've broken quite a few thermometers (get yourself a new digital thermometer and throw out any old mercury ones you have) and have never had a problem. People live without problems with most of their teeth filled with mercury!
I'm not saying you don't have symptoms that are similiar to mercury poisoning, but they are either symptoms of something else, or you are doing a good job of convincing yourself that you're poisoned. Please put it out of your mind. You don't have mercury poisoning.
FYI, if they didn't test your blood for mercury poisoning, they would not have "picked it up" if you had it. Which you don't.
2007-03-21 15:37:03 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Mercury is only toxic if you breathe the fumes for an extended period of time in an enclosed space. This is why they told you to clean it up and open the windows. You are not in any danger from the mercury in your thermometer.
The people that are telling you to get tested right away are hysterical and have no idea what they are talking about. Mercury is in tooth fillings, it is in the fish we eat. The amount from a thermometer is not going to hurt you one bit.
2007-03-21 22:39:36 · answer #2 · answered by Wango138 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Elemental mercury is not very toxic. Toddlers have broken thermometers and swallowed the mercury. It can be seen in the intenstine on an x-ray, frequently in the appendix. They survive without incident.
The danger of mercury is that when it combines with other elements many of these compounds are toxic. The amount in one thermometer is usually dispersed enough that toxicity is highly unlikely.
If you have any handyman skills, you can easily disassemble the P-trap under your sink, flush it out well, and put it back. This is probably preventive overkill, but you might find it reassuring for your anxiety disorder.
In the past, tens of thousands of thermometers have been broken annually. To reduce this source of mercury pollution hospitals and physicians offices have switched to electronic devices to measure temperature. Inexpensive ones are readily available at most pharmacies.
2007-03-21 22:41:22 · answer #3 · answered by greydoc6 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have a feeling that the symptoms started right after you looked up what they were on the internet. Your fine! The blood tests would have shown enough irregularities to warrent a more specific test, since they did not it's safe to assume you are fine. + you did not come in contact with the mercury, & you followed the directions to clean it up > probably better than instructed.
Your fine!
2007-03-21 22:35:07 · answer #4 · answered by low_on_ram 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I doubt it. When I was younger (10 or 11) I found beads of mercury behind my church. At the time I had no idea what it was, and I played with it for nearly an hour. There's nothing wrong with me and I was in contact with it for nearly the entire time.
2007-03-21 22:29:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
dude, elemental mercury is not absorbed in the body. if you happened to swallow it, it would pass out through your feces unchanged. i think you are just being anxious about being poisoned. try a psychologist maybe he can help you feel better.
2007-03-21 22:41:50 · answer #6 · answered by yue 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it might be your anxiety. just undergo several test just to see if there is mercury in your system. mercury can cause multiple sclerosis. i suggest you undergo those test just to be on the safe side. i also suggest to take your multi-vitamins daily to boost your immune system. ¤_¤
2007-03-21 22:39:58 · answer #7 · answered by †_† 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You'd have to be tested the right way. You'd have needed a hair test.
2007-03-21 22:29:39 · answer #8 · answered by justbeingher 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋