Blood Work

[LAH]

Got my labs back today. Lead level 3. Think I'll eat a boolit or two.

[oldandslow]

That lead level is way too low. You need to heat your pot up really hot and then inhale the fumes and not wash your hands before eating and drinking. It'll come up in no time.

Actually congrats- keep it low.

best wishes- oldandslow

[robpete]

I'm getting tested in a few weeks. I'm very curious.

[LAH]

My report lists 0-9 as the normal. I won't go into if that is wrong or correct cause I've not studied these things. I do know I've cast bullets since 1973 & have fired a very few jacketed bullet through my sixguns so its all been lead for me. Add to the fact I've cast bullets for hire over the last 10 years. I will guess from the invoices & alloy purchases I've hand cast close to 10 tons of bullets. This amounts to lots of bullet inspections which means handling them plus sizing & lubing. Also clean up of the work place means lead dust.

I purchased close to 3 tons of brass several years back. I sorted this brass mostly by hand & tumbled in machines just like most of us use. I add this because it is said you can pick up lead by doing this.

I'm having my lead levels checked every 6 months. I am stuck on 3. I'll not endeavor to instruct you guys on what is safe or what isn't. I can only tell you what I've done. I cast mostly at 750 degrees. I do chew gum & drink liquids while casting but keep from touching my face. When I finish I wash my hands with lava soap. I don't sweep my area with a broom, only with my shop vac. All this works for me.

BTW I normally don't shoot indoors.

[plainsman456]

You need to start eating more while casting.

According to some of the things i have read,one needs to be in another room when casting or another county.

Glad to see you do things the right way.

OH,i don't put boolits in my mouth .

[GARCIA]

LAH I am with you on this one.
Was pestered by my oldest son to get my levels checked.
Scored a 5 on the 0-10 scale.
No changes in the last couple of ones.

Tom

[LAH]

That's good news Tom.

[dakotashooter2]

Thats terrible... according to HHS you are sure to die in 80-100 years from lead exposure.........

[Cane_man]

what medical treatment is there if your lead levels are too high?

after i am done casting, reloading lead, or just playing round with the boolits i often times have a slight metalic taste in my mouth (no i dont put the lead in my mouth!)... anyone else experience this?

[LAH]

Not so much in my mouth but there's a difference in how my nose & area around my nose feels. You can have treatment for high lead levels but unless they are just really high you can change your habits & they will come down on their own so I've been told.

[DLCTEX]

Mine was 1 recently. I take moderate precautions when casting and smelting, nothing special. I add mineral spirits to my tumbling media if it gets dusty and dump it if it gets very black.

[mikeym1a]

what medical treatment is there if your lead levels are too high?

after i am done casting, reloading lead, or just playing round with the boolits i often times have a slight metalic taste in my mouth (no i dont put the lead in my mouth!)... anyone else experience this?
I've read of a procedure called chelation, where certain chemicals are put into your system that bond with the heavy metals, and are excreated through the bladder. The hospitals have used an IV solution. Several internet 'Doctors' are selling pills that are supposed to do the same thing, just taking longer.

Don't know what mine is, will ask the next time the VA draws blood.

[Lefty SRH]

My level has been 14 for the past two years and can't figure out why its that high. Honestly I'm really concerned with it at 14.
I say this too, I work with steel and other metals EVERYDAY. Some of these steels are exotic tool steels which get ground (breathe the dust) and get cut with conventional methods. I'm not convinced that the blood test ISN'T detecting some of the "other" metals I am exposed to on a regular basis.

[square butte]

I don't know a lot about steel - But I do know that some steels are leaded. Especially those used by Muzzle Loader barrel makers. Many use 12L-14. Very easy to work and will tend too split rather then frag. with a mishap.

[CAVEMTNMAN]

I installed an exhaust fan over the area that I cast boolits and vented it to the outside, hopefully this will help. I am going have my blood lead level checked this summer when I have my yearly check up.

[supv26]

I just got my blood work back today and the test indicated my level is at 4.3
I told my Doc what I was doing so he asked me to come back in 6 months and we'll do it again so we have something to compare it with.

[RDub]

Yea, I've been casting, shooting and working with lead in some manner for 40+ years now. I knew to wash hands after casting, I knew not to breathe when that cloud (the wind seems to always be in your face when shooting..) comes at me.. Just common sense precautions.

Well I got curious about all this 'hype' about lead exposure, so at my last physical I asked my Doc, very cool dude, to include a test for lead.

I'm on the engineering crew at a hospital. I get to listen to all the paranoia about anything to do with lead. It’s really funny.
Well, I show up where the phlebs take blood, and the little lib looked at the order and was dumbfounded... Had no idea how to do a lead test.
So after several phone calls they figured out what to do. That was funny..

Anyway after all that, the level was insignificant..

[jonp]

I'd stab myself in the hand with a pencil over and over until I got at least an 8

[GaryN]

Umm, I think pencil lead is actually made of graphite.

[jonp]

Umm, I think pencil lead is actually made of graphite.
jeez louise...

[mikeym1a]

I was at the VA Clinic on the 28th for a uric acid test, Gout. Anyway, I told the Pharmacist that I reloaded my own ammo, and was processing lead alloy, and casting boolits, and asked it they could test my blood for lead. She got a puzzled look on her face, said no one had ever asked for that before, and looked through her computer and said that there was nothing in there about testing for lead. She said that there should be some way of testing for lead poisoning, but, there was nothing in the VA computer concerning it. Oh, well.

[snuffy]

I was at the VA Clinic on the 28th for a uric acid test, Gout. Anyway, I told the Pharmacist that I reloaded my own ammo, and was processing lead alloy, and casting boolits, and asked it they could test my blood for lead. She got a puzzled look on her face, said no one had ever asked for that before, and looked through her computer and said that there was nothing in there about testing for lead. She said that there should be some way of testing for lead poisoning, but, there was nothing in the VA computer concerning it. Oh, well.

That's strange Mike, my nurse practitioner had a puzzled look on her face the first time I asked about 5 years ago. She too had to make a call to see if the lab could even do the test. I do NOT know how it's done, but is a component in the blood. She said they could do it, but only once a year. My last one was 7.0 1.5 years ago. I'll have it checked again in 3 months. Her first question was why? I said I make boolits from scrap lead, and then shoot them, so I was being exposed more than most people.

The acceptable lead levels keep coming down. For a long time ,(about 20 years back), anything under 40 for an adult, and 20 for a child was okay. Then it was cut in half. Why?¿ I suspect the EPA was running out of things to be afraid of, or had to justify it's existence. Easy way to do that is commission a new study, then scew the results to indicate we HAVE to lower the levels.

A level under 20 is just fine. Of course under 10 is better. It's VERY important to keep it away from a child under 18, during the growth and development of the nervous system. Pregnant women as especially vulnerable, the danger is to the developing fetus.

[mikeym1a]

I told my machinist friend about it, and as he has to have regular blood tests due to his health problems, he said he would ask his doctor about it on Friday. As a machinist, he is exposed to all kinds of metal. So, I'll see what his doctor says.