Are you poisoned? The lead blood levels poll...

[dnotarianni]

I cast in a basement due to the cold weather present in VT. for most of the year. I also tend to drink alot of beer in the process. I do keep the beer about 5 feet away. .

Must have long arms

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I gave him a line of BS about Lead at work, I just don't trust him enough yet.

This was not necessarily a good idea...You don't really want him reporting your boss to OSHA if the tests came back high.

Yep, you're right. Sometimes I don't think things through enough.
Jon

[smokemjoe]

With lung cancer they tell no, but when the wife is at the mall and the doctors arnt here, guess what happens. a 54 year habit you can stop.Joe

[opos]

I'm 75 and looked at the "symptoms" of lead poisoning listed earlier....Here they are:

* Pain, numbness or tingling of the extremities
* Muscular weakness
* Headache
* Abdominal pain
* Memory loss
* Mood disorders
* Reduced sperm count, abnormal sperm

I don't need a doctor....I need to be younger...I got all that stuff and don't cast at all....

[MusicMan]

I'm 75 and looked at the "symptoms" of lead poisoning listed earlier....Here they are:

* Pain, numbness or tingling of the extremities
* Muscular weakness
* Headache
* Abdominal pain
* Memory loss
* Mood disorders
* Reduced sperm count, abnormal sperm

I don't need a doctor....I need to be younger...I got all that stuff and don't cast at all....

I'm 5years younger and do cast and only have 3 of the symptoms.

[smorin2]

My level was at 25 two weeks ago,my doctor requested another test one week later and it came back at 23. I was having headaches every day and severe fatigue so my doctor ordered some bloodwork and now i'm waiting for the hematologist to decide if i need chelation therapy.I believe the reason my levels are high came from cleaning the indoor range backstop and my tumbler not from casting.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

How much do the lead tests run when they are not covered by insurance?

silvercreek,
that's a good question. I do not know, but will find out in about a month when the bill comes. I suspect it'll be in the $80 to $150 area.

I got the bill yesterday, $493.00 for an office visit and the blood work for chem profile and Lead...it wasn't itemized. I called, Lead test was $82. And just to clarify, I have no insurance.
Jon

[Bluehawk]

Just wanted to add mine. I was getting my annual physical in late September . SO while there i asked my doctor to do the Pb test along with the regular blood work . I had just done 2 casting sessions one on Saturday and one on Sunday and my physical was the following Wednesday.
MY doctor called me on Friday with the results and it wasn't even mentioned. THEN on Monday after that she called back and apologized for not telling me about the Lead results . She said they were SO insignificant that she discarded them until she remembered I had asked for them , and figured i was concerned and called back . She the numbers were so low she would have figured I had had no contact at all with lead .

[alfloyd]

Well, I got my lead blood level checked again this month. It came back as 9.5.

Last March it was 32. Did nothing different, except not playing around in the sand bullet trap in the indoor range.

So I should be good now.

Lafaun

[willy3]

I've heard that very high levels may cause memory loss.... at least I think I heard that somewhere....

[JLDickmon]

I've heard that very high levels may cause memory loss.... at least I think I heard that somewhere....

I think it's really called "hypoxia"

personally, I think you have more to worry about from the lead compounds in primers, so caution is warranted during de-capping and tumbling, and disposal of dry media..

[Rocket Man]

I worked in the lead industry 16 years we were required to be tested every 6 months. Lead is 100% save unless your a nasty dirty pig slob. As long as you don't eat lead your fine. Wash your hands before you pick your nose. Don't rub your dirty fingers in your eye. Don't stick your dirty finger in your ear. Wash your hands with soap very well before you eat. Change your dirty clothes before you leave work don't contaminate your vehicle or your house with lead. Don't crawl and roll around in lead. It is not as hard as it might seam if your a nasty dirty person to begin with then it might be hard for you. The average person that lives in a house with lead soldered copper pipes and drinks the house water will have a lead level of about 24 to 26. My lead level ran about 25 the first day I started work and the whole 16 years that I worked there. I retired 2005 my lead level is probably still about 25. We manufactured anti vibration weights for Ford, Chrysler, GM, BMW, seat belt weights, and wheel weights. Now that the Auto makers are strouggling to save $$$ they leave all the weights off the vehicles they were on cars to make them ride smooth and quiet. Cadillac and Lincoln both have about 200 lbs of lead weights on the vehicles, back side of bumpers, under side of floors, inside doors, muffler hangers, seat belt locks and other. High lead levels will lower your bodies emune system you may get sick alot.

[Inkman]

I've heard that very high levels may cause memory loss.... at least I think I heard that somewhere....

I was going to reply but forgot what the topic was.






j/k.


Had another test run while i was in the hospital last week. Should know tomorrow when i go in for the followup appt. Was 16 a couple years ago. Interested in what it is now. Not too concerned, just interested.

Al

[dnotarianni]

As a result of this thread I had mine checked last Oct and had a level of 14 which was after scraping and painting an old lead paint house. Right after that we started shooting indoors in a range with lousy ventalation and my followup was 31. Was doing nothing diferent in those 2 months except shooting indoors so I am out of that range for a couple months to see what happens. When I say lousy ventalation, with 4 guys shooting centerfire there was a cloud down range. Will report end of Jan after my followup

Dave

[Whistler]

We do a checkup at work every two years and last time (2010) my levels were 16.56mcg/dl this year it was 13.5, nothing to be worried about at all said my nurse.

[DeanWinchester]

A good friend of mine, who is a member here but doesn't post much, has had some illness lately and has discovered his lead levels are very high.

Now, I didn't know this. He said the doctor told him that if he gets another checkup and his lead levels are high again, they are required to notify the Feds. Huh? Really.
Not gun related mind you, just they have to report heavy metal poisoning.

[felix]

Yep, you can bet homeland security is on that one. Nuclear involvement. ... felix

[dnotarianni]

As a result of this thread I had mine checked last Oct and had a level of 14 which was after scraping and painting an old lead paint house. Right after that we started shooting indoors in a range with lousy ventalation and my followup was 31. Was doing nothing diferent in those 2 months except shooting indoors so I am out of that range for a couple months to see what happens. When I say lousy ventalation, with 4 guys shooting centerfire there was a cloud down range. Will report end of Jan after my followup

Dave

Followup check last week was down to 19 on lead. Ventalation seems to be the key and cause.
Dave

[dnotarianni]

A good friend of mine, who is a member here but doesn't post much, has had some illness lately and has discovered his lead levels are very high.

Now, I didn't know this. He said the doctor told him that if he gets another checkup and his lead levels are high again, they are required to notify the Feds. Huh? Really.
Not gun related mind you, just they have to report heavy metal poisoning.

Probably not the fed but the dept of health.

Dave

[johnnybar]

Probably not the fed but the dept of health.

Dave

Exactly, hospitals, labs and doctors have a list of infectious diseases, toxins, and suspected injury or death causes that must be reported to state health dept's.