Symptoms

According to webmd.com the "symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning range from mild flulike symptoms (such as headache or stomachache without fever) to severe signs of heart and brain damage. Prolonged exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide occurring over many days may result in death. People respond differently to the same level of carbon monoxide. Because of this, carbon monoxide poisoning can range from mild to severe in different people with the same level of exposure.

A person who has mild symptoms usually does not even suspect carbon monoxide poisoning. Early symptoms can mimic the flu or a number of other conditions with similar symptoms, which can make it difficult for a doctor to diagnose. It is possible that a person with more severe poisoning may not even be aware of the seriousness of the condition because the exposure to carbon monoxide may cause fatigue and confusion.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are nonspecific and can be similar to symptoms of other illnesses. These symptoms include:
Headache.
Nausea, vomiting (often seen in children).
Dizziness.
Fatigue.

Other symptoms may include:
Confusion, drowsiness.
Rapid breathing or pulse rate.
Vision problems.
Chest pain.
Convulsions, seizures.
Loss of consciousness.

Some situations may provide clues to carbon monoxide exposure. For instance, if a family or group of people who live or work in the same building complain of headaches or flulike symptoms, these symptoms may be caused by high levels of carbon monoxide. Also, family pets living in the home may become sick, which can be another clue to diagnosing carbon monoxide poisoning. In the winter, unexplained headaches, nausea, or dizziness may be caused by heating systems that are not working correctly and are causing a buildup of carbon monoxide.
Delayed symptoms or long-term adverse effects of carbon monoxide poisoning can occur days or weeks after poisoning. The delayed symptoms or effects may include memory loss, changes in personality, disorientation, impaired reasoning ability, and behavioral or learning difficulties.

The Experience

Here is a copy of the email I typed on 11/20/2002 and sent to everyone I know.

"A long story, but for those of you who haven’t heard it yet, a very important one! The events of 11/18/02…

I woke up around 7:00 with a splitting headache. Thinking it was nothing but one of my regular migraines, I got into the shower where after a few minutes almost passed out. I got out and threw up a couple of times. I tried to call Tim, but his cell phone wasn’t working so I called my mom. I asked her to come over because I didn’t want to be alone. She came over and we called my OB. He said it didn’t sound like anything serious, probably just the flu, but to come into the office at 9:30. I had Tim’s office get a hold of his job site and he came home to take us to the Dr. At this point, I’m still getting sick about every 15 minutes. The Dr. did say it was the 24 hour flu. He figured it was a little more sever because I was pregnant and dehydrated. I was thinking I might also have a bad migraine because my head was POUNDING, my ears were ringing, my heard was racing and at some points, I could hear my heartbeat ringing in my ears.

Tim took us back home, went and bought some popsicles and 7-Up for me, had some lunch and went back to work. Mom decided she would stay and take care of me because I couldn’t take care of myself. I tried to sleep between rounds of getting sick and mom tried to clean my house and do some laundry.

After a while, mom started to not feel so good herself. We thought it was strange that she was coming down with the flu so fast, but she was having the same symptoms (dizziness, pounding headache, racing heart) as me, so what else could it be. She had decided that the only way she could take care of me was to take me to her house where we could be sick together. She started to gather my things and took a rest on the couch.

A little before 2:00, Rex (my dog) fell off the bed and started to get sick. He crashed on the floor and didn’t even have the strength to throw up. I new something was terribly wrong! At this point, mom and I looked at each other and we knew at the exact same moment what this was….CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING!! Mom was almost passed out and told me to call my grandma. I hardly knew who I was, how was I going to remember the phone number?? The only number I knew was 911. I called and cried into the phone “please come help us!” By now, mom could hardly move. I tried to open windows….she had opened the slider door to get some fresh air in, but it wasn’t enough. I tried to get her coat on her and we started to crawl to towards the door. I was still talking to 911 and stood up to get my shoes on (I have no idea why I was worried about my shoes). As I stood up, I started to pass out and fell…and accidentally hung up on 911. Only a couple of feet from the slider door, we crawled out and mom passed out again on the deck.

The paramedics showed up and started hooking us up to oxygen. We were taken to the ER at Butterworth and hooked up to heart monitors, EKG’s, had chest x-rays and went into hyperbaric oxygen champers where they pumped 100% oxygen into our blood. They listened to the baby’s heartbeat and everything sounded normal. I have a follow up appointment with my OB on Thursday morning where I hope to find out the long term effects of all of this.

It turns out that a PVC pope connected to the furnace had broke and the carbon monoxide was pumping right into the house. We figure the pipe had broke sometime between 6:00 (when Tim left for work) and 7:00 (when I got up). Normal/safe levels of carbon monoxide are 30ppm (parts per million) or less…but it should be 0. When the fire department tested my house, they read levels of over 600ppm. The doctors and the fire department say that another minute in the house and we’d be gone.

Things could have been so different. If the pipe had broken in the middle of the night, Tim and I would have never woken up. If I hadn’t kept getting sick, mom wouldn’t have kept getting up to help me. We would have both just slept and Tim would have to home to find us… If Rex wouldn’t have gotten sick, it may not have triggered anything in our minds and told us to get out.

We are fine today…still recalling several things and reliving the day over and over in our heads. We realize now that is was a series of miracles that got us out of the house alive. This could have been so easily prevented with a carbon monoxide detector, which is already installed in basement (thank you Alice and Randy). Tim’s having a heating and cooling company out to the house today to fix the pipe and Michcon won’t turn our gas back on until they’ve inspected and approved the work.

Please let our story be a lesson for all of you. If you don’t have a carbon monoxide detector, get one!"