I first talked about my sleeping arrangements on June 8, 2012. Is it any wonder that my back was and still is always out of alignment?
My metal cot and blanket mattress.
What do other multiple chemical sensitive and mold sensitive sufferers sleep on? I wondered about that. When I came from Dallas and moved into my new safe home, I did not have a bed. I couldn’t tolerate all the chemicals in traditional mattresses. My only option: an old metal army cot my husband managed to find and clean for me and cotton blankets. It took five or six cotton blankets folded in half or thirds depending on the size of the blanket to make my mattress. The downside, once I crawled in, I immediately sank to the middle. I was always tossing the blankets in the dryer for two reasons. The first being to help with dust mites and the second to fluff up the fibers. The first night’s sleep on those blankets was heavenly, they were warm and soft and fluffy. By the next night they were cold and matted together.
I ventured out and ordered a wood bed frame and a cotton futon type of organic mattress. I had it made especially without flame retardant chemicals (you will need a doctor’s prescription for this). When the mattress arrived it had a very distinct odor about it. I phoned the company and was told it would need to air out for a couple of weeks. Since it was summer time, I took it out during the day in the hot sun. By the third week, I still would get my mold reaction whenever I put my face into the mattress. I had to send it back which not only cost a restock fee but cost a fortune to send it back by freight.
The cot with the sagging wires and hard blankets continued to be my bed for a very long time. One day when visiting a doctor of mine I mentioned the mattress problem. He said many of his mold patients had resorted to buying air mattresses and letting them off gas in the sun and heat of summer before they could use them. I was possibly reacting to the organic mattress because organic cotton is not sprayed with fungicide and therefore can have mold spores in it.
My husband and I purchased an air mattress and baked it in the sun for quite a long time. Then I finally tried it. I was in heaven. It was firm and soft. It didn’t sag in the middle thus alleviating all the bank pain I had been suffering. Air mattresses, however, are not meant to be used as every day mattresses. After about a year, they develop a slow leak (which we can never find to fix) or a baffle breaks leaving a huge lump in the middle of the bed.
Aerobed makes a pvc free bed called Performa Lite and there is Kelty Sleep Eazy pvc free air mattress.
I am curious, what do others use or tolerate?
allergictolifemybattle 
In our motor home– we use an air matress that sat out in the sun for so long it probably weakened the material it is made of– & it is wrapped in several matress pads made out of vintage material that all the chemicals are gone!!! And sheets that are now safe– blankets that are safe– etc etc— for our home we have a king sized water bed— we bought the frame & head board used– from someone who didn’t use chemicals– & let it stay in the sun for a long time–& ordered a water bed matress & liner– etc etc etc– & let them outgas in the sun for a long time—the matress is covered with several matress pads that are safe for me– & sheets– etc etc– the water bed has just been completely heaven for us & has helped us to sleep better & have room to be comfortable also! In the cold months– the heated water feels so good on my fibro- in the summer months we don’t keep the water temps as high– we love our water bed!!! But we are both old hippies — I guess– as over the years we have usually had a water bed!!! Has worked great for both of us!! Most of our furniture is leather– or solid wood!
We had a water bed for the first many years of our married life. I still want to try and find a trailer or something that I can travel in. I am determined to somehow make it to my daughter’s graduation in TX. I missed her first college graduation.
Hi there! I have a question for you – have you ever heard of or known someone who had an allergy or sensitivity to the coating on pills? Not capsules, but tablets? Any info would be much appreciated!
Absolutely Rachel. It could be the coating material itself, it could be the dye in the coating, any number of things. The only way to avoid this allergy is to get the medication compounded.
Thank you so much! That seems like an obvious solution but it didn’t cross my mind at all – thanks!
Rachelle & Kathryn– when we owned a nutrition company many years ago– we learned a lot about other people’s products– & why we wanted to sell the all natural products we did– & many of the vitamin companies we found out to make their pills look nice & smooth & shine used carbolic wax on them– the same wax that is used to make your car shine!! You really need to know what you are taking!!! As not all companies do the right thing!!! 🙂 So yes Rachelle– you for sure can have a sensitivity to the coating on pills!!!