I never knew this would happen...

[LunaSkye]

I am happy that I now have over 30 different bottles of EOs. I am especially happy that I got to try 5 different cedarwood EOs from Bulk Apothecary and was surprised that they were all stronger in scent than the cedarwood I bought form WSP.

However, I noticed that my throat feels constricted if I expose myself to too much cedarwood. I used 2 mL in a bucket of hot, soapy water when I was cleaning and my throat constricted from the smell. I wish I could blame one brand for the adverse effect, but it happened again when I tried to differentiate between Atlas & Himalayan cedarwood EOs (I was sniffing all 5 cedarwoods to get an idea on how to use them). Both brands contributed to my new problem.

As the tilte says, I never knew this would happen to me. I knew that any EO could have an negative effect on anyone, but what makes it bad is that cedarwood is suppose to be non-toxic, non-sensitizing, and nonirritating. I guess the moral of this rant would be to not count your chickens before they hatch. Has anyone else experienced a bad reaction to an otherwise safe EO?

 

[neeners]

I'm really sensitive to scents. EOs are super concentrated. if I'm around them for a while, they irritate the glands in my neck, so I get what you mean. maybe use less and see what happens? 2mL in a bucket of water seems a lot to me. when I'm cleaning I just drip like 10-15 drips in the bucket (if I feel inclined to do so...)

 

[Obsidian]

That almost sounds like a allergic reaction, probably not a good idea for you to use cedarwood unless you can do do outside. Lemongrass gives me a terrible headache and nausea thats lasts for hours. Its one of my favorite EO's but I rarely use it.

 

[cmzaha]

Anything on this earth can be irritating to someone. I have always hated products that state "non-allergenic". There is just no such thing.

 

[Jaccart789]

You are having an allergic reaction. Remember each subsequent exposure could lead to serious adverse reaction, such as anaphylactic shock. Your throat closing is very serious and you are lucky that it didn't as that to me indicates anaphylactic reaction. I would be extremely careful. I am a RN studying to be a nurse practitioner, so please take my advice and get rid of it and don't be tempted to try another brand in hopes of finding one that doesn't affect you. You should have an EPI pen as you may discover other EO can start to bother you.

There is a big difference from "side effects" and things bothering you such as headaches or nausea and something that is truly an allergic reaction, which this seems to be.

 

[Susie]

You are having an allergic reaction. Remember each subsequent exposure could lead to serious adverse reaction, such as anaphylactic shock. Your throat closing is very serious and you are lucky that it didn't as that to me indicates anaphylactic reaction. I would be extremely careful. I am a RN studying to be a nurse practitioner, so please take my advice and get rid of it and don't be tempted to try another brand in hopes of finding one that doesn't affect you. You should have an EPI pen as you may discover other EO can start to bother you.

There is a big difference from "side effects" and things bothering you such as headaches or nausea and something that is truly an allergic reaction, which this seems to be.

^This

I would also strongly suggest that if you are having that strong of a reaction to cedarwood EO, that you go to an allergy specialist with all possible haste, as you could be allergic to other trees/pollens. They are doing marvelous things these days with desensitization.

 

[LunaSkye]

Thank you for your replies. It makes me sad only because I primarily wanted to try a different pest control (Peppermint it #1 so far). However, I am grateful that I have a friend that will take them.

@Susie: I already have an appointment with one coming up (it's quite the coincidence that you mentioned it).

 

[Susie]

Not a surprise to me. I knew the second you mentioned your throat closing that you had way more than a cedarwood allergy going on. That reaction has built up over time from multiple exposures to possibly multiple allergens.

And there are some odd cross reactions from certain trees to fruits/foods that should have nothing to do with them. One example: I bought some cherries last year, ate 5. Within 10 minutes, my throat and the insides of my ears starting itching like mad, which is my warning of a severe reaction starting. After taking the appropriate meds, I looked it up online, and there is a cross reaction with birch pollen. I never would have guessed.

I am very, very glad you are seeing an allergy specialist. Please be sure to ask for an Epipen. And read the directions when you get it home. There is nothing worse than needing a dose, and not knowing how to use it in a panic situation.

Here is a link to a few cross reactions:

http://foodintolerances.org/non-food-allergies.aspx