Can extended exposure to natural gas possibly directly affect the duodenum?

[Oiverbotel]

I've had a bit of a shock this week. For the past 4-5 years I have had increasing problems with my duodenum, compounded by constant nausea, headaches, sleeplessness, and even, which I'm rather embarrassed to say, occasional bouts with depression and even on a couple of occasions I have had the experience of thinking I have seen 'things' in my home, that weren't there. I'm actually quite a well grounded individual. I don't drink, don't smoke, and up until a few years ago, could proudly say didn't take any drugs. Today I consume an appalling amount of prescribed drugs - something to control the perpetual nausea, pain medication, headaches, - it goes on and on.

Two days ago I had an annual 'Corgi' inspection..(or whatever it's called now). Something amazing happened. The elderly inspector asked me to come into the sitting room. He had a look of incredulity on his face. He said ' you have a severe leak here.' I didn't know what to say. The man asked if anyone had 'tampered' with the boiler. I told him that for the past five years I've lived here, no one other than the inspectors (who have been the same company) have been near the boiler.

The inspector said he wanted to show me something. The gas pipe, leading from the mains directly to the fire, had been attached with tape!!! And not even a plumbing tape! It looked like a blue electrical tape. Furthermore, as he showed me, there wasn't even any groove in the pipe to screw it in with the mains pipe. All the installer had done was to hold them together and wrap them with tape!!

I was shocked beyond words! The installer told me I was lucky I was alive. Right now, all I'm thinking about is how many people around me, who have had inspections from this company may have died, and there was no way of knowing that the cause of their death was because of this kind of negligence.

I already had an appointment with my GP on Monday, so I'll be sharing all this with her then. But I would be keen to know if anyone has any idea whether the duodenum can be scarred because of constant exposure to natural gas. I realise it's different than carbon monoxide - I don't think that is the issue...but who knows.

I really am in need of some advice, but have absolutely no idea who to go to. I think this may be quite a major issue, particularly that over the past five years my boiler has been inspected by the same company and virtually every time, they signed it off as being safe. This gentleman was about 20 years older than the young chaps who came all the other times and I also wonder whether they were just in a hurry to get it over with and get on with it.

I'm a bit nervous about all of this, I must say. But I also have a great deal of anger, especially if there are elderly people who have been hurt as a result of this kind of negligence.

While the inspector went out to his van to get a welding torch, I quickly took numerous photos of the pipes for evidence, just in case they tried to cover this up.

Your advice would be greatly appreciated. I apologise for being so verbose, but couldn't imagine a briefer way to explain it.

[Oiverbotel]

Well, it's not just my duodenum. It's only that due to all the nausea, vomiting, etc I've had, I had a scan done with one of those things they shove down your throat. The scan revealed there was some scarring of my duodenum - no ulcers or anything like that, just scarring. I was just trying to determine whether this may have had anything to do with the natural gas as well.

I'm beginning to think that all of my symptoms have been directly related to this constant exposure to gas for all these years. I travel extensively and I've always found that I feel better when I'm away from home. But it may be just the fact that I'm so busy that I don't really notice what's going on. But it IS a fact that when I travel, I never require anti-nausea medications!

Thank you!

[Sqad]

You have had all the signs and symptoms of chronic carbon monoxide poisoning.

From a medical point of view I cannot see what damage would be caused by this incident to your duodenum.

[Oiverbotel]

Thank you for all that input. Yes, that was it a gastroscopy. Apologies, I just forgot. No, I did not have a biopsy. Ad for the nausea, indeed, you are right. Although it does take some time, I usually find I feel better as I'm away from the house. There has never been a discussion towards testing me for Coeliac Disease. Perhaps it's something I should pursue. But my mind is rambling a bit over all I've felt during the past few years which leads me to wonder how much exposure I've had. I usually sit within a couple of metres from the fire. It's one of those old fires that one might use in the winter, but also provides the boiler for heating and hot water. I've never lit the actual fire before.

Thank you for all your help.

[Oiverbotel]

Sqad - thank you. That answers my specific question about the duodenum. I'm now wondering whether there are separate issues - hard to tell now. The dizzyness has never been attributed to my duodenum. It has been a constant at home, but never anywhere else. I've found myself exhausted when at home, which is often the precursor to the nausea.

thank you again, all of you!

[lcg]

i certainly hope you will be making a complaint to the inspection company and hiring lawyer to screw the idiots into the ground! i also hope that your physical symptoms improve and your doctor will be able to support you both physically and mentally through this. good luck x

[Mosaic]

OH had a very bad experience while driving - vision turned upside down / tunneled - and GP banned him from dricving till he'd seen a specialist, who eventually diagnosed migraine.
On recommendation from a friend we got the exhaust checked out - lo and behold a hole just beneath driver's seat which had been feeding him carbon monoxide - plus at the time he also smioked so must have had a big shortgae of blood oxygen.
I reckon you've had this times a hundred and you should get a good old no win no fee lawyer on your case.

[Oiverbotel]

I want to thank you ALL for your good advice as well as your empathy. I've just returned from seeing my GP. She was appalled to learn of this. It was as if this was the final piece of a puzzle we have been working on for years. In fact, she recommended that I not only find a personal injury solicitor immediately, but felt this was warranted my going to any regulatory body AND the media. I have been the picture of health until about 4.5 - 5 years ago...the time I had this thing installed. Ever since I have been ill. My general nature is to be pragmatic about things such as this, but I think a bit of fear overwhelmed me this weekend as I started thinking about all the elderly who live in our community who may have had similar shoddy and dangerous work done. I rhetorically asked myself how many people have been ill and worse, possibly how many people have died as a consequence of this appalling complacency by employees of a national company.

Again, thank you all for your thoughtful and kind advice. I'm most grateful!

Fr B+

[Sqad]

Thanks for the feedback.