Can Long Term Exposure To Bleach And Ammonia Cause Vommiting?

Posted on Sun, 5 Jan 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 5 Jan 2014 Answered on

Sat, 25 Jan 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : i inhaled bleach and ammonia on wednesday night. it saturday and I've been sick ever since. can it have anything to do with the cleaners or has it been too long?

Answered by Dr. Praveen (55 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Do you have any respiratory distress Detailed Answer: Hi.Thanks for writing in XXXXXXX There is no specific management to your problem except symptomatic management.You will definitely get better.It might take a few more days. How long was the exposure to ammonia/bleach? Do you have cough/expectoration(sputum production)? Do you have fever? Do u have any difficulty in breathing? Have got any labs done?Are they normal Keep me posted. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Praveen (8 minutes later)

i have been vomiting- cannot keep food down. no respiratory distress or fever. mainly a tickle in my throat, a tightness and vomiting. it happened 3 days ago cleaning a bathroom. exposure was probably an hour. i have not seen a Dr.

Answered by Dr. Praveen (8 hours later)

Brief Answer: You need medical supervision Detailed Answer: Hi, I am extremely sorry for the delayed response. I deeply understand your concern. Both bleach & ammonia cause gastrointestinal effects like stomach or abdominal cramps.Since you are having vomiting from 2-3 days I suggest you to consult your doctor if its troublesome.Excessive vomiting results in dehydration, hypokalemia (potassium loss causes fatigue) and alkalosis(which requires supplementation of IV (intravenous) fluids). NEVER mix ammonia with bleach or bleach-containing products since it produces a toxic gas that can cause choking and serious breathing problems. Hope this helps.Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T