Natural Gas and Arthritis-type Symptoms

It seems to be relatively common for people with chemical sensitivity to have problems with their joints.[1][2] I have chemical sensitivity, and certain foods and other substances seem to trigger an autoimmune response in which my immune system attacks my joints and other connective tissue. Some of the things that trigger my arthritis symptoms are:

• Natural gas
• Nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, etc.)
• Citrus fruits and citric acid
• Propane gas
• Pesticide

I have found it to be very beneficial to avoid the things that trigger my arthritis and connective tissue problems. For example, about seven years ago I had terrible TMJ and knee problems. After I stopped eating nightshade vegetables, my symptoms improved dramatically and rapidly.

Natural gas makes me extremely tired. When we were using natural gas to heat our home, I felt like I was so tired I could barely walk up the stairs. Natural gas also makes my eyes burn somewhat and triggers arthritis symptoms—especially in my hips. In fact, my mobility has been affected to such an extent that I cannot do grocery shopping or even walk around the house very much.

Some time ago, we began to use electric space heaters instead of natural gas to heat our home. We also recently changed our natural gas appliances (a dryer and a water heater) for appliances that run on electricity. Since we stopped using natural gas, I have noticed a marked improvement in my joints and connective tissue. My mobility is much better than it used to be and I can now stand for a significant length of time without much pain.

Costs

It cost a little over $1000 to switch out our water heater (including the cost for the electrical work). To switch out the dryer, we already had the wiring installed, so we just had to pay the price of the dryer. Also, heating with electric space heaters has been significantly more expensive than heating with natural gas.

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[1] Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Wikipedia, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_chemical_sensitivity, (accessed 05/06/2013) ("Symptoms [of multiple chemical sensitivity] are often vague and non-specific, such as nausea, fatigue, dizziness and headaches, but also commonly include inflammation of skin, joints, gastrointestinal tract and airways.")
[2] http://www.chemicalsensitivityfoundation.org/searching-for-elusive-cure.html.