Just thought I'd mention something really stupid I did the other day. I started disconnecting the wrong hose on the front-end of the car and pressurized fluid started misting out of the loosened connection. I thought it was a coolant line but it didn't take long to realize it was refrigerant when i noticed it was under pressure and smelled funky. I quickly retightened the connection.

I was exposed to a slight misting of freon for about 30 seconds. A few hours later I start getting nauseous. I spent the entire night violently throwing up. By morning I'm having trouble breathing and am having acute chestpains in my sides and upper chest as well as strange pains in my stomach. Scarriest were passing fluctuating pains by my heart where it felt like someone was twisting their heel into my heart. I spent the day in the ER where they did pretty much nothing but draw a whole bunch of blood (and probably carge me $2,000). This was 3 days ago and today is the first day I've been able to move around to any extend and go outside. I was also extremely dizzy and having sharp pains and pressure in my head up until yesterday.

Just wanted to share so you guys don't make the same mistake. This is by far the worst automotive related thing that's ever happened to me. That includes getting rear-ended at 50mph while standing still and having a jack-stand fail while under a car.

Take care you DIY'ers!

I had a splitting headache & very dizzy, so I know how that feels. Hope you didn't freeze your lungs. Take care of yourself, man. I know you don't need anymore hard luck for the rest of your life.

I felt the same way when I split up with my ex....

beginning in 1996 the health department realized how destructive freon was to the ozone layer as it was suppose to replace toxic amonia as a coolant. The fact that you inhaled it made things much worse for you. If it had gotten on your skin it would have been absorbed but not as quickly and not as much as you would have probably rinsed yourself off multiple times. There is a chemical within freon that fits one of the receptors in your brain that is used for monitoring your breathing and how much oxygen is being taken in by you. So with the freon faking your brain out there was a huge cut off in the amount of oxygen that was getting into your blood. Thats why you experienced the chest pains and dizziness, you kind of had whats called a conscious double where you are really having a mild heart attack and stroke at the same time, obviously not a very good combination. Im glad to hear your okay, believe the hospital fees are a small price to pay when you think of what could have actually happened. A few years back my amulance corp got a 911 call to a house where an air conditioner fell on a man and some how when it fell the freon was exposed. The guy was knocked out because it hit him on the the head and the leaking freon was inhaled and also absorbed through his skin. He died in the hospital. Definetely a nasty chemical. Glad your ok though. And I really doubt he will be fined 25,000 bogelo ;-). That law is more concerned with illegal disposal or leaks from large companies.

If the car is newer than 93, it was r134a, known as 'Suva.' Freon is Dupont's trademarked name for r12 only. I know nobody cares. ;)

I knew the stuff was nasty, but that's even scarier than I had imagined. Hope you are feeling better. :)

Man, even more reason to be thankful that you're OK Greg!

Bob

Click on the link for the <a href="http://www.dupont.com/suva/na/usa/aa/techinfo/">134a product info</a>.

just had massive headache/dizzyness.. the fact that it bonds to molecules in your brain is like, ick.

Kidding, I was always happy. ;)

or thought i did...