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Hello,
We received an inquiry from a patient through our one on one Patient Support Program on BCG and the use of bleach during the initial 6 hour voiding period.
The patient’s bathroom does not have a window only an exhaust fan. Over time the patient has developed a sensitivity to chlorine bleach fumes affecting the patients respiratory system and eyes.
Can anyone recommend an alternative chemical to use instead of bleach?
The patients URO and the CDN Urological Association referred this question to BCC. There seems to be nothing on the internet on bleach alternatives.
Randy Smith
Hydrogen Peroxide is a bleach alternative. It breaks down quickly and doesn’t give off toxic fumes. It is easily obtained at pharmacies.
Also, the US EPA has some lists of antimicrobial products at https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/selected-epa-registered-disinfectants that may be of interest. Some searching may turn up other possibilities from trusted sources. There are some claims on the internet for “natural disinfectants” which would require some research to know if the claims are true or not.
Another approach might be the UV stir sticks that are used to sterilize water for drinking when in the wilderness. No chemicals at all. Or perhaps water purification tablets?
Hope that is of some help.
Hi Randy:
Have they tried something like COMET? It is a powdered form of bleach used for cleaning. I use it to clean my toilet and it doesn’t have as strong fumes as regular bleach but it has the same disinfecting power.
When doing the bleach thing with real bleach, I would always keep my toilet lid closed while “disinfecting” the toilet post void. I would leave it closed while flushing and for about 15-20 minutes afterwards to keep the fumes down. I too, have a sensitivity to chlorine but am lucky that I have a window and an exhaust fan.
The only other thing I can think of is that they set up a potty bucket with a lid in a room that has a window. Pour bleach or COMET in after they void and cover it. Open the window to let the fumes escape. Leave it for maybe half an hour and then pour the whole shebang down the loo and flush.
This is why I’d like to push for BCG treatments to be done in a hospital/clinic setting so patients don’t have to contend with retention issues, traffic- driving with BCG inside them or as above the disinfecting process at home. If required patients could stay for a few hours and let the hospital deal with the disinfecting.
Some clinics in certain places allow a patient to stay but usually only until after the first void. In Calgary, the majority of us are sent home with the BCG inside us because there isn’t the space for patients to stay. They allow it in extreme cases but the bed has to be booked well in advance.
I have always been concerned about the BCG going down the toilet and whether bleach can actually do the job and/or the hazard to our health using the stuff.
Anyhow, just my thoughts. ((((HUGS)))))
Randy over in Australia we have a product called ” White King” which is a bleach gel that isn’t strong in odour but has bleach in it plus Lavender to take the smell away, it works for me even though my danger voiding period is less than yours post BCG. My treatment requires me to be in hospital for the three hours and a bit more till “they” drain the BCG, Marysue is pushing for Canada to catch up with us. Best of luck.
Love & Best Wishes to all,
Paul DHello
I don’t use bleach. Living in the country bleach is not good for the septic system.
What I do:
– designate one bathroom for my use only during the six hour period
– use gloves. If using nitrile, double them as nitrile is not as good as one thinks. There is a heavier black glove that is much better
– flush three times after each void.
– after six hours, thoroughly clean toilet.Reviewed this process with the chemo unit staff and they are okay with it.
Cheryl
Hello MarySue
Nitrile is a replacement for latex. Those blue gloves they use in the hospital are nitrile.
Take care
CherylGood afternoon all,
It has been quite a while since I looked at or posted on the BCC site. I had no progression until lately and my Endo has recommended and arranged for BCG treatments. Also having a 2nd bathroom which can be “all mine” (I claimed it for a week after radiation treatment for ablation of my over-active thyroid), I was pleased to see Cheryl 9’s solution of 3 post-void flushes and full cleaning at the end of the 6 hours. I, too, will be sent home to “soak and slosh”, turning atop my bed every 15 minutes (I’m told). I’ll try to check in to all the BCC-BCG discussion sections but, again, I wanted to express my appreciation for the availability and kindness of this support group.After staying in steady “oh this is an bothersome but unchanging health issue” mode for quite a while, being hit with the BCG recommendation has thrown me back into “sad & angry” mode within the roller-coaster (after all, I never smoked but for the first 18 years of my life lived with parents who both were almost constant smokers – – indeed, my father was a tobacco wholesale distributor which, of course, reduced the cost of their drug-habit…..Did they know/care what they would leave me with 60 years later???).
Anyway, just thought I would check in and, if anyone has suggestions for further trolling of the BCC site at this juncture, all ideas will be appreciated. 🙂
Hi LM:
I have had to learn to make peace with the very same issue. Both my parents were heavy smokers and later my two brothers took up the habit resulting in a 4 pack a day habit in a very small house. The air stank and was literally a blue fog from all the cigarette smoke, especially in the evenings when we were usually all home.
When I was first diagnosed and learned that smoking was a major cause of bladder cancer, I was very angry at my parents and brothers. I’ve never smoked and to deal mentally with the fact that someone else could have caused my cancer resulted in me having a lot of dark thoughts – how could they do this to me? But when I thought further – this was back in the 60’s and 70’s, there wasn’t the knowledge about the dangers of smoking back then. Most adults did smoke and it was accepted that you could smoke almost anywhere. For example, when my mom took me for my checkups her and my doc would often sit down for a smoke and chat after I was done and here I am sitting next to them breathing in the smoke from two cigarettes – Go figure? Also, most of my friends parents smoked so that would result in us going from one smoky house to another when we played at each other’s homes. I don’t believe that my parents or my friend’s would have deliberately done anything to have jeopardize our health but no one was in the know back then.
I also worked in an office environment for many years back when smoking was allowed in the workplace so again, I was inhaling several cigarettes a day especially during staff meetings in the board room. By this time there was some knowledge but again, I had to let it go. I needed the job at the time and had to live with the risk.
When we had our last Bladder Cancer Canada Patient meeting in Calgary, I did ask the urologist that spoke at the meeting about second hand smoke and the risk of bladder cancer. He was non-committal in his answer but said that it was being looked into. I countered with the fact that it has been proven that second hand smoke can cause lung cancer so why not bladder cancer? He looked very thoughtful after I said that. So hopefully I planted a seed that may germinate.
Try to let it go…easier said than done I know, but it is pointless hanging on to anger from something in our past. We can’t change the past, but we can do something about our future. That is to live as healthy a lifestyle as we can and this includes the mental as well as the physical. Once I let go of my anger and bitterness I even found BCG treatments easier to get through.
Just some thoughts to ponder….Best of luck going forward with the res of your treatments. ((((HUGS))))
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