Quote Originally Posted by PamNY View Post
I am having the strangest problem. I have some sort of respiratory reaction every time I visit my friend's apartment.

It's quite striking -- coughing, feeling almost short of breath -- and it goes away immediately when I leave. It never happens any other time, and I am completely sure the problem is in her building.

Her building had new, cheap hallway carpet installed some months ago, and I assumed that was the problem, but it's been months. It stopped happening for a while, but was back this weekend. My best guess is the weather was cooler, and she's had windows closed.

Has anyone heard of carpet offgassing last for months? There is nothing unusual in my friend's apartment, and she is a very good housekeeper.

I'd be interested in any suggestions as to what the issue might be. I don't normally have this sort of problem, though I did react to new upholstered furniture years ago.
They redid our hallway at the office and it was terrible for at least 4 months. I don't know if it's actually the carpet or the padding and carpet mastic (that adhesive, if that's how it was installed, is pretty potent). I felt like I was suffocating and got a headache every time I walked through the hallway to our office.