Varnish/Lacquer "dry time" question

[Gidney N Cloyd]

How long should it take for a newly stained and varnished hardwood chair to stop giving off fumes? I gave myself a splitting headache over the weekend apparently because a chair I varnished about 10 days ago is still putting out fumes. I had it in the garage most of that time then brought it inside Friday night to make room for the weekend projects. By Sunday afternoon (when I put it back in the garage and opened the windows) my head hurt and everything I ate for dinner tasted like cardboard.

I used an Ace Hardware poly semi-gloss which I've used before. The chair has been dry to the touch almost since the day I put the varnish on it. What gives? I've refinished plenty of things in the past, just not in the last couple years so maybe I forgot a step. Any ideas?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

1. Anyone?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

2. You'll miss me when I'm VOC DOA...

[seemunkee]

3. If it was a poly then its not varnish

Which is it? Varnish takes longer but I'm surprised if its been 10 days. I would give it 3-4 days and be done with it. Poly should set up in a day or two.
Have you experienced sensitivity like this before?