Multiple Chemical Sensitivity & Fibromyalgia

Published: // Updated: March 13, 2021

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Do strong odors make you feel sick? Chemical smells from things like perfume, cleaning products, bleach, air fresheners, gasoline, and smoke can cause severe reactions in a lot of people. Especially for those of us who have Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Over 60% of us who have those conditions also have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).

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What Is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity?

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome is a disorder that appears to be triggered by low-level exposure to multiple chemicals that are found in the environment -in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the products we use.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences defines MCS as a “chronic, recurring disease caused by a person’s inability to tolerate an environmental chemical or class of foreign chemicals.”

The chemically sensitive person can react to tiny amounts of a chemical that do not bother other people. Most often chemicals trigger symptoms with their smells. Some trigger symptoms upon physical contact, while others must be ingested.

Problem chemicals often include:

  • Fragrances in air fresheners, cleaning products, perfumes, candles, and hygiene products
  • Smoke from cigarettes, burning wood or leaves
  • Fumes from paint, gasoline or industrial products
  • Chemicals in food, tap water and medications

There are a number of other names for MCS including environmental illness, idiopathic environmental illness, 20th century disease, total allergy syndrome and chemical AIDS. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity affects millions of people, but has been pretty much rejected as a legitimate illness.

MCS is not considered to be a distinct disorder by the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), or the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Despite this, MCS is recognized by the Americans with Disabilities Act, Social Security Administration, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as well as other state and national government agencies.

Symptoms Of MCS

There are no specific set of symptoms that clearly distinguish MCS from other conditions such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Because these conditions often overlap, some researchers believe they are all part of a family of illnesses called central sensitivity syndromes, or CSS.

The symptoms of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity affect all systems in the body including the respiratory, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, immune and central nervous systems and the skin. Symptoms can vary from person to person and range from mild to disabling.

Most sufferers of MCS complain of several of the following symptoms:

  • burning, stinging eyes
  • wheezing, breathlessness
  • extreme fatigue
  • headache, migraine, vertigo, dizziness, nausea
  • poor memory and concentration
  • runny or stuffy nose
  • sore throat, cough
  • sinus problems
  • skin rashes and/or itching skin
  • sensitivity to light and/or noise
  • sleeping problems
  • digestive upset
  • muscle and/or joint pain

MCS is reported as being a problem for between 11 to 16 percent of the American population. Over 60 percent of those with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Gulf War Syndrome are sensitive to chemicals. Three to five percent are disabled by chemical sensitivities.

People who have pre-existing asthma and allergies also have an increased risk of developing multiple chemical sensitivity. Some experts believe 40 percent of the population may be affected, although they may not realize their symptoms are related to chemical exposure.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Diagnostic Criteria

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome was first described in the 1950’s and was given a medical description in 1989. Six criteria for the diagnosis of MCS were identified which include:

  1. The symptoms are reproducible with repeated chemical exposure
  2. The condition is chronic.
  3. Symptoms recur in response to lower levels of chemicals than previously tolerated.
  4. Symptoms appear in response to multiple chemically unrelated substances.
  5. Symptoms improve or resolve when chemical irritants are removed.
  6. Multiple organ systems are affected.

There are no reliable tests to help diagnose MCS at this time. Like fibromyalgia, MCS is a diagnosis of exclusion.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Treatment

Finding a doctor who recognizes MCS is a challenge. Many experts and major medical organizations believe that multiple chemical sensitivity should not be considered a recognized clinical syndrome. They have stated that the connection between the patient’s symptoms and environmental exposures are speculative and evidence of disease is lacking. Therefore, treatment is also lacking. People often have to find solutions on their own.

Some of those solutions include:

  • Avoid exposure – Avoiding chemical exposure is the most effective treatment for MCS. Because there are so many chemicals in our environment, it may be hard to know which ones bother you. One strategy is to try to reduce your exposure to as many chemicals that you don’t need to be exposed to as possible.
  • Purify your environment – It is important to keep your environment as free of chemicals and other irritants as possible. You can use air purifiers and minimize materials and objects in your home that can trap odors and dust. Install water filters in your home. Switch to non-toxic, fragrance-free personal products, household cleaners, and laundry products.
  • Clean up your diet – Proper nutrition and healthy eating habits are crucial. Eat organic products when possible. Avoid processed foods, food additives, sugar and artificial sweeteners. Also, any nutritional supplements and vitamins you take should be high-quality and hypoallergenic. Some experts recommend a rotation diet to help identify foods which could be causing you problems.
  • Detoxify – Decrease toxic overload with foods, vitamins, and supplements that strengthen your body’s natural detoxification mechanisms. Sweating also eliminates toxins from the body, so any activity that makes you sweat will help. Sauna therapy can be used to increase sweat production and release toxins from the body.

Due to the uncertainty surrounding MCS, it is often up to individual sufferers to determine what brings them the most relief from symptoms. You can find tips for living with environmental illness at MCS-America.org

The Reality Of Chemical Sensitivity

It may be impossible to avoid all chemicals. An estimated 100,000 different chemicals are being used throughout the world. Each year around 1,500 more chemicals are being added to the environment. These dangerous chemicals are in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the products we use. The notion that toxic chemicals in the environment are making us sick, is not well accepted. Yet, here we are.

Environmental Illness, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, or whatever name you want to use, is REAL! I Know, I live with it. It seems to be getting worse and I often feel isolated because of it. It is much easier to control chemical exposure at home. Out of the house, there is no control over what you might come into contact with. I have been seriously thinking about wearing a face mask when I go anywhere. Do they make any cute ones?

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10 thoughts on “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity & Fibromyalgia”

  1. I have so many allergies due to chemicals..
    perfume, paint, smoke , noise, lights all of which you have mentioned.
    please add me

    Reply
  2. I have always felt unwell using certain chemicals, paints throughout my life. Menopause began for me age 53 in 2013. I am having a very difficult time with man made materials gassing off. Mold allergies. Knitting fibers, man made or natural. I have read that Menopause can make allergy symptoms that were tolerable to unbearable. Also thinking it could be an auto immune disease. I have Eustachian tube dysfuction since menopause began. Chronic inflamed E-tubes that wax and wanes but always present, and tinnitus 24/7. My life has been a nightmare. Trying to figure out what is going on. Going from doctor to doctor and they have been of no help. They treat me as if I am over reacting. I wish I could transfer what I am feeling to them. I don’t think they would find this amusing. I use Wholefoods dish soap and laundry detergent. Vinegar and baking soda for cleaning. It has helped a lot. I get sticking pains in my neck, airway and digestive track when exposed to whatever does not agree with me. I also keep away from processed foods as much as possible. Trying to see what I ingest may cause symptoms as well. A lot of detective work for sure. I will continue to find the cause. I have to do what is best for me at any given moment. If you encounter an environment that is making you feel unwell, excuse yourself and leave. Don’t concern yourself with what others may think or say. It is your life and health being compromised as is their’s as well, they just don’t know it. I was told I had fibromyalgia when I was thirty. I have all symptoms listed here. Thank you for allowing me to vent!

    Reply
  3. I would also like to add from what I read in regards to Menopause, hormonal fluctuations, and fluctuations during pregnancy can cause inner ear issues and can affect our sense of smell. My body is extremely sensitive to hormonal changes throughout my life. I have always had a regular menstrual cycle, but I expierenced Post Partum depression. Strange gag reflex the first 3 months of pregnancy which the OBGYN said was due to hormonal changes. One natural childbirth. Monthly cycle: PMS. Perimenopause: Extreme PMS. MENOPAUSE: worsening depression and anxiety! I have low estrogen levels. I chose to go natural without any artificial hormone treatment. The female body is meant to go through this natural faze of life and HRT is only temporary. I have read that Once you stop them all your symptoms come back. I would rather not torture myself twice. Once is enough. I don’t know if anyone else has had a similar expierence?

    Reply
    • Hi, Kathleen. I have also been sensitive to chemicals and strong odors all my life. I also have many allergies. Once I entered menopause at 45, these problems became much worse. I had to have tubes put in my ears twice after menopause. Also constant tinnitus. I didn’t know there was a connection to menopause. HRT was not an option for me because of issues with my liver. I always felt like my doctors were not really listening or taking my chemical sensitivities seriously. I had to figure much of it out myself. I have a great primary doctor now. She really seems to understand and has been so helpful. I finally won my disability case last year and I am sure it is because my doctor documented the chemical sensitivities. Thank you for sharing your story and you are welcome to vent here anytime. 🙂

      Reply
      • Hi Sue! I am sorry to hear that you are suffering as well. I have not had any earaches so my inner ears must be draining but they are inflamed. Some days they are so tight I can not open them. Lots of vertigo off and on prior to the onset of ETD and ongoing. I am having a hard time with Tinnitus. Did you find relief with ear tubes? Doctor tells me my ETUBES appear to be open and eardrum appears normal but some have seen fluid behind my eardrum during several of my exams. Doctors haven’t a clue. This is very frustrating. I expressed concerns about it possibly being auto-immune related. Blood work came back negative but that test is not always accurate. They go more by new symptoms. I no longer visit relatives due to burning candles, new flooring, the list goes on. I was living a fairly normal life until menopause. I can not work due to anxiety/depression and now this…my body can not tolerate all the ”things” and the stress it causes is sometimes so overwhelming. Very frightening expierence. I have tried meditation but some days I just need a distraction to cope better. I would not wish this on my worse enemy. Everyday is different. …while doing my research as to what can cause “ringing in the ears” syphillis was one on the list. I will discuss this with my GYN doctor when I see her. Did you get ear tubes for the ringing, ear fullness or earaches? I wish you a wonderful day and thanks for your reply! It helps to know others understand and can relate.

        Reply
  4. I recently bought a high efficiency washer and the detergent is aggravating my MCS more by the day. I use Tide Free for h e machines. I have a loud ringing in my ears, rash on my chest. large red blotches on my cheeks and feel a burning sensation all over. We put an extra rinse on every load of clothes but it’s not helping. What else should I try? I have many other chemical sensitivities also in addition to FM and ME/CFS.

    Reply
    • Hi Nancy. A quick internet search showed a lot of people deal with skin irritations after switching to a high-efficiency washer. I would try a different brand of HE laundry soap such as Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin or All Free & Clear. If that doesn’t help you may have to switch to an all natural detergent. I know first hand, dealing with MCS is not easy. Good luck.

      Reply

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