Laura, British Columbia, Canada

When, Where, and How Did MCS Begin?

I experienced a massive single exposure to toxic substances at my workplace in May 2002, when my employer moved its department from an older but well-ventilated (open-window, fresh-air) building to newly renovated offices. At the time, the new offices were being repainted and recarpeted, and they were inadequately ventilated: during the renovations, the building’s air conditioning system used recycled air, and most floors in the building had no windows that opened to admit fresh air.

Before moving to the new office I did not have symptoms of MCS and was looking forward to relocating. During the first few days in the new workplace, however, I became unable to remain at work due to the rapid onset of a variety of flu-like symptoms, including coughing, nosebleeds, loss of voice, migraine headaches, nausea, and vomiting. At home, I experienced swollen nose and throat membranes, fatigue, anxiety, and vomiting. I made a few attempts to return to the office in the following week, but all were unsuccessful. The loss of voice, difficulty in breathing, and intense migraines made it impossible to remain in the workplace.

Within weeks I was unable to work in the new office environment and, furthermore, I had begun to react to relatively low levels of “personal” contaminants in a way that made it impossible for me to work in any office environment: I had developed an extreme sensitivity to a variety of scented products, such as perfumes and fabric softeners, that I had previously tolerated.

I had to leave my job and go on disability leave. Since then I have been following my family doctor’s and specialists’ advice: attempting to recover at home by avoiding exposure to chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which seem to be the main offenders.

I have developed a wide-ranging (and sometimes complete) intolerance of various VOCs, including:

· virtually all petroleum-derived fuels (e.g., gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, motor oil) and their exhaust products;

· recently applied alkyd paints, asphalt, roofing tar, new carpeting, fresh ink (including printer, fax, and photocopy ink), solvents, pen highlighters, and “magic markers”;

· most household cleaning agents, including most laundry and dish detergents, ammonia, shampoos, hand soaps, toothpastes, and mouthwashes;

· virtually all personal scent products, including fabric softeners, hair conditioners, makeup, perfumes, colognes, skin and hand lotions, and after-shave lotions, as well as room deodorizers and potpourris;

· recently printed books, magazines, and newspapers;

· many new plastic and rubber products, even those without a discernible smell.

Although the presence of scent is an issue in MCS, scent is not the defining factor in my illness.

For example, I react adversely to VOCs that have no discernible scent, such as some pen inks, hair gels, skin creams, and propane. As a result, for the past years I have been largely confined to my home, where I and my family have learned, through trial and error, which substances are intolerable and have tried to eliminate them from the home as much as possible. I also found a mask that enables me to leave home for short periods (<2 hours) — a silicone-rubber face-mask respirator that combines activated charcoal and paper filters: the carbon traps VOCs, and the paper traps particulate aerosols.

The respirator is uncomfortable and unsightly; it is designed for industrial use. But it enables me to go outdoors for short walks and shopping excursions and to drive short distances.

What Are the Social and Psychological Side Effects of my MCS?

Although wearing the respirator makes short excursions possible, it also precludes conversation and eating or drinking in public places, and as a result my social life has been drastically reduced. Visitors to my home are now infrequent, because most people unknowingly scent themselves in some way: makeup, soaps, detergents, fabric softeners, and hair shampoos, conditioners, and gels are common and powerful irritants. The only accessible place besides home that offers relative security — the confidence to take a deep breath — is the seashore, provided that no people or vehicles are close by, and that the wind is blowing in from the water and not from the land.

As a result of the MCS, I endure:

· a respiratory disability

· the chronic physical pain of a sore throat, swollen sinuses and nasal membranes, an oversensitive and often upset stomach, recurring muscle pain and numbness in my hands and legs, recurring nosebleeds, and facial pain whenever I wear the face-mask respirator for extended periods;

· profound social isolation, particularly the absence of regular contact with co-workers and everyday social activities and visits with friends and family;

· a recurring fatigue that causes me to tire more easily than before,

· the knowledge that any long-distance travel to visit close family members is impossible due to the absence of fresh-air ventilation in aircraft;

· the costs of prescription medicines such as cough syrups and steroid puffs (which have proved ineffective if not lethal), respirator masks, and replacement filters.

I have become dependent on other family members to assist me in many of the activities of daily living, including opening mail, cleaning shoes, filling out forms, housecleaning (e.g., dishwashing, laundry, floor cleaning) that requires the use of VOCs or other strong chemicals such as ammonia; grocery shopping and banking, and even walking the dog (strangers, especially adults, are sometimes rude to a person wearing a respirator in public); and now-frequent doctor visits.

Excursions to hospitals and specialists and even a routine visit to the dentist is now out of the question, and a more urgently required emergency visit might be dangerous. The future is still uncertain.