Multiple chemical sensitivity: a controversial condition

by Debra Wood

Multiple chemical sensitivity Exposure to small amounts of common chemicals can ruin the lives of chemically-sensitive people, but many doctors deny multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome exists. While debate rages on, environmental medicine specialists are diagnosing and treating the problem.

For sufferers of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) syndrome, even fleeting contact with cleaning products, pesticides, car exhaust and other inescapable substances in the modern world sets off a series of symptoms that mystify most medical experts.

"Its a controversial medical disease," says victim Cynthia Wilson, executive director of the Chemical Injury Information Network, an MCS support organization based in White Sulphur Springs, Montana. She estimates more than 10 million chemically-sensitive people live in the United States.

"Our patients come to us very, very ill," says Dr. Richard Walker, an environmental medicine specialist at New Yorks Healthcare for the 21st Century, one of only six regional treatment centers in the United States. "Many of their physiological systems are being affected by chemicals."

When chemical exposures exceed a persons ability to eliminate these substances, chemical body burden increases, says Walker, who uses a glass of water as an example. If the glass is half full and you add a couple of extra drops, nothing noticeable happens. But if the water level is already at the brim and you add a few drops, the water starts to spill over.

"Once the body is chemically saturated [with chemicals], anything you take in becomes problematic," Walker explains. "All systems are affected."

MCS can occur after a massive exposure, such as a chemical spill, or a continuous low-level exposure to something as common as a gas stove. Products used every day in most homes contain ingredients that can trigger reactions in chemically-sensitive people.

"Im going to get a headache at exposures that would be deemed safe for you," Wilson explains. "Our symptoms are occurring at what toxicologists had deemed as safe levels."

"It feels like youre getting a cold that never comes or a flu that never goes away," Wilson explains.

Symptoms can include any of the following:

• headaches and nausea
• tremors
• difficulty concentrating or not being able to think straight
• weight gain
• intolerance to heat or cold
• aching bones and joints

"Because of the circulation of chemicals in the body, it may affect one biological system then switch to another biological system," Walker explains. "One time it may be the skin, the next the lungs. Or it may start with respiratory problems and then spread to neurological and vascular disease." According to Walker, this symptom pattern of "switching" and "spreading" is one reason doctors dont recognize the ailment.

Wilson recommends keeping a diary to determine if vague sensations of not feeling well correlate with activities or exposures to a specific substance. "Once you have that kind of a diary, you can take it to a doctor," Wilson says. And maybe together you can correlate the symptoms to some kind of an exposure.

The traditional medical community does not recognize MCS as a bona fide condition. Many doctors who see patients reporting symptoms of MCS are unable to discern any biological markers or tangible proof that chemicals are the causative agent. Because routine diagnostic testing and physical exams are often normal, specialized tests to determine abnormalities in chemical load are usually not ordered.

"Its best described as a symptom complex," said Dr. Emil J. Bardana Jr., a spokesperson for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). "As of yet, there is no defined biological methodology by which we can assure ourselves that there is a condition amongst all these people who complain. It cant really be accepted as a disease, because theres no way to do an epidemiologic study. Theres no way to really define it."

In its position paper on MCS, the AAAAI concludes that:

• Most studies have found that patients whose symptoms have been diagnosed as MCS have a high incidence of current or past psychopathology.
• The relationship between mental conditions and symptoms has not been determined.
• More research is needed.

Sufferers sometimes seek care from a half-dozen doctors before they receive a diagnosis of MCS from an environmental medicine specialist or toxicologist.

"Its very difficult for doctors to make a diagnosis," says Walker of his colleagues. "They cant put a finger on the exact etiology (cause). And if you cant find the etiology, how do you treat the illness?"

Walker and other MCS specialists obtain a detailed history, run sophisticated analytical toxicology tests to determine specifically what chemicals are involved and perform brain SPECT scans, which show blood supply and brain function. "We find decreased blood flow to parts of the brain that affect the areas that the patient is talking about," Walker says. "Patients call it brain fog and tell me, My cognitive function is gone."

Detoxification treatments are used to rid the body of toxic chemical substances. "We can eliminate 100% of the toxins," says Adrienne Buffaloe, M.D., founder of HealthCare for the 21st Century. "The body has mechanisms for ridding itself of chemicals, but once overwhelmed, these mechanisms can no longer handle the process."

Detoxification typically includes intravenous (IV) therapy, 60 rounds of exercise, and the patients sitting in a chamber heated to between 140 and 180 degrees. Before and after each session, patients receive co-factors and supplements, which include amino acids, high-dose vitamin C, magnesium, and vitamins and trace minerals. According to Dr. Walker, co-factors force toxic chemicals to move in one direction—out of the cell and into the bloodstream—so they can be excreted. He adds that heat helps flush out poisons stored in fatty tissues, so they can exit the body through the skin, urine and stool.

In addition to detoxification treatments, patients must avoid all future chemical exposures, since their ability to eliminate toxins seems to remain limited.

"You cant just ignore toxic household chemicals," Wilson says. "You dont go into houses where they are used, and you dont hang around people that use them. Avoidance takes people out of the normal mainstream." Victims stop working and socializing. Wilson does not leave her home. Shes not willing to take the chance of getting sick. Walker refers clients to an environmental engineer who tests homes for myriad substances. Patients must eliminate any sources of exposure, or move.

Consumer advocate Debra Dadd has written several books suggesting natural, homemade alternatives to commercial products, such as brushing ones teeth with baking soda and cleaning with vinegar and water.

Are chemicals really the cause of distress? The controversy persists, with both camps citing studies that support their positions. Only with more research will sufferers and the medical community know for certain. Until then, the struggle to survive in a world overrun with chemicals continues.