12 Years After Recovery From Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

(Ed: Originally published in 2018 - Still Holds True in 2025!)

In 2000 I went through the horrible experience, as you no doubt have if reading this - of developing multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). It was a familiar story recounted by other 'MCSers' in which I first became sensitive to my family's deodorants and perfumes. I was just 21 at the time and still living at home. After that it was laundry detergent, fabric softener and my dad's cigarette smoke that lingered on his clothes.

From that point on, over a period of around three months, I became sensitive to just about everything; all of the chemical products in the house, the gas hob / stove and central heating boiler fumes. I couldn't even escape to the outdoors as I eventually became sensitive to vehicle exhaust fumes and the scents worn by friends and passers-by (as shown in the main image above). If you're reading this I have no doubt you can relate.

This is not a blog about my struggles and suffering however, I'm writing this post to give everyone battling MCS hope. I pray I succeed.

I'm able to do this as I fully recovered from MCS with my last reaction now being 12 years ago [Ed: now 19 years] back in 2006. I can't say it was an overnight recovery, it took time, effort and a lot of trial and error, but I've now been able to live "normally" again - and the fears of having any sort of reaction are a distant memory.

I went from being a hermit in the few rooms of my house that were "safe" - the living room and bedroom - and having to wear a carbon filter mask or respirator - to once again being part of the human race and being able to work, socialize and enjoy experiences such as vacations as the "normals" do. At one point this seemed a very remote possibility as I showered wearing my face mask assuming this would be my life forever. Thankfully this was not to be the case and although many will say "you can't recover from MCS", I'm here to let you know that you most certainly can!

So How Did I Recover From Multiple Chemical Sensitivity?

Firstly, I did a lot of reading. Although there was a lot less information available than there is now. Luckily, I happened to stumble across exactly the book that would guide my recovery. That book was 'Chemical Exposures: Low Levels, High Stakes' by environmental illness pioneers Nicholas Ashford, Ph.D and Claudia S. Miller, M.D. It's a book I'd recommend all affected by MCS read as, although it's now a little dated (it's since been revised), it explores chemical exposures and MCS in great detail and from a scientific perspective - as you'd expect given the credentials of the authors.

The key for me was towards the end of the book where various theories for the etiology of MCS are explored, which introduced me to the concept of 'limbic kindling.' This has since become the subject of countless studies, not just into MCS, but the whole gamut of environmental and invisible illness. It's often referred to by various names including 'limbic sensitization', 'amygdala hypersensitivity' and 'central sensitization' (referring to brain and central nervous system) - so look out for those terms.

Anyway, the description of the process and symptoms in the limbic kindling section struck an immediate chord with me and I had an "ah ha" moment. From then on, this knowledge guided my recovery and has since been the basis of Brain Retraining Programs - notably including the Gupta Program and Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS). However, these weren't around when I was finding my way out of MCS, so I had to use trial and error and educated guesses to get there.

Without going into minute detail of my entire experience, below are the key factors I believe led to my recovery:

• Chemical Avoidance: Without a doubt this is absolutely essential to allow the limbic system to find its equilibrium once more (explained in the 'Chemical Exposures' book).
• Organic Diet: Self-explanatory and an obvious extension of airborne chemical avoidance re: pesticide residue, antibiotic-fed livestock etc.
• Detoxification: For me a big part of this was tackling gut dysbiosis / Candida and leaky gut - since you can be poisoned from within as well as external sources. Other people may need to deal with mercury-containing dental fillings, mold in their homes etc.
• Adrenal & Thyroid Function: These endocrine glands which work together are vital for the body to handle stress, chemical exposure being the stress in MCS. I found DHEA and licorice to support adrenal function particularly beneficial but you may find other things work more effectively for you.
• Meditation: By serendipity, as I was going through my battle with MCS, I was introduced to mantra meditation (chanting a phrase over and over). I started to practice this daily, 30 minutes in the morning and again 30 minutes in the evening; and I still do to this day! Meditation in relation to MCS and limbic sensitization has the effect of calming neural activity - so it's no wonder it was beneficial, it got to the root cause. Research has since proven these effects and so many more benefits to meditation and I can certainly attest to them.

These 5 things were essentially my template for recovery. In the case of chemical avoidance, it's essential you are strict with this. I removed ALL synthetic chemical products from my home, using only pure natural soap to clean myself, white vinegar for home cleaning, and soap nuts for laundry. That's it. I also wore my carbon filter mask from icanbreathe.com in my bathroom and kitchen (I still reacted in those rooms - perhaps to sealant or other building material) and whenever I was around other people or outdoors. The latter was certainly very character-building as I'm naturally a shy individual and was suddenly getting stared at wherever I went with my mask! This was long before the COVID-19 Pandemic made masks a common sight.

I said in the intro it wasn't an overnight recovery and it probably took 2 years of following the above method to become MCS-free - but when I noticed things were definitely starting to improve with reactions becoming less frequent and severe - the MCS actually disappeared as quickly as it had developed, roughly 3 months from acute MCS to no reactions at all.

So that's my story. I went on to gain a BSc (Hons) degree in Nutritional Therapy, qualified in Hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) - as well as continuing to run The Environmental Illness Resource. I also met the girl who would become my wife, bought a house and now have an amazing daughter. I hadn't planned on being a parent, due to chronic illness being enough to deal with - but there's nothing like the unconditional love of a child. She is most definitely my greatest gift in this difficult life!

Perhaps what worked for me will not be so helpful for you; but at the very least I hope this post will have given you, well, some hope! MCS does not have to be forever and it is most certainly possible to recover - despite what doctors and even other patients may tell you! My wish is that you too can again experience living a normal life, free from worrying about every little exposure. Although of course, lessen learned, I continue to avoid exposures as much as possible and now use natural products whenever possible.

Other Options for MCS Recovery

Although I was able to recover through my own means based on research of various kinds (books, research papers, websites) and trial and error of every nutritional and herbal supplement under the sun, there are reports of other ways in which people have recovered from MCS, and many of you might want or need a more structured approach.

Medication

While it no doubt sounds counter-intuitive to use medications (chemicals) to recover from chemical sensitivities, some people have done just that. Even in our forums we have had posts from people reporting that they used drugs such as anti-anxiety or anti-psychotic medications that resulted in full MCS recovery. It does make sense when you actually think about the process of limbic sensitization being at the root of MCS, since these drugs act to reduce the activity of the central nervous system (CNS) which is exactly what is required. If you're open to this possibility or have tried everything else without success, it may be an option. In the forums of a previous EiR incarnation, one member reported quick recovery using the anti-psychotic medication, Amisulpride. Others have had less success however, with this member initially finding benzodiazepines helped with MCS but subsequently running into trouble.

Brain Retraining Programs

In recent years 'Brain Retraining Programs' have become very popular - with the likes of the Gupta Program and Dynamic Neural Retraining Program (DNRS). Ashok Gupta (Gupta Program) and Annie Hopper (DNRS) - were able to heal their own MCS and other environmental illness issues - before going on to develop these therapies.

Both are now highly developed and successful, with multiple medical studies in collaboration with major universities - many of which have been published in mainstream journals) - proving their effectiveness. These Brain Retraining Programs use a combination of techniques from the likes of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Gestalt Therapy, Meditation and Mindfulness, among other methods - to "re-wire the brain."

Going by reports from MCS patients on website forums and Facebook groups etc., both the Gupta Program and DNRS do indeed seem to lead to significant improvement, and even full recoveries for many (but of course, not all) who have used them. The websites for both Programs are also now full of countless testimonials.

Having got hold of a copy of the DNRS DVD series myself and watched it through, I believe it's an entirely logical and potentially successful option. Annie Hopper certainly knows her stuff and her DNRS offers the prospect of recovery from not just MCS, but a wide range of environmental and invisible illnesses. If you require a very structured approach, the DNRS DVDs or Online Course (and I am sure the Gupta Program, also) could well be for you.

I think if I developed MCS now and didn't have a clue where to begin in understanding and treating it, I'd probably start with either DNRS or Gupta Program. The science behind them resonates with me and my experience of MCS - now borne out by the supporting medical studies.

Final Thoughts

MCS is a very serious, life-changing illness and until the medical establishment fully accepts it and begins to seriously research it and bring forward effective therapies we are on our own. The world is starting to go in the right direction with more natural and unscented products and policies - but there's a long way to go yet and people will sadly, continue to develop MCS.

I sincerely hope this post has gone some way to giving you a more positive outlook and the belief that you too can overcome MCS. I will sign off by reiterating that you can get well and I wish and pray you have a happy, MCS-free future!

P.S. Please, feel free to ask me any questions about my experience of MCS and subsequent recovery in the comments below..