Hi ClassicalGirl, I wanted to let you know when my reactions were at their worst, I too found relief in benzodiazepines - diazepam (Valium) and clonazepam (Klonopin). I am lucky enough to have been fully "recovered" from MCS for almost 12 years now but the benzos helped "calm" my reactions when I was 21/22 and they had become so severe I had to leave home and live like a hermit in social housing.
My symptoms were a little different to yours, in that they were all strictly neurological, without any obvious airway constriction or respiratory symptoms. The collection of symptoms was however very clearly defined and very obviously triggered by chemical exposure i.e. what we know as multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS).
Like you, it seemed to me at the time that benzos were an obvious treatment, since the leading theory of MCS etiology involved (and still does) the process of 'limbic kindling', or hypersensitivity of the limbic region of the brain, to volatile organic compound (VOC) exposure. Benzos produce their calming effects on the CNS by amplifying the action of the most abundant inhibitory neurotransmitter - GABA. It is only logical that if MCS involves too much excitatory neurotransmitter activity, then drugs like benzos which enhance the action of the main inhibitory neurotransmitter, will be an effective treatment for acute reactions and bring symptom relief. Others have posted here in the past reporting that anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) - one example being Gabapentin - have also been a huge help in managing their MCS symptoms; also logical since seizures and epilepsy are also a result of limbic kindling.
I am lucky, I was able to dip in and out of benzo use without dependence or withdrawal symptoms. However, I believe my recovery was down to a combination of other means to enhance GABA activity. By the nature of MCS it's hard to pin down exactly what "reset" my response to chemical exposures but I believe the steroid hormone DHEA was key. In very simplistic terms DHEA is the calming, long-acting adrenal hormone, that balances the stimulating action of cortisol. At the time of my recovery though I was also diligently practicing meditation, EFT, NLP, using binaural right-left brain balancing CDs, and any other "relaxation" techniques I came across. I have no proof obviously but know in my own mind that these practices and techniques also had a profound calming effect that must surely have contributed to reducing limbic activity during and after chemical exposures and over time "retraining my brain".
This is why - along with multiple reports from other MCS-affected individuals here in the EiR forums and elsewhere attesting to their effectiveness - I now recommend the
DNRS and
Gupta brain retraining programs. I believe I accidentally stumbled upon the same mechanism for recovery that these systems later went on to lay down formally.
So, my conclusions are that addressing adrenal fatigue with bioidentical hormone replacement and/or herbal adaptogens, combined with the 'relaxation techniques' I've outlined (or one of the brain retraining systems, DNRS or Gupta) can only be of benefit for anyone suffering with MCS.
I hope you read this ClassicalGirl and that you find something of use in my experience. All I can say to sum up is that MCS is
not a life sentence and it
is possible to recover. Good luck and best wishes.