The MCS House Guest, Part 3

This is part 3 of a series on preparing for the MCS house guest:

• The MCS House Guest
• The MCS House Guest Part 2

This week is about loose ends. Just a few more things to consider if you’re expecting a house guest that has MCS or any other health issues exacerbated by fragrances.

I’ve been thinking about this topic as I go through my days lately and it’s reminded me of things I need to mention.

One thing has to do with soap. I have traveled with my own soap and shampoo since I was in high school. (Back then I traveled on a T.Rex’s back.) So I always have soap in the one bathroom that I occupy. But that isn’t always enough. There are a lot of soaps out that I refuse to use. Especially the liquid hand soaps that are so popular. They leave their perfume smell on your hands, and it stays for a very long time. I just cannot use them. They’re so penetrating that the smell is actually absorbed by the plastic container that you put them in. It can be awkward dealing with this issue. When I travel, I like to be a good house guest, but I also like to be migraine free. (And so does everyone around me b/c I’m not a lot of fun with a migraine!) This is likely the type of issue you might want to work out with your future house guest in advance.

Another problem area is the dishwasher. I’m still totally puzzled at the fact that when you go to buy detergent for your dishwasher, you have to choose a scent. Why? What in the world for? I really don’t want my dishes to smell like flowers, or lemons or anything else, thank you. Not to mention that I am then ingesting those fragrances when I eat off the plate! But it’s a fact of modern life that everything you find in your average grocery store has a fragrancce. Before I found fragrance free dishwasher detergent, we had rules. First, no lids to travel mugs were allowed in the dishwasher. They absorb the fragrance and then I have to smell it with each sip. Second, and most important, never run the dishwasher when I’m going to be near the kitchen. In our house, that means we only ran it when we went to bed or when we left the house. It may seem petty to you if you don’t have an issue with fragrances, but the entire time the dishwasher runs, it emits those fragrances into the air. Something to keep in mind with your house guest.

There is one topic that I haven’t covered yet, and that is Pest Control. If you live in Colorado, you can likely ignore this because you may not know what I’m talking about. But here in South Texas, insects are a problem. You cannot avoid having them come into your house. But pest control chemicals can be particularly nasty. We had one man doing our house for years and I had no problem with it. Sadly, he passed away. The next ones we brought in caused a three day migraine. I tried one more, recently. He said his products were “green”. Well, I didn’t have a migraine, but I was allergic to his products. So I sneezed and such for days. I still haven’t decided which is worse - allergy or migraine. Besides, five weeks later the ants are back in our kitchen.

I bring up pest control here because you may want to ensure that you don’t have pest control service very close to your house guest’s arrival.

On a side note - if anyone has suggestions on safe pest control, I could use them.

I have just a couple of points left to make here. First, some of us have diet problems that go along with the MCS. I know I do. I can’t eat msg, nitrates, most nuts, plus a few other things. So, you may want to ask your house guest about diet issues. After all, you wouldn’t want to plan a pizza night only to learn that your house guest can’t eat the pepperoni. (BUT, Whole Foods has nitrate free pepperoni!) And lastly, be considerate of your house guest. I’ve had people roll their eyes and act like I’m crazy. I may be, but I’m still super-sensitive to smells and am likely to notice things that others dont. So, if your house guest mentions a prolem, trust that it is a problem.

Well, I think I’m done with this series on the MCS House Guest. Unless someone has questions. Please leave your comments and questions on this post and I’ll try to address them.

• The MCS House Guest
• The MCS House Guest Part 2

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The MCS House Guest, Part 2

This is a continuation of a post started last week on preparing for the MCS house guest. As I said last week, this information is based upon my experiences and my health issues. Mileage may vary for others. Please check with your future visitor for their specific needs, they’ll be glad you asked!

This week I’m going to cover house cleaning and laundry issues, plus a bit more.

House cleaning can be a real issue since most of the brand name products are full of fragrances, VOCs, and who knows what else. I generally buy all such products at Whole Foods or a local health food store. Although, I confess to using a brand name toilet cleaner because it does such a good job. Might not be a good idea b/c I can definitely smell it, but still - I like clean toilets, too!

If you’re like most of us, cleaning your house is on the list of things you’re likely to do before someone comes to visit. And that’s ok. If you can, choose some less toxic, less fragrant products. But if not, it works for me if you clean a few days in advance. (But I can’t stress enough that this approach won’t work for all.) That will give the chemicals some time to clear the air.

If you want more on cleaning products, see these 2 posts:

• Fragrance Free Household Products
• More Tips on Fragrance Free Household Cleaners

What about your linens - especially for the bed where your guest is staying? You can reference this post I wrote earlier on my laundry recipe. BUT, if you’ve been using scented fabric softeners or dryer sheets and scented laundry detergent then those smells may not come out. I’ve read that it can take 20 - 30 washings. And I believe it. What are your alternatives? It’s rather awkward these days to hang sheets outside. That may work for towels, which is good because any fragrance left in the towels will transfer to the person using it! Another alternative for sheets is to talk to your visitor. I have sheets in every size and I am not above traveling with them!

What about your car, though? Hopefully you don’t have any type of “air freshener” in your car. Or if you take it to a car wash they don’t use one in your car. If so, a few days of open windows in the sunshine are in order. And hope that it works.

That’s all for now, I do have a couple of other things I’ve thought of. Plus, I’ve found as I go about my daily routine I think of other things. So, tune in next week for part 3.

As always, your comments, suggestions and questions are welcome!

The MCS House Guest
The MCS House Guest Part 3

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The MCS House Guest

Last week Mama Grizzly had the following request:

I need some help! A family member with MCS may be coming to visit me and I want to do everything possible to make it a fun and pleasant visit for her (so that I may expect future visits)! I have a guest bedroom that is mostly closed off. I went in there the other day and it smells a little musty. The guest bathroom is the children’s bathroom but it’s also where I get ready every morning. I do use hairspray in there and unfortunately, there is no window. What things can I start doing now to help with the visit? Maybe you could write a series of blog posts on this?

So this is my start at answering her. I’m not sure just how many posts this will actually be. We’ll just see how it goes.

But first, a Disclaimer. (No, not about the fact that I’m not a doctor. Although I’m not.) This disclaimer is about the information I’ll provide and the fact that it is NOT One-Size-Fits-All. Every MCS case is different. There are people with MCS that are just not able to travel. And others that can, but they cannot tolerate many things at all. Indeed, it is a disease that has been known to destroy relationships. BUT, my limited travel experience tells me that if the other party is asking questions, it is likely to go well. My best experience was visiting my step-daughter. Of course, it helped immensely that her husband got migraines from (most) fragrances.

The best advice for anyone expecting a house guest is MCS is to ask them what they can and cannot tolerate. They’ll be delighted that you cared enough to ask.

So - on with the tips.

First, let’s talk about that musty odor. Believe me, there are a lot worse things than a musty odor. A room that’s been closed up will tend to be musty. How to cure that? Wash whatever is washable in a Fragrance Free Detergent. (All Free & Clear works well for many.) Don’t use any fabric softeners or dryer sheets. Baking soda in the wash, and vinegar for a rinse do well. Another thing that really helps is fresh air and sunshine. It’s amazing the odors a day in the sun will do for clothing, pillows, linens, etc.

If you’ve done any recent remodeling, let your house guest know in advance. Paint smells hang around for a long time. And if you have any planned, wait till after the visit.

Regarding the hairspray in the bathroom: Since it’s an aerosol, hairspray goes everywhere when it is sprayed. On the floors, any fabrics (rugs, curtains, towels), into the wood, even plastic will absorb those smells. So, if at all possible, find another place to spray it.

It’s funny how those odors are. You’re not likely to notice them, since you’re around them all the time. But they are there. I once had a not-so-thoughtful house guest who used something with a fragrance in it. Mind you, they were asked not to, but not everyone believes there’s a real health issue here. (Either it’s all in my head, or I just don’t like perfumes. You’ve no doubt met the type.) Whatever it was they sprayed, it hung around for a couple of weeks after they were gone.

The next thing I would address is the use of air “fresheners”. The rule there is - Don’t. Get rid of them now, as in ASAP. As in Yesterday. Your whole family will breathe better anyway as there really isn’t anything healthy in them.

I have to laugh at the managers of the copy franchises around town. They put all these plug-in air “fresheners” in their store because of the chemical smells from the copiers. One near me had 2 plug-in air “fresheners” within 6 feet of each other. What they don’t quite get is this. First, everyone is still breathing the nasty chemicals from the copy machines, even if they no longer smell them. Second, the VOCs in the plug-in air “fresheners” really are just as bad for you. So, they’ve only succeeded in making a bad problem worse.

Hopefully, you don’t use a lot of air fresheners throughout your house. If you do, and they’ve been there a while, then they have probably been absorbed by EVERYTHING. Warn your visitor, please.

An example of how pervasive the odors can be: My father’s house always had a particular odor to it. I suspect that it was some sort of fragrance, likely from a cleaning or laundry product used in the house. Everything that came out of that house had that smell. Clothing, furniture, papers. Literally everything. When I had to clean his house out last year, you could smell it. And realtors who showed his house commented on it. It did finally go away. By that time, the house was totally empty and the carpet had all been steam-cleaned. But it really did hang on to everything.

OK - next week I’ll have some more info. I’ll tackle cleaning and laundry issues.

Feel free to leave questions or comments here.

The MCS House Guest Part 2
The MCS House Guest Part 3

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A Controversial Illness?

I ran across this article recently - Critical Review of ABC Nightline’s De Facto Presentation on Dr. William Rea and Chemical Sensitivity - and I’ve done a slow burn ever since. The article is a review of a Nightline piece about The Environmental Health Center in Dallas, Texas.

It seems from the very first, the Nightline piece had no intention of being objective journalism:

Nightline began the episode with “What if you “thought” that the world around you was making you sick? If you “feared” that the house you live in, the car that you drive and everyday activities such as watching television and talking on a cell phone were making you ill? Dr. William Rea “says” he has treated more than 30,000 people, from all over the world, who “believe” the world around them has made them sick. Very sick.”

There, there, dear. It’s all in your head. If you just thought differently, then you wouldn’t feel so bad. Puh-lease! Why in the world would I want to feel this way if there were a choice? Why would I choose to be a recluse. It’s not really who I am. It’s just what I have to do.

The article, by Lourdes Salvador, makes some very good points by applying critical thinking to the Nightline piece. I encourage you to read it all.

Ah, if we read on, we get a glimpse of what is really going on. Dr. William Rea, the founder of the Environmental Health Center, hasn’t been published in the journals published by the drug pushers - er - companies. You see, MCS isn’t generally treated with drugs.

And, after all, isn’t it the American way that every health issue can, and should, be resolved by drugs? How often do you got to the doctor expecting to leave with a prescription. It was so in-grained in my father that he would plan it. “I have a doctor appt. at 11:00 am. From there we can drop the prescription at the pharmacy, go to lunch, and then pick up the prescription.” No matter what he went in for. It’s even impacted how doctors treat patients. Doctors are part of the problem with antibiotic sensitive bacteria. It’s much easier to prescribe an unneeded antibiotic for a viral infection than to try to educate the masses.

It’s almost un-American to have an illness and not treat it with a drug. And that is courtesy of our local drug pushers - er - companies.

But, really, should an illness be treated differently just because drugs aren’t the solution? I think not. What are your thoughts?

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May You Never Need This

But, should you ever find yourself having to resign because your employer fails to accommodate your MCS, here is an EXCELLENT example of a letter of resignation:

A Letter to My Hospice Employer

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Not So Dry Dry Cleaning

There’s a new cleaner in San Antonio. You can’t really call them a “dry cleaner” because their process isn’t dry. But, they do the job normally done by dry cleaners. But without using the typical perchloroethylene dry cleaning solvents.

I went in there recently with my husband and the smell was marvelous - mostly because there really wasn’t much of a smell to the place. No solvents. No perfumes used to cover the solvent smell. AND, their prices are comparable to dry cleaners, so you don’t have to pay extra to be healthier!

If you live in the San Antonio area, you might want to check them out here: Clothesline Cleaners. Tell them where you heard it because I want one of their t-shirts! Or check in your area because they seem to be popping up all over.

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From My Inbox

I receive emails via my other web site, Fragrance Free World, as well as from visitors to this site. I thought I would post some comments from a recently received email:

If exposed for more than 15-20 minutes can be under the weather, unable to sleep and depressed for 3-4 days thereafter

Air frsheners or fabric conditioners cause chest to tighten and breathing difficult

Sometimes feel that am tasting soap in my mouth and throat for hours afterwards

Have made my home free of chemicals and am well as long as I can avoid contact with V.O.C’s

Have followed development of REACH in the European parliament an am disappointed to see that 7 - 10 years will pass before chemical manufacturers need o show awareness and stringen safety controls so would just like to hear that someone out there is creating a greater awareness…..

I had not heard of REACH before so I thought I would do a bit of research.

Firstly, REACH is an acronym for : Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals. This is a law that went into effect in Europe on June 1, 2007. The overall goal appears to be to protect human health and the environment from toxic chemicals. Prior to this law, chemicals that were in use prior to 1981 were sort of ‘grandfathered’ - i.e. they were not subject to the same regulations as newer chemicals. You can read more about REACH on this web site. While it is true that industry has up to 11 (eleven!) years to comply, it is encouraging to know that more is being done about this issue.

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New Symptom?

Well, not precisely new. It’s just that I only recently realized this problem was related to my fragrance sensitivity. Here’s what happened:

Last weekend, I had a lot of problems. First, during the day, my legs were very restless. I couldn’t sit still, couldn’t really do much of anything. I’ve had this problem before, except usually it was because I was very tired. As soon as I would lay down, it would go away. But this time it wasn’t happening. Finally, I decided that if my legs wanted to move, I would take them for a walk. And it helped, for a while.

Sunday evening, we went out to eat. Nothing fancy, except once again everybody, everywhere is wearing their perfume in order to dress up for the holidays. (UGH!) By the time I got home, it was all in my clothes. So I changed into a t-shirt that had come from my father’s house. Then I decided I would sleep in that shirt.

But, I couldn’t sleep. I was exhausted, but couldn’t sleep. I was restless and tossed and turned. I finally went into the guest bedroom so as not to disturb by DH. That bed wasn’t made up, so I fished a blanket out of chest of drawers that came from my father’s house. After a while, I realized that I was smelling lots of perfume. It was in the shirt and the blanket. So I changed out of the t-shirt and ditched the blanket. Poof - problem solved. I was asleep in minutes.

As I think about this incident, I realize that there have been other times that I couldn’t sleep. Even without the migraine itself, the fragrances have been interfering with my health.

Some days it is very hard to cope with these issues. Becoming a hermit sounds attractive. Or maybe Thoreau was right. But I could never get through his book. And I tried many, many times.

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Modern Chemicals

Recently, I was chatting with MamaGrizzly regarding chemicals in our modern world. She’s been reading my blog for some time and is becoming more aware of the fragrances and chemicals that are everywhere in our world. I always like to hear this since the primary goal of this blog is to make more people aware of the problem.

She said:

The hardest part of all of this is that absolutely everything contains chemicals - everything. The only way to escape them all is to live in the wilderness and live off the land.

That is so true. And, sadly, there are people with MCS who are seeking that place in the wilderness. Out of necessity. See the article No Safe Haven for stories of some MCS sufferers. It’s sad that there are so many chemicals in our world that create these problems.

She also said:

But there is certainly a balance and certainly more we can do to protect ourselves.

That is also true. And I’m somewhat encouraged to see more and more products that are fragrance free. Myself, I’m increasingly aware of what’s in all the products and foods I buy. Knowing what I know today, I wish I could have started this years ago.

One more quote:

But, I’ve really become aware (through you) how much everything seems to be scented - and most things unnecessarily. But isn’t it interesting that products with no fragrances or fewer toxic chemicals cost more?

It is puzzling that we have to pay more. For me, I have no choice. Since I’ve made my home totally fragrance free, I may pay more for the various products I use, but my medical expenses are down. I guess, there’s always a price to pay.

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Benefits of Magnesium

We were all taught growing up that, if we ate a balanced, healthy diet then we would not really need vitamins and other nutritional supplements. The reality of it is that this is not true at all. In fact, in the US it hasn’t been true at least as far back as 1936. The reasons - chiefly soil depletion caused by not rotating crops and dead soil caused by weed killers. The problem is made worse because most of us don’t eat a balanced, healthy diet. Processed foods are lacking in magnesium, fluoride added to water binds with magnesium making it unavailable, inefficient digestion and absorption which results from America’s addiction to antacids, plus blocked absorption caused by some foods and drugs all help to deplete magnesium. From Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D., in her book The Magnesium Miracle

the typical American diet, which is rich in fat, sugar, salt, synthetic vitamin D, phosphates, protein, and supplemented calcium, not only is deficient in magnesium but actually increases the need for magnesium in the body.

Magnesium is involved in hundreds of activities in the human body, especially in these areas: enzyme catalysis, energy production and transport, protein synthesis, nerve signal transmission and muscle relaxation. Hence, magnesium deficiency has a huge impact on how your body functions. In her book, Dr. Dean has a long list of conditions that are likely to result in magnesium deficiency. Magnesium deficiency has been implicated as contributing to symptoms for MCS, Fibromyalgia, CFS, Migraines, to name a few. I’ve also read that it functions as an anti-oxidant and can be important in detoxification.

I first learned about the importance of Magnesium from this book: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause. I began having severe PMS symptoms. I would just break down in tears for absolutely no reason. Sometimes it was as simple as trying to decide what to eat for lunch. It was very frustrating, for myself and those close to me. I happened upon this book and read about the role that magnesium played in PMS. So, I gave it a try. After all, if I went to a doctor, they were likely to prescribe Prozac or some such. And I was pretty sure my problems were not a result of a Prozac deficiency.

That was about 10 years ago, and I’ve taken Magnesium daily ever since. My experience has also made my husband a believer in the magic of magnesium. I can’t say just how much the magnesium has helped with my migraines and chemical sensitivity. But, I do know that I am healthier and feel better because of the magnesium supplements.

If you have symptoms of MCS, you may want to investigate supplemental magnesium. We’re all deficient without supplements and it can’t hurt you if you take recommended dosages.

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