Anyone else with MCS?

Hi all

My problems started with a cigarette smoke allergy in 2000 and over the years I have added paint, perfumes etc to the list of things which can cause a reaction. Thankfully I've largely been able to avoid any severe reactions and my symptoms have mostly been confined to headaches, dizziness etc

However in the last year or so things have gotten worse. It began when work were painting windows in my office and the resulting reaction had be in bed for a couple of days. I had a ten day illness last November which I thought was a virus but my doctor was insistent that there was nothing wrong with me. Looking back I think that was a reaction as well but what to I don't know.

This year they have been renovating the lifts at work and using various chemicals in the process. This has triggered a couple more reactions although they are now notifying me in advance so I can either work elsewhere or take time off.

But now I've had to take time off work twice in the last month due to reactions to - I think - other peoples perfumes and aftershaves. I've not had much of a problem with these before - I just had to hold my breath walking through perfume sections - but all of a sudden they seem to be really affecting me. Some days I feel like I can barely breathe and I'm constantly aware of this choking cloud of scent hanging round me. At the moment I am off sick having developed something very like a chest infection only I don't think it is as I've had no other cold symptoms - just a sore throat, cough and now tightness and pain in my chest, as well as the usual fatigue.

Can anyone offer any thoughts as to why things are suddenly getting so much worse? It seems at the moment as though the more reactions I have the more sensitive I am getting. Does that make sense?

I finally plucked up the courage to go to see my doctor recently (I have a new doctor who seems very open minded). I didn't say the words MCS as such but he seemed to accept that there was an allergy issue. He prescribed antihistamines which I'm sure won't work but I wanted to be seen to try them first. Well if anything I am worse but I don't know if this is related or just coinicidence. Does anyone know if the chemicals in these medications are likely triggers?

Just after some other experiences really. I don't know anyone else with these problems and I get the feeling sometimes people don't really accept it. My Mum and step father won't hear anything about it since one of the main triggers is smoke which they do heavily. My husband is totally supportive but obviously doesn't know what it is really like. I'm over my sickness levels at work now although they have agreed not to count the days when it was paint or the lift work which caused it. I don't know if this will extend to the perfumes though and even getting to work is horrid at the moment with all the smoke and perfumes. I'm on the verge of getting a warning at work and I'm just not that kind of person. I love my job, I work really hard and have always had glowing reports. I feel like everyone is talking about me, joking about the amount of time I have off because it's not something they can see or understand and because I've not really discussed it with anyone but my line manager cos I'm a private sort of person to be honest.

Anyway enough of my whinging. Does anyone else have any experiences to share?