MCS is a controversial illness.
Patients complain of fatigue, memory problems, mood changes and many other health problems.
To those who accept it, MCS is a new diagnosis in medicine that is in a transitional stage of acceptance. They cite lupus and multiple sclerosis as examples where doctors detected a disorder, but could not immediately understand it. In many MCS patients, the illness appears to develop following a major exposure to any of a wide range of environmental chemicals. Patients say a wide range of products trigger symptoms. These include nail polish remover, new carpet, insecticides, a fresh newspaper, perfume, tobacco smoke, hair spray, fresh paint and even the detergent aisle at the supermarket.