Long COVID has pushed millions into a reality people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) have faced for decades: severe symptoms, disbelief, and no clear diagnosis.

This episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast explores what these conditions share:

Medical dismissal.

Stigma and social isolation.

And epistemic injustice—when patients’ knowledge of their own bodies is questioned or ignored.

Aaron Goodman speaks with Professor Deborah Lupton, a leading sociologist of health and medicine at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, and editor of the recent book, Long COVID and Society: International Perspectives.

It's always great to hear from people who listen and watch the podcast!

Please share your experiences with MCS, Long COVID, or about anything you hear on the podcast.

Listen now:

https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/episodes/18945867-mcs-long-covid-shared-struggles-stigma-endurance-deborah-lupton-phd

Watch on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/pN6UGkaddis

The podcast has a new webpage!
http://listen.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/

Please share with anyone interested in learning more about MCS.  

DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
 
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. No material or information provided by The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, or its associated website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

Support the show

Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter:

https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new

https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast  

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Brain fog is something many people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) experience.

In this episode, we explore what brain fog is, how it affects thinking, memory, and what research reveals about its links to distress and quality of life.

Aaron Goodman's guests are researchers Tara Packham, PhD, and PhD candidate Ronessa Dass from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

It's always great to hear from listeners!

Please share your experiences with brain fog and MCS or about anything you hear on the podcast.

Listen now:

https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/episodes/18821290-brain-fog-mcs-ronessa-dass-and-tara-packham-phd

Watch on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/j4PulfsHX_U

The podcast has a new webpage!
http://listen.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/

Please share with anyone interested in learning more about MCS.  

Links:

Ronessa Dass - email: [email protected]

Pain and Movement Research in the IMPRinT Lab, McMaster University:

https://painmovementresearch.healthsci.mcmaster.ca/people-2/

Understanding the Experience and Impacts of Brain Fog in Chronic Pain: A Scoping Review - Ronessa Dass, Tara Packham, et al. (2023):

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37441085/

DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
 
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. No material or information provided by The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, or its associated website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

Support the show

Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter:

https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new

https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast  

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Listener advisory: This episode includes discussion of suicide.

Many people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) trace the start of their illness to exposures like pesticides, fragrances, mold, smoke, or chemical fumes.

Others say their symptoms began after taking prescription medications, especially antibiotics.

In this episode, Dr. Stefan Pieper, a functional medicine physician in Germany who specializes in mitochondrial medicine, discusses Fluoroquinolone-Associated Disability (FQAD).

People with the condition develop long-lasting neurological, cognitive, and physical symptoms after taking fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Some also develop chemical intolerance that closely resembles MCS.

Could medications trigger long-term chemical sensitivity? And what might this reveal about MCS?

Listen now:
https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/episodes/18803337-antibiotic-injury-mcs-dr-stefan-pieper

Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Mjn-ggsZA&t=1s

The podcast has a new webpage!
http://listen.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/

Please share with anyone interested in learning more about MCS.  

Link:

Stefan Pieper — Fluoroquinolone-Associated Disability (FQAD): Side-effects of Fluoroquinolones
Springer Nature, 2026

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-72123-0

DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
 
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. No material or information provided by The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, or its associated website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

Support the show

Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter:

https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new

https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast  

Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language. 

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In Japan, many people report developing Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) following exposure to fragrance in personal care and household products—and increasingly, in laundry projects, especially fabric softeners. 

Some are forced to leave their jobs. Others can no longer attend school. Many struggle to access medical care or even safe housing. Yet despite the profound disruption to people’s lives, MCS remains poorly understood and often invisible.

Is Japan facing a Multiple Chemical Sensitivity crisis?

Today’s guests, journalist and MCS advocate Yasuko Kato and sociology scholar Seykyoung Jung, bring firsthand insight into this urgent question.

Thank you for listening!

New episodes twice a month. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

Check out the podcast's new website to listen and learn more:
http://listen.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/

Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/Grqs9wS0mMs?si=xhaGuTCFpQDd_NNb

Get in touch:
[email protected]

DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
 
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. No material or information provided by The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, or its associated website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

Support the show

Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter:

https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new

https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast  

Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language. 

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Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is often seen as a condition that mostly affects older people. However, recent studies indicate young adults may be especially affected by MCS.

Research suggests young adults have the highest prevalence, may be more likely than other age groups to develop the condition, and seem particularly vulnerable to the mental-health impacts of living with chemical intolerance and the social isolation it can bring.

This episode's guest, Abby Steeves, recently completed her PhD focused on MCS and its impacts on young adults. As a former gymnast, she struggled to train and compete while living with the condition. These experiences led her to explore how MCS is challenging—and shaping—the lives of many other young people.

Listen and subscribe:
http://listen.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/

Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/9r95nuwOKfc

Abby’s dissertation:
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8845&context=doctoral

#MCS #multiplechemicalsensitivitypodcast #multiplechemicalsensitivity #ChemicalIntolerance #ChronicIllness #InvisibleIllness #Youth

DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
 
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. No material or information provided by The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, or its associated website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

Support the show

Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter:

https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new

https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast  

Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language. 

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You’re listening to The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast. I’m Aaron Goodman.

In this episode, we discuss illness memoirs as evidence, resistance, and survival. We explore the seminal 1994 memoir by Australian writer,  Diana Crumpler, Chemical Crisis: One Woman's Story, Humanity's Future? 

I speak with Roxana Delbene, PhD, a linguist and medical humanities scholar who studies how people with so-called contested illnesses, including Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), use language and storytelling to tell their personal stories of lived experience. 

Exciting news! Check out the podcast's new webpage: http://listen.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/

Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/mZwUxbYKTOg

Get in touch:
[email protected]

Link to Roxana's recent essay on illness memoirs:

https://medicalhealthhumanities.com/2024/10/23/the-patients-productive-imagination-the-reportability-paradox-in-narratives-of-contested-illnesses/

Apologies for some subtle clicking sounds in this interview.

#MultipleChemicalSensitivity #MCS #MCSAdvocacy #InvisibleIllnessAwareness #SafeHealthcareSpaces #ChemicalIntolerance #EnvironmentalDisability

DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
 
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. No material or information provided by The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, or its associated website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

Support the show

Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter:

https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new

https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast  

Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language. 

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This episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast explores something many listeners live every day: toxic exposures hidden in everyday products.

I’m speaking with researcher Adrianna Trifunovski and environmental health professor Dr. Caroline Barakat about their study on women’s awareness, beliefs, and avoidance of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in personal care and household products.

We discuss:

• Which chemicals many women recognize
• Which fly under the radar
• How symptoms drive behavior
• And what their findings mean for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity—and for public health more broadly.

Exciting news!! Check out the podcast's new website to listen and learn more:
http://listen.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/

Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/mZwUxbYKTOg

Get in touch:
[email protected]

Link - 2025 paper by Barakat and Trifunovski:

"Analysis of Women’s Knowledge, Health Risk Perceptions, Beliefs and Avoidance Behaviour in Relation to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in Personal Care and Household Products."

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12116110/

#MultipleChemicalSensitivity #MCS #MCSAdvocacy #InvisibleIllnessAwareness #SafeHealthcareSpaces #ChemicalIntolerance #EnvironmentalDisability

DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
 
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. No material or information provided by The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, or its associated website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

Support the show

Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter:

https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new

https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast  

Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language. 

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On February 3, 2023, a freight train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in the U.S. Days later, a “controlled burn” released a massive plume into the air. Many residents who returned home soon became ill.

In this episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, Aaron Goodman speaks with sociologist Madison Scott and toxic exposure expert Professor Lynn Singer. 

They explore how:

• Toxic exposure triggered ongoing symptoms akin to Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), including brain fog, rashes, and fatigue.
•  Many residents continue to report symptoms long after officials declared the area safe.
•  Emerging biological research may reveal critical information about the mechanisms behind MCS.
• And more!

Thank you for listening!

New episodes twice a month. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

Exciting news!! Check out the podcast's new website to listen and learn more:
http://listen.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/

All episodes available at:
https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/

Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/Wu88wcN8Oa8

Get in touch:
[email protected]

#MultipleChemicalSensitivity #MCS #MCSAdvocacy #InvisibleIllnessAwareness #SafeHealthcareSpaces #ChemicalIntolerance #EnvironmentalDisability #OhioTrainDerailment #EastPalestine

Link:

Professor Lynn Singer's co-authored 2025 paper:
"The East Palestine train derailment: A complex environmental disaster."
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0892036225000996

DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
 
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. No material or information provided by The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, or its associated website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

Support the show

Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter:

https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new

https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast  

Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language. 

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This episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is a game-changer. It counters widespread misinformation and misunderstanding about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), an illness that affects millions around the globe.

You'll hear Aaron Goodman in conversation with Beatrice Golomb, Professor in Residence in Medicine at the University of California in San Diego in the U.S.

Professor Golomb explores:

• How MCS is clearly not a psychological condition, but an illness influenced by mitochondrial or cellular damage, genetics, and chemical exposure.
• The connections between MCS and Gulf War Illness.
• How recent diagnostic recognition of Gulf War Illness could potentially lead to better understanding and validation of MCS.

This important information has the potential to critically inform researchers, policy makers, people living with MCS, and the wider public. 

New episodes twice a month! Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

Listen at https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHZINO1vQ2tRcy0GVU4Pmw

Get in touch: aaron@chemicalsensitivitypodcast or comment on social media.

#MultipleChemicalSensitivity #MCS #MCSAdvocacy #InvisibleIllnessAwareness #SafeHealthcareSpaces #ChemicalIntolerance #EnvironmentalDisability #mitochondrialillness #GulfWarIllness

Link:

Professor Golomb's 2025 paper:

SOD2 genetics regulating mitochondrial management of oxidative stress is tied to chemical sensitivity in Gulf war veterans

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40628885/

Contact info for Professor Golomb's research group:
https://www.golombresearchgroup.org/contactus

DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
 
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. No material or information provided by The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, or its associated website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

Support the show

Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter:

https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new

https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast  

Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language. 

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In this episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, we’re exploring youth, chronic illness, and MCS. You'll hear Aaron Goodman speaking with Imogen Harper, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Sydney in Australia. She explores how:

·       Diagnosis of illnesses like MCS in youth is often complex and requires adults noticing symptoms and advocating. 

·       Parents and caregivers can play a crucial in navigating medical systems and ensuring that their child’s needs are taken seriously.

·       Illnesses like MCS affect young people’s identity, relationships, and sense of independence. 

·       Youth and older people with chronic illnesses often deal with anxiety, isolation, stigma, and the challenge of staying connected with others. 

Listen at https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHZINO1vQ2tRcy0GVU4Pmw

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

If you would like to share your experiences or feedback, email aaron@chemicalsensitivitypodcast or comment on social media.

#MultipleChemicalSensitivity #MCS #MCSAdvocacy #InvisibleIllnessAwareness #SafeHealthcareSpaces #ChemicalIntolerance #EnvironmentalDisability

Links:

Imogen's 2024 paper:
"Chronic Concealment and Awareness in the Affective Worlds of Young People Living with Chronic Illness."
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10497323241304571

DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
 
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. No material or information provided by The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, or its associated website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

Support the show

Thank you very much to the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation generously supporting the podcast!

If you find the podcast helpful, please consider becoming a monthly or one-time supporter:

https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/1970633/supporters/new

https://buymeacoffee.com/mcspodcast  

Follow the podcast on YouTube!  Captions available in any language. 

Please follow the podcast on social media:

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