YAKUGAKU ZASSHI
Online ISSN : 1347-5231
Print ISSN : 0031-6903
ISSN-L : 0031-6903
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The Problems of Multiple-Chemical Sensitivity Patients in Using Medicinal Drugs
Junzo SUZUKIHarumi NIKKOFusao KAIHOKeiko YAMAGUCHIHiroshi WADAMasao SUZUKI
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2004 Volume 124 Issue 8 Pages 561-570

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Abstract

  Multiple-chemical sensitivity (MCS) patients are presumed to be compelled to lead inconvenient and difficult lives, because unpleasant and multiorgan symptoms are caused by very small amounts of various chemicals in the living environment. Therefore we conducted a questionnaire survey of MCS patients who are members of support groups to elucidate the problems of MCS patients in using medicinal drugs. In this report, we selected 205 persons who stated that they had been “diagnosed with MCS by a physician” or “a physician suspected a diagnosis of MCS” on the questionnaire as the reason they judged themselves to have MCS. The questionnaire results showed that about 60% of MCS patients have difficulty in using medicinal drugs and that the difficulties are more likely to occur in women, in people 40—59 years old, and in patients who developed MCS in reaction to pesticides or medicinal drugs. The prescribed drugs and OTC drugs noted as usable or unusable by patients in the questionnaire were analyzed from the viewpoint of their medicinal constituents. The results indicated that lidocaine is likely to be unusable by MCS patients. In addition, caffeine, aspirin, chlorphenylamine maleate, minocycline hydrochloride, levofloxacin, etc. were also likely to be unusable by MCS patients. Many patients who recorded drugs containing the above-mentioned remedies as unusable had a past history of allergy, suggesting that allergy is involved in the difficulties of MCS patients in using medicinal drugs.

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© 2004 by the PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN
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