Mold Toxicity

Posted by Sundance(RB) @sundance6, Jan 25, 2019

Was doing some research on Symptoms of Lyme Disease the other night and ran into similar symptoms of Mold Toxcity. Does anyone know anything about it?
Thanks,
Sundance

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My 26 year old nephew is so sensitive to mold that he is unable to work. He has been in treatment for over a year but is so debilitated that he can’t function. Please advise on jobs that guarantee a good working environment,

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@riowill

My 26 year old nephew is so sensitive to mold that he is unable to work. He has been in treatment for over a year but is so debilitated that he can’t function. Please advise on jobs that guarantee a good working environment,

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Welcome @riowill, I'm sorry to hear that your nephew is unable to work due to mold sensitivity. Mold toxicity can be a problem anywhere you work if it's not addressed when found in the workplace. There is some information on the Job Accommodation Network that might be helpful - Breaking the Mold with Workplace Accommodations: https://askjan.org/blogs/jan/2017/12/breaking-the-mold-with-workplace-accommodations.cfm

You mentioned your nephew has been in treatment over a year but still is not able to function. Is he actively looking for a job?

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@johnbishop

Welcome @riowill, I'm sorry to hear that your nephew is unable to work due to mold sensitivity. Mold toxicity can be a problem anywhere you work if it's not addressed when found in the workplace. There is some information on the Job Accommodation Network that might be helpful - Breaking the Mold with Workplace Accommodations: https://askjan.org/blogs/jan/2017/12/breaking-the-mold-with-workplace-accommodations.cfm

You mentioned your nephew has been in treatment over a year but still is not able to function. Is he actively looking for a job?

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He worked for a year outdoors for a landscape company until he had a reaction. He just accepted a job as an Amazon driver but was reacting after day 3 so had to quit. He needs work he can do from home.

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@diomit

Dear @sundance6 :

Do not take mold lightly. I worked in a building for 3 years that caused much hardship. Tenants in this building year in a year out left due to illness.
No one could figure out why. Most states do not even recognize mold as a harmful item. Shoot most doctors don't recognize mold as an issue. It wasn't until our functional medicine doctor made an issue about it that we started to focus in on it. Eventually we discovered he was right and there was mold in the building.

Mold can cause issues on your health and it creeps up slowly over time which makes it difficult to diagnose. Usually starts with some stiffness in the hips and irritability. You may get insomnia and maybe even some anxiety. Eventually it will cause shortness of breath and digestive issues. The worse part is that main stream medicine doesn't know how to tackle the situation. This is why doctors like Shoemaker and Brewer make a fortune because they cater to this illness but even their methods are not really perfect and in my opinion subpar. Mold is by far more harmful than our western medicine recognizes and society recognize. I know this first hand and have seen so much illness due to my experience in that building.

If you are experiencing shortness of breath, good luck getting help from doctors. They will do the normal routine. They will do a chest x-ray. Then they will make you do a pulmonary function test. After that an echo will be ordered. If you have a cardio doctor on your team they will probably order a stress test. They may tell you to get an 02 monitor (the little finger device) to check your 02 levels. If you are lucky a CT scan will be ordered or MRI. The crazy part is all of these will most likely test out fine. The reason I believe is mold effects your bloods ability to transport oxygen. Thus you have all the oxygen you need in the lungs (hence the perfect tests) but it isn't getting to your organs and thus you have air hunger.

The worse part of all of this, is once doctors have deemed you are fine in the lungs they will either tell you it is anxiety and put you on SSRI's which doesn't work or they will tell you it is GERD and put you on PPI's which in the long run will only make things worse. Both diagnosis are awful and in reality lazy medical practices because essentially the doctor is saying this is your fault when it isn't.

I'm not telling you this to dishearten you as I'm in search for the solution and I believe it is out there. What I do know is people need to know this information so they don't get cornered that it is just in their heads. It is not in your head. You will find Lyme is usually triggered due to mold (lots of research on this fyi). Shoot there is also research supporting that mold triggers autoimmune conditions. Stay positive, have faith, and may you have a speedy recovery!

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Sorry.....I don't mean to be combative, but if Mayo says that black mold is not dangerous.....it is not dangerous. They are the best. And the best part, we are documenting this and their position. Others say that black mold is dangerous, but Mayo is not one to take a position which speaks volumes. Either it is or is not. Mayo.........if you don't know......say that you don't know. That is fine. Too many of us believe what we read on the internet and that is full of fake information. Please weigh in. Thanks.

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@johnbishop

Welcome @riowill, I'm sorry to hear that your nephew is unable to work due to mold sensitivity. Mold toxicity can be a problem anywhere you work if it's not addressed when found in the workplace. There is some information on the Job Accommodation Network that might be helpful - Breaking the Mold with Workplace Accommodations: https://askjan.org/blogs/jan/2017/12/breaking-the-mold-with-workplace-accommodations.cfm

You mentioned your nephew has been in treatment over a year but still is not able to function. Is he actively looking for a job?

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John, you seem like a nice man. Do you think a mold "allergy" is the same as mold "toxicity?" And I would appreciate hearing the difference between the two. Sounds like Mayo is passing buck. Take a position if you claim to be a leading cutting edge facility. We are waiting. Most importantly, please let me know the symptoms of Mold Toxicity. Look forward to hearing from you given your vast experience. It is critically important.

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@johnbishop

@chronicpaingirl15, I'm not sure if this will help but it's the search results for mold toxicity on the OSHA website. It shows 400 or so links to documents dealing with mold toxicity.

https://search.osha.gov/search?affiliate=usdoloshapublicwebsite&query=mold+toxicity

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John, we are coming to Mayo as "the best." This is all over your marketing material, non? I want to know from Mayo, what are the labs that you all run to rule in/out if inflammation is present with mold TOXICITY patients.....making the differereniation between mold "sensitivity" or a small mold "allergy" versus mold TOXICITY. Please clarify. I assume if you refer me to another website that this means that you are not ready to weigh in on the issue. This is fine. I assume that you not responding means the same thing. If you don't know, you owe it to patients who are suffering to tell them that you don't have a clue and they need to seek out a true facility. Let me know when you are ready to update your website about the dangers of mold TOXICITY which is not tantamount to a mold allergy. One day you will understand and I pray that it doesn't come in the form of someone you love. God bless. Do the right thing.

Editor's Note:
From Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/aspergillosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20369619
Most strains of this mold are harmless, but a few can cause serious illnesses when people with weakened immune systems, underlying lung disease or asthma inhale their fungal spores.

In some people, the spores trigger an allergic reaction. Other people develop mild to serious lung infections. The most serious form of aspergillosis — invasive aspergillosis — occurs when the infection spreads to blood vessels and beyond.

Depending on the type of aspergillosis, treatment may involve observation, antifungal medications or, in rare cases, surgery.

From further information, see: Mold allergy https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mold-allergy/symptoms-causes/syc-20351519

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@sanny

John, we are coming to Mayo as "the best." This is all over your marketing material, non? I want to know from Mayo, what are the labs that you all run to rule in/out if inflammation is present with mold TOXICITY patients.....making the differereniation between mold "sensitivity" or a small mold "allergy" versus mold TOXICITY. Please clarify. I assume if you refer me to another website that this means that you are not ready to weigh in on the issue. This is fine. I assume that you not responding means the same thing. If you don't know, you owe it to patients who are suffering to tell them that you don't have a clue and they need to seek out a true facility. Let me know when you are ready to update your website about the dangers of mold TOXICITY which is not tantamount to a mold allergy. One day you will understand and I pray that it doesn't come in the form of someone you love. God bless. Do the right thing.

Editor's Note:
From Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/aspergillosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20369619
Most strains of this mold are harmless, but a few can cause serious illnesses when people with weakened immune systems, underlying lung disease or asthma inhale their fungal spores.

In some people, the spores trigger an allergic reaction. Other people develop mild to serious lung infections. The most serious form of aspergillosis — invasive aspergillosis — occurs when the infection spreads to blood vessels and beyond.

Depending on the type of aspergillosis, treatment may involve observation, antifungal medications or, in rare cases, surgery.

From further information, see: Mold allergy https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mold-allergy/symptoms-causes/syc-20351519

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Good morning Phylis @sanny, Just a gentle reminder that I am a patient like most members on Connect. I do not work for Mayo Clinic. I am a volunteer and have no medical training or background. I'm most certainly not an expert in mold toxicity and how it's diagnosed or treated. I have shared links I've found that I think are reliable medical or scientific information. I am more than happy to learn about other information than what I've been able to locate if you have some to share.

If you want to know the purpose of Mayo Clinic Connect - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/about-connect/tab/aboutconnect/

Blessings on your day...

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Hi @sanny, it sounds like you are concerned about the black mold in your home, especially since you run a daycare out of your home. This article from Healthline that @johnbishop referenced is particularly helpful in explaining the dangers and myths about mold and how to get rid of it and prevent it.
- What Is Black Mold?: Exposure, Symptoms, Treatment, and More https://www.healthline.com/health/black-mold-exposure

I'd also like to point out that Mayo Clinic Connect is an online community of patients and people share their experiences, find support and exchange information with others. It is not a place to get answers from medical professionals. See the disclaimer here https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/about-connect/tab/disclaimer/

"All information shared by members on the Mayo Clinic Connect is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the community."

For information on mold allergies from Mayo Clinic, see this expert article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mold-allergy/symptoms-causes/syc-20351519

Like you, John is a member of the community. He is particularly helpful and is a volunteer mentor, connecting members with others members. He also likes to help members find relevant information on the internet from reliable and evidence-based sources. He is not a Mayo employee or medical professional.

Back to the issue of black mold. "While being around mold may cause minor effects for some, like a stuffy nose or coughing, it can cause stronger reactions in people with asthma, mold allergies, or weakened immune systems."

I hope that you are successful in getting rid of the mold in your home for the health of everyone.

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@chronicpaingirl15

I find all of this interesting on the Mayo Clinic website. I just got off the phone with them and I’m desperate for someone to give me an actual diagnosis even though after getting my urine analysis back and doing the VCS vision test, reading up on mold toxicity I KNOW this is what has caused my chronic pain.
My husband wants validation and a real doctor to give me a diagnosis and plan and I just want to make myself and my mom healthy. She has been diagnosed with early onset dementia and she is 64. Ive never been more certain in my life that this is my issue after living in chronic pain DAILY 24/7 since 2013, my head feels like it is going to explode, I can’t think anymore, I’m short of breath, I have GI issues that are intolerable and down right desperate to be a human again before I feel neurological damage is done for good. I was praying my call with the Mayo Clinic today was going to be it. It’s not.
Any help, I’d take it. What blood test to ask my doctors for, etc. they all look at me like I’m crazy.

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I am in the same boat as far as finding a clinic that administers tests for mold and mycotoxins. I have been researching for quite sometime now and as far as tests u can ask for there is an ELISA test that is a urine test and a mass spectometry test. There are a few more ive heard about but also in doing these tests, if u have been living with a mold problem for a long period of time, the mold can get into parts of your body and set up camp to where depending on your current health your body might have troubles detoxing from it and therefore not showing up in some of these tests. If thats the case, the doctors webinars ive watched all say they prescribe glutathione a few days in advance of taking these tests which force these toxins out in order to get a good idea of what your body is holding onto. There are also several blood tests that doctors can administer and they would serve as markers of a mold presence. doctor paulvin has a mold blog called mold 101 mold toxicity that goes in detail on different tests this site will give you a better insight on testing and also if u go on utube and watch any of Dr. Jill Carnahan's webnars on mold and mycotoxins, she gives great information! Hope that helps a little

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@sundance6

John, Thanks, Seems Like I'm back to square One in my hunt to a cause as to what is wrong with me and many others! I thought it may be an avenue to persue but it dosen't look that way. Will continue the hunt! Have a Merry!
Thanks,
Sundance!

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Hi did you ever get an answer. I’m in the same situation. Neuropathy. Tests show mold exposure. But not sure of connected and can’t find much inline.

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