I am VERY ill with candida. House has had some mold problems that we've been fixing as we can. No more moisture feeding the mold. Are fixing as we can.
I'd like to hear from someone that mold in their home was part of their problem but were able to stay in the home and recover after fixing the mold. All I've read is "GET OUT". That would be devastating to me and my family and my marriage.
To have to leave my house would be the end for me and my family. My illness has been such a strain for us in so many ways, including financially that that would just be it.
I should mention that I was very very sick even before living in this house. That is my husband's point of view and it's understandable. If he/we knew for sure and could see a direct correlation between moving to this house and my illness then it would be a no brainer but I was sick before. However the candida is way out of control now.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I think it depends on the type of mold. I had cladasporium in my Select Comfort Sleep Number bed, and all I had to do was get rid of the bed and vacuum the room (including walls and ceiling) with a HEPA filter vacuum.
If it's stachy, I think it's a whole different problem.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- A home that provides a healthful environment for you also does so for all family member, even if they do not seem to have symptoms from mold, it's not good for anyone.
SGK brings up vital point. With Stachybotrys (stacky-bott-rus), EVERYONE has to get out of the way.
There is no negotiation with Stachy, other than to isolate the area and live in a part of the house that is not affected. You'd need a remediation expert to tell you how to safely do that.
My guess is that you've had it tested and it not Stachy, though.
You could also contact the American Lung Association for some counsel. They really helped me years ago when I was in a short term rental with a moldy basement.
If mold coming from a bed or other items, the source has to removed. HEPA filter is essential, also similar vacuum filter.
I would get all new pillows, especially for beds. Of course, that's even a huge assignment to find some not treated with flame retardants or teflon stain repellants.
If from "manufactured wood products" anywhere in the house are moldy, those would have to go as well.
Cleaning air ducts, etc. important (and important to do in a specific manner).
As for others who may be able to tolerate "garden variety" molds, you might find the discussion thread for
Allergie-Immun - or try to find GiGi. This is her forte. Also maybe contact Dr. Kt's office as his staff may be able to guide you. He's very well versed in molds.
Many have done the Allergie-Immun treatment and done very well.
FOUNDATIONAL PROTOCOL for AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDERS
Dr. K and the Dana Gorman www.Thriiive.com Summit and Think Tank
147 pages - September 2009 -
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
You could do the ERMI test, and see just how toxic your house may be, and it will list which types of mold are found.
We have had a mold inspection, only found an issue in the garage under water heater which we had them fix,
Also did the ERMI test for 2 rooms, made some adjustments.
We are in our house. Like you, there is no way we could move. Going through the whole thing was not good for my anxiety, shall we say!
But getting the correct information is important.
We are detoxing with the CMS powder.
Posted by momlyme (Member # 27775) on :
We did an ERMI and our Stachybotrys (stachy for short) count on that test was 17... which I didn't think was too high.
Some of our other molds were quite high too. Rest assured, if you have stachy, you have other molds too.
When we had a professional do an air test... where they set up a machine that pulls the air through a slide and then send that slide to a lab... the count in the AIR was 234,000 per square meter.
If stachy is blooming and airborne, it can cause SEVERE health problems. Many of which my whole family was suffering with when we were living in that house.
I would definitely get out if you discover you are dealing with stachy. I believe for us, it was a matter of life or death.
I know you are asking for people who have found that were able to stay in house after mold.
I am not sure I will ever be able to go back to my house. But I have become hypersensitive because of our extreme exposure. I cannot go to about 70% of the buildings that are out there.
I am also interested in talking to anyone who has successfully remediated a wide-spread, longterm mold problerm AND been able to live there themselves afterward.
I don't want to discount SGK's experience, having mold in an mattress is awful because you sleep on it... but removal of the mattress and the problem is gone.
That is different than stachy living in the walls, producing mycotoxins which are smaller than mold spores and poison a house.
I want to hear from someone who had widespread mold and was able to live in their house and BE WELL. Then, I want to know what they did to rid the house of the mycotoxins.
Mold can get you sick... but mycotoxins can kill you.
I think we will wind up buying land and building new. I am so sensitive that I cannot find a home or an apartment in my town that I can stay in.
The only place I have found that I can stay is a 20 x 15 motel room with an propolis air diffuser and an austin air healthmate running 24/7.
Posted by dal123 (Member # 6313) on :
what is CMS powder?
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- CMS is Cholestyramine Powder - it pulls out toxins from the gut.
Questran is one brand name. Avoid any kind (usually "Lite") that contain artificial sweeteners as those are neurotoxic, themselves.
You can add stevia (from plants) but, really, it's medicine and it does not need to taste like a dessert. It's not great by any means but manageable to get down.
LOTS of water all throughout the day is essential when taking this to prevent colon blockage.
Cholestyramine, a prescription (powder) that helps to detox mold by binding the toxins and forcing the bile to excrete instead of recycling through the body.
Cholestepure by Pure Encapsulations is non prescription and I have heard good things about it.
Posted by tickled1 (Member # 14257) on :
We had a small amount of Stachy around the baseboard in the bathroom. I'm not sure what strain of Stachy it was b/c we tested with First Alert test and not ERMI. I read that not all strains of Stachy are dangerous.
The area in the bathroom is now fixed. Husband removed baseboard and removed sheetrock halfway up wall and replaced. There was no mold in the wall.
We had a leak under the kitchen sink that was fixed. There is a piece of particle board cabinet under there that had mold growing on it. I believe that was Aspergillis/Penicillium. We will be replacing cabinets soon.
Upstairs bathroom also has some water damage that is no longer being fed, source fixed. That is also Aspergillis/Penicillium. We will tear that bathroom apart when we can afford to.
When all the work is done I will do an ERMI. In the meantime I have an Austin Air Healthmate running as well as a Honeywell Carbon Filter Purifier in my daughter's room constantly. Also just bought a sealed HEPA vacuum.
If I felt like we could leave our home and find a safer home for me/us to go to I/we'd consider it but like I said I was sick before moving to this house and like Momlyme, I may be reactive in any place that has even the most minute amount of mold and I think most homes have some mold. Building is not an option right now.
If starting over in a new home was a guaranteed way to make me better then we'd do it.
I tried cholestyramine and it made me feel worse by the way and had to stop it.
As far as Candida and Mold go, I feel like it's a chicken and egg thing. Which one caused or exacerbated which. Maybe I'm hypersensitive b/c of chronic candida or maybe I have candida b/c of mold exposure. Bottom line is it's not realistic for me to live in a bubble. There is mold everywhere. So is it possible to recover from this?
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
My daughter had the HLA test done, had one gene come back the 'dreaded' meaning does not detox mold or Lyme toxins well-
I will find out late January if it came from me, when I get the test.
The mold in our garage, under water heater, was black mold.
The mold company correctly fixed it, any surrounding walls.
The ERMI tests came back a 3 and a 4 for each of our bedrooms, which is not great, but not skull and cross bones run for your life.
Hepa vacuum, new Hepa air purifiers- this is all we can do- I'm okay with it--
We continue to use the CMS powder-
Posted by Tammy N. (Member # 26835) on :
Which hepa vacuum are you folks using? (Brand/model).
Thanks.
Posted by fourwinds (Member # 14114) on :
quote:Originally posted by sixgoofykids: I had cladasporium in my Select Comfort Sleep Number bed, and all I had to do was get rid of the bed and vacuum the room (including walls and ceiling) with a HEPA filter vacuum.
Hmm, do you mean the "Sleep Number" with the two air chambers and remote controls for each side??
I'm curious because that's what we have; and, how did you determine it was the bed?
Posted by tickled1 (Member # 14257) on :
I believe "Miele" brand vacuums are best but there's no way I could afford one especially after dumping $600 on air purifiers.
I think the HEPA vac has to be "sealed" or "airtight". I found one on sale through Walmart for $99 and the price just went down to $89. I think it's also important that it is bagged, not bagless. The one I got is the "Eureka Air Extreme Sealed HEPA bagless upright". I think Bissell also makes one that is affordable. Again, has to be sealed or airtight and bagged, not bagless HEPA.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
quote:Originally posted by momlyme:
I don't want to discount SGK's experience, having mold in an mattress is awful because you sleep on it... but removal of the mattress and the problem is gone.
True that the exposure is gone, but NOT true that the problem is gone. It's still quite an issue to detoxify the exposure from the body. The detoxification process was brutal and not simple at all. It was further complicated by the fact that I cannot tolerate CSM.
ANY mold exposure is bad and is difficult to detoxify. It's just that some of it is easier to get out of your home than others.
And just because the "experts" say that a certain mold is not "toxic" doesn't mean it doesn't make you very ill.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
quote:Originally posted by fourwinds:
quote:Originally posted by sixgoofykids: I had cladasporium in my Select Comfort Sleep Number bed, and all I had to do was get rid of the bed and vacuum the room (including walls and ceiling) with a HEPA filter vacuum.
Hmm, do you mean the "Sleep Number" with the two air chambers and remote controls for each side??
I'm curious because that's what we have; and, how did you determine it was the bed?
Yes!!! Because I read about it on the internet, unzipped my bed, PULLED BACK THE FOAM and looked at the bladder, and it was FULL OF MOLD.
They knew about the problem and FIXED it in the newer beds by dumping more chemicals into the foam. The never recalled the old beds like they should have, they just let people sleep on the mold.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tammy N.: Which hepa vacuum are you folks using? (Brand/model).
Thanks.
I have an Oreck. It's okay. I don't love it.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- I LOVE my MIELE (rhymes with Shiela) canister vacuum. Not sure if it's exactly a HEPA or not but it has two systems of filters.
I had a basic Oreck (now they have better ones, I think) and this one is MUCH better regarding the filtering - and MUCH QUIETER, too.
I did lots of research about the noise. Miele is the one most with hyperacusis found to work for them.
Remember, everyone, wear protective ear muffs (like for construction or lawn work) when anywhere near a vacuum, a blender, hairdryer (ear plugs, then), etc.
When on antibiotics, our ears are more susceptible to damage from even normal sounds. Even a hairdryer is about 100 decibels. Damage can happen to normal ears at 85 decibels (dB) in just 90 seconds.
Also, even after stopping abx, and other drugs that affect the ears, for many months, the ears can be more susceptible to damage from sound.
Be very protective of your ears. They do far more than just let us hear. Without good inner function, walking, talking and even reading & thinking can be much harder. -
Posted by seekhelp (Member # 15067) on :
YES, I'm learning this the hard way. If yours ears are messed up, your life is devastated. ENT says they are fine. Don't think so. Can't concentrate at all, barely can walk straight. How messed up is that when a doc says they are fine? lol.
quote:Originally posted by Keebler: -
Be very protective of your ears. They do far more than just let us hear. Without good inner function, walking, talking and even reading & thinking can be much harder. -
Posted by tickled1 (Member # 14257) on :
Six, what did you do to detox mold since you couldn't tolerate CSM?
Posted by momlyme (Member # 27775) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tammy N.: Which hepa vacuum are you folks using? (Brand/model).
Thanks.
Tammy, I have a Miele Olympus. It's a canister. I love it. Light, small, quiet & HEPA.
Posted by momlyme (Member # 27775) on :
quote:Originally posted by seekhelp: YES, I'm learning this the hard way. If yours ears are messed up, your life is devastated. ENT says they are fine. Don't think so. Can't concentrate at all, barely can walk straight. How messed up is that when a doc says they are fine? lol.
I know someone in a mold support forum who has been deaf for years because of mold exposure. Mold ate away at the hairs that enable you to hear? Something like that. I know nothing about the ear, just know that mold made him lose his hearing.
Btw, he just had a cochlear implant done at the VA hospital that gave him back hearing in one ear. He's happy to have his hearing back! Posted by momlyme (Member # 27775) on :
quote:Originally posted by sixgoofykids:
quote:Originally posted by momlyme:
I don't want to discount SGK's experience, having mold in an mattress is awful because you sleep on it... but removal of the mattress and the problem is gone.
True that the exposure is gone, but NOT true that the problem is gone. It's still quite an issue to detoxify the exposure from the body. The detoxification process was brutal and not simple at all. It was further complicated by the fact that I cannot tolerate CSM.
ANY mold exposure is bad and is difficult to detoxify. It's just that some of it is easier to get out of your home than others.
And just because the "experts" say that a certain mold is not "toxic" doesn't mean it doesn't make you very ill.
No doubt! Detoxing mold out of the body is necessary with any mold exposure!
The thread asked to "hear from someone that was able to stay in house after mold."
Throwing one mattress out, vacuuming and getting on with your life is much different than what my family is dealing with. We have spent 8+ months and $15k+ trying to fix a mold infestation in our home. I still react to my home. But, I also react to 70% of the homes and buildings that I go into!
If you have mold in your house you can either move out or live in the house and have it continue to make you sick. I chose to move out rather than a house that is making me and my family sick. I thought it would be 2 weeks or a month... who knew?
Posted by momlyme (Member # 27775) on :
This is a thread from a mold support group - (I removed names to protect the people posting
~~~start post~~~ went to house today to try and clean and get things bagged for carpet cleaner guy and my lungs feel full and face is twitching now. If i try and move back even once its cleaned am i gonna regret it???? financially this just isnt working with one income and two homes, my kids are there and i am here! Im gonna pray on this one its tough
~~1st reply I really feel for you **** and I wish I could be more help and be more positive. My experience has been that when people move back to a home that they have remediated ,, they don't have much luck. Moving from house to house isn't very rewarding either.. I moved into 4 rentals in a row that had mold and I don't know that I am safe right now.. Maybe some other members will have better news but this has been my experience.. I do wish you the best of luck with this though.. I know what it is like to be separated from your children.
~~~2nd reply I would guess YES. Think about it. If it only takes a mycotoxin or spore to trigger your system knowing how small they are and how easy they float through the air lodge and dislodge on so many things, what are the odds you will really get them all?
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
quote:Originally posted by tickled1: Six, what did you do to detox mold since you couldn't tolerate CSM?
For a long time, nothing. When I first got the mold out, I was so severely ill that I couldn't tolerate anything at all, not even my meds/herbs for Lyme. I took nothing. After that, I was afraid to mobilize it.
Then I used oregano oil and Dr. Natura cleanse (which has several herbs recommended for mold). It was a roundabout way to go after it, but seemed to work. I would not consider it a primary (or even good) mold cleanse. I think my body was ready to process the mold, so this seemed to be enough for me.
Again, mine was not stachy. That is a different issue. They all need detox, but stachy needs extra attention it seems.
Posted by thejoje (Member # 19976) on :
We had a unseen mold problem in our basement, and several mold issues in our bathroom. Our doc said that we all tested for many different types in our blood. Also our DNA saliva swabs(that we intermittently sent to our doc) turned black and orange over a period of just a few days.
Doc said she had never seen anything that bad.
Our remediation: -clean up the mold in the basement with bleach -tear out sheetrocck in bathroom and replace -buy 2 dehumidifiers for basement and one for the bathroom. turn them both on to 35% humidity and leave them on all day - buy 4 air purifiers for bedroom that target mold. -turn on the air purifier next to the basement stairs -clean roof gutters and direct rain away from the house
Supplements and meds taken that target molds: -pleo ng -neem -diflucan -saccharomycees boulardi -nistatin -chlorella
Results: -house smells better -some of us think more clearly -some of us initially had a hard time with the supps and meds, but definitely feel better - our DNA swabs weren't black any more -we didn't have to move
So far, our approach is working. Our wood stove is cranked up now, so there is a lot of dry heat - great for prohibiting mold growth. We'll see what the spring brings.
Our aggressive approach against the mold has definitely paid off. Anything less would not have been enough.
Posted by CherylSue (Member # 13077) on :
good info
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
Since you bumped up this thread, I just wanted to add back then I ended up speaking to the Vice President of the ERMI company on the phone about our results.
I told him we had a full mold house inspection (and they look EVERYWHERE), that the mold inspector took air samples that came back 'some of the cleanest they'd seen',
had the issue they found in the garage fixed, and then did the ERMI test-
He recommended the Hepa air filters, Hepa vacuum, and said we were fine (agreed with our mold inspector.)
Posted by desertwind (Member # 25256) on :
My house was pretty load w/ hidden black mold. Long process......major renovations. Still living in the house and I think the mold is gone.
After remediation I did a few rounds of thieves oil diffuser. Taking alot of supp.s for ridding toxins and yeast. Forever sensitive to mold but I think my body is healing.
Posted by WPinVA (Member # 33581) on :
Thanks to those who mentioned the Austin AirMate. I just swallowed hard and ordered the AirMate Plus.
With such a high price, it really helped to have some personal testimonials. I am hoping it helps!
We are working on our house as well. We didn't have a major mold infestation though we did have some elevated results on ERMI (8) and some varying air tests.
We had a very small area of mold in the powder room which we had professionally remediated. It's very important to remove mold the right way so it doesn't stir it up and allow it to go airborne. If you do it yourself, read the info on the EPA website, or if you can, hire a qualified pro.
We started to suspect that a big part of the problem was the dirt crawlspace under a large part of our house, so we just had that sealed with a vapor barrier.
We also installed a whole house dehumidifier and an ERV. We use a sealed HEPA vacuum. All of those helped but we're not all the way there yet. Our house is still a bit tight - opening windows helps (although that lets pollen in).
We are thinking about installing a HEPA or carbon filter on the HVAC, and also some additional ventilation source. Would love to hear any additional suggestions!
Posted by MichaelTampa (Member # 24868) on :
We did the remediation to our home and moved back in. The hotel we stayed in was moldy. I experienced no substantial change in health when we moved to the hotel. I experienced a substantial improvement in health when we moved back to the home. I am still not at the level of health I would like to be at. So, it gave improvement but not everything I wanted.
It is possible, in theory, that the home is still the problem. But there are many other possibilities. We detected mold and bacteria still in my body, clogged up in sinus. Another practitioner found mold in other places in my body so we will see what gains we get from dealing with that and go from there.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
If yours ears are messed up, your life is devastated. ENT says they are fine. Don't think so. Can't concentrate at all, barely can walk straight. How messed up is that when a doc says they are fine? lol.![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)