there are labcorp and quest labs tests tha test for antibodies and allergy to mold. do these tests test for mold toxicity or not? this is comething im confused about. it says they test for allergy to mold, but i dont know if being allergic to it means that the mold can make you sick and you have it
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
I just went to an allergist and was tested for many things. I was only allergic to mold.
I went there because I have had a sinus headache now for 3 months. Primary care doc said I now have chronic sinusitis (sinus infection). I am now trying my second antibiotic to hopefully get rid of it.
So, I have concluded that not only am I allergic to mold, but now I believe that mold has given me a sinus infection.
In my reading, there is now some evidence that most sinus infections are caused by a person being allergic to mold or breathing in a lot of mold and then the sinuses reacting to it.
I believe I have been allergic to mold my entire life. I reacted to the smell of it with a headache and did not want to spend any time in a room with a moldy smell.
Now, late in life, I have my first infection that seems to be due to mold allergy.
So, you can be allergic to something and never get sick from it just because you are never around the thing you are allergic to long enough.
There is a chance that we now have mold in our basement. That may be why now I have an infection in my sinuses and never had one before, even though we have lived in this house for 20 years.
We got water in the basement a few months ago, and I am thinking that mold grew from that.
By the way, the allergist mentioned that there were blood tests for allergies, but he said that they were not as accurate as the skin tests that they do in the allergist's office.
Why not do some research and see if it sounds like you really are allergic to mold. I always knew I was. I didn't need any doctor or test to tell me. Finally now I get a test and I was right all along.
I could smell mold or mildew where others couldn't. I could smell it in a washcloth in the summer and couldn't stand the smell.
If you are allergic, you will smell the mold that others can't and other things like that.
Hopefully by researching on the web you will be able to determine for yourself if you are allergic to mold. It is also important to find out if you are living or working in a moldy environment. That can set you up for getting lyme disease.
This was discussed at the recent lyme disease conference in Toronto. I took notes on one doctor's talk who discussed this. I'll see if I can find that thread or the notes, etc.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Here's the thread discussing the talk at the recent lyme conference in Toronto.
Mold sinus infections will not be cured by taking antibiotics...need anti-fungal treatment for that.
Antibodies to mold does not indicate problems with detoxing. The detoxing thing is determined I think by genetics, and there are tests for that. There have been posts about this here on LymeNet - search the archives for mold toxicity or detoxing.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Razzle, I agree.
Can you tell me how to find out whether my sinus infection is from mold?
I have read all the literature since this has happened to me.
How do you get a doctor to figure out whether or not I have a sinus infection from mold? They all just give you antibiotics and that is it.
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
Failure of antibiotics to treat the sinus infection would be a good indication...and you've already failed one round of abx for it...
* Taking capsules of oregano and thyme herb or essential oils.
* Asking your Lyme doc for an rx for systemic antifungal medication (such as diflucan) and see if that helps...
Also, Biotin supplements (at least 8000mcg/day) - prevents fungus from reverting to spore form, thus making it easier to kill the infection with antifungal stuff; start the biotin before starting the antifungal stuff...
I would think any kind of sinus rinse that helps to wash out the fungal spores would help some...so even saline sinus rinses may be of benefit.
Posted by TS96 (Member # 14048) on :
TF, I know if your sinus infections are not cured by traditional abx, it very well may be fungal in nature.
My past sinus infections were never cured by abx. I ended up having a sinus surgery and they found what was likend to a "peanut butter ball" in my sinuses, but they never said it was mold.
Now.... My killer sinus h/a's are cured with Diflucan which we all know treats fungus, most likely candida in the sinuses.
Do your sinuses get worse with simple carbs, or dairy?
Posted by WhitneyS (Member # 25666) on :
Check out the Shoemaker panel and protocol for mold....super impotent.
Posted by TS96 (Member # 14048) on :
good post Razzle, you beat me to it.
All those are good things to clean the sinuses.
Interesting info on the biotin.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Thanks all. At this point, I need help to get a doctor to consider mold as the cause. From all I have read, this is not yet considered a likely cause by the mainstream.
The Mayo Clinic patent was granted in 2003. The wheels of progress move slowly.
From talking with friends who have had this, they tell me an ENT will likely put me on an extended course of antibiotics, for as long as 90 days to try to get rid of this.
So, the problem is getting them to think fungal infection as cause. If anyone can give me any help with that, I would appreciate it.
I haven't had lyme in 7 years so I don't see the lyme doc anymore. I will ask my primary to indulge me and give me diflucan for 2 weeks. I don't know if he will or not. I will show him the announcement from Mayo Clinic to justify my request.
Then, I plan on calling around to various ENTs to ask if any of them believe in a fungal cause for chronic sinusitis and if they will treat with anti-fungals after 2 antibiotic trials have failed.
If anyone can give me further ideas to get me a doc who is willing to treat me with antifungals, I would appreciate it.
Razzle, I appreciate your post so much. I will try all these things. Currently, my goal is to get a doc to prescribe anti-fungal nasal spray and systemic antifungal.
If there was a test I could request that would PROVE my problem is mold/fungus in the sinuses, then I expect getting antifungals would not be a problem. Still looking for help here. Does anybody know of a way to prove or disprove that this is a fungal cause?
I know they can do sinus surgery and culture a sample of what they find, but is there something short of surgery to prove/disprove the fungal cause?
katrinab, I apologize for inadvertently hijacking your thread. It was not my intent. Sorry.
TS96, I was perfectly fine until Dec. 1 when all this hit me. Simple carbs and dairy don't change anything. I have had this sinus headache 24/7 for over 3 months now. I have had to consume a lot of dairy daily for the last 6 years to fight osteopenia. I was fine with it until 3 months ago, so I don't suspect diet at all. I just had allergy tests. I don't know if they test for that or not.
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
They can culture your sinuses by getting a sample with a long swab stick from each nostril.
Also, they can allergy-test you (skin test or blood test) for mold.
Need adequate stomach acid, Vitamin D, and Vitamin K to absorb calcium and have it actually improve bone density.
Vit. D & stomach acid improves absorption in the gut, and Vit. K enables the body to put the calcium into the bones.
Fish oil (Omega-3 EFA's), Vitamin C, Protein, Magnesium, Boron, Zinc, and other trace minerals are also needed for healthy bone density.
My DH has seen an 11% improvement in his bone density in one year using the above list of supplements and going hiking every weekend for exercise.
Surprised his endocrinologist, because my DH is on oral steroids and has been for a long time, and steroids are known to prevent absorption of calcium and decrease bone density.