posted
Just found mold growing on the drywall inside our house. Hubby will remove entire wall, insulation, carpet, etc. in a few weeks. How could this be impacting son's health? Is there a treatment for him to counteract the fungal elements? He already takes diflucan. We see LLMD next week. I know that all traces of the mold must be removed, does it need to be tested??
Posts: 28 | From USA | Registered: Aug 2010
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Lauralyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
Read the book Mold Warriors by Dr Ritchie Shoemaker
-------------------- Fall down seven times, get up eight ~Japanese proverb Posts: 1146 | From west coast | Registered: Mar 2008
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Lauralyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15021
posted
Read the book Mold Warriors by Dr Ritchie Shoemaker
-------------------- Fall down seven times, get up eight ~Japanese proverb Posts: 1146 | From west coast | Registered: Mar 2008
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momlyme
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posted
Mold Warriors came out in 2005
He wrote a new book: Surviving Mold came out in February, 2011... so much has changed.
Toxic mold was suppressing our immune systems, causing extreme pain, brain fog and magnifying symptoms. Four days after moving out, the healing began. Posts: 2007 | From NY/VT Border | Registered: Aug 2010
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posted
I personally wouldn't spend too much time on this. There's only a couple doctors in the country that even believe mold build up in a house could be THAT detrimental to our health.
Watch what you read on the internet.
Posts: 306 | From NY | Registered: Sep 2010
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momlyme
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posted
nybasketball212 - can you back up this statement with any proof?
quote:Originally posted by nybasketball212: I personally wouldn't spend too much time on this. There's only a couple doctors in the country that even believe mold build up in a house could be THAT detrimental to our health.
Watch what you read on the internet.
There was a time when people did not believe in germs either.
24% of the population gets sick from mold. Mold sickness susceptibility can be (and is) determined with a genetic test. The HLA DR is one of many diagnostic test Dr. S. is using to diagnose mold illness.
ny - Perhaps you are part of the lucky 76%. Do other people a favor and don't try to steer them away from mold being a factor in their illness.
Many of the symptoms of mold illness overlap with lyme disease and other chronic illnesses like CFS, Fibromyalgia, MS and others. This should not be ignored or overlooked.
I finished "Surviving Mold" - Dr. S new book that I mentioned in my post above. 800 pages of facts on mold, sick buildings, sick people, tests, and treatments. I am certain the science is sound. Mold can be just as dangerous as bacteria.
-------------------- May health be with you!
Toxic mold was suppressing our immune systems, causing extreme pain, brain fog and magnifying symptoms. Four days after moving out, the healing began. Posts: 2007 | From NY/VT Border | Registered: Aug 2010
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Mold can be a very serious problem. If you have lyme and have HLA testing that shows you are sensitive to mold, guess what---you won't recover from lyme until/unless mold is removed from your environment or you're removed from the moldy environment.
Recovering from this dd is like peeling a very big onion---layer upon layer upon layer.
If it was "only" lyme we were dealing with, things would be easier.
But the vast majority here are dealing with all sorts of bacterial and viral coinfections along with suppressed immune systems that welcome all the other infections with open arms. What a friendly, welcoming group we are.
Toss in a neurotoxin like mold and it only complicates treatment further.
Lauralyme and Momylyme are correct. Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker was one of the original guys who investigated a CFS outbreak back in the day.
He's been around for a long time and has done extensive research regarding mold. He knows what he's talking about.
"Watch what you read on the internet"
???
Basketball, no disrespect but don't you think we know that by now?
Maybe we should just all agree to disagree that we are adults who are able to process and evaluate the research (one avenue being the internet) we read and are capable of understanding and deciding what is relevant to our/our family's treatment?
Ryansmom, you and your hubby are on the right track and kudos for removing the drywall etc. Personally I'd recommend you get your home tested for mold and remediate if warranted.
This is certainly one issue to discuss with the doc.
Best of luck to you and your son. You're among good company here.
-------------------- You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'
---Eleanor Roosevelt Posts: 748 | From somewhere | Registered: May 2010
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posted
Another voice agreeing with Lauralyme, momlyme and AlannaSuzanne. Mold is nothing to trifle with.
Shoemaker recommends the ERMI vacuum test of your house (mycometrics.com - you will need help intrepreting the results) along with bloodwork testing certain markers such as the HLA genetic component and the level of MSH (melanocyte stimulating hormone - which is often suppressed in people who are exposed to mold and cannot detox it).
I am in the 1/4 of the population that cannot detox mold biotoxins. Unbeknownst to us, our dishwasher casing cracked and was leaking under our sink for a few months. Despite being on treatment for Lyme, I got sicker and sicker.
Fortunately, I had a LLND who understood mold and Shoemaker's protocols. After remediating I feel like I am finally on the right track again. All the IV abx I did while the mold was here were wasted.
Apparently we get sicker each time we are exposed to mold, so even people without the HLA genetic profile can become profoundly ill if exposed to toxic molds often enough.
Mold and Lyme together will mimic each other. Unfortunately, not all Lyme docs are "mold-literate" as well, so learn as much as you can in the book recommended here.
Good luck to you.
-------------------- "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." Anonymous Posts: 450 | From California | Registered: Feb 2008
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
The impact is worse on some than others but anyone with lyme should be concerned about mold exposure. Mold puts stress on the immune system and can lower the immune system.
The impact will also depend on the strain of mold. Stachybotrys and some of the other nasty molds that make toxins and spew them into the air can make anyone sick.
For those who have the HLA problem (such as myself and possibly 33% of the population), exposure to mold can be much worse.
It messes with MSH already mentioned but also VEGF, leptin, inflammation and some other things.
Be careful to wear N95 masks when working or being near the mold as it is being disturbed. This is when it can make toxins. Wash everything down afterwards. You may also need to take steps to remove the spores from the iar.
Take precautions not to spread the mold around. It can be a complex process to do it right. You will need to research in order to do it safely.
There are many posts here a lymenet about mold so looking in the archives would be helpful.
Terry I'm not a doctor
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