I've recently been diagnosed with Lyme & promtly joined lymnet, where I've found so much great info. Here's my question, followed my 'lil introduction.
What is the relationship between Lyme & elevated serum mold levels? Before testing positive for lyme, I tested really high for multiple molds, went on a mold-elimination diet and on amphotericin B for several months. A year later, I re-tested even higher for mold.
At that point my Lyme-informed MD had me do an Igenix western blot, which was both CDC and Igenix-positive for Lyme.
My doctor told me that people who have lyme often test positive for molds, and I read on Dr. Klinghardt's website that mold is always implicated in lyme.
So what's the connection? Are people with lyme more sensitive to mold, or does mold somehow make it easier to get lyme?
And here's my intro--feel free to skip over it!!!
I'm 35, live in Los Angeles, and I'm a graduate student, which means that I am very lucky to have a cheap PPO insurance policy. Before grad school, I worked in the museum world and in the legal field.
In my twenties, I developed severe bee allergies and asthma, but overall I was pretty healthy until the summer of 1999, when I lived on the east coast & happened to visit a friend in a prime Lyme area of CT. In fact, I distinctly remember having a nice walk in the woods and discussing lyme with my friend, because she had gotten over lyme the year before. I never saw a tickbite, either on that potentially-fateful trip or any other time.
In the fall of 1999, I started to feel sluggish, developed osteoarthritis in a hip (I had hip surgery as a child, so it kinda made sense), and generally felt like crap. I thought it was just stress/age/whatever. I started seeing an acupuncturist and in 2002 found out that I was in Stage III adrenal exhaustion, but we couldn't figure out a reason why.
Things got much worse in 2004, when I spontaneously developed anaphalactic reactions to a wide variety of foods, including tomatoes, wheat, corn, garlic, onion, all nuts, etc. One of my allergists suggested that I go live in a bubble, and he was only partially joking. The only good part was that I lost a bunch of weight on my diet of a few dark vegetables, eggs, meat and dairy, and I saved a lot of money by cooking all of my food at home.
I got tested for a wide range of immune-related syndromes, including lyme, and all were negative. I've since learned that my Quest lyme test was worthless. I did test positive for mold, which seemed to be the likely culprit for my immune system going haywire.
Oh, and I recently learned that I have very elevated levels of mercury (24 mcg/dl), which really doesn't help things.
Now that I have a diagnosis of lyme disease, all the other weird symptoms make sense. My plan of attack is to deal with the mercury first through chelation with DMPS & using the far-infrared sauana that I got in July and love.
Then I have an appointment with Dr. H at the end of October.
After that, hopefully I start to make some progess on getting better.
Posts: 90 | From Sunny Southern Cali | Registered: Sep 2006
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
Welcome Hillary to the board, and thanks for your intro, etc.
I'm interested in reading the answer to your mold/lyme question since I just found out in July I have this problem too w/lyme & many MOLD reactions.
LaCrosse, Wisc. allergist has me on allergens, under the tongue for ALL that I reacted too.
Have you done the FOOD ALLERGY testing by Meridian labs, $95 I belive. It tested 95 foods.
Plus I'm a diabetic so no surgar so you can imagine my NEW diet I'm trying to stick with!
From reading what you reacted too...sounds like it would be worthwhile to do the tests to find out what else may be hurting your inside gut.
Up for more answers to your question.
See S. FORSGREN'S post on his health newsletter. He has mold problems too and addressed some things in HIS WEB site shown on each of his posts/replies. Bettyg
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lymemomtooo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5396
posted
Hillary, you may be genetically pre-disposed to getting any junk out there..Many are..ANd also many have trouble eliminating toxins.
It you are reading here and Dr K's info you are certainly on the right path as I can tell..
But the mold going up may mean you are being re-contaminated by environmental factors..Leaks, old musty books and rooms, fermented foods or beverages, etc..
Check the places you frequent..Good luck..lymemomtooo
Posts: 2360 | From SE PA | Registered: Mar 2004
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GiGi
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 259
posted
There has been a lot of talk in recent months about mold, metals, lyme, etc. Here are some of the threads that you might want to read through:
Mold Warriors - has anyone read it? 19 August, 2006 Medical Questions lyme doesnt like sunshine? 27 July, 2006 Medical Questions Could it be mold? 19 July, 2006 Medical Questions Anybody have a clear answer why has to be low carb diet for Lyme? 02 May, 2006 Medical Questions Some Clinical Tips I got from Dr. K. 11 April, 2006 Medical Questions Gigi-need your help finding something 12 April, 2005 Medical Questions Are we overlooking MOLDS? 05 February, 2005 Medical Questions
Take care.
Posts: 9834 | From Washington State | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
Just a quick update--BettyG, I have had a lot of GI problems, which I slowly resolved after I cleared up my b. hominis and h. pylori infections (the h. pylori seemed to be the really bad one for me). Testing through Biodiognostics Labs really helped isolate the problems.
Thank you for your concern, Lymemomtoo. Fortunately, my environment is clean. I even paid $500 for a home mold inspection to assure myself of this :-) So at least I know that my house is not making me worse!
To treat the mold, I've been on amphotericin B & cholestyramine for about 4 months & will stay on it for another 2-8 months (along with diet & sauna), unless my new LLMD changes up my protocol.
As for my food allergy testing, it's all been blood testing for IGE response. Skin testing & MRT isn't much use for me because I'm in such a constant hyperreactive state.
But I guess now I'm wondering of mold was ever really related to my allergy problems, or if I was just testing positive for molds because of the Lyme... Or perhaps there is some correlation between exposure to lyme & succeptibility to mold. There must be a lot of people with both problems on the east coast, where both interior mold & lyme seem to be more prevalent than on the west coast.
Have a good night!
Posts: 90 | From Sunny Southern Cali | Registered: Sep 2006
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posted
Hi Hillary, Welcome. I am another former east coaster with lyme and mold problems.
I developed mold sensitivies (allergic type symptoms) in 2002-2003. Extensive testing for allergies at that time only showed reactions to mold.
I was diagnosed with Lyme in 2004, but likely have had lyme and coinfections since 1988-89. Now I am extremely sensitive to mold. In February I was in an apartment with high concentrations of airborne mold and developed anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue just after a few days of exposure.
So which came first, it is hard to tell. Even before lyme I had low level fatigue which could have been related to many things including mold. Since the lyme became debilating, the mold is much more of a severe problem.
There are at leat two factors with Lyme that may lead to mold sensitivity: Toxic overload from lyme and other toxins, making it hard for the body to deal with mold
Immune dysregulation leading to an exagerrated or improper response to mold.
I would like to read the books on mold, but I have read enough on the multitude of problems that seem to be associated with lyme: mercury, food allergies, co-infections, MCS, that I needed a break.
I also have 24 food allergies, no immediate or dramatic reactions after I eat the food but I feel better when I avoid them. It makes eating out nearly impossible and shopping and cooking a challenge.
Well, welcome again.
Posts: 628 | From the south | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
I saw my acupuncturist today, who is super-knowledgeable about environmental issues such as heavy metal toxicity, molds, etc., but a relative new-comer to Lyme.
She didn't know what caused the correlation between Lyme & mold sensitivity. But when I mentioned the connection between Lyme & yeast, she said "Well, yeast goes with everything!" I wonder if there's something similar about mold... maybe it's involved whenever the immune system is compromised.
Here's to keeping the mold & yeast at bay!
Posts: 90 | From Sunny Southern Cali | Registered: Sep 2006
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Foggy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1584
posted
I'm starting to wonder if like metals, Lyme causes the body to store & overeact to molds.
Posts: 2451 | From Lyme Central | Registered: Aug 2001
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Yup, I'm on a gluten-free diet. I'm not a celiac, but I can't tolerate wheat, and it is one of the foods I developed a "true" food allergy to.
I generally follow the Dr. Marinkovich mold-free (and yeast-controlled) diet, with a few modifications. I eat dairy (except ripened cheeses) and eggs, because neither is allergenic for me. And I sneak in some white wine every once in a while. I have to have a little fun!! Lately I've been dreaming of eating pancakes and donuts. Sigh.
I read elsewhere on this site that Lyme patients do well with high-carb diets, whereas mold patients do well on the low-carb yeast-free diets... all I know is that a high-carb diet makes me feel wretched. Full fats & protiens & vegetables are my friends.
Posts: 90 | From Sunny Southern Cali | Registered: Sep 2006
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