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Could there be mold issues?

Messages
9
Not sure if this correct spot (or forum) to be asking. Ive read things here before and thought maybe it's time to join.

I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome - whatever that means - and been unwell for years. Im in Canada and ended up seeing a couple doctors in the U.S. The first diagnosed lyme and started antibiotics, which seemed to help some, particularly with eating, not really with neurological issues. The second doctor did try some other antibiotic, but seems to be unsure if lyme is the (big) issue, since the tests haven't shown much evidence, nor much response from antibiotics. She thinks viruses are the bigger issue, with high levels to CMV and HHV6. She also want to check MUSES syndrome because of my sensitivity to any noise, to light, etc.

My (parents) house is an old farmhouse, most is stone foundation, some dirt floor. Smells strong (musty), nearly overwhelming to me, especially in the basement, but I do smell some upstairs. They won't admit there is issue/smell, don't know if they really don't smell it or just don't want to acknowledge it. But I can't really see anything (mold). One dr here said it's no good, that if I smell it, it's there. When I asked the dr in U.S. if mold could be an issue, She said my C4a test would be high if it was (mine was perfectly fine as usual for tests), and basically it was closed as if that test is definite.

So Im wondering if mold could still be an issue and any suggestions? preferably relative to Ontario, Canada.
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
If you can smell it - its there. No your parents won't be able to smell it, Only those of us who are sick can, unless its very strong. Mold/Lyme/Heavy metals all have an affinity. Light/noise sensitivity is common as well.

Would it be possible to move out of the house for a while, see if you improve
 

Martial

Senior Member
Messages
1,409
Location
Ventura, CA
Definitely have mold, farms especially are prone to it, notably hey, like Mary said if you smell it then its obvious. The Lyme takes a long time to treat though and some versions of antibiotics don't really do the job, for that its better to heal the gut and use natural anti microbials, immune regulators, cns and collagen tissue support, etc. That way you don't wreck gut byiosis and it produces much higher results then long term antibiotics alone, less side effects. I would try something like the Buhner protocol since its the cheapest and you can use wide range anti microbials for more then just bacteria, but viruses, fungus, parasites, ya get the idea.. De tox is also just as important as treating whatever underlying pathogens can be contributing as well, you have to clean out the stuff after its dead after all.

http://www.buhnerhealinglyme.com/ for more info on his stuff.

Light/Noise sensitivity is very normal for most usually do to abnormalities in the brain and what not, fatigue makes you more sensitive to things and the brain gets overwhelmed more easily. For mold its best to get out of the environment as first priority, then you got to work on de toxing the load in your system from being in it. Dr. Shoe Maker has a great approach for de toxing toxins from the body, his site http://www.survivingmold.com/

Methylation support and getting a 23andme test is also very worthwhile, there are a lot of co factors to look into and support/treat when you have chronic health issues like this. Usually its more then one thing going on so you try and research and treat whatever comes up as you move along.
 

slayadragon

Senior Member
Messages
1,122
Location
twitpic.com/photos/SlayaDragon
Rarely do people who are living in homes that are very bad in terms of toxic mold believe that the homes smell like mold.

In some cases there actually is no mold smell. In others, people's sense of smell has been damaged (Stachybotrys toxins have been shown to have the ability to cause brain damage affecting olfactory senses) by the mold.

Regardless, the smell of mold in a home is not very correlated with how dangerous the house is in terms of toxins present. Some indoor molds are much more dangerous than others.

The widely accepted best test to determine whether a home contains dangerous toxic mold is called the ERMI. It is not 100% foolproof either, but it is much more reliable than other available tests (such as air tests or Petri dish tests), which should best be considered useless.

For those considering whether their own illness may have a toxic mold component, here is some information.

http://paradigmchange.me/diagnosis/

Best, Lisa
 
Messages
9
Lisa - thanks for the information (link), I'll try to look through it, too bad I can't rightfully process it...
How do I get this ERMI?

Martial - I have heard of Buhner, but haven't really looked at it (so many people and ideas....). I had the 23andme done, Genetic genie shows the 3 MTHFR as negative - anything else I should look for?

maryb - I have been looking to moving/going somewhere, it's just overwhelming with logistics/etc...with the medical stuff already....Like finding a place, but can't be just anywhere or could be for not (and how to know if suitable - just smell?). Or maybe it's not just particular buildings and more generalized for the area? Not sure I could live on my own, probably once there. But transportation, don't have a vehicle, even if I wanted to get one, the whole process of purchasing and keeping up. I can't really do shopping, just blows my brain, somehow do a quick grab of groceries I guess....and so on. When not sure and according to the dr mold isn't an issue, do you go through that stress?

When Ive been away at the US doctor for a few days at a time, maybe a little better, but not really...the house smells stronger when returned. Or when I was away and working (can't work now), it wasn't like I felt normal (or really different) after a week. So it's unclear if an issue... or not long enough or was exposed there too, or maybe just avoidance isn't enough?
 

Dufresne

almost there...
Messages
1,039
Location
Laurentians, Quebec
You can't go by smell. Often the species that give off an odour are not the ones we have problems with.

My c4a was only high-normal, yet mycotoxins are a problem for me, so that's not a foolproof diagnostic tool. I have a problematic haplotype. This was my first clue. It's really too bad this test is so expensive.

You might want to try the free VCS test here: http://vcstest.com
I consistently fail it, whereas I passed Shoemaker's. My GF passes the free one every time, and she's not ill. So as far as we're concerned it seems to indicate something consistently.

@slayadragon what's your take on the free test? Its statistics page doesn't really suggest a positive result corresponds to illness, unless I'm missing something.

I agree with Martial that Buhner's approach to Lyme and co. is really good. It's a large part of my overall approach. I've read too many accounts of Lyme sufferers taking loads of antibiotics, and those that do nothing else (avoidance, detox, immune stimulation) remain ill. They don't seem to make any lasting improvement. They're perpetually on high doses of ABX to just get through the day. And sometimes, years later, they end up in a place where the drugs don't really help anymore.
 

slayadragon

Senior Member
Messages
1,122
Location
twitpic.com/photos/SlayaDragon
I have had other people who already are practicing mold avoidance in one form or the others tell me that their results on the free test tend to correspond with how they are feeling and/or how much exposure they have gotten recently. I think that may be true for me as well.

Whether it should be used by people who are not sure that they have mold illness to move toward diagnosis, I'm not sure. Considering how many patients have taken the one that Shoemaker offers, it could be worth spending $15 at least once, just to see what it says.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
There's a free visual contrast sensitivity test you can take online to help diagnose mold exposure:

Visual contrast sensitivity test (VCS). This visual test utilizes your eye's ability to detect shades of contrast as a means to gauge your exposure to neurotoxins such as mold toxins. A free version of the VCS test, which takes just a few minutes to complete, can be found online here. If your VCS test comes out positive, it suggests you may be exposed to mold toxins (or other neurotoxins such as ciguatoxin). This test was developed by Dr Ritchie C. Shoemaker and Dr H. Kenneth Hudnell.

Note that a positive VCS test result may also occur in Lyme disease, Babesia, diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Furthermore, the VCS test may sometimes come out negative even when there is mold exposure.

EDIT: whoops, I see @Dufresne already posted a link to this test above.
 
Messages
9
I tried that VCS test 3 different times. The second time I tried hard by moving around/in/out and taking little breaks (stuff you're probably not meant to do) and just passed it. The others I failed.

I found gentoxlabs.com which does the ERMI in Ontario...Not sure what they're like, although I believe it's possible to send to mycometrics, and don't cost much more.
 

antares4141

Senior Member
Messages
576
Location
Truth or consequences, nm
Not sure if this correct spot (or forum) to be asking. Ive read things here before and thought maybe it's time to join.

I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome - whatever that means - and been unwell for years. Im in Canada and ended up seeing a couple doctors in the U.S. The first diagnosed lyme and started antibiotics, which seemed to help some, particularly with eating, not really with neurological issues. The second doctor did try some other antibiotic, but seems to be unsure if lyme is the (big) issue, since the tests haven't shown much evidence, nor much response from antibiotics. She thinks viruses are the bigger issue, with high levels to CMV and HHV6. She also want to check MUSES syndrome because of my sensitivity to any noise, to light, etc.

My (parents) house is an old farmhouse, most is stone foundation, some dirt floor. Smells strong (musty), nearly overwhelming to me, especially in the basement, but I do smell some upstairs. They won't admit there is issue/smell, don't know if they really don't smell it or just don't want to acknowledge it. But I can't really see anything (mold). One dr here said it's no good, that if I smell it, it's there. When I asked the dr in U.S. if mold could be an issue, She said my C4a test would be high if it was (mine was perfectly fine as usual for tests), and basically it was closed as if that test is definite.

So Im wondering if mold could still be an issue and any suggestions? preferably relative to Ontario, Canada.
Based on the musty smell I would get out of the house. Short term I would get a tent, as impractical as it might be better than being inside the house. Long term if you could get a camper like this:
http://www.livinlite.com/camplite16db-gallery.php
I'd highly recommend it. All aluminum construction inside and out. There expensive think the msrp is around 30k but you could probably get one for 23k. Still outrageously expensive for somebody who can't work. The other option is to build a shelter like a metal building on a cement slab assuming a farm house type location would afford you that option. That opens up other difficulties. You still need to set up a kitchen and bathroom. It's permanent and you can't take it with you. You would have to insulate it and make sure the insulation doesn't get wet. You have to keep rodents out. You ultimately might want to put more distance between yourself and the house in question. You could go on Craig's list and find someone willing to rent a room in a relatively new we'll maintained house. If you have a friend with a newer home with no history of water damage. Reason I'm recommending these options is because the best way to find out if mold is indeed the problem is to remove yourself from the situation. Than you still have to consider other issues like gluten and lactose intolerance your lymes. You should be able to tell simply by removing yourself from the house weather it's making you sick or not but might need to adress all these issues simultaneously to see a substantial improvement. Going inside for showers and meals and bathroom isn't an option because you might to some degree react and defeat the purpose of the test.
 

antares4141

Senior Member
Messages
576
Location
Truth or consequences, nm
.

I agree with Martial that Buhner's approach to Lyme and co. is really good. It's a large part of my overall approach. I've read too many accounts of Lyme sufferers taking loads of antibiotics, and those that do nothing else (avoidance, detox, immune stimulation) remain ill. They don't seem to make any lasting improvement. They're perpetually on high doses of ABX to just get through the day. And sometimes, years later, they end up in a place where the drugs don't really help anymore.

And probably vice versa i've been avoiding mold for a long time but never taken abx. (Since took ill 18 years ago). Until a couple of weeks ago. I have an abscessed tooth and am taking cephalexin 500mg 3 times a day and it eliminated my fybro like symptoms and brain fog and fatigue by as much as maybe 90%. First attempt at them shut down my stomach (literally food and liquid would not pass and eventually came back out the way it went in) and made me bed ridden for a day and a half. Now I'm doing ok on them. I'm wondering if a combination of abx and antiviral wouldn't work better. If anyone here tried that?
 

waiting

Senior Member
Messages
463
Not sure if this correct spot (or forum) to be asking. Ive read things here before and thought maybe it's time to join.

I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome - whatever that means - and been unwell for years. Im in Canada and ended up seeing a couple doctors in the U.S. The first diagnosed lyme and started antibiotics, which seemed to help some, particularly with eating, not really with neurological issues. The second doctor did try some other antibiotic, but seems to be unsure if lyme is the (big) issue, since the tests haven't shown much evidence, nor much response from antibiotics. She thinks viruses are the bigger issue, with high levels to CMV and HHV6. She also want to check MUSES syndrome because of my sensitivity to any noise, to light, etc.

My (parents) house is an old farmhouse, most is stone foundation, some dirt floor. Smells strong (musty), nearly overwhelming to me, especially in the basement, but I do smell some upstairs. They won't admit there is issue/smell, don't know if they really don't smell it or just don't want to acknowledge it. But I can't really see anything (mold). One dr here said it's no good, that if I smell it, it's there. When I asked the dr in U.S. if mold could be an issue, She said my C4a test would be high if it was (mine was perfectly fine as usual for tests), and basically it was closed as if that test is definite.

So Im wondering if mold could still be an issue and any suggestions? preferably relative to Ontario, Canada.

I am also in Ontario and have been dealing with this issue over the past 1.5 years. I'd be happy to answer your questions with regard to what we've done.

PR member @Ifish has contributed a tremendous amount of useful info about his family's experience in the thread Detection of Mycotoxins. Perhaps I can offer you some Ontario-specific info. Feel free to PM me.

Also, @slayadragon's paradigmchange.me website is an excellent, well-curated, go-to source of info.
 
Messages
9
Tenting in the snow....yay
Not sure a trailer is much better, I picture those as being musty/mold issues, and the money would rent a decent place for awhile to try.
Don't have anywhere much to go, or people to help with logistics at the other end, I do like the idea of leaving for a few weeks though.
 

antares4141

Senior Member
Messages
576
Location
Truth or consequences, nm
Tenting in the snow....yay
Not sure a trailer is much better, I picture those as being musty/mold issues, and the money would rent a decent place for awhile to try.
Don't have anywhere much to go, or people to help with logistics at the other end, I do like the idea of leaving for a few weeks though.
The tenting would have to be done in the summer in Canada obviously. Livin lite trailers have no wood in them so baring a lot of moisture from showering and cooking or leaks (some have been known to have this problem) shouldn't mold.
http://www.livinlite.com/camplite16db-overview.php
Inside walls are adzel, (some type of low emission plastic) outside aluminum. Virtually no voc's which can't be said for fiberglass shell type campers. All the cabinets even the floor is aluminum. Almost like they designed it for moldies & people sensitized to chemicals. Expensive though. Your assumption would be correct for ordinary trailers with wood and wood composit construction. There mold and formaldehyde death traps. I would see if you can't find somebody willing to rent a room out of there house. I've tried that in the past and it didn't seem to help. But at the time I was eating wheat and I suspect the inside of my small intestine looked like a gigantic herpes blister.
 

boohealth

Senior Member
Messages
243
Location
south
There could be bacteria in the house, too, with those dirt floors. And those are not necessarily good for health.
 
Messages
9
Seems to be a trek required to distance from the Ontario environment.... Planes would probably do me in with the sound hypersensitivity...buses not much better being alot longer trip...unless I can somehow hitch a ride, but even cars aren't that great.

I was wondering about taking a train, anyone have experience with that (Amtrak in the US)? Is that going to be noisier than a bus or car?
 

antares4141

Senior Member
Messages
576
Location
Truth or consequences, nm
Seems to be a trek required to distance from the Ontario environment.... Planes would probably do me in with the sound hypersensitivity...buses not much better being alot longer trip...unless I can somehow hitch a ride, but even cars aren't that great.

I was wondering about taking a train, anyone have experience with that (Amtrak in the US)? Is that going to be noisier than a bus or car?
I see nothing wrong with the environment. As a matter fact I would like to go up there because during the winter I suspect the allergen levels (pollen mold & dust) drop down to almost 0 especially when there's snow on the ground.

What you absolutely need to do is find a building that's safe. Sometimes when you're in the situation you are. Desperately ill too weak to dig yourself out of the hole your in. At least for me, things seem hopeless. It's easy to make poor decisions. Barring parents helping you build something made out of metal on a cement pad at the farm location, brings us back to my suggestion about Craig's list. Trying to find somebody who would be willing to rent out a room in a new well-maintained building. (house)
 
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Messages
9
My parents aren't willing to do (or find) anything, especially the level of effort it would require to properly do something, and if not done good it's not likely to be very effective. I guess keep looking for a place that looks good. and that's open to a few weeks to try and not long term rental either.
That's about it, too sick to get to a place to get better. Need to get well first. so ironic.

What about Texas this winter? I apparently have a relative there, may be able to stay there a few weeks if I can get there...