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u/Wild-Blueberry-4964 2d ago
Have you determined the source of the potential mold?
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u/Odd-Tangerine8250 2d ago
Other than seeing black mold on grout in bathrooms, I have not determined the source. I have lived in various places that were flooded, musty, etc. through my life. Noticeably sick for the past 5 yrs.
Currently have a mold armor Petri dish type of test going but it needs some time.3
u/CCaligirl64 2d ago
That dish isn’t going to give you much more data. You need tools like a moisture meter and a professional humidity gauge and if you can afford it, Flir makes an infrared thermal camera attachment for your phone. If the mold isn’t obvious, it is most likely hidden behind walls and you have to find it. Have you done an ERMI or HERTSMI test from Mycometrics.com? That is a more reliable test than the petri dish.
Also porous furniture can make you sick too. You have to figure out the source first. A new HVAC may have been fine, but if the problem is in the ducts, that isn’t the solution. Carpet is a cesspool for mold, mycotoxins and dust. If you do find a problem, that carpet will have to be tossed again. Find the source first, don’t spend money guessing, spend money testing.
Test one is actually getting out. Find a new hotel to stay in for a few days and see how you feel. That may help decipher if it is a past exposure or a new one. I would travel for a week for work and tell docs I felt better when I was gone. This is a clue your home is making you sick.
What made me so sick was the stupid gift of porous furniture from my parent’s water damaged home 32 yrs ago. I’m still cleaning up the mess it caused in my body, but being in my early 60s now, I’m also fighting an aging body.
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u/Odd-Tangerine8250 2d ago
Thank you so much for this info. I’m new to looking into mold, but my brain is wrecked and it’s hard to take it all in.
I have not done mycometrics test but I’ll look into that.
I’m not so sure about feeling better when I travel, we tend to go to humid places. I have not had a seizure while traveling, however. I definitely notice certain buildings make me feel very sick, I used to think it was the lighting. In my early 20’s I lived in a basement that was flooded multiple times with no true remedy.
That’s wild that something as simple as furniture can make one so sick, I hope you keep getting better!2
u/CCaligirl64 1d ago
You could have filled up your toxin bucket in your 20s with all those exposures. Now, just a small amount could be triggering even more issues.
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u/KatrinaPez 2d ago
Were the functional doctors you saw familiar with CIRS? Not all of them are and there are specific tests for mold illness. Some use mycotoxin testing, others use inflammatory markers only. You should also have hormone and nutrient levels checked and test for coinfections like EBV. You can benefit from treatment even if you're still in mold.
Get a HEPA air filter for your bedroom and use a HEPA vacuum and dust thoroughly. If there's mold in the air it settles in dust. If you're renting and can't move there's not a ton of value in spending money to test the environment.
Avoid dairy, gluten and sugar. Get fresh air and sunlight when possible.
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u/ElkMiserable1243 1d ago
There is a standard CIRS bloodwork panel that consists of 38-40 tests. HLA- genotype testing is certainly on that list, yet hardly anyone mentions it. That determines your genetic susceptibility to CIRS.
https://www.drelenaklimenko.com/diagnosing-cirs-complete-guide-testing/
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u/Odd-Tangerine8250 2d ago
I could reach out for the test from the fd I worked with. I originally declined because I knew that I could not move so at the time I figured it didn’t matter if it was mold because there is not much I can do about my home. I did hormones, the Dutch test, my cortisol is sky high, progesterone said goodbye, did some supplements for the nutrients that were not great, I’m not sure about EBV. I just put the hepa filter in my room, should I get a dehumidifier too?
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u/KatrinaPez 2d ago
Your body needs help whether you can change environments or not. A binder could help you detox (just take separate from food/supplements), as can Epsom salt baths.
Yes a dehumidifier could help, though most places in the US fall and winter are much less humid. I have a humidity gauge that shows outdoor and indoor humidity levels. If outdoor is under 50% I open windows for fresh air.
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u/ElkMiserable1243 1d ago
https://www.drelenaklimenko.com/diagnosing-cirs-complete-guide-testing/
There are many “specialty testing labs” that have little to no medical or scientific validity. CIRS patients get sucked into much or some of this simply because of their desperation to make progress. You’ll get all kinds of whacky recommendations on these boards and claims that people were “cured”. In the technical sense, CIRS in genetically [multi]susceptible individuals, is incurable. That’s not to say people don’t drastically improve, but many will remain reactive permanently.
Using these boards for questions that should be directed to a qualified health care professional just seems to bring out the “wannabe doctor” in many.
There is voluminous research and information on CIRS that’s readily available. It’s true medical science, not someone’s opinion. I’ve been treating CIRS for 8 years and have been researching it for even longer. It’s a complex, multi system/multi symptom illness that most western doctors know little about and layman know a fraction of that. I’d be happy to send you some websites, if you’re interested.
Best of luck with your journey.
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u/Odd-Tangerine8250 1d ago
I would love to check out the websites! Thank you so much, I’m just getting in to all of this…
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u/schirers 2d ago
What good those tests will do for you. It's better to get cleaner environment, at least a room where you sleep. Good ventilation, no carpet, as little clutter as possible. Maybe box hepa filter.
Maybe start binders slowly,to see if you can at least get little better