Mold-what are the consequences?

[cobbiemommy]

We just found mold on the drywall in our dining room. I smelled it before I could see it, but then when we took off the baseboard, it was everywhere, so we quickly put the baseboard back. When we first moved into our brand new home ten years ago, we found mold in the same spot because on the exterior, the joint between brick and siding wasn't sealed well. We had someone repair it, but still were having problems with water getting into our tornado shelter under the front stoop. (Midwest=Tornados) We were told the problem was fixed, but...

 

My husband can't take out the wall for a few weeks because it is planting season (we farm for a living). We plan to take out the drywall, insulation, carpet, everything, but don't want to disturb anything till we can seal off the room. This is the room I have converted into an office with my trusty computer. Agh....

 

Could this explain some of the nasal issues for my son and myself? We go to the LLMD on Monday and will tell her then. Is there a treatment for molds for DS???

 

I am in a tizzy about all of this. I think this is why my allergies have been in overdrive for so long. When I tested for food allergies, I tested positive for 36 things. My reactions for molds was very high. This is insane.

 

Cobbie

[MichaelTampa]

Mold can cause many of the symptoms that lyme causes. And of course, nasal issues and allergies, yes. Perhaps it won't cause the joint and muscle pain, don't know about that. For those with lyme, it will be very difficult to have successful treatment without dealing with the mold issue.

 

Cholestryamine is an Rx that is good for removing neurotoxins caused by mold. There are other non-Rx things that can help as well. So taking some things can help, but in the end, you have to find a way to remove the mold and fix the house so it doesn't happen again. There are specialty mold remediators. This work is very delicate and needs to be done the right way. There are books on the topic for those who can't afford to pay someone.

 

Molds are fungus, and perhaps some antifungals will help. But it's much more about "just" removing the exposure than taking a lot of complicated stuff to "kill it" like is needed for the lyme bug itself (borrelia).

 

Yes, it gets hard with all these things to deal with sometimes!

 

Michael

[philamom]

You might want to check out Familyof5 posts. She's dealt a lot with Mold. Maybe she'll chime in.

[sptcmom]

The book "Surviving Mold" by Ritchie Shoemaker is the authority on this. Wonderful case studies. His older book is Mold Warriors.

Mold can be a very serious neurotoxin. Our LLMD doesn't recommend Cholestyramine for children. Microsilica from biopure is a good binder as is chlorella.

First step is your furnace install a MERV 12 or higher filter and change once a week for a month, once a month for 3 months and then once every 2 months.

A high end HEPA air purifier in the most lived spaces/rooms in the house.

www.mycometrics.com is a great website for mold inspection, remediation etc.

Jodie

[pixiesmommy]

The Cholestyramine was what was rx for us, but we can't take it because it is full of stuff we can't tolerate, so catch 22 there. We also have another detox powder- I will have to go look at the name for you.

 

I would get it out ASAP and try not to be there while they are removing it (get someone who knows what they are doing!!) and find the leak causing it and get that repaired.) There are companies who have moisture detectors too who can go around and inspect your house for more problems.

[Familyof5]

I would add that mold most definately can cause joint and muscle pain, numbness and tingling, fatigue, headaches, neurological problems, dizziness, brain fog, tics, sinus problems, allergy problems, and more. I take cholestyramine preventatively for my (now) hypersensitivity to mold. I agree the best way to deal with mold is to TOTALLY remove the source. After you do that, you should have everythng in your house cleaned, your furnace cleaned, ducts cleaned (if you have them), carpets cleaned (I would remove them), anything fabric cleaned. I too would recommend Mold Warriors and Surviving Mold to read, books written by Dr. Shoemaker, prominent mold doctor in this country. Mold illness symptoms mimic lyme symptoms so look into whether or not you may have been misdiagnosed. (I was). Here is a link to Shoemaker's website:

 

http://www.survivingmold.com/

 

 

Good luck, and like someone said above, don't be in the houe when the remediation takes place. It is NEVER fullproof.

[MichaelTampa]

The Cholestyramine was what was rx for us, but we can't take it because it is full of stuff we can't tolerate, so catch 22 there. We also have another detox powder- I will have to go look at the name for you.

 

I would get it out ASAP and try not to be there while they are removing it (get someone who knows what they are doing!!) and find the leak causing it and get that repaired.) There are companies who have moisture detectors too who can go around and inspect your house for more problems.

 

 

Just as an FYI on the cholestryamine, I know the normal stuff comes with sugars or fake sugars, and probably artificial flavors as well. It can be gotten compounded, that's how I do it to avoid some of those things. Still expensive either way, at least can be covered by insurance too. I think the MicroSilica is good as well, unfortunately also expensive.

[cobbiemommy]

Thanks for all of your replies. We will be checking into all these things. Not sure if our homeowners covers any of this or not.

 

Thanks,

Cobbie

[justinekno]

Just wondering if anyone has any feedback on the books by Dr. S. regarding mold. I am trying to decide which to buy -"Mold Warriors" or "Surviving Mold"

[JuliaFaith]

Just wondering if anyone has any feedback on the books by Dr. S. regarding mold. I am trying to decide which to buy -"Mold Warriors" or "Surviving Mold"

[/quote

I am still reading "Surviving Mold" which is a huge book with legal issues discussed. It does have some discussion about new therapies that have been developed by him just in the last year - so very up-to-date. If you buy it directly from Shoemakers website, it costs less than other places and you will get a newsletter from him that is interesting to read. I have skipped some of the material in the book just to get thru it. Will probably have to read the whole thing again after we get done cleaning our entire house top-to-bottom (see my threads).

 

My ds13 has responded very little to PANDAS and lyme treatment until we just found out about our ERMI mold count which was pretty high. We had no idea there was any mold left in our house (had removed it in the past). During renovation and cleaning we have found mold behind tiles in kitchen and bathroom that we had no idea were there. We were advised by the ERMI company to clean house top-to-bottom in case there was cross-contamination during prior mold removal. It is a long process and we are still working on it!

 

Through all of this, my son has been on 2 new nasal sprays for MaRCONS (which 80% of people with mold issues have) and VIP which is Dr. Shoemaker's new spray. His energy is coming back in leaps and bounds (1 1/2 months since starting them) and we are hoping other symptoms will abate. The problem is we are still finding mold and getting rid of it and cleaning. Wish I could move him somewhere else while it is all going on. He has a HEPA air filter in his bedroom and a Propolis cone (helps with asthma too) in the other room that he spends a lot of time in. This helps remove bacteria/molds/viruses from the air while all of the renovation/cleaning is going on. We will have a HEPA filter installed on our heating system whenever we can as well.

 

Best wishes for all of this!

Edited June 17, 2011 by JuliaFaith

[justinekno]

We have just had our house inspected and found mold in our basement crawlspace. The air count was ridiculously high for aspergillus which ironically is what came back on my son's sensitivity testing 2 years ago. We had no idea it was in our house. I feel somewhat ignorant. Now the fun stuff of remediation begins. We also have to find the source of the water in our basement hatchway which must be the foundation because we have an addition built over the hatchway so it can't be from water coming in the doors from the outside. I'm also trying to understand if the mold in the basement can cause problems on the 1st floor if the air readings on the 1st floor came back acceptable. I'm hoping Shoemaker's book might help with that question.

 

I am still reading "Surviving Mold" which is a huge book with legal issues discussed. It does have some discussion about new therapies that have been developed by him just in the last year - so very up-to-date. If you buy it directly from Shoemakers website, it costs less than other places and you will get a newsletter from him that is interesting to read. I have skipped some of the material in the book just to get thru it. Will probably have to read the whole thing again after we get done cleaning our entire house top-to-bottom (see my threads).

 

My ds13 has responded very little to PANDAS and lyme treatment until we just found out about our ERMI mold count which was pretty high. We had no idea there was any mold left in our house (had removed it in the past). During renovation and cleaning we have found mold behind tiles in kitchen and bathroom that we had no idea were there. We were advised by the ERMI company to clean house top-to-bottom in case there was cross-contamination during prior mold removal. It is a long process and we are still working on it!

 

Through all of this, my son has been on 2 new nasal sprays for MaRCONS (which 80% of people with mold issues have) and VIP which is Dr. Shoemaker's new spray. His energy is coming back in leaps and bounds (1 1/2 months since starting them) and we are hoping other symptoms will abate. The problem is we are still finding mold and getting rid of it and cleaning. Wish I could move him somewhere else while it is all going on. He has a HEPA air filter in his bedroom and a Propolis cone (helps with asthma too) in the other room that he spends a lot of time in. This helps remove bacteria/molds/viruses from the air while all of the renovation/cleaning is going on. We will have a HEPA filter installed on our heating system whenever we can as well.

 

Best wishes for all of this!

[Familyof5]

Do you have a heating unit in the basement? If so, it may be drawing the moldy air in from the basement and blowing through house. I had a problem in my attic, which actually ended up contaminating the whole house because our air handler was in the attic. My experience is that it takes either a massive acute exposure, or more likely, a chronic amplified exposure to make people sensitized. Once sensitized your body will respond to very small amounts that don't make a "normal" person sick.

 

Justine, so glad to hear that your son's energy is coming back! That is awesome news.

 

I would also add to get the ERMI done. I had an air test done in my house, and all was fine. However, weeks later, I decided to do an ERMI and the score came back pretty high for amplified mold, so glad I did because it lead me in the right direction.

Edited June 17, 2011 by Familyof5

[GraceUnderPressure]

We just discovered a few weeks ago that there have been multiple leaks under our kitchen sink & a black mold is growing on/in the cabinet's pressed wood (at least it doesn't have that greenish-black look of the classic kind of toxic mold - as you can tell, I'm trying to cling to what comfort I can manufacture).

 

We are worn out & nearly broke. How can we clean up the mold in the house if it's already a wreck?

I know we need to get a mold remediation company in here, but the house is a mess as I have been "triaging" our family's various problems for about a decade now - since we moved in to this new house.

 

(Currently: My DH just got his hours cut AGAIN by another 3 so that his once 42 hr wk is now down to 34. And we just had to replace our computer's hard drive, had to have our dryer repaired yesterday, & now the mbath toilet is making jackhammer noises every time we flush that we can't get to stop no matter what we replace, so we're going to have to pay for a plumber on top of the possibility of having to pay for 2 IVIG treatments. And the things that have helped my ds19 the most - taekwon do lessons & the lomatium herb - we're not even sure if we can afford to keep doing)

 

Anyway, sorry, my brain is hyperventilating over here. What do y'all think would be the best thing to do? I'm thinking go ahead & fast track a clean up job on the house as if we were moving & then get a remediation co. in here to advise. We've lived with the mold obliviously for who knows how long at this point, could a few more weeks to a month be that much worse?

 

(Though I am asking this even as another stomach bug(?) has hit my ds8, who just threw up, and half of us are feeling nauseous. I have never felt so overwhelmed & helpless as I do now.)

[Familyof5]

I soooo feel for you. Do you have health insurance? Mention that because cholestyramine is a very effective toxin binder for mold illness that can be prescribed for you and your family for a minimal copay (cheap, generic medicine, my copay is $10/month). You just need to find someone willing to prescribe it for you as a toxin binder. Arguably, it may be more effective than a natural binder, and much less expensive if you have health insurance. "IF" mold is your problem, the cholestyramine may be just enough to get your family feeling a little bit better. You will never get completely well until mold is no longer present in your home or work. When you feel a little better and the kids feel a little better, everything else gets easier.

 

Have you done an ERMI test? Although the ERMI can be pricey (+/- $300), if you do multiple ERMIs in your home it can help pinpoint the problem areas. This way you can focus in on the worst areas first. This may get you more bang for your buck if you decide to remediate or do yourself.

 

Things will get better!

[justinekno]

I'm trying to understand the difference in the ERMI test versus having an inspector search for mold. We had the latter done and did discover mold which is what we are now focusing on. Just wondering how the ERMI test would help if mold has already been located and identified.

 

Our furnace (gas) is located in our basement. My son has had health problems since we moved into this house 10 years ago. His problems started within 2 months of living here. Almost makes us want to just sell the house - especially if it's going to cost thousands to fix it.

 

Is there anything I can read that will give research based evidence that mold can potentially be my son's issues? He is being treated for Lyme but isn't really making progress and we have been treating for 8 months. It's almost like we are grasping at straws with the mold situation,

 

 

 

Have you done an ERMI test? Although the ERMI can be pricey (+/- $300), if you do multiple ERMIs in your home it can help pinpoint the problem areas. This way you can focus in on the worst areas first. This may get you more bang for your buck if you decide to remediate or do yourself.

 

Things will get better!