Mold? Mycotoxin test

[frikfrak]

Hi,

 

Been reading posts about mold and someone mentioned even if the test comes back normal you may still have mold.

 

We had our house tested and everything came back fine. Can my DS23 still have mold?

 

Our LLMD gave us a test to do: Total Mycotoxin Panel from Realtime Labs. its expensive and I'm not sure if insurance will cover it.

 

Does anyone know if this test is worth it? or has done it?

 

 

thanks

[LNN]

Timely topic. I just got home from an appt with our LLMD. My DS has been off abx for 8 months but has been fighting some sort of yeast. Since he struggles with detox, diflucan has produced tics that other kids are noticing. So we had a long conversation about molds and mycotoxins. His current train of thought is that yeast, which is a rod-shaped fungus that burrows into the mucus lining of the intestines, is very similar to the way mold behaves and causes similar inflammation issues. That maybe you don't just have to worry about mycotoxins in your external environment, maybe the molds/fungi are within you (or maybe both).

 

It sounds like the test your LLMD is suggesting will look for the body's reaction to toxins - antibodies. But while it may be useful to know that it's a toxin issue and not a lyme issue, it won't tell you where that mold is - inside you or out? Not saying you shouldn't do the test, but just thinking of how incredibly expensive and elusive the whole mold journey can be. Have you done any of the tests listed on Shoemaker's web site http://www.survivingmold.com/diagnosis/lab-tests

At least some of these should be covered by insurance.

 

FWIW - we'll be doing a gentle colon cleanse (over 10 days of more frequent BMs - not the kind we think of for colonoscopy preps), some binding supplement (don't have it in front of me) and a homeopathic anti-inflammatory. Then some nystatin (and may then rotate between diflucan and nystatin depending on results).

Maybe ask about the shoemaker labs to save some money and ask for a stool test to look for fungi within the body?

[frikfrak]

Hi,

 

thank you...FYI: he has been taking nystatin for years

 

I think your right, I'm going to wait on the test and discuss on next appt.

[mama2alex]

How did you test your house? Air tests always came back clean for us, but ERMI testing showed high level of mold toxins. Also, even if your house is clean on the ERMI, schools and churches - especially old buildings- are common sources of mold toxins, so it's good to test the person, not just the house.

 

Is the Total Mycotoxin panel an immune-based test? We did immune-based mold testing at the beginning of Lyme treatment, which showed nothing. Years later, with a different doctor who understands mold, we found my son is genetically susceptible and had the blood markers for toxicity. Shoemaker discusses good blood tests for mold toxicity on his website. C4A, VEGF, MSH, etc are good indicators, taken together. Also the HLA genetic test tells you if you're genetically susceptible to mold, Lyme or both.

 

If you suspect mold at all, I would highly recommend finding a doctor who understands this whole area. It's extremely tricky.