Mould Toxicity


Mould can have a devastating impact on your health, including your gut.

Mould may lead to Leaky Gut, Candida, SIFO, SIBO and Parasites, via a few different mechanisms, one being that it lowers MSH - more on that below.

It therefore makes sense to deal with mould FIRST.

WE HEAR YOU THINK... "I DON'T HAVE MOULD IN MY HOUSE"!

The truth is: mould in houses (and in other buildings, cars) is a lot more common than you may think.

Mould does not need to be visible to cause health issues. Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there.

In addition to mould and mycotoxins, there may be a number of biotoxins involved including bacterial volatile organic compounds (VOCs), microbial VOC (MVOCs), parasites, actinomyces and others. 

If you have any reasons to believe that mould might be present in your house (or car, or workplace, etc) then read this section very carefully. But we also urge you to not disregard mould because your house is new, has never flooded or shows no visible mould. If your symptoms do not improve despite doing everything in this program, we highly recommend investigating the possibility that you might have been (in the past), or are being (in the present), exposed to mould.

Many people will suffer for years and go from health practitioner to health practitioner, spending tens of thousands of dollars desperately trying to understand their symptoms before realising that mould is causing their illness.

We believe that everybody will be impacted negatively if exposed to mould on a regular basis. However, some people are more susceptible (more on this below) and can end up suffering from severe health issues as a result.

Mould exposure can lead to Toxic Mould Illness, also known as Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) or Bio-Toxin Illness, which can be extremely debilitating.

Mould exposure can also lead to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), which also comes with a host of debilitating symptoms. These two combined - CIRS and MCAS - require a very gradual and gentle approach to recovery. You can learn more about this in the Understanding MCAS section.

We have listed below the various symptoms that are associated with mould exposure. People with CIRS will have multiple symptoms.

SYMPTOMS OF TOXIC MOULD EXPOSURE

  • Fatigue - chronic fatigue (a deep and relentless exhaustion that is not relieved by sleep or rest).
  • Muscle - weakness, aches, cramps and pain.
  • Cognitive - memory impairment, difficulties with word recall, difficulty concentrating, decreased assimilation of knowledge.
  • Pain - joint pain, ice pick pain, morning stiffness, aches.
  • Nerve/Skin - unusual skin sensations, tingling, numbness.
  • Respiratory - shortness of breath, sinus congestion, cough.
  • Bladder - mould causes low levels of antidiuretic hormone (ADH). This leads to people being unable to hold water in their body, causing frequent urination, chronic dehydration, excessive thirst and lower back pain.
  • Eyes - red eyes, blurred vision, tearing, inflammation of the eye/s, eye pain.
  • Gastrointestinal - abdominal pain, diarrhoea, IBS type symptoms, SIBO, leaky gut (& associated symptoms - including food sensitivities), Candida.
  • Various - sore throat, swollen glands, metallic taste, appetite swings, difficulty regulating temperature, static shocks, vertigo, confusion, disorientation, mood swings, night sweats, headaches/migraines, light sensitivity, multiple chemical sensitivities.
  • Symptoms associated with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), if mast cells have been activated.

As you can see, these symptoms are very similar to those associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/CFS (or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ME). If you've been diagnosed with CFS, it might actually be Mould Illness.

MOULD AND YOUR GUT

Mould leads to low levels of Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone (MSH). This widens the gap junctions in the gut leading to Leaky Gut.

It also acts as an antimicrobial, so low levels can eventually lead to an overgrowth of all sorts of bugs in your gut.

This is why mould can lead to gut issues such as:

Leaky Gut. This can mean that you suddenly develop all sorts of food sensitivities/intolerances, such as gluten, that you didn't have before.

Candida. Toxic Mould Illness and Candida can go hand in hand, so visit the Candida section if you haven't already to learn more. Remember, Candida is a type of fungi/yeast (aka - mould). Balancing Candida requires a diet that is very low in sugar and carbs, and this is also an absolute must when it comes to CIRS.

SIBO. Mould can also affect motility in the small intestine (aka the MMC), eventually causing SIBO.

Parasites. All of the above create the perfect environment for parasites to thrive.

Do not underestimate the impact that mould can have on your gut!

Let's talk a bit more about MSH.

MSH is produced in the hypothalamus, which is the link between the endocrine and nervous systems. 

MSH also helps regulate: 

  • Hormones (cortisol, melatonin, oestrogen, progesterone, etc.) 
  • Inflammation (it is anti-inflammatory) 
  • Microbes (remember it's antimicrobial) 
  • Nerve functioning 
  • Weight (a lot of people gain weight because of mould)

So.... on top of the impact on the gut, low MSH also leads to fatigue, dis-regulated cortisol, inflammation, reduced endorphin production, pain, chronic sleep disorders, non-restful/non-restorative sleep, appetite swings, night sweats, difficulty regulating body temperature, increase in cytokines, and MARCoNs.

MOULD AND YOUR SINUSES (MARCoNS)

MARCoNS (Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Coagulase Negative Staphylococci) is an antibiotic resistant staph that resides deep in the nasal passage of 80% of people with low MSH (Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone). 

This leads to lowered immunity, which can then contribute to fungal overgrowth (and other bugs) and worsened allergies.

As you can see, MARCoNS is not your garden variety sinus infection, which is usually fungal in nature. They also produce biofilm, which can complicate things further. 

MARCoNS need to be treated, but not until you're out of the mould first and you've done Protocol #1- Baby Steps in Phase 2. You can read more about how to treat MARCoNS in the sinus washing section.

MOULD AND MENTAL HEALTH 

Mycotoxins can act as neurotoxins which can damage the brain and nerves. Mould can therefore cause depression, anxiety, and even psychosis. It’s important to note that these symptoms can be immediate, delayed, transient or persistent. This can sometimes contribute to the confusion felt when trying to pinpoint why you’ve had a symptom flare up.  

Mould mycotoxins can also deplete Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 deficiency can then add to the neurological symptoms associated with mould.  

GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY

Around a quarter of the population have a genotype (HLA - Human Leukocyte Antigen - haplotype) that does not enable them to produce antibodies to fungi (such as mould). This means that every time they walk into a mouldy building, it sets up an inflammatory response in their body that doesn’t switch off. This can happen in as little as 10 minutes.

In contrast, the rest of the population produce antibodies which enables them to recognise and clear these antigens from the body. This is why some people exposed to mould can get very sick, whilst their partner can be completely well. See more below about genetic testing to see if you have a 'susceptible' genotype.

However, even if you're not genetically susceptible, we believe that everybody is affected by mould, but some less than others.

TESTING

Once you suspect that mould might be an issue for you, the next step is to do further testing.

You have two options:

1- Test yourself

2- Test your house (or car, or workplace, etc)

1- TESTING YOURSELF:

Whilst some lab testing can be helpful, it's important to understand that testing for mould toxicity is NOT black and white.

In fact, your history and symptoms are far more important.

Best diagnostic test for mould illness: Get out of the mould for 1-2 weeks.

If you feel better and then feel terrible again upon returning to the suspected mouldy home/environment... chances are you may be reacting to mould.

And... the best way to get away from mould is to go camping. Yes, you read correctly... it's the perfect excuse to go on a holiday and have some fun! Most people will feel better when they remove themselves from the mouldy environment. It's important however, to make sure you don't take any mouldy items with you. This means taking nothing from the water damaged building with you. We recommend buying some new basic camping equipment and clothes and head off into Mother Nature to see how you feel.

Here are some tests that we DON'T recommend... you'll just be wasting your time and money.

  • MycoTOX Profile - The Great Plains Laboratory screens for eleven different mycotoxins, from 40 species of mould, using one urine sample. However, according to Dr Sandeep Gupta (Australia's leading expert on CIRS), "urinary mycotoxin tests are not well-validated in the literature and only tell you what the client is urinating at the time of the test". Furthermore, if you urinate nothing (no mould), this doesn't mean you don't have a mould related problem. And... if you urinate a small amount of mould, like ochratoxin, that doesn't mean you have a mould problem. And... to make matters even more confusing... if you urinate large amounts of mould, you're actually doing a great job excreting mould... so this also doesn't tell us if you're having issues with mould. It's actually a good sign if you've got some mould in your urinary mycotoxin test, as this shows that you're able to detox. Sandeep advocates that a deep client history is best for making a diagnosis.
  • NutriPATH’s biotoxin/mould blood tests and panels (apart from HLA DR/DQ and MARCoNS) cannot be recommended at this time due to inaccuracies compared to Quest Diagnostics.

And here are some test that could be useful. However, it's important to understand that most of these tests are not specific to mould.

  • Visual Contrast Sensitivity Test - this can be used as a useful progress marker for neuroinflammation. You can do an Online VCS Screening Test here.
  • VIP, Leptin, Copeptin - are indirect markers of CIRS.
  • VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) is generally low in people with toxic mould illness.
  • C4A and TGF-beta and MMP-9 - these three markers are generally high with CIRS - so these can be useful.

And here are the only tests that we believe can help... but, they're still not 100% specific to mould.

  • HLA DR-DQ typing performed at a Sonic Healthcare laboratory (NOT HLA DR/DQ for Coeliac Disease) - can be fully or partly rebated by Medicare in Australia if your doctor checks the bulk bill box). As mentioned above, some people are more genetically susceptible to the ill effects of mould. Genetic testing can be interesting, although it will not tell you if you have mould illness or not... but it can indicate that you will not excrete mycotoxins/biotoxins and instead recirculate them in your body for years, if not indefinitely, unless binders are used.
  • OAT (Organic Acids Test) - while not 100% specific, it can be useful in spotting auxiliary problems, like elevated oxalates, mitochondrial disfunction, vitamin B deficiencies, glutathione related problems, etc.
  • MARCoNS (Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Coagulase Negative Staphylococci) - is an antibiotic resistant staph that resides deep in the nasal passage of 80% of people with CIRS and CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue & Immune Dysfunction Syndrome). MARCoNS are tested by swabbing the back of the sinus cavity. This involves inserting a rather long cotton swab in through the nose until it reaches the back of the sinuses. The test kit is available through Microbiology DX - USA, and NutriPATH - AUS.

2- TESTING YOUR HOME

There are three main ways you can assess your home for mould:

  • DIY kits (aka ERMI and HERTSMI-2). We recommend starting here for most people as it's very affordable compared to the next two options. Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) is a test that looks at the DNA of mould spores and spore fragments in a sample of dust. ERMI tests for 36 different species of fungi. The HERTSMI-2 looks at 5 species of fungi and is endorsed by Dr. Shoemaker as the most accurate building test for people with CIRS.
  • Mould assessment. This typically involves of a simple inspection that considers and helps isolate potential mould hazards in your home.
  • Building biologist. Building biologists do a thorough assessment of your home (& do much more than the simple mould assessment mentioned above). They also consider other forms of microbial growth, building design, EMF's, geopathic stress, water quality, and many other toxins and potential sources of toxins in your local area. For example, do you live near a golf course? This significantly increases your exposure to glyphosate. If money is not a concern for you, we definitely recommend this option.

Testing in the USA:

Dr Jill Crista, the author of "Break the Mold: 5 Tools to Conquer Mold and Take Your Life Back", who Leisa interviewed for our Gut Transformation Summit 2020 (you can watch the interview below), recommends the following companies:

Testing in Australia:

WARNING: Although knowing if you have mould or not in your house is important, obsessing about different types of mould is pointless!

The mould industry has become ‘big business’ and some won’t like this. But...  

“Later research has shown that the combination of moulds, bacteria and even dust particles activate stronger, synergistic responses in the immune system than the sum of the effects of individual stimuli... even spores devoid of toxins can provoke an immune response and inflammation”, https://toxicmould.org/cirs-explained/   

What does this mean?  

All mould, bacteria and dust are a problem and must be avoided! 

So why obsess over individual species? Keep it simple and avoid it all! In the case of Toxic Mould Illness/CIRS, there’s no such thing as a less dangerous type of mould!

MOST IMPORTANT STEPS TO TAKE IF YOU'RE LIVING IN MOULD

If you suspect you're living in a mouldy/water damaged building: GET OUT OF THERE!

1- GET OUT OR REMEDIATE!

Either get out of the mouldy/water damaged house and/or take steps to fully remediate the damage. This can feel extremely overwhelming. However, it is absolutely essential. Otherwise, your efforts to get better and detoxify the mould from your body will be futile.

2- GET RID OF YOUR BELONGINGS

One of the most important things to understand about mould illness/CIRS, is that you can't take any items from the water damaged/mouldy environment with you when you move. This is critical! Anything porous - like paper (wall art, photographs, books), fabric (clothing, rugs, furniture), leather (shoes, bags, jackets, furniture) and timber (frames, furniture) will absorb mould spores and keep you sick. Consider CIRS as a great opportunity to start off fresh. As mentioned above, recovering from CIRS requires a deep physical cleanse - but also a cleanse for your home, belongings and soul! While it is possible to remediate some furnishings, this is a lengthy and expensive process... and it's sometimes easier and more cost effective to simply just buy everything new over time. While this may seem overwhelming at first - remember that your health is your wealth!

3- DON'T PANIC

We understand that this can be easier said than done. However, it's really important to know that this is by far the most critical step to take if you've got mould illness.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, there are still things you can do to support your body and reduce the impact of your exposure to mould.

The good news is: there are actions steps everybody can take right now to start feeling better. The action steps below will help you, whether you're able to get out of the mould or remediate straight away, or not!

ACTION STEPS YOU CAN TAKE RIGHT NOW

Before you do anything, read the 3 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Treating Mould Ilness

1- GET RID OF DUST

Mycotoxins from mould attach to dust and are then inhaled.

Dust is also mould food.

This means that the more dust there is in your house, the more mould there is! So removing dust from your house will go a long way in reducing your daily exposure. This is a very important and often overlooked step! Keeping your home dust free is imperative!

Get a good vacuum with a HEPA filter (the filter is important) and some microfibre cloths and become a dust buster!

2- GET A GOOD QUALITY AIR PURIFIER AND DEHUMIDIFIER

An air purifier with a HEPA filter can also go a long way in reducing mould in your house.

A good dehumidifier is also a great idea, especially if you live in a climate with high humidity. It is best practice to keep the humidity in your home to the 45% to 55% range.

Check out the 'Detox Your Home' section for specific brands of vacuum cleaners and air purifiers we recommend, as well as lots of other tips to keep your house toxin free.

3- TAKE ELECTROLYTES

Electrolytes are an absolute must when recovering from toxic mould exposure. This should be the first supplement you buy! Go to the Supplement Protocol – The Prep Work for electrolyte recommendations.

4- TAKE BINDERS

Binders are used to bind mycotoxins excreted via bile to prevent recirculation and to promote faecal elimination. BioToxin Binder and Carboxy are the best binders for you to use first.

Visit the Binders To The Rescue section to learn more.

5- DO COFFEE ENEMAS

Coffee enemas are a must-do detoxification strategy. Mould depletes glutathione, which is our body's top antioxidant and detoxifier. Coffee enemas will not only help to clear the mould from your body, but will also boost your body's own glutathione production. This is why coffee enemas are an absolute must if you have mould illness. Consider doing them daily until you feel better.

* A quick note on glutathione: we don't recommend glutathione supplements unless you've done coffee enemas and all of the other things listed here first.


B vitamins also support your detoxification pathways in a safer way, when compared to other liver/detox support supplements. This is even more important if you have CIRS, as mould strips B6 and B12 out of your body. Consider trying B6 or P-5-P (the activated form of B6) and/or Hydroxocobalamin (safest B12 to start with).

6- SUPPORT BILE FLOW

Many people with mould have 'sludgy' bile, which can contribute further to mould toxicity.

This is a double whammy, as good bile flow is an important drainage pathway that allows mould to leave the body.

This is why improving bile flow will help you recover more quickly. This is actually another way that coffee enemas help, as they stimulate the gallbladder to release bile.

Read more about how to improve bile flow here

7- SUPPORT YOUR BODY BY STARTING PHASE 1- SET THE STAGE

As you're progressing through the steps above, you can get started with Phase 1- Set The Stage of this program. This can be started whenever you're ready.

8- FOLLOW A LOW MOULD AND LOW OXALATE DIET

In addition to the diet recommended in this program, we recommend you limit your consumption of sugar (even natural sugars) and starches/carbs, as sugar fuels Candida (fungi/yeasts) and mould.

It's also important to follow a low-mould diet. This is because you want to keep mycotoxins out of your body so it can heal. There's no point avoiding mould in your ecology and then eating it!

In summary, avoid foods that either feed yeasts/fungi/mould or contain it.

Here's a list of common mouldy foods to avoid:

  • Coffee - especially organic
  • Grains - especially wheat, corn, barley, oats and sorghum
  • Tea, including herbal teas - depends on how they've been dried and stored
  • Dried herbs and spices - depends on how they've been dried and stored
  • Chocolate - especially raw cacao
  • Peanut butter, and other nuts and seeds
  • Dried fruits - depends on how they've been dried and stored
  • Mushrooms, includes medicinal mushrooms
  • Cheese (cheese is mould)
  • Foods that contain yeasts such as alcohol (especially wine, beer & cider), fermented foods (cultured vegetables) and sauces (soy sauce), Vegemite, stock cubes, etc
  • Grain fed meats, dairy products and eggs

You may be able to purchase a mould free product that has been tested for mycotoxins, like Bulletproof or Purity coffee for example.

If you react poorly to herbal supplements, apart from reacting to the high chemical content... be aware that we don't actually know if herbal supplements are mould free or not.

Many foods are vulnerable to mould colonisation. This often occurs during the storage of certain foods. For example, grains are often stored in huge silos that are not protected from humidity for long periods of time, and that's before they sit in warehouses and supermarket storage facilities for months, or in some cases, even years at a time. To make matters even worse, various synthetic pesticides are often used to protect stored grains and other agricultural products from mould infestations.

Avoid foods grown in rainforests. I know right, this type of marketing can make products sound pristine and exotic... BUT... rainforests are full of mould! This often applies to chocolate and coffee. Have you even seen cacao beans stored under a tarpaulin in Peru? Leisa has, and she said it was an absolute 'mould fest'!

Discard any foods that are obviously mouldy (for example, do not cut the mould off a vegetable and use the rest of that vegetable - throw it away). When in doubt, throw it out.

Do not smell foods you think may be mouldy. You don't want to sniff mycotoxins up your nose and into your body!

A LOW OXALATE DIET is also very important, as having toxic mould illness and/or Candida can increase your oxalate load. This can contribute to a lot of pain in your body. If you're experiencing pain, we highly recommend you visit the Oxalate Toxicity section.

9 - STIMULATE YOUR VAGUS NERVE

Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (aka - TaVNS) is a way to electrically stimulate your vagus nerve via your ear. Because your nervous system has been under attack - with mould being enemy #1 - you have to retrain your nervous system to feel safe. This is very important and often overlooked. Additionally, TaVNS can stimulate bile flow, improve gut motility, support your immune system, reduce inflammation, and activate your parasympathetic system, aka relaxation response, or rest and digest state. Pretty impressive right?

Visit the How To Use a TENS Machine To Stimulate Your Vagus Nerve to learn more.

WHAT TO DO ONCE YOU'RE OUT OF THE MOULD

So, you're finally out of the mould: HOORAY!

It's important to understand that although getting out of the mould well help tremendously, you still need to follow the recommendations above for at least a few months or until you feel significantly better.

You'll also need to start practicing 'extreme mould avoidance', especially while you're recovering. This will prevent any set backs. Read more about 'extreme mould avoidance' below.

Once you've followed the steps above for a while and feel significantly better, you're body should be ready to start Phase 2 - The Big Clean Up.

After you've done 'Protocol #1- Baby Steps', you can start to treat MARCoNS using Sinus Washing

Sinus washing is essential, but is often overlooked when treating mould illness.

WHAT IS EXTREME MOULD AVOIDANCE

  • Don’t go near mould at all. Be hyper-vigilant. Don’t even stand next to someone who smells like a musty towel that has been sitting in their washing machine for too long! 
  • Don’t be tempted to read a book from the mouldy property you just escaped from. 
  • Don’t visit a friend’s home that could be mouldy. If you get a musty mouldy whiff, leave! You will become like a mould detecting blood hound as you heal. You’ll smell it everywhere. Consider this your own personal defense system in action. Listen to it. Whilst it can be difficult explaining to someone that they have mould in their home, you’ll actually be doing them a favour, as mould is bad for everyone! Some people are just more affected than others. 
  • Be careful if you go on holiday/vacation. Request a zero mould guarantee on your accommodation booking. I phone before I book and let them know I have a severe mould and dust allergies (remember that dust feeds mould), then ask if I can have a full refund if I walk in and find even a speck of mould. Most places say yes! If this makes you feel uncomfortable, think of it this way... you’ll be creating more awareness about the dangers of mould. 

A SPECIAL NOTE ON MCAS / HISTAMINE INTOLERANCE

Many people with CIRS also have MCAS. If you're not sure if you have MCAS or not, we recommend reading the Understanding MCAS section to learn more.

If you have MCAS, you MUST also follow a low histamine diet... and sometimes a full low chemical diet.

Complete and Continue