For most of my time as a functional nutritionist, I completely resisted learning about mold illness and mycotoxins. My continuing education journey has taken me to a lot of places, but that was one I just wasn’t interested in visiting. “These people are SO sick,” I thought. It couldn’t possibly be something that I could help people heal from, I believed. And then the universe laughed, everything changed, and mold became the focus of my life.
Like many of us, I initially came to this field of work to try to help conquer my own health concerns. Around 2006, while still living the Standard American life, I started experiencing constant nausea. After medical testing proved fruitless, a Naturopathic Doctor identified various food sensitivities, and some gut pathogens. I took dairy and other reactive foods out of my diet. The nausea abated (but I sure missed ice cream!), and then it returned about 5 years later, in 2011, along with persistent heartburn and episodes of painful esophageal spasms. This continued for 4 years, with multiple practitioners having no success at relieving the symptoms or identifying the root cause. During that time, I graduated both NTA and all the IRH levels, and tried to put to work what I knew. Extensive gut healing protocols and attempts at introducing HCl didn’t work, despite successfully eradicating h pylori, and I always noted undigested food in my stool. In 2015, I identified anti-parietal and anti-intrinsic factor antibodies both elevated, indicating an autoimmune attack on my stomach cells.
At this same time, I began noticing constant swollen glands, fatigue, stabbing ear pain, poor memory and brain fog. When my nausea was very severe, it was often accompanied with vertigo: literally, “bed spins,” as if I had been drinking heavily. Most nights, I had to sleep propped up almost vertically, to keep the heartburn, nausea, and esophageal spasms under control. I also found that I was startling awake at night, which was accompanied with a rush of nausea and vertigo each time. My symptoms were always worse the week of my menstrual cycle, and would also increase with a cold or any similar immune challenge, and in times of high stress. Lastly, the skin on my face would often start peeling, with no explanation as to why.
Blood tests in 2016 identified a reactivated Epstein Barr viral infection. I implemented the AIP diet, which eliminated my memory and brain fog symptoms, but had no other effect after 6 months. I tried a liver detox protocol, which led to chills, diarrhea, headache, and increased vertigo, and was quickly discontinued. In late 2018, I found an expert functional MD who took me on as a patient, and everything changed.
This doctor knew what I now know, and see all the time with my clients: we were missing something. I now had: a chronic virus, autoimmunity, neurological symptoms, bottomed out hormones, digestion that didn’t function, and the list went on from there, with no answers as to WHY. When you’ve done all the right things, run all the right tests, addressed all the issues, taken the pills, changed your food, handled your stress, and you’re still really sick, you’ve not found the root cause. For so many people, including me, that root cause is mold.
When my doctor suggested mold testing, I thought she had to be wrong. I have lived in the same home for 20 years, in a hot sunny part of California. My husband, an electrician, had crawled all over our house/attic/basement and definitively said there was no mold or water damage. And, in 2017, I had run an ERMI mold test of my home that showed no high levels and was considered “normal.”
Yet, my urinary mycotoxin test came back with high levels of a few different mycotoxins, the poisons that molds emit. Very specific blood panels (for markers I had never even heard of!) showed extreme inflammation and immune activation that occurs as a result from mold exposure. Specific genetic testing showed that I have a genetic makeup that only a very small percentage of people have, that renders them highly susceptible to mold toxins. I was diagnosed with CIRS–Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome–as a result of exposure to mold toxins. Having an answer, as anyone who has had a mysterious chronic illness knows, was an enormous relief. Finally, there was an explanation for how I felt! Not to mention, there was something to DO.
And boy, did we do it.
A highly trained mold inspector who works exclusively with CIRS patients found mold throughout my HVAC system, and under my roof. We got rid of 75% of what we owned, due to contamination from mycotoxins that can’t be cleaned off of porous surfaces. We moved to a rental house for 8 months. And we gutted our house, taking it down to the studs, and replacing absolutely everything. We blew through our savings, and the stress was beyond anything I could have imagined. I undertook a very complex and hefty mold detox protocol, that still continues in an edited version. Upon moving out of our house, I was almost immediately 75% better. Healing from CIRS is a slow process, but I am doing the work, and it has been an amazing journey for me and my health.
Given my status as a lifelong student and overachiever, it was no surprise to anyone that I quickly learned everything I possibly could about CIRS and mold toxicity. The very topic I had long avoided became the focus of my education and has now become the passion of my client work. It’s estimated that 50% of homes and 80% of public buildings (churches, hospitals) have water damage, which means they have mold. And 25% of people are genetically susceptible to being made sick by mold toxins (a much smaller percentage are extremely susceptible, like me). Do the math, and you quickly realize that mold toxicity illness is absolutely rampant. It’s been called “the next Lyme disease,” in terms of its hidden health burden.
The silver lining to all of this has been my ability to now help others who have been sickened by mold. The processes, testing, steps to healing, and supports I use, all based on the latest research and thinking in the field, have come together into an effective system that is changing lives.
When I stop to identify the big WHY–why did this happen? why me?–I realize it was so that I can use what I’ve learned to help others heal. There are so few practitioners out there doing this work, and so many people who need it.
It has been my honor to bring all of this information into the Institute of Restorative Health, Level 4 class. If you join us for this capstone course this fall, you’ll learn the deep details about why mold makes people so sick, how to identify it, and what to do about it. This is complex work, and when done incorrectly, can make people much sicker. To learn more about this and the other topics we’ll be presenting in the upcoming Level 4 class, click here….
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FAQ
These frequently asked questions expand on the key concepts discussed in this article and provide additional context for practitioners exploring the role of mold illness in complex chronic cases.
Who should practitioners consider evaluating for mold-related illness?
Practitioners may consider mold-related illness in clients with persistent, complex chronic symptoms that have not responded to appropriate interventions. According to the article, mold became a missing root cause after multiple health issues remained unresolved despite extensive testing and treatment. Looking beyond isolated symptoms may help uncover an underlying driver of dysfunction.
When should mold be considered as a potential root cause of chronic illness?
Mold may warrant consideration when clients remain chronically ill despite addressing known diagnoses and following appropriate treatment plans. The article emphasizes that persistent symptoms after dietary changes, gut healing, stress management, and targeted therapies may indicate that an underlying root cause has not yet been identified.
Why can mold illness be difficult to recognize?
Mold illness can be difficult to recognize because its symptoms often affect multiple body systems and resemble other chronic conditions. As described in the article, neurological symptoms, digestive dysfunction, immune activation, hormonal changes, and fatigue developed gradually, making the underlying cause difficult to identify.
What symptoms described in this case were eventually associated with mold exposure?
The article associates mold exposure with a wide range of symptoms affecting multiple systems. Reported symptoms included:
- Persistent nausea
- Heartburn and esophageal spasms
- Vertigo
- Brain fog and poor memory
- Fatigue
- Swollen glands
- Ear pain
- Sleep disruption
- Hormonal worsening around the menstrual cycle
- Facial skin peeling
- Digestive dysfunction
The case illustrates how mold-related illness may present as a complex, multisystem pattern rather than a single condition.
Can digestive symptoms persist even after gut pathogens have been addressed?
Yes. In this case, digestive symptoms continued despite eradication of H. pylori and extensive gut-healing protocols. The article uses this experience to illustrate that unresolved digestive dysfunction may sometimes reflect an overlooked upstream driver rather than an isolated gastrointestinal problem.
How can immune dysfunction and chronic infections fit into the picture of mold illness?
The article describes immune dysfunction as one component of a broader clinical picture. The author’s case included reactivated Epstein-Barr virus, autoimmune antibodies, and laboratory markers of immune activation before mold-related illness was identified as the underlying explanation connecting these findings.
Can someone have mold illness even if their home initially appears free of mold?
Yes. The article describes a case in which an initial ERMI test appeared normal and there was no obvious evidence of water damage, yet later evaluation identified significant mold contamination within the HVAC system and under the roof. This highlights that environmental assessment may require more specialized investigation in some situations.
What testing contributed to identifying mold-related illness in this case?
Several forms of testing contributed to the diagnosis described in the article.
These included:
- Urinary mycotoxin testing
- Blood testing showing inflammation and immune activation associated with mold exposure
- Genetic testing demonstrating increased susceptibility to mold toxins
- A specialized mold inspection of the home
Together, these findings supported the diagnosis of Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS).
What is Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS)?
In this article, Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) is described as a condition resulting from exposure to mold toxins in susceptible individuals. The diagnosis was supported by laboratory findings, genetic susceptibility, and environmental investigation that identified significant mold contamination.
Does genetic susceptibility influence how people respond to mold exposure?
Yes. The article explains that genetic differences can affect an individual’s susceptibility to mold toxins. While it notes that approximately 25% of people are genetically susceptible, it also describes a smaller subset of individuals who may be especially vulnerable to developing illness following mold exposure.
What role does environmental remediation play in recovery from mold illness?
The article presents environmental remediation as a major component of recovery. In this case, remediation included leaving the contaminated home, removing contaminated belongings, and extensively rebuilding the home after hidden mold was identified. The author reports substantial symptom improvement after leaving the exposure environment.
Why should practitioners approach mold detoxification carefully?
The article emphasizes that mold detoxification can be complex and should be approached thoughtfully. It notes that treatment requires a comprehensive strategy and cautions that incorrect management may make individuals significantly sicker, underscoring the importance of appropriate training and clinical judgment.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ellen (she/her) has been actively working to educate and improve the public’s health for almost 20 years. Ellen received her Masters in Public Health from The George Washington University, and went on to run everything from tuberculosis prevention programs in Russia to dental health education programs along the Texas/Mexico border. She was also the founding Executive Director of the women’s health program at Stanford University. When Ellen became drawn to a more holistic model, she received her certifications as a Nutritional Therapy Consultant and a Master Restorative Health Practitioner. She is the owner of A Balanced Table Nutritional Therapy in San Jose, CA, her private functional nutrition practice.
Ellen focuses on cutting through the confusion and nutrition “noise,” digging to the roots of clients’ dysfunction, and figuring out the best way for them to eat, drink, and thrive. She uses the IRH functional analysis tools daily, and is excited to share her passion for these methods. Ellen believes that only by focusing on root causes, combined with whole foods nutrition, can true wellness be achieved. Ellen is also a passionate animal lover who volunteers at a wildlife rescue facility, and can often be found smelling of skunk while covered in Mastiff drool.
