Since my exposure to and intoxication from stachybotrys I have
become so sensitized to smoke that I can't go into the operating
room because of the smoke generated by the electrocautery. I become
very ill and incapacitated with exposure to incredibly small
quantities of smoke. Interestingly, before my career in orthopedic
surgery, I did complete a residency in pediatrics. More
interestingly, I was quite interested in poisoning and toxicity as
children are not infrequently poisoned by ingestion of various
medications and chemicals. During the residency I wrote a paper
titled "Hyperglycemia associated with Diphenylhydantion
Intoxication", published in The Journal of Pediatrics. How prophetic
that someday I would be affected by some type of toxicity!
My Experience With Stachybotrys Toxicity:
My nightmarish experience began with a gradual onset of symptoms
as described above. Mold was discovered in a bathroom of our house.
Unfortunately, I didn't understand the significance of that black
mold with a rather peculiar odor. When we tried to dry out the moldy
areas with fans, as suggested by our local pest control company, my
illness rapidly escalated. My family (wife and two boys) was not
affected in the least by this mold, nor were any of our visitors.
I soon had to move out of the house; I actually lived in a tent for
about one week. As it was summer, it wasn't too bad. I continued to
conduct my business as usuall, figuring I could move back in shortly
as soon as my contractor had the mold cleaned up. Frankly, my family
was beginning to think I was loosing my sanity!
What actually happened from that point on is still a blur in my
mind. Since then I have lived in about forty different motel rooms
trying to figure out how to get away from this toxic stuff. (The
links at the top of this page to 'posts' and 'path' will better help
the reader to understand this.) Also, I have lived in four new
houses, the most recent being devoid of any carpet, rugs, stuffed
furniture etc. It is basically sparsely furnished with a tile floor,
no rugs and vinyl window dressings. Additionally, I and my family
had to get rid of all of our possessions including, financial
records, bank statements, pictures, photographs, photograph albums,
clothing, furniture, books (including my entire medical library and
journal's collected over a thirty-year period, bedding, kitchenware,
silverware, computers, automobiles, desks, chairs, office machines,
family heirlooms - everything.
In the middle of this nightmare, I became ill enough to require
hospitalization along with a protracted course of steroids
(cortisone). The problems I had with long term steroid therapy will
take a page or two to describe.
This story is far from complete. I will keep adding, editing and
revising until the job is done.
WHAT IS STACHYBOTRYS?
Stachybotrys is a specific family (genus) of mold that is present in
the environment. Out-of-doors stachybotrys molds help to decay
organic matter. One particular species known as stachybotrys atra
(sometimes known as stachybotrys chartarum) is prone to growth
indoors. This mold is normally dark brown or black in color. It can
look slimy, sooty, or even like grayish white strands depending on
the amount of moisture available and the length of time it has been
growing. It is important to remember that many other common indoor
molds can look similar to stachybotrys (including cladosporium,
aspergillus, alternaria, and drechslera), so testing is critical to
conclusively identify stachybotrys in a building. Stachybotrys mold
needs the proper conditions in order to grow, including moisture, a
nutrient source, temperature, and time. Standing water or a relative
humidity of 90% or higher is necessary for stachybotrys to start
germination and grow. However, once the stachybotrys begins to grow
it can continue to propagate even if the surface water source dries
up and the relative humidity falls to 70%. The nutrient sources that
best support stachybotrys are those with a high cellulose content.
As such, stachybotrys thrives on natural materials such as hay,
straw, and wood chips, as well as building materials such as ceiling
tile, drywall, paper vapor barriers, wallpaper, insulation backing,
cardboard boxes, and paper files. Stachybotrys survives a wide
variation in temperature and grows most proficiently in temperatures
that humans consider warm to moderately hot. It tends to develop
more slowly than many other molds—one to two weeks after moisture
intrusion as compared to one to two days for molds like aspergillus,
penicillium, or cladosporium. Despite its slow start, stachybotrys
usually develops into the dominant mold if the conditions are
favorable, eventually crowding out other mold types that may have
colonized the material first.
Like many other molds, stachybotrys can spread both through the
generation of spores and the growth of root-like structures called
mycelia. Stachybotrys spores grow in clusters at the end of
stem-like structures known as hyphae. The spores do not easily
disperse into the air if the colonized material is wet, as the
spores are held together by a sticky/slimy coating. Distribution
through the air is possible when the mold dries out or is disturbed.
Because of this danger of the airborne dispersion of spores, all
cleaning and removal of stachybotrys mold should be done using
appropriate controls.
Stachybotrys has a high moisture requirement, so it grows vigorously
where moisture has accumulated from roof or wall leaks, or
chronically wet areas from plumbing leaks. It is often hidden within
the building envelope. When S. chartarum is found in an air sample,
it should be searched out in walls or other hidden spaces, where it
is likely to be growing in abundance. This mold has a very low
nitrogen requirement, and can grow on wet hay and straw, paper,
wallpaper, ceiling tiles, carpets, insulation material (especially
cellulose-based insulation). It also grows well when wet filter
paper is used as a capturing medium.
S. chartarum has a well-known history in Russia and the Ukraine,
where it has killed thousands of horses, which seem to be especially
susceptible to its toxins. These toxins are macrocyclic
trichothecenes. They cause lesions of the skin and gastrointestinal
tract, and interfere with blood cell formation. (Sorenson, 1993).
Persons handling material heavily contaminated with this mold
describe symptoms of cough, rhinitis, burning sensations of the
mouth and nasal passages and cutaneous irritation at the point of
contact, especially in areas of heavy perspiration, such as the
armpits or the scrotum (Andrassy et al., 1979).
One case study of toxicosis associated with macrocyclic
trichothecenes produced by S. chartarum in an indoor exposure, has
been published (Croft et al., 1986), and has proven seminal in
further investigations for toxic effects from molds found indoors.
In this exposure of a family in a home with water damage from a
leaky roof, complaints included (variably among family members and a
maid) headaches, sore throats, hair loss, flu symptoms, diarrhea,
fatigue, dermatitis, general malaise, psychological depression.
(Croft et al, 1986; Jarvis, 1995).
What Is The Toxicology Of Stachybotrys?
Toxicologically, S. chartarum can produce extremely potent
trichothecene poisons, as evidenced by one-time lethal doses in mice
(LD50) as low as 1.0 to 7.0 mg/kg, depending on the toxin and the
exposure route. Depression of immune response, and hemorrhage in
target organs are characteristic for animals exposed experimentally
and in field exposures (Ueno, 1980; Jakab et al., 1994).
While there are insufficient studies to establish cause and effect
relationships between Stachybotrys exposure indoors and illness,
including acute pulmonary bleeding in infants, toxic endpoints and
potency for this mold are well described. What is less clear, and
has been difficult to establish, is whether exposures indoors are of
sufficient magnitude to elicit illness resulting from toxic
exposure.
Some of these difficulties derive from the nature of the organisms
and the toxic products they produce and varying susceptibilities
among those exposed. Others relate to problems common to
retrospective case control studies. Some of the difficulties in
making the connection between toxic mold exposures and illness are
discussed below.
Johanning, (1996) in an epidemiological and immunological
investigation, reports on the health status of office workers after
exposure to aerosols containing S. chartarum. Intensity and duration
of exposure was related to illness. Statistically significant
differences for more exposed groups were increased lower respiratory
symptoms, dermatological, eye and constitutional symptoms, chronic
fatigue, and allergy history. Duration of employment was associated
with upper respiratory, skin and central nervous system disorders. A
trend for frequent upper respiratory infections, fungal or yeast
infections, and urinary tract infections was also observed. Abnormal
findings for components of the immune system were quantified, and it
was concluded that higher and longer indoor exposure to S. chartarum
results in immune modulation and even slight immune suppression, a
finding that supports the observation of more frequent infections.
Three articles describing different aspects of an investigation of
acute pulmonary hemorrhage in infants, including death of one
infant, have been published recently, as well as a CDC evaluation of
the investigation (Montaña et al., 1997; Etzel et al., 1998; Jarvis
et al., 1998; MMWR, 2000; CDC, 1999). The infants in the Cleveland
outbreak were reported with pulmonary hemosiderosis, a sign of an
uncommon of lung disease that involves pulmonary hemorrhage.
Stachybotrys chartarum was shown to have an association with acute
pulmonary bleeding. Additional studies are needed to confirm
association and establish causality.
Animal experiments in which rats and mice were exposed intranasally
and intratracheally to toxic strains of S. chartarum, demonstrated
acute pulmonary hemorrhage (Nikkulin et al. 1996). A number of case
studies have been more recently published. One involving an infant
with pulmonary hemorrhage in Kansas, reported significantly elevated
spore counts of Aspergillus/Penicillium in the patient’s bedroom and
in the attic of the home. Stachybotrys spores were also found in the
air of the bedroom, and the source of the spores tested highly
toxigenic (Flappan et al., 1999). In another case study in Houston,
Stachybotrys was isolated from bronchopulmonary lavage fluid of a
child with pulmonary hemorrhage. (Elidemir et al., 1999), as well as
recovered from his water damaged-home. The patient recovered upon
removal and stayed well after return to a cleaned home. Another case
study reported pulmonary hemorrhage in an infant during induction of
general anesthesia. The infant was found to have been exposed to S.
chartarum prior to the anesthetic procedure (Tripi et al., 2000).
Still another case describes pulmonary hemorrhage in an infant whose
home contained toxigenic species of Penicillium and Trichoderma (a
mold producing trichothecene poisons similar to the ones produced by
S. chartarum) as well as tobacco smoke (Novotny and Dixit, 2000).
What Are The Toxic Effects Of Molds?
Molds can produce other secondary metabolites such as antibiotics
and mycotoxins. Antibiotics are isolated from mold (and some
bacterial) cultures and some of their bacteriotoxic or
bacteriostatic properties are exploited medicinally to combat
infections.
Mycotoxins are also products of secondary metabolism of molds. They
are not essential to maintaining the life of the mold cell in a
primary way (at least in a friendly world), such as obtaining energy
or synthesizing structural components, informational molecules or
enzymes. They are products whose function seems to be to give molds
a competitive advantage over other mold species and bacteria.
Mycotoxins are nearly all cytotoxic, disrupting various cellular
structures such as membranes, and interfering with vital cellular
processes such as protein, RNA and DNA synthesis. Of course they are
also toxic to the cells of higher plants and animals, including
humans.
Mycotoxins vary in specificity and potency for their target cells,
cell structures or cell processes by species and strain of the mold
that produces them. Higher organisms are not specifically targeted
by mycotoxins, but seem to be caught in the crossfire of the
biochemical warfare among mold species and molds and bacteria vying
for the same ecological niche.
Not all molds produce mycotoxins, but numerous species do (including
some found indoors in contaminated buildings). Toxigenic molds vary
in their mycotoxin production depending on the substrate on which
they grow (Jarvis, 1990). The spores, with which the toxins are
primarily associated, are cast off in blooms that vary with the
mold’s diurnal, seasonal and life cycle stage (Burge, 1990; Yang,
1995). The presence of competitive organisms may play a role, as
some molds grown in monoculture in the laboratory lose their toxic
potency (Jarvis, 1995). Until relatively recently, mold poisons were
regarded with concern primarily as contaminants in foods.
More recently concern has arisen over exposure to multiple
mycotoxins from a mixture of mold spores growing in wet indoor
environments. Health effects from exposures to such mixtures can
differ from those related to single mycotoxins in controlled
laboratory exposures. Indoor exposures to toxigenic molds resemble
field exposures of animals more closely than they do controlled
experimental laboratory exposures. Animals in controlled laboratory
exposures are healthy, of the same age, raised under optimum
conditions, and have only the challenge of known doses of a single
toxic agent via a single exposure route. In contrast, animals in
field exposures are of mixed ages, and states of health, may be
living in less than optimum environmental and nutritional
conditions, and are exposed to a mixture of toxic agents by multiple
exposure routes. Exposures to individual toxins may be much lower
than those required to elicit an adverse reaction in a small
controlled exposure group of ten animals per dose group. The effects
from exposure may therefore not fit neatly into the description
given for any single toxin, or the effects from a particular
species, of mold.
Field exposures of animals to molds (in contrast to controlled
laboratory exposures) show effects on the immune system as the
lowest observed adverse effect. Such immune effects are manifested
in animals as increased susceptibility to infectious diseases (Jakab
et al., 1994). It is important to note that almost all mycotoxins
have an immunosuppressive effect, although the exact target within
the immune system may differ. Many are also cytotoxic, so that they
have route of entry effects that may be damaging to the gut, the
skin or the lung. Such cytotoxicity may affect the physical defense
mechanisms of the respiratory tract, decreasing the ability of the
airways to clear particulate contaminants (including bacteria or
viruses), or damage alveolar macrophages, thus preventing clearance
of contaminants from the deeper lung. The combined result of these
activities is to increase the susceptibility of the exposed person
to infectious disease, and to reduce his defense against other
contaminants. They may also increase susceptibility to cancer.
Because indoor samples are usually comprised of a mixture of molds
and their spores, it has been suggested that a general test for
cytotoxicity be applied to a total indoor sample to assess the
potential for hazard as a rough assessment (Gareis, 1995).
The following summary of toxins and their targets is adapted from
Smith and Moss (1985), with a few additions from the more recent
literature. While this compilation of effects does not describe the
effects from multiple exposures, which could include synergistic
effects, it does give a better idea of possible results of mycotoxin
exposure to multiple molds indoors.
Vascular system (increased vascular fragility, hemorrhage into body
tissues, or from lung, e.g., aflatoxin, satratoxin, roridins).
Digestive system (diarrhea, vomiting, intestinal hemorrhage, liver
effects, i.e., necrosis, fibrosis: aflatoxin; caustic effects on
mucous membranes: T-2 toxin; anorexia: vomitoxin.
Respiratory system: respiratory distress, bleeding from lungs e.g.,
trichothecenes.
Nervous system, tremors, incoordination, depression, headache, e.g.,
tremorgens, trichothecenes.
Cutaneous system : rash, burning sensation sloughing of skin,
photosensitization, e.g., trichothecenes.
Urinary system, nephrotoxicity, e.g. ochratoxin, citrinin.
Reproductive system; infertility, changes in reproductive cycles,
e.g. T-2 toxin, zearalenone.
Immune system: changes or suppression: many mycotoxins.
It should be noted that not all mold genera have been tested for
toxins, nor have all species within a genus necessarily been tested.
Conditions for toxin production varies with cell and diurnal and
seasonal cycles and substrate on which the mold grows, and those
conditions created for laboratory culture may differ from those the
mold encounters in its environment.
Toxicity can arise from exposure to mycotoxins via inhalation of
mycotoxin-containing mold spores or through skin contact with the
toxigenic molds (Forgacs, 1972; Croft et al., 1986; Kemppainen et
al., 1988 -1989). A number of toxigenic molds have been found during
indoor air quality investigations in different parts of the world.
Among the genera most frequently found in numbers exceeding levels
that they reach outdoors are Aspergillus, Penicillium, Stachybotrys,
and Cladosporium (Burge, 1986; Smith et al., 1992; Hirsh and Sosman,
1976; Verhoeff et al., 1992; Miller et al., 1988; Gravesen et al.,
1999).
What Are The Symptoms And Health Effects Of Mold Intoxification?
In general, exposure to mold spores and pieces can result in
allergic reactions, infections, or toxic (poisonous) effects. These
health effects are the result of exposure by skin contact,
ingestion, or breathing the mold. Stachybotrys has been studied for
a number of years, with most of the early studies done on animals.
Stachybotrys exposure is linked to allergic reactions. People in
buildings with active stachybotrys growth generally experience
symptoms that include irritation and watering of the eyes and nose.
Coughing and skin irritation are also allergic reactions commonly
associated with stachybotrys exposure. Animal studies clearly show
that stachybotrys exposure, even in low levels, suppresses the
immune system. Anecdotal data clearly supports this
immuno-suppressive capability in humans. As such, exposed
individuals are often susceptible to bacterial and viral infections
such as the flu.The reason that stachybotrys is of such concern is
the medical evidence that has proven that this mold has toxic
properties. Stachybotrys produces a mycotoxin (i.e., poison from a
fungus) named trichothecenes.
When inhaled or ingested stachybotrys can cause:
Sore/hoarse throat
Cold and flu symptoms (headaches, slight fever, and muscle aches)
Nose bleeds
Tingling or burning of nose, mouth, and perspiration areas (under
the arms or
between the legs)
Chronic fatigue
Dizziness
Nausea/vomiting
Memory loss
Attention deficit/concentration problems
Personality changes such as irritability or depression
Neurological disorders such as tremors
Hair loss
Coughing with blood
Bleeding in the lungs (hemosiderosis)
Damage to internal organs including blood, liver, kidneys, and
lungs. Although not supported by definitive studies at this point,
there are some concerns about stachybotrys exposure promoting
cancer. The symptoms and health effects related to stachybotrys
depend on an individual's pre-existing health situation, length of
exposure, and the amount of stachybotrys in the environment. Because
of this, different people in the same situation, even family
members, may experience different sets and severity of symptoms.
What Tests Can Be Done To Help Diagnose Stachybotrys Toxicity?
No single medical test can pinpoint the level of exposure or body
damage caused by stachybotrys. Proper medical care and professional
decision making is necessary to assure that the affected individual
is treated properly.
Many physicians believe that the following tests are appropriate in
conducting a medical screening for stachybotrys:
Complete medical exam
Chest x-ray · Pulmonary function test
Complete red and white blood cell count
Blood sedimentation rate
Stachybotrys specific RAST antibody test
Immunoglobulin panel
Immune competence tests
Doctors should be encouraged to discuss the environmental situation
with the industrial hygiene professionals who have conducted
sampling in the building in question etc. .
What Are The Recommendations of Doug Haney, PhD. For Toxic
Testing?
We have found that a blood-serum test cultured with agar agents
known as the Multiple Antigen Simultaneous Test (MAST) CLA,
Environmental IgG, Panel #15, conducted by Hitachi Chemical
Diagnostics,® Incorporated of Mountain View, California, and a
genetic Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing process conducted by
ImmunoLabs,® Inc., in the Los Angeles, are both very helpful in
detecting fungi levels in the human body. There are also certain
blood-serum tests available through blood laboratories for the
Stachybotrys species. These can be expensive. Consult with, and work
through your medical doctor if you are going to have them ordered.
Can anything be saved? Can I save any of my family heirlooms? I
have Stachybotrys. I lived in it for 6 months. Have left everything
behind but wondering if I can save anything.
The answer to your question is complex. It largely depends upon
those items which you wish to save and to a lesser extent the type
of illness the Stachybotrys is causing you. Also, there are
theoretical considerations and considerations gained from practical
experience.
On a practical basis, if you are simply allergic to the mold than
you could be more aggressive in saving items. However, if you suffer
from toxicity, like many of us do, then it is my earnest
recommendation that you be extremely cautious in trying to save
anything or you will probably deeply regret it. In my experience,
after disposing three automobiles and three houses, the only items
that can be reasonably 'safely' retained are those that meet these
requirements:
they are non-porous (they have durable, smooth surfaces)
they contain no cellulose or other organic material such as paper,
cardboard, wood, leather, cotton, wool, wall board etc.
they could be thoroughly washed in a washing machine.
Such items would include glass ware, dishes, silverware, CD ROMS,
coins etc.
There are at least two important considerations when one deals with
this mold.
(1). How long do the spores remain potentially viable once they are
released from the living stachybotrys mold?
The best answer I have received regarding this is: "Stachybotrys
spores can survive for at least a year after release. However, the
viability does decline with time. The environment they are in will
affect survival and rate of decline."
Thus, any item you try to salvage can carry some spores that
potentially could germinate, under the right conditions, in your new
environment.
(2). How long do the mycotoxins on stachybotrys spores remain potent
after the spores are discharged into the air?
The best answer I have received regarding this is: "The
trichothecene toxins are very stable. Again the environment matters,
if stored dry, there is little loss of activity for a year."
Thus, if mycotoxins on the mold cause you symptoms, if you carried
some of the dead spores on the material you tried to salvage, that
material could continue to make you ill for as long as the
mycotoxins remained potent.
The answers, in quotations, were kindly provided by Mr. Stephen
Vesper of the EPA.
Finally, there is no question that Five percent sodium hypochlorite
(bleach) will kill live mold. But, that doesn't solve your problem.
You need to denature the mycotoxins on the mold spores that are on
your contaminated material. This requires a substance that can
denature the mycotoxins, while preserving the material being
treated. I haven't found the answer to this question with any degree
of reasonable certainty.
I have tried to salvage some clothing, but it has been difficult,
risky, time consuming and in many cases failed, causing me a great
deal of grief. I managed to salvage some super silk shirts (100%
polyester) by repeated washings. In retrospect, it probably wasn't
worth the effort. Very porous clothing, such as sweaters, even of
the synthetic variety, don't seem to respond to a reasonable number
of washings, at least in my experience. Using bleach on these
clothing doesn't seem to help insofar as toxicity is concerned. And,
forget paper products, such as books, articles, magazines,
miscellaneous papers etc.
What are your symptoms and what has been effective treatment for
you?
Symptoms included tremendous fatigue, malaise, muscle aches and
cramps, restlessness, inability to sleep, and severe burning in my
chest with exertion (due to profound pulmonary small airway
disease).
My problem now is that I can't go near, much less work with, any
paper or books contaminated by the mold spores. This includes
medical books, charts, magazines etc. If I do get exposed become ill
again anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending upon the
intensity and length of exposure.
I found that with each exposure I got, my sensitivity would
increase; that is, it would take increasingly smaller amounts of the
mycotoxins on the spores to make me ill.
Also, I have become sensitized to incredibly small quantities of
smoke. If I get a few whiffs of smoke from a cigarette, cigar or
chimney (smoke from a fireplace), I'll get symptoms of fatigue,
malaise, flu-like symptoms and eve more severe burning in the chest
with exertion for a few hours to a day or two.
Regarding treatment, the five most effective measures are:
avoidance of living mold
avoidance of the mold spores
avoidance of contaminated items
avoidance of smoke
avoidance of fatigue (getting enough sleep)
The next five measures are:
6. inhalation ipatropium bromide (four times daily in a nebulizer)
7. inhalation albuterol sulfate (four times daily in a nebulizer)
8. inhalation fluticasone propionate 500 mcg and samletrol 50 mcg
(powder), 2
puffs daily (Advaid Diskus 500/50)
9. Theophylline 200-300 mg daily in divided doses
10. Being careful to get enough potassium and calcium (combination
of diet & pills).
(These are my own opinions from my personal experience, review of
medical literature, conversations with experts and conversations
with fellow sufferers. The following is not intended to be
professional or medical advice; it is advice gained from the
experience of a victim of toxic mold exposure.)
What should I do if I am sick and my
house/apartment is found to have stachybotrys and/or other toxic
mold(s)?
Determine if you and/or you family have allergic or toxic symptoms.
If there is any question of toxicity whatsoever, then you and your
family should exit your current environment immediately; and, do not
bring any of your old possessions, especially including clothing,
books, furniture, bedding etc. (this will be further discussed in
another post).
You should seek medical attention from a qualified expert, but
getting out of the environment should be your top priority.
Persons affected by mold (especially the mycotoxins of mold) tend to
severely
underestimate the dangers from their exposure.
They tend to make their move far too late.
When they are eventually forced to move, they tend to make the
mistake of taking their possessions - especially ones made of paper,
cardboard, animal fibers (clothing), leather, and similar materials
which the mold can readily grow on. This causes cross contamination
of their new environment, and the process repeats itself.
If you are symptomatic form your mold exposure, get away from it.
You can replace the
material things, but you may not be able to replace your health!
What is the difference between an allergy to mold and a toxicity
from mold?
Allergic symptoms to mold would include sneezing; a running and
itchy nose; watering and itching of the eyes; nasal stuffiness;
respiratory symptoms such as wheezing and coughing, especially in
asthmatics; itching of the skin.
Toxic symptoms are due to mycotoxins on the mold spores. They can
include: memory loss ; attention deficit/concentration problems ;
personality changes such as irritability or depression; neurological
disorders such as tremors; tingling or burning of nose, mouth;
chronic fatigue; dizziness; nausea/vomiting; bleeding in the lungs;
suppression of the immune system; headache; flu-like symptoms; red
eyes (without watering or itching); incoordination; muscle spasms
and cramps; damage to internal organs. Toxic symptoms from these
mycotoxins have similarities to toxic symptoms from poisoning.
Stachybotrys spores produce multiple mycotoxins, including
trichothecenes. Trichothecenes have been produced commercially for
use in biological warfare. These are strong neurotoxins. Mycotoxins
are nearly all cytotoxic, disrupting various cellular structures
such as membranes, and interfering with vital cellular processes
such as protein, RNA and DNA synthesis
If you were to meet a person suffering from allergy to mold, that
person would most likely complain of symptoms similar to those of
‘hay fever’. Those symptoms are detailed above under “allergic
symptoms”. The symptoms would most likely be described as annoying
(with varying degrees of annoyance); they would not, however, be
described as devastating. Their symptoms would be rather straight
forward , easily observable and easily understandable.
If you were to meet a person suffering from toxicity due to mold
mycotoxins, your first impression might be that the person is
affected by a mental problem. Your first thought might be that the
person would be best off consulting a psychiatrist or a
psychologist. The person might have a lot of vague symptoms –
symptoms way out of proportion to what you could observe – symptoms
that might be difficult for the affected person to explain and for
you to understand. But, the underling theme, if you listened
carefully, would be that of toxicity. Most likely the toxic person
would complain of extreme fatigue, weakness, tiredness, flu-like
symptoms, and often respiratory problems: but not usually coughing
or wheezing. Instead, he/she would complain of terrible burning or
soreness in his/her lungs, possibly aggravated with exertion or
exercise. And, instead of telling you that the experience was one of
annoyance (to a lesser or greater degree) as allergy sufferers would
tell you, the toxic sufferer would more likely describe her/his
experience as a hellish nightmare.
The toxic sufferer’s behavior would more likely be that of a frantic
effort to get away from the contaminated source and an almost
paranoiac effort to rid themselves of contaminated materials. This
is in stark contrast to the allergic sufferer who would most likely
find the offending mold to be more of a nuisance rather than a
substance sent from hell.
What is more specific advice regarding continuing toxic mold
exposure?
1. First, and foremost, if this mold is making you and /or your
family old ill, my advice is to get out of that environment now!
Continued exposure may increase the chances for a
chronic problem and/or permanent damage. Go to a motel if necessary,
while you are
waiting for your new quarters.
2. You must be sure to accurately identify the mold(s); they could
include Stachybotrys and/ or other toxic molds. Make sure that the
lab testing your environment is familiar with the identification of
stachybotrys and/or other toxic molds.
3. Don't disturb the mold or try to treat it yourself. If it is
stachybotrys and you disturb it, you may cause the mold to sporulate
(produce a bioaerosol).The spores can be extremely toxic and
damaging to susceptible individuals.
4. If it is stachybotrys, (and this may be also true for other toxic
species) don't take anything with you when you move. This may sound
harsh, but if you bring items contaminated with stachybotrys spores
into your new environment you still may stay sick and you may have
to repeat the process all over. Although, the spores are not living,
they are much more toxic than the living mold as they carry strong
mycotoxins which can cause all the symptoms you describe. The items
I have found to be especially bad are all paper products including
books, magazines, files of papers, cardboard, news papers and so
forth. Also, the mold clings to fabric such as stuffed furniture,
bedding, carpet, and clothing. You may get away with items that have
smooth surfaces and that are easily washable such as dishes, pots,
pans, glasses, silverware etc.
5. The precautions I mentioned in item #4 are from my own personal
experience with
stachybotrys and may not apply to other molds or all individuals
exposed to stachybotrys. However, if you do find stachybotrys, and
as both you and your child are quite symptomatic, I would give very
serious thought to item #4. Also, I know that there are others
exposed to stachybotrys who have had similar experiences.
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