The following information was taken from a web site called, THE STACHYBOTRYS WEB SITE which is owned and maintained by Doctor Joseph P. Klein, Sr. M.D., Board Certified orthopedic surgeon. The web site was developed by Dr. Klein for the purpose of sharing his own personal experience and suffering as the result of exposure to the toxic mold known as Stachybotrys. AMI is not associated with Dr. Klein nor do we confirm or dispute any comments or references made by him. It is the sole responsibility of the reader to establish the validity of the information.
INTRODUCTION FROM DR. JOSEPH P. KLEIN
My Profession:
My specialty is orthopedic surgery. I am board certified. This field encompasses
the diagnosis and treatment of injuries to and diseases of the musculoskeletal
system. Examples of typical orthopedic problems include carpal tunnel syndrome,
joint replacement for arthritis (total hips and knees), fractures, spinal
surgery (disk removal, fusions), sports medicine (knee and other joint
arthroscopic surgeries), reconstructive surgery for deformities due to
congenital and acquired deformities of children (congenital hip dislocation,
cerebral palsy, spina bifida) and a wide variety of non-operative conditions
such as low back pain.
My Symptoms:
My symptoms initially 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). The muscle aches and cramps,
restlessness, and inability to sleep have largely resolved, but the others
remain with a gradual tendency to decrease. 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, I
become ill again for 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.
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:
1. avoidance of living mold
2. avoidance of the mold spores
3. avoidance of contaminated items
4. avoidance of smoke
5. 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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