What Is Mold, Mycotoxin and Biotoxin Illness?

Mold, mycotoxin, and biotoxin illnesses encompass a range of health conditions triggered by exposure to environmental toxins. Directly or indirectly, these toxins can severely impact the body’s biological systems, leading to a complex spectrum of symptoms. Mold, a type of fungus, thrives in damp and humid environments, releasing spores that carry harmful mycotoxins. These mycotoxins can infiltrate the human body via inhalation, ingestion, or direct skin contact, causing a cascade of health issues.

Biotoxins are toxic substances produced by living organisms such as fungi, bacteria, algae, and certain marine creatures. When biotoxins enter the body, they can disrupt normal cellular functions and immune responses, leading to chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) in genetically susceptible individuals. For example, the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus can develop into a more dangerous form known as MARCoNS (Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Coagulase Negative Staphylococci), which is resistant to antibiotics and produces biofilm and exotoxins that exacerbate inflammation and disrupt hormonal balance.

Symptoms of Mold, Mycotoxin and Biotoxin Illness

The symptoms of mold, mycotoxin, and biotoxin illnesses are vast and varied, often mimicking other conditions, which makes accurate diagnosis challenging. Common symptoms include neurological issues, respiratory issues, digestive issues, immune dysregulation, hormonal imbalances, psychological symptoms, and musculoskeletal symptoms such as:

• Autoimmune conditions
• Chronic fatigue
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Adrenal fatigue
• Disrupted menstrual cycles
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Mood swings
• Joint pain
• Muscle aches
• Weakness

Jodie Dashore PhD, OTD, MSc notes that mold toxins can cross the blood-brain barrier, leading to hypothalamic damage, which affects regulation of leptin resistance, insulin management, thyroid, and adrenal functioning. This multifaceted impact can result in weight fluctuations and impede recovery from physical activity.

What Your Doctor May Tell You About Mold, Mycotoxin and Biotoxin Illness

Many healthcare providers may overlook mold and biotoxin illnesses due to their non-specific and overlapping symptoms with other chronic health conditions. Traditional medical training often does not cover these conditions extensively; therefore, symptoms may be misattributed to more common diagnoses such as hormonal imbalance, PCOS, or stress-related disorders.

Doctors might suggest standard treatments for individual symptoms without connecting them to a root cause. For example, they might prescribe inhalers for respiratory issues, antidepressants for mood disorders, or pain relievers for joint pain, without addressing the underlying biotoxin exposure.

Moreover, polysystemic symptoms, once misdiagnosed, can perpetuate a cycle of ineffective treatments and unresolved health issues. It’s vital for patients to consider these potential oversights and pursue further investigation if symptoms persist or are multi-faceted.

Another Way to Think About Mold, Mycotoxin and Biotoxin Illness

A more comprehensive view of mold, mycotoxin, and biotoxin illness considers both environmental and genetic factors. There are diagnostic tools and approaches which are proving beneficial. Ritchie Shoemaker MD’s “genie” genetic test is one such method, evaluating gene expression changes to identify biotoxin illness. Additionally, the Shoemaker panel, which includes c3A and c4A tests, can identify underlying issues, while the Cunningham panel helps detect anti-neuronal antibodies triggered by mycotoxins, potentially associated with conditions such as PANDAS or Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Dashore emphasizes bio-individualized treatment protocols, considering the unique interplay between toxins and genetic predispositions. For instance, she highlights that around 27% of the populace has a genetic inability to detoxify certain biotoxins, making personalized approaches essential. Moreover, her son’s experience in reversing autism after his mold, mycotoxin and biotoxin illness was addressed underlines the importance of understanding methylation intricacies to avoid issues such as overmethylation, which could exacerbate symptoms instead of alleviating them.

The Impact of Mold on Autism and Other Chronic Health Conditions

In our experience, if you’ve made a lot of changes (such as dietary, biomedical, therapeutic and lifestyle modifications) that typically can help with symptoms of autism and other chronic health conditions and your child’s health isn’t improving, it may be because there is a chronic mold exposure in the home or school. Read here and here for personal healing stories of autism and other chronic health problems when mold toxicity was properly dealt with. You can also watch our interview replay of Christian Bogner MD about the impact of mold on autism here.

Research About Mold, Mycotoxin and Biotoxin Illness

Recent studies (see Sources & References, below) underscore the severe impact of mold and biotoxin illnesses on human health. Research led by Dr. Shoemaker and others illustrate that exposure to these toxins can disrupt multiple systems in the body, complicating diagnosis and treatment. Shoemaker’s work on chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) has been pivotal, outlining an eleven-step protocol that guides practitioners through a structured, evidence-based approach to treatment.

Another significant source of information is Dr. Shoemaker’s prolific research on biotoxins’ ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and affect the hypothalamus. This body of work underscores the pathway through which these toxins impact biorhythms, sleep, antioxidant activity, and detoxification.

Shoemaker’s work on the biotoxin pathway provides a comprehensive overview of biotoxin’s impact on the immune system and the steps for remission. Furthermore, his book The Art and Science of CIRS Medicine with Scott McMahon MD and Andrew Heyman MD highlights mold and mycotoxins’ role in multiple organ system manifestations and their diagnostic complexities.

Mold, Mycotoxin and Biotoxin Illness Healing Checklist

Understanding and addressing mold, mycotoxin, and biotoxin illnesses necessitates a holistic, multi-faceted approach. By integrating targeted medical evaluations, personalized treatment protocols, and vigilant environmental management, patients can reclaim their health from these often-overlooked yet deeply impactful conditions. We recommend working with a mold-literate practitioner to help with the following action steps.

Identify Environmental Sources

In the home, school and work environments, inspect for visible mold, musty odors, and water damage. Evaluate personal items such as clothes and furniture for contamination. Consider professional testing for airborne mold spores and toxins. While mold inspections, cleaners and remediatiors are necessary, do careful research beforehand because many of these providers often don’t do enough and will not completely correct the problem. We recommend you watch the entire webinar replay interview of holistic mold consultant PJ Harlow and read our page on mold inspection, testing, cleaning and remediation.

Comprehensive Medical Evaluation

Ask your mold-literate practitioner about obtaining Dr. Shoemaker’s GENIE (Genomic Expression: Inflammation Explained) test to assess your child’s genetic predisposition to biotoxin illness. Dr. Shoemaker also offers an inexpensive, online Visual Contrast Sensitivity Test (VCS) that can be used as a way to quickly check for mold exposure. In addition, he recommends testing for:

• AGA IgA/IgG
• ACTH/cortisol
• VEGF
• ACLA IgA/IgG/IgM
• ADH/osmolality
• MMP-9
• Leptin

Mosaic Diagnostics offers a MycoTOX Profile and RealTime Labs offers a Mycotoxin Panel, both of which are urine-based tests that assess levels of different mycotoxins and trichothecenes.

Detoxification and Healing

In addition to issues specific to your child, your mold-literate practitioner may recommend the following:

• Binders such as activated charcoal, zeolite clay, Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP) or cholestyramine to bind and eliminate toxins.
• A low-carbohydrate diet such as the ketogenic diet, Specific Crbohydrate Diet (SCD), Gut And Psychology Syndrome diet (GAPS) or Paleo/primal diet to manage chronic inflammation, leaky gut, gut dysbiosis and yeast issues.
• Herbal and/or homeopathic remedies for immune modulation and support.
• A low-histamine diet that lowers levels of histamine that are common in the Mast-Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) that often occurs after mold exposure.

Environmental and Lifestyle Adjustments

We recommend making diet and lifestyle changes to lower the total load of stressors on the body and support whole-body healing as listed below.

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