Mold and mycotoxins

[Plumster]

Thank you for the suggestion about the HLA genes. Do you have the SNPs that I should look out for?
By binders do you mean taking activated charcoal etc?

If you have done Promethease after 23andme, then you can search for "HLA" and see if anything comes up? I'm not 100% confident that the haplotypes are included in Promethease, though. I went to a functional doctor and got tested for mold and the haplotypes. I don't have access to my labs this moment, but next time I do, I will get you the SNPs. Does anyone else know the SNPs by chance?

Yes, the binders are activated charcoal, bentonite clay, zeolite clay spray, cholestyramine, welchol, and chlorella, in addition to a few others. Most of these are available over the counter in a health store and most of them should be taken away from food and supplements and ideally on an empty stomach.

I hope you resolve your issue sooner rather than later. Good luck!

[slacker]

Here's a link on how to interpret HLA DR/DQ; you'll need to page down a bit. My FM ordered this test for me and I did it at Labcorp. I have not done 23&me so do not know if it is included.

[J11]

This is great!

Thank you Plumster!!
Thank you slacker!!

I have been postponing taking any corrective action on this for too long and things have only deteriorated.
If I had realized that there were interventions that were readily available to me, I would have taken action
much sooner.

I looked online for health food stores and it turns out there is one just down the street!
I have become so accustomed to buying everything on line that I was worried it might take a week or two to start taking the supplements. The list I made for the store was activated charcoal, chlorella, modified citrus pectin and honokiol. {I vaguely remember it mentioned somewhere that honokiol might be helpful for asthma, though I am unsure where I might have heard this.}

Only the activated charcoal was obtained (great price of only $10!). I will wait 2 hours to allow for digestion and then start right on it.
One thing I have thought of is that activated charcoal might be more of a binding agent to prevent mold from entering my system through the digestive tract. My perception of the problem is that it is more of an inflammation issue: I was exposed to quite a bit of mold but now the mold has been removed but the inflammation continues ( similar to my eczema experience). Perhaps more of an anti-inflammatory might help?

A while back Promethease sent me an email offering free reports. Might anyone know how one goes about claiming a free upgrade report?

[TheBrain]

J11, unfortunately, 23&me doesn't report on HLA DR/DQ.

My insurance has covered all of my mold illness testing (except for MARCoNS and urine mycotoxins testing), but some of the testing is available through Life Extension as a self-pay option. See:

HLA-DR Mold Genetic Testing
https://www.lifeextension.com/vitamins- ... ic-testing

Biotoxin Mold Illness Panel
https://www.lifeextension.com/vitamins- ... ness-panel

I have two mold-susceptible haplotypes, as revealed through my HLA DR/DQ testing. The test that was most indicative of my mold illness was the Great Plains GPL-MycoTox urine test. This tests for mycotoxins (toxins from mold) in the urine. My body has been a mycotoxin storage unit for probably decades!

People with one or two mold-susceptible haplotypes (and/or one or two multi-susceptible haplotypes) have difficulty excreting mycotoxins. The binders bind mycotoxins and pull them out of the body.

Even though the mold in your home might be gone, your home might be contaminated with mycotoxins, and/or your body might be holding onto them.

Apparently, some people have mold colonization going on in their bodies, but that's not common. The Great Plains organic acids test can rule that in or out.

Good luck figuring out what's going on!

[J11]

Thank you TheBrain!
Very cerebral comment.

Yes, mold illness is one of the weirdest medical problems that I have ever had.
With the eczema, the skin on my hand was peeling off, yet at least I had something to point
to that provided unarguable evidence that there was a problem. However, mold illness is
much less conspicuous. I can easily see how this could have flown under the radar. The main
symptoms that I notice is the asthma like wheezing (which is most prominent on the exhale)
a certain mental fogginess, and abdominal aches and pains.

I have started up the activated charcoal and I did seem to feel better almost right away.
My guess this is more related to my relief that I have finally started to address my concerns.

The genetics of the HLA region is quite complicated so it might take a while to sort it all out.
If there were a few SNPs that could rule out genetic mold susceptibility, then this would be
extremely helpful to me.

[Tincup]

Might you be aware of whether mold asthma would continue even with the removal of the mold from my environment? I find it odd that the mold is gone, yet the wheeze remains. Perhaps this is a self-sustaining inflammation that needs a reset.

I have a life-long autoimmune history. Primarily nasal congestion, but also could develop some wheezing and throat tightness. In addition could have itching roof of mouth, cold sores and itchy rectum (I assume the whole digestive tract was unhappy from mouth to the other end, I just didn't feel it. I used to also be very sensitive to airborne allergens.

When I switched to eating off Gundry's list, the congestion improved by about 80% and the mouth and rectum itch went away. More recently I was trying to improve more and decided to try Arthur Coca's pulse test. In simple terms, you test your heart rate for a 1 minute average (I've found this better than instantaneous as given by some apps) before you eat and then 30 & 60 or more minutes after. If you see more than a 6 BPM increase, Coca's hypothesis is that you are sensitive to the food. Of course you start out eating a mixed meal & if that spikes, you need to go to individual foods to figure it out. I noticed that some of my foods spiked 15-25 BPM, not subtle. When I removed the most offending foods (which are different for each person), my congestion improved to the best it has ever been.

How does this apply to your situation? I've noticed over my life that there seems to be a "stacking" or "layering" effect in the autoimmune world. As I've removed the offending foods from my diet, first with Gundry's list and now with pulse testing, reactions to airborne allergens have become almost nonexistent. I used to be bothered by pollen and grass. Now when people around me are complaining about a bad allergy season, I'm surprised because I experience nothing.

For my pulse testing, I created a Google Sheets document and I will record food, date and time, with before eating, 30, 60 and sometimes 90 minute after tests. Many foods have no response, a quite few have mild responses (>6 BPM) and some had strong responses.

[Plumster]

Hi all,

I have a question for anyone who has dealt with mycotoxins in the home and has had remediation using ozone treatment. No water damage was evident in the building (we had two inspections. The problem was probably due to high humidity and no dehumidifier by earlier tenants). Do we need to throw out our couches and cushions? I know I can wash clothes using borax, but just not sure if the couches are okay after ozone treatment or not. Perhaps the ozone even eliminated the mycotoxins in the couch/cushions?

Thanks!

[slacker]

Plumster;

I admit ignorance on the ozone treatment. With Shoemaker style remediation, including small particle air cleaning, it is recommended to get rid of all porous materials that can't be washed in the washing machine with borax. This includes upholstered furniture. I had my dining room chairs re-upholstered, and got rid of all other upholstered furniture.

Can you ask your question to the folks who recommended or implemented the ozone treatment?

[Plumster]

Can you ask your question to the folks who recommended or implemented the ozone treatment?

I thought about that, but I worry that their salesmanship mentality would get in the way ("We fixed it!") . . . But I'll give it a go.

Editing to add: His response was predictable--all is good.

[TheBrain]

I admit ignorance on the ozone treatment. With Shoemaker style remediation, including small particle air cleaning, it is recommended to get rid of all porous materials that can't be washed in the washing machine with borax. This includes upholstered furniture. I had my dining room chairs re-upholstered, and got rid of all other upholstered furniture.

Slacker, are you in the midst of remediation or is it done? I gather small particle cleaning comes after remediation, so your comment above suggests to me your remediation is complete. Would you mind sharing your experience with remediation and what else you’ve done with respect to small particle cleaning? For example, did you get rid of all of your books or were you able to clean them somehow?