Week of Jan 15

 

 

1/ Biotoxin Binders

 

QUESTION: My primary physician has prescribed Pectasol for my wife who has early onset dementia, felt to be due to biotoxin exposure. Will this work?

 

ANSWER: No. There is no data published anywhere showing benefit of Pectasol as a replacement for cholestyramine and Welchol, the medication used as a binder in an initial Shoemaker Protocol™ step to begin the detoxification and recovery process. If there are problems with either of the binders that have been proven to work, the low dose VIP protocol can help in a later step in the Protocol.

 

Begin by familiarizing yourself with the Shoemaker Protocol™.  Resources are also available for your attending physician on the site, or we recommend working with a Shoemaker Protocol™ practitioner or partner.

 

Information pertaining to this topic can be found in chapter 10 of the textbook, “The Art and Science of CIRS Medicine.”

 

You may also be interested in these informational resources:

 

It is recommended that you make a copy of the pertinent resources for your physician and ask them to read it in preparation for using binders, as well as a treatment Protocol, that works.

 

If you have not been assessed for CIRS/mold illness, you may want to take the diagnostic steps to do so and find out precisely how mold/biotoxins are impacting you.

 

Start with the overview downloadable “Got Mold?” Guide

 

For more detailed information, the Shoemaker Protocol™ essays written by our Certified Practitioners may also be of help.

 

General information on the Protocol Binder, CSM:

 

Dr. Shoemaker’s CSM Fact Sheet

 

The Surviving Mold Article, “Why CSM is the Most Effective Option”

 

 (https://www.survivingmold.com/resources-for-patients/treatment/common-questions-answers-about-cholestyramine-and-why-its-the-most-effective-option-out-there)

 

Or Dr. Shoemaker’s CSM Learning Module available on the site.

 

2/ Cleaning wooden cribs:

 

QUESTION: Can my son’s wooden crib be cleaned and transported to new residence?

 

ANSWER: Yes. Non-porous materials can be vacuumed and wiped down with a topical disinfectant. I recommend ammonium based cleaners like Fantastic.

4/ CSM:

QUESTION: Generally, how long does one stay on CSM to reduce mycotoxins and is it recommended to go back on CSM each time one has a new exposure?

ANSWER: CMS is continued until resolution of CIRS is achieved. Welchol is a common substitute if there is re-exposure.

 

See Question #1 above for more information and CSM resources

 

5/ Generic CSM

 

QUESTION: I am hearing conflicting stores as to whether it is ok to use generic brand cholestyramine.

 

ANSWER: Yes. Generic Questran is fine.  

 

6/ Erythromelalgia:

 

QUESTION: I have been diagnosed with erythromelalgia. Have you ever treated this syndrome using the protocol Can erythromelalgia be caused from mold and mycotoxin exposure:

 

ANSWER: Yes, erythromelalgia is a CIRS. One of the Shoemaker Protocol™ practitioners, Lauren Sparks, is preparing a paper on the topic for publication. You may want to seek her out through the SM website under the certified physician section for more information or support.

 

7/ HERTSMI-2, Wallemia

 

QUESTION: Why is Wallemia sebi included in the HERTSMI-2 calculation?

 

ANSWER: More than any other organism, Wallemia is under diagnosed and under treated. It is called a xerophile because it likes to drier wet conditions as opposed to Stachybotrys or Chaetomium that like wet, wet conditions. Wallemia makes a toxin that contributes to a significant amount of adverse physical effects.

 

8/ Wallemia

 

QUESTION: My physician recommends testing indoor and outdoor air for Wallemia prior to mold remediation. What do you think?

 

ANSWER: I do not think testing outdoors is a good idea. Wallemia in the outside world is diluted by winds, rain and weather conditions. Indoor testing via ERMI and HERTSMI-2 has been the standard effective CIRS testing process to date.

9/ Histamine intolerance

QUESTION: My daughter has mold exposure/MCAS/histamine intolerance. She was taking Zeolite daily and now her ferritin has tanked. Would it suffice to take a binder twice a week so that her body can absorb her iron supplements?

ANSWER: Zeolite will not bind to biotoxins. The Shoemaker Protocol™ prescribes CSM or Welchol as the biotoxin binder in an initial recovery step. There is not enough information provided for me to comment on the management of therapy. Supplements can typically be taken without issue while on the medication schedule. People who’ve had trouble absorbing supplements can be given injections of iron. Another area to look at is MCAS, which should be tested using GENIE, which will look to see which cells in the body are producing histamine.

10/ 4-3-53 genetics

QUESTION: When one has the 4-3-53 sequence, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your parents have it too, is that correct?

ANSWER: The 4-3-53 gene sequence is inherited. A patient with 4-3-53 could have received it from either a biological mother or biological father. 

 

11/ OCD:

 

QUESTION: We have a child with mold triggers (OCD) who is deeply distressed at the prospect of giving up his belongings. What types of contents are most important to dispose of?

 

ANSWER: All porous materials such as large fabric items, books, and pillows can serve as reservoirs of particulates and should be discarded. Clothing and bedding can be washed. Perhaps some smaller stuffed toys can be washed and thoroughly cleaned. Any non-porous wood, metal, or plastic objects, toys, furniture, can be cleaned and kept. It is possible to wash and clean shoes. Consider each item and what can be cleaned thoroughly. There are many items that can be cleaned and maintained, and hopefully that will help his transition.

 

12/ Oahu Housing:

 

QUESTION: I live on Oahu and we have a history of mold toxicity. We are all healed now but we are preparing to purchase a home and wasn’t sure if you could help with mold toxicity “prevention” or if you have any helpful resources on Oahu.

 

ANSWER:

 

If you have found you have the genetic predisposition for CIRS/mold illness, and suffer from the effects of CIRS, you will need to live in an untainted environment in order to maintain recovery. Begin by asking the current owners if there has been known water damage, and then proceed with a thorough visual investigation of the home for any telltale signs of prior water damage. Testing the home via an ERMI or HERTSMI-2 is also highly recommended. The older the home, the more chance it has had water damage and has a contaminated environment. Buying a newer home without water damage, and then proactively maintaining and cleaning the home would be the ideal. If a home has had water damage, stringent remediation efforts then become necessary.

 

If you do not have the genetic susceptibility for CIRS/mold illness, which some people with generalized “mold toxicity” do not, then concerns about particulates and organism inside homes can typically be answered by using IAdapt Air air filtration units from Air Oasis. Each unit will clear 2000 cubic feet per 12-hours.

 

In order to find out if you do indeed have the genetic susceptibility, following the Shoemaker Protocol™ testing and diagnosis pathway will inform you. Because it is a multi-system/multi-symptom condition, it requires several labs and tests to confirm diagnosis, including GENIE genetic testing.

 

Get started now by checking your symptoms with the convenient online Visual Contrast Sensitivity test. The VCS screening give you an initial pass or fail, and you will receive a print out to show your practitioner. If you receive a “fail” on your VCS, we recommend following up with a Shoemaker Protocol™ Practitioner.

 

13/ Kilz floor coating

 

QUESTION: After we remove carpeting and clean the subfloor, is it ok to coat the surface with Kilz?

 

ANSWER: If the subfloor has been damaged, I recommend using Kilz. Given the lack of significant cost for Kilz, I suggest its use.

 

14/ Klebsiella pneumoniae:

 

QUESTION: I have Klebsiella pneumoniae in my nasal passage ways. Do I need to eradicate this organism?

 

ANSWER: No. Gram negative rods can be normal flora found in upper airways.

 

15/ Mast cell activation:

 

QUESTION: My doctor has prescribed medications to treat mast cell activation but I have questions whether the diagnosis is accurate.

 

ANSWER: I would suggest that you would consider having GENIE done if nothing else for the panel for histamine that gives you two genes, HDC and CCL5, that will cause every nucleated cell in the body to make excessive histamine. The problem is not mast cells it is the vast majority of people with excessive histamine and it is gene activation for histamine by all cells with nuclei.

16/ EMF sensitivity & mold

QUESTION: Does mold cause EMF sensitivity?

ANSWER: No, we have no data confirming EMF sensitivity. Static shocks is a phenomenon due to salty or sweat on the skin and not having to do with untoward EMF.

XX/ Nerve pain:

QUESTION: I have been dealing with severe nerve pain in both hands. I suspect that I may have CIRS. ER prescribed a 6-day steroid taper pack. Would steroid injections be considered the safer option for CIRS patients?

ANSWER: Sounds like you have carpal tunnel but I cannot diagnose with the information provided. Steroid injections are one of the last things you do for carpal tunnel. Family physicians treat this problem every day. 

If you have CIRS, and you might, it has nothing to do with carpal tunnel. CIRS is a multi-symptom, multi-system illness. Common symptoms can include, but are not limited to, nerve pain. CIRS symptoms include headaches, fatigue, diarrhea, night sweats, brain fog, ice prick sensations, joint pain, and more.

For more information on common CIRS symptoms, diagnosis, and the Shoemaker Protocol™, you can download our free guide, “Got Mold?”

Or get started now… Surviving Mold’s online VCS test & tracking system checks your symptoms and is the first diagnostic step on the Shoemaker Protocol™ pathway.

19/ NeuroQuant:

QUESTION: I just completed the Surviving Mold NeuroQuant Analysis and I have a mold score of 4. What is the range and does that mean I have brain atrophy from mold?

ANSWER: A mold score of 4 on the NeuroQuant Analysis means there is evidence of CIRS in the brain. Appropriate treatment will reverse this score in a significant majority of patients.

Working with a Shoemaker Protocol™ practitioner or partner is recommended. There are also practitioner resources to help guide and inform your attending physician on the Surviving Mold site.

20/ OCD:

QUESTION: My functional doctor believes my intrusive, obsessive thoughts could be caused by high levels of fungus. Is mold exposure a risk factor for OCD?

ANSWER: OCD can be associated with enlarged amygdala although the data is not solid. While brain fog, forgetfulness, and depression are the more common CIRS symptoms, there can be other effects. 

Getting a NeuroQuant brain screening would be useful in evaluation and diagnosing. The Surviving Mold NeuroQuant Analysis, located on this site, will analyze your NeuroQuant report further, looking for specific mold or lyme related “points” necessary for proper diagnosis.

21/ Strep throat:

QUESTION: My daughter began developing strep throat while living in a damp apartment. Could mold cause this condition?

ANSWER: If your throat cultures have been positive for step, as your question suggests, the problem is not CIRS. In case of mold allergy there may be a case of excessive mucus in the upper airway providing a habitat for strep germs to grow in the back of the throat.

See question #1 for more information on common CIRS/mold illness symptoms and the Shoemaker Protocol™.

22/ Toothbrush:

QUESTION: Do you think mold illness could be coming from my Oral B toothbrush and if so, where can I get it tested?

ANSWER: It is possible that you picked up MARCoNS in the toothbrush however, I doubt it.

A culture of your toothbrush would answer the question though the cost of approximately $100 US would make me pause. You can reach out to Microbiologydx, found on the web and ask for a kit to culture your toothbrush.

The more likely cause of mold illness/CIRS is inhabiting a home or frequenting a location with a water-damaged environment. Begin by looking for water damage signs in your home and the environments you frequent. If you see or suspect water damage, test the location with an ERMI or HERSTMI-2 testing kit. 

23/ Timing of Medications:

QUESTION: Should medications be taken before mold issue or during remediation?

ANSWER: The Shoemaker Protocol™ medications should be taken when a mold issue is discovered and diagnosed, not waiting for remediation to be finalized.

If remediation is needed, it’s recommended that the patient moves to a safe environment during the remediation process. If that’s not possible, begin the CSM treatment, although it will not be as effective while in the toxic environment. Effective air filtration units, such as the iAdapt Air from Air Oasis may also help in the interim.

The Shoemaker Protocol™ Essays written by the certified physicians, go into more depth on the strategic medication implementation, in the words of the trained practitioners. The essays can be accessed on the Surviving Mold site.

 

24/ Hypometabolism:

 

QUESTION: I have been diagnosed with multiple autoimmune disease. I have gained 30-40 pounds as a result of this illness. I am currently following the no-amylose diet and have not seen any results in weight loss. Is there anything else I should be doing to help kick start my metabolism?

 

ANSWER: Hypometabolism is well documented to be shown by GENIE. Insulin resistance will create difficulty losing weight as shown by GENIE. Leptin resistance not shown by GENIE but is shown by molecular hypometabolism.

 

Make sure you are not exposed and you have been following the Protocol, the 12-steps, plus defeating molecular hypometabolism.

 

25/ CIRS symptoms, hearing:

 

QUESTION: Can CIRS affect one’s hearing?

 

ANSWER: Yes, sensorineural hearing loss can result from injury to the Organ of Corti.

 

26/ Symptoms, restless legs, insomnia, tinnitus

 

QUESTION: Are restless leg syndrome, insomnia and tinnitus in one ear common mold toxicity symptoms?

 

ANSWER: Restless leg syndrome and insomnia are common symptoms but tinnitus is not.

 

27/ Antibiotic alternative

 

QUESTION: I am doing treatments for biotoxin illness and MARCoNS. Have you heard of fecal transplants as a treatment in place of antibiotic?

 

ANSWER: Yes, we have heard of this and it does not work.