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Mold Exposure Treatment Options

There are a wide variety of treatment options for mold exposure. Genetics, finances, circumstances, and individual physical needs play a role in determining the best option. The following is an overview designed to stimulate further research rather than suggest a specific protocol.

 


Drug Options:

  • Cholestyramine (CSM) is commonly prescribed for mold exposure. This is a bile acid sequestrant, which binds bile in the gastrointestinal tract to prevent its reabsorption. It also works as a mycotoxin binding agent. CSM can be compounded to contain no sugar. (One pharmacy which does this is Hopkinton Drug.) It is important to take CSM two hours before or after any nutritional supplements, as it will bind these as well.

  • Activated charcoal and bentonite clay are two natural binding agents and often taken with CSM.

  • Antifungal drugs. These include the plyenes, the triazoles and imidazoles, allylamines and more. Nystatin is an example of an antifungal drug. Antifungal drugs can be taken in nasal spray form.

  • Low-dose Naltrexone. Naltrexone is an opioid receptor antagonist. Low-dose Naltrexone (LDN) has been shown to be effective in treating immunologically related disorders.

To find a doctor, check the list of physicians on the American Academy of Environmental Medicine website. The level of knowledge regarding toxic mold varies. Other resources include the American Board of Environmental Medicine, which is currently working on an online list of physicians, and the Institute for Functional Medicine.

 


Natural Options (often integrated with conventional medical therapies):

CholestePure is often suggested as a natural option for those who cannot tolerate or want to avoid cholestyramine.

Garlic, oil of oregano, pau d'arco, olive leaf extract, caprylic acid (found in coconuts), barberry, and grapefruit seed extract are some of the natural antifungals.

Dr. Grace Ziem's Chemical Injury website contains a nutritional and environmental protocol for chemical injury.

Glutathione therapy is often vital to recovery. For more information, see this article.

 


Skin Remedies:

Rashes often appear during mold exposure, as well as during the detox process.

Ketoconazole cream is a topical antifungal cream. Other skin remedies include tea tree oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, and grapefruit seed extract (diluted).

Charcoal soap can be used as a detox agent. It can be combined with ketaconazole shampoo lather.

Epsom salt baths are helpful. For more detox bath alternatives, see this list and our section on Healing Baths.

 


Antifungal Diet:

One goal of an antifungal diet is to starve the fungus, thereby halting the cycle that often occurs. Sugars and processed carbohydrates feed the fungus. Natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola discusses the benefits of an antifungal diet in his article titled Forget Antibiotics, Steroids and Medication - Starve This Toxin Out of Your Body.

For a helpful comparison of various antifungal diets, including a downloadable chart, see our article on Gut-Restorative Diets.

 


Brain Retraining:

The entire body is impacted by mold exposure. Digestive tracts are hit hard, and so are endocrine systems. The brain is invariably involved as well.

Brain retraining programs often play a part in recovery based on the premise that the amygdala, a critical structure of the brain, is involved with protective mechanisms related to chemical and immunological threats. The amygdala often becomes hyperreactive to environmental triggers in response to toxic exposure, without the affected person realizing it.

Examples of brain retraining programs include:

 


Alternative Health Options:

A wide variety of alternative health options exist. Practitioners may not be familiar with the specifics of mold exposure but can address the need to detox.

These are a few of the numerous options available: orthospinology (a chiropractic specialty), ONDAMED, acupuncture, oxygen chamber therapy, IV therapies, chelation therapies, far infrared sauna, and much, much more.

 


Online Support:

 


It's important to note that a healing crisis can occur as detox from mold exposure begins. This is known as a "Herx Reaction"and is an increase in the symptoms caused by toxin circulation and inflammation. It is, therefore, not unusual to get worse before getting better.

If you are overwhelmed as you consider all of these options, remember that the detoxification process takes time. Trust your instincts. Begin with mold avoidance and diet as you consider the next step on your journey to recovery.

Quotes

"I had been struggling with headaches, head fog, breathing difficulties (unable to get a full breath), constant scalp tingling, migraines, nausea, feeling spacey/detached, and severe itchy skin."

– Anonymous

"Our family has been out of our home for 9 months due to mold... I am so scared and weak from all of this. We have lost friends; family members don't understand."

– Anonymous

"I've been living in a mold-infested home for 13 months... I was going CRAZY! Finally figured it out... Just a few days of recovering in a mold-free home and I feel AMAZING!!!"

– Lauren

"We all suffered from headaches, hormonal body temperature fluctuations, brain fog, fatigue, difficulty breathing, thrush, rashes, and yeast infections... we vacated our home two weeks ago."

– Anonymous

"I knew it was mold, but doctors kept telling me I had anxiety. I was sitting in my office and could not remember who I was talking to, or what we were talking about."

– Brenda

"My daughter has had many blood samples taken to test for everything imaginable and her doctor just seems puzzled. Everything comes back normal."

– Anonymous

"I'm new at this, but today I cleaned my bathroom with baking soda and vinegar. It's much better not having those strong chemical smells afterwards."

– Anonymous

"Both of my sons went downhill quickly and coughed for months... They both lost their ability to read, had profound vision disturbances, and had phenomenal gastric issues."

– Lee

"In my moldy home if I left the wet clothes in the washer they would get musty very quickly and I'd have to re-wash... Sometimes I'd run a load, go to work, and they'd be musty when I returned that evening."

– Anonymous

"My daughter started having digestive problems... heart palpitations... coughing episodes... muscle/joint pain... asthma/allergies... Her doctor finally advised me to check for mold in our home."

– Anonymous

"My symptoms persisted and eventually turned into lethargy and depression. At the age of 26, I required a nap every evening after work."

– Jennifer

"The entire time we lived in our (mold-infested) house the kitchen sponge would get musty smelling within 3-4 days. It was so strange. I had to buy a pack of sponges nearly every week."

– Anonymous

"We had some water leaks in our home... we never thought we needed to clean out and remove the floor, the ceiling, or the drywall... my two small children and I have remained constantly sick for years in this home."

– Mia

"I started finding myself sitting on the floor in rooms of my house and not remembering how I got there, what I was doing before, or how long I had been there."

– Brenda

"The ERMI mold test as well as your helpful articles and Toxic Talk Tuesday programs have helped us avoid a terrible mistake in purchasing a new home."

– Angela

"I was skeptical at first that these (natural cleaning) products would work, but they work better than the stuff I buy at the store! We will soon be moving to the personal care products as well!"

– Jennifer

"...at age 35 or 36 I started to become allergic to everything, and I got asthma at age 36... I went to doctor after doctor after doctor and was desperate for help, but nobody could help me."

– Mia

"We were having a lot of health problems and had been to the doctor countless times... we had large circles of slimy greenish-black mold on the bathroom ceiling, where it had caved in a few months before."

– C.

"I have been sick for almost 6 months now and doctors were not able to figure out why. I finally put it all together after going away for vacation for a week and suddenly my symptoms were going away."

– Anonymous

This site is dedicated to a true friend and mother — Barbara Dell Kessel (1929-2009)