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Symptoms of Biotoxin Illness

The following list is taken from the book Mold Warriors by Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker. These are symptoms of biotoxin illness (biotoxin definition: poison produced by and derived from an animal or plant).

According to Dr. Shoemaker, "Symptoms exhibited from the exposure to biotoxins affect everyone differently. This extensive listing is here to help you understand the many ways biotoxin illness can manifest itself. This listing does not mean that those who suffer from biotoxin illness will exhibit all of the symptoms listed here."

  • Body aches (joints, muscle, and sinus)
  • Headaches
  • Allergies
  • Allergic reactions to foods
  • Anxiety
  • Appetite swings
  • Bleeding ear
  • Bleeding gums
  • Body temperature regulation problems
  • Shortness of breath
  • Bronchitis
  • Charley horses
  • Chills
  • High cholesterol
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  • Abnormal circulation
  • Cognitive problems—difficulty assimilating new information; difficulty finding words; difficulty focusing; difficulty thinking or accomplishing other executive functions such as organizing and planning; difficulty with math or handling numbers; difficulty with short-term memory; short-term memory loss
  • Constipation
  • Coughing
  • Abdominal cramping
  • Delayed recovery from normal activity
  • Depression
  • Diarrhea
  • Dizziness
  • Endometriosis
  • Burning, red, or watery eyes
  • Fatigue
  • Fever
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Leaky Gut
  • Hypoperfusion (decreased blood flow through an organ)
  • Inflammation
  • Insomnia
  • Insulin resistance
  • Interstitial Cystitis
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Laryngitis
  • Light sensitivity
  • Lyme Disease
  • Metallic taste in mouth
  • Migraines
  • Mood swings
  • Morning stiffness
  • Muscle cramps, jerks, or twitches
  • Nausea
  • Numbness in the arms, legs, feet, or hands
  • Pain—abdominal, arm, back, chest, chronic, cycles, feet, growing, hip, joints, leg, lungs, mistaking cold and hot, sinus, stabbing, vulvar
  • Rashes
  • Raynaud's Phenomenon
  • Respiratory problems
  • Rosacea
  • Seizures
  • Sensitivity to bright light
  • Static shocks
  • Sinus congestion
  • Sinus infection
  • Skin sensitivity
  • Sleep apnea
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Stiffness
  • Sweating
  • Swelling
  • Sore throat
  • Tingling
  • Burning tongue
  • Tremors
  • Frequent urination
  • Vertigo
  • Blurred vision
  • Weakness
  • Weight gain
  • Weight loss
  • Wheezing

Quotes

"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

"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

"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

"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

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

– Jennifer

"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 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

"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

"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 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

"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

"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

"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

"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.

"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'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

"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

"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

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