Many Molds are dangerously Neurotoxic: Sick Buildings Deliver Crippling Brain and Body Blows.
“A 1984 World Health Organization report into the
syndrome suggested up to 30% of new and remodeled
buildings worldwide may be linked to symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome.” Wikipedia
Our experience is that the older, wet, damaged buildings have an even higher incidence of destructive mold pathogens. This problem is not insignificant, is frequently overlooked as
contributory to psych problems, and requires a comprehensive medical intervention
process.
Louisiana, Mississippi, and the Texas coast are almost completely overwhelmed with toxic mold issues downstream from the hurricanes, -as reported *off the record* by a Captain in Va Beach Fire Department who has made several trips to help in New Orleans with that catastrophe. He says: “the mold is growing in houses up to the ceilings like large, black cauliflowers.”
The long term implications of mold exposure to a certain subset of the population, outlined in a moment, will stagger the cost of health care and is at this moment is almost completely unrecognized as an important clinical psych syndrome. You can start with the basic book Mold Warriors about Mold by my colleague Ritchie Shoemaker MD, on the Eastern Shore of MD: [More refs later, been to his office in Pocomoke, MD]
First a bit more about what it is, then a story that will shock you.
I became even more interested in mold after making some significant brain observations in the context of taking a careful mold history in my DC office: Presenting complaint: brain fog, respiratory illness, multiple immune dysregulation issues. The SPECT showed significant scalloping and toxic exposure in a patient from, get this, a super East Side apartment in NYC. Mold is not just in the country! [Read Mold Warriors about a high end apartment complex in metro DC]
The husband of the patient had taken her everywhere, is an experienced downtown psychiatrist, so when I saw all the scalloping absent brain injury history I dug deeper. She had multiple autoimmune issues [including exhaustion, rheumatic pains], and 5 families had moved out of the apartment building in the last year because of exposure to mold. When I asked further, black mold constantly appeared in the bathroom and appeared to be in the walls “for years.”
He didn’t have symptoms, as the personal variability, just as in celiac disorder, is modified by the immune system and by HLA antibody activities. If the mold can be tagged by HLA it will be excreted. If mold toxins are not tagged the toxins recycle, passing through cell membranes, build up in fat, remain for years, and interfere with fat metabolism in the brain and body. Sounds awful, it is. It will remain toxic in the brain. More about treatments later.
First a major point:
Indoor Mold needs four things to grow:
(1) Spores: Both our indoor and outdoor environment have mold spores present. There is no such thing as a mold free environment. Spores need special filters to prevent exposure and are the source of floating, airborne neurotoxins.
(2) Nutrients: The Spores need food, and in the indoor environment these are normally cellulose materials (wood, dust, fabrics, cardboard, paper, etc.)
(3) Moisture Moisture is required to begin the decaying process of the cellulose material by the mold.
(4) Time: Mold growth typically begins between 24 hours and 10 days from the provision of the growing conditions. There is no way to date mold. Wikipedia – Mold
Now an even more striking example:
44 yo male arrives in my office with a severe limp, unable to walk a straight line down the hall, using a 4 point cane. Hands are both trembling uncontrollably, deep hacking cough, legs are twitching, brain is a complete fog, got lost coming over and I could not see how he could drive. -Sent by a neurologist who had worked him up for rapid onset of neurological symptoms for the last 4 years. -Sent to me for depression treatment, as the SSRI trials were not effective.
Asked the bowel question and his current *BM factor* was every 3-4 days, with severe bouts of IBS, with IBS the chronic presentation for many years. Clear metabolic issues not addressed, needed workup on that side of matters whatever we did next [see the CMP in the CorePsych Toolkit above].
The patient looked completely overwhelmed, significant dementia symptoms, awash with brain fog, with so much mood instability, anger and suicidal thinking – and the bad news he hasn’t been able to work for >2 years, is on disability, and his wife couldn’t come to our meeting because money was so tight.
He just looked very toxic: So about 10min into the history I said, “This may sound pretty silly, but do you have mold in your home?” He sucked his wind, paused briefly, and said “My whole house is one big mold bomb from the roof to the side shingles, to the all the walls. My wife has said it is a problem for years, and we have to move.”
He hesitated and then added: “Let me tell you the whole story. About 4 years ago my fuel oil tank in my basement ruptured and about 250 gallons of heating fuel was released in my basement. It seeped into the sub basement, and with that oil barrier the water has collected, and is always present in the basement, we just haven’t had time to get it fixed.” [Mold and petrochemical off gases frequently prove damaging to the same individuals.]
We will have several more posts on this subject folks, so stay tuned. Bottom line on this story, he had both toxic petrochemical intoxication and mold intoxication, and after I called his wife during the evaluation she asked the city inspectors what to do with the house.
The very next day inspectors condemned their home on the spot and the family moved. This is only the beginning of a sad correctable situation that had evolved into serious medical and brain issues because we are significantly uninformed about mold neurotoxins. His CMP [Download sample_report_4300_v_01.pdf] was off the chart on almost every single aspect of cellular and metabolic problems, and he is slow to turn around medically – as he is so angry at the world and so forgetful now he is almost untreatable.
Stay tuned on the mold subject.
A place to go for more info regarding testing: Tennessee Mold Consultants have a good reputation with those focused on mold assessment.
Digitally available now at Nook, Kindle, Barnes and Noble.
ADHD Medication Rules – PDF For Your Desktop
ADHD Medication Rules | Paying Attention To The Meds For Paying Attention – Kindle Version
