Helllooooo to the most long overdue post on my blog at the moment: DETOXING. FROM. MOLD.

Ever since I shared my initial Lyme disease diagnosis & within that post, the fact that mycotoxin illness (a.k.a toxic mold illness) was part of what was wreaking havoc on my life, mold has been a hot topic in my life.

When I first started to experience chronic hives and eczema, which were horrible symptoms from Lyme and mold, and also the symptoms that finally lead me to receiving a diagnosis, I got SO MANY OPINIONS. ALL OF THE TIME.

I am so grateful for the opinions that came flooding into my inbox and into my life when I was sharing, even though that time in my life was chaos and very overwhelming. A large handful of people told me that the rashes looked like they were caused by black mold exposure.

I remember reading that, and thinking, “WHAT? How could MOLD be affecting my body like this?”

Call me uninformed about mold, because that’s exactly what I was. I couldn’t even wrap my head around the idea that mold growing in a building, or an A/C unit, or food, or an airplane, or more, could be affecting the inside of my body.

Now when I think about it, it makes sense. Our bodies are like sponges. If we are living in and breathing in toxic mold every single day (or even once in a while, depending on your immune system and your genetics) then of COURSE mold is going to start growing in your body.

Mold spores are tricky and deviant. They are aggressive and they spread like wildfire. That’s why when you’re exposed to mold in your home, strong advice is given to get rid of everything you own. Your furniture, your clothes, kitchen appliances, everything. Mold spores especially grow on WOOD, so all wooden furniture is pretty much unable to be saved. (You can always wash your clothes in Borax several times but that can be toxic in itself, so…. ahhh!)

When I learned that I had mold illness, I also learned that I had Lyme, MCAS, parasites, the MTFHR genetic mutation, leaky gut, and major hormone imbalances and nutrient deficiencies.

It all goes hand in hand. Mold doesn’t cause Lyme, and Lyme doesn’t cause mold, but together they are a toxic duo. They majorly flare each other up, and when your immune system is already compromised from Lyme, then you become a magnet to fall prey to toxic mold (and vive cress).

My diagnosis of mold illness //

I was diagnosed with mycotoxin illness through a urine test (the brands Vibrant Health & Great Plains Laboratory are what my doctor uses that I would recommend).

You can also get tested via blood tests and get your blood checked for the following: HLA-DR genetic testing, C4A, TFGBeta1, MMP9, MSH, VIP, ADH, AntiGliadin Antibodies, & VEGF (thanks to my girls @thedetoxingduo on Instagram for this amazing info!! My Lyme brain thanks you!!).

And also, 22% – 25% of the population have a genetic predisposition to being sensitive to toxic mold exposure due to the HLA-DR genes. The MTFHR genetic mutation makes it hard to detox and means that you don’t methylate. (Histamine levels also correlate with the functionality of the methylation process, so if your body is not methylating properly then your histamine can be out of control — hence my hives and eczema as well.)

So as you can see… a lot of people are at risk for toxic mold! As my doctor has explained to me, some people can be exposed to mold day in, day out and be completely fine. Others can merely sniff it on a piece of food and be sent into a toxic tailspin. As you can probably guess… I fall into the latter category.

Mold can cause oxidative stress, trigger inflammation, worsen immune function, cause uncomfortable and itchy rashes and hives, cause insomnia and brain fog and migraines/headaches from brain inflammation, and so much more.

I have really experienced all of those symptoms and beyond with mold. I have suffered from insomnia for as long as I can remember, and now with the crazy jaw pain I have been experiencing I believe I may have mold in my wisdom site cavitations that I am having surgery on next Tuesday!

I found out that I got mold illness from… HAVING MOLD IN MY APARTMENT THAT I LIVED IN FOR THREE YEARS before moving in with Jonathan. So, so scary. Because I already had Lyme, MCAS, and low immunity due to chronic illness I was at high risk. I also have MTFHR and the other genetic mutations listed above that make me greatly more susceptible to mold illness and getting sick from toxic mold exposure.

I found the mold in my old place by hiring a MOLD DETECTIVE !! Someone who comes to your home to test the air and other spaces in your home for mold. I highly recommend doing this if you think you may have mold, in your home or office especially where you spend a lot of time. I would have been able to sue my building if it weren’t for the unfortunate mold clauses in Los Angeles that protect against this, even though mold had been in my apartment long before I lived there I suspect. (Very old building. Gross carpets too ew. So glad to be out of it.)

Mold detox //

So! We are here to talk about mold detox! I have been treating mold for about a year and have tried so many things.

On the medical side of things I have tried everything from IV ozone, to rectal and nasal ozone (for mold in the nasal cavity and of course parasites/mold in the colon), to vitamin IVs to boost the immune system, to IV Rocephin (antibiotic), to Cholystyromene (a very intense mold binder that made me herx like crazy), to other binders like Binder Blend which is a blend of charcoal, clay, pectin, and more.

I have also detoxed my body with water fasting, juice fasting, a week at WeCare spa doing colonics and more fasting, DAILY COFFEE ENEMAS AT HOME (huge for me!!), colonics weekly in LA, infrared sauna (Use the code BLONDE at @clearlightsaunas or healwithheat.com, or at SunLighten.com for the best saunas!! Love both brands!!) and more.

What has absolutely worked the most for me has been: daily coffee enemas at home (you can read my full post on those here),  taking a daily binder like Binder Blend or any charcoal/clay blend, daily infrared sauna (or however often you feel comfortable) in my Clearlight Sauna (code BLONDE for discount), my salt-oil-sugar free plant-based diet to reduce inflammation, IV ozone, Myers Cocktail vitamin IVs, jumping on my rebounder to get my lymphatic system moving to drain and detox more effectively, and SUPPLEMENTS.

Okay, so supplements have been huge.

I tend to follow the Medical Medium style of supplementation. He has been a massive game changer in my healing, along with my amazing doctor Dr. Erica Lehman. Below is some of what the Medical Medium advises for supplementation for mold. You can also check out his books AND most (if not all) of these supplements on my Amazon Shop Page!

Medical Medium Supplement Regime for Mold:

Zinc – foundational mineral that protects from mold and pathogens 

Methylcobamin – A methylated B12

Hawaiian Spirulina!! It pulls mold out of the body, and is the most easily assimilated multi vitamin! My favorite is here!!

Ionic selenium 

Magnesium glycinate

Vitamin D 3 

Essential Oils: rosemary, thyme, bergamot, & sage (diffuse them in your home)

Nettle leaf tea (3 cups a day) 

Lemon Balm tea

DHEA 

FOODS:

Mushrooms 

apples, oranges, raspberries 

chaga, reishi adaptogens (head to Four Sigmatic & use the code BLONDE for a discount on these!)

So for me, diet, coffee enemas, Medical Medium supplementation, detoxing and binding, and overall taking my toxic load down by treating Lyme with my doctor, and now the surgery I am about to get on my cavitations are all making a huuuuuge impact on my mold detox.

I still suffer from insomnia, migraines, joint pain, inflammation, jaw pain, exhaustion, and more. But my rashes are getting better and I know I Am healing.