Mold/mycotoxin blood tests?

There is a panel of blood tests that people use to see if the body has certain responses common in mold toxicity patients, and these are covered by insurance, but many doctors are moving away from them because they are non-specific. (For example, c4a can be high because of mold or Lyme or other things.) But taken together as a panel of tests, and taken repeatedly to check the effects of binders or remediation, they can be helpful. https://www.survivingmold.com/diagnosis/lab-tests

The tests for actual mycotoxins are urine tests, most notably from Great Plains or Real Time labs. People generally also test their homes (and workplaces, if applicable) using dust tests, to see if their mold exposure is current, how severe it is, and which molds are present. Mycometrics is the company I hear about most for testing one's environment, and they offer an ERMI test (which looks for dozens of molds for more money) and a HERTSMI test (which looks for the five most dangerous molds for less money). Tests from Amazon and hardware stores are not considered reliable, ditto air sample testing. https://www.mycometrics.com/ermi.html

Another option that can help rule mold in (but doesn't rule mold out) is the visual contrast sensitivity test (VCS) which can be taken online via computer for a small fee. https://www.survivingmold.com/diagnosis/visual-contrast-sensitivity-vcs

Insurance also generally covers basic blood tests that look for genes that predispose people to mold sensitivity and poor detoxification, sometimes referred to as "mold genes."

There is a lot of misunderstanding among doctors who are unfamiliar with mycotoxin illness about the nature of the reaction to mold. It is not the same as an allergy, so don't bother with testing for mold allergies.

Glad to hear your doctor is open-minded and helpful! Good luck!

JH44 said...
Thanks saraeli!
I am going to order the HERTZMI test very soon. We live in a rented house and are up for another year this July but there is water damage I can see in both bathrooms and in one there is a blackish patch underneath where the paint is worn so I assume it might be mold. If it is in the dangerous ;levels we will need to move. I will ask my doc to order the blood Lyme/mold test. Hoping for the best. I start treatment for Lyme and cos in May so it would be great to know if there are underlying issues that might hinder my treatment and healing which need to be addressed first. Take care,
Johnny

From what you described, there is mold. There’s really no measure for what is “dangerous levels.” If this is a rental, maybe consider moving and doing a HERTSMI-2 on the place you are considering moving to.

My doctors always have ordered the whole panel of tests you listed. It's never been an issue, but my doctors have been familiar with mycotoxin illness, so I'm not sure what your regular MD will think. Maybe refer them to Shoemaker's work? Shoemaker was a pioneer in mold illness, but others have outpaced him in recent years. Still, it might be a place for your doctor to start.

Bartonella and mold symptoms can be indistinguishable. It's hard or even impossible to tell what's what when you have known mold exposure (even past exposure) as well as Bartonella exposure. Has antimicrobial treatment for Bartonella helped your symptoms in the past? Neil Nathan talks about the diagnosis of bartonella versus mycotoxin illness in his (awesome) book Toxic.

saraeli said...
My doctors always have ordered the whole panel of tests you listed. It's never been an issue, but my doctors have been familiar with mycotoxin illness, so I'm not sure what your regular MD will think. Maybe refer them to Shoemaker's work? Shoemaker was a pioneer in mold illness, but others have outpaced him in recent years. Still, it might be a place for your doctor to start.

Bartonella and mold symptoms can be indistinguishable. It's hard or even impossible to tell what's what when you have known mold exposure (even past exposure) as well as Bartonella exposure. Has antimicrobial treatment for Bartonella helped your symptoms in the past? Neil Nathan talks about the diagnosis of bartonella versus mycotoxin illness in his (awesome) book Toxic.

Hi Saraeli,
Yes my bart symptoms at least twice improved after treatment. In 2017 during treatment the herxes just about killed me so I stopped after 3 months but when I stopped within days most 9all of the worst) of my bart symptoms subsided. Since then I have had relatively minimal symptoms for me anyway. Teeth sensitivity and headaches after exercising vigorously outdoors especially on cold windy days. Foot and hand stabbing pains, occasionally and headaches again after working out. But nothing like 2017 and not nearly as bad as the past 2 months..Also we have lived in several moldy house along the way since being diagnosed in 2010 but mostly I had few bad bart symptoms. Don't know what this means. I was a fitness instructor as well so I had a very high workrate and never really crashed from it. Confusing! I will ask my doc to run the whole panel and see what he says.

JH44, do you think your teeth sensitivity is Bart? I had teeth sensitivity become quite noticeable after starting Minocycline recently.

Great traveling mold inspector: Walt Baenziger. He really taught us a lot as we were house hunting. I feel like I could inspect for mold now if I wanted to. ;)

Wonderful biological dentist in Boston: Harmony.

Hey again! I have been through a lot of heartache and loss because of mold, so I view it through the jaded lens of my experience.

Yes. Some molds are worse than others and it matters which species and how much. It’s just that I know how costly and complicated this can get. That’s something you should consider before spending money, especially on a rental.

Any building that has water damage and visible mold has a mold problem. You don’t really need to spend $150 for a HERTSMI-2 test to tell you there’s mold.

Here’s the thing. You’re renting this place. It’s not your home. If it’s “bad enough.” then you move. If it’s “not terrible,” then what? Long term exposure to moderate amounts of mold can cause just as much if not worse disability as a shorter exposure to worse toxins. Maybe you’re not really sensitized yet. At what point will that occur? Is it a risk you want to take?

On the flip side, moving can be just as risky. You said you have lived in previous moldy places, too. Some areas have mold in most buildings either because of the humidity or poor construction practices or poor building maintenance. If you move, you really need to do due diligence by testing or having a very qualified mold inspector check it.

If you have the money and desire to drop $150 on the current rental just so you know, go ahead. It may be worth it. If it’s really contaminated, you will have to plan what to do about your stuff before transferring it to a new place, as toxins will be on everything and can wholly contaminate a good environment.

Here’s some more goodies.

If basements are common in your area, saraeli provided some excellent details regarding basements and mold in this post:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=4239937#gsc.tab=0

JH44,

I just noticed what you said about the dental stuff. If you can’t find a good biological dentist near you, you might be able to consult with this holistic periodontist. He had to retire from practice due to health issues, but he does consultations. I never met him, but he was in the office with my biological dentist until he got sick.

https://drdanenberg.com/

Sounds like you could still use a good biological dentist to clean up whatever that other guy left behind. My Lyme doctor keeps telling me I need to deal with cavitations. Look on IAOMT and see if there’s one near you and check out their reviews.