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Posted 11/29/2023 8:14 PM (GMT -5)
Hey, Wonderful Lyme Group,

My doctor suggested the Shoemaker Protocol today (as it's been updated), and I don't know if I want to do it. My husband (who's had health issues) has done research on it and is super skeptical, especially since it's a "one size fits all" approach and the fact Ritchie Shoemaker had his license revoked. I honestly don't know how to feel about it, and I wanted all your opinions.

Thank you!
Posted 11/29/2023 10:00 PM (GMT -5)
What is the updated protocol?
Posted 11/30/2023 2:05 PM (GMT -5)
Well it depends what you’re doing it for?

Most docs don’t follow it anymore, but not completely without value.
Posted 11/30/2023 2:27 PM (GMT -5)
i remember hearing him speak on a podcast as a guest and thinking he is an unusual character - speaking in metaphors and telling stories - just a little unusual

but that's actually normal for even the best doctors that these strange and poorly understood illnesses

the reason being - one has to be an unconventional person to be prepared to go against the dogma of conventional medicine - and also take personal risks.

they also tend to attract the attention of and fall out with medical boards for the same reason - very strongly held beliefs - trying to help people - not respecting authority etc - again not necessarily a black mark - some of these boards do far more harm than good - and several have been inundated with complaints from patients who's doctors were targeted.

as to his treatments - i cannot offer any direct experience i am afraid -
Posted 12/2/2023 8:56 AM (GMT -5)
I think most people struggling with mold toxicity do a modified version of the Shoemaker protocol, and not a rigid version. I say this because I don't think I know anyone who has done the whole thing, since improvement is usually felt within the first few steps if indeed mold is the main driver of symptoms. First people remove themselves from exposure, then use appropriate binders (not necessarily cholestyramine), then address bodily colonization (nasal sprays, oral antifungals, diet), then manage inflammation and dysfunction. That's a lot, but it's usually enough without the last eight steps that specifically address and repeatedly re-test each of the levels in the Shoemaker panel of tests (MMP9, VEGF, c4a, c3a, VIP, etc.). I found that the early steps normalized those levels when I re-tested. The book Toxic by Neil Nathan was helpful for me in navigating the approach that felt best to me.
Posted 12/2/2023 11:56 AM (GMT -5)
Thank you guys for your opinions. I really appreciate them!
Posted 2/25/2024 10:06 PM (GMT -5)
Your husband is right to be skeptical, but since we must exist out here on the fringes of medical science, we must make do with what we have. Our heroes are indeed a motley crew all around. I do recommend that you educate yourself on all of the different views on CIRS and mold / mycotoxin illness. I would advise against becoming polarized towards one camp over another. This really should be simple: clinical outcomes should speak for themselves. So many of the doctors talk of the many thousands of patients they've healed, but when you come to sites like this it is hard to find nary a one. In the interest of being well-rounded and informed, I recommend giving equal consideration to Shoemaker, Neil Nathan and Andrew Campbell (MyMycoLabs). Keep in mind, the Shoemaker camp no longer considers mold the primary pathogen for CIRS. I think a lot of practitioners are leaning more towards a multifactorial paradigm where CIRS can be triggered by many different contributing factors, e.g., Lyme, COVID, spider bite, etc. For everyone, it is a different mix of factors, and some causes lead to other causes, e.g., a lyme infection creates an immune disfunction that is now impaired enough to be susceptible to mold, which start the downward spiral to MCAS and other downstream syndromes.
Posted 2/25/2024 11:40 PM (GMT -5)
I tried the Shoemaker protocol in 2018-2019. Here is my experience:
- Overall, it has the correct approach. Get out of mold, use binders, clean up your gut, clean up your nose, use blood tests to monitor.
- Unfortunately, Cholestyramine/Welchol is way too difficult to take long term and is extremely constipating. Which makes it difficult to keep toxins flowing out.
- The testing is very expensive unless you have phenomenal insurance that covers all of those test. Which is rare.
- More holistic approaches with a less rigid protocol will reduce your stress levels which will help your body heal.
My Mold Healing Recommendations after 6 years of mold protocols.
1. Find a clean home
2. Eat antifungal diet (No sugar, carbs, dairy, root vegetables, alcohol, or fruits) Carnivore has worked best for my family.
3. Rotate many binders to remove all toxins from the body. Cholestyramine, Cellcore’s Biotoxin Binder, Activated Charcoal, Carboxy. Chlorella, Zeolite, Quicksilver’s Ultrabinder, etc. The more you rotate the better.
4. Sweat as much as possible. Sauna every day if possible and exercise. 15 mins/day is all you need.
5. Clean your nasal passage. ACS Silver spray, Citridrops nasal spray, and Xclear have been great to rotate daily. Also, use a navage with Citridrops if you can.
6. Keep your lymphatic system moving. Stagnant lymph won’t help you detox. Dry brushing is good. Also, LymphActive and Drainage Activator are great.
7. Remove parasites. I took Cellcore’s Parasite protocol for 4 months and after a colonic I released a 4 ft long worm. It’s gross, but we all got them.
8. Pray/Meditate/Release this burden to a higher power. Stress reduction is extremely important.
After doing all of that, my family has healed. It took us 6 years, but we’ve finally found a balance from our mold journey.
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