by Gail Bowman

This is part three of a series about toxic mold exposure.  To review, just a bit, in Part 1 we discussed How we discovered the toxic mold in our environment and what we did to evacuate the house.  in Part 2 we talked about the diagnosis of Toxic Mold Illness in our bodies, how to find a doctor and what the symptoms were.

In this article, we are going to move forward and talk about what the doctor told us to do to get rid of the mold (now it is in our bodies, so it is a fungal infection) in our bodies, and why.  If you remember, we had the urine test for mycotoxins and it came in very high. On the test we took, in one of the 4 categories, normal is less than 1.8 ppb.  High is over 2.0 ppb.  My results came in at 2.643 ppb, so I was considered to be in the danger zone.  However, my husband’s test came in at 13.704!  Obviously, my husband, at least, HAD to do something about the infection roaring through his system.

The very first thing to do is to go on a very low carb diet.  Fungus eats glucose.  If there is no glucose in your system, then you are off to a good start by starving the fungus in your body.   I strongly suggest a Ketogenic Diet, and the best book the I have ever read about a Ketogenic Diet is by Dr Don Colbert called The Keto Zone Diet.

Our doctor put us on a severe strategy of nasal flushes with first a mercurochrome derivative, then with a strong and dangerous fungicide.  My husband stuck with that program for 3 months. I made it 1 day.  DO NOT try to do something like this unless you are under a doctor’s care and he is closely monitoring your reactions.  I have also read that some doctors want to inject this same fungicide into your veins.  NOT A GOOD IDEA.  My research shows that you just kiss our kidneys good bye if you inject this stuff.

Here is the rest of the program recommended by our doctor:

1. A dietary supplement that contains Nutrient Nrf2 Inducers.
   

   The Nrf2 cell signaling pathway has been demonstrated to contribute to the regulation of a wide variety of antioxidant, detoxification, and cell survival genes. Under normal conditions, Nrf2 activation plays a largely protective, beneficial role, which has led researchers to examine ways in which individuals might harness Nrf2 activation for health benefits, including exercise, diet, dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals.

   It is now recognized that a variety of natural products act directly upon the Nrf2 pathway activating this life-sustaining part of our DNA. These include sulforaphane (Sulforaphane was identified in broccoli sprouts, which, of the cruciferous vegetables, have the highest concentration of sulforaphane. It is also found in Brussels sprout, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, collards, Chinese broccoli, broccoli raab, kohlrabi, mustard, turnip, radish, arugula, and watercress.), turmeric, green tea extract, Resveratrol, curcumin, as well as coffee.

2. Antioxidant Enzymes and protease like those found in Wobenzym N. Recommended is 6 pills per day.
3. Probiotics.  Why?  Because probiotics eat any fungi that try to take up residence in your intestinal system. Recommended is at least 30 Billion CFUs a day.
4. Liposomal Glutathione.  Liquid or liquid in capsules.
5. Activated Charcoal 500 mg x 2 per day along with 2 capsules of clay in the morning before food. This will help to remove the toxins, that are being released by the other treatments, from your body and help reduce the “detox symptoms”.  Charcoal is considered a multimycotoxin sequestering agent.  Also,  review of the use of clay for the prevention of aflatoxicosis in animals found that clay binds aflatoxin in the gastrointestinal tract resulting in noticeable reduction in aflatoxin without interfering with the utilization of vitamins and other micronutrients including vitamins A and E, iron, and zinc.
6. Infrared Saunas and Niacin (50-100 mg) to flush more toxins out through the skin. Use a loofah sponge to remove sweat and shower with soap to keep the toxins from reentering the body.
7. Chlorella 3-5 mg per day.
8. Fulvic Acid 500 mg three times a day.
9. Cilantro 300 mg three times a day.
10. Choose a good, natural multivitamin, and take it every day! Your body needs the multi-dimensional support from a good multi.

There are other things that I have found in my research to help fight mold:

1. I take Iodine in the form of Iodoral.  Iodine can detox you from all types of toxins, bacteria, and molds (fungi) and also protects your immune system from invading microorganisms. To this day, there’s no bacteria, virus, fungus, any type of microorganism that can survive or adapt to being in an iodine-rich environment.  I also do an iodine sinus rinse since the mold is supposed to take hold in your sinuses first.
2. I take mushroom supplements.  I have immune system problems and mushrooms have kept me going for many years.  My research shows that mushroom supplements do NOT contribute to fungal growth in the body, but can actually work to help you heal.
3. According to Janette Hope in her fabulous article about Treatment Approaches for Illness Resulting from Mold Exposure, one of the best things you can take is licorice extract (Glycyrrhiza glabra).
4. Melatonin.  In the same article, Janette concluded that both melatonin and Licorice Extract had protective and antioxidant properties that were effective against damage caused my mold in the body.
5. Chlorophyll and chlorophyllin, a water-soluble derivative of chlorophyll, have been found to be well studied as anticarcinogenic agents and have beneficial effects against aflatoxin toxicity. (I find that Perfect Food by Garden of Life has the highest natural source of chlorophyll.)
6. I also take baths in about 1 cup of Epsom salts with a few drops of each Thyme oil, Tea Tree Oil and Cinnamon Oil to help pull the toxins through the skin.
7. I have also increased my dosage of other anioxidants like blueberries, vitamin C, vitamin B, Fucoxanthin, vitamin E, etc.

It is also important to stay away form steroids and antibiotics.  Either of these will damage your body’s ability to fight off the fungal infection.

You also have to get rid of your possessions that are exposed to mold.  The mycotoxins from mold will travel with you and keep you from healing.  I recently read an article that said that the only thing you should take with you from a mold house is your driver’s license.  A bit extreme, maybe, but the intention is correct.  Even if you, like we have, throw away all your soft furniture, books, papers, pictures, art, towels, sheets, clothes, etc, you will still be looking at that irreplaceable antique dresser and wondering if it is sitting there quietly making you sick.  Paranoid?  Nope.  There is no paranoia when it comes to mold.