Since going through my own mold experience, I have become much more aware of what an epidemic mold toxicity truly is. I want to share my personal story with you all, to act as a resource and a consolidated place where you can reference information that I had to spend hours and hours trying to find for myself. Please know as with any health-related information on my site, it is essential to consult with your own medical team before starting any supplements or trying to detox yourself. Mold toxicity is not something to take lightly. But the great news is that our bodies are resilient, and once your environment is cleaned up, things can get better rapidly.

My story started when we lived in an apartment in Houston. It was Dec 2017 and I had just given birth to my son. This is key point for me personally because it is the reason it took me so long to notice a mold problem—I was blaming many of my symptoms on postpartum/endocrine imbalances. Also, it is important to note that we tested the apartment for mold and it passed with flying colors. The problem is that air trap tests are not ideal in finding mycotoxins and are not the best way to assess the health of a home.

Here is a general health/event timeline of what happened, including symptoms, that looking back, may or may not have been from the mold exposure:

· I had Postpartum blues for 9 weeks, but then they lifted.

· Our infant Son, Hayes, cried a lot (as many babies do), but he would not nap more then 10-20 minutes at a time.

· Hayes developed some Keratosis Pilaris (hard small bumps on his arms and legs) around 7 months.

· Since giving birth I had extreme fatigue. It was mild from 2018-2019, then started to get much worse. This was easy to blame on being a new mom, but it was debilitating. My son was 1 and I would still have to nap every day and had a very hard time waking up in the morning. Most days I could only muster energy to sit on the couch.

· Hayes started showing signs of dysbiosis (hard, swollen belly, frequent gas) and some hyperactivity. He would act manic in response to probiotics around 1 y.o.

· I ran a GI Map stool assessment on Hayes and it came back that he had SIBO. I started him on Gut-Cleanse Supplements (see below).

· Other symptoms I experienced since giving birth/moving into the house hair was falling out, suppressed/flat mood, mild anxiety, poor memory/brain fog, no apatite, mild weight gain, no thirst, irregular cycle then lost my cycle all together as of 2019, dermatitis behind my ears and on my scalp, dandruff for the first time in my life, my skin itched all over, insomnia, rash under wedding ring and under my armpit, lower back pain, and tiny cherry angiomas all over my skin.

· At this time I was seeing a Functional MD and acupuncturist to try and address my symptoms and I took Hayes to a Functional Pediatrician to run some advanced test. See below for details.

· I was convinced all of my symptoms were from an EBV diagnosis until we did further testing.

· August 2018 we saw mold under our bathroom sink (a lot). We ran a DIY Mold test that came back positive for Aspergillus (a common mold from water damage).

· Aug 2018 I then decided to test myself. I ran Great Plains Mycotoxin Profile on myself (this is a urine panel that you take at home). This came back positive for Ochratoxin A, which is a mycotoxin from Aspergillus, the same mold that was under the sink. Normal range <4, my level was 11.8. This mold byproduct is nephrotoxic, immunotoxic, and carcinogenic.

· Hayes started to cough at night, showing no signs of cold or illness during the day. He also would wake up from naps hysterically crying, daily.- June 2019

· I took Hayes to see a Functional MD to run labs. This is what she ran: CBC with Diff, Complete Metabolic Panel, HLA Mold Susceptibility Test, GX Science newborn genetic panel, Nutrients (Iron Panel, B12, Vit D), Homocysteine, ADH, TGF Beat-1, VIP, VEGF, AGA, MSH. Summary for Hayes’ visits: Hayes has a genetic haplotype for mold susceptibility and his MSH was low which indicated that the biotoxin pathway was upregulated and he was diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). This means that his immune system could not tag toxins when they came into his body leading to inflammation and hormone dysregulation. This was likely the root of his GI problems and sleep issues. The game plan was to 1. Remove mold exposure by cleaning up the house 2. Decrease inflammation 3. Detox the mycotoxins

· Jan 2020 we started Hayes on protocol below and performed more mold testing to get to the source.

· I continued to have problems but going to acupuncture regularly and taking a ton of Chinese herbs and liposomal Glutathione helped me improve about 50%.

· After Hayes’ lab results came back we immediately ran an ERMI (test details below) and got air filters for the bedrooms. We also purchased two additional air filters to go in the AC units: the REME Halo and the Bi-polar 2400.

· Our ERMI results came back at a 25 (ideally they should be 0-8)

· I got on The Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation and found a licensed mold remediation company called a company to come and do a free inspection. They were familiar with the ERMI as well as the air filters I purchased, which was a good sign.

·The mold company found mold under our bathroom sink, and everywhere in the air ducts. It was extremely overwhelming.

· From this point on I became hyper aware of all of the health problems that Hayes and I were showing that were likely from mold and my anxiety was through the roof which led to a few weeks of chronic insomnia.

Hayes and I left to stay with my parents until the apartment was cleaned up.

· The entire air duct system was remediated.

· We also purchased a UV /Ozone light to kill any remaining spores that may have mobilized during the remediation.

· Below is a list of cleaning products we used on our clothes and in cleaning up the apartment.

· I personally discovered dietary and supplemental healing modality for ridding the body of mold and started the protocol Feb 2020 (more details below).

By March 2020 Hayes was 100% better and I was 95% improved. My energy was back, I was working out, my apatite was back, I lost 10#, my mood improved, etc! The only remaining symptoms were some mild skin irritations that were 75% better.

HAYES INTERVENTIONS + HEALING

Once our apartment air quality was cleaned up and Hayes went through about a month of an intense detox protocol, his health improved greatly. Hayes no longer has any Keratosis Pilaris, no belly distention or gas, reduced hyperactivity, much less frequent waking up from a nap crying. We were working on getting him to tolerate full dose probiotics and he takes minimal supplements. I ensure his diet is full of the nutrients he needs by avoiding processed food, sugar, wheat, artificial dyes, binders and fillers, etc.

Below are supplements and medications that either I used for Hayes or were suggested for him. I will not disclose exactly the path we chose, but I think its important to share options for educational purposes.

Hayes’ Mold Supplements:

Liquid Multi—Mary Ruth Organics: 1 tsp/day

Goat Colostrum :1/2-1 cap (opened up and put into applesauce)/day

All the below supplements can me found at my dispensary at Fullscripts:

Liver Lover—Bioray: 15 drops 2x/day

NDF Calm—Bioray: 1 ml/day

Primary Detox—Bioray

Organic Digestive Bitters- Urban Moonshine

Biocidin LSF—Biobotanical Research 1-5 drops 2/day

OmegAvail Smoothie—Designs for Health 1 tbps/day

Eicosamax—Klaire Labs: 1 tsp/day

Immune GI Recovery-Neurobiologix 1 chewable tablet/ day

Kidz Digestive Enzymes –Transformation Enzymes: 1 with each meal

Buffered Lemon C Powder 1/4-1/2 scoop/day

Liquid Vitamin D3+K2- Ortho Molecular 3 drops/day

D-Chiro Inositol- Neurobiologix: 1/2 capsule /day

B12 5000—Pure Encapsulations: 1 droppper/day

B12 Lotion by Neurobiologix: 1 pump/day

Inulin- NOW: 1/4 tsp/day

Megasporebiotic- Microbiomlabs 1/4 cap /day

RX:

Cholestyramine (CSM): Compounded

Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN): topical

CARLI’S INTERVENTIONS + HEALING

I started out trying to treat myself, and I pulled out all the tricks I knew, but nothing was working. I saw Functional MDs who wanted to RE-run the tests and suggest more supplements but I was not impressed and they weren’t coming up with anything that I hadn’t already thought of. So I turned to Chinese medicine. Working with an acupuncturist helped me a lot, with mood especially. And the Chinese herbs helped with the hormonal bloating, but it always came back. My energy also improved with treatments but only marginally. I knew my detox pathways were being supported some but again, it just wasn’t enough to address the mold and secondary endocrine issues. At some point I found myself taking way too many supplements and the treatments were not giving me enough improvement for what they were costing financially. My intuition led me elsewhere and this is when I first discovered a dietary “Bean Protocol” created by a biochemist turned nutritionist, Karen Hurd. Beans are a powerful source of soluble fiber which can bind things like mycotoxins and excess hormones and remove them from the body. These two things are exactly what was draining my energy and once I added beans to my diet things started to get a little better. Then I hit another wall.

I continued to follow my intuition and I was very much ready for my next steps and put all of my symptoms behind me. This is when I rediscovered Ketosis. I studied the research and found out that this metabolic approach was a way to help the body heal itself and up-regulate my detox pathways even more. Carbohydrates follow water. So by eliminating carbs, I was helping force stagnent water our of my body and increase circulation. This also assisted in lowering inflammation and balancing my blood sugar. I also loved it for allowing me to fast without damaging my hormones further (very helpful when you are busy with little ones at home and running a business!) Starting keto was HUGE for me. It also didn’t hurt that I was finally losing the stubborn weight.

I knew that I would be detoxing on keto, so I needed a protocol that would help me bind all the things I wanted to get out of my body. Something led me to Cellcore supplements and I am so grateful. Cellcore uses carbon technology to safely bind and remove toxins like mold. Their products are gentle and they work really well. So I didn’t herx and I didn’t have to worry about cellular membrane damage from the detox process (this is a concern with typical binders). You can also take their binders with food and it won’t remove the beneficial nutrients and minerals. The place to start with cellcore is ALWAYS their drainage support/Jumpstart protocol you can get here (first freebie). It is the essential first step to binding toxins and preparing your body for further detox.

Within 3 weeks of Keto + Cellcore (exact protocol above) my energy was 90% regained after 2 long years of not being able to workout or leave the house much due to chronic fatigue. My cycle returned (perfect 30 days) my insomnia went away, and it all happed nearly overnight. I now have gotten rid of most (about 75%) of my cherry angiomas. I am now so passionate about how Keto and gentle detox have helped me detox and heal that I created my own programs based off the same principles. KETOBYCARLI is a virtual program I created that you can get instant access to so you can start using food to heal. It is also how I eat all of the time now because making Ketones makes you feel super human.

Customized Roadmap Programs are a 4, 6, or 9 month systemic detox program I created based on exactly what I took to get rid of the mold. I use mostly cellcore. Again, for those of you who want to get started feeling better ASAP, I created a free download with Phase 1 supplements to start to open your drainage/detox pathways. This is the exact protocol I use with all of my Mold exposure clients. I want to help as many people as I can feel better and overcome what I did.

I feel better than I have in years and I have very few cravings since my blood sugar is so balanced. When I carb cycle, I make sure incorporate beans as much as I can (for my family as well) so they can get the daily detox support they need.

Summary Points:

· Even though mold is common, its genetic predisposition which makes some people especially vulnerable. My husband had some symptoms but nothing compared to my son and myself.

· You MUST find the source and clean up the environment in order to begin to heal

· Even if mold is “killed” its the mycotoxins that remain that cause the toxicity

· Get outside more! Ground/Earth. The mold outdoors is not the problem, it’s our indoor air quality that matters most.

· Diet and specifically, Ketosis with carb cycling with soluble fiber is KEY in removing mycotoxins

Additional MOLD Resources:

TESTING:

Great Plains Mycotoxin Test

GX Sciences Genetic Panel for Newborns

ERMI Mold Test:

The Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) by Envirobiomics is a Swiffer test to measure mycotoxin levels in the house. It is not necessarily the actual mold that is the cause of the problem, but the mycotoxins that are released that cause the problem. If mold has died but the mycotoxins are still present then a spore trap that only looks for mold that is alive, will not find the mycotoxins that are present which are actually the cause for your symptoms and hormone dysregulation. The ERMI test is the only test thus far that has proven data which correlates with patients with CIRS.

The ERMI is the only type of test that uses Mold-Specific Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (MSQPCR) and evaluates for species, spore viability, spore fragments, hyphae, hyphal fragments, AND health/safety exposure. The results can be used to evaluate the health effects by using what is called a Health Effects Roster Type Species Mycotoxin and Inflammagen formers-version 2 (HERTSMI-2). This tool is to be used in connection with biomarker results (labs) to predict what the total mold burden may be. Ideally for a person with CIRS, the HERTSMI-2 score should be less than 9.

MOLD CLEANING PRODUCTS:

1. Decon7 and RMR are products that can be used on surfaces to kill mold.

2. Micro Balance EC3 Mold Solution: a gentler product that can be used to clean on a daily basis

3. Laundry additive that kills mold on clothes: Micro Balance EC3 Laundry or Citrisafe

4. Tea tree essential oil may also be added to laundry to help eradicate mold.

5. Protex 90 is another company that have good mold cleaning supplies.

6. You can diffuse Thieves or Frankincense in your car and home and these essential oils (Young Living) help decrease the mold in the environment.

7. Home Biotic Probiotic air spray

8. One of the other products that can be used is called an AEROSOLVER which is a fogger product which binds to the mycotoxins in the air to weigh them down so that they can be wiped away.

HOUSTON INSPECTION + REMEDIATION CONTACTS:

Restore Renew Remediation

ARC Construction: Robert Lowery 281-924-1881

Patrick McIntyre from Asbestos Consulting Inc

Texas Mold Inspectors

Greg from Home Plus Restoration

BOOKS:

-Mold Illness: Surviving and Thriving: A Recovery Manual for Patients & Families Impacted By CIRS by Paula Vetter, Laurie Rossi, and Cindy Edwards.

-TOXIC by Neil Nathan

-Break the Mold: 5 Tools to Conquer Mold and Take back your Health

WEBSITES:

https://www.jillcarnahan.com/

https://drcrista.com/

https://createyourhealthyhome.com/

https://www.survivingmold.com/

http://airinspector.com/

Mold Quiz: https://drcrista.com/quiz

PODCASTS:

The 4 Phase Cycle – Episode 2, 19

Dr. Jill’s Podcasts

Frolic and Flow Podcast With Dr. Jill

AIR FILTERS:

I chose the iAdaptAir. Since we spend so many hours sleeping, the bedroom is the most important place in the house for clean air. You will have to think about the size of your home or rooms when purchasing your filter.

We got one iAdaptAir with nano HEPA filter (no ozone released) for each bedroom, plus a REME Halo and the Bi-polar 2400. to be installed in our AC unit.

*I hope that this article was helpful. I have poured a lot of energy into it to hopefully make your lives easier. Please ALWAYS talk to your medical team before starting any supplements on your own. I wish you all the best in your health journey.

Carli created WELLNESS BY CARLI to combine her love of real food with her knowledge of functional medicine. These article are to share what she has learned to hopefully help you heal and feel your best!