Protocols

From: 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, A Roadmap for Testing and Treatment' <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/cfstestingandtreatmentroadmap/home">https://sites.google.com/site/cfstestingandtreatmentroadmap/home</a>

If you have been exposed to high amounts of toxic mold in your home or other building, ensure you prevent further exposure. If the mold growth area in your home is less than around 10 square feet, the EPA suggest that in most case you can perform the cleanup yourself, using the guidelines given in this document: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/mold/mold-cleanup-your-home#TipsandTechniques" rel="nofollow" >Mold Cleanup in Your Home</a>. However, if the mold growth is greater than 10 square feet, and/or there has been a lot of water damage, you may need to employ a mold remediation contractor.

An air purifier can be employed to remove mold spores and mycotoxins from the indoor air (a purifier with a HEPA filter will remove the mold spores; a purifier with an activated carbon filter is required to remove the mycotoxins).

Dr Ritchie C. Shoemaker is an expert in treating mold-induced illness. The illness precipitated by mold from water-damaged buildings Dr Shoemaker calls chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), and he has developed an <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ToxicMoldExposure/wiki/shoemakerprotocol" target="blank" rel="nofollow" >11 step protocol</a> to treat CIRS (see also <a href="http://www.toxic-mould-support-australia.org/faq-shoemaker-protocol/" target="blank" rel="nofollow" >here</a>). The first step removes the source of toxic mold, the next step involves using cholestyramine to detoxify mycotoxins from the body, and the third step uses a BEG nasal spray to eliminate MARCoNS from the nasal and sinus mucous membranes (if tests show MARCoNS are present). In later steps, a no amylose diet may be employed in patients with elevated MMP-9. A clear and easy to read overview of CIRS and its treatment is found <a href="http://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/MoldLecture-Carnahan-6-16.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" >here</a>.

CIRS induced by mold can be considered a distinct disease from ME/CFS, and although the symptoms of these two diseases are similar, CIRS has its own treatment. Thus it is important for you and your doctor to consider whether you may have CIRS rather than ME/CFS, otherwise you may receive the wrong treatment. Some patients may have a combination of CIRS and ME/CFS: CIRS usually involves mold (or <a href="http://biotoxinjourney.com/what-is-biotoxin-illness/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" >other biotoxin</a>) triggers, whereas ME/CFS usually involves viral triggers, but some patients may be exposed to both mold and viruses.

Dr Joseph Brewer hypothesizes that ME/CFS patients may harbor chronic mold infections in their sinus cavities, constantly creating mycotoxins. Dr Brewer has developed some anti-fungal nasal spray protocols to treat these sinus mold infections. One nasal spray he uses contains amphotericin B, and another equally effective nasal spray he uses contains itraconazole. Dr Brewer's 2015 paper showed that approximately 60% of his patients with chronic illnesses make a substantial improvement on this nasal spray protocol.<a href="https://globaljournals.org/GJMR_Volume15/5-Intranasal-Antifungal-Therapy.pdf" target="blank" rel="nofollow" >1</a> More info <a href="http://cfspatientadvocate.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/dr-joseph-brewer-and-mycotoxins-update.html" target="blank" >here</a>.

The BEG nasal spray used in the Shoemaker mold protocol, and the anti-fungal nasal spray used by the Brewer mold protocol, can be purchased at <a href="http://www.woodlandhillspharmacy.com/compoundcategories/biotoxin/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" >Woodland Hills Pharmacy</a>.