Re: Re: Pink Mold

[Guest guest]

If you are reactive to mold and the impact is greater than

" tolerable " why wait to seal off the bathroom? You will only continue

the exposure, leaving yourself at risk. Seal it off now while you are

awaiting the test results.

Or - Seal it off and get a qualified professional to remove it

according to EPA, ACGIH and S520 guidance and standards. Regardless

of what kind of mold it is. Even if the mold (more likely multiple

molds and bacteria) isn't a problem for you now you could become

sensitized to it while you are waiting.

No need to panic but there is also no need to wait.

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

-----

> The pink mold that was growing in my school room was Fusarium. You do

> not want Fusarium growing anywhere in your home. There are other

> molds that can be pink also that aren't toxic like Fusarium can be.

> It can produce T-2 toxin. This has completely destroyed my health.

> If I were you, I would send it off to be tested. If it turns out to

> be Fusarium, I would seal off the bathroom and not use it anymore.

> If it's not Fusarium, it may not be as big of a problem.

>

> Kathyw

>

[Guest guest]

Just for your information: I was exposed to a building long ago, & I had MOST

of the symptoms you mention below....including near-paralysis, from my spinal

cord being SO demyelinated (damaged) at my waist level. I was put on (I think)

100mg of IV steroids for about a week, to reduce the swelling and inflammation

around my spinal CORD itself. (The diagnosis is acute transverse myelitis.) If

it wasn't for the steroids AND months and months of physical " terrorists "

(lol!!) I'd never have walked again.....and that's what this non-threatening

(!!) mold did to me. I could tell you much more than this, but you don't have

time to read all my info!!!!!!!!!!

Take care, all, & God help us......

[] Re: Pink Mold

>

> Kathy,

>

> Do you remember what symptoms the Fusarium you mentioned here was

> causing you? Were the primary symptoms severe skin burning,

horrible

> nausea, vomiting and diarrhea? Did fatigue, respiratory problems,

> brain fog and chest pain come only after prolonged exposure?

>

> When I'm exposed to contaminated objects or people with

contaminated

> clothes, I ususally get these symptoms, so I suppose the toxin is

T-2

> toxin and that it probably comes from Fusarium. If your experience

is

> similar to mine, I would have one more reason to belive that's so.

>

>

> According to what I've read, toxins from Stachy first cause

fatigue,

> depression, memory problems, respiratory problems and chest pain in

> higher doses. This can be attributed to Stachy's unique ability to

> produce Satratoxin.

>

> On the other hand, Fusarium first causes severe nausea, diarrhea

and

> vomiting. Perhaps because it makes more of T-2 toxin than Stachy.

>

> Take a look at these explanations for T-2 toxin and Satratoxin in

my

> next message. There is a difference. While I don't doubt that

> Satratoxin is devastating, I'd say that T-2 toxin is the highest

> achievement of the devil himself. Once you feel it in a higher

> concentration you're changed forever.

>

Yes, I have had most of these symptoms except vomiting. I had

severe diarrhea in the spring of 2002 (had to get 2 IVs to replace

fluids; I even developed bowel incontinence and had to wear depends

for over a year. (This can also be due to vomitoxin which can also

be produced by Fusarium.) Before that I had severe fatigue, the

brain fog, chemical sensitivity, and sinus problems for several

years, but was still able to work. Around 1998 I started coughing

up dark brown junk and to this day don't know if it was bleeding

from toxins or an actual infection, but it never completely went

away until after I quit work in the fall of 2003. Around 1999 I

developed PSVT (severe attacks of tachycardia that I had to have 2

ablations for) I had mild to moderate chest pain and the first

endoscopy I had in around 1998 showed grade II esohagitis. I took

proton pump inhibitors, but they didn;t help. The burning pain was

tolerabe at that time .Also, in the late spring of 2002 I started

washing the dark brown junk out of my sinuses. That summer I

developed petechia on my arms . The school where I worked was

closed down due to Stachybotrys being found airborne in several

rooms in the fall of 2002. I know they tested my room, but the

results were never found. There were pink spots on ceiling tiles

above the right HVAC unit and on the wall and pink debris inside the

unit. Later testing showed Fusarium in the unit. It was also

growing in rotting algae on the flat roof that held water and leaked

and also landed near my air intakes. Being a Biology teacher, I did

my own testing at first and found the Fusarium. After we returned

to work from the " remdiation " in the fall of 2002 they worked on the

roof with us in school. Black debris fell from the ceiling and

covered my computers. I had it tested and the predominant mold was

Fusarium, 43,000 spores/swab. It was even higher than

Cladosporium, which is much more common. I had never heard of

Fusarium at that time. I kept getting sicker and sicker. I coughed

up brown junk all winter and had to go on prednisone to get it

coughed up. I was also on nebulized amphotericin B, an antifungal.

I also started getting places on my arms that spontaneously bled and

turned black. (I still get the red placeds, but they very seldom

bleed anymore.) i was doing somewhat better over the summer and

tapered off the prednisone, but within a month after starting back

to work, I started coughing up clear sticky junk and also had it

coming out of my head. My allergy doctor did a hyypersensitivy

pneumonits panel from ARUP and it showed I had been sensized to

Fusarium.(on 2 different occasions, the 2nd time was higher.) He

later did IgG and IgM testing from Immujnosciences laboratory and I

showed chronic exposure to about 10 molds, including Fusarium. I

also showed chronic exposure to both T-2 toxin and vomitoxin. I had

to go back on prednisone and did farly well until I tapered off of

it in the winter of 2004. Then I developed severe burning chest

pain. I had had another GI endoscopy the previous September and

the next day, the chest pain was so bad I went to the ER. Nothing

helped, but it did get somewhat better while I was sitll on the

prednnisone. I had a Barium swallow before that that showed what

looked like a " mass " in my stomach. It turned out to be prominent

gastric folds with acute gastritis and duodenitis. Evidently my

esophagus also looked pretty bad, becasue the GI doctor did a

biiopsy for Barrett's a precancerous condition.. Thank goodness, it

was negative. The chest pain was so severe all the winter of 2004

that I walked the floor day and night. I thought it was reflux at

the time, but I started taking 4 nexiums a day, that didn't help. I

thought I was going to die. Then I had a pH probe that was negitive

for reflux. After doing much research concerning T-2 toxin, I'm

now convinced that it was what caused the burning chest pain. I

think I had a " mild " case of alimentary toxic alukia. I even got an

email form Dr. Aswalde (the author of the article about T-2 toxin

that KC posted a few days ago), saying this was very possible. He

said if I was breathing it then I was also swallowing it. I was

sick all that spring and summer, but the burning chest pain has

slowly subsided and the last endoscopy I had was normal. Around

August of 2004, I statred getting severe pain in my sinuses. Since

that time I have had several molds, including Fusarium and

Blastomyces, and 5 gram negative bacteria cultured from my sinuses.

The sinusitis seems to be my main problem now. The pain has been

debilitiating. Over the past 2 years I have been on IV antibiotics

and antifungals and finally had to go back on prednisone last

winter. I saw Dr. Shoemaker about this time last year and tried to

take the CSM, but the digestive problems were still so bad then,

that I couldn't tolerate it. I started using bentonite, and that

has helped somewhat. I don't know if the T-2 toxin is what affected

my sinuses or the hypersensitivity to the Fusarium and other molds.

I had sinus surgery in July of this year to open up clogged

spheonids and frontals. The biopsy showed mild inflammation in all

my sinuses even on the prednisone. I was diagnosed with prednisone

dependent chronic sinusitis. I still get this slimy junk and white

and sometimes the brown globs from my sinuses. I've even gotten ot

bits of debris that look like fungal filaments. I am now on oral

antibotics and sporanox and use a sporanox sinus rinse in addtion to

the prednisone. I still get the pain, but it isn't quite as bad,

but I've basically been nonfunctional much of the time for 3 years

even after leaving the environment. The only time that I felt half

way decent was when I was on high dose prednisone back last winter,

but neither my doctors nor I want to stay on that much predisone.

I'm on 12.5 mg. right now and keep trying to reduce it. I'm not

advocating that anyone take prednisone, because I know what Dr.

Shoemaker and others say about it, but I would not be able to

function at all without it now. I keep having hope that I can go

off of it and this will eventually clear up. There have been many

days and nights the pain has been so bad, I have prayed to die. I've

had to take medication for pain for 2 years, and never took it

before, even after other surgeries. I do seem to be making a little

progress, but it is so slow, that I have to look back in my journal

to see how bad it was before to compare.

So, yes, T-2 toxin is bad stuff, probably one of the worst

toxins of all kinds. I guess you know it has been preported to have

been used in Biological warfare. Even the CDC has an article on

it. I would suggest that you get the IgG and IgM testing done for

the T-2 toxin and vomitoxin and also fusarium. In the meantime, I

would as Carl suggested, seal off that bathroom until you know

something for sure or better yet, get out of the house.

I need to get my story out, but have been too sick to do so. If

anyone reading this wants to use it, feel free. I do plan to get it

out in the public if I ever start feeling better. This spring and

summer have been especailly difficult as my mother became critcally

ill and passed away in September, so I really havn't had a chance to

do much yet. I've just now started reading the posts on

sickbuilfdings again . But any time T-2 toxin is mentioned, I feel

it necessary to respond if I can. I don't want sympathy, because I

know most people in the group have suffered as much as I have. I

have told parts of my story before, but since there are a lot of new

people in the group since I was active, felt it was imperative to do

so again. I pray that you are not being exposed to T-2 toxin.

Kathyw

[Guest guest]

thanks, kathy---but i'll NEVER be well, hon......unless God Himself steps in to

repair my cord. i feel a little better in some ways, but again--i'm too damaged

to be " repaired " again. i'm sorry to hear of your friend, kathy--email me

offlist, ok?

take care,

vicki

[] Re: Pink Mold

>

> Just for your information: I was exposed to a building long ago,

& I had MOST of the symptoms you mention below....including near-

paralysis, from my spinal cord being SO demyelinated (damaged) at my

waist level. I was put on (I think) 100mg of IV steroids for about

a week, to reduce the swelling and inflammation around my spinal

CORD itself. (The diagnosis is acute transverse myelitis.) If it

wasn't for the steroids AND months and months of

physical " terrorists " (lol!!) I'd never have walked again.....and

that's what this non-threatening (!!) mold did to me. I could tell

you much more than this, but you don't have time to read all my

info!!!!!!!!!!

>

> Take care, all, & God help us......

>

>

>,

Yes, I know some of your story. I have meant to contact you

privately. Maybe I'll have more time now. I found out about your

story from another lady that worked at my school who developed

transverse myelitis. She had retired a few years earlier, but had

been substituting when this suddenly attacked her. She was walking

to the vo tech building and passed through an area that was thick

with the algae that contained the Fusarium. She'll never know if

that's what caused it, but my guess is that it at least contributed

to it. She can walk somewhat now, but does not have use of her

hands. You probably have had contact with her as she belongs to a

transverse myelitis support group. I think it was from that group

that she sent me the information about you. I hope you are

continuing to improve. I know it's a nightmare for all of us and

knowing others have survived helps keep me going.

Kathyw

[Guest guest]

, have you considered trying hyperbaric

oxygen treatment?

--- <toriaquilts@...> wrote:

> thanks, kathy---but i'll NEVER be well,

> hon......unless God Himself steps in to repair

> my cord. i feel a little better in some ways,

> but again--i'm too damaged to be " repaired "

> again. i'm sorry to hear of your friend,

> kathy--email me offlist, ok?

>

> take care,

> vicki

>

[Guest guest]

Branislay, This isn't Kathy but just reading your post made me think of a

King horror story only it isn't a novel it's the REAL THING!! Kind of

like The Stand only everyone got sick and died a lot faster in that book.

The mycotoxins in our world, of 2006, are slowly making us sick and no one

wants to understand or believe us, not even our Drs. It is absolutely

terrifying, a true nightmare.

Many times a day I look around at our buildings, homes, and schools and see

that they are in deplorable conditions and getting worse by the day. I can't

go into a building without looking up and all around. I can't remember being

anywhere (except my own home & a some others) that I haven't seen brown and

stained ceiling tiles and more.

It is frightening to me that our world is falling apart and most people,

other than all of us, just don't get it(and don't want to)!! I was a teacher

and

fear for all the children. They are spending over 6 hrs. a day in moldy

environments & by high school they will be too sick to even think about

college

or a job. Sorry to be so negative but it is scarey to think what is really

happening all around us.

I keep hoping and praying that someday very soon the medical community and

the rest of the world will realize what is happening. If only they would

listen!!!!!!!!!

Good luck and stay away from the mycotoxins!

Sue

kathy, thank you for the detailed answer. Obviously you were exposed

to very high concentration of these toxins, and your internal organs

seem to have been affected much more severely. Your story sounds very

scary.

I'm not the same person who recently posted the question about pink

mold in his bathroom. I just popped in to ask what were your symptoms,

because I find that my symtoms are not very consistent with Stachy's

toxins, but are very consistent with the toxins produced by Fusarium.

My case is different from the usual SBS scenario. The flat and the

building I live in are NOT the source of mold contamination. All my

mold-related problems are only due to cross-contamination from the

outside through other people or objects. It's a long story, but in a

nutshell:

During 1990s I suffered mostly because of imported objects bought in

supermarkets. It took me quite a while until I realized that

mycotoxins were what was causing me the problems. There never was

visible mold, I would just buy a soap (for instance) and feel the

symptoms that are consistent with T-2 toxin poisoning. I tested those

soaps for bacteria and toxic chemicals, they found nothing. When I

mentioned toxic mold they laughed and their main biologist told me " If

it weren't for mold we humans wouldn't be alive, and there would be no

life. All molds are harmless. We never test them and we won't test

them for you either " . And she is the director of the main organisation

that is in charge for testing water, food and all other products in

this country (something like FDA in USA)!

More recently I am faced with a much bigger problem, and I'd really

like to hear suggestions from other people regarding this issue.

Namely, it seems that people here recently started to travel to other

countries / regions that are severely infested with toxic mold... and

when they come back, they carry on their clothes and belongings very

powerful mycotoxins and/or mold fragments. I guess they don't feel it

or may have only minor allergy problems. However, when they just pass

near me in the street, or if I encounter them in public transport, the

contamination can make my clothes and other belongings totally unsuable.

One such incident happened in July this year. It's explained in this

message:

_http://health.http://healthhttp://heahttp://health.http://health_

(/message/41067)

This momentary exposure made all the documents I carried with myself

unusable. And of course the clothes had to be thrown away. Even new

clothes that I used right after the first contamination, and which

came into contact with the 'original contamination' became unusable.

During 2nd half of August and September, I started to use the public

transport again. While the majority of the people are totally clean

and neutral in terms of mold/mycotoxins, there were a lot of " smaller "

cross-contaminationcross-contamination<WBR>s. The majority of them

without any need on my part to decontamiante. Unfortunately, there

were three people who carried significant contamination on their

clothes (not as strong as the one from July, but comparable). Now I

really scared to death. What if this doesn't stop?

How will I function in this city at all? It's like every 100th person

I encounter outside just stepped outside his/her sick building

carrying on himself/herself dangerous amounts of mycotoxins. I can't

avoid people indefinitely. This phenomenon is something very new for

the city I live in. This sort of thing didn't exist in this form

before July this year. I am completely shocked and unable to see any

way out of this situation. I can't make any longer plans - because

everything can be spoiled by such a seemingly trivial thing as a

contaminated person passing by you in the bus.

How did you deal with the problem of cross-contamination of clothes

and personal belongings?

-Branislav

[Guest guest]

yeah, i've thought about it, but can't afford it , kathy......i have NO money,

to speak of. that's VERY expensive.

vicki :>(

Re: [] Re: Pink Mold

, have you considered trying hyperbaric

oxygen treatment?

--- <toriaquilts@...> wrote:

> thanks, kathy---but i'll NEVER be well,

> hon......unless God Himself steps in to repair

> my cord. i feel a little better in some ways,

> but again--i'm too damaged to be " repaired "

> again. i'm sorry to hear of your friend,

> kathy--email me offlist, ok?

>

> take care,

> vicki

>