Re: Pink Mold

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I don't know what this stuff is, but I get it too and I am in

NC.

Cathe

[] Pink Mold

I described my shower in a previous post, but when I do get some mold

it is pink in color. A friend of mine calls it Florida Mold (whatever

that is). Does anyone have experience with this, or know what it is. I

would think my shower would get black-looking mold but as I explained

in my previous post I do clean this shower out quite often, and have

avoided getting the black mold that I have seen in many showers. It

doesn't take much for this pink mold to show up though, and when it

does it is very easy to clean out with no residue. As I explained in my

previous post, I am looking for a unit to keep in this bathroom to help

out with this situation. Thanks V

[Guest guest]

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

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[Guest guest]

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.

>

> 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]

--- In , " Branislav " <arealis@...>

wrote:

>

> 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]

--- In , " Branislav " <arealis@...>

wrote:

>

> 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]

--- In , " " <toriaquilts@...>

wrote:

>

> 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]

Kathyw- I was feeling so depressed and hopeless this morning-

reading of all the pain you have been through is truly inspirational-

when I am having a bad time and feeling sorry for myself- I forget

how much other people on this group have withstood. Thank you for

spending the time and effort to type you story

> >

> > 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]

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:

/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-contaminations. The majority of them died down by themselves,

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

> >

> 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]

Exactly Sue, this is like a horror movie, only it is *for real*.

If I lived in a sick building, and if that was the only problem, I

would move... if that would solve my problem. It wouldn't be an easy

choice to make but if that would be what it takes to be healthy again

I'd do it.

But how can I evade people in the street, public places, some future

work place (I still work from home), busses etc? It's impossible!!! I

am considering moving to some other town, but there's no guarantee

that this won't happen there too! I'd even go to some other country

(currently live in Belgrade, Serbia, Europe)... if I knew this would

restore my life to normal I'd do everything just to escape this HELL.

I cannot believe I'm the only one with this type of problem? Are there

other moldies that are not affected by mold directly from their house

or workplace but rather by cross-contamination from other people's

clothes, cars, busses etc? If you find yourself in this description

PLEASE respond! my email is arealis@... if you want to talk

offline. I'm totally stupefied by the latest turn of events. It's like

a nightmare ... WHOLE TOWN potentially contaminated... chances of

becoming severely contaminated when going outside are 50/50. Now

that's something I didn't expect in my worse dreams!

-Branislav

>

>

> 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]

Hi Branislav,

I do not have the problem in the same way that you do

that you bring home the cross contamination but I have

been affected by other people's moldy clothes, etc.

take care,