Black Mold Lung

[HollywoodWriter]

I lived on an old sailboat for two months straight, every night.  There was black mold all over.  I moved out 3 weeks ago, now I'm on a new boat.  No visible black mold.  A little wood rotting, small amount of dry rot, but no mold.  A week into the new boat I got a severe sore throat, that turned into sinus problems, that turned into ear ache, now its a severe cough.  Could it be the black mold that caused this?  If so, why didn't I get sick while I was on the dirty boat.  Now I'm sick but I'm on a cleaner boat.  I smoke occasional marijuana, 2-3 times a week.  This probably adds to the problem.  I went to the doctor but did not mention the boat situation.  He gave me amoxillon and a steroid nose spray.  I feel somewhat better as far as sinus and mucous goes, but the lungs are weak.  I cough a lot and my breaths are uneasy.  What should I do?  Could black mold be deadly?  Cancerous?  

[HollywoodWriter]

Hey, thanks, 1 year later I am recovered.  Now, though, I fear that I'm suffering from a staph infection.  I had unprotected sex with my girlfriend for the first time and a day later she gets a UTI and  Bladder infection.  She was prescribed antibiotics and given a shot, then a week or two later her symptoms continue.  She went back in for more tests and she was given a new antibiotic and given another shot.  The test came back and it says she has staph in her urine.  I feel like I am responsible.  On my chest I have had pimple like bumps dating back a few years.  Could this be staph?  Could I have gotten staph from living on that boat?  I read that MRSA Bacterium can be caused by living near water on the west coast.  I lived on that moldy boat 2 months and now I continue to live on a new boat.  I have been experiencing chest pains for some time now on the left side of my chest.  Could I have blood poisoning?  From what I understand staph enters through your nostril.  Could breathing that moldy boat have caused a deadly disease?  

[bsmsl]

Oh, I just thought of this.  This might be a good question for the up coming allergy health chat.  I am not sure how you participate in that, but I could find out and get back to you.

God bless.

[bsmsl]

Hello and welcome to the community.

I have never read anything to indicate that black mold causes cancer, but if you do have a black mold infection it is serious.  

How long have you been on the medications?  Steroid nasal sprays take at least 2 weeks to start working.  The amoxicillin should start working in 3 - 5 days, but take the entire course prescribed.  If you are not feeling completely better by the end of the course, go back to the doctor.  

In my opinion it is probably dust irritation from the dry rot and rotten wood.  It could also be an allergy to a different mold in the rotten wood as opposed to the black mold in the other boat.  

If you do suspect the black mold, you can put your mind at ease with a simple sputum culture.  It takes about 2 months to get the complete report back, but it would tell you if you have a black mold infection in your lungs.  Just tell your doctor about your exposure and request the test.  All you have to do is cough up some gunk, spit it into a sterile sample cup and get it to the lab.  

If you don't get to feeling better, discus your breathing problems with your doctor and see what he/she says.  There are other possibilities that only your doctor can diagnose.  

Please keep us posted on how you are doing.

Take care and God bless.