black mold poisoning - will illnesses go away?

[boobsareoverated]

Black mold (the nasty stuff) has been discovered in my husband's office. For over a 1 1/2 years now he's been having all kinds of different issues that no one has been able to say what is causing the problems. Racing heart, panic attacks and depression although he doesn't feel depressed. Severe headaches, fatigue, stomach issues, diahrea, shortness of breath, changes in his personality that he can't explain. Loss of memory. And many others. Yet they find no cause..........until possibly today when he found the black mold. Alot of black mold. If this is the culprit, can he be detoxed and will his health clear when removed from the situation?  He has worked in this office for years and we don't know exactly how long the mold has been there.  It was discovered behind the wallpaper and when the paper was peeled back it was everywhere.

Also, Can the spores travel home on clothing?  I'm a 2 time breast cancer survivor who is only on her 2nd year right now and I also have many headaches.  I also have a tumor on my pituitary which they are watching but seems to be stable and hopefully not cancer.  I am sensitive to mold and I do live in Michigan.  I always worry about my lungs as that could be a place for mets.

Any information please!

[stockman251]

A related discussion, black mold was started.

[boobsareoverated]

Bajjor is correct with his statement. If the patients symptoms were caused by environmental exposure, how long would it take for him to show a significant improvement in the symptoms hen removed from the environmental cause.

My breast cancers and pituitary were definitely not caused by that. I have a history and am BRCA1 (askenazi). I was just wondering if spores can be transfered home on clothing for myself because I already know I'm sensitive to mold.

[National Jewish Health]

Given the multiple symptoms you and your husband have experienced and your own experience with breast cancer, you and your husband certainly have good reason to be concerned about your health.  Our knowledge of the health effects, especially respiratory effects, of chronic exposure to molds and fungi, including black mold, has increased significantly, in recent years.  Whether black mold or, for that matter, a number of other fungi and molds commonly found growing along with black mold are responsible for the myriad symptoms you describe and anecdotally reported in the medical literature is yet to be established with any degree of certainty.  This is especially true for symptoms such as personality changes and loss of memory, for which there are many other causes.  You should be aware that there is a great deal of controversy in the medical community about these issues, with disagreement among allergy/immunology experts, as well as other very interested parties such as those who specialize in occupational and environmental medicine.

While the exact cause, black mold or other, of a given individual’s illness may be disputed, there is much evidence to support the premise that serious illness can be caused by water-damaged, moldy or damp indoor spaces.  This, then, leads to the recommendation of separation of individuals from these exposures, in the circumstance where there is suspicion that organic material found in these environments is responsible for the person’s symptoms.

Thus, your husband would be justified in requesting transfer to a work area deemed to be free of these substances.  And, if that is not possible, consideration should be given to his applying for disability benefits.  In addition, if not already contacted, a request should be made to Occupational Safety and Healthcare Administration (OSHA) for review of the work situation.

The best recommendation I can give is that your husband and his physicians consider consultation with a board certified specialist in occupational and environmental medicine.  His physicians can probably identify such an individual but you might also want to consider consultation at a national center such as National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado.

Good luck.

[boobsareoverated]

It was a difficulty with though process. kind of a brain fog. he also was showing sign of depression although he kept saying he wasn't depressed. He also has was appeared to be anxiety attacks  but again that didn't quite seem to fit. Here is a list of his symptoms:

muscle pain
fatigue
headaches abdomnal pain
chronic sinusititis
burning eyes, sensitivity to light
difficulty with though processes
dizziness, balance problems
numbness and tingling
chest pains
sensation he's going to pass out
tremors
vision problems
anxiety depression
irregular heart beat
muscle twitching
air hunger
joint paints
difficulty handling any kind of stress
sensitivity to sound

It's quite a list and he was to his MD and a cardiologist all of which have not figured it out yet.  This latest find of black mold looks like it might fit.

[Rob2008]

Did he feel as if he were out of touch with reality,  or the nothing around him seemed real,  or maybe that he was living outside his own body?