History Of Biotoxin Exposure

CIRS or Mold Illness is in large part due to a biotoxin called a mycotoxin, but also due biotoxins called endotoxins, and other toxins from water-damaged buildings. Certain findings in the history of a patient will clue the physician in to the possibility that their patient has a biotoxin illness. These are just clues to look further and are simply part of a larger picture that needs to fall into place to diagnose mold associated illness/chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) or other related biotoxin illness. If you think you have mold exposure or some other type of biotoxin illness, look for a practitioner who treats that illness. Environmental Docs often treat many toxin illnesses. Some practitioners specialize in treating people exposed to water-damaged buildings, while others speicalize in treating Lyme Dz as well as other tick borne pathogen diseases. Finding a person who speicalizes in your exposure is best. Your general practitioner may not  know how to help you but if you know where your exposure came from they many know of someone who specializes in treating your illness or at least figuring out if you have it. Many practitioners still don't know the term biotoxin illness, so it is best to tell them you think you have had an exposure to a toxin from (whatever you think your were exposed to) or if unknown simply tell them you suspect you have been exposed to something toxic.

Exposures That May Cause Biotoxin Illness

• Exposure to water damaged buildings (moldy buildings)
• Exposure to toxic blue-green algae
• Tick bites
• Scorpian bites
• Spider bites
• Snake bites
• Other bites of toxic critters
• Fish/Seafood poisoning
• Other poisonings
• Parasites

Possibly Diagnosed With the Following in Past

• Tick Borne Illness such as Lyme Borreliosis
• Fibromyalgia
• Myalgic encephalitis
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Chronic Viral Illness
• Sick Building Syndrome
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Pfiesteria Poisoning
• Ciguatera Seafood Poisoning
• Blue Green Algae Poisoning or other dinoflagellate poisoning
• Autism
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Neural and Memory Disorders
• Morgellons Disease
• Neuro-Cutaneous Syndrome
• Any Illness that seems to have no cause and no cure and dismays the practitioner, you should consider a biotoxin illness as a possible cause

Precipitating Incident At Beginning of Illness

In addition to having exposure to a water damaged building, many people have some type of precipitating incident that sets off CIRS due to a water-damaged building. They often were living, working in or being educated in a water damaged environment with few or no noticeable issues until a precipitating incident that causes extreme physical, mental and or emotional stress sets CIRS into motion. However, more likely they had some issues but they were not recognized as due to the water-damaged building and they were able to cope with them up until the point they underwent a stressful incident.