My !POSITIVE! test results for mycotoxins testing through Great Plains Laboratory

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Davida
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Re: My !POSITIVE! test results for mycotoxins testing through Great Plains Laboratory

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Michelle wrote:I just got my results from the same test. My ochratoxin A result is 122.79, which seems outrageously high ("common range of positive is 4-20"). Two others were also high, but in the common range of high. I've basically felt like crap for years. Is there hope to get rid of this and actually feel better?
Hi Michele, I too would like to welcome you to the site. Thanks for joining in and sharing a bit of yourself. My heart goes out to you as I sense your alarm in discovering the test results and your discouragement with feeling so poorly. As Sarah mentioned, there are many things that can be done to battle toxicity and molds. Viewing ourPrimer which provides a wealth of information and prevention strategies is a good place to begin. Using the "spyglass" icon to the left of your name will also help with finding existing threads on topics of interest such as mycotoxins. Dr. Jill Carnahan's website is worth looking at. I believe she does an excellent job at shedding some light on the subject.

Please continue to post. I think you will find the community very supportive and willing to share what they have lived and learned.

My best, Davida
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Re: My !POSITIVE! test results for mycotoxins testing through Great Plains Laboratory

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Michelle wrote:My ochratoxin A result is 122.79, which seems outrageously high ("common range of positive is 4-20"). Two others were also high, but in the common range of high.
Hi Michelle;

Hopefully you've read other members' input on this test in this thread. There seems to be a difference in opinion on the value of this urine test. It will be important to figure out if mold biotoxins are causing your illness, and how to minimize exposure to these molds. For example, the ochratoxin toxin can come from mold in food and/or water damaged buildings. Did you do this test on your own, or are you working with a knowledgeable practitioner who can guide you through the process? Mold illness is difficult to navigate on your own.
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Re: My !POSITIVE! test results for mycotoxins testing through Great Plains Laboratory

Post by Michelle »

Thanks for everyone's comments. I appreciate it. I've been generically sick for awhile. I say that b/c as you all know, the symptoms can be due to a multitude of things and include things like hormonal imbalance, headaches, ankle edema, brain fog, weird rashes, and just basically feeling like crap. I've been seeing a naturopath, who is also an MD, and we originally assumed hormonal imbalance. But when various regimens weren't really making much of a difference, she thought to do the mold test. I work in a building that was built in the 1800's and it's always smelled awful (moldy/mildewy), and whenever it rains water pours in through various skylights, down the walls and into the carpeted hallway right next to my desk. We (me and many of my co-workers) have suspected this building has mold issues and have considered testing it long before these results came in.
So my doctor started me on a mold detox program while waiting for the urine test results. After about 2 weeks on this program, I got incredibly sick with bronchitis that turned into pneumonia (which I've never had before). I had to stop the detox, went on heavy antibiotics and steroids, and it took about 5 weeks to get better. Has anyone ever gotten sick like this from a detox? I'm waiting to speak with my naturopath about all of this, to see if she thinks it's all related. She did say that if I had mold issues, the detox would make me sick (and if no mold issues I wouldn't feel anything from the detox), but I'm just not sure if getting sick w/ pneumonia was just a coincidence. I'm skeptical of all of this but I'm desperate to feel better!!! Thanks for the support and suggestions!
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Re: My !POSITIVE! test results for mycotoxins testing through Great Plains Laboratory

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Michelle wrote: So my doctor started me on a mold detox program while waiting for the urine test results. After about 2 weeks on this program, I got incredibly sick with bronchitis that turned into pneumonia (which I've never had before). I had to stop the detox, went on heavy antibiotics and steroids, and it took about 5 weeks to get better. Has anyone ever gotten sick like this from a detox? I'm waiting to speak with my naturopath about all of this, to see if she thinks it's all related. She did say that if I had mold issues, the detox would make me sick (and if no mold issues I wouldn't feel anything from the detox), but I'm just not sure if getting sick w/ pneumonia was just a coincidence.
There are many forms and formulas for detox, so it's hard to address your specific situation. I am not a mold detox expert, but I have never heard that getting sick from mold treatment is expected if you have mold. Sounds to me like too much for the individual, with a smaller dose and slower ramp up indicated. The timing of your pneumonia sounds potentially suspicious, but could also be a complete coincidence. Anyone else with this kind of experience?
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Re: My !POSITIVE! test results for mycotoxins testing through Great Plains Laboratory

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Michelle wrote:I just got my results from the same test. My ochratoxin A result is 122.79, which seems outrageously high ("common range of positive is 4-20"). Two others were also high, but in the common range of high. I've basically felt like crap for years. Is there hope to get rid of this and actually feel better?
Hi Michelle,

Welcome! You are in a great place to learn more. Sara's advice to begin with our Primer will be very helpful as it offers so much information and many strategies you may find helpful. I also suggest taking a look at "How-To" Get the most out of the ApoE4.info website for information on navigating and using the site. Please feel free to reach out with questions. I look forward to seeing your future posts!
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Re: My !POSITIVE! test results for mycotoxins testing through Great Plains Laboratory

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slacker wrote:
Michelle wrote: So my doctor started me on a mold detox program while waiting for the urine test results. After about 2 weeks on this program, I got incredibly sick with bronchitis that turned into pneumonia (which I've never had before). I had to stop the detox, went on heavy antibiotics and steroids, and it took about 5 weeks to get better. Has anyone ever gotten sick like this from a detox? I'm waiting to speak with my naturopath about all of this, to see if she thinks it's all related. She did say that if I had mold issues, the detox would make me sick (and if no mold issues I wouldn't feel anything from the detox), but I'm just not sure if getting sick w/ pneumonia was just a coincidence.
There are many forms and formulas for detox, so it's hard to address your specific situation. I am not a mold detox expert, but I have never heard that getting sick from mold treatment is expected if you have mold. Sounds to me like too much for the individual, with a smaller dose and slower ramp up indicated. The timing of your pneumonia sounds potentially suspicious, but could also be a complete coincidence. Anyone else with this kind of experience?
Michelle, I’m sorry to hear about your challenges. I’m wondering if you responded the way you did because you are still experiencing significant mold exposure, not actually due to the detoxing. Or maybe it’s a combination of both.

I have not had a similar experience with detoxing, at least not to the extent you have. When I was doing far infrared sauna six days a week, I did experience three cold sores within a relatively short period of time, maybe 3-4 weeks apart for each one. Also, my homocysteine shot up to 12. My FM practitioner suggested I cut back on my sauna usage, and I doubled my methyl folate to 800 mcg. My homocysteine then dropped back down to 5-something, and the frequency of cold sores decreased.

Yesterday, I came across a Paradigm Change blog post that summarizes 19 key takeaways of a recently published book, Lyme Disease Supercharge. See point #2, where the blogger discusses how mold compromises the immune system, making people more vulnerable to infections. This post talks about extreme mold avoidance, which most people don’t need to do, so please don’t let that scare you. Still, the point about mold weakening the immune system sounds reasonable to me.

https://paradigmchange.me/wp/supercharge/

I should add that the naturopathic gastroenterologist I saw in recent months for hydrogen sulfide SIBO believes my mold toxicity was the root cause of the SIBO. SIBO is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a type of infection. I had it for YEARS. And I had multiple significant mold exposures since childhood.

This week, I sent in my 3rd urine sample for the Great Plains mycotoxins test (GPL-MycoTOX). My second test showed vast improvement from my first test. I hope this third one (exactly one year since my second test) shows I’m doing even better.
ApoE 4/4 - When I was in 7th grade, my fellow students in history class called me "The Brain" because I had such a memory for detail. I excelled at memorization and aced tests. This childhood memory helps me cope!
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Re: My !POSITIVE! test results for mycotoxins testing through Great Plains Laboratory

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Hi Michelle,

I commend you for keeping an open mind in the midst of your skepticism. I also lean toward skepticism, but over time I find I end up agreeing at least with the broad strokes of many alternative explanations and approaches, if not always some of the details. I don’t have any helpful degrees but a boatload of health problems over the years, which I’ve improved a lot from, no thanks to conventional medicine.

I’m highly concerned about the state of your workplace. I’d almost put money on the need to bring in OSHA or some such outfit to evaluate and demand temporary accommodations while they fix the problems for nearly everyone’s good.

TheBrain mentioned mold lowering immunity. I think of it as dysregulating immunity, so one can be both susceptible to infection (underresponse) while also have hyper mast cell symptoms such as rashes (overresponse).
ApoE 3/4 > Thanks in advance for any responses made to my posts.
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Re: My !POSITIVE! test results for mycotoxins testing through Great Plains Laboratory

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Hi--

I've now done this urine mycotoxins test three times. I've attached all three reports here.
Great Plains GPL-MycoTox - Mycotoxins test results 11-23-17 for ApoE4.Info.PDF
Great Plains GPL-MycoTox - Mycotoxins test results 4-19-18 for ApoE4.Info.PDF
Great Plains GPL-MycoTox - Mycotoxins test results 4-19-19 for ApoE4.Info.PDF
First are the highlights of what this testing has shown and what my FM PA and a Great Plains expert said about my recent results. In a second post, I give more details, including the interventions I’ve used to remove mycotoxins from my body at various stages of this process.

Note: “Common Range of Positive Results” in my reports are shortened to “Positive Range” here.

First test 11-23-17: Positive on two of seven mycotoxins tested: Ochratoxin A (OTA) and Verrucarin A (VRA); both were considered extraordinarily high above the Positive Range

Second test 4-19-18: Positive on two of seven mycotoxins tested: OTA dropped by half; VRA dropped to zero; a mycotoxin called Roridin E (ROE) had previously been zero but now tested positive, though just a bit above the Positive Range

Third test 4-19-19: Positive on four of eleven mycotoxins tested: OTA went back to the same level as the first test (though the Positive Range has been changed and my level is no longer considered extraordinarily high); ROE dropped to zero; a mycotoxin called Zearalenone had previously been zero but this time tested positive and significantly so; tested in Positive Range on two of four new mycotoxins (Mycophenolic Acid and Citrinin)

The results from my third test are disappointing to me, overall. It’s great that VRA remains at zero and that ROE has dropped to zero. These two mycotoxins are created by the dreaded Stachybotrys mold, along with a couple other molds. However, the rest of the results concern me.

Reviewing my results over these three tests, a Great Plains expert suspects I have mold colonization going on in my body. I’ve submitted a urine sample for their Organic Acids Test to check for urine metabolites for Aspergillus (which could explain my positive results for OTA and Citrinin) and Fusarium (which could explain my positive results for Zearalenone). This expert also believes I had a re-exposure to mold. If I have mold colonization, I have a relatively easy protocol to follow, which the expert gave me during my free consultation.

My FM PA is not that concerned with my latest results. First of all, she doubts that I have mold colonization going on, but she was fine with ordering the Organic Acids Test because that’s what I want. She instead suspects I had a re-exposure and/or the liposomal glutathione she switched me to mobilized more mycotoxins. This form is evidently more effective than s-acetyl glutathione. She had me double my dose for one week prior to my urine collection.

So when and where might I have been exposed to mold again? We did have a Hurricane Florence here in September 2018. Although we didn’t have water intrusion, we did lose power for a week. And it did get hot and humid inside, although the crawl space humidity remained at a good level. My husband took the window air conditioner from our garage and placed it inside my office. He ran it off and on using our generator. We later found out that this air conditioner was somewhat moldy (and has since been cleaned).

My FM PA suggests I thoroughly clean my office and then diffuse Young Living’s essential oil blend called Thieves. This oil (and some others) neutralize mycotoxins. I’ll be buying an ultrasonic diffuser after I return home from a camping trip. She has also recommended that I continue using the higher dose of liposomal glutathione.

My FM PA went so far as to say that if I’m going to get upset with my urine mycotoxin test results, I shouldn’t retest. I should just continue using my strategies to remove mycotoxins from my body and to do my best to avoid re-exposure. She said that mycotoxins will always be coming in and going out of my body. She said I’ll never get all zeros on this test.

She said the good news is that I’m feeling better, which is true. But frankly, I started feeling better after my SIBO treatment. I didn’t notice any improvement in my symptoms between the first and second tests, despite seeing improvements in my test results. It’s possible, of course, that my mold treatment helped anyway.

So I await my organic acids test results. It’ll take about three weeks for Great Plains to process my sample and send me my results. And I’m curious to see how I do being out of my home for 3–4 weeks and essentially living outside. Lastly, I see my future staring me in the face: I'm going to become a neat freak and clean my home obsessively!
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Re: My !POSITIVE! test results for mycotoxins testing through Great Plains Laboratory

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More Details

11-23-17
Note: Prior to collection, I did three far infrared (FIR) sauna sessions, three days in a row.

1. Ochratoxin A (OTA): 23.2 (Positive Range: 1.2–5)
(produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium molds)

2. Verrucarin A (VRA): 136 (Positive Range: .5–1.2)
(produced by Stachybotrys, Fusarium, and Myrothecium molds)

On December 30, 2017, I started taking Coconut Activated Charcoal from Divine Bounty (two 600-mg capsules once a day) and S-Acetyl Glutathione from Xymogen (two 200-mg capsules three times a day).

In addition, my husband and I purchased a High Tech Health far infrared (FIR) sauna in December 2017. We also bought a new bed, did a lot of house cleaning, and started using a dehumidifier after showering. In March 2018, we purchased two Air Doctor air purifiers and started running them 24/7.

4-19-18
Note: For months prior to collection, I did many more FIR sauna sessions (up to 6 days a week) and took the activated charcoal and s-acetyl glutathione.

1. OTA: 11.9 (Reduced almost by half) (Positive Range: 1.2–5)

2. Roridin E (ROE): 3.44 (Positive Range: .75–2.25)
(produced by Stachybotrys, Fusarium, and Myrothecium molds)

3. VRA: 0 (Yay!) (Positive Range: .5–1.2)

After this test, I started taking the Welchol generic Rx as a binder specifically for OTA. I took three 625-mg tablets twice a day. I continued taking S-Acetyl Glutathione from Xymogen (two 200-mg capsules three times a day).

4-19-19
Note: For several months prior to collection, I dropped down to doing 1–2 FIR sauna sessions per week and changed to these products: GI Detox by Bio-Botanicals Research (two capsules once a day) and liposomal glutathione (500 mg once a day). For one week prior to collection, I increased the liposomal glutathione (500 mg TWICE a day), per my FM PA’s recommendation.

Also, from November 1, 2018 through March 21, 2019, I participated in Jason Klop’s GI Restoration Program. I was diagnosed with and treated for hydrogen sulfide SIBO. During the program, I significantly changed my supplements and stopped taking the Welchol generic, as I was taking so many pills and the Welchol tablets are horse pills. I restarted the Welchol since completing that GI program, but I've been taking three tablets once a day along with two GI Detox once a day. (Now I know that stopping Welchol was a bad move.)

1. OTA: 23.27 (Positive Range: 4–20) (Back up to original level tested)

2. (Newly reported mycotoxin) Mycophenolic Acid: 10.29 (Positive Range: 5–50)
(produced by Penicillium mold)

3. Roridin E (ROE): 0 (Yay!) (Positive Range: 1–6)

4. VRA: STILL 0 (Yay!) (Positive Range: 1–10)

5. Zearalenone: 33.03 (Positive Range: 5–10) (For the first two tests, the level of this mycotoxin was 0.)
(produced by Fusarium mold)

6. (Newly reported mycotoxin) Citrinin: 10.66 (Positive Range: 10–50)
(produced by Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Monascus molds)
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Re: My !POSITIVE! test results for mycotoxins testing through Great Plains Laboratory

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Reviewing my results over these three tests, a Great Plains expert suspects I have mold colonization going on in my body. I’ve submitted a urine sample for their Organic Acids Test to check for urine metabolites for Aspergillus (which could explain my positive results for OTA and Citrinin) and Fusarium (which could explain my positive results for Zearalenone). This expert also believes I had a re-exposure to mold. If I have mold colonization, I have a relatively easy protocol to follow, which the expert gave me during my free consultation.
Two days ago, I got my results from the Great Plains organic acids urine test. I do not have mold colonization going on in my body. So it appears I’m dealing with re-exposure to mold.

This test reveals a lot of information and provides a great interpretation section for all metabolites that are out of range. I have several that are out of range. I won’t go into all that, but just want to mention the two microbial metabolites that are high. My gut issues continue to plague me.

My yeast marker for arabinose is high (at 51, but it should be less than or equal to 29). This is a marker for candida. I had candida for decades but thought I had finally conquered it. When my doctor in the GI Restoration program mentioned the candida protocol to me as a possible next step, I said I didn't need it. I'll never know if the Rifaximin I took for the SIBO brought the candida back, or if it had never actually gone away. To get back into the GI program, I’d need to pay $500 per month. Ugh...

Here's a link to a post that discusses arabinose as a metabolite of candida: https://thenaturopathicmama.com/three-w ... r-candida/

I also have an overgrowth of Clostridia (not C. difficile, fortunately!) per the HPHPA bacterial marker. But it's just over the range (at 211, but it should be less than or equal to 208), so my sense is that I should focus on the candida overgrowth first. However, Clostridia is commonly found in SIBO.

I'm heading off for a 3-week camping trip on Monday so I can't really do anything about my situation right now. Except I do have unopened bottles of olive leaf extract as well as caprylic acid on hand. I previously used them as part of my arsenal against candida. However, the bottles are expired by three years. I should probably throw them away!
ApoE 4/4 - When I was in 7th grade, my fellow students in history class called me "The Brain" because I had such a memory for detail. I excelled at memorization and aced tests. This childhood memory helps me cope!
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