CIRS, mycotoxin, lyme disease, & autoimmune similarities

What is wrong with me? Tests ensued for many months. These words were never mentioned: CIRS, mycotoxin, autoimmune, mycotoxin, or mold illness.

Before the diagnosis of Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, I had been to several doctors and healthcare professionals, reiterating my symptoms- fatigue, concentration issues, digestive issues, hair & skin issues, odd blood work results. Scouring Google everyday for months looking for answers since the doctors couldn’t find anything definitive. I wanted to know its name, and I wanted the symptoms to go away. But the pill popping game wasn’t a desired option, and I was beginning to cringe at the suggestion of more bloodwork. There had to be a root cause to address.

I’d like to share a few things I learned along the way – so you won’t have to stay up late every night wasting precious time deciphering confusing information and asking the same questions I did. The first clarifying point – there might be several names for relatively the same condition. For example, “Mold Illness” is also known as “biotoxin illness”, “CIRS /Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome”, “immunologic disease”, “mold toxicity”, “Water Damaged Building sickness ‘WBD’”, and “Environmentally Acquired Illness”. Not to mention subcategory illness like MaRcoNS. 

The multi name issue will probably continue, as these complex conditions are still being researched and defined. In the meantime, the symptoms are real, and sadly, these symptoms are common among several serious health disorders. For example: fatigue, abdominal pain, and muscle aches. This simple cluster of symptoms is common for CIRS (for the rest of this post CIRS will refer to Mold Illness and all of its substitutes). Lyme Disease, Mycotoxin exposure, and autoimmune disease. Such confusion and symptom overlap can cause misdiagnosis or underdiagnosis. 

So, lets see if this all can be simplified a bit~

CIRS is acquired from inhaling invisible toxins (certain biotoxins) found in mold, and causes systemic inflammation.

Mycotoxins are also toxic but they are typically taken in through eating & drinking invisible toxins (certain biotoxins) that are similar to mold. Also and causing systemic inflammation.

But Mold Illness is not Mycotoxin Illness. They can be found together and each can further aggravate the other.

Lyme Disease is caused by a bacteria usually transferred to humans through the bite of a tick and also officially known as a biotoxin. You guessed it- causing systemic inflammation.

Autoimmune conditions have many sources, …and cause systemic inflammation.

MARCoNS is a sub condition found in many patients suffering from biotoxin illnesses like CIRS and Lyme Disease. But not all will develop this staph bacteria colonization. 

All of these conditions seem to share many common symptoms: CIRS, mycotoxin exposure, autoimmune, lyme. At least there is a definitive blood test for Lyme Disease. And one young, curious doctor that seemed genuinely interested in helping me put a name to my ailments did test me for it. Even though I had many of the symptoms for Lyme Disease, the result was negative. And autoimmune? We went down that rabbit hole too- positive ANA results (at the same time as my sister) concerned all that Lupus was looming. But I did not have enough of the symptoms to point the finger there. The protocol for healing these conditions varies, but one common denominator is managing the Chronic Inflammation. It is strongly recommended that you work with a specialist to determine your treatment protocol if you have one of the above illnesses.

 While you work with a specialist, you can definitely take steps to start reducing symptoms on your own- support your body by eliminating any trigger for inflammation that you can find. Stop consuming foods & beverages that potentially contain toxins, and eliminate all sugar/sweeteners for now (simple sugars like cane,honey, maple syrup, and simple carbohydrates are the favorite food source for bacteria living in your body). 

In the case of CIRS or potential mold illness, test the spaces you spend the most time for toxic mold, or try a ‘mold sabbatical’. Remove yourself from the places that trigger reactions or remove the mold. As a supportive measure when healing from CIRS, Dr. Shoemaker suggests following a low amylose diet. This style of eating is the focus of moldfreemenu and an effective tool to support your recovery from CIRS, Lyme Disease, Mycotoxin exposure, and Autoimmune disease. 

You can regain mental clarity, energy, and a healthy body. I noticed significant and positive change after only a few weeks by precisely following the low amylose meal plan and meticulously avoiding personally inflammatory foods discovered during an elimination diet. Together with the low amylose/dairy free/sugar free diet, amazing victories quickly followed. My ANA test results went from positive to negative, my energy level improved enough to walk a flight of stairs without resting, and my mindset was beginning to shift from dread to hope. There were challenges ahead- but this supportive meal plan provided a solid foundation for the treatment protocol developed by the amazing group of professionals that put me on a path to healing from mold exposure. 

Here at moldfreemenu, you will find the information to thoroughly support an anti inflammatory meal plan- whether you have CIRS, Lyme disease, Mycotoxin Illness, MARCoNS, or an unidentified autoimmune condition. 

For a complete list of foods with low or no amylose, please contact us here and we’ll send a printable PDF right away.

To learn about inflammation reducing elimination diet and food intolerance testing here