Mould making me ill?

[shellx90]

Hi,

I'm new to this group but am going out of my mind with what might be going on in my body. For a few months now I have been suffering with severe fatigue, constant body pain and recurring throat problems. I've been back and forth to the Doctor's but all test result she have come back clear and I've had to have a lot of time off work, to the point where I have a meeting next week regarding my absences.

There's always been a slight damp problem in my flat but since September 2016 things seem to have got worse and the last few weeks all of my window sills have puddles of water on them everyday, even though I clean them daily and now there is lots of mould around the window edges, on the skirting boards by the windows and on the back of cupboards etc that are near some of my windows.

A few weeks ago when I noticed it my partner re sealed all of the windows inside the flat and we bought dehumidifiers to put on the window sills and he's used fungicide but nothing seems to be improving.

My immune system isn't great anyways as I am Type 1 Diabetic and work with children but the last few months my health has really deteriorated and I'm now starting to wonder if it is due to the problems with mould and dampness.

Do you think the damp and mould in the flat could be making me ill? My partner hasn't been ill, but he's health is so good he's never ill so I don't know what to think.

I hope someone can help,

Thank you.

Shell 😊

[GAtherton Administrator Fungal Infection Trust]

It certainly sounds like your home suffers from a problem with condensation. this occurs when you have insufficient ventilation to cope with the amount of water that is emitted into the air of all of our homes from laundry, cooking, bathing, showering and of course ourselves as we all give off water vapour every day.

The total amount of water passed into the air of a normal home can be 20 litres per day and all needs to be vented to the outside air otherwise it will settle on any cold surface or simply drop out of the air as it cools during the night! This typically becomes a problem as the weather cools and we keep our windows closed to keep the heat in. See nacpatients.org.uk/damp_gen...

Keep windows open when you wash, cook, bathe, shower. Do not dry laundry indoors unless in a tumble dryer that vents outside. If condensation appears on your windows open them until all is dry. Dehumidifiers can help but to be effective they need to be big and you need to be removing litres of water every day. Dehumidifiers of that size are expensive to buy and run.

We know damp homes are a cause of respiratory illness. We know diabetics are slightly more vulnerable to infection. A potential problem with damp home and diabetes is worth discussing with your doctor again. Have you been screened for contact with mould via mould allergies (usually via blood test)?

[shellx90 in reply to GAtherton]

Thank you so much for the detailed reply.

All of the ways you have stated that might help the problem I do, I have now contacted my housing association as the mould is just growing more and more.

I haven't had any blood tests regarding mould allergies, I didn't know this was possible?

Thank you again for the reply.

Shell

[ettezus in reply to shellx90]

Hi shellx90

Yes it is possible.

I myself have mould in my flat as a result of a water leak from the toilet pipe. My Housing Association staff who attended my flat said that the toilets in the building were never fitted properly in the first place. I have lived here for 7 years and must admit that in the last two years I have been feeling unwell with some of the symptoms you mention and more. My doctor sent me for blood tests, which showed no issues. You will come to learn that an NHS full blood count (fbc) test is not all that it is made out to be.

I was recommended to go to Breakspear Medical, breakspearmedical.com who specialise in Environmental Medicine. without extreme use of drugs. I had a Comprehensive Mould Panel blood tests and the results showed IgG sensitivities to all of the moulds tested (15 in total with scores ranging from 3.50 to 50.60), which is of concern for me. I am also awaiting results from a urine test to show how the mould is affecting my body.

Alas although Breakspear Medical treat patients on the NHS, my doctors are not prepared to apply for funding for this and therefore I have had to attend there privately at some cost. Even though my GP has seen the results they are still not referring me to Breakspear and instead referring me to an Infectious Diseases hospital, who I believe will treat me by allopathic medicine, which are drugs. This does not fit well with me as I do not believe in drugs as treatment. My GP has respectfully told me that she has little knowledge of environmental medicine, and I respect her honesty.

You may wish to try Breakspear Medical and if you are lucky your GP may refer you there and fund it.

I am happy that I have confirmation that my problems emanate from Mould, but unfortunately my Housing Association is ignoring all medical advice to remove me, at least temporarily, from my home and instead are coming in to superficially treat and paint away the problem. So far they have not even checked the walls to confirm whether the walls have properly dried out before starting the treatment. As a result of them delaying stopping the leak, the mould has grown 2 feet high and has spread to all walls connected to the bathroom, ie, Hallway, 2 bedrooms, the cupboard and under the hallway floor and the walls opposite in the hallway. The mould had been growing behind the boxed wall in the bathroom and only came to light at the beginning of November.

If anyone has any ideas on how I can deal with my Housing Association it will be appreciated.

Good luck with your situation.

[shellx90 in reply to ettezus]

Thank you for your reply and all of the helpful information

As for the housing association you can go onto the council and complain or ask them for advice. Make sure you keep all medical notes and take photos of the mould around your house.

I hope you get it sorted ASAP.

Shell

[ettezus in reply to shellx90]

Hi Shell

Your welcome.

I Have been to the Council, which is where the Environmental Health Officer (EHO) works and who attended my premises. Alas he has been totally useless and downright ignorant of mould and the suffering for people with mould illness. When I said that the mould was impacting on my health, he told me that he does not deal with my illness and that I should go to my doctor. I do not understand why 'Health' is included in his job title. I feel that he is also siding with the Housing Association or is just lazy in his job.

Now my Housing Association is using the excuse that the EHO did not mention in his report that I should be moved from my property and therefore they will not move me while they carry out the work. They are also ignoring letters from my GP, hospital Consultant and the Environmental doctor.

Take care

x

[shellx90 in reply to ettezus]

Oh no, that's rubbish! I really do hope they get it sorted for you soon.

Shell

[ettezus in reply to shellx90]

PS:

You may also find this website useful called Surviving Mold. survivingmold.com/mold-symp...

It was created by an MD in the USA. It has helped me to stay sane knowing that my symptoms are not in my head and to save me from being misdiagnosed by doctors.

x

[shellx90 in reply to ettezus]

Thank you 😊

[ettezus in reply to shellx90]

Your welcome.

Check out the Post by frankaspergilus Titled "which drugs to treat fungal infection" There are some extensive replies to his Post by naomi88 and I have to say extremely useful.

x

[Lutonian]

The symptoms you describe sound very much like you have been affected by mycotoxins produced by mould

You mention visible mould but it could also be growing in unseen places eg in wall cavities,in insulation or on back of plasterboard.

Dr Damian Downing of New Medicine group can arrange for blood tests that can confirm if you and your immune system have been affected by mould toxins or indeed other toxins