Chronic Illness: My Hidden Battle With Toxic Mold (2025)

Toxic Mold Symptoms

Follow my journey as I uncover the toxic mold in my home that triggered cognitive dysfunction, neurological symptoms, and immune system disruption. From debilitating brain fog and chronic inflammation to diagnosing and healing, know the warning signs and steps to recovery that could change your life.

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My Journey

My journey did not begin with finding toxic mold in my home. It did not even begin three years prior when I moved into my brand new apartment where the mold was found. However, this apartment is where I discovered the root cause of many chronic symptoms I have experienced including fatigue, brain fog, infections, and sleep disorder.

I can imagine you’re here because you are experiencing unexplained symptoms, are tired of feeling like shit for “no reason” (there’s always a reason), have been told over and over that your test results are “fine”, have already found mold in your home and are freaking out, or you suspect you may be in a similar situation and you are figuring out where to begin.

(Read: How to Inspect and Test Your Home for Mold)

I have been exactly where you are right now. Incessantly searching for someone who is experiencing the same things as me, looking for the cause of my chronic illness, needing help, needing answers. I read hundreds of blogs, articles, peer reviews, medical journals, Reddit posts, Facebook Groups, and anything else I could find. Searching for the overarching question: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME??

The truth is it took many hours, deep searching, wrong answers, misdiagnosis, and years of continually looking for that answer to finally get an accurate diagnosis and begin healing. When your health is impacted, it affects everything. Your job, your relationship with your children, your quality of life, you lose time. Time is the most valuable thing and the faster you find the cause, the faster you can heal and life becomes so much easier.

I am sharing my story of chronic illness caused by environmental toxins here to provide you with all of the information I have accumulated along my journey and the resources you will need to help you heal as quickly as possible.

Symptoms of Mold Illness

Your Healing Begins Here:

The search for “what the hell is wrong with me?” does not begin in a Google Search bar or at a doctor’s office. It begins with Self Awareness, the ability to tune in to your body and notice the signs it is giving you. Any symptom you experience is a signal.

You know yourself more than anyone else, more than a doctor, more than your mom, your friend, or some random ad on social media. You know when your body feels off and when something is wrong because your body is telling you. Listen to it. Do not wait until it has to scream.

Early Warning Signs of Mold Toxicity:

Standing in my doctor’s office in 2024, I heard those dreaded words again: “Your tests all look normal.” But I knew something was terribly wrong. For the past three years my body seemed to be at war with itself, I was losing my entire personality. I felt like a shell of a human and was fighting to stay afloat in every area of my life. Here’s what I was experiencing:

Crushing fatigue that no amount of sleep could touch
Memory lapses and brain fog that scared me into thinking I had early-onset dementia
Joint and muscle pain that made me feel decades older than my actual age
Random heart palpitations that kept me from falling asleep
A constant state of anxiety and depression that I’d never experienced before
Neurological effects, I was barely in touch with reality struggling to do the simplest tasks

The conflicting relationship between a person and their health looks different for everyone. When I first began to notice my symptoms I didn’t care why I was sick, I just wanted to feel better.

The symptoms I experienced early on were considered “normal” such as headaches or sinus problems. I lived with these or treated them with over-the-counter medication. I finally got to the point of taking Ibuprofen or Tylenol daily, first thing every morning and again throughout the day, for headaches and sinus pain.

In 2022 I was experiencing these so often that it was affecting my day-to-day life. I became aware that something was seriously wrong and I needed to do more to prioritize my health. I had been on antibiotics or getting a steroid shot almost monthly for “common things” like UTI, sinus infection, ear infections, allergies, or cold and flu symptoms.

How Mold Exposure Compromised My Immune System

After being on antibiotics eight times in one year the infections continued to come back, and I was left feeling worse after each round of treatment. Not knowing how catastrophic antibiotics are for you, my immune system was now significantly compromised. The perfect scenario for mold toxicity, parasites, and other environmental health factors to come into play.

The situation started to feel hopeless, being constantly sick and not being able to find relief from my doctors. I stopped going to the doctor altogether.

In 2023 my job demanded a lot more from me. I was under more stress, and was constantly working to get ahead which was impossible. With the added stress, less priority on eating regularly, and little sleep, my body definitely took a toll.

The symptoms (signals) I was experiencing then, all chronic (lasting months or years without responding to treatment), were these:

fatigue
migraines
blurry vision
eye pain and itching
brain fog
memory loss
difficulty with focus & concentration
joint and muscle pain
sleep disturbances
insomnia
frequent urination
anxiety
weight loss
stomach pain
bloating
loss of appetite
irregular bowel movements
constipation or diarrhea
random onset of food allergies
gluten intolerance
skin sensitivity – reaction to makeup, chemicals, and cleaning products

In 2023 I had gone to the doctor’s office 17 times.

The Search for Answers: Doctor’s Blind Spots

In March 2024 I arrived at the doctor’s office with a different mindset than I had on past visits. I was less concerned with treating my symptoms and more concerned with what was causing my symptoms. I wanted to know why I felt like shit for so long and why nothing had worked.

I wanted to identify the illness itself that had been causing all of my symptoms. This meant finding the root cause. I began to dig in doing my own research as to what is causing my chronic illness.

I had already been through three doctors and a never ending black hole of specialist referrals that led to nowhere. An ENT (Ear, nose & throat), Radiologist, Allergist, Neurologist, another ENT, a Gastrointestinal Specialist, I felt like a pinball being referred from one specialist to the next without getting closer to the answer.

Eventually each primary doctor I had would lose interest or feel like they had done all they could do. After performing little more than routine blood panels or attempting to prescribe medication for the symptoms.

At this point my cognitive issues were even worse, I had severe cognitive dysfunction affecting speech and memory, I couldn’t remember words, my speech was affected making it hard to hold a normal conversation.

I experienced debilitating fatigue that made basic tasks overwhelming. I was absolutely exhausted all of the time and had no energy to leave my house. Anything that involved getting ready and being social no matter the amount of time was extremely draining.

The Emotional Toll: When No One Has Answers

The hardest part about being chronically ill is feeling so alone in it. Then needing help that your doctor can’t give you. Or worse, being ignored. I didn’t feel like anyone was listening to me or that they even believed me. I would often cry because I was scared and just wanted answers. It was honestly to the point that it felt like whatever was wrong with me was going to kill me.

I spent a lot of time fighting back tears while waiting for test results that would, once again, come back “normal.” Each “normal” result felt like another door closing, another dead end in my search for answers. Here’s what I learned about navigating this challenging journey:

Medical Gaslighting is Real

Having doctors dismiss symptoms because tests look fine
Being told it’s “just anxiety” or “all in your head”
Feeling crazy for knowing something is wrong despite “normal” results
Starting to doubt your own body’s signals and intuition

The Isolation of Invisible Illness

Friends and family struggling to understand why you’re “always sick”
Having to cancel plans last minute due to unpredictable symptoms
Looking “fine” on the outside while battling internal chaos
Losing connections because you can’t maintain regular social activities

Remember: You are not alone in this journey. The path to healing often feels lonely, but there are others who understand exactly what you’re going through.

Finding the Right Medical Partner

You are the only person who is advocating for your health and it can be so hard. It is vitally important to find a doctor who shares your values and concerns, and has the same goal as you.

The turning point in my journey came when I found a health professional who shared the same goal as me and understood the importance of environmental factors. It is so important to find a Primary Care Physician who will:

Listen without dismissing symptoms
Look beyond standard test results
Consider environmental factors
Partner with you in finding root causes
Validate your experiences and concerns
Support your own research efforts

I explained that things were increasingly worse and I would like to get more testing done.

I wanted something tangible to fight against, a clear diagnosis I could identify and start to heal. I didn’t know it would be so tangible I could literally touch it.

The Environmental Toxin Connection:

Everything changed when I noticed the small water stain on my baseboard by the back door, and then the speckles around the window sills. It seemed innocent enough, but it led me down a rabbit hole of research that would eventually save my health.

Understanding Indoor Mold Growth:

50% of buildings in America have water damage
Mold begins to grow within 24-48 hours
93% of chronic sinus infections are caused by mold
Hidden mold can begin during the building process
Mold thrives behind walls and under floors
Many doctors aren’t trained to recognize mold toxicity
Symptoms can develop slowly over months or years
Genetic factors can make some people more susceptible

Mold is present in the air everywhere, indoor molds are extremely common and often more dangerous than outdoor mold, if you are not aware and actively preventing it, you will likely suffer from it.

Is The Mold in My Home? 3 Steps to Identify and Test for Mold in Your Home

As I learned more, the puzzle pieces started falling into place. My apartment had all the risk factors:

Foam sealed insulation with improper ventilation
Use of building materials with prolonged exposure to rain and moisture
High humidity, especially in the bathroom
Windows that often collected condensation
Drainage pipes directly to the foundation

Mold Cleanup: How Bleach Creates Toxic Gas

After finding the spots of mold growth, not attempting to clean myself, I immediately contacted my landlord. He came the following day spraying bleach on these areas while I was in the home. I trusted his judgement and didn’t think there was any danger– after all, it’s what many of us have been taught to use for cleaning and disinfecting.

That night, I was rushed to the emergency room that night unable to breathe and having severe abdominal pain. I explained the events of that day and my history of symptoms but, of course, they ignored the idea of environmental exposures. Suggesting I had acid reflux, the nurses prescribed antacids and pain medication.

Once back home, though – I do research!

It turns out, bleach, a common household solution can create an extremely dangerous situation when used on mold. Mold is a living organism that produces waste products, including ammonia. When sodium hypochlorite (the active ingredient in bleach) comes into contact with ammonia, they react to form chloramine gas. A toxic gas that can cause severe respiratory damage or even death. The dangers of this reaction can include:

Immediate Effects of Chloramine Gas Exposure:

Severe burning in the eyes, nose, and throat
Watering eyes and blurred vision
Chest congestion and difficulty breathing
Wheezing and violent coughing
Nausea and vomiting
Dizziness and disorientation

Long-term Health Risks:

Increased sensitivity to chemicals
Permanent lung damage
Chronic respiratory issues
Potential neurological effects
Ongoing breathing difficulties

Having already been affected by mold and the toxins it creates for years, being present while it was improperly handled was the final straw for my immune system.

Following this clearly counter-productive series of events, I requested to have my apartment tested by a licensed mold professional. When these results came back, I had the confirmation I needed. All rooms tested came back positive for elevated levels of toxic black mold.

Over the course of a few weeks, I stayed elsewhere as my apartment was remediated. Fixing the source and removing current mold growth is just the first step of taking back your home and your health. However, it takes much more to create a truly clean environment. Knowing how to clean your home and belongings in the safest way possible is crucial.

Home Mold Testing
Got Mold? Air Quality Test

The Diagnosis: How Blood Tests Revealed Mold Exposure

With this information, my physician ordered comprehensive testing on the basis of mold exposure. These specific blood tests finally provided concrete evidence of how environmental toxins were affecting my body. These tests revealed a clear pattern consistent with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS; Mold Illness) from exposure to water-damaged buildings.

Testing Your Body For Mold:

The First thing we did to test my body for these environmental exposures was the Visual Contrast Sensitivity Test (VCS) source. My results were:

In addition, the following lab work was performed:

1. Transformative Growth Factor Beta 1 (TGF B-1): The Inflammation Thermostat

Results: My TGF B-1 levels were 11,000 (normal < 2,300).
Significance: Elevated TGF B-1 indicates chronic inflammation, a hallmark of CIRS.

Think of TGF B-1 as your body’s inflammation thermostat. When exposed to environmental toxins like mold, this thermostat gets stuck on high, leading to chronic inflammation throughout your body. The extremely elevated level in my case was like a blaring alarm signal, indicating my body was in a state of constant inflammatory response.

2. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF): The Blood Vessel Builder

Results: VEGF levels were below 31 (normal 31-86).
Significance: Low VEGF impairs blood vessel formation, reducing oxygen and nutrient delivery.

These levels typically drop, indicating that the body’s ability to maintain and create new blood vessels is compromised. This explained many of my symptoms, including fatigue and cognitive issues, as my tissues weren’t getting adequate blood supply.

3. Immune System Response Markers

Anaplasma Phagocytophilum Antibodies: Indicate ongoing immune battles.
IgG Mono: At 429 (normal < 21.9), revealing an immune system in overdrive.
Leptin: At 1.5 (normal 4-7), Leptin regulates metabolism and energy use.

These markers paint a vivid picture of how mold exposure disrupts immune function and contributes to persistent symptoms.

Genetic Susceptibility: Why Mold Affects Some More Than Others

Your genetic makeup determines how your immune system reacts to mold toxins. Two HLA haplotypes, 11-3-52B and 17-2-52B, significantly influence susceptibility:

11-3-52B: The Multi -Susceptible Haplotype

Heightened sensitivity to environmental triggers.
Greater risk of chronic fatigue and prolonged inflammation.

17-2-52B: The Mold-Susceptible Haplotype

Amplified immune responses to mold toxins.
Reduced efficiency in clearing toxins, leading to chronic symptoms.

These results painted a clear picture: my body was caught in a perfect storm of inflammatory response, reduced blood vessel formation, and immune system dysregulation – all consistent with exposure to toxic mold in a water-damaged building.

The numbers were validation of my experience. This wasn’t “just anxiety” or “all in my head” – it was a measurable, physiological response to environmental toxins. After the long roller coaster of doctor’s visits, finally having laboratory evidence of what was happening in my body was so relieving.

How Mold Affects Your Body

Working with an integrative medicine doctor opened my eyes to how environmental toxins can hijack your entire body:

The immune system goes into overdrive
Inflammation becomes chronic and systemic
The brain’s neurological function gets compromised
Hormones become imbalanced
Detoxification pathways get overwhelmed

Addressing the underlying toxicity caused by mold can pave the way for effective treatment and recovery. Prioritizing awareness and education on Environmental Health Factors is essential for combating the adverse effects of mold exposure and mitigating its long-term consequences.

Lessons Learned: What I Wish I’d Known

Looking back, there were so many things I wish someone had told me:

Trust your instincts when something feels wrong
Don’t let normal test results gaslight you – they are just not testing the right thing
Document everything – symptoms, exposures, treatments
Find a doctor who understands environmental illness
Create a support network who believes you

Conclusion: Today, I’m thankful to say I’m on the healing side of this health crisis. My mind is clear again, my energy has returned, and I’ve learned to be my own best advocate. If my story resonates with you – if you’ve been struggling with unexplained symptoms that doctors can’t seem to solve – please don’t give up! The answer might be hiding in your environment, just like it was in mine.

Resources for Battling Mold:

Mold in My Home? 3 Steps to Find and Test for Mold

EnviroBiomics Home Testing Mold Assessment ERMI

Levoit Air Purifier

Amazon Basics Dehumidifier