Q:
Hi Dr Evans! I’ve been reading your blog for awhile now and love it!
I could really use your opinion of something, For the past 3 months I’ve been suffering from a constant dizziness, swaying and imbalance paired with brain fog, neck pain, facial/jaw pain, my head feels completely full, and feels like my heartbeat is beating in my head.
I’m also tired all the time despite 9-10 hours of sleep a night, I wake up and I feel like I need to go back to sleep. I realize these symptoms are very common and boring… but they have all been constant for 3 months and I have no idea why! I am not anxious or stressed – no heart palpitations or anything like that. CT head & amp; sinus was clear, chest xray clear, bloodwork clear, cultures clear, ears and hearing looked fine said ent and now i’m awaiting an MRI because an ER doc suspected M.S !
My ENT said its probably allergies but my sinuses are completely clear and I have never had allergies to anything. I have however recently noticed a good amount of black mold all over the bathroom ceilings and corners of the walls. I whipped out the bleach and went to town a couple days ago but symptoms are still here so I doubt that was the problem. My family is very worried and so am I, I’m only 22 and have been healthy up until now. Does M.S. seem likely? I know it’s impossible to diagnose someone online but wanted your opinion.
Thank you in advance!!
Ms. N
A:
Wow, you’ve got a lot going on. I think you should go back to your
primary physician. I also think you need your house inspected by a
professional because of the mold. As you said, it is impossible to give
you a definite diagnosis in this forum, but your primary doctor should be
your point person on this. If MS is a consideration, you should also see
a neurologist. When patients have a complex array of symptoms, it can
take time, and multiple visits to get to the bottom of it.
Good luck!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
How difficult is it to remove black mold on your own? Is it better to call someone in to do it or can I get it done myself?
Hey. I just wanted to my experiences over the past year. It started with me feeling tired all the time despite getting a full night’s sleep, and then other symptoms started popping up. Like imbalance, vertigo, and some vision problems. I went to the hospital and was diagnosed with MS after some spinal fluid was taken and an MRI was given. I no longer know what to think because somehow I got on the conversation of allergies with my sister and father, and mold came up!..I know there is mold on the house, expecially where I was located most of the time. So now I’m wondering if the mold is the real cause of my issues! I couple days ago I was reading a site that lists a bunch of different symptoms that someone exposed to mold can have. There’s a lot, and everything that was bothering me is there! Now there is one issue, I do have lesions on my brain and spinal cord, but is it possible that something else caused them? I’m not trying to deny the MS if it’s really MS. Multiple Sclerosis could just simply be called multiple scars…because that’s what is is. But are the scars the thing that makes the disease?
I had the same symptoms!!! It is mold, I did all the test and they told me it was possibly the start of MS. I decided to try a natural approach since the meds made me feel worse. I tried changing my diet, I stopped eating foods with gluten. Keep a journal on your symptoms especially in fall and spring. Stay somewhere other than your house for a while. I found a very bad case of mold in my 3 year old home, it CAN effect any home! I moved and my life is getting back to normal! In the future they will talk about the link between mold and many diseases. No doctor could help me, even once I found the mold they told me I would be coughing not experiencing tingling, pain and brain fog.
Good luck.
Many people do not know that they have mold growing in their homes and do not know why they are becoming ill. The common side effects of mold include coughing and sneezing and can easily be misdiagnosed as the common cold or allergy. Short term exposure to black mold can cause a large variety of flu like symptoms ranging from stuffy nose and itchy eyes to skin rashes and nausea. If long term exposure to mold occurs the side effects can become deadly. Serious side effects include cancer, miscarriages, still births and even bleeding in the lungs. This serious bacteria is also known to cause athletes foot and jock itch which can be difficult if not impossible to treat and can be easily spread from human to human.
I think it is IRRESPONSIBLE for a commercial mold remover to even suggest that cancer is a “side effect” of long-term mold exposure! Where’s the evidence for THAT whopper?! Let’s hear from physicians or health researchers about mold side effects NOT from someone who gets paid for removing mold! I hope readers will ignore “east coast mold remover.”
If your body has to cope with toxins for too long…..and certain molds are very toxic….cancer is very possible and there are doctors that would support this! Check out Dr. Richie Shoemaker, he has helped thousands of people sick from environmental toxins.
Amy is there any way to contact you directly? I saw your posts here and on another site and they encouraged me (which says a lot if you knew how discouraged I am). My symptoms are very similar to what you’ve all described here. I’m pretty sure I’ve been exposed to mold . The house I’m renting has a lot of water damage and I work at home (add to that being trapped by snow in Feb and I was exposed to moldy areas 24-7). I’m out of the house temporarily (staying with friends) but not getting better “fast enough” and I’m scared I never will. I’m looking for rentals but still haven’t returned to work and hard to rent when I can’t even work (and I work from home!!). The worst part is the fatigue and brain fog. After I a week I thought I’d feel better by now. I could really use the “ear” of someone who HAS recovered so I can “know” that I will too.