Medication

Overview Facing a crisis Intro to medication Recognizing the drug's power Everyday drug usage Current Status and Outlook

Surprisingly,  a long-used,  universal  'memtal health'  medication seems to be the answer to my mold problem.  Not only does this medication seem to restore most of my immune system's ability to ward off mold toxins,  but it necessarily changes the explanation of how my mold sensitivity came about.  In any case,  as long as I faithfully take my medication,  it appears I can now live much as I did before becoming mold-sensitive.  Goodbye to reliance on specific fabrics,  bibs,  and special equipment to avoid mold attacks.

The specific medication ingredient is olanzapine,  also marketed as Zyprexa (a specific trade name).  This drug is available via prescription  (and in generic form)  in the U.S.,  and has apparently been taken by patients regularly for continuous periods of 10 years or so.  Its primary purpose is to control:

• Anxiety
• Bi-Polar disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Depression

Being a powerful drug,  it does have some side effects one must consider.  Several of the side effects are the same as the symptoms of a mold attack  (including headache and dizzyness),  so one may get fooled as to  'which causes what'.  In my case,  this has not been much of a problem;  there are very few symptoms from either source.  I feel very good.  The medication is so effective for me  (so far)  that it is referred to as my  'magic pill'.

If one has read much of the  'Current'  section in this web site  (primarily toward the bottom),  the frustration of finding a way to end the effects of mold in my life were evident.  Since my initial mold event,  my aim in life was to solve the problem by ending mold events during my sleep time  (the primary problem),  such that all mold biotoxins would eventually be eliminated from my body.  Not only did this approach prove to be unsuccessful,  my condition continually got worse.  It got to be a  'crisis'  situation,  in which my entire trailer house and most of my clothes seemed toxic.  My mold-resistance threshold was apparently low,  I was losing weight,  and becoming frightened about my future.

One night during this general period,  unable to control toxins entering my body,  I went to the local hospital's emergency room,  trying to explain my mold illness.  The doctors and nurses were sympathetic,  but dubious about this being a mold illness problem,  and sent me home after about 3 hours.  That did stop the toxins for that night,  but there were no recommendations to me,  and therefore no long-term help.  The next day,  I went to a local  'quick care'  facility,  explaining my mold-related situation to the attending nurse.  She recommended I call my regular practitioner doctor  (who annually said he couldn't help me),  and or a local specialist in immunology.  Neither of these persons were available until the following week.  I needed help now.

I had had several days of very little sleep.  So,  on the advice of 2 neighbors who were concerned with my health,  I applied to enter a local  'behaviorial health service'.  I was having some considerations of suicide;  I had tried everything in my knowledge,  and failed.  Mr. Mold was winning.  After an extensive interview  (which encouraged me considerably),  I was admitted to the facility.  I quickly felt I was in the hands of people who were competent and who cared.  They were not going to let me die;  even if they didn't buy this  'mold toxin'  business.  I finally had found competent,  professional medical help;  professionals who would listen,  and then do something.

I lived in this health service's quarters for 6 days.  In the first 24 hours,  I was interviewed by 3 different doctors;  one of which  (a psychiatrist)  seemed receptive to my story of mold illness.  He interviewed me at length,  and then put me on a prescription of a common drug used to treat mental health patients.  He prescribed a main dosage before bed,  and a smaller dose again in the morning.  Being dubious of medication,  this drug did not seem to me to have a chance to really solve my mold problem.  Rather,  it seemed to 'mask' certain aspects of my mold illness,  and left me feeling somewhat drugged during the day.  At night,  while on this medication,  I still had mold events even though I changed my bedding daily.  The nurses were dubious of this,  but considerate.

After 4 days,  my release became contingent on removal of guns from my trailer house,  and a convincing response that I was no longer contemplating suicide.  Both of these conditions were solved satisfactorily,  and I was released back to society with a fresh refill of my prescribed medicine.

Upon my release from the facility,  I was resolved to continue my search for a mold-sensitive solution as before,  with the expectation that the prescribed drug could serve in an emergency  'mold-event'  situation.  However,  my pills ran out and a refill  (available only to behaviorial health residents)  was denied.  At this point,  internet searches returned sites offering to provide the drug  (Olanzapine)  over-the-counter from pharmacies in other countries.  This was very tempting,  but the sites looked suspect,  and searches for reviews of the sites often returned low trust scores and testimonials that were not credible.  I concluded not to risk getting poor drugs,  and/or identity theft,  or credit card fraud.

For several days I thought I could make it without the drugs.  But downhill again I went,  ending in perhaps the worst night of my life,  with 3 episodes of vomiting and perhaps 30 minutes of sleep.  At 7:00 AM that same morning I went back to the behaviorial health services facility and asked for admittance;  particularly needing the drugs that would almost surely come with admittance.  This encounter ended,  after an extensive interview with the head nurse,  in a renewal of the desired prescription,  and my promise to the nurse that I would this time keep a consultation with a recommended psychiatrist.

I was still dubious that this drug would do much to affect my relation to mold.  This because I am mold-sensitive to an apparently common mold;  I generate mold while sleeping in most different situations  (close quarters with body generating moisture/high humidity).  However, I knew that blockage of my anxiety;  thereby enhancement of my immune system,  could be important.  I did experience mold events each night while sleeping at the behaviorial health facility,  but the toxins which would consequently enter my body didn't seem to have much effect the next day.  I did feel somewhat drugged.  For me at that time,  the drug still seemed to be only an emergency solution to  'crisis'  nights.

However,  I did make and keep an appointment with the recommended psychiatrist  (actually a nurse-practitioner who has authority to write medical prescriptions)  for an interview.  This person approved of the medication I had been assigned (olanzapine),  and the dosage I had adopted;  5 mg before bed,  and none during the day.  He wrote a fresh prescription for me and admonished me to keep on schedule.  I resolved to do just that,  becoming convinced that this drug could possibliy mean a new life for me.  I also resolved to work with this person,  and learn as much as I could from him and his organization.

{Note:  The following sections were written before my appointment with the recommended psychiatrist noted just above,  when I was still struggling to understand this drug, and using my fortunate success in getting a refill of the medication.}

[written 6/7/15]  As I write this,  I am concerned that I again have a peaceful night,  and that any toxins taken in not lead to a buildup in my system.  Time will tell.  But there is a way to quantify toxins in my system,  in addition to my ability to run during aerobic workouts.  The first way to quantify toxins is the  'visual contrast sensitivity'  test,  available for $10 - $15 on the internet.  That test measures a person's ability to detect varying shades of gray items from a constant gray background,  supposedly indicating the quantity of biotoxins  (or other insults)  one has in her/his system.  Surprisingly,  one of the primary effects of mold toxins is the neurological effects on  'the optic nerve'.  The VCS test tries to measure the effect of body biotoxins  (and other insults)  on the optic nerve.

[Still 6/7/15; 8:30 pm]  Just finished taking the VCS test at http://www.survivingmold.com,  a website supporting the work of Ritchie Shoemaker MD,  the person who has worked for years with biotoxin effects on humans.  These biotoxins cover an extensive range,  primarily focused on those involving mold from water-damaged buildings.  Shoemaker's extensive writings,  talks,  and other pertinent experiences are presented on the above web site.

My first VCS test results  (after a night having taken 5 mg of Olanzapine with none this morning)  were summarized as positive in both eyes  (does positive mean I have toxins or don't? I think it means I do have toxins).  I had a total of 13 errors out of 90 possible choices for detecting lines which point up,  left,  or right when the lines are varying shade of grey,  and the background is a constant grey.

Since I have PDF copies of the specific results,  I will be making comparisons with later tests.  Additionally,  I should have some running time results to compare as time goes on.  My first run should be tomorrow,  after my second night on the Olanzapine drug.  I am a little apprehensive about this coming night's sleep.

[written 6/8/15; 12:07pm]  Did have a good night's sleep,  with some anxiety last evening before going to bed,  even after taking 3 tablets of the prescripted drug  (3 at night = 7.5 mg as prescribed;  took only 2 the previous evening;  now getting used to the drug).  The run this morning just after getting up showed little effect of biotoxins,  at least on their effect on the capillary platform serving the legs and lungs.  Did experience neurological effects of some dizzyness and disorientation,  suggesting the additional medication remained active in its effects on the optic nerve.  Did not experience these conditions nearly as much the previous day,  having taken only 2 rather than 3 tablets.

Am also experiencing neurological effects of confusion and disorientation as I write these words.  Am clumsy in my typing,  and sometimes search my memory for what I should say.  Am now very much hoping that I will eventually find that 2 tablets at night  (5 mg)  and none during the day will suffice.  This should have minimal effects on my daytime behavior.

{Note:  As with the above section,  the following material was written before my appointment with a recommended psychiatrist,  who would affirm my prescribed medication.  These sections are included because they were written as experiences unfolded,  rather than relying on memory}.

My body is adapting to the prescribed dosage of this medication;  I felt almost no lingering effects upon getting up this am.  This means no confusion,  difficulty organizing,  dizzyness,  disorientation,  etc.  My calves did feel somewhat 'tight' which I have related to  'toxins in the body'.  I changed sleeping bags last evening to a lighter version,  and experienced a small mold event early this am,  quickly corrected  (drool and/or saliva on the protective plastic bibs from sleeping on my side).  For me,  this sequence verified my understanding of part of the functionality of this medication;  blockage of a person's perception of events,  whether or not one is schizophrenic.  Its main value for me,  and apparently the primary focus in its development,  is the blockage of anxiety.

Taking this medication should work for me,  as I am learning that I can live with toxins in my system,  and that those received during the night will be largely eliminated during the day.  This can only happen when my anxiety is under control,  helping my immune system to be at its best.  It seems important to note that nearly all  (perhaps all)  of the medical personnel connected with treating my mold sensitivity seemed to think I am mentally inventing mold events.  They appear to think I am schizophrenic in my perception of mold events and biotoxin effects.  That is partially why they think this drug works for me.  We don't disagree about my anxiety in these situations,  or the consequent enhancement of my immune system.

The prescription also seems to imply a misunderstanding of my true condition,  as 1 pill is prescribed to be taken in the morning,  anticipating that I will also hallucinate during that part of the day.  Not so,  and I am not taking any of the drug in the morning.  I want no drugs in my system during the day.  Almost entirely,  my problem with mold, and with anxiety from its different causes,  is at night.  There is one other thing relative to the success of this drug for me.  That is the fact that throughout my adult life I have increasingly been subject to claustrophobia; often in the form of dreams.  This is not quite the same thing as schizophrenia,  but it seems related,  with claustrophobia representing a distortion of reality,  just as with schizophrenia.  This pill just might help prevent some of my claustrophobia issues.  We'll see.

{Note:  The above material was written before my appointment with a recommended psychiatrist,  who affirmed my prescribed medication and dosage.  The above sections are included because they were written more nearly as things happened,  rather than from recall}.

As of this writing,  I feel my experience with mold is largely history.  The medication has made the difference,  and my life is almost restored to  'pre-mold'  days;  not quite,  but almost.  And it may be a full year before I know just how much mold will continue to affect my life.

I have been on this daily medication now for almost 2 months,  and have had no major mold events.  I did experience a  'shot across the bow'  a week ago that was instructive.  Early in the morning,  I awoke to find myself cold  (covered only by a single cotton sheet),  and feeling a need for additional cover.  I retrieved a wool blanket which I used the rest of the night  (only 1 hour).  Formerly,  this blanket would have been a source of lots of toxins within about 10 minutes.  In this case,  after about 1/2 hour,  I felt something strange in my mouth,  followed by a slight headache developing.  Upon getting up,  I was also a bit dizzy.  The dizzyness quickly disappeared,  and the headache was gone in about 1 1/2 hours.  I assume this was an instance of mold spores over-whelming my current immune system,  and my taking in some toxins.  No other effects were felt.

I am about 1/2 way through a  '10 step process'  of removing things I routinely have done to reduce opportunity for a mold event.  I discontinue one step each week,  giving opportunity for my immune system to adapt if necessary.  At the end of this 10 step process,  I feel I will know where I stand with respect to my sensitivity  (or lack thereof)  to mold.  My expectation is to retain some sensitivity to mold,  and to remain on this or a similar  (perhaps reduced amount)  of medication the rest of my life.  My continuing expectation of sensitivity means that in some situations toxins will enter my body,  and will likely be eliminated within a few days.  I may experience some headache and dizzyness associated with this invasion.  Perhaps there will be some other symptoms.  Were I a younger person,  I might expect a full recovery of my immune system's capability.  That does not seem a realistic expectation for me.  At my age,  I am happy to have gained the recovery that has happened.  I do expect to remain somewhat cautious about my exposure to mold,  but doing some  'testing'  occasionally.

The last couple of months,  and the success of this medication,  have caused me to re-evaluate my mold-sensitive condition.  Previously,  I thought that the specific version of mold growing in my bedroom had found a specific,  physical way to get past my immune system,  and that recovery would only come by my immune system somehow repairing itself,  or finding a way to negate the successful approach that the mold had discovered.

I now think the primary cause of my mold-sensitive condition was a decline in the ability of my immune system to fend off the mold attack.  Per the psychiatrists' investigation of my life,  It appears that 4 major,  approximately simultaneous,  situations occured which caused a significant decline in my immune system's robustness.  They were:

• The closing of Crawford Construction in 2009 as result of no prospective contracting opportunities.  This meant the loss of my job as accountant,  office manager,  and estimator for the company
• Failure of serious attempts to find replacement work.  This was the onset of the U.S. financial crisis,  and the recession which lasted several quarters
• Closing of my online application  'Help-U-Plan'.  This application,  which generated a special version of a Gantt Chart,  was online continuously from 2001 until 2010.  Continued losses from the application required its closure.
• My declaration of personal bankruptcy during 2011.  No job and debt from the  'Help-U-Plan'  application left little choice but to declare bankruptcy

Though it didn't seem particularly stressful at the time to have gone through these situations,  It does seem likely they caused a significant decline in my immune system's capabilities.  As with many things,  the correct answer is probably a combination.  One of those things is my tendency to worry;  known as anxiety to psychiatrists.  The olanzapine medication does seem to have handled this feature pretty dependably:  I now mostly sleep through the night,  and can now go back to sleep if I do get up to urinate,  etc.  This capability of sleeping well is new for me.

The above does not seem to me a satisfying or a complete explanation of my mold-sensitive experience.  Why did I come to a  'crisis'  point after about 4 years?  During the last couple of years,  it seemed that my immune/body system was getting better at getting rid of the toxins,  but that I was becoming increasingly sensitive to the mold(s).  A sensitivity to some ordinary chemicals seemed to come and go over this time period.  I have only a partial explanation of my mold experience.

I do generally feel good now;  I can run,  I sleep soundly,  and food tastes good.  I am not cleaning and washing things all of the time.  Life is good again,  and I don't dread going to bed,  not knowing what the night might bring.  Those days seem now to be over.  I am drinking red wine again,  allbeit in considerable moderation.  The principal difference for me is the success of the medication.  Hooray!

I now expect to go back to doing internet-based development work in other areas,  and do not anticipate making further entries on this web site regarding my mold-sensitive experience.                              to top