Mold allergies anyone?

All,

I am really struggling with a high degree of sensitivity to mold.  All of my RAST tests came back negative, yet if I am in an environment with a lot of mold (like my house - sigh), I get a sense of narrowness in my throat and sometimes even shortness of breath.  It's pretty scary, and there doesn't seem to be a good way to treat it.

Anyone else have trouble specifically with mold?  What have you found that helps?

percycat

Thanks for the reply, Sherry.

I do take Singulair these days, and remember that it made a noticeable difference once I convinced my docs to let me take it. It's weird how reluctant they were to do that, though, even though finally the symptoms were SOOO obvious:

One day in summer I drove to a town 45 minutes away. When I had the windows open, I felt chest tightness with shortness of breath, and scared that I wouldn't be able to breathe. When I rolled the windows up, the sensations went away in 3-4 minutes. Windows down - breathing troubles back. This went on all afternoon, but I tried to tell myself it was anxiety (that's what all my docs had been saying) and deal with it that way. When I got home, I noticed that being inside the house made me feel fine. Sitting outside on the porch brought the symptoms on again within 2-3 minutes and so I finally decided enough was enough and went to the ER. Even then, the ER doc said she couldn't think of anything to treat me with - that there wasn't any condition that made you short of breath outdoors but not indoors! She gave me Singulair at my insistence, though, and it has helped.

What do you take to help the break-through symptoms?

percycat

If you have mold in your home you need to attack it. Scrub the mold away with bleach and put a preventive on top of it. Most paint supply places have a mold prevention paint (I have some).
There are some toxic molds out there so be careful.

I have had similar reactions to mold, as if my throat was closing up. It is very scary. I found a good allergist who tested me for quite a few allergies. She found 5 that were strong enough to consider shots for. After about 3 months of shots, the mold at my job stopped bothering me. For a long time, none of my allergens bothered me (dog, ragweed, dust, pollen, mold, mildew). Recently I had become very sick with pneumonia, and had to stop the shots for about a month, and the allergy symptoms came back!

Thanks! I use a netti-pot and add a little Alkalol to the warm water & saline. It really helps, but not enough without the shots. I'm in week 2, back on them. It feels so good to know I'm not alone. This site is wonderful.

I also am allergic to mold and we had to get rid of real Xmas trees because of it. I literally can walk into a basement and tell whether there is mold there, as my throat starts to feel like its closing. I know it's hard to get rid of all mold, but make sure any wet areas, such as the basement, are kept clean and dry.

I'm allergic to mold. For the most part, it's just a ton of sneezing, very leaky nose, itchy / watery eyes and some minor difficulty breathing. In the Spring and Summer, keeping the windows open seems to help with any breathing issues. I also keep an ionizer in my room; although, I can't comment on the scientific function of owning one, if there is any.

In theory, keeping the humidity down might help destroy some of the mold in your home.

As far as anti-histamines go, I only take loratadine, since it's so cheap. Zyrtec seems really effective for things like itching, but I've had some paradoxical reactions to it; like increased anxiety. I wouldn't go near chlorpheniramine for allergy-relief. That stuff makes me feel like a zombie, and causes me to have heart palpitations.

This is a little late but might be of help for those who have mold allergy problems:

* Get your house tested for mold.

* Fix leaky plumbing or other sources of water.

* If your crawl space has mold, call an environmental service to get rid of it.

* Check inside drywall for mold inside the wall.

* Use air conditioners and dehumidifiers inside your home. Change filters regularly. Use a dehumidifier to get rid of dampness in basements.

* Wash mold off hard surfaces. You don’t have to use chlorine bleach; soap and water, combined with scrubbing from a stiff brush, works to remove mold. Some people also recommend vinegar or hydrogen peroxide.

* Dry water-damaged areas and items (like carpeting) within 24 to 48 hours of flooding.
If ceiling tiles or carpet have become moldy, they must be replaced.

* Reduce indoor humidity by venting bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture-generating sources.

*Exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens can help. If you don’t have exhaust fans, crack a window in the kitchen when you're cooking or in the bathroom when you're bathing.

* Moldy drywall must be cut out and replaced. Moldy insulation also must be removed and replaced.

* Add insulation to windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors.