Effective Natural Remedies for Mold Exposure and Allergies - Ted's Q&A

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Help Needed

Posted by M (Texas) on 07/22/2007

Hi Ted, I have been exploring Earthclinic for a month or so now and am extremely impressed by the suggestions/feedback you give. I have been experimenting with some of your suggested remedies, but have come to a standstill and was hoping if I give you a little background you may have some suggestions. I will try to be short, but that may be tricky... I have been pretty healthy most of my life up to about Oct. 05 when I began having diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, insomnia, depression, etc. It took a couple months for doctors to determine I had a parasite, which was treating with a conventional antiparasitic Yodoxin. That stuff was bad news and made me feel worse! I stabilized for a bit in Jan, but then my symptoms began coming back with the diarrhea, fatigue, bad insomnia, and it began to be coupled with memory/concentration problems. I started to feel like a moron, so scatterbrained. I even went on medical leave for 2 months last fall cause I just felt incapacitated. After the Yodoxin scare and doctors telling me everything was in my head and putting me on drugs like Prevacid, sleeping pills, antidepressants, I got fed up and decided to try things naturally. Went to herbalists, homeopaths, chiropractors, etc. I suspected Candida and did the strict diet for a month, but I am 5'8 and by this point was about 118 or so, and not liking being that skinny. I have since been eating healthy eating meats, fruits, vegetables, and eating gluten free. I haven't been drinking alcohol/caffeine for almost a year. A few months ago something told me my apartment may have contributed to my illness as it is an old place and had leaks that went unfixed for some time before I became sick. I moved out as an experiment and sure enough began to feel better. The place did indeed have mold and by the time I have moved my stuff out it was so gross mold was growing on shoes in my closet and the stench was disgusting. I have been still feeling much better compared to where I was last year, my sleep, energy, concentration, digestion are definitely improved. But there are some things that came along with the illness that don't seem to be changing. I always had beautiful, smooth clear skin my whole life, and along the way my skin began having problems. Started with a few nasty zits, but for almost a year now I have had bumps on my chin, around my mouth, cheeks, and on the skin in front of my ears. They are really weird, not traditional pimples, they are almost skin color, but whiter, and when squeezed white stuff comes out of them quite easily. There are also parts of my skin that feel really dry as well (around nose and in between eyebrows). I have been trying apple cider vinegar applied topically (and sometimes coconut oil) and have just started taking it internally for a couple weeks now. It has seemed to help somewhat, but very little. Doctors of course wanted to treat this with antibiotics or acne meds and I have tried proactive and other acne meds, but I don't know if what I have really is acne. I also have bad dark circles around my eyes. The other very frustrating thing, probably more so than the skin is hair loss. It has been going on since this ordeal began, but has gotten to the point where I feel like I will become bald. I already had fine hair to begin with and every day I see more and more hair come out in the shower, on my comb, on the sink, my pillow and I don't know what to do. My scalp also has felt very dry/flaky/crusty, so I tried you remedy of lavender/tea tree oil on the scalp. It has helped the dryness/crustiness and at first it seemed to work for the hair loss and I was so relieved and started imagining what it would be like to grow all my hair back. But after a week or so it was at it again. Maybe I was just imagining the improvement. So I began taking Manganese like you said each day until the hair loss stopped. I have taken that for 1-2 weeks and still no dice. I have also tried ACV on my scalp at times, and ACV internally hoping that would stop it. I just don't get how now that I'm out of that toxic environment and am supporting my body with so many beneficial things that my body isn't getting back to normal. What do you think may be going on? What do you suggest I do for the hair loss/skin problems, and just healing my body in general (please be specific about dosages, I can be a little OCD). I will do whatever you suggest, as it's obvious you know your stuff. I just want to be healthy again, put this ordeal behind me once and for all,and get on with my life! I am sorry this is so long!! I would really GREATLY appreciate your help! Thank you

Replied by Ted
Bangkok, Thailand
391 posts

What do you suggest I do for the hair loss/skin problems, and just healing my body in general (please be specific about dosages, I can be a little OCD).

Vitamin C sodium ascorbate 1000 mg/day for 5 days out of a week is synergistic with manganese. Also manganese is best taken on an empty stomach.

The toxic environment in the body as a result of moldy living conditions previously takes a long time to remove that from the body. However, shampooing with borax offers a better solution than the lavender and tea tree because the boron in general are anti-fungal.

It is most important I think to achieve a urinary pH of 7 so that the body can best get rid of the fungus and the heavy metals that go along with it.

The lightness of weight, is quite often an indication of lack of vitamin B complex, along with magnesium which is synergistic. A relatively unknown antioxidants of copper, zinc, and molybdenum are important. But the trick is which ones. In general most people seem to be low on molybdenum (besides the mentioned manganese) and the zinc.

The problem about taking manganese is the assumed increase in manganese, which is not always true. Usually it is best taken on an empty stomach and the tablets should be grounded to a powder then mixed with water.

I have seen many times of mothers of autistic children spending years trying to raise magnesium and zinc levels only to find out that they are low, after measuring with hair mineral analysis. Upon taking those in a powdered form, the children responded well, which of course is NOT taken everyday, but only 4 or 5 days out of a week whenever anyone takes a supplements for most of the conditions, which includes hair loss.

Therefore, getting a hair mineral analysis may help determine which minerals are a problem, since it is quite difficult to determine whether the body lacks copper or is it in excess. Most people seem to have nonexistent molybdenum, which protectst the body against candida or fungus growth. There are certain parasites that may exists that might have piggybacked with another parasites when a medication is taken, where one died, and another one continue to exists. The only way I can know if that's the case, is for me to take 1/8 (a woman's dose, if I were a woman!) of borax in 1 liter of water, for 1-3 days and see. If it works, then a weekly dose for a month or two should generally be enough, but then, on the otherhand, I may underestimated the extent of the problems also and may take a bit longer. However, one thing for sure: some improvement should be seen before the week is out.

What I do know is whenever fungus exists or living in moldy environments the body tends to buildup certain heavy metals, the body becomes acid, the liver becomes congested, the bowels might be constipated, and the immune systems become suppressed. Those can generally be helped at least if ACV and baking soda is not working, to at least I think a whole freshly squeezed lime (about 8 teaspoon) mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda taken twice a day once in the morning and once before bedtime, on an empty stomach.

What is most important for me after all those were considered is to take enough baking soda (with lemon or citric acid) where the urinary pH (using a cheap pocket pH meter) is close to 7.0 or usually between 6.5-7.0. A simpler remedy, if ACV isn't working is 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid plus 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water taken twice a day. If the urinary pH is not going high enough more dose or frequency is added to get there.

In general, I can't assume the manganese level has risen, but we can powdered them, take them on an empty stomach, when mixed with water as well as taking vitamin C to increase the body's utilization of copper, iron and manganese absorption.

Usually if weakness or tiredness then B12 and B complex (twice a week), and vitamin E (when needed) will often help.

But at this stage, I would probably avoid drinking faucet water for a least a week or two and see what other pollution is causing the problem and just get a good spring mineral water.

Sometimes it's the chlorinated and fluoridated water that we shower, sometimes it's the fact that the body's magnetic field is not properly aligned with earth magnetic field (bed pointing North or South) and sometimes its those electronic devices near our head, that's causing the problem and should be 4 meters away at least. It's difficult to tell what the cause is, but what I can say is the less the pollution, whether they be electromagnetic, chemical, microbes, fungus, bacteria, fast food or monosodium glutamate the better. Everything is always a suspect when you are sick the only way is what Sherlock Holmes does, process of elimination. Hope this helps!


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