Mold and Candida spark a lot of questions from my subscribers. One gentleman had these questions to ask:
“What are the differences between mold illness toxicity and the symptoms of Candida overgrowth? Can a person become seriously sick from mold exposure 10 years after they leave the mold-infested home that they lived in for a decade? What are the similarities and differences in treatment between Candida overgrowth and mold illness?”
There’s quite a lot of difference between mold toxicity and a Candida problem. For example, sugar cravings are something you’ll see with Candida but not mold. However, there is some overlap in symptoms. For example, brain fog and fatigue are seen with mold and Candida colonization.
Generally, if I suspect a person has a mold issue, I’m going to be much more interested in their housing and where they work. I want to determine if the onset of symptoms correlates with a move to a new home or a new workplace. For Candida, it doesn’t make a difference if you live in New York City or Timbuktu. However, it can make a big difference to mold toxicity if you live in a wet New York apartment compared to a dry hut in Timbuktu. Remember that about 50% of U.S. houses, particularly the older ones, have some leak that can contribute to mold infestations.
The chances of the mold creating a problem 10 years after you leave a home are pretty much zero.
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The symptoms I expect to see with mold are unexplained brain fog, anxiety, mood disorders, feeling weird, feeling half-crazy, and feeling strange. Sometimes patients with mold problems have burning, shaking, tingling, and electric shock-type sensations. Many of the symptoms are caused by the mycotoxins produced by mold. Breathing in mycotoxins is how mold can cause sinusitis, hay fever, asthma, and other breathing
problems. I am particularly suspicious of mold if these symptoms occur despite a bowel that is functioning reasonably okay.
A comprehensive stool analysis is very helpful in distinguishing between mold and Candida problems. If the beneficial bacteria are intact, if we can’t culture Candida, if there are no parasites or dysbiosis and the SIBO test comes back clear, I’m likely to point the finger at mold.
The next step would be doing some mold testing.
It’s always important to do some investigation due to symptom overlap. For example, if there are extremely low levels of lactobacillus, bifidobacteria, and other types of beneficial bacteria, the symptoms can mimic mold toxicity.
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