Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Histamine Intolerance can have many root cause triggers, but Mold Toxicity is one of the most problematic and overlooked.

We see it in at least 95% of clients.

Why would you want to test?

Many people don’t realize they have been exposed! Or that mold can colonize (grow inside of you). Or that mold toxins can stick around for as long as they do.

And some binders work better with some mold toxins. Without knowing what to detox, it’s like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded—you might make progress, but you’re just as likely to go in circles.

In this post you’ll learn about:

• Mold Toxins
• How you get Mold Toxicity
• Reliable testing for mold toxins in your body
• What a negative test means

Keep reading to learn about Mold Toxicity and how to test your body.

It’s important you know that this blog post is for informational and educational purposes. It’s not meant to treat any health condition or to be prescriptive for anyone.  If you have any medical condition, it is critical you work under the care and guidance of a licensed medical healthcare provider.    

Mold Toxicity

Many people are exposed to mold at home, school, or work and just don’t know it. And often times, Mold Toxicity develops over time.

The longer the mold stays in your body, the more toxins it produces.

And mold can actually colonize your body, just like what can happen with bacterial or viral infections. But a mold infection is a type of fungal infection.

Mold Toxins can be behind many of these symptoms:

• “Ice pick” or “lightning bolt” pains
• Supplement sensitivities
• Food sensitivities like Oxalate or Salicylate Intolerance
• Dry eyes or blurred vision
• Difficulty regulating body temperature (too hot or too cold)
• A higher number of static shocks
• Muscle cramps from electrolyte disturbances
• Digestive issues
• Joint pain
• Cognitive issues, including mood swings
• Numbness and tingling
• Inability to detox
• Weakened immune system
• Catching every infection
• Slow or difficult healing
• And more

Related Post: Mold Toxicity Symptoms with MCAS

Does that sound like you? Maybe you can relate to some of Beth’s story.

Mold Toxicity: Beth’s Story

“I developed mold sensitivity as a child. 

When I was seven years old, my family moved into an old farmhouse in the country. At that time, my health slowly started to go downhill. 

We wouldn’t know until later that that farmhouse was full of toxic mold.

Then I had more mold exposure as an adult. 

I became so ill, I was bedridden. And you may know already—I had to use a cane to walk by the time I was 28 years old.

The health issues started as difficulty paying attention in school and a weakened immune system. Because my immune system was compromised, I ended up with Lyme disease and other infections. 

I also had a brain injury at age 9. And the Mold Toxicity prevented me from being able to heal. 

Mold Toxicity can cause a huge number of seemingly random symptoms. 

Some of the symptoms I had were: 

• Bizarre and excruciating “ice pick” or “lightning bolt” pains 
• Really dry eyes that weren’t helped by eye drops
• Major blood sugar issues
• Elevated thyroid antibodies
• Lots of sensitivities
• A host of other health issues

By the time I was 12, if I didn’t eat breakfast right away, I would black out and feel like I was going to pass out.

By the time I reached my early 20s, I had to eat every two hours in order to keep my blood sugar steady. This was because of the mold’s effect on my pancreas.”

Many people don’t know mold is part of their health issues! It took Beth decades to learn about it and figure it out.

We see Mold Toxicity in nearly all of our clients. And until you address mold, your health often just stays stuck. Mold makes it harder to address everything! That’s why it’s important to look at closely and detox.

Next, let’s look at what mold toxins are.

Mold Toxins: What They Are and How They Affect Mast Cell Activation and Histamine Intolerance

The toxins produced by mold in your body are called “mycotoxins.”

“Myco” comes from the Greek word for fungus.

As the mycotoxins build up in your body, you can develop more and more health issues. 

There are a number of different types of mold toxins or mycotoxins. These are some of the major categories: 

• Trichothecenes — Especially toxic to the body.
  • Black mold produces several of these.
  • This toxin can come from Fusarium and Stachybotrys molds and others.
  • This category includes around 170 different toxins, which grow on plant material or soil.
  • They can cause bleeding disorders and nervous system issues.
  • They affect the skin, gut, breathing, lungs, and sinuses.
  • They can damage blood producing cells.
• Ochratoxins — One of the most common mycotoxins in food.
  • Includes aspergillus and penicillium species.
  • Also common in water-damaged homes and in heating ducts.
  • It’s toxic to the immune system, liver, and kidneys.
  • It can also be cancer-causing.
  • They can increase UTI issues.
• Gliotoxins — Comes from Aspergillus and Candida.
  • This is the most common mold toxin causing disease in humans.
  • It can significantly affect the immune system.
  • It can also cause problems with the lungs, brain, and bone marrow.
  • It has been linked to brain and lung tumors.
• Aflatoxins — Commonly found in plant foods like peanuts.
  • Meat or dairy from animals who have eaten aflatoxin-contaminated feed may also contain this mycotoxin.
  • Aflatoxin exposure has been linked to kidney problems and liver issues, including jaundice and hepatitis.
  • It has also been associated with lung cancers.
• Mycophenolic acid — Produced by the Penicillium mold.
  • It suppresses the immune system and increases a person’s risk for infections like Clostridia and Candida.
  • Exposure during pregnancy may lead to birth defects or miscarriage.
• Citrinin — Produced by a few types of mold like Aspergillus and Penicillium.
  • Exposure suppresses the immune system.
  • It may also cause damage to the kidneys.
  • Animal studies indicate it could cause cancer.

You can see how dangerous these mycotoxins are for your body in general. 

Let’s take a look at how they trigger mast cells next.

Mold Toxicity as a Root Cause of MCAS

There are many possible root causes of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Histamine Intolerance. But Mold Toxicity is the #1 cause we see in the clinic.

A root cause just means something that’s behind the problem. What’s creating it?

You can get a FREE 7 Most Common Root Causes Report here:

So, how do mold and mycotoxins contribute to MCAS? Here are a few ways:

• They dysregulate and dampen your immune response
• They disrupt hormones
• They significantly disrupt your nervous system
• They can damage organs and disrupt function
• They clog up detox pathways

And because all these systems work together, mold toxins can create complex problems in your body. 

Your body may also start to enter something called Cell Danger Response (CDR).

CDR is a general response that happens when your body is trying to protect you from toxins, infections, or other pathogens.

And with Mold Toxicity, this is where a bunch of pathways start to shut down to prevent the mold from spreading. 

Your body moves from “fight or flight” to FREEZE. 

As a result, you may have been told you have methylation issues, or sulfur issues, or mitochondria issues. Everything’s just been shut down. Your body is trying to protect itself.

These changes happen in with CDR:

• Vitamin D activation reduced
• Glutathione production reduced
• Methylation pathway dysfunction
• Increased histamine and mast cell activation
• Dysregulation of the heme pathway
• Decrease of serotonin and melatonin production
• Reductions in heavy metal clearance
• Disruptions to the GI tract
• Cell wall hardens 

One of the major problems happening in healthcare is addressing these upstream issues and not addressing the ROOT Factors.

Some practitioners will want to jump in and help you with methylation or processing sulfur or clearing metals. However, if you have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance, you might actually get worse!

These changes from the Cell Danger Response are ways your body keeps pathogens like mold from spreading.

So, if you start working upstream on fixing things your body has turned down or off, the mold infection now has an easier time spreading.

And this just causes the mast cells to become more imbalanced and to produce more and more inflammation. 

And then you get more and more mast cell symptoms. Examples include:

• Respiratory issues like:
  • Sinusitis
  • Bronchitis
  • Coughs
  • Aggravation of asthma
• Neurological issues like:
  • Sleep problems
  • Brain fog
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
• More food sensitivities
• Worse gut issues

All things you don’t want.

But how do you get Mold Toxicity in the first place? Let’s look at that next.

How Do You Get Mold Toxicity?

We’ve talked a lot about other triggers for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance in the past. However, Mold Toxicity is one we see so often that it’s worth considering carefully.

So…how do you even get Mold Toxicity?

Toxic Mold in Buildings

The main way people get Mold Toxicity is through environmental exposure.

This could be from living in a moldy house, working in a moldy building, or even attending a moldy school.

Why are buildings so moldy these days? Well, partly because building codes changed in the 1970s. 

During that time, efforts were made to make buildings more energy-efficient. To accomplish this, buildings were constructed to be more air-tight. 

The changes in building construction were great for reducing energy use and energy cost. However, with all the cracks and crevices sealed, condensation and moisture are also sealed in. 

This increases the tendency for mold to grow. 

Other potential contributing factors or sources of mold exposure include:

• Living in a humid area, along a coast, or near water
• Leaking pipes – even very slow leaks
• Air conditioning units – especially window units and evaporative cooling, aka “swamp coolers”
• Humidifiers attached to furnaces
• Water exposure in a car – windows left down

Many people think that dry areas are mold free. But there are still plenty of moldy buildings, even in drier places! After all, most homes have indoor plumbing or air conditioning, and it rains almost everywhere sometime.

All of this contributes to the possibility of mold. And the rise in mold illness we’ve seen.

And children are much more susceptible to Mold Toxicity. We’ve seen a big uptick in the past 20 years in young kids with mold toxin issues.

Now, people also ask about mold toxins in foods. Let’s look at that quickly.

Toxic Mold in Foods

Mold exposure from building is very common. Probably more common than most people realize.

But it’s not as common to get mold poisoning from food these days, particularly in Western countries. 

A few hundred years ago, mold poisoning through food was more common. 

In the 1500s and 1600s, a fungus called ergot was found in rye. When people ate the contaminated rye, they would have brain symptoms like hallucinations, convulsions, and irrational behavior. 

Our foods are now tested thoroughly for mold.

However, it’s possible that something could occasionally slip through testing. And additionally, if you’re really mold-sensitive, you could react to certain foods that have trace amounts of mold. 

Some foods that are more likely to have mold issues include:

• Peanuts
• Coffee
• Grains
• Nuts
• Beer and wine
• Hard cheeses

But in general, Western foods are going to be pretty safe.

Keep in mind that if you are traveling to less developed countries, you’ll have to be much more careful. Mycotoxin food testing is not going to be as accurate or consistent there.

Next, let’s look at how to find out whether you have Mold Toxicity.

How Do You Test for Mold Toxicity When You Have Mast Cell Activation or Histamine Intolerance?

You can test for mold toxins in a number of different ways. However, the two main types that tend to be used are blood testing and urine testing.

The blood testing will look for whether you have antibodies to mold toxins in your bloodstream. It shows the immune system’s response to the mold species and toxins. This can help determine whether you have current exposure to mold. It can also be helpful if urine testing is negative. But we prefer to start with urine tests.

Urine testing shows what levels of mold toxins are currently being excreted by your body.

Urine can tell you about past and present exposure. And it gives you an idea of where to start for your mold and mycotoxin detox using targeted supports. Urine testing can also help see how supports may need to be increased or decreased over time. 

Unfortunately, there’s no single panel that is excellent at detecting all the mold markers in one test.

For that reason, we use two urine lab tests side by side: The RealTime Mycotoxin test and the Mosaic MycoTOX test (formerly Great Plains).

But, if you only have money for 1 test, we usually recommend the RealTime Mycotoxin test because we see fewer false negatives.

• The RealTime Mycotoxin test is more sensitive for:
  • Trichothecenes
  • Gliotoxins
  • Aflatoxins
• The Mosaic MycoTOX testing method seems to be better at detecting:
  • Ochratoxins
  • Mycophenolic acid
  • Citrinin

The two tests complement each other. So, when they are used together, you can get a more complete picture of the molds and mycotoxins affecting your body. 

But even just 1 test will give you information to start with!

Let’s look at both of these tests in more detail.

RealTime Mycotoxin Panel

Here’s a sample of a RealTime Mycotoxin Test:

This test checks for the following mold toxins:

• Ochratoxins
• Trichothecenes:
  • Satratoxin G
  • Satratoxin H
  • Isosatratoxin F
  • Roridin A
  • Roridin E
  • Roridin H
  • Roridin L-2
  • Verrucarin A
  • Verrucarin J
• Aflatoxins:
  • Aflatoxin B1
  • Aflatoxin B2
  • Aflatoxin G1
  • Aflatoxin G2
• Gliotoxin 

Fasting is not required, and the turnaround time is usually 7-10 business days.

>>> Order the RealTime Mycotoxin Panel here

Mosaic MycoTOX Test (formerly Great Plains)

Here’s a sample of the first page of a Mosaic MycoTOX Test:

This test checks for 11 different types of mycotoxins coming from 40 species of mold.

This test checks for the following mold toxins:

• Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1)
• Ochratoxin A (OTA)
• Sterigmatocystin (STG)
• Roridin E
• Verrucarin A
• Enniatin B1
• Zearalenone
• Gliotoxin
• Mycophenolic Acid
• Citrinin
• Chaetoglobosin A

Fasting is not required, and the turnaround time is usually 21 days. 

>>> Order Mosaic’s MycoTOX Test (US) here 

>>> Order Mosaic’s MycoTOX Test (Canada) here

Provoking a Mycotoxin Test if You Have Mast Cell Activation or Histamine Intolerance

It is important that you know this post is for information and educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the care of a medical practitioner. Please work with your provider to decide what is right for you.

Now, to make sure testing is accurate, it’s often helpful to gently provoke the mold detox pathways.

Again, we really want to emphasize, this MUST be done GENTLY. And it’s best to work with your practitioner who knows your case.

With Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Histamine Intolerance, you never want to push detox pathways too hard because that can trigger a major flare.

However, many can start to gently provoke.

Provoking can be helpful because mold toxins tend to be stored in your tissues—particularly fat tissues. These mold toxins are not good for your body. And your body doesn’t want the mold toxins circulating.

That’s why they’re safely stored away.

So, you can get more reliable results by gently provoking detox before a test by either sweating (if tolerated) or by taking some glutathione. Or both, if possible.

But you don’t want to do anything that you know triggers you. So, if you know that sweating is a trigger for you, then skip that part. If you know you don’t do well on glutathione, then skip that part.

If you could do both, that’s ideal. But you have to do what’s tolerable for your body.

Again, please work with your practitioner. These are some ideas you can discuss with them. Here are some general guidelines we use for provocation with mycotoxin testing for those who can tolerate it.

Mycotoxin Provocation: Mosaic MycoTOX test

If you are testing both Mosaic (Great Plains) and RealTime Mycotoxin tests, you want to do the Mosaic first.

Here are the general steps.

1. Be sure to stop taking all binders 3 days before you do the urine collection.
   • Binders are things like:
     • Activated charcoal
     • GI Detox
     • Bentonite clay
     • Humic or fulvic acid
     • Diatomaceous earth
     • Chlorella
     • Etc.

2. If you can tolerate heat, then you can do Sauna (10 to 30 minutes) or hot bath (30 minutes) to sweat. 
   • If tolerated, sweat 2 to 3 times throughout the week.
   • Your last day of sweating would be the day before collection. Then collect your first morning urine.
   • If you feel worse- achiness, fatigue, brain fog or any increase in symptoms not explained by something else, stop and collect first morning urine the next day.

MycoToxin Provocation: RealTime Mycotoxins

IF you are testing both Mosaic (Great Plains) and RealTime Mycotoxins tests, you want to do the RealTime provocation AFTER you finish the Mosaic test.

Here are the general steps.

1. Be sure to stop taking all binders 3 days before you do the urine collection.
   • Binders are things like:
     • Activated charcoal
     • GI Detox
     • Bentonite clay
     • Humic or fulvic acid
     • Diatomaceous earth
     • Chlorella
     • Etc.

2. If you can tolerate heat, then you can do Sauna (10 to 30 minutes) or hot bath (30 minutes) to sweat. 
   • If tolerated, sweat 2 to 3 times throughout the week.
   • Your last day of sweating would be the day before collection. Then collect your first morning urine.
   • If you feel worse- achiness, fatigue, brain fog or any increase in symptoms not explained by something else, stop and collect first morning urine the next day.

3. For the RealTime Test ONLY: You may wish to add Acetyl-Glutathione.
   • People generally start with a tiny amount of glutathione, like ⅛ tablet.
   • And then see if they can gradually increase to 100mg 1x/day.
     • Then, if tolerated, 100mg 2x/day.
   • Find the amount you tolerate without an increase in symptoms.
   • Continue your amount of Acetyl-Glutathione for 5-6 days, then collect next morning urine.
   • If you feel worse at any point – achiness, fatigue, brain fog or have any increase in symptoms not explained by something else, stop the glutathione and collect first morning urine the next day.

Please Note: The maximum for Acetyl-Glutathione is 500mg 2x/day. And very few people with Mast Cell Activation can go that high. It is NOT necessary at all to go that high. DO NOT push into a flare.

Many people ask about Reduced Glutathione. It has been shown in research to not be as well absorbed.

Liposomal Glutathione may be ok. But it often has citrus oils or potassium sorbate that can trigger mast cell activation.

Glutathione IV can be used as well. But only if you know you tolerate it! Many with MCAS don’t tolerate Glutathione IVs when they have Mold Toxicity.

And finally, what happens if your test comes back negative?

What if your Urine Tests are Negative?

So, you may find that you are certain you have Mold Toxicity. Or maybe you don’t know for sure but are trying to find out. And your urine tests are negative.

If you’ve had mold exposure, the urine tests can be negative if your body can’t excrete them yet. This often happens in people who are really sick.

What we often see in people like that is the tests are positive once their body gets to a place where it can start to detox.

When you get a negative urine test, blood testing may be useful. The best lab for the Mycotoxin Blood Testing is MyMycoLab. Which tests for 24 IgE and IgG antibodies to different mold toxins.

As you read earlier, this type of testing can be helpful for identifying current exposure, but it won’t tell you about past exposure.

No test is perfect! But the 2 urine tests above, and sometimes the blood tests, are often very helpful. So, you know what mold toxins you need to detox.

Remember, testing is important so you know what mycotoxins you need to target. And repeat testing is needed to confirm that you have ALL the mold out (otherwise, it grows back)./A

If you are looking for even more information on testing and detox—we have a step-by-step Precision Mold Master Class that helps walk you through:

• Understanding mold
• Testing
• That to do with results
• How to detox gently
• Tips on finding a good inspector
• And so much more!

Have you had Mold Toxicity? If so, did it affect your Mast Cell Activation Syndrom or Histamine Intolerance? Share with us in the comments below. 

More on Mold and Mycotoxins:

• Top Signs You Have Mold Toxicity: Mold Toxicity Symptoms
• How To Gently Detox Your Body from Mold with MCAS
• Mold Allergy vs Mold Toxicity vs Mold Colonization
• Home Mold Testing as Part of Your MCAS Mold Detox Plan

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References

Anyanwu, E. C., Campbell, A. W., & Vojdani, A. (2003). Neurophysiological Effects of Chronic Indoor Environmental Toxic Mold Exposure on Children. The Scientific World JOURNAL, 3, 281–290. https://doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2003.22

Bankova, L. G. et al.  (2016). The leukotriene E4 receptor, GPR99 mediates mast cell-dependent mucosal responses to the mold allergen, alternaria alternata. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 137(2).

Kritas, S. K., Gallenga, C. E., D Ovidio, C., Ronconi, G., Caraffa, A. l., Toniato, E., Lauritano, D., & Conti, P. (2018). Impact of mold on mast cell-cytokine immune response. Journal of biological regulators and homeostatic agents, 32(4), 763–768.

Nathan, N.  (2018). Category: Mast Cell Activation. Retrieved from: https://neilnathanmd.com/category/mast-cell-activation/

Nathan, N. (2020). Mold & mycotoxins: Effective testing & treatment. 

Nathan, N. (2018) Evaluation & treatment of mold toxicity with the use of mycotoxin assays.

Nathan, N. (2018). Toxic: Heal your body from mold toxicity, lyme disease, multiple chemical sensitivities, and chronic environmental illness. Victory Belt Publishing. 

Naviaux, R. K. (2014). Metabolic features of the cell danger response. Mitochondrion, 16, 7–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mito.2013.08.006