Are you or someone you know struggling with debilitating fatigue, pain all over, brain fog, leaky gut problems, sleep disorder, headaches or strange neurological symptoms? I want to continue my discussion on Biotoxin Illness, technically called Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). If you are suffering with these symptoms, you may have this disorder. I believe we will be seeing an epidemic of CIRS in the coming year due to Irma and water damaged buildings in SW Florida.
In my last blog, I discussed the genetics behind this disorder and why toxic molds are growing in our buildings. I promised to continue with one of the specific genetic types, called the dreaded haplotype, because patients with this genetic profile tend to get sicker than most of the other types and react quicker with each subsequent toxic mold exposure (sicker quicker).
Patients with the 11-3 52b genetic defect appear with a very recognizable body type. They tend to look like models and are mostly females. They have long, slender arms and legs, a narrow chest and pelvis, a longer neck, and long slender fingers. They tend to be very flexible, even “double jointed” to some degree, Many will say that they have never really felt well, but push through each day because they have to.
Practices like mine that specialize in Biotoxin patients and their treatment have up to 40% of patients that are hyper-flexible. Many of my patients are current or former yoga instructors, gymnasts, cheerleaders, dancers, and others that are very flexible. There is up to 15% of my patients that have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome type 2, a genetic disorder involving cartilage that makes it too soft and they are extremely flexible, but able to carry on with life. Many of these are 11-3-52b types and Biotoxin susceptible patients.
As I mentioned in my first blog, you can get a good idea if you have CIRS if you have a multi symptom, multi system illness. Fatigue is a predominant component and can be debilitating, preventing many activities. Since most of my patients are females due to the genetics, they tend to keep going despite the symptoms because they have to. They push through each day trying to survive and do all of the things they are expected to do. That does not mean you are not sick. If you continue to ignore your symptoms, they get worse over time until eventually you fall off of a cliff and wind up in bed all the time.
The 37 symptoms of CIRS are organized into 13 clusters. We know from prospective studies that if you have 6 of these clusters, you need a workup for CIRS. If you have 8 or more, there is almost a 99% chance you have this disorder. Most of my patients have 11 or more clusters.
A VCS test can be an effective screening test for CIRS. It is a Visual Contrast Sensitivity test and tests your ability to discriminate white and gray. It is not a test for visual acuity, like you get at the eye doctor. This is not a common test. You can take it yourself online at VCStest.com or survivingmold.com. You must do it exactly as instructed and have at least 20/50 vision or better. Wear glasses if you normally wear them to see the computer. Measure distances as instructed.
If you fail this VCS test, even by one point in one eye, it is 98.6% accurate for CIRS. Coupled with a positive symptom score, you can be at 100% accuracy. 8% of patients can pass the VCS and still have CIRS. They tend to be people with a fine eye for details, such as artists, graphic designers, baseball and tennis players.
CIRS is diagnosed by the symptoms, screening tests, a history of exposure, and appropriate laboratory testing to confirm it. We will discuss the tests needed and what they show us in my next blog. If you have any questions about CIRS and whether you have it, contact my office at 2399393303.
God bless you,
Alan