Andrew Campbell, MD, has treated more than 16,000 patients suffering from the effects of molds and mycotoxins. He has also published more than 100 studies in medical journals and chapters in medical textbooks on the topic. As you can imagine, he has seen quite a diversity of cases, ranging from patients ages 2 to 96.
Dr. Campbell is quick to emphasize that all his diagnosis and treatments are based on scientific evidence and facts from published studies. “I do not go to Google and read anecdotes and opinions on websites from ‘experts,’” he says. “Most of my patients are back to normal in 6 to 8 months of treatment, not years. And this includes Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), which is often caused by mycotoxins. I know what works and I know what doesn’t work.”
We sat down with Dr. Campbell to ask some of the most pressing questions about mold and mycotoxins. Our hope is that his years of experience can help you spot mycotoxin illness in your patients more easily and treat it more effectively using science-backed therapies.
There are several videos available on the Mymycolab.com website and in YouTube under the Mymycolab channel where I discuss the effects of molds and mycotoxins, the most effective diagnostic testing and treatment, and how they affect organs in humans. \
How a person reacts to molds and mycotoxins depends on that person’s health and nutritional status, if they have other medical conditions, and how long was their exposure.
1. What are molds, and how do they affect human health?
Molds are always present in homes, businesses, or public buildings that are water damaged, and they are always producing mold spores and mycotoxins. Molds start to grow when they have been wet for 24 hours or more, and then they release spores carrying mycotoxins. Molds can grow on dry wall, attics, insulation, basements, underside of carpeting, ventilation ducts, and crawl spaces, in your car, at the gym, and many other places.
Even small amounts of mold growth in an air conditioner or in the air conditioning ducts will result in the occupants being chronically exposed, constantly breathing mold spores and mycotoxins causing illness.
It has been well documented in medical journals that water intrusion from leaky roofs, windows, basements, leaking washer, dishwashers, ice makers, etc. will cause mold growth with subsequent mycotoxins. Published reports include homes, office buildings, courthouses, hospitals, police stations, hotels, schools, and college dormitories. Possible sources of indoor molds also include indoor plants, the gym, the public library, and any vehicle.
Diseases caused by molds (fungi) have increased over the last 4 decades because of climate change with more floods, hurricanes, storms, etc., as well as the AIDS pandemic and chemotherapy, transplantation, and immune suppression with medications like corticosteroids.
2. What Are Mycotoxins?
Mycotoxins are toxins produced by certain molds (fungi) and are odorless, invisible, and tasteless. Mycotoxins can cause a variety of adverse health effects and pose a serious health threat to humans. The adverse health effects of mycotoxins range from chronic to acute toxicity to long-term effects such as autoimmunity and cancer. To use an analogy, molds are the gun and mycotoxins are the bullet. It is important to know that one mold can produce a number of different mycotoxins and one mycotoxin can come from several different molds. It is not a one-to-one ratio.
Mycotoxins can lead to immune system dysregulation. The alteration of immune responses due to chronic mycotoxin exposure may also adversely affect the ability of the immune system to fight infections and other environmental challenges. This may explain why patients complain of increased sensitivity to chemicals, odors, foods, etc.
3. Where do Mycotoxins Attack First?
The brain. Mycotoxins have a significant toxic effect on the central and peripheral nervous systems. Studies have demonstrated that mycotoxins can cause loss of myelin leading to multiple sclerosis-like symptoms and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). It is common for patients to complain of neurological symptoms such as brain fog, headaches, blurred vision and other visual problems, numbness, tingling, short-term memory loss, tremors, sleep disturbance, and others.
4. What Are the Most Common Symptoms Caused by Mycotoxins?
It is a long list—gere are the most prevalent symptoms associated with mycotoxins:
- Fatigue, usually mode worse by exercise
- Short-term memory loss
- Headaches
- Confused easily or changes in ability to learn
- Blurred vision
- Seizures
- Loss of equilibrium
- Light headedness
- Feeling “spaced out”
- Sleep disturbance
- Tremors
- Numbness and tingling in hands and fingers, feet and toes
- Twitching muscles
- Ringing in ears
- Intolerance to alcohol
- Decreased libido
- Low testosterone
- Sores that will not heal
- Bruise easily
- Joint aches and pains
- Shortness of breath
- Cough
- Abdominal pain and discomfort, diarrhea, nausea
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Hair loss
- Nosebleeds
- Skin rashes
- Hives
- Itchy skin
- Chronic sinusitis
- Recurrent flu-like illnesses
- Painful lymph nodes
- Severe nasal and other allergies
- Abnormal weight gain
- Low-grade fever or feeling hot
- Uncomfortable urination
- Dry eyes and mouth
- Frequent canker sores
- Cold hands and feet
- Thyroid inflammation
- Multiple sensitivities to medicines, foods, chemicals, odors, etc.
5. What Conditions Are Linked to Mycotoxins?
Lyme and Co-infections
The testing for Lyme and co-infections will cross react with the testing for mycotoxin antibodies. What this means is that if you have mycotoxin antibodies, your Lyme test and test for co-infections may be positive without a patient actually having Lyme’s disease or the co-infections (e.g., Babesia, Bartonella). I have seen many patients treated with multiple antibiotics for “chronic Lyme” for years and they still feel bad. This is because they have mycotoxins, not Lyme or co-infections. As you may know, the symptoms of Lyme disease and co-infections are quite similar to those of mycotoxin illness.
According to a landmark study, the treatment for Lyme disease is up to 3 weeks. If a patient is not significantly better in 3 weeks, then they have something else wrong with them—mycotoxins. Remember, you doctor should treat you and not the lab test results. Many patients suffering from chronic Lyme disease may actually have mycotoxins. The symptoms for both are very similar, and when the treatment for Lyme, which is a bacteria, fails to cause a significant improvement in a person, the reason may be that it is mycotoxins actually causing the problem. This is why I put together a five-page PDF differentiating between Lyme disease and mycotoxicosis in patients.
→ Download a free copy of “Lyme Disease and Mycotoxicosis: How to Differentiate Between the Two” by Dr. Andrew Campbell through this link.
Gastrointestinal problems: SIBO, IBS, IBD
Mycotoxins are known to cause intestinal permeability, commonly known as leaky gut. This is due to the effect on certain specific types of cells in the gut. The key to healing the gut is not to treat these symptoms and effects of mycotoxins, but to treat the mycotoxins causing the leaky gut. In my webinars, I show patients with SIBO whose abdomen looks like a 6-months pregnancy and is normal and flat after only 3 months of the right treatment.
Autism
Exposure to molds and mycotoxins have been linked to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism is increasing, currently found at one in 54 children. A published study looked at 172 children with ASD and 61 controls. The authors showed significant differences comparing mycotoxin antibody levels between the two children’s groups, with the ASD group having much more elevated levels of mycotoxin antibodies. In a subsequent study of ASD, these researchers linked ASD to the mycotoxins ochratoxin. We have many case reports where autistic children have improved after treatment for mycotoxins. The mycotoxins in these studies are tested for by Mymycolab, which is the most precise test available. Children can also be affected by mycotoxins by having learning disabilities and behavioral problems.
Alzheimer’s Disease
In autopsies conducted on persons who died with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a significant percentage were found to have molds and mycotoxins in the brain. There are a number of published studies linking AD to mycotoxins.
Autoimmune Disorders
Antibodies to mycotoxins can form adducts and bind to human tissues, triggering autoimmunity. Many patients suffering from autoimmune thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, Addison’s disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, etc. may have been affected by mycotoxins. If the test for antibodies is positive, then the patient should be treated for the mycotoxins and the autoimmune reaction can and does eventually fade away. Please see my photos of before and after patients with autoimmune diagnoses in my webinars on the Mymycolab YouTube channel.
EBV, CMV, HHSV Reactivation
Cross-reactivity with mycotoxin antibodies will make your test for EBV, CMV, etc. turn positive. But they are not reactivated. It is a cross-reaction with the testing. In other words, just like for Lyme disease, the testing is positive due to cross-reactivity, so the person’s results may be positive, but this is just the test, not actually in the patient.
Breast Implant Illness
Breast implants, both saline and silicone, can have molds growing inside them from the manufacturing process. I have published 23 studies in medical journals on breast implant illness and there are actual photos where you can see mold in the implant after explantation. Testing for serum mycotoxins from molds can help differentiate if the person is suffering from the molds in the implants.
Morgellons Disease
This disorder is very unfortunately misunderstood by medicine. A number of studies have linked it to psychological and psychiatric disorders, in particular delusional disorder. Recently, attention has been given to possibly Lyme disease as a causative agent. Over the last 35 years, I have seen and successfully treated a number of Morgellons disease patients who had elevated antibodies to mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are known to cause several dermatological conditions, including psoriasis, Hidradenitis suppurativa, rosacea, and dyshidrotic eczema. However, these are my observations and I am wanting to publish a study with patients with Morgellons Disease, so that others can benefit from the treatment.
Chronic Sinusitis
It has been demonstrated in studies that molds cause sinusitis and that this is much more common than what was previously thought. A publication from the Mayo Clinic showed that 96% of chronic sinusitis is caused by molds.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
ALS is a progressive and fatal disease and approximately 90% of cases are sporadic, possibly caused by mycotoxins, with 5-10% due to genetic mutations. A 2019 published review of ALS looked at exposure of neurons to mycotoxins, showing how these mycotoxins can cause ALS.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia
Many patients get misdiagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and similar conditions. Testing for mycotoxin antibodies will give the correct diagnosis.
Hormone Imbalances
The chronic inflammatory response from mycotoxin toxicity can affect hormones in men and women. There is upregulation of the enzyme aromatase, which is responsible for the last steps of estrogen biosynthesis from androgens (i.e., testosterone), resulting in the increased conversion of testosterone to estrogen. All estrogens need the appropriate function of the liver and of cytochrome P450 enzymes to enable them to be metabolized. Cytochrome P450 enzymes are essential to the body to detoxify. Mycotoxins block P450 enzymes, making it much more difficult for the body to get rid of toxin, but also affecting estrogens. T-2 mycotoxin, part of the trichothecene family of mycotoxins, has been shown in studies to decrease testosterone biosynthesis and secretion. Alternariol mycotoxin is antiandrogenic, meaning it reduces the effects of testosterone, as do the mycotoxins ochratoxin and deoxynivalenol (aka vomitoxin). Mycotoxins can also affect the thyroid hormone, and this is more common than many clinicians realize.
Asthma
Asthma is frequently a result of exposure to molds and mycotoxins, especially in children and also in adults.
Demyelination in the Brain and Peripheral Nervous System
There are many published studies demonstrating that the effects of mycotoxin that can result in demyelinating diseases. In one study of 119 patients exposed to molds and mycotoxins, all tested positive to mycotoxins antibodies, and all had demyelination, and there are many more publications. This demyelination can result in Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), or mimic Guillain Barre Syndrome.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Studies have shown that exposure to molds and mycotoxins is a risk factor in MS and other autoimmune diseases. Rutgers University Medical School and other medical centers have published studies showing how mycotoxins are directly linked to MS.
Mast Cell Activation
IgE antibodies to mycotoxins cause mast cell activation and can lead to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). The IgE antibodies to mycotoxins also trigger mast cells to release pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukins), which cause inflammation throughout the body, especially through the release of interleukin-6 (IL-6).
Anxiety and Depression
Mycotoxins are known to cause anxiety and depression that does not respond to the usual medications prescribed for these conditions. It that case, treat the mycotoxins, and the anxiety and depression will slowly ease off and go away.
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
This condition is commonly found in patients suffering from the effects of mycotoxins.
→ Listen to Dr. Andrew Campbell on Today’s Practitioner OneMedicine Podcast: The Six-Month Toxic Mold Detox Protocol and Watch his Webinar, a Today’s Practitioner exclusive: The Brain, the Gut and Misconceptions on Toxic Molds and Mycotoxins.
6. Are Mycotoxin Blood Tests Accurate?
The accuracy and specificity of IgG and IgE antibodies to mycotoxins is of the highest levels available and will help any clinician in the differential diagnosis of many medical conditions. Blood serum testing for mycotoxin antibodies have been used for over 30 years and are highly accurate. This is why university medical centers use this test instead of the urine test. The specificity and sensitivity of blood serum testing for the presence of IgG and IgE antibodies to mycotoxins in the blood are of the highest degree.
As I mentioned above, Mymycolab.com has the most precise testing options available. Each mycotoxin antigen at Mymycolab is validated according to the highest standards as set by law.
7. Why Is a Urine Test for Mycotoxins Inaccurate?
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), low levels of mycotoxins are found in many foods. For that reason, they are routinely present in the urine of healthy people. This does not mean that the person is suffering from a disease or disorder related to molds or mycotoxins. The urine test does not measure mycotoxins, it measures metabolites of mycotoxins. What does that mean? When a person eats asparagus for lunch and the urine smells of asparagus for the rest of the day, those are asparagus metabolites. A study published in Toxins showed that milk, either pasteurized or unpasteurized, can contain mycotoxins, with anywhere from 1 to 4 mycotoxins. Urine levels of mycotoxins mean excretion: it does not mean pathology. Furthermore, some mycotoxins cannot be measured in urine, such as ochratoxin. Almost all, 99.8%, of the ochratoxin in the body is very tightly bound to the body’s main protein, albumin, so it cannot be excreted through the kidneys. It is reabsorbed from any part of the nephron by both active and passive transport and by passive diffusion. Even so, there are laboratories offering urine testing for ochratoxin—it is the most commonly found mycotoxin in urine test even though it cannot be excreted in urine.
8. Do You Recommend Antifungals?
A broad spectrum antifungal medication such as itraconazole can be very helpful. It may be necessary to prescribe an antifungal for longer periods of time depending on each patient’s response. My experience is that itraconazole is safe and very effective. This is supported by the medical literature. Be aware of the difference between itraconazole and fluconazole and nystatin. There are 2 types of molds: unicellular and multicellular. Single cell molds are yeasts (e.g., candida). Multicellular molds are all the others: Aspergillus, Penicillium, Stachybotrys, etc. Yeasts are treated with fluconazole or nystatin, but these two medications are ineffective against all the other molds. Itraconazole, on the other hand, is effective against both single cell molds (like candida) as well as Aspergillus, Penicillium, etc. Also, Itraconazole crossed the blood-brain barrier, which is important.
9. Are There Any Supplements That Worsen Mycotoxins?
Glutathione should not be taken by anyone who is positive for gliotoxin antibodies. Glutathione increases the cytotoxicity of the mycotoxin gliotoxin. According to researchers writing in Cell Biology and Toxicoloy, “These results indicate that glutathione promotes gliotoxin-induced cytotoxicity, probably by reducing the ETP (epipolythiodioxopiperazine) disulfide bridge to the dithiol form.”
10. What Are Your Thoughts on Home Mold Testing?
You may have heard of The Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI), an increasingly popular testing method to check for mold in homes. This test is often recommended by those lacking a background in Environmental Sciences; they tend to not understand the limitations of this testing method. Initially designed for use on a single research project, the ERMI was created and funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA has since been telling the public to stop using this test and that it is not accurate. Among environmental scientists, however, the limitations of the ERMI test are well known, and for that reason, true experts avoid this method. There isn’t just one thing that makes the ERMI test inaccurate—there are many.
At this time, I can recommend three businesses that test homes for mold:
References
Campbell, AW., Weinstock, LB. Molds, Mycotoxins, The Brain, the Gut and Misconceptions. Altern Ther. 2022 Mar/Apr; 28(3): 8-2.
Campbell, AW., Watson P. Mold, Mycotoxins, and their Effects in Children. Altern Ther Health Med. 2021 Jan;27(1):8-10.
Campbell, AW., Decena K. The Brain and Mycotoxins. Altern Ther Health Med. 2020 Nov;26(6):8-11.
Campbell, AW. Lyme Disease and Mycotoxicosis: How to Differentiate Between the Two. Altern Ther Health Med. 2019 Jul;25(4):810.
Lieberman A, Curtis L, Campbell AW. Development of New- Onset Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy Following Exposure to a Water-Damaged Home With High Airborne Mold Levels: A Report of Two Cases and a Review of the Literature.
J Neurol Res. 2017;7(3):59-62. Campbell, AW. Molds and Mycotoxins: A Brief Review. Altern Ther Health Med. 2016; 22(3):8-11.
Campbell AW.: Molds and Mycotoxins. Altern Ther Health Med, 18(1), 8-10, January 2012.
Brasel TL., Campbell AW., Demers RE., Ferguson BS., Fink J., Vojdani A., Wilson SC., Straus DC.: 30 Detection of Trichothecene Mycotoxins in Sera from Individuals Exposed to Stachybotrys Chartarum in Indoor Environments. Arch Environ Health, 59(6), 317323, June 2004. 9.
Campbell AW.; Thrasher JD.; Gray MR.; Vojdani A.: Chapter: “Mold and Mycotoxins: Effects on the Neurological and Immune Systems in Humans.” Adv Appl Microbiol (Volume 55). David C. Straus., (ed.), Published by Elsevier Inc., 2004. 10.
Vojdani A., Thrasher JD., Madison RA., Gray MR., Heuser G., Campbell AW.,: Chapter: “Antibodies to Molds and Satratoxin in Individuals Exposed in Water- Damaged Buildings.” Molds and Mycotoxins. Kaye H. Kilburn, M.D. (ed.), Published by Heldref Publications, 2004.
