How I Cured Mold Toxicity
by Dawn Carr, C.Ht.
Disclaimer: Dawn Carr, C.Ht. provides her services for informational purposes only and advises everyone to seek the services of a licensed professional - medical, financial, or otherwise - whenever necessary. Dawn Carr and Psychic Stew are not liable for any decisions or actions made by others based on how they process information and the resulting outcome from this informational process. Always include your own doctors and medical professionals in all of your medical decisions.
As someone with sensitive skin, I have become accustomed to having rashes and skin ailments with unknown causes. Throughout my life, they came and went. Eventually, I would be diagnosed with psoriasis and eczema. The reactions became worse over time and were accompanied by other strange symptoms, including digestive issues and bouts of unexplained anxiety.
When my symptoms became worse, I went to the doctor and had them run whatever tests they thought I might need. All the tests came back normal, every single time. The doctor blamed it on my thyroid disorder, Hashimoto's Disease. Other doctors blamed it on stress, diet, etc. I developed vertigo, insomnia, and started having food sensitivities. The food sensitivities led to digestive issues and irritable bowels. At night, the leg cramps were unbearable! At one point in time, my body was so stiff that it was an effort to get out of bed and walk down the hall. I shuffled like a stiff old lady when I walked across the room. The doctors said it was my body changing because I was aging. I was hospitalized for vertigo because the motion sickness caused constant vomiting. Everyone seemed to have a different theory, but no one was offering any solutions to my problems.
I was driving through a parking lot the very first time I experienced histamine intolerance. It was the middle of October and I had just taken a sip of a soda. My shoulders and upper arms suddenly grew weak, to the point that I thought I was going to pass out while driving behind the wheel of my car. I quickly pulled into a parking space and waited for the feeling to go away. When ten minutes went by and I hadn't passed out, I figured it was safe for me to drive again.
Weeks went by and I had been painting my office a pretty yellow color. Halfway through the painting process, I noticed that my shoulders and arms felt weaker than they should have, but I chalked it up to using muscles that hadn't been used in a while.
At this time in my life, I had not taken my daily vitamins and supplements in months, so I thought my body was signaling that I was deficient in some essential nutrient. I went to the store and restocked my vitamin cabinet. Since it was a few months before my birthday, I was dedicated to getting healthy and made sure to take my vitamins every day.
My birthday came and went. Six weeks later, I had an allergic reaction that was so bad that I ended up in the emergency room. My nose had swelled shut and I couldn't breathe properly, which led to sleep apnea. The emergency room doctor told me that I had a sinus infection and prescribed a round of antibiotics. After completing the medication, I had another allergic reaction and had to go back to the emergency room. This time, the doctor prescribed a stronger course of antibiotics. Again, I had another allergic reaction. Each time, my nose would swell shut and I wouldn't be able to breathe well. I was gasping for air. A new doctor prescribed steroids to combat the reaction. The steroids worked on a temporary basis, but as soon as they wore off, the allergic reactions continued. After three more rounds of steroids, my life felt like it was falling apart. I couldn't sleep at night without the apnea suddenly waking me up and freaking me out. I would stay awake for two days at a time and then sleep upright in a reclining chair on the third night. One time, I was awake for over three days. The brain fog was horrible. It was not fun.
After six weeks of constant allergic reactions and no end in sight, I stumbled upon a clue.
Since I had been eating super healthy foods to boost my immune system to combat whatever was making me sick, I made sure that all of my meals were nutritious. One day, I made myself a delicious bowl of vanilla Greek yoghurt with chopped up fresh strawberries mixed in. After eating the meal, I suddenly had a really hard time breathing, not just through my nose, but actually taking breaths through my lungs using my diaphragm. It was so bad that I immediately went to an urgent care clinic near my house. I thought I was going into anaphylaxis. The doctor put me on a new round of steroids. After arriving back home, I decided to do my own deep dive into what could be causing my ailments.
I did a computer search with the terms "vanilla Greek yoghurt strawberries allergic reaction". Since I had been having past issues with lactose and dairy products, I found that it wasn't just the lactose that caused allergic reactions. Casein is a primary protein that is found in milk, especially cow's milk, and Greek yoghurt has higher amounts than other dairy products, which is why it's high in protein. Unfortunately, casein is a common food allergy. I immediately stopped eating anything containing casein.
Following the Greek yoghurt reaction, I started paying more attention to the foods I was consuming and the timing of my allergic reactions. It seemed that some foods caused the reactions to be worse than others. I began eliminating more foods from my diet in the hope that I could pinpoint the source of my sickness. One night before bed, I made myself a healthy snack: toasted whole wheat bread with avocado and sliced tomatoes (I love fresh raw tomatoes). Within fifteen minutes of eating the snack, I started having an allergic reaction. I struggled to breathe, while my shoulders and arms felt weak, like I was going to faint. Since I still had steroids left over from all that had been prescribed, I took a steroid pill to calm the reaction. Now I definitely knew that all of this was somehow related to food.
I did another deep dive and researched all of the foods that I ate every single day. I discovered that when my allergic reactions were really severe, it was after I had consumed something that was high in histamine. I learned that histamine is in practically all of our food, just at different levels. The foods with the highest histamine levels were more prone to cause allergic reactions in people with histamine intolerance. I looked up all of my foods and every single one was high in histamine! My beloved tomatoes, spinach, avocados, strawberries, bananas... so many things! Not only that, but other things can cause histamine release, like fluoride from toothpaste and food leftovers. When food is stored in the refrigerator, the food releases histamine while it breaks down over time. This means when you retrieve your leftovers to reheat for dinner the next night, it will have more histamine than when it entered the fridge the night before (whether it's covered or not). After switching to non-fluoride toothpaste and flash-freezing all of my food, I made it my mission to figure out what the heck was going on in my body.
I searched everywhere for a doctor who was familiar with histamine intolerance. The only one I could find was an oncologist who dealt with it when it caused by mast cell activation syndrome. Since I couldn't find anyone to test me or help me, I had to do my own research.
The next seven months saw me surviving on five foods: plain chicken, plain potatoes, eggs, butternut squash, and pears. Ironically, I had just overcome an egg intolerance that had lasted for eight years. I learned that I could eat eggs again just when I learned that I couldn't have any food with histamine. I lost twenty pounds and felt pretty good, but I had constant tinnitus and dizziness. Also, I had woken up with a stiff neck on the morning of my first allergic reaction and that stiff neck had never gone away. I made sure to tell all of the medical professionals about my sore neck, but after x-rays and a CT scan found nothing out of the ordinary, this symptom was dismissed.
Six months later, I started feeling ill again. I wondered if my body was getting enough nutrients, so I researched which foods might help and still be low in histamine. I decided that I would add beets to my food list since I hadn't found anything online about histamine reactions.
A month later, I started feeling worse. It felt like I was frequently going to faint and sometimes the dizziness was overwhelming. I noticed that my vision was often blurry and that my hair had stopped growing. Thinking that I was really nutrient deficient, I did some research and discovered that I might be able to block histamine from affecting me via my digestive system. I was already taking Zyrtec every day to help combat histamine that affected my nasal allergies through the H1 receptor. I learned that there is an H2 receptor that is affiliated with the digestive system. Medications like Pepcid help to block histamine from being absorbed from high-histamine foods in the same way that Zyrtec blocks histamine from being absorbed from breathing it in from seasonal allergies. After extensive research, I picked up some Pepcid from the store.
On the first day of taking the Pepcid, I felt great! Finally, a solution! On the second day, I still felt good, but not as great. On the third day, I took my Pepcid, then ate a bowl of beets for lunch. I immediately had a huge allergic reaction! I felt so ill and couldn't understand the reason why. I had done everything accordingly. None of the food that I ate that day was high in histamine. The only thing that was new was the Pepcid tablet. After recovering from the allergic reaction (a doctor showed me how to use Sudafed in place of steroids when necessary), I went onto Google and looked up "took a Pepcid ate beets had allergic reaction". Guess what I discovered! There were only two major reasons that someone would have an allergic reaction after taking Pepcid and eating beets: (1) If they had kidney disease; (2) If they had mold toxicity. Hmmm... I knew that I did not have kidney disease, so I looked up "mold toxicity". I had every single symptom! Not only that, but my previous home had developed mold growth from the basement repeatedly flooding from torrential rains. Before that, black mold was discovered in the ceiling of my bedroom in the house where I raised my children.
When I pieced everything together and discovered that mold toxicity had to be the source of the histamine intolerance, the allergic reactions, and all of the weird physical ailments that had been plaguing me for years, I immediately called my doctor. I told her everything and asked if she could test me for mold toxicity. She took everything in and admitted that she didn't know enough about mold toxicity, so she was going to send me to an allergist. I contacted the allergist and discovered that they didn't even treat mold toxicity! They said that they tested for mold allergies, but didn't go any further into toxicity. I researched every single doctor in my health insurance handbook and not one of them knew how to treat histamine intolerance caused by mold toxicity.
I went online looking for doctors anywhere in the world that treated mold toxicity. Despite finding random specialists thousands of miles away, I couldn't find anyone in the medical field to help me. I turned to Reddit and chatrooms, trying to find someone who was experiencing something similar. This is when I finally found answers. There are thousands of people suffering from this all over the world! Some have found the solution to their mold toxicity, others have not. I meticulously scoured through everyone's posts, noting which remedies worked and which did not. Over time, I compiled a regimen that I would need to strictly follow if I ever wanted to feel normal again. I longed for the taste of tomatoes and strawberries. Going through Halloween without candy was pure hell!
This is what I learned about mold toxicity:
Since mold is a fungus, antibiotics and antiviral medications have no affect on eliminating it from the body. Prescription antifungal medications can have dangerous side effects, that's if you can even find a doctor to actually prescribe them to you. I also found out that a strong immune system can kill mold, but mold will break apart and form new mold if it isn't eliminated from the body shortly after it is disabled by the immune system.
When the immune system destroys mold, the mold breaks into a whole bunch of smaller pieces of mold. Since the mold fungus can hide anywhere, it tends to regrow within the body if it is not removed. In order for mold to be removed, it has to bind to something that will sweep it out of the body through some form of elimination, most often through defecation. Some people can overcome mold toxicity just by removing themselves from the mold source and allowing their immune system the time to eliminate it from the body. Others cannot. I fell into the second category.
There are only three reliable binders that will safely remove mold from the human body: (1) an old liver medication for cholesterol from the 1950's that no one uses anymore; (2) a specific type of seaweed; (3) activated charcoal. Since activated charcoal is the easiest to obtain, I went to the vitamin store and picked up a few bottles. It wasn't expensive ($14.99 for 100 capsules) and it was safely made from coconut husks. I also learned that when people are accidentally poisoned or suffer from an overdose, they are often given high doses of activated charcoal by the emergency room physicians to bind to the poison/toxins so that they can be more easily removed from the body. That made me feel better about taking it for my detox.
The next thing on my list was compiling the correct vitamins/supplements needed to boost my immune system so that it could adequately kill off all the mold that was poisoning my body.
Since mold can hide anywhere, it needs to be attacked from all points with some kind of antifungal, along with binders for elimination. I picked up garlic pills because garlic is a natural antifungal and the garlic will work its way into your body fat, a place where mold likes to hide. After the garlic kills the mold, the mold then would be eliminated by a binder, the activated charcoal. Timing is everything with this process. In addition to using garlic as a natural antifungal, I highly recommend a xylitol nasal spray, like Xlear Nasal Spray. It's a total gamechanger! Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol that is also an excellent antifungal and antibacterial chemical compound. I've heard that it's safe and gentle enough to use on babies, but always check with your doctor first. I found the Xlear xylitol nasal spray to be super gentle and soothing to my sinuses and nasal passages without any rebound swelling. I could use it as often as needed!
This is the premise of how the detox treatment would work: I would boost the immune system with vitamins and antifungal supplements to kill the mold. When the mold dies, I would consume activated charcoal on an empty stomach so that the mold attaches to it and is eliminated from the body through defecation. In other words, you poop it out. It is eliminated through urination, as well. Having enough bowel movements throughout the day is an important part of the treatment because it is essential in removing the mold from the body. Taking a psyllium husk supplement like Metamucil can help you increase your bowel movements by providing extra soluble fiber.
Timing is everything!
In order for the immune system to get a jumpstart and the mold to be killed and then eliminated, it needs to be spaced out throughout the entire day. If you take your vitamins and supplements too close to the activated charcoal, the charcoal will bind to the vitamins instead of the mold, leaving the mold to live on and your body to lose precious nutrients. This also goes for the soluble fiber. If you take Metamucil too close to vitamins, supplements, and medications, the soluble fiber will bind to those things instead of the waste in your digestive system. Be careful and pay attention to the timing of your activated charcoal. You will need to leave a fasting window of two hours before and two hours after you ingest the activated charcoal. This way, the charcoal will only bind to the dead mold because there won't be anything else immediately within your digestive tract. It will be empty from fasting.
Dawn's Mold Toxicity Detox:
Day 01 - I began by taking a garlic tablet after eating breakfast. Since I had never taken garlic before, I wanted to see how it would affect me, so I decided to take it without any other supplements for the first few days. The tablet I took was the Garlique brand.
Days 02 - 04 - The first bowel movement that I had after taking the garlic was the first normal looking bowel movement that I'd had in years! I took that as a good sign. I continued taking garlic without any additional supplements for three days.
Day 05 - I added 250 mg of vitamin C twice a day (mold does NOT like vitamin C), along with CoQ10 (200 mg) once a day, B Complex (liquid or tablet), D3 (50 mcg/2,000 IU), magnesium glycinate (250 mg), flaxseed oil (1,000 mg), and reduced L-Glutathione (250 mg), which is an important amino acid that helps the liver detox the body.
Day 06 - I added the final components: activated charcoal and soluble fiber. This was my daily supplement regimen...
Upon waking up, take one 250 mg reduced L-Glutathione capsule on an empty stomach. Wash it down with a glass of water. Since I also need to take thyroid medication on an empty stomach, I waited 30 minutes after taking the L-Glutathione before taking my thyroid medication.
Thirty minutes after taking my thyroid medication, it's time for breakfast. After breakfast, take one 250 mg vitamin C, one 250 mg magnesium glycinate (you're only taking this twice a day to help promote defecation, otherwise once a day is sufficient), one 200 mg CoQ10 tablet. I usually waited another 30 or 60 minutes before taking the B complex so that it was better absorbed. Clean out your nasal passages with two squirts of Xlear xylitol spray in each nostril. Use throughout the day as needed, but especially after taking your supplements.
You're allowed to eat up until 1:00PM. From 1:00 - 3:00PM, do not eat anything at all! You need your stomach to be empty for the activated charcoal.
At 3:00PM, take one daily dose of activated charcoal per the bottle's instructions (usually 2 - 3 capsules). Wash down the capsules with a glass of water. Spray two squirts of xylitol spray in each nostril. Continue fasting for two more hours, until 5:00PM.
After 5:00PM, you can take your daily soluble fiber, like Metamucil. You don't need a lot to induce daily bowel movements, which are essential for the removal of mold. Mix two teaspoons (or a teaspoon and a tablespoon) with a glass of water, drink it, then wash that down with a second glass of water. Water helps to keep everything flowing.
Anytime after you take your soluble fiber, you can eat dinner. About 30 minutes or so after you finish your meal, take your nightly vitamins: 250 mg of vitamin C, 250 mg of magnesium glycinate, one D3 (50 mcg/2,000 IU), 2,000 mg (two capsules) of flaxseed oil (for joint lubrication, digestion, cholesterol, and skin health), and one garlic tablet. Right before bed, I took another reduced L-Glutathione (250 mg) capsule and washed it down with a glass of water.
Remember that you want to defecate at least three times a day. Pooping is your friend!
Day 06 (Night) - The first night after taking the full dose of everything on my detox list, I thought I was going to die. I laid in bed all night, suffering from every single symptom that I had ever had since being sick with mold toxicity. I had read that this might happen. Your body is killing the crap out of the mold and the mold is trying to stay alive. It's like a vicious internal battle. It got so bad that I actually started planning my funeral in my head because I thought I was going to die. It was horrible. I finally fell asleep around 5:00 the next morning. After sleeping four hours, I started to feel better. That first night was rough.
Day 10 - After four solid days of detoxing, the vertigo and dizziness went away. I was amazed! Surely this was an excellent sign! I had been constantly dizzy in some capacity for years. When it was bad, it was full-blown vertigo, otherwise it was just a general feeling of dizziness. Not anymore!
Days 11 - 49 - After seven weeks of strict detoxing and following every step every single day, my histamine intolerance went away! I had a tiny piece of a Snickers candy bar, with Sudafed and Xlear on standby in case I had a reaction. I waited and waited. No allergic reaction! I ordered Chinese food and ate it all without any reactions. Yaaaaay!! The detox worked!!
Since then, I've gradually introduced difference foods back into my diet. I found that the only food I had problems with were legumes because the excessive gassiness made me feel like I was having a heart attack. No more peanut butter! Now I eat spinach and tomatoes every day, along with whatever the hell else I want to eat. I gained back the twenty pounds that I had initially lost, but I didn't care because I felt free again. I didn't have to imagine what a strawberry tasted like; I could actually eat one. One night, I took Scottish shortbread cookies, dipped them into chocolate frosting, then rolled them over rainbow sprinkles (jimmies) until all the chocolate was coated. It was soooo decadent and delicious!
If you're suffering from mold toxicity, histamine intolerance, or some other weird ailment, I hope these words help you to heal. Actress Jenny McCarthy has revealed that she, too, had become extremely ill from mold toxicity. Always talk to your doctor about this stuff. I included my doctor in my plans, even though she kept insisting that I include the allergist who didn't know how to treat mold toxicity. I didn't include him. I documented all of the vitamins and supplements, including the dosages and times, so that I could monitor my body's response. Fortunately, I didn't have any adverse reactions to any of the supplements.
Now that I've moved beyond mold toxicity, I maintain my immune system by continuing to take the vitamin C, garlic (only in the morning), B complex, magnesium glycinate (only at night), D3, flaxseed and fish oil. I also recently added back in the 250 mg daily dose of reduced L-Glutathione, too, because I found it to be a total gamechanger when it comes to sustainability and aging. I am continuing with the Metamucil because I learned that soluble fiber feeds the good bacteria in your gut, while sugar feeds the bad bacteria. By the way, I found that sugary drinks made with corn syrup really affect my body now, even something as simple as ginger ale. Thank goodness someone invented Zero Sugar Dr. Pepper! Good luck on your journey!❤️
April 14, 2026
