Could I be sick from mold?
We have mold all over our bathroom, and kitchen. I breathe it in often.
I went to the doctor after having a sore throat and difficulty breathing for a week. She said part of my lung isnt getting air like it should, but my Xray was normal. She also said she would be surprised if I didn’t have strep, but that came back negative. (My tonsils are larger than normal, she said)
Point is, I’m going on 2 weeks coughing, 1 week difficulty breathing. Like, can barely talk. When I am at home I am mostly fine, but at work I was really, really struggling and when I am active I rely on the inhaler I was prescribed. I have left work early the past 3 days, after missing a full day Wednesday. So this has affected 4 days of work.
I am going to call the doctor back Monday if I am not better, but is it worth it to say I have mold in my home? My mother also smokes a ton so that could be it also?
I am just getting scared. Its been a while dealing with this. So I want to make sure I am not overthinking the mold thing before I tell the doc on Monday.
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
26 Answers
I got meds and an inhaler, but its been almost a week and still not better. So I cannot tell if I am overthinking or if I need to wait longer for meds to kick in.
(meds are basically prescription cough syrup in pill form)
I assume you were tested for covid. My girlfriend and her husband just had covid three weeks ago.
Did the doctor give you antibiotics?
I don’t think you are suddenly sick from mold that you have regularly been around for months and years. I think you are sick from a virus or bacteria that is going around. A woman I dance with wound up on oxygen at home from something she caught on a cruise ship a few months ago. Not covid or flu.
It doesn’t sound like strep to me. Does your throat hurt? Does it hurt more when you swallow? Do you have a fever? Are you congested at all? They certainly can do a culture if they haven’t; the quick strep test has false negatives more often than people might think.
I got very sick from a moldy house. The mold had been disturbed and was literally thick in the air. I was in there for an hour and wound up needing medication to get better. It was really bad. Little bits of mold in a bathroom that is undisturbed likely wouldn’t get you sick, but I’m not saying it couldn’t, but I think it’s much more likely you caught something from someone.
Most “colds” that cause severe coughing, the coughing takes 3–4 weeks to clear. If you get pneumonia that’s obviously serious and needs more attention. If you have a sinus infection persisting more than 7 days and also bad coughing jags, and it is negative for covid, I think you need antibiotics.
If it were me, I’d mention the mold to my doctor. You don’t win any prizes for withholding potentially (if unlikely) useful information about your environment from your care team who are struggling for a diagnosis.
Wishing you good luck getting well.
The mold is all I can think of, no other symptoms aside from not being able to breathe and coughing. And obviously my tonsils being swollen
Do you still have a sore throat or just the breathing and coughing issues?
Seriously, the fact that you have mold all over your place is what you should have brought up at your first visit.
Mold is a huge problem, and add to that the tobacco smoke, it’s worse. Yes it’s a problem.
You’re getting pneumonia. And get a new doctor.
Of course it could be a problem.
It depends on what type of mold, as far as health is concerned.
Some mold is so dangerous, a dwelling will be condemned for having it.
The last house I lived in had severe mold issues. After I moved out, it was bulldozed…
I almost died in 2013 from mold related pneumonia.
I wonder too if its an allergic reaction to the depo shot since all my symptoms started basically 1 or 2 after I got it
No. Go to another doctor. They need to throw medicine at it and hope something gets you better.
If you have a reoccurrence after getting better then that will help narrow it down to the mold.
Is your bathroom moldy because it hasn’t been cleaned, or it literally behind the walls and you need a professional to tear out the bathroom?
Are you using new laundry detergent or dryer sheets or new cleaning chemicals at home or work? Protect yourself from all of those things. Make sure your pillow is washed with free and clear laundry detergent. No fragrances.
This isn’t the first time you’ve gotten a deposit shot, is it?
Could it be from the mold? Sure.
Could it be from cigarette smoke?
Probably not.
I bet it’s allergies and Mold has been really high. But with your immune system recovering it may be more serious. Js.
Heavy drinking weakens your immune system. This makes it easier to get ill and harder to recover from illness. Alcohol reduces the number of bacteria your immune system needs. It also reduces the number of antibodies available to fight off infection.
Ive never gotten the shot before.
And the doctors covered in my area are booked out for months/literally a year. Its not just as simple to get a new doc when its not available.
The mold covers the whole ceiling, no new chemicals.
Mold is no joke. As @Dutchess_III shared, it can be deadly.
My friend was exposed to mold, developed many respiratory problems as a result. When she came down with COVID a couple years later, she went downhill fast and died. Doctors said the mold complications made her much more susceptible to death by COVID.
Tell your doctor for sure. And get that mold removed from your house.
I would stick with the doctor you have and bring up the mold issue.
Moulds produce allergens (substances that can cause an allergic reaction), irritants and, sometimes, toxic substances.
Inhaling or touching mould spores may cause an allergic reaction, such as sneezing, a runny nose, red eyes and skin rash. Moulds can also cause asthma attacks.
^^ I agree with @janbb. If you start with a new doctor when you’re already sick, it makes it harder for them since they don’t know you. Plus, you have to go through the whole song and dance of educating them about your history. Plus it sound like it would take quite a long time to even see one who’s covered by your insurance. It wouldn’t be good to just wait.
In February and again in June of this year I’ve had congestion, cough, wheezy breathing and difficulty breathing. Both times I was told it’s a viral infection and after x-rays they prescribed steroids the first time and cough syrup in a pill form (like you said) the second. They said it couldn’t be a simple relapse from the first time because I had completely healed between times. I don’t have mold and am not around smokers, so you could have an infection, bacterial or viral, also, and the mold/smoking could exacerbate it. Mine took a full 3–4 weeks before I felt better, 3 weeks before I ever saw anyone, then another 3 or so. She may have already given you the meds to help and it just seems like it’s taking forever. If you see her tomorrow, ask about steroids. They’re very good at helping your lungs heal. They told me it wasn’t bacterial or it would show up on the x-ray. Just my experience. YMMV your mileage may vary
My husband had difficulty breathing recently and was COVID positive. He improved after about two weeks.
If you’re worst at work, I wouldn’t think it’s due to mold at home.
The timing with Depo is interesting and worth discussing with your doctor.
I am worse at work because I am moving around way more. I am way less active at home. I lay in bed almost the whole time.
They said take mucinex then come in if I am not better.
Answer this question 
This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.
Composing members:
0
