# What caused my IBS-D, (and exhaustion, brain fog, etc)



## veejay2011 (Jan 22, 2015)

I want to make it clear that this may not be the answer for a lot of IBS sufferers, but I felt I had to share this...perhaps it may help some. 5 years ago I became very sick. There were a variety of what I would call minor symptoms going on, but the one that was making me the most ill was what was eventually diagnosed as IBS-D and IBS-PI. At the same time, I noticed my cognitive functions and short term memory were declining. I had a lot of what I later found out is called brain fog. There was exhaustion, fatigue and times when I just could not get off the couch for days on end. The symptoms would come and go, but I got progressively worse for 2 years.

There were many doctors. I was told it could be stress. I was told many things, I tried many things (diet, probiotics, acupuncture, therapy, medication) Some worked for a while, but eventually the gastrointestinal pain and diarrhea would return. I was reading and trying many things recommended for IBS. After 2 years I was resigned to the fact that this was not going to get better and I just had to try and figure out how to live with it.

Some of the minor symptoms I had were low blood pressure, thyroid readings that would swing up and down, muscle cramps, blurry vision. these would come and go. Sometimes a metallic taste and post-sinus drip. ( I was told it was allergy season). I did not care about these minor things as, most of you know, the IBS symptoms had become life consuming. The brain fog was right up there sometimes competing with the IBS as it is very disturbing to find yourself unable to "find words" or find yourself to do certain mental tasks that used to come with ease. Again, this would come and go.

Then something happened that changed everything. During a hurricane, a tree fell on my house. I had to leave the house for 3 weeks. And I started to get better.....I won't go into all the details here, but it eventually lead to my healing of what I was told could never be healed. My house was what they call a "sick building" .. there was, to put in simple layman's terms, toxic mold. It was invisible to all those except those who knew what to look for. AND, as I found out, a hard diagnosis to make, both for the house and for my body.

I am sharing this as it might help some. I had to find a specialist in environmental illness and environmental engineering. I had left the house and yet it took me over a year of research for all the pieces to fall into place. It has been 3 years since I left and there is no more IBS, my health has stabilized, my cognitive function dramatically improved.

I encourage others to research toxic mold symptoms to see if there might be a problem. It was sometimes tough to sort through the misinformation and there is a lot more research needed in correlation with mold and health issues such as IBS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and other Chronic illnesses that can fall into the "catch-all" category. However, during those debilitating 2 years, I spent a lot of time focused on finding out and dealing with IBS symptoms and never even thought (nor was it suggested) that mycotoxins from mold could be the culprit...and I had some very good doctors....

May be others have posted on this subject? I don't know, but if it even helps one person get answers....I feel I have to share.


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