The Mold and Gut Connection

Roz Donovan, N.D.

Patients come to see me with GI issues; it is my general focus of treatment. The gastrointestinal system has only so many symptoms with which to present a myriad of ailments, which causes a lot of overlap in the way different underlying causes manifest as symptoms.

One patient was seeing me for chronic bloating and abdominal pain. She came in with a breath test result for SIBO which had been inadequately treated. We treated it again and retested for SIBO. The SIBO was gone, but the symptoms remained. We then tested for mycotoxins and now are treating the likely cause of her SIBO as well as the cause of her symptoms. Mycotoxin treatment is slow, but the improvements in her health are happening little by little.

Mycotoxin illness, which some people get after exposure to mold in water-damaged buildings, can cause an inflammatory response throughout the body. One of the places that it causes symptoms is the GI tract. There are several mechanisms through which mold exposure can cause gut issues.

1. Causing SIBO

   • SIBO has a disruption of the migrating motor complex (AKA the MMC) as an underlying mechanism in the vast majority of cases. The MMC is a complicated sequence of motor neuron interactions that, when functioning properly, sweeps bacteria, fungus, and food from your small intestine into your large intestine. 

   • The chemical signaling in mycotoxin illness disrupts the neuronal signaling process to initiate and coordinate the MMC causing SIBO and SIBO relapse. 

2. Mimicking SIBO

• Symptoms of mycotoxin illness include:

• Bloating

• Constipation

• Diarrhea

• Alternating diarrhea and constipation

• Abdominal pain

• Heartburn

• Interstitial cystitis

So many of these symptoms can be either mold or SIBO, or BOTH mold and SIBO. How shall we ever find out which is doing what?

Well, following your symptoms, along with testing and even re-testing after treatment, can clear up the murky picture of Mycotoxin illness and gut health. That along with appropriate treatment can create a significant improvement in your overall health. 

Roz Donovan, ND, is a graduate of National University of Natural Medicine, with a doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine. Throughout her doctoral studies, Dr. Donovan received hands-on training from herbalists and a botanist, while also interning in mental health, environmental medicine, pediatrics and general medicine. Her advanced training mentorships focused on traumatic brain injury and gastrointestinal health.

Hive Mind Medicine blog posts are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. Please consult with your health care practitioner for personalized guidance.