Mold Toxicity Treatment in Oklahoma City (CIRS): Evaluation and Options

Written by Dr. Alvin Philipose, DC, ICCP (Ret.)

Mold toxicity and CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome) are the names many people use for ongoing symptoms after living or working in a water-damaged building. They are not established diagnoses in mainstream medicine, and the science is still being debated. At Venturis Clinic in Oklahoma City, we start with a careful evaluation: your exposure history, your symptoms, a Good Faith Exam and targeted testing. We help you fix the exposure, coordinate with your other doctors, and discuss a few additional options, clearly labeled, if they fit.

It often starts after a roof leak, a flooded basement or a move into a place that always smelled musty. First come the congestion and headaches. Then the exhaustion, the fog and the aches. Your doctor runs tests and most come back normal. This page explains what is known, what is disputed, and what an evaluation looks like. It is educational and is not a diagnosis.

What is mold toxicity?

“Mold toxicity” and “mold illness” are everyday terms for symptoms people link to a damp building. Researchers more often say “illness related to water-damaged buildings,” because a damp building holds a mix of molds, bacteria, fragments and chemicals, not one toxin.

Here is what the research supports:

• The World Health Organization (2009) found sufficient evidence that indoor dampness and mold are associated with respiratory symptoms, asthma and respiratory infections.
• The Institute of Medicine (2004) reached similar conclusions about damp indoor spaces.
• A 2011 review (Mendell et al.) found consistent associations between visible dampness or mold and asthma, wheeze, cough, shortness of breath and allergic rhinitis. It also said causal links remain unclear and that measuring specific microbes in a home does not reliably guide what to do.
• Recognized mold-related conditions include mold allergy, asthma triggered or worsened by damp environments, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and certain fungal infections in people with weakened immune systems.

What is CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome)?

CIRS is a framework developed by Ritchie Shoemaker, MD. It proposes that, in some genetically susceptible people, exposure to a water-damaged building triggers ongoing, body-wide inflammation across several organ systems. Shoemaker and House published a case series and a small placebo-controlled trial of cholestyramine in 2006, and a 2024 review by clinicians who treat CIRS describes it as under-recognized.

CIRS is a contested diagnosis. A 2006 allergy-society position paper described many newly proposed mold-related illnesses as largely or completely unproved, and a 2003 occupational-medicine review concluded that the evidence does not support systemic illness from inhaled mold toxins in typical indoor settings. Other causes can be missed when a CIRS label is applied too early. We do not treat a normal standard panel as the end of the conversation, and we do not treat a label as the answer either.

Mold toxicity symptoms: 10 signs people report

1. Ongoing fatigue and low stamina
2. Brain fog, memory or concentration problems
3. Headaches
4. Sinus congestion, sore throat or postnasal drip
5. Cough, wheezing or shortness of breath
6. Muscle aches, joint pain or morning stiffness
7. Eye irritation, redness or light sensitivity
8. Numbness, tingling or unusual skin sensations
9. Night sweats or trouble regulating temperature
10. Symptoms that ease away from the building and return when you come back

These symptoms are common and nonspecific. Thyroid disease, anemia, sleep apnea, depression, autoimmune conditions and infections can look the same, which is why evaluation comes before any label. See our page on mold toxicity symptoms.

How we evaluate mold toxicity and CIRS in Oklahoma City

At Venturis Clinic, care is performed by licensed medical staff under our medical director. The evaluation looks like this:

1. Exposure history. Where you live and work, known leaks or flooding, when symptoms started and whether they change with location.
2. Symptom pattern across body systems.
3. Good Faith Exam with a review of medications, prior testing and red flags.
4. Targeted testing only where it is likely to change the plan. See lab testing at Venturis Clinic.
5. Ruling out other causes such as thyroid disease, anemia, sleep apnea, autoimmune conditions and infections.

Mold toxicity tests and mycotoxin testing: what they can and can’t show

No single test can prove that a building made you sick. A useful workup combines your history, an inspection of the building for moisture, basic labs and, when indicated, allergy and lung testing. Some clinicians also use visual contrast sensitivity testing and blood markers such as MSH, TGF-beta1, C4a, MMP-9 and VIP. These can show patterns of inflammation, but none of them is specific to mold, and research on how well they diagnose building-related illness is limited.

Urine mycotoxin tests are popular online. They can detect compounds that also come from food, and they have not been validated to show that a building caused illness. We explain what a result would and would not change before we order one. A negative mold allergy test shows you are not allergic in the usual way. It does not rule out other effects of a damp building. See mold toxicity and mycotoxin testing and mold illness with a negative mold allergy test.

Step one: remove the exposure

This is the step with the most support, and it comes before anything else. The EPA advises drying water-damaged materials within 24 to 48 hours and fixing the water problem. If the building is still wet, other measures tend to work less well. A qualified building inspector or remediation professional can find the moisture source, and that work is outside our scope. Oklahoma’s hail, roof damage, flash flooding and humid summers make hidden water intrusion common. See sick after water damage at home and still sick after moving out of a moldy home.

Coordinating with your other doctors

If breathing symptoms are significant, an allergist or lung specialist is often the right next stop. We share what we find and work alongside them. We also look for conditions that can travel with these symptoms, including mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), dysautonomia, sleep problems and nutrient deficiencies found on testing.

Options we may discuss

After the evaluation, some patients ask about additional options. These are choices to talk through, not treatments we recommend for everyone, and no outcome is promised. None has been shown in controlled trials to treat CIRS or illness related to water-damaged buildings.

• SOT (Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy) with RGCC testing. SOT is made individually by RGCC, outside the United States, to match a specific virus or bacterium found on RGCC infection testing. It is relevant only if a persistent infection question sits alongside the exposure history. RGCC’s published SOT lists do not include mold or mycotoxins. SOT is not FDA-approved for mold toxicity, CIRS or any other condition, and it is investigational for these uses.
• Nutrient IVs such as a glutathione IV or NAD+ IV therapy, and other options on our IV therapy menu. These are elective, compounded formulas, and they are not FDA-approved for these conditions.
• Standard supportive care, such as treating allergic rhinitis, asthma, sleep problems or nutrient deficiencies together with your other doctors.

What your first visit looks like

1. Free call with Dr. Philipose. Fifteen minutes to see whether an evaluation makes sense. Request a call or book online.
2. Intake. Forms covering your exposure history and symptoms. Send any prior labs, imaging and inspection reports.
3. Consult and Good Faith Exam. A long visit with our licensed medical staff.
4. Testing plan. Only tests likely to change the plan.
5. Results and next steps. We go through results in plain language and agree on next steps in writing.

More on mold toxicity and CIRS

• Mold toxicity symptoms: signs your home may be making you sick
• Mold toxicity test: which tests matter
• CIRS vs chronic fatigue syndrome
• Mold illness with a negative mold allergy test
• Sick after water damage at home
• Still sick after moving out
• Patient Education Library

Overlapping conditions

• New reactions to foods, fragrances or chemicals: see MCAS in Oklahoma City.
• Symptoms that began after COVID instead of a building exposure: see Long COVID in Oklahoma City.
• Dizziness or a racing heart when you stand: see dysautonomia.
• Gut symptoms front and center: see IBS in Oklahoma City.

When to get emergency care

Call 911 for severe shortness of breath, wheezing that does not respond to your rescue inhaler, chest pain, or a high fever with trouble breathing.

Mold toxicity and CIRS care serving Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman and Tulsa

Venturis Clinic is at 7917 N May Ave, Suite B, Oklahoma City, OK 73120, telephone 405-848-7246. Patients travel to us from across Oklahoma, including Edmond, Norman, Moore and Tulsa.

Frequently asked questions

What is mold toxicity?

“Mold toxicity” is a popular term for symptoms that people link to living or working in a water-damaged building. It is not a standard diagnosis in medicine. Doctors recognize mold allergy, mold-triggered asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and some fungal infections, and indoor dampness is linked to respiratory and allergic problems. Whether molds or their toxins cause wider, body-wide illness is still debated.

What are the symptoms of mold toxicity?

People who connect their illness to a damp building most often report fatigue, brain fog, headaches, sinus congestion, cough, shortness of breath, muscle and joint aches, eye irritation and light sensitivity. These symptoms are common and have many other causes, such as thyroid disease, anemia, sleep apnea and infections, so a careful evaluation matters.

What is CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome)?

CIRS is a framework developed by Ritchie Shoemaker, MD. It proposes that in some genetically susceptible people, exposure to a water-damaged building triggers ongoing, body-wide inflammation affecting several organ systems. It is not widely accepted as an established diagnosis, and its criteria, biomarkers and treatments are still debated.

Is CIRS a real diagnosis?

CIRS is a contested diagnosis. Some clinicians use it and have published case series and reviews. Allergy and occupational-medicine groups say the evidence linking indoor mold toxins to systemic illness is unproven, and other causes can be missed when a CIRS label is applied too early. That is why we start with a broad evaluation and are open about what the evidence does and does not show.

What kind of doctor treats mold toxicity or CIRS?

There is no single specialty. Allergists and immunologists evaluate mold allergy, pulmonologists evaluate breathing symptoms, and occupational and environmental medicine physicians evaluate building-related illness. At Venturis Clinic in Oklahoma City, our licensed medical staff do an evaluation-first visit and coordinate with your other doctors.

How do you test for mold toxicity?

No single test confirms it. The most useful steps are an exposure history, an inspection of the building for moisture, basic labs to look for other causes, and allergy and lung testing when indicated. Some clinicians also use CIRS-related markers or a urine mycotoxin test, which have real limits that we explain before anything is ordered.

Is there a mycotoxin test that proves mold toxicity?

No. Urine mycotoxin tests can detect compounds that come from food as well as from buildings, and they have not been validated to show that a building caused illness. We discuss what a result could and could not change before ordering one.

Can mold make you sick if you are not allergic?

Indoor dampness is associated with respiratory symptoms in people with and without allergy. How non-allergic effects happen is still being studied, and a negative mold allergy test does not rule out other effects of a damp building.

Is there a cure for mold toxicity or CIRS?

No treatment has been proven to cure either. Removing the exposure is the step with the most support. Other approaches are individual choices that we discuss, and no result is promised.

Is SOT FDA-approved for mold toxicity or CIRS?

No. SOT (Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy) is not FDA-approved for mold toxicity, CIRS or illness related to water-damaged buildings, and it is investigational for these conditions. RGCC’s published SOT lists do not include mold or mycotoxins. We discuss it only as an option after a full evaluation, and only when a persistent infection question sits alongside the exposure history. It is not right for everyone.

Do you see patients near me in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman and Tulsa?

Yes. Venturis Clinic is at 7917 N May Ave, Suite B, Oklahoma City, OK 73120, and patients travel to us from across Oklahoma, including Edmond, Norman, Moore and Tulsa.

What happens on the free call?

You spend 15 minutes with Dr. Philipose. You talk through your history and whether an evaluation makes sense. No exam happens on the call. Request a call at venturisclinic.com/request-a-call or call 405-848-7246.

Sources

1. World Health Organization. WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould. 2009. who.int
2. Institute of Medicine. Damp Indoor Spaces and Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2004. nap.nationalacademies.org
3. Mendell MJ, Mirer AG, Cheung K, Tong M, Douwes J. Respiratory and allergic health effects of dampness, mold, and dampness-related agents: a review of the epidemiologic evidence. Environ Health Perspect. 2011;119(6):748-756. PMID 21269928
4. Bush RK, Portnoy JM, Saxon A, Terr AI, Wood RA. The medical effects of mold exposure. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006;117(2):326-333. PMID 16514772
5. Hardin BD, Kelman BJ, Saxon A. Adverse human health effects associated with molds in the indoor environment. J Occup Environ Med. 2003;45(5):470-478. PMID 12762072
6. Shoemaker RC, House DE. Sick building syndrome (SBS) and exposure to water-damaged buildings: time series study, clinical trial and mechanisms. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2006;28(5):573-588. PMID 17010568
7. Dooley M, Vukelic A, Jim L. Chronic inflammatory response syndrome: a review of the evidence of clinical efficacy of treatment. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2024;86(12):7248-7254. PMID 39649915 (the authors disclose clinical and expert-witness work in CIRS)
8. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home. epa.gov

This article is general education, not medical advice, and it is not a substitute for evaluation by a qualified clinician. It does not establish a physician–patient relationship. Individual results vary, and the studies described report group averages rather than what any one person should expect. Treatments discussed may not be FDA-cleared or approved for the conditions mentioned; where that is the case it is stated in the text. Talk to your own physician before starting, stopping or changing any treatment.