Join us for a clinical webinar on chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) and toxic mold illness, designed for naturopathic, functional medicine, and integrative practitioners who want a clear, repeatable framework for one of the most under-diagnosed drivers of chronic illness. Led by Dr. Dean Mitchell, MD — board-certified allergist, pioneer in holistic immunology, and founder of Mitchell Medical Group — this session distills more than a decade of CIRS and mold-toxicity practice (shaped by mentorship from Dr. Neil Nathan and Dr. Jill Crista) into a practical, patient-tolerable protocol you can apply immediately. CIRS patients now make up roughly half of Dr. Mitchell’s caseload, and he walks through exactly how he identifies, confirms, and reverses the condition.
We cover how mold exposure triggers CIRS, including how quickly mold can grow after water damage or flooding and why many patients have no idea they’re being exposed. Dr. Mitchell explains the wide range of symptoms of CIRS, from chronic fatigue and brain fog to light and EMF sensitivity, mast cell activation, and even joint pain. He also shares a study in which 75% of chronic fatigue patients tested positive for mycotoxins. He breaks down a three-tier evaluation — the visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) screening test, which can also be abnormal with Lyme disease; inflammatory biomarkers; and the urine mycotoxin testing he considers the most definitive — and shows how to read results across the five major mycotoxin categories (ochratoxin A, aflatoxin, trichothecenes, gliotoxin, and zearalenone). He then maps out his step-by-step treatment program — rebuilding the patient’s immune system and resilience, sequencing binders, the antifungal “fight phase,” nasal-sinus care, and home mold remediation — using a real patient case that shows mycotoxin levels falling with treatment and climbing again with re-exposure.
Key Takeaways:
- Spot the symptoms. Recognize the hallmark symptoms of CIRS — chronic fatigue, brain fog, light and EMF sensitivity, and mast cell activation — that point to toxic mold exposure, and why improvement away from home is one of the most telling clues.
- Weigh the differential. Learn how Dr. Mitchell weighs symptoms that overlap with anxiety, depression, and other mental health diagnoses, and when to bring in a psychiatrist or therapist.
- Evaluate the right way. Apply Dr. Mitchell’s three-tier workup: the VCS screening test, inflammatory biomarkers, and urine mycotoxin testing as the most definitive confirmation, since no blood test is specific for mycotoxins.
- Read the mycotoxins. Interpret the five key categories — ochratoxin A, aflatoxin, trichothecenes, gliotoxin, and zearalenone — by counting positive markers and their multiples above range.
- Understand susceptibility. Learn why some people are more susceptible than others in the same household, and how mycotoxins from past exposure can stay in the body and cause illness later, when COVID or major stress weakens the immune system.
- Build resilience first. Start treatment with environmental avoidance and foundational support: sleep, bowel regularity, hydration, IV nutrient therapy, and the mold/anti-candida diet.
- Sequence the binders. Layer in bentonite clay, activated charcoal, chlorella, and Welchol one at a time to mobilize stored toxins while protecting sensitive patients.
- Finish with the fight phase. Clear deep reservoirs with the antifungal itraconazole and targeted nasal-sinus treatment.
- Confirm the source. Guide patients through home evaluation — mold plates, ERMI/HERTSMI-2 dust testing, and professional inspection — and explain why remediation and re-testing are essential to lasting recovery.
