Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome

A MEDICAL CONDITION SCREAMING TO BE RECOGNISED ASAP

WHAT IS CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE SYNDROME?

Chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), sometimes referred to as mould illness or biotoxin illness, is a progressive multi-symptom, multisystem disease characterised by exposure to biotoxins. A biotoxin is a substance that has both biological (it’s alive) and toxic (it’s harmful) origins. These biotoxins can come from fungi or moulds (mycotoxins), plants (phytotoxins), and animals (zootoxins). These biotoxins have different kinds of effects on the body.

CIRS leads to chronic inflammation and can theoretically affect any tissue, organ, or system of the body. It can be debilitating if left untreated. The medical term ‘syndrome’, by definition, is a collection of recognisable abnormalities or traits that tend to happen together and are connected with a specific disease or illness. However, medical experts who are supporters of CIRS agree that it’s more of a syndrome rather than a particular disease entity.

At the time of this writing, it’s essential to note that CIRS hasn’t been formally recognised by the WHO, US CDC, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Australian Department of Health, New Zealand Ministry of Health, or any other major medical organisation. This perception might change when sufficient research has been conducted and when members of these organisations reach a consensus or agreement on the matter. We just have to be patient.

Of course, being unrecognised by these organisations doesn’t mean that the condition doesn’t exist. There’s some light at the end of the tunnel, as the Royal Australasian College of Physicians presently refers to people as having multiple not-readily-explained symptoms. Yes, it sounds weird. CIRS is a cooler, uhm, more professional-sounding name. For this article, though, we’ll refer to it as CIRS because we all like abbreviations. Just kidding. The reason is that it’s the term preferred by those who push for its acknowledgement and existence in the medical community.

WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA REQUIRED TO HAVE A DIAGNOSIS OF CIRS?

Medical experts who accept its existence laid down factors to identify and define CIRS. They’re the following:

CIRS INVOLVES A WIDE VARIETY OF SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS, WHICH INCLUDE:

The list above are reported symptoms associated with CIRS. More often than not, people complain because of a combination of symptoms. The scope of CIRS symptoms doesn’t end with the table above. New symptom complexes are being added as we speak. These are just the most common ones. People with CIRS have often been misdiagnosed and ultimately mistreated. Their condition persists because of inappropriate treatment. They’re often misdiagnosed as having irritable bowel syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, stress, fibromyalgia, allergies, depression, anxiety, Lyme disease, autoimmune disorders, and ehrlichiosis (a bacterial illness spread by ticks). To make matters more confusing, these conditions can co-exist with CIRS and complicate the diagnosis.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF CIRS?

The most common causes of CIRS could be one of three things:

1. From water-damaged buildings (office or home). Mould present in old buildings with water damage can produce harmful toxins.


2. Tick bite-related diseases, such as Lyme disease. CIRS can occur simultaneously or after Lyme disease making the diagnostic process challenging.


3. Tick bite-related diseases, such as Lyme disease. CIRS can occur simultaneously or after Lyme disease making the diagnostic process challenging.


4. Exposure to the toxins of dinoflagellates (called dinotoxins). Don’t worry. These aren’t toxins from extinct dinosaurs. Instead, they’re from dinoflagellates, which are one-celled aquatic microorganisms. This is a significant and diverse group of marine life. You’re exposed to them by eating contaminated fish and other kinds of seafood with harmful levels of toxins.

ARE THERE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS TO DETERMINE IF YOU HAVE CIRS?

Yes. There are some tests you may undergo to arrive at a diagnosis of CIRS. However, it’s essential to note that there’s no single best test to determine if you have CIRS. The ones mentioned below are common examples. You may need to undergo a specific combo of tests to determine if you have CIRS.

Biomarker test. A biomarker is defined as a characteristic that can be objectively measured and evaluated as an indicator for a pathogenic (disease) process, response to a therapeutic intervention (drugs), and as an indicator of normal biological functions. Biomarkers can be molecules (proteins, lipids), cells, or processes that produce reactions. Biomarker tests are commonly used in cancer treatment. It measures how a patient responds to a particular form of therapy. Lucky for us, it can be applied in diagnosing CIRS. Biomarker tests allow the patient to choose the treatment most likely to result in a favourable response.

Visual contrast sensitivity test. This test measures your ability to differentiate between finer and finer increments of light versus dark (contrast). It’s different from the usual visual acuity test done during a routine eye exam.

Genetic tests. Some people are genetically more susceptible to developing CIRS.

A battery of blood tests that must include, at the very least, a full blood count test.

Brain MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). A sophisticated type of imaging that uses a software program that scans abnormalities in brain structures that specifically point to brain atrophy (shrinking of your brain).

A nasal swab test for MARCoNS (Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci). These are common opportunistic pathogens commonly found on humans and animals. A greater population of these microorganisms in your nasal cavity predisposes you to develop CIRS. They accomplish this by increasing inflammation in your body.

IS THERE HOPE FOR TREATMENT?

There’s definitely hope for treatment. The Shoemaker Protocol has gained significant traction for providing relief of symptoms among people diagnosed with CIRS. It’s a step-by-step process that needs full compliance, supervision, and follow-up. The entire process may take up to a full year for you to appreciate its benefits. The steps include:

Step 1. Stop exposure. This is perhaps the most challenging as it may include remodelling your home. As long as you’re exposed to mould, you’ll experience no improvement in your symptoms. This is similar to an allergy-like hay fever which continues as long as the allergen is still present.

Step 2. Eliminate biotoxins from your body. Some drugs, like cholestyramine, can bind biotoxins in your body and eliminate them through your poop. Cholestyramine is a drug that is approved to address elevated blood cholesterol levels. You can only get it through a prescription from a licensed medical doctor. Its positive charge attracts and binds to negatively charged biotoxins in your body. Another option for eliminating toxins is colesevelam (another cholesterol-lowering drug). Additionally, you can take an omega-3 fatty acid supplement and go on a low carbohydrate diet.

Step 3. Stop the overgrowth of MARCoNs or staphylococci by eradicating them from your nasal and sinus cavity. If you have a positive nasal swab for MARCoNs, you can treat it with EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) or colloidal silver nasal spray.

Step 4. Go on a gluten-free diet if anti-gliadin gluten antibodies are found. Some people who suffer from CIRS also have gluten sensitivity. Going on a gluten-free diet will decrease inflammation. Testing for anti-gliadin gluten antibodies is necessary to establish a baseline and reason for going on a gluten-free diet.

Steps 5 to 12 corresponds to correcting levels of compounds, hormones, and proteins in your body. Check and correct the following:

Step 5. Sex hormone levels.

Step 6. Antidiuretic hormone levels.

Step 7. Elevated matrix metalloproteinase-9 levels.

Step 8. Vascular endothelial growth factor.

Steps 9 and 10. C3a and C4a levels.

Step 11. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 protein.

Step 12. Vasoactive intestinal peptide hormone.

The entire treatment process is tedious and may be uncomfortable for some, but the rewards are worthwhile for people suffering from CIRS. To date, it’s the most reasonable, most comprehensive, and most effective form of treatment for CIRS.

Yup. We know. There’s a tremendous amount of medical information to process from this article on CIRS. The main point we’re also trying to drive at here is that if you’ve been experiencing symptoms that haven’t pointed to any diagnosis for a long time, there’s a possibility that you may be suffering from CIRS.

CIRS is most certainly still a work in progress. There’s a lot we still don’t know about the syndrome. Only a few general practitioners and specialists in Australia and New Zealand recognise CIRS as a disease and diagnosis. If you suffer from a considerable number of the symptoms mentioned above, talk to your doctor about CIRS. He or she might have an open mind and consider that what you may be having is part of a more extensive illness.