Condition: Crohn’s disease
Duration of illness: 4+ years
The Challenge
A 38-year-old sponsored triathlete developed Crohn’s disease after living in a dry, walk-out basement apartment in a high-altitude town in Colorado. Over the course of a year, he gradually developed headaches, sinus pressure, anxiety, sleep difficulties, abdominal pain, fecal urgency, loose stools, and weight loss.
Considering himself a biohacker, he self-ordered multiple stool and urine tests to try to find the underlying cause — all to no avail. He eventually sought medical care when his fatigue became so overwhelming that he could no longer sustain his usual level of training.
When a stool test returned “normal,” his primary care physician suggested dairy intolerance and sent him home. Six months later, he returned reporting easy bruising, brain fog, hair loss, muscle cramps, black stool, and restless leg syndrome. Blood tests revealed he was dangerously anemic. After being referred to a specialist, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.
Despite dietary changes, steroids, immunosuppressive agents, and biologics, his symptoms persisted. Now four years into his illness and experiencing worsening symptoms, he was unable to sustain even temporary work-from-home positions. He was forced to return to living with his parents.
The Discovery
While helping him pack his belongings for the move, his mother — a nurse — noted a musty odor in the apartment. Although he was convinced the space was dry and that his departure would make the issue irrelevant, she insisted on having both the environment and her son professionally evaluated. The patient was adamant that the mustiness wasn’t the cause of his problems, as he had personally ruled it out with a previous urine test.
At his mother’s insistence, she encouraged him to seek out blood serum mycotoxin testing while awaiting the environmental inspection.
Testing & Findings
After five months in a new apartment, the patient still experienced intermittent epistaxis and under-eye swelling. She underwent mycotoxin testing through MyMycoLab. Her IgG antibody results showed significantly elevated levels across multiple mycotoxins. Her IgE antibodies showed evidence of mast cell activation.
Treatment & Outcome
His parents had their own home inspected and deemed clear for safe return. Shortly after arriving at his childhood home, he began treatment following Dr. Campbell’s paradigm.
He noticed substantial improvement in anxiety and sleep difficulties within just a few days. At three months, there was near resolution of all gastrointestinal complaints. Noting that sinus pressure and headaches, although improved, persisted, he was prescribed an adjunctive antifungal nasal spray.
At seven months of treatment, he noted a resolution of all symptoms and was excited to see a return in energy and muscle mass. A letter received by the clinic two years later stated that he had just completed a local Olympic triathlon and was expecting his first child. His Crohn’s disease had completely resolved according to his gastroenterologist.
The Bigger Picture
This case illustrates two critical points. First, the limitations of urine testing — the patient had previously used a urine test to rule out mold exposure, and it missed the problem entirely. Blood serum antibody testing detected what urine testing could not. Second, the hidden nature of indoor mold — the apartment appeared dry and well-maintained, but thermal imaging revealed extensive concealed growth that would never have been found through visual inspection alone.
Mycotoxins including ochratoxin, vomitoxin, and trichothecenes are known to destroy intestinal barrier function, alter nutrient absorption, and trigger inflammatory responses that can present as inflammatory bowel disease.