I've been unwell for a very long time, and my PCPs (and some specialists) haven't been able to help me and never really seemed to take me seriously.
I first began feeling unwell around 2013, right around the time I began to be exposed (unknowingly) to black-colored mold behind my shower wall (on the drywall). I didn't discover the mold until probably late 2016.
There are other factors, such as smoking and smoking cessation, as well as clonazepam and clonazepam cessation. I really don't know what caused what, but I've felt unwell for about 9 years now.
Symptoms:
I have chronic breathing issues / rhinitis that differ in severity from day to day but are always present.
Heart palpitations / forceful heartbeats (I had one brief episode of tachycardia around 2015 or 2016 during which time my heart was beating like a hummingbird's for no reason. I don't know how fast my heart was beating, but if I had to guess, it was probably close to 200bpm. I didn't even believe it at first until I checked my pulse at my neck to confirm.
Histamine intolerance (suspected, not proven, but sufficient evidence to suggest severe sensitivity)
Chronic bacteria on tongue (possibly due to pitted tonsils and frequent tonsil stones) -- Contributing to bacterial overgrowth in intestines?
IBS symptoms
Muscle stiffness
Chronic fatigue / difficulty exercising
Chronic brain fog
Restlessness
Anxiety / Depression
Dizziness (I get dizzy and disoriented MUCH easier than the average person. This was proven when training jiu jitsu -- rolling forwards and backwards makes me incredibly dizzy very fast. Most people seem largely unaffected whereas I would almost fall over upon standing and had to stand still for about 10 seconds to recover)
I guess my main question is could all this be a result of the mold exposure? Could it likely just be permanent damage that I'll have to live with? Is it possible that this mold has somehow settled in my intestines, lungs, or sinuses? At this point, I'm pretty desperate for answers, or even just some sort of guidance. I seem to be as well and healthy as I'm going to get, and my quality of life is pretty low physically and mentally.
If it doesn't have anything to do with mold, I'm wondering if it could be an adrenal issue or just screwed up brain chemistry from the whole smoking / smoking cessation / clonazepam circus.
The only real solution seems to be clonazepam to make me more functional and "even-keeled" day-to-day. But that also still seems to me like it's a terrible solution that won't do me any favors in the long run.
The most significant factor in how I feel (that I can control) seems to be what I eat and drink. Most foods and drinks seem to cause anxiety and inflammation and sinus issues. Alcohol especially is capable of causing almost instant, significant anxiety. A single glass of red wine or a single beer can cause an anxiety flare that lasts about 3 - 5 minutes.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I know it all probably sounds like a jumbled mess that's impossible to sort through without running a thousand tests.