u/RiskPuzzleheaded2290

Is the VCS test enough to start self-treatment?

Unfortunately, I’m unable to afford further testing as I’m only 16, and my parents don’t believe in mold exposure causing this much symptoms. They believe that because my ordinary blood tests at the doctors have come back normal, I should be fine. However, I’ve been dealing with debilitating symptoms for over a year, many of which I believe correlate with mold exposure and CIRS.

I initially used the free VCS test from vcstest.com, which came back positive with a biotoxin score of 62/90. Just to be sure, I also purchased the $15 test from SurvivingMold.com, which came back as “failed” in both eyes and also indicated positive symptoms.

I was told that if the VCS test comes back positive, there is reportedly a very high likelihood of having CIRS. I’m now getting to the point where these symptoms are significantly affecting my everyday life, and I’m struggling to cope with how long this has been going on.

Has anyone here gone mainly based on the VCS test alone and then self-treated with binders such as CSM (cholestyramine), or other treatments? I’m not sure what would be the safest or most appropriate approach, especially when I can’t afford further testing.

If anyone has been in a similar situation or has any advice, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience.

Thanks!

I’m currently 14 months into PAWS, and I’ve dealt with a lot of the symptoms. Most of them have improved, but 14 months later, my memory and having a blank mind are still my biggest concerns.

I can’t start conversations with anyone anymore because my mind just won’t come up with anything to say, and it’s starting to affect my relationships with people.

Has anybody else dealt with this beyond 14 months and gone on to recover? I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences.

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to come on here to seek some advice, if possible.

Around 1 year and 2 months ago, I decided to quit vaping, mainly for the benefits, but I got hit with PAWS around 1 month after quitting. Ever since then, I’ve dealt with all the bad symptoms, mainly extreme brain fog, which lifted by around 80% at around month 6. However, ever since then, my main concern has been my memory.

Although it has returned slightly, as I’m forgetting things less than I was when I first started dealing with PAWS, now over a year later I’m still struggling with poor mental clarity. I tend to avoid people, including friends and family, as my mind is almost always quite blank.

For example, whenever I’m with a friend or speaking to a relative, I tend to panic because, before PAWS, I could think of so many things to say and keep conversations going constantly. Now, I struggle to form thoughts to keep conversations flowing. If someone is speaking to me about a particular topic, I can usually keep the conversation going as long as it’s about that subject, but I still tend to struggle to find the right words sometimes.

Recently, it’s really started to get me down because I start college next month. If I’m already struggling to keep in touch with my friends now, I worry that I’m not going to make any new friends when I start.

Note: I have tried many things to help improve my memory and cognitive function, such as eating a clean diet, working out 5 times a week, taking creatine, improving my sleep quality, and taking a supplement called Brain Booster+, which contains omega-3 fish oil and several other ingredients that are supposed to help with focus and memory. I’ve been taking those for around a year as well, but it almost feels as though I’ve run out of options and that I’m never going to recover from whatever is causing this decline in my cognitive function.

The main reason I decided to post here is because I’ve heard that PAWS can last anywhere from 2–3 years. If I could interact with some people on this subreddit who are currently dealing with, or have dealt with, the same issue I’m experiencing right now, that would be greatly appreciated. Most of all, I’d really like to hear from people who were eventually able to recover from this.

I guess I just need some reassurance, as I’m scared this is going to last forever, and I feel like I’m just watching myself and my life pass by without being able to live it.

If you’ve made it to the end of this post, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read it. I truly appreciate it, and I wish you the very best of luck on your journey! :)

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to come on here to seek some advice, if possible.
Around 1 year and 2 months ago, I decided to quit vaping, mainly for the benefits, but I got hit with PAWS around 1 month after quitting. Ever since then, I’ve dealt with all the bad symptoms, mainly extreme brain fog, which lifted by around 80% at around month 6. However, ever since then, my main concern has been my memory.

Although it has returned slightly, as I’m forgetting things less than I was when I first started dealing with PAWS, now over a year later I’m still struggling with poor mental clarity. I tend to avoid people, including friends and family, as my mind is almost always quite blank.

For example, whenever I’m with a friend or speaking to a relative, I tend to panic because, before PAWS, I could think of so many things to say and keep conversations going constantly. Now, I struggle to form thoughts to keep conversations flowing. If someone is speaking to me about a particular topic, I can usually keep the conversation going as long as it’s about that subject, but I still tend to struggle to find the right words sometimes.

Recently, it’s really started to get me down because I start college next month. If I’m already struggling to keep in touch with my friends now, I worry that I’m not going to make any new friends when I start.

Note: I have tried many things to help improve my memory and cognitive function, such as eating a clean diet, working out 5 times a week, taking creatine, improving my sleep quality, and taking a supplement called Brain Booster+, which contains omega-3 fish oil and several other ingredients that are supposed to help with focus and memory. I’ve been taking those for around a year as well, but it almost feels as though I’ve run out of options and that I’m never going to recover from whatever is causing this decline in my cognitive function.

The main reason I decided to post here is because I’ve heard that PAWS can last anywhere from 2–3 years. If I could interact with some people on this subreddit who are currently dealing with, or have dealt with, the same issue I’m experiencing right now, that would be greatly appreciated. Most of all, I’d really like to hear from people who were eventually able to recover from this.

I guess I just need some reassurance, as I’m scared this is going to last forever, and I feel like I’m just watching myself and my life pass by without being able to live it.

If you’ve made it to the end of this post, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read it. I truly appreciate it, and I wish you the very best of luck on your journey! :)

Am I likely to deal with PAWS or a long-term flatline from starting SR, even if I’m not addicted? The benefits sound too good not to start, but I have dealt with PAWS through a previous addiction, and I don’t think I’m ready to face it again. Thanks.

I have been dealing with PAWS from my previous addiction (smoking) for around 1 year and 3 months. Since the day I quit, the one main thing that hasn’t completely returned to me is my memory.
When I first quit, it was almost as if I didn’t feel like I was living anymore. I was completely out of it. I couldn’t remember a single thing that had happened 5 seconds before, while dealing with constant brain fog. It was the worst time of my life.
Now, over a year later, the brain fog has lifted, and so has my memory to some extent. However, as the days go by, it’s really starting to hit me. I haven’t been making conversations with my family or friends and have been very distant for the past 4 months, as my mind just completely goes blank. I can barely start conversations anymore unless something happens in the moment. It sends me into a panic knowing I have nothing to say, as my memory and thinking just isn’t, and hasn’t been, working.
So, as my last resort, I thought I would come on here for some advice, as I have seen a lot of posts about how starting SR has helped people’s memory and mental clarity the most. I thought I couldn’t pass this opportunity up.
Note: I have been doing PMO for around 4 years, and I wouldn’t exactly call my situation an addiction, as I only tend to do it once per night, and there have been days where I could go without it. I have also noticed periods of low motivation and mental fatigue, which may be contributing to how disconnected and mentally “blank” I have been feeling lately.
Of course, everybody is different and can sometimes deal with situations like this worse than others. I’m just hoping to find some people on here who may be dealing with, or have dealt with, my situation and could offer some advice or share their experience.
My main concern is that if I do start SR, am I likely to experience worse withdrawals due to my current PAWS situation, or is this likely to help lift my symptoms altogether so I can return back to normal for good?
I do apologise if this doesn’t make much sense, as I’m trying to fit it all into one post without making it too long. If you have taken the time out of your day to potentially help me with some advice, or even just to read my post, I really appreciate it. Thank you.