CIRS Shoemaker Protocol Step #1
Okay, so you’ve caught onto the idea that chronic inflammatory response syndrome and erythromelalgia are related. You’ve learned a bit about CIRS, but you are left wondering, how in the heck is it treated?! I intend to walk you through the steps of CIRS treatment in the blogs ahead. Dr. Shoemaker’s brilliant protocol that treats CIRS involves a great deal of information and many new words to learn. This is the alphabet soup of CIRS. Don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t ‘download’ it all in the first go at it. I’m a medical provider, and it has stretched me to understand. The good news is that it is the job of your CIRS savvy medical provider to walk you through the steps. Nonetheless, it helps to understand the ‘why’ behind what you are being asked to do…especially with this drastic first step.
So, you failed the VCS test and were worked up for CIRS. Your positive blood markers resulted in a diagnosis. Now treatment will involve taking the CIRS protocol step-by-step. The first step is removal from exposure.
Shoemaker Protocol Step #1- REMOVAL FROM EXPOSURE
This means those with CIRS due to a water damaged building will need to get into a ‘clean enough’ space. No space is free of mold-related mycotoxins, endotoxins, actinobacteria, or the like. However, you do need to live and work in a space that is ‘clean enough’. This is often the hardest of the steps but remission of symptoms will not occur without removal from exposure to the toxin. Creative problem solving done in tandem with a medical provider and indoor environmental professional (IEP) are often necessary to effectively approach environmental challenges due to water damaged buildings at home, work, and/or school. Once a person with CIRS is in a ‘safe enough’ environment, it must be stressed that any additional exposure to biotoxins will likely cause backsliding in treatment and delay recovery. Exposure must be fastidiously avoided! Re-exposure can equal relapse once cured. Avoid buildings with musty smells- simply turn around and walk away- and use appropriate MSQPCR testing as advised by your medical provider prior to living or working in buildings in the future.
What if your CIRS is not caused by a water damaged (AKA- moldy) building?
Other examples of removal from exposure include the following-
-If Post-Lyme Syndrome after being bitten by a tick is driving CIRS, treatment will be tailored to the individual patient. You will need to take precautions to avoid tick bites in the future.
-If ciguatera is driving CIRS, a recommendation is made to avoid consuming reef dwelling fish such as grouper, amberjack, sea bass, red snapper, and the like.
Your CIRS proficient Shoemaker provider will make recommendations related to removal from exposure for your unique situation. With removal from exposure, you are well on your way. The next step of your healing journey will involve taking a binder to remove the toxin from your body.
You can read more about my journey as a medical provider hellbent on healing her own erythromelalgia here.
Read about healing my chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) and how that connects to EM here.
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