Do you treat mold illness for patients outside the Bay Area?

Yes. I see patients with mold and biotoxin illness, CIRS and mycotoxin exposure anywhere in California by video. I'm licensed in California, so patients need to be located in the state. If you live outside California, your own doctor can still get my guidance: clinicians can book a one-on-one case consult with me about your care, while they remain your treating physician.

How do I know if my symptoms are caused by mold?

Look for symptoms across several body systems, such as fatigue, brain fog, sinus problems, headaches and new sensitivities, especially if they started after a move or water damage. Symptoms alone can't confirm it. I use a combination of history, urine mycotoxin testing, VCS screening and home testing to build a clearer picture.

What's the difference between mold illness and CIRS?

CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome) describes an ongoing inflammatory response to biotoxins, most often from water-damaged buildings. "Mold illness" is a broader everyday term. In practice, I evaluate the whole picture, including mycotoxin burden, inflammation, mast cell reactivity, the nervous system and your home.

I tried a mold detox and felt worse. Can you help?

This is one of the most common reasons people come to me. Feeling worse usually means toxins were being mobilized faster than the body could clear them, or the nervous system and mast cells weren't stable enough to handle treatment yet. I start by stabilizing and opening elimination pathways, then reintroduce detox slowly.

Do I have to move out of my home to get better?

Not always. Home testing (ERMI and HERTSMI-2) and a professional inspection help show how serious the problem is. Some homes can be remediated. Sometimes temporary relocation is the safer choice. Either way, we can usually begin treatment right away.

Mold and Environmental Illness

Functional medicine care for mold and biotoxin illness, CIRS, mycotoxin exposure, chemical sensitivity and chronic sinusitis.

I'm Dr. Stephanie Daniel, DO. I founded Functional Medicine SF in 2012, and mold and environmental illness is one of the main things I treat.

Apply for a Welcome Consultation Take the 5-minute Protocol Audit →

Who this page is for

You may be here because you've felt unwell for months or years and no one has found the cause. Or you already know you were exposed to mold (a leak, a water-damaged rental, a musty office) and you want a careful plan to recover.

Common symptoms of mold and biotoxin illness include:

Fatigue that rest doesn't fix
Brain fog, memory lapses and headaches
Sinus congestion or sinus infections that keep coming back
Rashes, digestive changes, or joint and muscle pain
Dizziness, ringing in the ears, or light sensitivity
New reactions to scents, chemicals, foods or medications, often with anxiety or poor sleep

Many of my mold patients also have mast cell activation, POTS or gut problems. These often travel together, and I treat them as one connected picture rather than as separate diagnoses.

Why mold illness is often missed

Mold illness rarely shows up on standard blood work, and its symptoms span many body systems. Each specialist sees one piece, so it's easy to be told your labs are normal.

The source is often hidden as well: behind walls, under sinks, in HVAC systems or front-loading washers. Mycotoxins can also come from food, and mold or yeast can colonize the sinuses and gut, so exposure can continue after you leave a bad building.

Once found, it can be hard to resolve. Mycotoxins disrupt the nervous system and activate mast cells, which can make the body react badly to treatment. Many of my patients come to me after a detox protocol made them worse. In my experience, that usually means the protocol went faster than the body could clear, not that the person can't get better.

How I evaluate mold and environmental illness

I start with a detailed history: where you've lived and worked, any water damage, when symptoms began, and what has helped or made things worse. From there, I choose testing based on your situation. Not everyone needs every test. Tools I use include:

Urine mycotoxin testing (for example RealTime Labs or Mosaic Diagnostics). This test can show which mold toxins your body is excreting, which helps guide treatment choices.
Visual Contrast Sensitivity (VCS) screening. This is a simple online vision test that can reflect biotoxin burden. I use it as a baseline and then repeat it to track progress during treatment.
Home assessment. I give patients a step-by-step guide to inspecting their home with a moisture meter and humidity monitor. I also use ERMI and HERTSMI-2 dust testing, which looks for mold DNA in household dust and helps answer whether a home is safe to stay in.
Related testing when the picture calls for it, such as stool testing, organic acids, and an evaluation for histamine and mast cell activation.

How I sequence treatment

My approach follows The Longevity Hierarchy™, a framework I developed for organizing care around what your body can tolerate right now. It has two aims: reduce the load your body is carrying, and expand its capacity to handle treatment. Mold and mycotoxins are one of the most common loads I see.

In practice, that usually means:

Calm and stabilize first. If your nervous system is stuck in fight-or-flight or your mast cells are reactive, detox tends to backfire. I often start with nervous system regulation and mast cell support, and make sure the basics are covered: sleep, key nutrients, and daily bowel movements.
Open elimination pathways. Your body clears mycotoxins mainly through stool, urine and sweat. Hydration, electrolytes, regular bowel movements, lymphatic support and, when tolerated, infrared sauna come before anything stronger.
Bind toxins. Binders such as clay, charcoal, chlorella or prescription cholestyramine catch toxins in the gut so they leave the body instead of being reabsorbed. I add one at a time and start low.
Address colonization. If mold or yeast has colonized the sinuses or gut, I treat it gradually. I use VCS to make sure clearing doesn't outpace binding.
Rebuild. This means restoring the gut and microbiome, and then, once you're more resilient, addressing any remaining issues such as chronic infections.

Your environment matters throughout. I'll help you work out whether your home needs remediation and find qualified professionals. You don't have to wait until your home is fixed to start treatment, including detox. While you're still exposed, we start more cautiously and adjust as your living situation changes.

If a step causes a reaction, we slow down rather than push through. Recovery takes time, but it is usually steadier this way.

What working with me looks like

A 20-minute welcome consult to talk through your situation and see whether my practice is a good fit.
A 90-minute first visit. I review your history and prior labs and set out a testing plan.
A written plan that maps out your next steps, with clear instructions and handouts on detox, home assessment and testing. You put it into practice one change at a time, at a pace your body can handle.
60-minute follow-up visits to adjust the pace based on your response and your test results.

I order labs that can be done at home or at a local draw site in California.

Frequently asked questions

Do you treat mold illness for patients outside the Bay Area?: Yes. I see patients with mold and biotoxin illness, CIRS and mycotoxin exposure anywhere in California by video. I'm licensed in California, so patients need to be located in the state. If you live outside California, your own doctor can still get my guidance: clinicians can book a one-on-one case consult with me about your care, while they remain your treating physician.
How do I know if my symptoms are caused by mold?: Look for symptoms across several body systems, such as fatigue, brain fog, sinus problems, headaches and new sensitivities, especially if they started after a move or water damage. Symptoms alone can't confirm it. I use a combination of history, urine mycotoxin testing, VCS screening and home testing to build a clearer picture.
What's the difference between mold illness and CIRS?: CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome) describes an ongoing inflammatory response to biotoxins, most often from water-damaged buildings. "Mold illness" is a broader everyday term. In practice, I evaluate the whole picture, including mycotoxin burden, inflammation, mast cell reactivity, the nervous system and your home.
I tried a mold detox and felt worse. Can you help?: This is one of the most common reasons people come to me. Feeling worse usually means toxins were being mobilized faster than the body could clear them, or the nervous system and mast cells weren't stable enough to handle treatment yet. I start by stabilizing and opening elimination pathways, then reintroduce detox slowly.
Do I have to move out of my home to get better?: Not always. Home testing (ERMI and HERTSMI-2) and a professional inspection help show how serious the problem is. Some homes can be remediated. Sometimes temporary relocation is the safer choice. Either way, we can usually begin treatment right away.

Next steps

Book a 20-minute welcome consult to see whether we're a good fit.
Not sure where to start? Take the 5-minute Protocol Audit to see which areas may be adding to your symptoms.
Already on a mold or detox protocol that isn't working? A Protocol Review looks at what you're doing and what might be holding you back.

Apply for a Welcome Consultation

Functional Medicine SF provides virtual care for patients located in California. This page is for education and is not individual medical advice.