Top Functional Medicine Strategies for Biotoxin Illness
Still experiencing fatigue, brain fog, or strange symptoms—even after multiple doctor visits? You’ve had the labs. You’veseen the specialists. Maybe you’ve even been told “everything looks normal.”But deep down, you know something’s off. Your body doesn’t feel like it usedto, and you’re not getting the answers—or the relief—you need.
This is a story I hear often, and in many cases, the missingpiece is something called biotoxin illness.
Biotoxin illness refers to a chronic inflammatory responsetriggered by exposure to certain biologically produced toxins—most commonly from mold (mycotoxins) or microbes like Lyme disease, Babesia, or Bartonella. These toxins hijack the immune system and disrupt your body’sability to detoxify and regulate inflammation, leading to a long list ofsymptoms that are often mislabeled as anxiety, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia,or even psychosomatic.
The problem? Biotoxins don’t follow the rules of traditional infections or toxic exposures. They’re stealthy. They don’talways show up on standard labs. And they’re often completely missed inconventional medicine, which isn’t trained to recognize the subtle, chronicimpact of these toxins on the immune, neurological, and hormonal systems.
This is where functional medicine steps in—andshines.
At the Restorative Medicine Center, we take a root-cause approach to biotoxin illness. We don’t just treat symptoms—we look at yourenvironment, your genetic detox capacity, your immune markers, and your body’sability to eliminate toxins. Our goal isn’t to put a band-aid on inflammation—it’sto ask, why is your body inflamed in the first place? And once we identify that, we work together to safely and systematically guide you througha personalized detox and healing plan.
What IsBiotoxin Illness?
Biotoxins are toxins produced by living organisms—andthey can be surprisingly destructive to human health. Unlike chemical toxins,which are synthetic or industrial in origin, biotoxins are natural but no lessharmful. They are released by certain molds, bacteria, algae, and microbeslike Borrelia (Lyme disease) and Babesia, and they have a uniqueability to interfere with your immune system, brain, and detox pathways.
In most people, brief exposure to biotoxins may trigger symptoms that resolve once the source is removed. But in a subset ofindividuals—those with genetic susceptibility (often related to HLA genes)—the body can’t recognize or eliminate these toxins effectively. Instead ofclearing them out, the immune system stays in a state of chronic activation,leading to widespread inflammation, hormonal imbalance, and nervous systemdysfunction. This condition is often referred to as Chronic InflammatoryResponse Syndrome (CIRS)—a term coined by Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, a pioneerin biotoxin illness research.
Common Sources of Biotoxin Exposure Include:
● Water-damaged buildings: Mold andmycotoxins often grow behind walls, under floors, or in HVAC systems—hidden,but potent.
● Tick-borne infections: Chronic Lyme disease and co-infections like Bartonella and Babesia producebiotoxins that persist long after the initial infection.
● Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae): Oftenfound in lakes, rivers, or contaminated water supplies—can release neurotoxinsand hepatotoxins.
These biotoxins are what we call “stealth toxins.”They don’t cause fever. They don’t always show up on conventional lab work. Andthey’re not something most providers are trained to identify or address. Butmake no mistake—they can wreak havoc on your immune system, disruptneurological function, trigger autoimmune processes, and drain your energy,clarity, and resilience.
That’s why, at the Restorative Medicine Center, we don’twait for conventional markers to “prove” something is wrong. We listen to yoursymptoms, evaluate your environment, assess genetic susceptibility, and useadvanced lab testing to uncover what’s going on beneath the surface.
FunctionalMedicine Approach to Biotoxin Illness
At Restorative Medicine Center, our approach to chronicillness—including biotoxin-related conditions—is built around what we call the RootCause Triad. This triad includes Microbes, Toxins, and the StressResponse, which are the three major categories of dysfunction we evaluatein every patient. Biotoxin illness often involves all three: toxinexposure (usually mold or microbial), hidden infections (Lyme, Babesia, etc.),and a nervous system stuck in a fight-or-flight state.
Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all protocol, we builda customized plan that addresses your unique biochemistry and environmentalexposures. Below are the essential pillars we use when treating biotoxinillness through a functional medicine lens.
Identify and Remove the Source
You can’t detox what your body is still being exposed to.That’s why the first step in biotoxin recovery is always identifying andeliminating ongoing exposure.
● Mold remediation is often critical. Wehelp patients test their homes using tools like ERMI or HERTSMI-2, and refer tocertified mold inspectors for thorough evaluations.
● It’s essential to assess workplaces, schools,cars, and water sources, especially if symptoms flare in certainenvironments.
● If mold or microbial toxins are still present inyour daily surroundings, your detox efforts won’t be effective and may evenmake you feel worse.
This foundational phase is why treating mold toxicitywith functional medicine always begins with an environmental assessment.
Lab Testingand Evaluation
Once we’ve addressed potential exposures, we dive into specializedlab testing to assess how your body is reacting—and which systems need themost support.
Key biomarkers include:
● C4a, TGF-B1, and MMP-9:Indicators of ongoing immune activation and inflammation
● VEGF and VIP: Related to bloodflow and tissue repair
● Cortisol (via saliva or DUTCH testing):Reveals adrenal stress and circadian rhythm imbalances
We may also evaluate:
● Mycotoxin testing (urine-based) to detectmold-related toxins stored in your tissues
● HLA genetic susceptibility testing todetermine whether your body has a harder time clearing biotoxins
● Microbial testing for hidden infectionslike Borrelia (Lyme), Bartonella, and Babesia, which oftencoexist with mold illness and complicate recovery
These labs help us move away from guesswork and build aprecise map of what your body needs to heal.
Calm theInflammatory Response
Biotoxin illness is essentially a condition of chronic immune system activation, so part of our job is to help calm the storminside your body. This doesn't mean suppressing the immune system—it means rebalancingit so that healing can occur.
Our strategies include:
● Anti-inflammatorysupplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, liposomal turmeric, resveratrol,and quercetin
● A low-inflammatory nutrition plan—oftenlower in sugar, gluten, dairy, and high-oxalate foods—to reduce internalstressors
● Nervous system retraining, includingvagus nerve stimulation (through breathwork, humming, gargling, or tools likethe Safe and Sound Protocol), to shift your body out of fight-or-flight andinto rest-and-repair mode
These approaches address the chronic inflammation frombiotoxins that fuels so many downstream issues—from fatigue to autoimmunityto brain fog.
Support Detoxification Pathways
Once the source is removed and inflammation is addressed, webegin supporting safe and effective detoxification. This phase must bepersonalized and paced—moving too fast can cause “die-off” symptoms that makeyou feel worse.
Our biotoxin illness detox program supports allphases of detox:
● Binders like cholestyramine, bentoniteclay, or activated charcoal help trap and eliminate circulatingtoxins from the gut.
● We enhance glutathione production—yourbody’s master antioxidant—through precursors (like NAC and glycine) orliposomal glutathione.
● Support bile flow and liver function withherbs like milk thistle, dandelion, and bitters.
● Incorporate far infrared sauna to promotesweating, dry brushing and lymphatic movement to mobilize waste,and encourage hydration and bowel regularity to ensure toxins leave thebody.
● Replete with essential nutrients: magnesium,zinc, B vitamins, and trace minerals that are often depleted in chronicillness.
Detox isn’t about dramatic cleanses—it’s about giving yourbody what it needs to do its job, at a pace it can handle.
Restore Immune Balance and MitochondrialFunction
After years of battling inflammation and toxic burden, manypatients are left with immune exhaustion, mitochondrial dysfunction,and hormonal collapse. This is the “rebuilding” phase, and it’s just asimportant as detox.
We focus on:
● Immune modulation, not suppression—usingtools like low-dose naltrexone (LDN), thymus support, and lifestyle regulationto restore healthy immune tone and reduce autoimmune reactivity.
● Mitochondrial support: Biotoxins depletethe energy centers of your cells. We use nutrients like CoQ10, NAD+,PQQ, and carnitine to restore mitochondrial output and support cellularrepair.
● Hormonal balancing, especially of the thyroid,adrenals, and sex hormones, which are often disrupted by years ofinflammation and stress. Support may include adaptogens, DHEA, bioidenticalhormone replacement, or nutritional precursors based on labs and symptoms.
This is where the energy, clarity, and resilience you’vebeen missing finally begin to return.
Hope forBiotoxin Recovery
If you’ve been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or told that yoursymptoms are “just anxiety,” I want you to know this: you are not imaginingthings. Biotoxin illness is real. The fatigue, the brain fog, the pain, thesensitivities—they all have a biological basis. And with the right tools and astrategic, step-by-step plan, healing is absolutely possible.
Functional medicine offers more than symptom management—itoffers clarity. By uncovering the root causes and addressing the sources ofinflammation, toxicity, and immune dysfunction, we help the body do what it wasdesigned to do: restore, repair, and thrive.
You don’t have to live in survival mode. With the rightguidance, you can reclaim your energy, your clarity, and your vitality—onestep at a time.
If you’re living with unexplained symptoms that no one seemsto understand—or you’ve already been diagnosed with mold illness, Lyme, or CIRS—we’rehere to help.
At Restorative Medicine Center, we specialize in root-causefunctional medicine strategies for chronic illness, including acomprehensive biotoxin illness detox program. We don’t just treatsymptoms—we uncover the why, and walk with you step-by-step through apersonalized path to healing.
Let’s get to the root. Let’s help your body recover.
📍 Dr. TeresaBirkmeier-Fredal, MD Restorative Medicine Center
705 Barclay Cir #115, RochesterHills, MI 48307
📞 Phone: 248.289.6349
📠 Fax: 248.289.6923
🕘 Office Hours: Mon -Thurs: 9am - 5pm; Fri: Closed
🌐 www.restorativemedcenter.com