What are the Symptoms of CIRS?

If you’re reading this post, it’s highly likely that you suffer from some sort of vaguely explained illness. The illness, likely a syndrome, doesn’t have treatment. It’s more like the diagnosis of your illness was the last resort for your practitioner (or practitioners. You’ve probably seen more than half a dozen).

The illness could be:

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
Fibromyalgia
Long covid

But what if these syndromes are actually… symptoms? Symptoms of a complex illness that involves environmental exposure, genetics, and your body’s immune response?

I am describing CIRS – or Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome. Patients who suffer from CIRS have been diagnosed with all of the illnesses I listed above, plus many more. They have seen a wide variety of conventional and alternative practitioners, and taken every medication and supplement available. Unfortunately, they have often been dismissed by the medical establishment and told it’s all in their head.

But the underlying cause of their illness is their immune system’s inability to expel biotoxins. As a result, their immune system is continually reacting to the biotoxins, which has resulted in CIRS.

Unraveling the Mysteries of CIRS

Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, or CIRS, is a condition that happens when the body can’t recover from exposure to biotoxins produced by mold, Lyme disease, and other sources. Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, a pioneer in the field, has dedicated his career to unravelling the mysteries surrounding CIRS.

Dr. Shoemaker has found that CIRS is not a simple illness. Instead, it is a syndrome with symptoms that can vary widely from person to person.

Understanding CIRS requires an understanding of its underlying mechanisms:

Exposure to biotoxins. This exposure initiates a cascade of inflammatory responses in genetically susceptible individuals.
Immune system dysregulation. In its attempt to neutralize these toxins, the immune system can become dysregulated. This leads to a constant state of inflammation that affects the entire body.

The Diverse Faces of CIRS

CIRS is like a master of disguise. It presents with symptoms that mimic many other conditions. This makes it a challenging puzzle for both patients and healthcare practitioners. The symptoms of CIRS can appear in virtually any system of the body. As a result, practitioners who are not familiar with CIRS are not able to figure out what’s going on.

Let’s take a closer look at the many faces of CIRS.

1. Respiratory System:

The respiratory system often bears the brunt of CIRS, as exposure to mold toxins is a common trigger. As a result, persistent coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, and sinus congestion are frequent complaints. These symptoms, which are similar to allergies or asthma, may lead patients and their practitioners down the wrong diagnostic path, which delays the identification of CIRS.

Symptoms: Persistent cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, sinus congestion.
Source: Shoemaker, R. C., & House, D. E. (2006). A time-series study of sick building syndrome: chronic, biotoxin-associated illness from exposure to water-damaged buildings. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 28(2), 103-113.

2. Neurological Symptoms:

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of CIRS lies in its impact on the nervous system. Hallmark signs the nervous systems displays are cognitive dysfunction, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and brain fog. Patients may also experience mood swings, anxiety, or depression, which makes diagnosis even harder. That’s because these symptoms can often be misattributed to stress or other mental health issues.

Symptoms: Cognitive dysfunction, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, brain fog, mood swings, anxiety, depression.
Source: Shoemaker, R. C., & House, D. E. (2006). Similarities in the neuropsychiatric presentation of mold illness, Lyme disease, Gulf War illness, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal, 61(2), 77-83.

3. Fatigue and Malaise:

Chronic fatigue, unrelenting exhaustion, and a pervasive sense of malaise are common threads that weave through the CIRS tapestry. This profound impact on energy levels can disrupt daily life, and lead to a cascade of secondary symptoms that compound the challenges faced by individuals with CIRS.

Symptoms: Chronic fatigue, unrelenting exhaustion, pervasive malaise.
Source: Shoemaker, R. C., & House, D. E. (2006). A time-series study of sick building syndrome: chronic, biotoxin-associated illness from exposure to water-damaged buildings. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 28(2), 103-113.

4. Musculoskeletal Complaints:

The inflammation triggered by biotoxins can affect the musculoskeletal system. As a result joint pain, muscle aches, and stiffness are common in those with CIRS. These symptoms may be mistakenly linked to conditions such as fibromyalgia or arthritis, which diverts attention away from the root cause.

Symptoms: Joint pain, muscle aches, stiffness.
Source: Shoemaker, R. C., & House, D. E. (2006). Similarities in the neuropsychiatric presentation of mold illness, Lyme disease, Gulf War illness, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal, 61(2), 77-83.

5. Gastrointestinal Distress:

CIRS doesn’t spare the digestive system, and GI symptoms are very common. Nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or constipation mimic irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or other GI disorders. A CIRS practitioner must unravel the intricate interplay between CIRS and gut health.

Symptoms: Nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation.
Source: Shoemaker, R. C., & House, D. E. (2006). Similarities in the neuropsychiatric presentation of mold illness, Lyme disease, Gulf War illness, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal, 61(2), 77-83.

6. Sensitivity to Environmental Stimuli:

Patients with CIRS often become hypersensitive to things in their environment. This heightened sensitivity can appear as an intolerance to certain foods, odors, or even electromagnetic fields. These diverse sensitivities show the far-reaching impact of CIRS on multiple bodily systems.

Symptoms: Hypersensitivity to certain foods, odors, and electromagnetic fields.
Source: Shoemaker, R. C., & House, D. E. (2006). Similarities in the neuropsychiatric presentation of mold illness, Lyme disease, Gulf War illness, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal, 61(2), 77-83.

7. Sleep Disturbances:

Symptoms: Insomnia, disrupted sleep patterns.
Source: Shoemaker, R. C., & House, D. E. (2005). A time-series study of sick building syndrome: chronic, biotoxin-associated illness from exposure to water-damaged buildings. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 27(1), 29-46.

8. Headaches:

Symptoms: Chronic or recurrent headaches.
Source: Shoemaker, R. C., & House, D. E. (2005). A time-series study of sick building syndrome: chronic, biotoxin-associated illness from exposure to water-damaged buildings. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 27(1), 29-46.

9. Weight Fluctuations:

Symptoms: Unexplained weight gain or loss.
Source: Shoemaker, R. C., & House, D. E. (2005). A time-series study of sick building syndrome: chronic, biotoxin-associated illness from exposure to water-damaged buildings. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 27(1), 29-46.

10. Night Sweats:

Symptoms: Excessive sweating during sleep.
Source: Shoemaker, R. C., & House, D. E. (2005). A time-series study of sick building syndrome: chronic, biotoxin-associated illness from exposure to water-damaged buildings. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 27(1), 29-46.

11. Skin Issues:

Symptoms: Rashes, itching, and other dermatological problems.
Source: Rosenblum Lichtenstein, J. H., Hsu, Y. H., & Gavin, I. M. (2015). Personalized exposure assessment of toxicants using high-throughput microarray gene expression analyses. PLoS One, 10(7), e0131022.

12. Changes in Sensory Perception:

Symptoms: Altered taste or smell perception.
Source: Rosenblum Lichtenstein, J. H., Hsu, Y. H., & Gavin, I. M. (2015). Personalized exposure assessment of toxicants using high-throughput microarray gene expression analyses. PLoS One, 10(7), e0131022.

Do you think you have CIRS?
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Now that you know the body systems that CIRS can affect, let’s look at the long list of symptoms associated with CIRS. To be clear, the CIRS symptoms I list below are the ones published in the peer-reviewed literature. This is not a comprehensive list of every symptom a CIRS patient could experience. Instead, I’m focusing on the specific symptoms used to help diagnose CIRS.

Here are the thirty-seven symptoms of CIRS:

Fatigue
Aches
Unusually pain
Headaches
Red eyes
Tearing
Cough
Abdominal pain
Joint pain
Memory challenges
Challenges with word recollection
Confusion
Skin sensitivity
Appetite swings
Temperature regulation issues
Increased urination frequency
Numbness
Vertigo
Tremors
Weakness
Cramps
Ice pick pains
Light sensitivity
Blurred vision
Sinus issues
Shortness of breath
Diarrhea
Morning stiffness
Challenges with focus or concentration
Decreased assimilation of new knowledge
Disorientation
Mood swings
Sweats – especially night sweats
Excessive thirst
Static shocks
Tingling
Metallic taste in the mouth

Making some sense of the CIRS symptoms

These are the official CIRS symptoms – all thirty-seven of them. But just knowing the symptoms is not going to help you with diagnosing this illness. All thirty-seven of those CIRS symptoms are non-specific. Meaning that they don’t point in the direction of any illness in particular.

Take fatigue for example. Fatigue is a non-specific symptom – it doesn’t help narrow down what disease you’re dealing with. Low blood sugar could cause fatigue. High blood sugar can cause fatigue. Anemia or low iron can make you tired but so can too much iron. An under-functioning thyroid causes fatigue. So does cancer. This list goes on and on. Fatigue is an incredibly non-specific symptom. It’s associated with hundreds of illnesses.

What’s one to do?

Symptom clusters. Which is exactly what Dr. Richie Shoemaker did. He took those thirty-seven symptoms of CIRS and grouped them into thirteen clusters. If you have at least one of the symptoms in at least 8 of the clusters, you have the symptoms of CIRS. Here are the thirteen clusters:

1.
Fatigue

2.
Weakness
Decreased assimilation of new knowledge
Aches
Headaches
Light sensitivity

3.
Memory challenges
Challenges with word recollection

4.
Challenges with focus or concentration

5.
Joint pain
Morning Stiffness
Cramps

6.
Skin sensitivity
Tingling

7.
Shortness of breath
Sinus congestion

8.
Cough
Excessive thirst
Confusion

9.
Appetite swings
Temperature regulation issues
Increased urinary frequency

10.
Red eyes
Blurred Vision
Night sweats
Mood swings
Ice pick pains

11.
Abdominal pain
Diarrhea
Numbness

12.
Tearing
Disorientation
Metallic taste

13.
Static shocks
Vertigo

Are these the only symptoms of CIRS?

The symptoms I list above are the most researched. But it is not an extensive list. CIRS patients can present with many other symptoms – the challenge is teasing apart which of the symptoms are from CIRS and which are from other conditions that you may also be suffering from.

Here are some of the more common CIRS symptoms I see in my practice that didn’t make the peer-reviewed list:

Histamine intolerances
- Itching
- Rashes
- Hives
- Swelling of lips, tongue, or throat
Vascular issues
- Raynaud’s
- Red hands/feet
- Burning sensation in hands/feet
Orthostatic challenges
- Lightheadedness
- Fainting
- Palpitations
- Nausea
Neurological
- Tremors
- Rigid muscles
- Forgetfulness
- Challenges navigating familiar areas

What to do if you have the symptoms of CIRS

There’s more to the CIRS diagnostic puzzle than simply going yes/no through those thirty-seven symptoms. A qualified Shoemaker Protocol practitioner should go through the symptom clusters with you to get a more thorough understanding of what’s going on in your body. Something normal to you may actually be quite abnormal.

If you don’t have the option of seeing a Shoemaker Protocol practitioner, start with this questionnaire. It expands on each symptom to help you better understand whether or not you’re dealing with CIRS.

If your symptoms are positive, the next step I recommend is taking a visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) test. You can take one online on Dr. Shoemaker’s site. If you fail your VCS test AND you have symptoms present in eight or more of the thirteen clusters, you are very likely dealing with CIRS.

If this is you, I recommend finding a Shoemaker-trained practitioner and start getting some blood tests.

The Shoemaker Protocol is the only scientifically proven, peer-reviewed way to treat CIRS. Read more about how to treat CIRS.

Did you know Flourish Clinic has Canada’s only certified Shoemaker Protocol practitioners? Book a complimentary 15 minute phone chat with Mark Volmer or Jane Prescot today!