Eastern Shore Doc Targets Toxic Mold

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Eastern Shore Doc Targets Toxic Mold

Patients With Mystery Illnesses Seek Doctor's Aid

http://www.thewbalchannel.com/healtharchive/4697526/detail.html#

POSTED: 11:14 pm EDT July 7, 2005

POCOMOKE CITY, Md. -- Some doctors might question his methods, but

patients have flocked to an Eastern Shore doctor to discover whether

toxic mold makes them sick.

WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team reporter reported Dr. Ritchie

shoemaker reaches out to patients worldwide from the small rural

town of Pocomoke City -- and they seek him out, too.

Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker

Software entrepreneur Sullivan and his wife sought out

Shoemaker from sdale, Ariz.

" The way new things are discovered, they're often discovered in

places like Pocomoke, Md., as opposed to Hopkins or the Mayo

Clinic, " Sullivan surmised.

Kris Ohlhaver has driven from Olney, Md., in northern Montgomery

County, for four years. In what normally takes three hours to drive,

the trip takes Ohlhaver two days because of her illness.

" He's the first one that won't give up on me, no matter what, " she

said.

Murtaugh, 32, a medical salesman, made the trip from Florida to

see Shoemaker.

" I thought I was gonna die, " he said.

He thinks toxic mold may be causing his mystery illness and that his

life depends on his appointments with Shoemaker.

" He really understands what's causing this illness in people and

he's documented getting people better, " Murtaugh said.

" There's a real strong drive to not only feel better, but to know

what is wrong, " Shoemaker said.

Murtaugh has been ill since November 2003 and takes 15 different

medications for fatigue, confusion, fevers and severe joint pain.

said he's often frustrated; he broke down emotionally while

explaining how a friend rushed him to the hospital with a 106-degree

fever.

Through tears, Murtaugh recalled: " He was taking me to the hospital,

he was asking me, 'They still don't know what's wrong with you?' "

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Link: Dr. Shoemaker's Web site

National Library of Medicine: Mold Resources

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Shoemaker called Murtaugh's reaction typical.

" It's all because of environmental exposure. He has no personal

life, no girlfriend, no children, no hope of that, " he said.

Shoemaker gives Murtaugh, and all of his patients, vision tests in

addition to extensive blood work.

" I have hope. I'm gonna get back to a normal life go back to the

gym, lose the 40 pounds I've gained. "

- Murtaugh

" There's data out there, you have to go looking for it and read it, "

Shoemaker explained. " There are tests we know are abnormal in mold

and we can profile how physiology is disrupted and then fix it. "

Shoemaker believes some people have an innate susceptibility to mold

toxins. His approach is to custom build a treatment plan that often

includes cholestyramine, a cholesterol drug he prescribes to wipe

out mold toxins.

The 11 News I-Team spoke with some of Shoemaker's peers, and while

they say his work is a bit on the edge, they have no reason to doubt

his motives or sincerity. They said there just isn't enough

scientific information to judge Shoemaker's methods or effectiveness.

" One guarantee is that when (patients) leave here, they'll be able

to see what their illness is in black and white on a series of lab

results, " Shoemaker said.

Shoemaker said he sees a 75-percent reduction in symptoms in 92

percent of his patients -- and he remains hopeful about Murtaugh's

case.

" I have hope. I'm gonna get back to a normal life go back to the

gym, lose the 40 pounds I've gained, " Murtaugh said.

Shoemaker gained notoriety in the late 1990s for his work in

treating patients sickened by pfiesteria, a toxic fish-killing

organism that has invaded the Pocomoke River.

The 11 News I-Team spoke with Murtaugh after that emotional day in

Shoemaker's office. He said he's improving every week.

Stay with TheWBALChannel.com and WBAL-TV 11 News for the latest

health updates.

Previous Stories:

June 23, 2005: Woman Blames Mold For Killing Husband, Father, Family

Pet

June 16, 2005: Moldy School Library Reopens Year Later

May 24, 2005: Mold! How To Deal With It

August 18, 2004: Man Uses Dog To Detect Mold

September 23, 2003: Preventing Mold In Flooded Homes

July 29, 2003: Beilenson: Mold Triggers Asthma Attacks In Kids

August 19, 2002: GH Tests: Mold Test Kits