The CIRS Group Podcast

Barbara and Jacie discuss COVID, spike protein, long COVID, and possible connections to CIRS. DISCLAIMER: This is educational and not medical advice. Always consult your own medical professional before doing any of the protocols discussed here. 

They explain spike protein’s role in viral cell entry via ACE2 receptors, note it can be produced during infection and temporarily after certain vaccinations, and share Jacie&rsq...

Barbara and Jacie discuss what to do when the Shoemaker protocol/CIRS treatment feels intolerable. They stress testing the home (ERMI or HERTSMI-2 dust testing at minimum, ideally including actinos and endotoxins) and choosing to leave, remediate, or use temporary “Band-Aids” like a safe room with an Air Oasis, frequent cleaning, or even sleeping outside in a low-VOC tent. They cover cautious binder use (especially if s...

Dust Testing Showdown: EnviroBiomics vs Liz Biotech vs Mycometrics (ERMI/HERTSMI-2 Experiment)

In this CIRS Group Podcast episode, Barbara describes a controlled dust-test experiment comparing MSQ PCR/ERMI results across three CIRS-relevant labs—EnviroBiomics, Liz Biotech, and Mycometrics—using dust collected the same day from the same home and surfaces, divided into left/middle/right sections to reduce sampling bias. T...

Barbara welcomes Dr. Kellyn Milani, a naturopathic doctor and primary care physician specializing in complex environmentally acquired illnesses, to discuss tick-borne illness in the context of CIRS aka mold illness. Dr. Milani explains that tick-borne disease is a major trigger for CIRS, emphasizes Lyme occurs in all 50 states, and outlines why testing is limited and Lyme is primarily a clinical diagnosis. She reviews symptom patte...

On today's episode of The CIRS Group Podcast, Barbara shares a health update. She reports a smoother-than-expected recovery from an August 2025 L5-S1 PLIF spinal fusion, major symptom improvements after going gluten- and dairy-free, adding gut supplements, and tracking with stool testing. She began tick-borne treatment with a specialist using pulsed antibiotics plus biofilm support and albendazole, noting microbiome changes and a p...

In this The CIRS Group Podcast episode, hosts Jacie and Barbara interview Max McCord, an indoor environmental professional and president of the Stonecrest Team, about why mold remediation projects can fail even after visible mold is removed. Max explains that the biggest misses are often hidden, hard-to-see species like whitish Aspergillus, and that relying on basic air sampling can wrongly suggest a home is “clear,” wh...

Jacie and Barbara share some suggestions for a “CIRS starter pack” inspired by their community: a menu of practical, non-medical supports to help CIRS patients feel better while waiting to see a provider and pursuing root-cause treatment. They cover environmental steps like using an Air Oasis air purifier and improving cleaning/laundry and bedding routines, plus daily hygiene tools like acidifying body wash. They discus...

Barbara and Jacie discuss insomnia as a common CIRS symptom, explaining that CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) can occur in genetically predisposed people exposed to biotoxins like mold, algae blooms, or venomous spider bites, leading to chronic inflammation, cytokine activity, low MSH, and downstream disruption of melatonin, cortisol, and other hormones. They share ways to improve falling asleep (morning sunlight, dim ...

In this CIRS Group Podcast episode, hosts Jacie and Barbara interview Brian Tinker, founder of Breathe Well Homes and a master builder with 30+ years of experience, whose work became personal after his wife’s CIRS diagnosis revealed their home’s role in her illness. Brian explains how moisture control is the core issue behind mold problems and why modern “tighter” energy codes can create sick homes without p...

Barbara and Jacie are back, this time to share Jacie’s personal health update while she deals with a CIRS relapse after moving into a new apartment. Jacie describes worsening histamine flares, a return of autoimmune symptoms like uveitis, and home testing that showed borderline endotoxins (100), and extremely high actinos (6 million). This prompted a small-particle cleaning and skin/environment retesting that suggested her bo...

In this final CIRSx 2026 recap, Jacie and Barbara cover the conference’s lifestyle-focused talks and share takeaways for listeners. They highlight Mike Pelletier's practical strategies to accelerate CIRS recovery, including prioritizing sleep (consistent bedtime/wake time, cool room, morning light, lowering bedroom CO2, reducing nocturia by shifting fluid intake earlier, and improving nasal breathing), plus frequent “ex...

Barbara and Jacie continue their CIRSx 2026 recap with the medical talks, emphasizing that the episode should not be considered medical advice and encouraging listeners to consult their own CIRS practitioners. They summarize Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker’s talk on “triple positives” on GENIE (AKT, RELA, tubulin) as an early risk pattern for neurodegeneration including Parkinson’s, highlighting the promise of early i...

Barbara and Jacie kick off their annual CIRSx 2026 Conference recap series, focusing this episode on remediation and environmental talks, with a reminder to consult an indoor environmental professional (IEP) for climate-specific guidance. They summarize key presentations: Bill Weber and Christine Semabeu on prevention-first building and homeowner maintenance (leak management, access panels, alarms, early mechanical planning, and th...

Barbara and Jacie share “hot takes” after CIRSx 2026 in Fort Lauderdale. Barbara attended in person and Jacie watched virtually. They discuss feeling “weird vibes” and a more corporate yet conflicted identity, with misalignment about whether the conference is for providers, patients, or remediators, and concerns about limited innovation within the Shoemaker community. They encourage practitioners to seek inn...

In this The CIRS Group Podcast episode, Jacie and Barbara explain MARCoNS (multiple antibiotic resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci) as a common deep nasal colonization in CIRS patients and why it’s addressed as step three in the Shoemaker Protocol (after leaving exposure and using binders). They discuss how MARCoNS may perpetuate inflammation and low MSH, what symptoms can look like, and how to test via a deep nasal sw...

On this episode of The CIRS Group podcast, hosts Jacie and Barbara interview Dr. Andrew Heyman about Dr. Naviaux’s cell danger response (CDR) framework and why it can explain stalled recoveries in chronic mold-related illness and CIRS. Heyman describes how mitochondrial “danger mode” drives three phases: initial inflammation (innate immune activation), rebuilding via aerobic glycolysis, and reintegration requiring...

Barbara and Jacie wrap up their five-part Shoemaker Protocol series with Phase 5: Repair and Restore. This phase focuses on normalizing innate immune markers (MMP-9, C3a, C4a, and TGFb1) and restoring brain volume. They explain that low-starch/gluten-free diet helps bring down MMP-9, while persistently elevated C3a/C4a or TGFb1 often signal ongoing exposure, gut issues, tick-borne illness, or dental cavitations. The episode culmina...

In this CIRS Group Podcast episode, Jacie and Barbara cover phase four of the Shoemaker Protocol, focused on restoring normal metabolic function after biotoxin elimination. They explain that this phase may include supporting detox pathways for “normal” toxins and heavy metals (e.g., daily bowel movements, B vitamins, methylation support, sauna or hot baths, lymphatic techniques, and using binders like charcoal or clay f...

Struggling with stubborn biotoxin illness (CIRS) and feeling stuck in your recovery? In this episode, we break down some of the most important (and often overlooked) steps in the Shoemaker Protocol, including binders, MARCoNS treatment, and gut support. Learn how binders like cholestyramine and Welchol work differently to remove biotoxins, why the wrong detox approach can trigger setbacks, and how to track your progress with tools ...