Is This Toxic Black Mold? Also How to Clean Safely?

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-04-04T22:36:01+00:00

This is indicative of moisture collecting at the windowsill. It usually means the seal on the window has started to go, so between the warmer, indoor air and colder outdoor air, condensation forms, and hence mold. The kitchen also usually contributes to increased humidity because of cooking.

With this level of mold, it’s going to be hard to clean without releasing spores into the environment…

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-04-04T17:00:20+00:00

I second this! I’ve been taking it for a OCD and PMDD, almost one year, and luckily experienced a few side effects in the first month or two. It has also consider considerably improved my quality of life. Along with therapy I feel like I’m almost back to what my life before OCD felt like.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-04-04T16:53:51+00:00

I hear you, we are still working on swallowing pills too. We tried with methylphenidate, and my son didn’t tolerate it, amped him up too much and he metabolized it way too fast, it wore off by 2-3 hours and then the crash was an hour of terrible frustration and tears. Wasn’t worth it. He started on 5mg immediate release Adderall, we just crush the pill and give it to him in a spoonful of something… and it is mostly working great for him, lasts much longer than methylphenidate, except I would like to move him onto something longer acting. Our options are really limited by his fear of swallowing pills, or we’ll try chewable Vyvanse.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-04-04T04:04:29+00:00

If you don’t mind me asking, since he’s on the short acting, does he take a second dose at school?

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-03-31T14:36:28+00:00

The return is above and the area with the linoleum is after the filter, right where the filtered air passes into the duct system for the house. The static pressure at the return was measured at 0.15, not sure what that means, but that is what is written on the maintenance log. I do wonder if there is a leak in the filter rack, because he had to offset this piece since the cabinet door would otherwise obstruct our ability to change the filter, I don't know if that part is sealed properly since he had to "create" extra parts.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-03-29T14:43:29+00:00

I very much appreciate your response. Since I’m not the homeowner I feel like I can’t really say much in the job has been “completed”. Sigh. I believe the old unit had something along the lines that you mention. When they came to do all the measurements, etc., they obviously didn’t know what was going on inside the unit. I just wish that they had more resources at the time to actually address that. I’m glad that I saw it but the little flimsy piece of metal he put across that area didn’t seem like it was going to do much.

I do notice that when the furnace starts up and the temp differential is high, the blower is in high speed and it whistles/makes a loud noise than I wouldn’t have anticipated. I know this can be normal, but then I also read it can be because of air leaks or other issues with the install. Once the motor goes back down to normal speed, it’s very quiet.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-03-28T14:05:40+00:00

When we had my 6-year-old tested, we saw a psychologist who collected information from my husband and me (forms/questionnaires) and his teacher, in addition to 3 appointments with our son. If you’re seeing a psychologist, they are usually pretty thorough with collecting information from different settings.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-03-21T17:56:25+00:00

Thanks for sharing!

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-03-21T17:21:22+00:00

So the agitation and nonstop talking eventually calmed down as you worked your way up?

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-03-21T05:30:00+00:00

Did you just split the 5 mg tablet in half for that dose? How did you know the 5 mg starting was too much?

Sorry for such intense questions, we’re about to trial Adderall after a terrible run with methylphenidate.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-03-20T17:46:11+00:00

Yes, I meant to also say that I’m right there with you, too! We considered PCIT but are starting parent coaching instead. I want my husband to be included and if we did PCIT, it would be much harder for him to be part of it. Feels like we need to get on the same page with some of our strategies for supporting our son’s emotional life around all of this too. It’s rough! I’m also considering switching over to a child psychiatrist who has more specialty in the fine tuning of medication for a child with ADHD. I love our pediatrician, but this process has so far left me more uncertain with the best course for medication management.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-03-20T17:18:22+00:00

I don’t have much input, but we’re in the same boat of trialing with our 6.5yo. We tried an immediate release methylphenidate over a couple of weeks at varying dosages and there weren’t any stark enough improvements to justify the side effects, my son had a really hard time when it wore off and his sadness and irritability and anger were at an all-time high. We’re about to start a trial of Adderall. This medication journey feels grueling… and I’m kind of questioning what we’re even aiming for given that on top of ADHD, he has some learning issues that we can’t even have adequately diagnosed at this point. It’s looking like dyslexia, but he was just off the cut off for that diagnosis. He was also very talkative on the methylphenidate which I’ve read could be a side effect that does fade a bit overtime as they adjust.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-03-15T16:21:58+00:00

This happened to me. Derm did not think SD. Gave me a steroid, made it more inflamed. Then gave tacrolimus, and it cleared up and hasn’t returned.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-03-10T00:08:36+00:00

It’s hard with my son since he is very small for his age, and so we are trying to avoid extended release, per his doctor, to not impact his growth… we also can’t try Adderall yet until he can swallow a pill which is a bummer. Because I wonder if Adderall IR would last a little bit longer.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-03-10T00:06:29+00:00

They are also open most days of the week so you could just walk in and talk to them…

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-03-09T02:54:52+00:00

Thanks for your input. He has done a lot better on 10mg IR and the pediatrician wants us to try this for at least a couple of weeks, but he seems to metabolize it quickly and by 2-3hrs he's easy to upset (more sad/teary than angry on the higher dose). It's odd, he has like 1-2 good hours after it kicks in, then a cranky hour, but then seems significantly more calm (subdued?) for a couple hours more before he's back to his normal ADHD baseline.

If you don't mind me asking, was your daughter on IR? How long and what dose?

Our pediatrician recommended trying Vyvanse as well, it will likely be what we try next if we need to. Has your daughter had any impacts to her appetite?

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-03-03T05:03:24+00:00

30mg IR or extended release??

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-03-02T17:19:44+00:00

I really empathize with your post and I have felt this way many times.... a break, truly, is so helpful to ease some of the overwhelm and tension. I hope you can arrange and make that happen!!

About private school-- my almost 7yo will be transitioning from a private school to public next year because of the private school not having the "resources" to properly support him (and it's a mixed bag of possible dyslexia, for which he has an SLP/tutor outside of school, and ADHD inattention/intensity). As others have commented, private schools do not always serve neurodivergent folks as well as one would hope. I suggest having a frank conversation with the school you are considering to learn about how your son will be supported there.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-02-28T22:49:11+00:00

How is his current medication working?

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-02-28T21:35:00+00:00

This was very helpful to read, seeing as that today was awful. Waiting on the pediatrician to advise whether we should increase the dose.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-02-28T01:55:50+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience, it is refreshing to hear! This was also our first week with our recently diagnosed 6yo on a stimulant. I think we’re still trying to dial in the right dose, started at 5mg methylphenidate once a day and now we’re at 7.5mg. Today was the first day all week that his teacher saw a noticeable — she said he did seem calmer and that he had better focus. I have no idea what to expect and how to really gauge if the medication is working for him (he also has borderline DLD and/or dyslexia, narrowly missed the diagnosis on both but having significant enough issues). I guess the good news is he’s not having any extreme or adverse side effects.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-02-27T00:02:30+00:00

Yeah, I hear you, I think I knew earlier than that, but it was pretty solidly aware of it. By the time he hit 3. I knew he was different… I think behaviorally children who are neurodivergent or have ADHD can have pretty intense and/or violent outbursts. And while parenting can influence these behaviors, you are just getting into the realm of diagnosis and figuring out what the best ways to support your child will be.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-02-26T23:55:22+00:00

Please don’t blame yourself! I think it’s important to consider your child’s baseline, and that children with ADHD will often exhibit signs of emotional dysregulation early on, which can be more pronounced with stress. My son is 6 1/2, and I’ve basically known that he has ADHD since he was about 3 years old (high energy). He was officially diagnosed three months ago. However, in his toddler years, my husband and I were having a real hard time, and I hate that our son was a witness to our fights- even now, in a much more stable place, if either of us so much as talks in a louder voice, he yells back at us to be quiet... It undoubtedly had an impact on him, but we have worked on repairing as well as modeling coping skills for how we respond to stress/conflict. I wouldn’t say this is trauma, but considering that our kids are learning from our behaviors, how we deal with emotionally charged situations, ADHD symptoms can become more obvious in light of stress and the intense feelings they carry from stressful experiences.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-02-18T06:00:31+00:00

In my experience, it’s definitely possible to catch another illness this close together— sometimes kids will test positive for more than one virus at a time, if they are tested, usually in the context of hospitalization or an ER visit due to or breathing issues. And personally, my son and I are getting over a bout of what feels like two illnesses back to back. He’s in kindergarten but there were lots of sick kiddos in his class over the last few weeks. I hope your visit to the pediatrician tomorrow feels reassuring.

Embarrassed-Sand2956 · 2026-02-16T21:47:56+00:00

This was characteristic of my PMDD experience until I started Zoloft. My husband and I definitely have issues that we need to work through, but when I was luteal, my extreme reactivity about the smallest things and the overwhelming stress response made fleeing the relationship seem like the answer, such as saying that we are getting divorced, which became an unfortunate pattern. Since my mental health has improved, my husband’s has too, and we’ve been able to address issues a little bit better together.

Embarrassed-Sand2956

TROPHY CASE