The Pm&r Podcast

Ritchie Shoemaker, M.D. is a recognized leader in the field of biotoxin-related illness. Dr. Shoemaker was a primary care physician in Pocomoke, Maryland who began treating a mysterious illness in 1996 related to a Pfiesteria outbreak in the Chesapeake Bay. His subsequent journey in patient care, advocacy and scientific research led him to identify a common underlying pathway called the Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). CIRS is the end-result illness that occurs after exposure to biotoxins in genetically susceptible individuals. Dr. Shoemaker identified the same clinical symptoms, vision problems and alterations in blood work reflecting underlying inflammatory and immune irregularity in patients who became chronically ill after exposure to a wide range of biotoxins from Pfiesteria, blue-green algal blooms in Florida, tick bites and, most prevalent, mold from water-damaged buildings. He is the author of Mold Warriors and Surviving Mold. Dr. Shoemaker is joining us for a two-part interview. In this