Attn: Lex411

[acrochris]

Hi Lex,
I learned about 6 months ago that I have candida. All I have been doing about it is taking probiotics, oil of oregano (really nasty), and olive leaf extract. I think they have helped somewhat, but I know my diet is not helping. I used to never crave sugars as bad as I do now and unfortunately I give into them on a regular basis, not to mention drinking alcohol on the weekends which I know is a definite no-no.
I bought the Body Ecology book on your recommendation and I am expecting it any day now. I was wondering how did you deal with the cravings? I mean I used to have alot of willpower but now I can't control myself. Did you suffer from sleepless nights? I did and now I am taking this stuff 5 HTP and that seems to help.
Does the book go through diet modifications and suggestions on making it easier to live with. How long did it take for you to get rid of candida? Sorry I am coming up with so many questions, but you are very knowlegable and any help would be appreciated. I would love to feel like myself again! My stomach bloats with almost anything I put in my mouth and I get terrible pains. I would love to hear from you!

Thanks so much!
Christine

 

[Lex411]

Wow, you sound like you are exactly where I was a year ago. How did I handle cravings? Well, I don't have some secret for you, but I can tell you that I was in such physical discomfort from my symptoms, that pain really kept me focused. Even though they all got worse before they got better, I managed to take some comfort even in that because it told me the book was right and things were progressing as they should. I saw the initial worsening as a good sign, and it was.

I had so much unbearable pain during bowel movements I thought I had an anal fissure, I had constant horrible vaginal itching, my heartburn was all day and night and always flared up my asthma along with it, I'd have gas all the time...things like that, at their absolute peak in terms of discomfort, can keep you on the program. It was also the beacon of hope that my asthma could be much better than it was, which at the time was so bad I used Prednison just as a normal part of controlling it. Bad news, and of course it just worsens the underlying condition.

In the beginning, I just made sure I had a bunch of meals figured out that I knew I'd like and that would be allowable, and I never stopped myself from eating. If I wanted to eat 4 bowls of puffed millet with Rice Milk (which the book doesn't allow but my doctor did and it worked fine), I'd have it. I just kept the meals small in size and very frequent, and I tried to keep busy. The first few days I also felt kind of flu-ish, so I rested a lot.

I used to have bouts of insomnia every so often and never knew why, but in retrospect I'm sure it was related to the Candidiasis. I took 5 HTP, my husband did too, and it seems pretty effective and seemingly harmless. But once you get your body back in balance you won't need it anymore. It's certainly not cheap!

The book does not talk about ways to make it "livable" in terms that most people identify with. It's very strict and very extreme but the condition itself is extreme and causes such a myriad of other major health problems, it takes something that rigid to win the battle. The alcohol definitely has to go, there's no way to even make a dent in a Candida problem while still drinking. I know for me that meant not going out and socializing, and my boyfriend and I never went out to eat and hardly ever went to movies because for me the temptation would have been too great. But I treated this like chemotherapy or some other life saving treatment and made it the center of my life at the time. I know not everyone, or very few people, can relate to that, it doesn't seem so serious. But those symptoms and side-illnesses were controlling my life and ruining my quality of life, so I threw myself into getting back a sense of health and feeling truly good inside and out. I'd forgotten entirely what it felt like until I got it back with the diet, and I felt better than I ever have in my life.

It's a huge sacrifice, it's a lot of work, but there are lots of great foods you can eat. You are supposed to make sure to eat only until you are almost full and never more than that, but you can eat lots of small meals to help with cravings and hunger. But over the first week or two you'll find your body adjusting and as you are absorbing more vitamins and nutrients from your food, the cravings will subside and your hunger will too. But in the initial startup, don't worry about calories or fat grams or any of that. It's a low fat diet by nature. Make sure you do eat the ration of veggies to protein they suggest, or veggies to grains even. Experiment and have fun with spices and the recipes in the back. But if you are really serious about being truly healthy and strong you have to committ and just decide you will stay on it. Know, too, that it's not permanent. It takes a different amount of time for everyone. Some people are ok in months, others that over a year. But I managed to start introducing fruits within 6 months, just in time for the great summer harvests.

I wish I had more secrets or answers for you, but it's so different for everyone. My motivation was pain, because I'd let it get so bad before I knew what was going on. My lower back would get so bad I had to just lay flat on the ground like an old lady or something. It was terribly frustrating and it got to the point where I had so many problems it was overtaking my life.

I can tell you I skipped the cultured vegetables and I never ate sea vegetables, just not my thing. After a month or so on the program I did add the kefir recipes they suggest, and that became my favorite breakfast. I made it with a kefir powder mix I got at Whole Foods, and goat's milk. I'd make the kefir as directed and once it was ready, blend it with unsweetened vanilla powder and some stevia for a morning smoothie. It's a great way to implant billions of good cultures, just like probiotics. So there's that to look forward to. And as time went on and I was able to stretch outside the prorgam, I'd blend the kefir with frozen strawberries and MAN those were good smoothies.

So it's not totally without joy. But the first few days are killer. I'd say to look at it one single day at a time. Just get through one whole day. Don't worry about another one, not even in the recesses of your mind. Just tackle one day and see how it goes. That's not so bad, is it? You can do one day, right? So when you get the book, read it. Put it down. Reread it a day or two later, plan out your grocery trip and what you're going to have as meals the next day. Plan 5 or 6 small meals, and the next day stick to it like glue for just one day.

That's about the best advice I can give you because it's how I got through it. But I'm always here to cheer you on and talk shop about it, never hesitate to message me or email me. I know it's a really long hard road but it's not as bad as you think. You can still have things like chicken and steak and roasted veggies, lots of salads, yummy grains like Millet and Buckwheat (which are now my favorite things to eat)...it's an adventure, you'll see,

Take care!

 

[acrochris]

RE: Thanks Lex

Hi Lex,
Thanks so much for your response. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but it helps to know that someone else was able to get through it. The biggest factor for me now is that I feel so drained and tired. I am so sick of my stomach hurting everytime I hurt. I know that this will not be forever and I will take this one day at a time like you suggested. In fact I can't wait to get my book because I am so anxious to feel better again. I just want to feel like myself once more. Thanks so much! I will let you know how things are going.
Take Care!
Christine

 

[Colia]

Another question about Candidiasis

Hi there guys!

I have been seeing a lot about this Candidiasis thing and one thing has me very puzzled. I'm a physician, and when we see Candidal infections in patients, we treat them with antifungal agents and it resolves. Why don't any of these diet plans include the use of anti-fungals - fluconazole is very safe when used appropriately and is highly effective. Why not wipe out the Candida quickly to alleviate all these symptoms, in the midst of all the other diet modifications? Do you know of any scientific studies that document Candidal growth in what areas of the body in otherwise healthy people? Typically I think of Candidal genital infections in healthy adults or superificial skin infections - if we see thrush, i.e. oral Candidiasis or down the GI tract, we become concerned about an immune deficiency problem, or someone who has been on antibiotics. Just curious.

Happy Holidays!

Colia

 

[acrochris]

RE: Hi Colia

Hi Colia,
I guess I'm a little scared to try medications to get rid of Candidasis, since being on antibiotics and birth control helped caused it. If there is a way to do it without medication, I would rather do that. Yes, I know it would be more difficult, but I think it would also help prevent it from happening again. Doing it naturally will help with other aspects too, like stabalizing weight and being healthy all around. It is just a personal choice for me to do it naturally. I hope this helps. Take Care!
Christine

 

[Lex411]

RE: Another question about Candidiasis

I think the idea behind correcting a parasitic or Candida imbalance through nutrittional means and use of things like probiotcs is to do it gradually, gently and naturally. I have to agree with my friend and say that taking any prescribed medication to correct a condition brought on by other prescribed medications seems like chasing your tail in a circle.

I've been disappointed to see some resistance in the Western Medicine community to acknowledge and treat this disease, which affects so many people from consistently horrible diets and overuse of various drugs. I'm not saying AT ALL that you are among those people, but it just puzzles me. It took me years to find a doctor who not only believes in natural and holistic medicine, but he prefers that his patients try every way possible to avoid needing prescriptions for chronic ailments.

What is your medical specialty? Just wondering because you didn't mention that.

Personally, I'm of the belief that if you can approach healthcare without the use of drugs and let your body heal itself naturally, you will "teach" your body how to keep itself in balance and emerge a much healthier person. I know not everyone agrees with that, but decades of overindulgence on prescription drugs for health hasn't accomplished what I think people expected it to. I know the value of Western medicine for life-threatening illnesses, I carry around a rescue inhaler for my asthma and I'd be in trouble without having that lifesaver. So I'm not bashing modern meds altogether. Just letting you know why people like me and Acrocris (did I spell that right?) decide to take the approach of using nutritional healing. I know for a fact it works, I did it myself.

I don't know if that answers your question or if you were looking for something else. Just let us know, we're all pretty straightforward and communicative on here, so don't be shy!

Take care.

 

[acrochris]

RE: Lex411

Well done Lex! I couldn't have said it better myself. Talk to you later.
Christine

 

[Lex411]

RE: Lex411

Ah, before I forget...once you have been on a cleansing diet for a while, say a month or so, and you're feeling pretty good and strong, you might want to try using a cleansing aid like Paragone. That's an herbal intestinal cleansing system that uses pills and drops taken with water for 15 days, then you take 5 days off, then you do it for 15 days one more time. I say to wait because if you try it in the beginning, it's too much too soon and you'll feel like crap.

You know how I said that as your body tries to flush out the toxins you can get all kinds of symtpoms, just depending upon the person (flu-like symptoms, allergies, skin breakouts, cravings, mood swings, sleeplessness, etc.) Well, it's bearable when you're just using food elimination to cleanse, but if you cleanse too much too soon you have your body flushing out more than you can eliminate and that's what makes you feel yucky.

But if you wait about 4 weeks or so, then add Paragone to your regime, you will cleanse the really stubborn parasites and toxis by-products they leave in your organs and tissues. And it's always a good thing to aid in intestinal health, that's for sure. It comes in a box together at Whole Foods for about $30 and should cover the whole cycle (both 15 day cycles, I mean.) So keep it in mind for something to really kick it into high gear later on.

But the probiotics you are using are a terrific start and even if you didn't have a Candida imbalance it would be a beneficial part of everyday. I think everyone should start their day with probiotics, personally. It's as important to the body as vitamins. So good for you, starting that already.

Ok, it's late. I'm outtie!

 

[acrochris]

RE: Lex411

Hi Lex,
Thanks for the suggestion. I think I've seen something like that at the health food store, but I thought I would wait on that. I heard it is good to switch treaments aroung because your body becomes accostumed to it after a while. I also tried colonics, and it was so awful. I know it is very helpful, but I got sick for 3 days after. I think I will do that as a last hope.
Thanks again. Hopefully it will all be over soon! Take Care!
Christine

 

[Colia]

Good morning!

Thanks for all the responses. Let me see if I can clarify a few things.

First of all, I agree wholeheartedly that that the integration of some alternative medicine therapies could be greatly beneficial and are extremely underutilized. I try to employ some of them into my practice, and I am a pediatric intensivist/hospitalist! (Rest assured, I'm not a neurosurgeon, and I really exist! ) However, I am concerned in some of the alternative medicine literature at that lack of hard data to support some of the practices, and I think we all know of side effects, even deaths due to herbal supplements. My question pertained to documentation in the alternative medical literature of the location of the Candida/parasites and causal effects in otherwise healthy people. Have there been any rigorous studies documenting any of this, and its causal effects? There is clear medical evidence in the western literature, that people beyond infancy with Candidal disease of the GI tract have an increased likelihood of having a serious immune disorder, like HIV or some other immunodeficiency.

In terms of using Fluconazole, I would still argue that if people are suffering from overwhelming symptoms as described, why not treat the disease to alleviate the symptoms, which if it truly is a Candidal issue, should eradicate it in a few days. In the meantime, I would agree that one should focus on cleaning up the diet, lifestyle and whatever else, to prevent its recurrence. Being a fairly specific anti-fungal agent, you shouldn't greatly alter the bacterial gut profile using this drug. This could possibly even be an interesting study for someone to do, as it would lend objective support that this is a true clinical entity.

I am in no way denigrating a healthy approach to living or using probiotics as a way to balance out bodies' billions of organisms with which we coexist, but if this truly is such a serious problem causing lots of suffering, why not use a multi-pronged approach to alleviate symptoms as quickly as possible?

I think the great failure of western medicine is its focus on treating disease, rather than providing ways to maintain good health, and I enjoy learning about ways to maintain health that we didn't learn in training. However, western medicine has and continues to make great strides in treating disease. It seems that we should use the best of both worlds to gain the maximum benefit of alleviating suffering and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Thanks again for all your insights.


Cheers!
Colia

 

[Lex411]

I do sincerely appreciate all of your concern and input, that was a great post. It's nice to have a doc on here who is open to alternative medicine.

I do know there have been deaths related to the use of herbal therapies, but I will bet dollars to donuts that happens from either seeing an unscrupulous practitioner who doesn't really know their trade, or from patients treating themselves. I'm sure you know the phenomenon of people not finishing antibiotic runs and then savings the leftovers to treat their next colds? Happens all the time and I think that same thing is responsible for a lot of the misuse of natural medicine. It should always, as with any medicine, be under the guidance of a trained and experienced professional.

I still stick to my guns about not using prescribed medicines to treat a candida imbalance. It's not necessary and why add it to the mix if it's not needed? I had a sever candida imbalance, and my immune system was really weakened at the time. After just a few months of eating well and following my program I felt better than I have in my whole life. I don't personally care about reading endless studies or scientific experiments because I have felt and experienced it myself firsthand. That's more compelling to me than any study. But I do know that from years of training you docs are more comfortable with studies to back things up. I think when that does finally happen regarding candida it will be terrific and we'll learn a lot. If people who think they have a candida imbalance want to go the route you suggested, by all means I think they should. But I know that nutrition is a powerful medicine and without the use of any prescribed medications I made a full recovery from a pretty severe imbalance.

I don't want this to sound like I'm ragging on you or being negative, just defending my point of view. I do think that under certain circumstances, especially if there are other chronic ailments compromising a patient and putting them at risk, that the more help you get the better. Hopefully when a study is done about Candida, someone will take that into account and study the effects of Fluconazole as well. I'd love to see the results myself.

Take care