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Candida - the worst. Questions!

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Posted 3/16/2016 6:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi -

So I have a persistent candida infection despite being on nystatin long-term and five days of flucanazole.

I have been on antibiotics for six months, and I used to get vaginal yeast infections in college and high school (ten years ago ish), so I'm not surprised. I'm MORE scared of candida than I am of lyme - I don't know why. It adds another layer onto this illness - is it the lyme, or is it the candida?

I am even questioning if all of my problems stem from candida. My primary symptoms of lyme are brain fog, neck and spinal pain, fatigue - all candida symptoms as well. Which came first?

My question is: Is it possible to get candida under control while on antibiotics? I hate the idea that I am creating other serious problems in my body when I already have this chronic infection. I don't know what to do. Should I stop antibiotics? Would that even help at this point, or is my gut flora so out of whack it wouldn't make a difference?

Once I'm off antibiotics for a period of time, will I ever be able to eat things like gluten, dairy, and SUGAR again?

What are some candida safe sweeteners. I have a sweet tooth and I love the occasional treat (1/4 c. coconut ice cream sweetened with agave like once per week) - I feel like I've been so good about limiting sugar and I STILL developed candida.

HELP!

Post Edited (Kickin'Lyme) : 3/16/2016 12:21:11 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/16/2016 7:58 PM (GMT 0)
It is totally possible to get candida under control while on antibiotics. You need to do probiotics and stick to the candida diet strictly. If you are super disciplined I have seen a girlfriend cure hers in a month. She stuck to the rules! Then she reentered the "no" food list little by little.

The longer you have candida the more it in-beds itself into your gut. You do not want to let it go.

Stevia and Xylitol are okay sweeteners on the candida diet.
Posted 3/16/2016 7:58 PM (GMT 0)
Don't stop antibiotics, Lyme is worse that Candida in my opinion.

I think you will be able to eat these food again after finishing with abx, because the reason why Candida grows when we take antibiotics is that they kill good bacteria in our gut too, so it is important to take probiotics.

I think that Stevia is fine, because it does not contain carbohydrates.
Posted 3/16/2016 8:41 PM (GMT 0)
hi there kickin lyme - yes you can absolutely get candida under control while on antibiotics. I think out of everyone here, I have posted the most about candida, and my story sounds so similar to yours - I had issues years ago too, and I think having Candida is what made my lyme issues all the more worse.

yes, you will be able to eat sugar and gluten again, but once you stay away from all of the bad stuff for a while. the goal is to not feed candida, and take herbs to kill it - this in turn decreased inflammation in your body and allows your immune system to then fight off lyme. If you have candida and lyme, it is common for your immune system to be too busy fighting off the candida to have anything left to fight lyme. I have plenty of suggestions for diet - stevia is the best sweetener, it is from a plant, it is not sugar, it is sweet, and it is ok for candida. coconut icecream has too much sugar. believe me, i have a sweet tooth too, and I have to say I have been cheating too much the past few days -ugh!! I was supposed to be on this diet strictly for 3 months, now I have to push it another 2 because I did not follow my own rules! I feel fine, but I know I need more time to kick candida Completely in the butt!!

I have SO much I can say and help you with. I have posted a few candida threads, have you read them yet? if you haven't I will post the links - let me know.

also, nystatin only helps with intestinal candida - if you have systemic, you need diflucan, and 5 days will not nearly do the trick. you do however have to be careful bc diflucan is hard on the liver.

lmk if you have read my posts, and in the next day or two, I will write a much more comprehensive response!! i have been so busy my head is spinning, but I will make the time for this!!!
Posted 3/16/2016 8:46 PM (GMT 0)
Chapelle, I would like to know your diet in details, did you post somewhere your exact diet?

or if not could you please precisely write what do you avoid, except from gluten and sugar? next day or two, or whenever you have time. tia :)
Posted 3/16/2016 8:48 PM (GMT 0)
hi blueberrymuffin - love your forum name =)
absolutely! Its been on my mind for quite some time now to do this -
consider it done by the weekend!!
Posted 3/16/2016 10:10 PM (GMT 0)
Wow - thank you so much, Chapelle! That is extremely helpful. I am very underweight already (101-105 pound range), so my naturopath is hesitant about me cutting all carbs (brown rice, oats, and sweet potato), but I worry that maybe this needs to happen so that I can reintroduce everything sooner and feel better sooner.

Thoughts?
Posted 3/16/2016 10:14 PM (GMT 0)
Also, I have not read your links. Would you please post them?

Thanks! :)
Posted 3/17/2016 1:04 AM (GMT 0)
yes, i will look for them tomorrow!!

as for your weight, that is tough, definitely go by dr's orders. And in my book, brown rice and sweet potato are ok in moderation. Do you drink any protein shakes? I drink one that is whey gluten and sugar free (sweetened with stevia and natural sugars) I will go into this when I write my thread....
Posted 3/20/2016 12:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hello chapelle,

I sent you a private email, but I'm sure everyone on the thread would love to see your response.

Right now I have boric acid capsules for suppositories, and something called monogel as I also have bacteria vaginosis in addition to the yeast infection. ugh. I'm supposed to take six days of flucanazole, but I don't think that will be enough. Are herbs better as antifungalsnwork or should I try to get a longer prescription of diflucan. I've read that yeast can become resistant to flucanazole, and then the problem will get worse! I'm so nervous.

Please let me know what kind of protein shake you use- I wake up famished in the morning, I eat SO MUCH, But I cannot gain weight, in fact I keep losing. So worried about restricting my diet even more:
Posted 3/20/2016 1:46 PM (GMT 0)
When I first went to my LLMD, he said my candida was the highest he'd ever seen according to his diagnostic tool called Zytoscan. (He bases his treatment on it and clinical observations and a few labs)

Anyway, my level was 770 fwiw.

I decided to add fermented foods to my diet and after doing that along with 2 months of diflucan (and a miserable August spent herxing) my candida level was down to 8! From 770!

Now last week my candida registered 0. Zero.

I strongly suggest you (and everyone) add fermented food to your diet. It's full of probiotics that make the best capsule look sad. And, it isn't just taking a probiotic that helps... it's taking a probiotic that can implant and grow in your intestines that helps. Lots of commercial probiotics just pass through without helping at all.

Tons of websites and book about fermented food but trust me, it's so easy to do. And the food is more delicious IMO.

But yes, cutting sugar is imperative also other grains.
Posted 3/20/2016 4:05 PM (GMT 0)
I always look for weird things at the health food store and I stumbled upon carrots fermented in ginger and tumeric. Oh my gosh they are soooo good and not that "finger in the side of your cheek" sour.

I cannot find these for sale online but I found this recipe:

www.mindbodyoasis.com/fermented-carrots-turmeric-ginger/
Posted 3/20/2016 6:16 PM (GMT 0)
How funny! I just fermented some carrot sticks last week with some slices of lemon and they are delicious. Just finished lunch of chicken salad made with fermented: red onion, sauerkraut and cranberries and kefir cheese. I served it with fermented carrot sticks, tomato wedges and some cuke slices.

I'll try the recipe you posted in my next batch. Anything with turmeric and ginger is totally medicinal and delicious.
Posted 3/21/2016 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
interesting Tilly Bear, but lots of articles say to stay away from fermented foods such as pickles and vinegar and such - so we do have to be very picky about which fermented foods to eat. I am very interested in that test you had done - is zytoscan a skin or blood test?

to all - my apologies for the extreme delay. I am currently in the middle of writiing the new candida thread now, and will be sure to finish it tonight.

here are the links to the prior threads, parts 1 and 2 of lyme vs candida - just a discussion of how to distinguish the difference btwn the two and the tests I took for candida.

link for part 1:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&p=2&m=3548651#m3550022

link for part 2 :

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&p=1&m=3555423#m3558473

then i started a part 1 thread about how I was doing, and I am writing part 2 today! here is part 1:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3576305

plenty of reading here, and plenty of info!!
Posted 3/21/2016 2:52 PM (GMT 0)
TO KICKINLYME:

TRY A.D.P. from BIOTICS RESEARCH. It is emulsified oil of oregano. It is amazing!! You can get it from biotic research or amazon. The price has recently gone up to like $40 but hopefully it will go back down.

For snacks i eat Beanitos Chipotle BBQ chips and Harvest Snaps Snapea crisps slightly salted
Posted 3/21/2016 4:55 PM (GMT 0)
aifiya - they make emulsified oregano oil, wow, interesting! i could not handle oil of oregano - just one drop gave me a tremendous migraine, maybe the emulsified version would be less intense....
Posted 3/23/2016 8:36 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you, Chapelle. Your Part 1 thread is helpful! Would you explain the diet that you went by? What grains did you allow (if any)? What did you eat?

Also - what is this about fat being the true cause of candida, not sugar? There is wayyyyy too much conflicting information out there. I have been eating a diet very high in fat these days, as I don't want to lose any more weight!!! How can one cut out fats, sugars, carbs…without becoming an anorexic? My relationship with food is already borderline because I'm so worried that what I'm going to eat is going to make me worse.
Posted 6/9/2016 2:14 PM (GMT 0)
Hello! I'm bumping this conversation becauuuuuse I need a darn good probiotic. I was on VSL 3 DS, which is THE best. Insurance was covering it, but they stopped - typical. I need something else that will work wonders, because the VSL 3 cleared up all of my gut issues and yeast infections.

Tillybear - you mentioned getting a probiotic that actually grows in your gut rather than something that will just pass through...what are your suggestions? What is the best way to take probiotics?
Posted 6/9/2016 2:29 PM (GMT 0)
I think we all have different probiotics and it is good to switch them up. I tend to buy a different bottle when I run out. Just to cover all my bases. They are not cheap and I prefer the freshness of the refrigerated type. The one I am using now is Ultimate Flora™ Extra Care Probiotic 50 Billion.
Posted 6/9/2016 2:44 PM (GMT 0)
I had candida real bad last year.

So, pickles are NOT good for you? Why is that?

Thats the only fermented food I like.

Confusing.

And yogurt- with all the sugar cant be good since it will feed the candida.
Posted 6/9/2016 2:58 PM (GMT 0)
On the list of fermented foods you have to read the ingredients. Look for organic and make sure that sugar is not an ingredient. I think that is the only rule.

Pau D’arco Tea is a great anti-fungal and I love the taste.
Other uses for pau d’arco include diabetes, ulcers, stomach inflammation (gastritis), liver ailments, asthma, bronchitis, joint pain, hernias, boils, and wounds. Because some people see pau d’arco as a “tonic and blood builder,” it is also used to treat anemia.

Just make sure you get a reputable quality pau d'arco tea - I prefer Traditional Medicinals.
Posted 6/9/2016 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
For Candida, vinegar should also not be an ingredient. Only Apple cider vinegar should be consumed.
Posted 6/9/2016 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
Does anyone know a reliable candida test ?
Posted 6/9/2016 6:04 PM (GMT 0)
The best tests in my opinion are stool tests. Blood tests are often used but it is not as sensitive in some cases. I did mine through doctors data. There is Genova and a few others. They will not just detect Candida but there can be other bacteria, viruses, pathogens, lurking about. Also know that Candida albicans is only one yeast type. There are others that can overgrow and become pathogenic.
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