Excellent post CA -
Half life
Although I believe the half life is 20-50 hrs. Due to the ability for the yeast/fungus to develop resistance to diflucan/fluconazole, I would not pulse it.
Hi H
openheal -
Systemic vs local antifungal:
Given your sx, first, you might consider whether or not it's necessary for you to be on that particular antifungal. Diflucan/fluconazole is a systemic antifungal so it passes through the mucosal lining of your GI and enters the bloodstream where it then gets processed by your liver and kidneys, etc. It should be used primarily for systemic yeast/fungal overgrowth.
Nystatin is a local antifungal that works primarily in the GI, where nearly all yeast/fungal overgrowth originates. It generally does not leave the GI so it's not processed through liver, etc. It's very safe to use daily and the PURE powder form is ideal since the dose can be maipulated easily, and it coats the mouth and throat and parts of the GI - killing on contact and doesn't rely on proper digestion. Here is a lot of info on y/f overgrowth and treatment from the "New to Lyme?" thread:
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=1606610&g=3644275#m3644275Liver support:
A drug like this can be difficult for your body to metabolize so it's important to have liver enzymes checked at least every 4 wks while taking it. You should also take something daily like milk thistle seed or burdock root or to support the liver - here is more info too:
Per Raj Patel and Susan McCamish, well-known Lyme specialists during a BioResource 2014 Conference session: "Treating Tick-Borne Diseases Using Integrative Therapies":
For the liver, milk thistle, bupleurum, Liver Life, glutathione, apo-HEPAT, MUNDIPUR, Cholestyramine, supervised liver/gallbladder flushes, and coffee enemas can be helpful.
Pure Encapsulations Liver GI Detox supports both Phase 1 and Phase 2.
Caffeine intolerance may be a clue to phase 1 liver detoxification issues.
Kidneys may be an issue when creatinine is elevated or back pain is present. Support includes K-Drain, RENELIX, Dandelion, and Parsley.
Detox:
When taking antifungals it's really important to increase detox - the die off also creates neurotoxins and endotoxins that can trigger even more severe problems. GI binders are probably most critical in order to remove the dead debris and toxins immediately after you've taken the antifungal.
Sequence:
I recommend that people take their antimicrobials (abx) first, then the antifungals, and then nothing for 2 hrs and then the binder (and then wait another 2 hrs before taking anything else). If you dose abx twice a day and aren't taking too much else, you can do this after both doses - most people can't manage the 4 hr time buffers so if this is the case, just do it before bedtime. If you also take probiotics, make the probiotics the last thing you take before bed.
-p