It has been a while since posting but I could really use some advice from those who have been through this.
My background is a tick bite in 2009 which developed to late stage that same year. Through a lot of lifestyle changes, I beat it and was well again and off abx by 2012. No issues since then until recently.
Earlier this year, I showed Lyme symptoms and tested positive through Igenex. My LLMD put me on a six month regiment of abx and I responded well immediately. I felt fine until September and that is when the fun began.
I should add that I got complacent with diet and lifestyle during the last six months so lesson learned.
During the month of September, I went from my normal active self (even while on Biaxin) to severe dizziness, weakness, exhaustion, head pressure, headaches, neck pain, brain fog, etc.
It turns out that I have a systemic candida condition and currently on diflucan and nystatin. Treatment started three weeks ago and have been religiously avoiding all sugar and carbs (lost ten pounds in that time).
I have also been supplementing with SF22, caprylic acid, oregano oil, coconut oil, pau d'arco tea, and probiotics. I still take plenty of other supplements for the Lyme. Detox consists of Bentonite, colonix, and hot baths / showers.
I have shown improvement over the past three weeks but the herx reactions are not as brutal. Hopefully, I am doing what I need to do but I have a few questions:
1) This candida wrecked me physically during the course of only one month which amazed my LLMD and he had no explanation. Has anyone on these forums been impacted this fast by candida? If so, please share experience.
2) A friend recommended a colonic but am not sure. Yes / No / Thoughts?
3) Next LLMD appointment is on 12/26. Has anyone taken abx and anti-candida meds at same time (provided I keep showing improvement)?
4) If you were in this situation and got better, how long did it take you?
5) Should I be doing anything different to increase my odds of crushing this candida?
Any advice would greatly be appreciated.
(breaking up a couple paragraphs for easier reading for many here)
[ 11-07-2016, 02:24 AM: Message edited by: Robin123 ]
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I would consider adding biotin. I think it has helped me. I have forgotten why it works, but you can probably google that.
Make sure your diet is free of sugar, fruit, and artificial sugar.
Colonics were always hard on me, but it may be due to my MCAS.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
There is a book called "The Body Ecology Diet" by a woman who cured her own systemic candida and tells others how to do it.
You can get it from the library.
The author, Donna Gates, also has a website by the same name. I suggest you take a look at it.
Really study the book to learn how to overcome this.
I don't believe you can totally overcome yeast while on antibiotics. The top lyme doc I know says to just keep it under control while treating with antibiotics.
Then, after antibiotics, get rid of it totally from your body.
I hope these resources are a big help to you in your struggle with candida. This woman is the voice of experience having been very sick with systemic candida for a long time.
Drink at least 4 oz. of unsweetened kefir daily. Making your own kefir is likely even better. I made my own when I was treating lyme. You can get kefir grains from people who willingly will share them through the mail.
My lyme doc also had me make cultured cabbage per the Donna Gates book. You eat a little of this every day also.
Try her hot breakfast porridge as a great breakfast or even for a treat. The recipe is here:
An online summit runs Nov 10-19, called www.beautyskingut.com - I looked at the list of topics and speakers and they're covering candida - you could browse the site and then go to people's websites to learn more -
Posted by Brussels (Member # 13480) on :
You're not alone. I think ALL chronic lyme patients will suffer from bad candida infections at times.
Candida and lyme are cousins, they thrive on the same toxic environment, on the same immune defects.
It's surprising your LYME dr doesn't know about that, as virtually 100 % of people fighting chronic lyme WILL fight chronic or acute candida sooner or later.
Candida is a serious disease, not to be taken lightly. It is extremely poisonous and causes almost the SAME symptoms as lyme causes.
the only problem is that it is even MORE stubborn than lyme, in my experience.
The 'good' point is that chronic candida feels less bad than chronic lyme. I felt like I had no social life during lyme.
During candida, I still feel I'm part of human society! It feels less dangerous than lyme, at least, that is my opinion. Lyme felt for me as life-threatening, while candida is very bothersome, a pain in the neck.
Only diet will not solve the problem. Killers and diet may help short term, as it did to many of us.
Add heavy metal detox to Killer + diet, you may have a better chance.
But I would substitute the 'killer' by an 'immuno-modulator' treatment, just because the more you are aggressive against candida, the more aggressive it fights back.
You know about lyme: attack it with strong killers, they form cysts or L-forms, and wait to come back again when you stop taking killers.
Well, candida is a bit like that: attack it frontally, it will poison your body with more spores and toxins (herxes), and make then your immune system a wreck, so that you can't fight it for longer.
I have the impression candida gets even more stubborn and aggressive when I attack it frontally.
I was thinking about parallels with lyme and with trees: why do they produce so much more pollen these days? Researchers say, because they feel threatened with pollution, so they put all their energy into reproduction!
Candida, according to dr. K, feels threatened with electrosmog and produces about 600 more toxins than in a faraday cage.
I used Sanum nosodes (they modulate your immune system, and are not direct killers) for years, and could live well with them.
Now I'm trying to get rid of candida for good, and for that, the whole body environment has to change.
One thing is certain: candida thrives on toxic environments. It is there to help DECOMPOSE matter, that is already ill (in nature, that is the function of candida / fungi, to decompose ill or dead bodies, plants...).
I think any treatment providing oxygen, negative ions, infrared, even ultraviolet light, vit D3, all B vitamins, probiotics, rich organic minerals, strong magnetic fields, anti oxidants...
( meaning, all treatments that bring LIFE back to you)...
... and anything that cleans the body thoroughly (physical exercises, teas, binders, Fir sauna, lymph drainage, colon cleanse, liver cleanses, eating clean, drinking clean water, off with chemicals on the body and in the diet...) is a plus.
Candida and fungi will thrive in darker, humid, dirtier, ill environments in nature.
Bring light, movement, nutrition, and cleanliness to counter attack it.
the main idea behind is that only your body can ultimately fight both chronic candida and chronic lyme.
The good thing is that treating one infection (candida) will also treat lyme.
Everything else is just like trying to solve the problem temporarily, in my view...
Posted by Paulmichael (Member # 47452) on :
Have a look at Saccharomyces Boulardii. It's a beneficial yeast that attacks or crowds out Candida.
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
Love what Brussels posted.
The best thing I've found to beat candida is working on heavy metals. Everyone has them (in the air and food). Parasites also hold onto heavy metals, so working on parasites has helped. The combo works.
Posted by HW88 (Member # 48309) on :
Catgirl, what do you do to work on heavy metals. I've been wanting to do this also as I feel it is a part of my problem, but not sure where to start.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Just be careful not to overdo the sauerkraut if you do the Body Ecology Diet. A LITTLE BIT of it each day is a good way to proceed, as TF mentioned.
There is also a Body Ecology Diet support group on Facebook.
Posted by fatherguido (Member # 25266) on :
I took Saccharomyces Boulardii pretty regularly until the Candida diagnosis so that is on hold right now. My LLMD said it would be a waste to keep taking the Sacc only to kill it off with with Diflucan and Nystatin.
He is still perplexed regarding why this hit me so hard and fast in a one moth span. I saw a toxicologist and asked him but he thought it was normal. I just cannot understand why things unraveled so fast.
My biggest fear is that I have kept Lyme away for so long and am not sur gif my symptoms are Candida or a combination of Candida and Lyme.
How does one work on the heavy metals?
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
You've gotten good advice so far. I just wanted to add, please don't get the colonic! They are traumatic to the body. Not healing or helpful in any way!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
That's what my body said, sammy!
Posted by Pebbles (Member # 43614) on :
Lymetoo.....taking biotin keeps yeast from turning into the fungal form.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Thanks... It seems to have really helped me.
Posted by Brussels (Member # 13480) on :
As with everything, some people SWEAR by colonics. And so does my lyme dr.
I never did it, though, but because I was getting slowly better with other methods...
Same as with coffee enemas, some people swear by them too.
Or FIR saunas!
For other people, each of these therapies feel bad (for whatever reasons...).
Heavy metal detox is complex. Many different schools. Very aggressive for the body too, for some feels like dying when heavy metals start to be moved out.
It's a dangerous business, that is why iyou'd rather follow someone with experience.
I did what dr. K was proposing: alpha lipoic, cilantro, chlorella, phospholipid extract, zeolites, bear garlic, fulvic acids, the KPU protocol, ...
... some photons through eyes (Photon Wave machine), tapping to release metals, some psycho blockades treated (they did release heavy metals)...
He also thinks parasites hold heavy metals in their bodies, as well as CANDIDA, so treating both is a must.
One easy way to release some heavy metals seems to be high frequencies (PEMFs). Other is FIR saunas.
The only problem is that you need right binders to bind metals off, or they simply re-circulate in the body and go somewhere else.
Unfortunately our bodies haven't evolved to deal with such high concentrations of heavy metals (food, air, water, amalgams...).
The body doesn't then flush the major part of heavy metals.
Dr. K says that candida has a protective reason to exist: they bind to heavy metals, that are extremely toxic for our cells.
So that in the end, the candida is helping us, in a way... When you kill candida, he says, there are the mycotoxins being released, but also heavy metals.
Killing candida without heavy metal binders is then not recommendable, he says. I use chlorella and bear garlic as binders, usually. Sometimes MSM too, or charcoal, or clay...
There are other schools of heavy metal detoxification, for sure, but you got to decide your own and find out what suits you best.
Better to follow some practitioner, in case you got reactions. These reactions can be extreme. Own experience! Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
quote:Originally posted by HW88: Catgirl, what do you do to work on heavy metals. I've been wanting to do this also as I feel it is a part of my problem, but not sure where to start.
I take core, use a FIR sauna, coffee enemas, also binders.
Posted by Brussels (Member # 13480) on :
I did my first batch of Kimchi.
I'm fermenting it only one day, but I guess the mere amounts of RAW garlic inside caused a heavy reaction to candida.
I even started shaking, which usually means a herx.
I see why Koreans are so healthy... They eat that every day.
The recipe I did uses a LOT of garlic, onion, spring onions, some ginger, plus the chili pepper. 100% raw. The whole house stinks garlic...
I'm having again skin candida, as usual in winter.
Not too bad symptoms, but the herxing means I had it activated in the gut (without gut symptoms, yet).
Otherwise, it couldn't have caused such fast reaction!
This is MUCH more potent than any probiotic capsule I ever tried.
Or maybe, this is due to garlic-sulphur bomb effect!
Fermentation did start, as bubbles of air come out.
My whole skin got shrunken (like if it's draining liquids). I have some breathing problems now (not too bad, though).
I'm going soon for a dose of chlorella again...
Posted by Brussels (Member # 13480) on :
I am almost sure that kimchi is dissolving LOADS of candida biofilms.
It's the 3rd day of consumption, and I get my throat full of liquid catarrh (and I do not have ANY cold nor allergy for months!!), suddenly, all those liquids coming down my throat and even in the nose...
I'm also in menopause, no more girl's secretions.
But suddenly, it's amazing what's happening (somewhere in the uterus, I suspect, there must be biofilms there too....). I had quite some fibroids, I wonder if they are dissolving??
Or maybe it could have been vaginal candida (without any symptoms), now dying, dissolving on its own?
I already eat and ate a lot of fermented foods. Dr. Mercola's fermented veggies, kefir, probiotic pills, miso...
Kimchi too (but bought in the shops). First time I prepared it fresh.
I never got such fast and intense reactions with other fermented foods.
My lymph is still moving (as I get the shrinking skin effect on my hands, as though liquids are being pulled off my body through the lymph).
Zero lymph swelling, despite active candida.
the candida is getting something like a shock, I feel.
I got literally stinging pains on the inflammation spots of my skin (toes) that were so bad I started limping around for an hour yesterday.
It looked like a dying-off pain, similar to when i took antimicrobials for lyme.
By the end of the evening, the pain stopped.
I just realized that the blending of LOADS of garlic has an incredible amount of Alicin, the main killer-ingredient in the frozen garlic capsules of dr. klinghardt.
I always overreacted to frozen garlic, and I suspect that is what's happening.
The amount of energy I feel today is out of normal. Too much for a 50 year old, so suddenly, in the middle of the winter-like weather.
Hubby last night got a sort energy boosting attack!!! He blamed the kimchi!! Posted by Brussels (Member # 13480) on :
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