I've read Dr. B's guidelines and essentially tend to eat that way. Lately, though, I'm having some intestinal problems. My acupuncturist suggested something often used in Chinese medicines...bland, simple foods with few raw fruits and/or vegetables.
 

Anyway, I'd be interested to hear people's actual experiences with this. Does diet seem to help? What foods have worked best in early treatment or as you begin to heal?

Thanks, everyone! I really don't know what I'd do without this forum.

Andie
 

Not much I can add to Dr B's guidelines.
Just try to eliminate sugar & as many carbs as possible.
Drink lots of water with a squeeze of lemon juice in it. I was told it helps to maintain the acid balance in the body.

In addition to diet, be sure that you're taking enough high quality acidophilus!!
When I drop back on my amt per day, I get intestinal problems, so I consider my acidophilus as important as my abx.

Dr B recommends 2 with each meal.
6/day seems like a lot, but these abx can wipe it out in a hurry.

For example -
I get my acidoph capsules, Kyo-dophilus, from the Health Food Store. Has 1.5 billion live cells in each capsule & 3 kinds of good bacteria. They call it Traveler's Acidophilus because it doesn't have to be measured or refrigerated. Mine costs $1 a day. Some of the best money I've spent.

Just be sure that you have at least 2 hours between the abx & acidoph - before & after -
or the abx will kill it before it has a chance to help you. I always space my pills so the acidophilus is the last thing I take in the evening. Seems to me that this would give it longer to work before hitting it with abx again in the morning.

It's possible you already know all this, but maybe someone else reading it will learn, too.

When you have time, give us updates on how you're doing.
 

Nystatin is an antifungal that stays in the gut and is safe enough for babies and pregnant women.
 

Bland foods tend to be high carb and will promote yeast.

Nystatin & Mycelex troches are good for yeast. Some can't handle the Nystatin, though. It's hard on the liver.
 

You can look it up right here:
Drug information: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a693010.html

I've taken Nystatin for 5 yrs now....no problems whatsoever!

Candida elimination: http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/021412.html
Lyme symptoms list compared with yeast symptoms http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/021202.html

------------------
Do not take anything I say as medical advice. I am not a doctor, but I DID stay at a Holiday Inn Express!
oops!
Lymetutu
 

I don't know if there is a diet to get rid of Lyme and Co -but if there is one, please, send it my way-, however for me eliminating sugar and bad carbs haS helped me a lot; not just with the yeast but my sx's tend to decrease under this diet.

Another must do -at least for me-:
** Water, lots of it, sometimes I feel like I am drawning inside ha! ha!

** Probiotics, I do 9 caps per day

My diet before abx, was nothing like Dr. B's, was kind of 80% sweets and 20% carbs OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, so it was a HUGE change for me but I had no choice; the things we sacrifice for Lyme and Co. WOW!!!!!

Take care,
Lymster in WA

CBB, I really like the idea of traveler's acidopholous. I don't refrigerate the probiotic I take, nor does it suggest doing that...so I guess it's the same. I got these from my LLMD. Take 6 a day.

I really appreciated the info about separating them by two hours from the abx. I'm not sure I've been doing that, but now I'll be a lot more aware.

Lymetoo & Janet, I'm unfamiliar with both nystatin and diflucan but will look into both. Thanks for the suggstion and for the links.

Since before my diagnosis, when my only symptoms were severe Lyme arthritis and numbness in my right foot, I noticed that my food likes and dislikes started shifting. I was beginning to incorporate more whole grains and mixed grain and wild rice. More vegetables and fruit. No bakery items (well, only occasionally). Cut back on ice cream.

But after I started taking abx, I found I could no longer tolerate fish...and I used to be a BIG seafood fan. It's even hard for me to eat lobster, which I've always loved. I haven't eaten red meat in several decades, so that left me with poultry and vegetables.

Lymster, all this had to have been a complete and total shock to you and to your system. Good for you, just for being able to do it.

Anyway, Brainless, when my acupuncturist suggested this bland food thing, it didn't sit well with me. And I think you nailed the reason: yeast infections. Seems like that could run wild, no matter how many probiotics you take.
So thanks for putting this into words for me.

There's so much to absorb and quite a bit of it really does confuse me and completely overwhelm me (that's not hard anymore).

I guess you just have to do the next right thing...
And that's what I'm trying to do.

Again, thanks everyone!!!!

Andie

Is this something you would take as a preventative or if you actually have a yeast infection. In the description, it sounds more suited to the latter.

Thanks

a.

The old school and new school 'naturopathic' types know the basic rule..

when the body and the intestines/digestive system are acid forming, full healing is not possible.

ABX makes you acid, even more so.

I can't say how exactly to correct it in your case...it depends what meds you are on, what diet you have, where you are beginning..

but can say it takes a good deal of time and
focus to correct.

For me, after all the infection and ab's..
I was in a terrible state this way..
and it required long term, focused intestinal cleansing, liver cleanse, kidney cleanse, attention to intestinal parasites (absolute!!)..followed by a juice fast, and then food combining to maintain alkalinity and proper dogestion of foods.

This has to be done slowly and carefully, and unless you take it upon yourself to go deep into study of this..I must have 500 hours of reading conservatively put in the past year on all of this..so..
might be best done with guidance from a practitioner who can take you through the steps. There are many steps, and there will be 'healing crisis' and things along the way.

Even after all that, PH strips are necesary for me to always be sure I'm not too acid, not too alkaline..

Just one example is that the American diet, including meat + veggie + starch all in one meal (say...a sandwich)..
does NOT digest..
part of that meal stays in the digestive tract, ferments, putrifies..gives off toxins, creates mucous, and a breeding ground for bad bacteria, yeast, opportunistic parasites, ect.
Put ab's on top of that and you are in trouble.

75% veggies (raw or steamed) with a small portion of meat..
digests very well.

75% fresh berries, or baked apple, or whathaveyou..
with a little bit of whole milk yoghurt, or cream..
(no sugar) digests well..

Occasionally some whole grain bread or oats, with a little honey..
SEPERATE from meat and dairy..

digests well.

Caution, putting the body into an alkaline state will throw off allot of toxins and also address infection, strongly!
The body will fight to deal with infection once 'activated'.

It is NOT a good idea to do that too quickly, NOR to do it before you clean out the old junk and get the organs cleaned and flowing in the right direction. You don't want to break up old toxic matter or packets and have no clear pathway out for it, you can get very sick doing that.

If you've been sick a while, and on ab's..
you must assume you have big problems in eliminative pathways..

I sure did, and nothing that was showing in Western med analysis by scans of the GB or bloodwork.

This process has taken much study, and much commitment and many months to implement fully..

But we are leagues better off because of it.
Much of our illnes is toxin and mucoid plaque/candida buildup and clogged eliminative organs.
After correcting, maintainaince is constant.

Now I know when my lymphnodes awell there is something trying to get out..
so food use, sweat baths, checking in on alkalinity is necesary..
and whatever the situation at the time, immediate attention os paid to helpong things OUT..
through my intestines, through my liver, through my skin...it's not simple but you can learn to read your body once you become familar with all of these functions, impediments, and what works to correct them.

Sometimes a simple (cool water not warm) enema, used sparingly because it will NOT correst the problem at the core)..but sometimes allot of relief in certain symptoms can be found in just doing that, perhaps prooving how important clarance is to the body.

Mush of your immune function is based out of how the intestines are working.

You can treat till the cows come home but if your organs (and therefore your cells) are not breathing and eliminating, are
'de-activated'..they cannot do their job in clearing disease...with or without abx's.

I did the No Candida diet, it helped (reduce yeast, but was terrible overall for the rest of me, might as well have stuffed my gall bladder with cheese directly, I had 600 stones come out with liver/GB olive oil flushes!))...I did a raw food diet..it helped (cleanse, but was terrible overall for immune function)..the paleolithic diet is closer to the optimum for immune function, after imbalances are corrected and clearance.

I did all the right supps, they helped..but not long term so now I get most of my vitamins and minerals from the food I eat, specifically, and because my body is actually assimilating that food. I need eat much less now, and don't get hungry.

but none of those things above (anti-Candida diet, raw diet, hanfuls of supplements, ect) addressed the core mechanical problem which was that my body was not functioning properly, was too burdened by everything to fully recover.

The 'old school' docs and herbalists knew this was so very essential, and cured chronic conditions just be focusing on what they called 'morbid matters'...clearing them, and never accumulating them again.

I'm NOT saying something like Lyme can be cured this way, but surely it is a necessary component!

Mo

[This message has been edited by Mo (edited 27 August 2005).]
 

Your last question Nystatin preventive or after the yeasty beast?

In my case my LLMD didn't prescribe it for me until 6 months into tx, so I guess it wasn't a profilactic method at all; but before this, he suggested oil of oregano and pao d' arco and I had good results with both.

I still take Nystatin on regular bases 6 pills per day, oil of oregano 3 tabs per day and pao d' arco in occasion. My yeast is present but under control and when I get a nasty vaginal yeast infection -you know what I am talking about, unless you are a t guy- I do the lovely diflucan 3 day treatment, that supposed to do wonders, and I have to say sometimes it does.

Lymster in WA, TAKE CARE.
 

Mo,
When initial tests came back, my LLMD was a little shocked to see a 15 immunity rating (out of 360). So I know I'm dealing with that.

Also, I did get the Ph strips and couldn't believe the first test -- 5.25 (which, for those unfamiliar with these strips means: danger, call you doctor!)
I had this with a diet most people would prescribe as pretty good.

My acupuncturist and my LLMD both suggested cleansing but questioned whether my system is strong enough to handle anything very high powered.
Again, it's very overwhelming to me when I start reading about it. If there's anything you can suggest, I'd love to hear it.

Acupuncturist has given me Chinesse herbs she says will strengthen my system, especially spleen.

Lymster, thanks for the info about yeast. Haven't dealt with it in some years but can still vividly remember...

Hopefully the probiotics will hold that back.

a.

that was at the cruxt of my problem..
the LLMD didn't know enough about cleansing to feel safe advising me, and was trepedacious about my overall condition..as well he should have been!

..and any and all 'holistic' types didn't want to advise me on cleansing while still of the ab's. Didn't want to 'go there'..

So...what to do?

It's like there's this void..
between holistic and Wastern med care for us with Lyme, that needs to be filled because the grey area is where we are..
and how can we do nothing about all the internal problems that aren't Lyme?

So, as I said..I felt forced to have to take it upon myself and tread carefully.

It would be very hard for me to safely say what you should do because I wouldn't begin to know exactly where to start.

Nothing too fast or drastic would be wise, nor does it really work.

It's a long process, but necessary IMO.

You could start with greatly increased water intake, sweat baths, and follow the paleolithic diet..
with perhaps some psyllium shakes, once a day, gentle..
and see what evolves from there..
mince and swig down with juice three cloves of garlic a day..
and use virgin coconut oil..for the yeast..

that's where I started many months ago, and only after getting off IV did I so for long term aggressive cleansing.

But...in retrospect I wish I had pursued this element much, much sooner, WHILE earlier in treatment, because the damages done in not adressing it were tremendous.
We can't get away with ignoring the eliminative organs, IMO.

It ain't easy..but I believe we need as much attention to 'nature' and our bodies as we need actual treatment for Lyme.

There are some Chinese herbs that can
gently begin to clear liver and GB conjestion, and also to help with overall digestive function..
I nenevr used them but was very interested at one time ..but went another 'way with it'.

Here is a website with info on these protocols, maybe your accupuncturist could advise?
www.sensiblehealth.com

Mo

[This message has been edited by Mo (edited 27 August 2005).]
 

I actually ordered a cleanse recommended by my LLMD. It cost an absolute fortune, and when it arrived, I laid it all out, read everything...
And alarm bells started going off.

I tried to call the company that makes the kit, but they couldn't give me any advice.

So I thought...well, never mind. But I just boxed up the stuff and sent it back.

I often do trust my acupuncturist, because she's the person who first identified my Lyme. Suspected it on the third treatment, which was awesome.

I will proceed with caution. Just try to keep up with what my body's telling me.

My Ph has increased to 6.75 since starting treatment and shifting a few things. I also take a daily otc thing to help with elimination.

Still, I'm aware there must be a LOT of garbage stored up in there, and that can't be helping my healing any.

Thanks again!

Andie

 

My LLMD put me on a low dose of Nystatin, building up to 16 tablets per day for maybe a week?? can't remember...that was several years ago.

That will kill off any yeast, then you lower the dosage down to 4 per day maintenance. 6 per day sounds good too!

------------------
Do not take anything I say as medical advice. I am not a doctor, but I DID stay at a Holiday Inn Express!
oops!
Lymetutu
 

a.

daily for prevetnion throughtout, on a low carb diet..and also on freezw dried garlic pills and acidophilus the whole time..
and still came up with three strains of systemic Candida, enough population for all three to be picked up by blood PCR.
(after the mega Diflucan tx)

In my case I felt after all that I had created resistant systemic strains.

This isn't an easy road to navigate, that's why I say personal close attention is key, and never to assume something is treated or 'covered'.

Take care,

Mo
 

------------------

WildCondor's Lymelinks
 

Thanks for your reply. I'm a little confused about exercising. I still get winded taking the dog just around the block.

About three months prior to dx, I was swimming almost a mile a day. Then, the arthritis in my knee made that absolutely impossible.

I haven't been sure when to start exercising again. I'm using what little energy I have in a day to getting stuff done and working.

I have thought about doing some simple weight exercises while I'm sitting. Try to at least build a little upper body strength.

Any thoughts?

Andie