07/02/2005 - 18 Months Progess and Recovery From Candida & CFS

Date:   7/3/2005 1:10:22 PM ( 19 y ago)

18 Months Progess and Recovery From Candida & CFS

Candida over-growth or candidiasis is already an epidemic in the US. There are esitmates as high as ninety-five percent of all men and women in the US suffer from one or more strains of candida overgrowth.

For years, candida was literally trivialized by the American medical profession as merely a vaguely sexua| "women's problem", however it is now becoming clear that Candidiasis is an all too prevalent affliction in both sexes and consistantly appears as either a pre-cursor or as a co-factor in obesity, intestinal & digestive disorders, heart disease, a whole slew of different types of cancer, depression, mood swings, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome/fibromialgia, M/S, arthritis, lupus, and a multitude of (other) auto-immune disorders... etc..


In my case, I can clearly see the connection between years of an unhealthy & unbalanced diet, high in refined carbohydates & sugars, drug & alcohol abuse (well into my 20s), smoking tobacco (well into my 20s) antibiotics, and the stress of modern life have taken their toll on my body and set the stage for candida overgrowth.

I don't know when or how I "caught" Candida, but looking back over the years, I already had many of the symptoms in my early teens - low blood sugar, low blood pressure, anemia, fainting & dizzy spells, depressions, mood-swings, crying jags, lethargy, insomnia, digestive problems, food sensitivities and allergies, all completely ignored by the medical profession as typical teenager stuff. One idiot doctor even implied that my symptons were because I was just a horny teenager and that the real cause of my problem was because I was masterbating and should get a girl-friend! Well following doctor's advise I got a girlfriend and not only did I still have the symptoms, but so did she! (Isn't it amazing who we pick for partners?)

The symptoms progressed gradually into my forties, when I noticed an unstoppable weight gain despite diets & food plans, & my over 20++ years "abstinence" and diligent participation in the 12 step program of Over-Eaters Anonymous. I also started suffering increased depressions, mood-swings, crying jags, lethargy, insomnia, digestive problems, etc...

I finally reached a life or death crisis the fall & winter of 2003-2004, when the symptons also included an almost incurable pneumonia, bronchitis, and a whole slew of new resperatory allergies I had never had before. I ended up in the ER about 6 hours away from death.

I knew something had to be done, and I didn't know where to start, but I started calling up and e-mailing my friends.

One of my telephone calls was to my good friends Robert and Di who sent me some Candida information and suggested that I try golden seal and barberry. I started to experience some relief from the symptoms. That was the beginning of my quest and my healing.

I had a lot of questions about Candida, most "regular" doctors were next to useless on the subject, and many "alternative healers" were even worse! So I started "Tony's Candida Resource List" as a place to start asking questions and as a place to collect my notes. Please feel free to contact me in order to add any other books, protocols, websites, EGs, Forums, and, online information and resources.

If you have any questions or wish to add any information to this resource list, I can be reached by e-mail via the curezone.

The first step I would suggest is to go on the Internet and use www.google.com to search for "candida symptoms" to make sure you have Candida symptoms.

There are now hundreds of Candida websites on the Internet, many of them owned by peddlars, vendors, hucksters and self-appointed "healers" all trying to pry your money from your wallet - CAVEAT EMPTOR!

IMHO The best Candida Websites are:

www.CandidaPage.com - The Candida Page
http://www.candidapage.com/

also at:

www.CandidaPage.com - The Candida Page
http://www.panix.com/~candida/

Candida Frequently Asked Questions Website
http://web.archive.org/web/20020802012431/www.infosky.net/~alexmi/candida.htm

Candida Frequently Asked Questions Files Website
http://web.archive.org/web/20030409195254/http://www.infosky.net/~alexmi/caFA...

Do You Have A Yeast Problem?
http://web.archive.org/web/20030203021827/www.howdyneighbor.com/jbayliss/croo...

Candida Albicans
http://web.archive.org/web/20030626172819/http://howdyneighbor.com/jbayliss/

How To Get Tested for Candida
http://www.cfs-recovery.org/testing.htm#HowToGetTestedForCandida

www.shopping.com - When it's time for you to start buying supplies & supplements, this is an excellent portal that will allow you to shop around and compare prices.
http://www1.shopping.com/xDN-Nutrition

I would urge caution at this point. Do not buy any products, join any organization that charge a membership fee, or part with any of your money until you have become thoroughly informed about Candida and have become familiar with the Candida InterNet community and are able to discern the "wolves" from the "sheep"..

I would then suggest that you join some of the many FREE Candida mailing lists & Yahoo! e-groups.

This is probably the Oldest Online Candida Web Forum (10 years)
http://www.healthyawareness.com/candida_general/

This is probably the Oldest Candida Mailing List
http://web.archive.org/web/20030405104514/www.howdyneighbor.com/jbayliss/list...

There are several good Yahoo Candida E-Groups, the largest & best is the "candidiasis" EG:

candidiasis
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/candidiasis/?yguid=2341198

CandidaAlbicans
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CandidaAlbicans/?yguid=2341198

candida-testimonials
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/candida-testimonials/?yguid=2341198

Many of these E-Groups & Forums have all kinds of excellent files and documentation that can be downloaded and printed out.

Also scan and search through the archives of these e-groups and you will find excellent information about Candida.

I'd definitely suggest that any "newbie" should "lurk" for a while on any mailing list or e-group to get a sense what's going on and to be able to discern the "wolves" from the "sheep".

Again be careful! You really don't know who you're talking to! Many of the denizens of these e-groups are peddlars, hucksters, self-promoters, and self-appointed "healers" who are trolling the Internet looking for likely customers (or should I say victims?). You are in a vulnerable position and could get fleeced by one of these con-artists.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!

I have been following a phased approach to my recovery from Candida overgrowth:

1.) Intervention
2.) Containment
3.) Rehabilitation
4.) Maintenance

I have successfully passed through the "Intervention" phase and am roughly 13 months into the "Containment" phase, and am beginning some of what I call the "Rehabilitation" phase.

(BTW I am 13 months abstinent on my "modified" Atkins/Caveman/OA /Anti-Candida/Grey Sheet food Plan.)

I have noticed a marked improvemnt in my general health, well-being, and mental & emotional state. I can attest that the Candida is being "driven" from my kidneys, intestines, and other organs where it does not belong. My digestion is much more regular, and the agitation, depression, irritability & lethargy are gone.


1.) Intervention
For me, the intervention phase was mainly comprised of immediately ceasing whatever behaviors, attitudes, lifestyle, actions, and addictions, that were the likely causes and pre-conditions for the candida overgrowth in the first place.

The most important of these was to modify my nutrition. I had to immediately abstain from all processed high glycemic carbohydrate foods, sugars, grains, high lactose dairy products, etc... and go on a strict anti-candida diet.

There is a lot of information about Anti-Candida diets on the Internet, on individual websites, special interest Candida forums, newsgroups, e-groups, mailing lists, etc...

Interestingly, Most Candida diets are very similar to The Caveman/Paleo Diet, The Atkins Diet, The Overeaters Anonymous Grey Sheet diet.

A simple search on Google will yield literally thousands of "Candida Diet" listings which are all pretty similar.

Since there is a very high "addiction" aspect and component to the foods that lead to a Candida overgrowth, I sought and found support with a 12-Step program called overeaters anonymous. (I am presently 13 months abstinent on my OA Candida Grey Sheet food Plan.)
http://www.overeatersanonymous.org/

Since it was also really important for me to really understand what Candida is - I also started reading up on the subject:

The Yeast Connection : A Medical Breakthrough by by William G. Crook (Author)
Publisher: Vintage; (September 12, 1986) ISBN: 0394747003

This book is the classic Candida reference; even though there are many other newer books around, this book pretty much has it all including suggested diets and remedies.

Dr. Atkins' Vita-Nutrient Solution : Nature's Answer to Drugs
by Robert C. Atkins (Author)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; (January 7, 1999) ISBN: 0684844885

Dr. Atkins' Age-Defying Diet Revolution: A Powerful New Dietary Defense Against Aging
by Robert C. Atkins, Sheila Buff (Contributor)
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; (January 15, 2001) ISBN: 0312977018

All of Atkins books have very good Anti-Candida sections and suggest some excellent protocols and remedies. A consistant theme in ALL Atkins books suggests that Candida interferes with good health, weight loss, and the absorption of nutrients from food...

These Books are available new and used from Amazon.com


2.) Containment
This phase deals with taking a varity of "anti fungal" agents which are intended to kill off the Candida and remove the yeast from whatever parts of the body, and organs that it has colonized. This can take some time, and may require the use of several different "anti-fungal" agents at once or in rotation. Some candida patients have reported that certain strains of candida can mutate and become resistant when just one antifungal is used. Much of the message traffic on the Candida forums and e-groups confirm that containment very rarely yields permanent results. If you just stop taking the anti-fungals as soon as the symptoms abate, the Candida will return. All the other phases of recovery must be in play for a permanent recovery. The main pupose of this phase is to provide some stability and temporary relief from the worst "symptoms" of Candida, and to prepare the way for the next phases of recovery.

I have been using the following in a 4 Day Rotation protocol:

Probiotics (Acidophilus & Bifidus)
Vitamin C
Pantethine
Barberry
Golden Seal
Oregano Oil
Caprylic Acid
Undecenoic Acid
Pau D'arco
Cinnamon
Cats Claw
Fresh, raw crushed garlic (for the allicin)
Home-made Probiotic "Creme Bulgar" (yoghurt/sour cream)
Psillium & Bentonite "shakes"
Grapefruit seed extract
Sacchromyces Boulardii

When I have time and money I may also add:
Ergo transferrin

Here are some more "containment" phase notes.

Dr. Atkins' "Vita-Nutrient Solution" book where it states the following are the most important treatments to get for controllinh candida:

Beneficial Bacteria 1-3 tsp
Undecenylic Acid 2-4 capsules
Caprylic Acid 2-4 capsules
Ergotransferrin 2-4 capsules
Oil of Oregano 2-4 drops
Olive Leaf Extract start with 1 capsule, build to 3-4 capsules
Vitamin C 1-3 grams
Pantethine 600-1200mg

Atkins mentions elswhere in the book such beneficial bacteria as: "Laterspora"

Atkins mentions Sacchromyces Boulardii a friendly non-colonizing yeast which I suspect is one of the active ingredients in ThreeLac

I have recently cruised the following web-sites:

When searching for "ergo transferrin", I found the following websites:

The Biamonte Center for Clinical Nutrition
http://www.health-truth.com/articles/Candida2.asp

"ergotransferrin" is mentioned in his candida protocol. Does anybody know when and how one can buy the product?

When searching for "Undenoic Acid", I found the following websites:

Bayho.com has has an "Undecenoic Acid" product called sf-722.
http://www.bayho.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=bayho&Produ...

NotDoctors.COM Has "Undenoic Acid"
http://www.notdoctors.com/unde3.html

They also have good prices for other Anti Candida products. They have a Probiotics section where I found a probiotic product called "Latero-Flora Probiotics" which is based on "Bacillus Laterosporus BOD" which is VERY close to the "Laterspora" product mentioned in Atkins' book.

"Latero-Flora Probiotics"
http://www.notdoctors.com/latero-flora.html

This company sells the same Undecenoic Acid Product as NotDoctors.com for more money
http://www.emersonecologics.com/ProductInformation.asp?BrowseBy=UNDE3

The Modern Herbalist has a "Undenoic Acid" product called sf-722
http://www.modernherbalist.com/products/sf-722.html

The Modern Herbalist also discusses a Rotation Protocol for controling Candida
http://www.modernherbalist.com/products/rotation.html

WARNING! ALL OF THIS STUFF CAN COST LOTS OF MONEY!

All of this stuff eventually has an effect on one financially. You really have to decide what you can afford, what really works best for you, and where you can get the best deals. From time to time, my money runs out and I simply can't afford actually buying all this stuff, so I have developed a fall-back "poor boy" or "poor girl list of anti-Canddia anti-fungals that are either-home made or are products that can be bought in regular supermarkets, or in a less overpriced form from vendors that don't gouge the suffering.

Tony's "Poor Boy" Shopping list.

Raw, Crushed Garlic
Raw, crushed garlic contains Allicin, some candida patients claim that Allicin is even more powerful and effective than Nystatin. Allicin is the hot, burning, smelly, component to garlic's flavor, tast, and aroma. You have to take alot. between half and one whole bulb of garlic per day. I can personally handle 5-6 cloves crushed and mixed in virgin olive oil over a salad and that is the most raw garlic that I can handle at any one time. Allicin is extremely volatile and will evaporate, so you must eat the garlic cold and within 10 minutes of crushing or blending. Parsley is a good remedy for "garlic breath".

Coconut Oil
Consuming coconut oil has many benefits, but our main interest here is that it contains caprylic acid which is considered one of the better antifungals. One to two tablespoons per day will suffice. Often sold as a quality cooking oil. Get the purest, best, cold pressed quality you can find. I have heard of some Candida patients who use coconut oil as a sexua| lubricant and as a kind of prophylactic agent to prevent the passing of candida between partners. At present, I have no direct experience with the effectiveness of that particular application and usage.

Castor (bean) Oil
Castor (bean) Oil has been an old home remedy for generations. Castor (bean) oil contains Undecenoic acid which is considered one of the better anti-Candida anti-fungal agents. It is still a common and reasonably priced product and can be purchased from many stores as well as on the InterNet. One or two tablespoons per day will do the trick.

Cinnamon (tea)
Drinking 3-4 cups of hot cinnamon teas is an excellent anti-fungal remedy

Home-made Probiotic Yoghurt
Home-made probiotic yoghurt takes a bit of work but it is definitely worth the effort. Add approx. one cup to a half pint of store bought "live active culture" pro-biotic yoghurt or open up and add 6-8 Pro-biotic Acidophilus & Bifidus capsules to a one liter/quart sealable container of whole milk or heavy cream that has been previously heated to 180F degrees for at least 3 minutes, and then cooled to 70F (room temperature). Seal the container and keep it at approx. 110-113F for at least 24-48 hours so that the probiotic bugs have a chance to "eat" as much of the sugars (lactose) in the cream or milk. I personally prefer using heavy cream (less lactose) and brewing my yoghurt for at least 48 hours. Half a cup to two cups of that kind of pro-biotic yoghurt or "Creme Bulgar" (sour-cream) a day will give you the quamtum amount of probiotics that you need to repopulate your stomache and intestines with "friendly" flora. I make and consume two liters of the yummy stuff per week.

Psillium Hsks
Thankfully psillium husks are cheap even in most healthfood stores. however psillium husk can also be bought in "regular" drugs stores for affordable prices. Make sure when buying psillium that it is pure psillium husk and doesn't contain sweetners, sugars, additives, wheat, flavors, etc...



3.) Rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation involves healing digestive system and the other organs that were damaged by the Candida overgrowth.

I began repopulating my intestines with "friendly" beneficial pro-biotic bacteria like acidophilus and bifidus both in capsule form and also in the form of a special home-made probiotic yoghurt/sour cream made from heavy cream (less lactose than whole milk)

I have also completed 2 30-day herbal kidney cleanse using Andreas Moritz's Herbal Kidney Clense formula which I purchased from Present Moment.

http://www.presentmoment.com/ordering.html

I called them and ordered the "Andreas Moritz Kidney cleanse Herbs".

I have completed approx 9 liver flushes fllowed by a 3-day kidney cleanse.

For this information, I went to Andreas Moritz's Site and bought the electronic book "The Amazing Liver Cleanse".

I strongly recommend that ANYONE suffering from obesity, candidaisis, diabetes, fibromialgia/chronic fatigue syndrome, etc... read this book... !!!!!

http://www.ener-chi.com/books.htm

There many "liver flushing" EGs, Forums, or On-line resources.

Here is my Liver Flush Log

10/17/2004
1st Liver Flush - success 30+ soft light green stones.
Did 1st Liver Flush as per Andreas book.
Drank Malic Acid and water for 6 days instead of Apple juice.
Tried a water enema after drinking epson salts.
Also tried a coffee enema later on afterwards.
Also used a tip I got from Bruce Buchanan of this forum. Applied a heat pad and electric massager on my liver after drinking the olive oil/lemon/orange/grapefruit juice.
30+ small soft light green stones between 1/16th inch and 3/16ths of an inch.
Not bad for the first go.
No pains, after effects, aches etc..

10/24/2004
Liver Flush # 2 - 20+ Large Dark Green Stones 1/4"-5/16" ++ & Chaff and still counting....
Basically followed Andreas Moritz's book.. water + coffee enema and used a electric massager and heater over the liver.. even more stuff coming out as I write....
Amazing...

10/31/2004
3rd Liver Flush - 100s Of Stones - Wow!
3rd liver flush - 100s of stones - tan, brown, white, and light green to dark green, from 1/16" to 5/8". Appox. 150+ to 200+ stones and chaff. Amazing.
Following Andreas Moritz's procedure plus heat pad and electric massage. light headednes and dizziness whenever I stand up. Low blood pressure, dehydaration? Loss of Electrolytes?

11/07/2004
Liver Flush #4.Almost standard Andreas Moritz LF. Except at 9:30pm after
2nd Epsom Salts and before oo/gfj did water enema and a coffee enema held in
the coffee for 15 minutes. Drank one cup Olive oil and one cup Grapefruit
juice. Used Heat Pad and electric massager over liver as well. Also drank several 16 oz glasses distilled water with "Emergen-C, Lite" to replace electolytes, and prevent dehydration during the LF. Also took Vit. C, Calcium, Magnesium, & Potassium supplements before and after LF to also replace any electrolyte loss. This really seemed to help prevent the dizziness I experienced during Flush #3 which might have been due to either
dehydration or loss of electrolytes.

Results were excellent. 300+ small white, tan, yellow, chips, flakes, cystals, chaff, and rough stones from 1/16" to 1/4", AND 100+ pea green, emerald green, and dark green soft stones from 1/8" to 3/4"...

11/16/2004
My girlfriend Phyllis underwent her first Liver Flush and all I can say was that the results were spectacular...
over 500 light tan dark tan, brown, black, green, flakes, shards, pieces of stones as well as stones ranging from 1/8" to 3/4"!!! amazing first flush...

11/20/2004
Liverflush #5. Followed basic Andras Moritz method, malic acid, epsom salts, olive oil, grapefruit juice.. etc.., massage and heat applied to liver after olive oil & grape fruit juice. Coffee and water enemas, etc..Over 500 small white, tan, gold, black and pea green chips, flakes, shards, & chaff ranging from 1/16" to 1/4" and 200+ pea green, mid green and dark green stones from 1/4" to 3/4". I started passing the larger stones later on Sunday afternoon.

11/27/2004
Liverflush #6. Followed basic Andras Moritz method, malic acid, epsom salts, olive oil, grapefruit juice etc.., plus massage and heat applied to liver after drinking olive oil & grape fruit juice. Coffee and water enemas, etc.. Only about 50 small white, tan, gold, black and pea green chips, flakes, shards, & chaff ranging from 1/16" to 1/4" and only 50+ pea green, mid green and dark green stones from 1/4" to 3/4". I started passing the larger stones later on Sunday afternoon. hmm AM's book says the average is between 6-8 flushes... Could the smaller yield of stones mean that I'm nearing the end of my flushing? Matbe I should wait two weeks for my next flush... maybe I should wait until the next "new moon"...BTW any ideas when that should be?


Mercury Amalgum Fillings
There is much discission on many of the Candida E-Groups about the corelation between Candida and mercury-almalgam fillings. I am seriously considering having my almagam fillings replaced with composites.

Parasites
There is also another large group on the Candida Internet Community that also suggest that there is a correlation between Candida and parasites, and suggest parasite cleanses. I am exploring that and will include more information about that in my next update to this list.


4.) Maintenance
Well, I'm not there yet, so I don't have much to say about this phase yet, but I'd love to hear from anybody who's made it this far.

More to come! This resource list is a work in progress!

If you have any resources or more information to add please contact me...

Feel free to e-mail me via the curezone.

All the best to all of you out there...

I hope and pray that you all get better.

Tony


 

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