Week Two - Die-off and Milk Thistle

I made it through week two of the Candida Yeast Answer Program. This has been a tough week. I haven't felt great and work has been crazy.

I've had a lot of die-off or at least I hope that's what it is. My yeast infection still seems to be improving but I've felt weak, achy and had headaches on and off all week. Mostly I just want to sleep all the time. I usually feel pretty good for a couple of hours after my morning juice but it all seems to go downhill from there most days. Saturday was the worst day so far. I upped my dosage that day so I may need to stay at this dose a little longer than three days.

The diet has been rough. I have been really good about avoiding sugar and white flour. Avoiding cheese has been much more difficult and I've definitely eaten more than I should. One thing I've discovered is that plain low-fat yogurt is actually quite good. I've never been much of yogurt eater but it was mentioned and encouraged on the program so I gave it a try. A small bowl with a few blueberries is almost as good as ice cream.

I also started taking milk thistle this week to help with the die-off.  Milk thistle is considered to be one of the best liver detoxifiers out there. It helps support, protect and cleanse your liver which in turn should help it deal more efficiently and effectively with the toxins caused by the dying Candida. It's also thought to lower cholesterol levels, improve blood sugar levels and be a powerful antioxidant. I'm taking 300 mg a day for now.

*I am not a medical professional nor do I claim any medical expertise.  You should talk to your healthcare provider before taking any herb or supplement.

Insomnia

Personally I think the insomnia has been my worst symptom of all.  Not being able to sleep for extended periods of time will make you feel like a basket case and like your losing your mind.  During my darkest days there were times I only slept 8-10 hours in a week.  Luckily things have gotten better but it still seems to come and go as it pleases and faithfully appears for two or three nights right before my menstrual cycle begins each month.  Sometimes my insomnia is caused by my other favorite symptom...anxiety.  When my anxiety is high I can't fall asleep at all.  Other times I fall asleep okay, I just can't stay asleep.  Either way it's miserable and I've literally tried every drug, natural sleep aid and old wives tale out there to control it.  

The drugs I've tried: 

Trazodone had too many side effects.

Lunesta did nothing.

Ambien put me to sleep for 4-5 hours and then left me with a hangover.

Prozac made my anxiety better but the insomnia worse, go figure.

Lexapro helped both the anxiety and insomnia but made me fat among other unpleasant side effects and I had to ween myself off of it after six months.

Buspar made my anxiety shoot through the roof which in turn made the insomnia worse.

Klonopin has been the only drug that helps without awful side effects for me. I use it very sparingly, like once or twice a month, as it can be addictive and as with most drugs it's hard on your liver.

The natural stuff I've tried: 

Melatonin did nothing.

Chamomile tea tasted good but no sleep.

Formula 303 has valerian root in it but didn't really help. 

NaturalCalm kept me regular but still no sleep.  I should note here that NaturalCalm is a great source of magnesium which most of us with Candida are lacking among other vitamins and minerals.  Even though it didn't cure my insomnia I still use it regularly for it's other benefits.  I like the original flavor best.

Chinese herbal tea from an herbalist just made me have to pee...a lot.

Bio-identical Progesterone Cream made me extremely depressed and fatigued but didn't make me sleep. Turns out Candida loves progesterone and many women with Candida react poorly to it.  Lesson learned the hard way.

5htp helped control my anxiety after I weened myself off Lexapro which in turn did help my sleep but it wasn't like I took it and half an hour later fell fast asleep like I've heard people claim.  I used it for about 18 months at 200 mg per day in time release tablets.  I used the Natrol brand which they sell at Costco.  I still use it for short periods when I'm under extra stress.

I also tried meditating, acupuncture, exercising, yoga, reading, practicing good sleep habits, giving up caffeine entirely, eating protein before bed, listening to calming music, keeping a fan on, a sleep mask, sleeping in different rooms of my house, sleeping at my parents house and probably several other things I can no longer remember but none of which really helped.  I have managed to get my anxiety under control with therapy, supplements and a treatment called NAET which I will talk about in a future post.  Getting my anxiety under control has gone a long way in reducing my bouts of insomnia but I don't think I'll ever really get over it until I get the Candida under control.

*A note about acupuncture: I love it, still do it and it has helped me with other symptoms, just not this one.

**I am not a medical professional and do not claim to have any medical expertise.  All of the above information is based on my own personal experiences and opinions.  The things that worked or did not work for me does not me they will or will not work for you.  You should consult with your Health Care Professional before taking any herb or supplement.

Flaxseed

Ground flaxseed has been a life saver for me.  I have been drinking two tablespoons of ground flaxseed mixed with water every morning for over a year.  It has been the only thing that really works to keep me regular if you know what I mean.  It's important for everyone to keep their bowels moving and regular but when fighting Candida it's critical.  It's the main way your body eliminates the dead Candida and removes toxins from your body.

Flaxseed tastes better, is easier to get down and healthier than psyllium husk in my opinion and for me it just plain works better.  As an added bonus it's also a great source of Omega 3 and is believed to have antioxidant properties as well.  The brand I currently use is Spectrum Essentials Cold Milled Organic Ground Flaxseed.  This is the brand they carry at my local healthfood store but I've been buying it on Amazon to save money.

I used to buy a brand sold at Costco that I can no longer recall the name of.  It was sold in a big yellow bag and it was also organic.  My Costco no longer carries it but if you are lucky enough to have a Costco that does I also highly recommend this one as it was the most cost effective.

* I am not being paid or receiving free product from the above company. I only endorse products I have used and believe in on this blog.

The Dreaded Diet

In my personal opinion, the biggest hurdle to curing Candida is the diet.  Swallowing herbs, supplements and probiotics is a piece of cake compared to following an anti-candida diet.  A strict anti-candida diet is incredibly difficult if not nearly impossible for most people, myself included, to stick with long enough for it to work.  For the record I don't believe you can cure Candida with diet alone.  Candida can lie dormant in you body for long periods of time and wait for you to eat something it can flourish on.

I've done the strict anti-candida diet twice in the past, once for 30 days and once for 90 days.  Both times I was very strict and did not cheat and both times I still felt just as miserable on it as off.  In fact by the end of the 90 days I actually felt worse.  I still had all of my same symptoms and my fatigue was worse than ever.  For me there was a very good reason for this...food and vitamin allergies.  I'll talk more about those in a future post.  For now I'd like to focus on my current diet.

When I started my current treatment program I also changed my diet.  No matter what any Candida treatment program or supplement tells you, if you currently eat a typical American diet you will have to make some changes to be successful in the long term.  What does this mean for me you ask?  Below is my modified anti-candida diet.

What I'm not eating:

1) No refined sugar
2) No honey, molasses, maple syrup, agave or cane juice
3) No artificial sweeteners, this includes aspartame, xylitol and Splenda
4) No white flour
5) No chocolate
6) No fried food
7) No alcohol or caffeine - this includes caffeinated teas
8) No luncheon meats, bacon, ham or sausage
9) No dried fruit
10) No melons
11) No peanut butter
12) No soda or processed fruit and vegetable juices

What I'm limiting:

1) Limited fresh fruit - currently one green apple per day for juicing
2) Sprouted whole grain bread - two or three slices per week
3) Whole grain crackers
4) Rice noodles
5) Dairy products - for me this is mostly small occasional amounts of cheese
6) Limited meat

What I'm consuming most of:

1) Fresh vegetables of all kinds - read my post on juicing
2) Fish - Specifically wild caught Alaskan salmon.  I'm avoiding Tuna for mercury reasons.
3) Seeds - Pumpkin are my favorite.
4) Almonds
5) Olive oil and coconut oil
6) Beans and lentils
7) Eggs
8) Lemons - Love to add these to my water for a little variety.
9) Apple Cider vinegar
10) Brown rice

Obviously the above is not an all inclusive list but I think you get the idea.  I plan to modify my diet as time goes on based on how I feel.  The biggest reason I'm choosing to follow a modified anti-candida diet is to keep my stress level in check.  Both of my previous experiences with the super strict anti-candida diet became very stressful, depressing and I had no energy.  Following that strict of a diet when you work full time and attempt to have a life makes it just that much harder.  In my opinion keeping your stress level low is just as important if not more so than the diet itself when trying to heal your body of anything.  Being constantly stressed about what you are going to eat next is counter productive.

I also think it's important to mention that if you follow any anti-candida diet long enough chances are you will fall off the wagon at some point.  But whether it be for one meal or a weekend the important thing is not to give up.  I believe that if your taking the correct herbs, anti-fungals, probiotics, etc for your body, you most likely will not have to start over at square one again as long as you get back on the wagon in a reasonable amount of time.  This does not mean I'm giving myself permission to cheat.  I just want to be realistic and not beat myself up if it does happen.


*Please note I am not a medical professional and do not claim any medical expertise.  The information above is based on my personal experiences, research and opinions.  You should consult your Health Care Professional before beginning any type of diet or supplement program.

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

Two days before I started The Candida Yeast Answer program I watched the documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead.  Coincidence or fate?  Who knows.  It's streaming on Netflix if your interested.  Wow, what an inspiring story.  Personally I was more fascinated and inspired by the truck driver than the main character but that's not really the point of this post.

I had already began planning my diet for my new treatment program and this movie gave me an idea.  We already had a $300 juicer (see picture below) sitting in our kitchen collecting dust.  It was one of the items my boyfriend got when he split with his ex.  In the two years we've been together it has been used once.  We've talked many times about how we should use it more but basically we've been to lazy to ever actually do it.  So I decided to incorporate juicing into my new treatment program.

I've never done an actual juice fast like they do in the movie nor do I plan to do one at this time.  I'm not overweight and I'm prone to hypoglycemia so it's probably not a great idea for me right now.  I have however replaced my breakfast with a juice and ground flaxseed.  I started this the same day I started my treatment program and so far I am loving it.  It really has given me a noticeable boost of energy in the mornings which I desperately need.  I've also noticed it seems to help curb my cravings for sugar and carbs and helps me to eat healthier for the rest of the day.  Plus what an easy and tasty way to alkalize your body!  Below is a sample of my typical juice:

2 handfuls spinach
1 beet including the greens
3-4 stalks celery
1/2 cucumber
1 handful carrots
1 green apple
parsley
small piece of ginger

I know most anti-candida diets say no fruits and even frown on carrots, however, The Candida Yeast Answer program allows for carrots and limited fresh fruits as long as they do not make you feel poorly.  I have limited my fruit intake to one apple a day for now.  I have also incorporated zucchini, broccoli, bell peppers, kale, swiss chard, lemon, cabbage and arugula into my juices.  I prefer to use produce that is organic or from my own garden.  Despite how it may sound or look they really are very tasty.

If any of you other juicers out there want to share your favorite recipe please feel free!

The Candida Yeast Answer

I've decided to try The Candida Yeast Answer program from the Candida Wellness Center in Provo, Utah.  I first heard about this program while sitting in the waiting room of my Naturopathic Doctor about a year ago.   I was chatting with another patient who claimed that after many other failed treatments this was what finally worked for her.  She warned me it was an intense and expensive program but worth looking into if other treatments did not work for me.  She felt finally being Candida free was worth the cost.  I googled their website when I got home from my appointment, took one look at the price and forgot about it.  But here I am one year and many failed treatments later.

I read their entire website and downloaded the online booklet.  I also took their Candida Questionaire.  My score was 118 which put me in the range of a having a "serious condition of Candida" on their scale.  I decided to order a two month supply of the Biotic Silver, Candicyn, Defend and both probiotics in order to receive the 10% discount.  It was still over $1000.  I know your probably thinking I'm either completely crazy or incredibly wealthy.  I assure you I'm not wealthy but maybe a little crazy and desperate to be healthy again.  To be sure their was and still is a part of me that is scared it won't work and I've just flushed hard earned money down the toilet.  But based on my research and speaking with the people that work at the center I feel like this is the best option for me right now.

I began their "Basic Accomplishing Program" on September  17th, so today is officially the one week mark.  I started with the recommended beginning dose and remained on that for the first three days.  I plan to increase the dose every three days until I get to the recommended maximum dosage as long as the die-off remains manageable.  If all goes as planned it will take about 30 days to get to the maximum dose.  I've also changed my diet which I will detail in a future post.

Results so far...

I've had some die-off symptoms including mild headaches, feelings of low blood sugar and weakness, achy joints, irritability and feeling overall icky for brief periods.  But so far it's been manageable and not anything worse than what the Candida itself has caused.  On a positive note, not to over share, but my vaginal yeast infection seems to be clearing up.  We'll see what happens once I ovulate as that's when it always gets worse but so far I'm encouraged.  This has been one of my more aggravating and frustrating symptoms.


 *Please note that I am not being paid or receiving free product from the Candida Wellness Center.  The above statements are based on my personal experiences and opinions.  Whether or not it works for me does not mean it will or will not work for you.  You should consult your Health Care Professional before beginning any treatment program or supplement.  I am not a doctor nor claim any medical expertise.

Why I'm Doing This...

I've been struggling with Candida for several years now and I'm determined to get rid of it once and for all and get my life back.  Like many others with this issue I have tried a million different things, some of which helped and some of which did nothing but none of which have truly solved the problem up to this point.

I decided to start this blog for many reasons.  I hope it will be a good way to track my progress.  I also think it will be a great way to vent and share my story with others.  I hope it will help others or at least let them know their not alone.  It's hard to really talk about all this to family and friends.  They don't really understand how I feel and they haven't done the research so most of the time they look at me like I'm crazy.  I figure at the very least writing this blog will be therapeutic even if no one else ever reads it.  
So here I go...