I am celiac. I was not medically diagnosed, doctors have been treating the symptoms and not the cause. I've done a ton of reading and discovered I have a candida problem also. Not suprisingly considering the condition my small intestines is probably in. Promenea is right, the only way for a celiac to heal is complete avoidance of gluten in all it's uses (there are many hidden sources) for life. There is a great site with tons of info and lists of not know uses of gluten in food additives. celiac.com During the treatment of candida sugar in all forms must be avoided and ruffage if tolerated is need to cleanse the colon. Not good killing the buggers if they just lie there dead!! You need to also take an antifungal to eradicate the candida, a probiotic to rebuild the beneficial bacteria and ammino acids (l-glutamine) to rebuild the intestinal damage. Then once the war is won, the only way to maintain health is to consume a diet of whole natural unprocessed foods and no grains. I'll take a steak and salad to can can of ravioli and IBS anyday!!!

Liz

I have the antibodies for celiac but had gone gluten free for 4 months prior to finding out (which may invalidate the results because you start to heal) I really should have had a biopsy so I am only incompletely diagnosed but it is enough for me.

Gluten free/grain free and hopefully yeastie beastie free and feeling better.

So if I can't take nystatin, what else could I try? I seem to have allergies to lots of meds, especially antibiotics (things made from molds).

Oh and the other benefit of gluten free/low carb is that there is an amazing improvement in my complextion. No more monthly breakouts and even the blackheads on my nose are gone.

Now if I could only kick start my metabolism and lose some weight.

So you all seem pretty schooled in the subject of Candia. I'm hoping you can lend me some advice? My low carb store has a questionaire that you fill out and depending on your score it weather or not you are prone to Canidia. Is there anyway to confirm that you do actually have it besides symptoms? I have been taking Candistroy and Probitoc rebuilder for about a month and feel no changes like hang over days etc. How long should I be taking these? How am I sure I should even be taking them in the first place? If I do have it should I be avoiding sugar alcohols as well? Any insight would be great.. I'm starting to surf the sites that have been posted in this thread. Thanks!


Have a great day!

Jennifer

Everyone has candida because it is a normal component of gut flora. It is only a problem if it takes over and crowds out the good bacteria (it is those bacteria that help digest your food and which make most of your vitamin K which keeps your blood clotting normally when you are cut). Candida can also go into a growth phase where it actually invades the mucosal lining and cause gastric upset and leaky gut. This can lead to other food allergies as more foods come into contact with the cellular parts of your immune system. Some people, like me, actually have an allergy to candida cytoplasmic proteins which makes it all the more important to keep the yeast levels low.

My doctor said that anyone who has taken lots of antibiotics (for example I took tetracycline for complexion for about 6 months), eats lots of sugar and has digestive symptoms, fatique disorders or chemical sensitivity is at risk for yeast overgrowth.

If you get whitish lesions in your mouth (thrush) or lots of vaginal yeast infections, those are another obvious sign.

I've heard of fecal testing but honestly don't know what they are testing for other than dead yeast but everyone should have some. I guess they must look for the numbers of yeast proteins or something to tell if you have too many or not.

Serious yeast overgrowth can occur when someone is immuno-compromised since our immune systems normally keep the yeasties in check and out of mucosal linings in their invasive growth phase.

I think yeast are a symptom of a gut that is in poor shape rather than the cause of the poor shape but I may be in the minority on that opinion.

Jeffiner, read back through this thread, I think someone mentioned a blood test that will indicate a marker for candida. It's something it leaves in your blood that's actually measured. There is also a lab that does stool tests enterolab and there is a questionaire link at the bottom of my post. Let me know what your score is. Mine was 295! That was enough for me. And yes, you should be avoiding all sugar, alcohol, grains it all breaks down into sugars and feeds the yeast. Here's a page for some more info Candida Page How much candistroy are you taking? If you do long term low dosage, the yeast gets used to it and it won't work any longer. Have to change treatments on occasion to keep it confused. I'm using liquid grapefruit seed extract now, getting ready to switch to candistroy. Let us know how you did on your test.

Liz

Jennifer,
I have been taking Candistroy (probiotic and antifungal) for about a week and so far I have had a slight die off reaction (yeast infection, dizziness, tired..) But I have read that die off reaction may or may not occur even if you have a candida overgrowth. So even if you have no "die off" reaction it doesn't mean thatit's not working.
Stay away form all sugar and alcohol and artificial sweeteners (even Splenda). Stevia is good b/c it's also a antifungal.
I'm basically eating meat, eggs, veggies, water. Check out the internet their is tons of info on Candida diet.
I hope that helped.
Good luck!

Whether I have die off symptoms or not, I plan to stick with this program for 6 months. Then I'll stop the antifungals, but keep up the pro-b's. Fungal infections are the hardest to get rid of. Even the proscription commercials for nail fungus meds say results may take 3-6 months. My diet will never change. I'm trying to give up corn now. Rarely eat potatoes, tomatoes, or peppers. Won't not eat something because it's there, but I'm not going out looking for them. If after being off them, my previous symptoms do not return, I'll stay off. If not I'll do some more. Has anyone read anything about what taking an antifungal will do if the fungus is gone. Been looking, haven't found anything yet.


Health is not a destination, it's a journey.

Liz

Then you haven't read and don't understand fully the concept put forth by <U>Breaking The Viscious Cycle</U> by Elaine Gottschall. Her diet guide for the SCD specifically eliminates all products which include gluten. If you can't eat any carbs other than simple carbs, you won't be eating gluten. There is no possible way. Gluten is intrinsic to every grain based starchy food out there. Since you can't eat starch (period), you can't eat gluten. Starch is completely eliminated on the SCD.

I suggest that if you are celiac, you should take a look at this book. It does outline and specifically state the things you can and cannot eat. This does take into account contaminated grills, product ingredients, binders, fillers and other things. Her diet is based on whole real foods emphasizing single molecule sugars which are easy to digest over complex sugars which are very hard to digest. I guarantee her book covers Celiac disease through WOE.

More specifically, her diet manages Celiac through more than simple avoidance of gluten. Her book actually attempts to address the WHY of gluten intolerance and attempts to help heal the colon to allow for better tolerance in the future.

If you want to avoid gluten for the rest of your life, feel free. But, if you want a WOE that may, in fact, heal your intolerance 2-3 years down the road, then you owe it to yourself to take a look at her book.

You are still giving very dangerous advice. As I said above, gluten is not a carbohydrate it is a protein . It will not show up as a carb on your product label. There are many places where it is included in low carb replacement foods such as wheat gluten in bars and shakes. Gluten that celiacs are sensitive to is not in all starchy foods it is only in wheat, rye, barley and contaminations from oats.

Really you should not give this advice without learning more because it is irresponsible and dangerous to people who have this disease.

>Really you should not give this advice without learning more because it is irresponsible and dangerous to people who have this disease.<

I guarantee you that these shakes, bars and oats you are talking about are not allowed on the SCD. The SCD isn't just about carbs and starch. You really should read this book before dispensing derogatory advice about what I'm saying.

If, after you've read it, you still disagree with me and what the SCD offers, I'm willing to listen.

You didn't even know that gluten is a protein not a carb. Why would I believe you about the rest of the stuff. And why would I want an even more restrictive diet than necessary? I know what I can eat and what I can't because I know what foods contain gluten and that is what every celiac should learn.

Also you advised a trial before taking the blood tests or biopsy which is also absolutely the wrong advice as I explained. Really, learn more about the disease you are giving advice about. You don't know enough about it to be telling people how to treat it.

I know what gluten is. I don't need a lesson from you. And further, I'm not giving advice. The book is. I'm simply pointing people to the book. If you choose not to read it, your choice. I'm not forcing you to read it. Nor was I giving any advice about what to eat or how to eat it. All of that advice is described in the book. If you choose to live in the way you choose to live, again, that is your choice. If others choose to read and understand the SCD that is their choice.

And further, the point isn't whether or not you eat carbs with the SCD the point is to HEAL the colon by reducing inflamation by eating the proper foods. THIS is what the SCD offers. If you choose to eat other foods that still irritate your colon (even if you manage to avoid gluten), then you're still no better off.

You need to lighten up and learn to understand that people are not out to torpedo you or your diet. I'm only offering advice on what to read. How you choose to use that knowledge and apply it to your diet is your choice and has nothing whatever to do with me.

One last point that definitely needs to be made.

>Also you advised a trial before taking the blood tests or biopsy which is also absolutely the wrong advice as I explained.<

I gave no such advice. I never once in any of my posts suggested anyone try this diet before, during or after any medical advice. I gave no advice about seeking medical help at all. You jumped to some severe conclusions by reading into what I was saying. If I need to put a disclaimer into every post I write, then this is just simply a ridiculous expectation. You should always seek medical advice before starting any diet. If you choose not to, then that is your choice. In fact, this disclaimer is already on this site. You need to read the charter of this site again as to understand everything written here is for 'informational purposes only'. No medical advice is dispensed. This is clearly defined in the terms and conditions of this site.

This discussion is now terminated.

Obviously you don't because you kept calling it a carb.





Yes you did.



If the diet is gluten free as you said the book said then by giving it a trial you can reduce your antibodies and get a false negative on the test. If it isn't gluten free you are wasting your time and giving yourself the feeling that you don't have celiac when you might. Either way it is the wrong approach if you think you might have celiac disease.

You seem to be pushing this book alot. BTW, the colon has nothing to do with the cause of celiac. Celiac damage occurs in the small intestine which isn't the colon. There may be irritation in the colon from a lot of poorly digested food but you fix the celiac and the small intestine and the colon gets better, not the other way around.