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  #1   ^
Old Thu, Aug-11-05, 02:23
Ron87 Ron87 is offline
New Member
Posts: 1
 
Plan: Anti-Candida diet
Stats: 215/180/200 Male 72 inches
BF:
Progress:
Default **Desperate** Please Help....

I'm suffering from severe candida skin rash all over my body. I first develeped round quarter-sized bright red, horribly itchy patches of sometimes weeping/oozing very scaly painful clusters of tiny blisters on my feet and ankles shortly after a very stressful time in my life 5 years ago. Doctors treated it as eczema/atopic dermatitis by using cortisone steroid creams. It kept coming back even worse, so they gave me a z-pak of zithromax antibiotic once, then later started giving me oral steriods like prednisone, as well as other topical steriords like triamcinilone cream. You name it, I've been on it- decadron(dexamethasone), betamethasone dipropionate, etc. The rash is bright red, burns and pusses, has swelling, and itches like you wouldn't believe. After 4 years of suffering repeat bouts of this, I first took prednisone tablets last October and immediately it went from my feet and ankles to all over my body becoming a blood-born/systemic infection, showing up first as measle-like red dots everywhere and spreading out to th quarter-sized patches I explained above. The doctors gave me more steroids, of course, and it got even worse until some areas grew from the quarter size patches to huge areas that covered large sections of my back, legs, and trunk and ankles/feet. About a year ago, I tried elimination diets and got allergy testing several months ago to reveal that I'm allergic to just about all foods. Finally, about 4 months ago, My Chiropractor told me about Candida Albicans, started me on an L.acidophillus Probiotic, and started me on the anti-candida diet which is stricter that Atkins induction phase. I've done tons of research on this and probably know more that most doctors about it. I recently switched doctors to one who actually believes in and treats the candida infection by prescribing me oral Nystatin 4 teaspoons a day. However, I keep having severe relapses of bleeding and pussing, secondary infections from all the scratching, and so much burning and itching I don't sleep more than a few hours each night. It's not a Herxheimer die-off reaction, because that eventually clears up. This never stops unless I get massive emergency dosages of steroids in the Emergency Room or from my Medical Doctor to suppress the inflammation until it comes right back once the steriods wear off in a few days. I can't stay on steroids or antibiotics for long anyway, because they contribute to the Candida in the first place. This has ruinined just about everything in my life. I can't eat, sleep, work, excercise, or do anything at all basically, and I'm in great pain 100% of the time. Someone please write me with some hope.....

Last edited by Ron87 : Thu, Aug-11-05 at 02:35.
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  #2   ^
Old Thu, Aug-11-05, 09:13
MoseyMan's Avatar
MoseyMan MoseyMan is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 970
 
Plan: Raw Foodhist & Daoist
Stats: 170/160/145 Male 5'6"
BF:
Progress: 40%
Location: NY
Default

Ron,

I had the same thing for 20 years of my life. The last 5 I had it so bad on my hands that I couldn't bend my fingers or they would just bleed from wounds like paper cuts all over them. I was constantly itchy somewhere on my body. I was given steroids, antibiotics, and antihistamines. Nothing made it any better. (Well, some things did temporarily for may be a week or so.) I tried cutting out dairy, celiac diets, probiotics, low carb. I did combinations of these and many other gimmicks, supplements...on and on. Nothing worked.

The SCD diet cured me 95%. (It limits they type of carbohydrates you can eat) I then stopped using regular soaps and detergents and that fixed the rest of it. I use only castile soap for bathing, bronner's tea tree oil liquid for cleaning and dishes. I use bronners for shampoo too because regular shampoo made my scalp and face dry and itchy. I put some jojobo oil in it for conditioner and I wash my face with jojobo oil too. Now I use no moisturizers on my skin because anything I did use only makes me drier. It was hard to stop putting stuff on my dry skin; I felt relief when I applied it, but the next day it would be even drier.

I tried elimination diet and used a diet diary and I was reacting to just about every food I ate, even raw fruits. The SCD corrects the underlying problems in the gut and intestines instead of just treating the secondary symptoms - which is all most other approaches do. Once the gut is in better shape, most if not all of the secondary allergies will cease. I can now eat anything in moderation without my eczema coming back.

As for the probiotics, I tried them for years with minimal results. The SCD has you make your own 24 hour fermented yogurt to get the probiotics to fix the damage inside. This is a heck of a lot cheaper and you get a ton more live probiotics than you ever would taking pills. It cost me 30 bucks for a yogurt machine, compared to 27 bucks a month for the pills, so it more than paid for itself. I believe the yogurt helped me more than anything. Twice when I stopped eating it, my eczema started to come back. (tiny patches on my forearms)

http://www.scd.freeuk.com/index.htm

Last edited by MoseyMan : Thu, Aug-11-05 at 10:11.
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  #3   ^
Old Thu, Aug-11-05, 09:38
pollypolly's Avatar
pollypolly pollypolly is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 45
 
Plan: General Low Carb
Stats: 244/155/160 Female 68
BF:48/32/??
Progress: 106%
Location: Eastern Seaboard
Default Topical

Ron,

I really can't help you diet-wise, but I would urge you try Alpha Keri. I had eczema and atopical dermatitis on my hands. It was so bad I couldn't move my fingers...I even had to have a pen in the car with my to unfasten my seat belt, I couldn't use my fingers or they would bleed. I was on prednisone, cortisone shots, topical creams, etc. I went to a different dermatologist who recommended soaking my hands morning and night in a large bowl of alpha keri in water. This helped immediately. It's kind of hard to find, you might need to order it online. Perhaps bathing for 1/2 hour with this would bring you some relief.

I know it's a pretty small thing, but it helped me so much, I recommend it to everyone with this problem.

Good luck to you.
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  #4   ^
Old Thu, Aug-25-05, 19:05
lruscoe lruscoe is offline
New Member
Posts: 9
 
Plan: Yeast Connection
Stats: 152/140/130 Female 64
BF:
Progress: 55%
Default

I am not familiar with the diet you are talking about, Mosey Man. Please explain.
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  #5   ^
Old Thu, Aug-25-05, 19:48
locarbbarb's Avatar
locarbbarb locarbbarb is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 4,732
 
Plan: <1250 cal - Flexitarian
Stats: 243/199/130 Female 5'3.5"
BF:57%/Ugh/22%
Progress: 39%
Location: Phoenix,AZ(sun's surface)
Default

Have you done a search on Google for "candida skin rash"?

I did one for you, and found several links to places that say they have natural remedies to help (quite expensive, so I was hesitant to recommend any one site.)

I also went to www.webmd.com and did the same search and got a few links there, as well.

I hope you find relief. My heart goes out to you!
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  #6   ^
Old Fri, Aug-26-05, 06:06
MoseyMan's Avatar
MoseyMan MoseyMan is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 970
 
Plan: Raw Foodhist & Daoist
Stats: 170/160/145 Male 5'6"
BF:
Progress: 40%
Location: NY
Default

http://www.scd.freeuk.com/index.htm

Thats a link to the diet. Basically, its a grain free diet, that limits a few other types of carbs also. (no potato, no sugar) The foods are highly digestable, so there is less food left to ferment and make yeasts with in the colon. It starves the bad yeast out, and replaces the good bacteria by using homemade yogurt.

The SCDiet is aimed at people with bowel disease, but it worked wonders on me. I still use the yogurt daily and I have come to love the diet. I had really nasty eczema since I was 10, I am now 37 and I havent had it in the last year or so since trying the SCDiet.

It is not a low carb diet- but you can do SCD and low carb.
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  #7   ^
Old Fri, Aug-26-05, 09:28
TNTLeAnn TNTLeAnn is offline
New Member
Posts: 17
 
Plan: raw vegan diet
Stats: 169/141/130 Female 5 ft. 8 in.
BF:
Progress: 72%
Default Desperate

Hi Ron, alright, you got off my 21 year old "pity party" about my candida, hearing the battle you have.

I am a nurse (but mostly herbalist as a result of the harm the medical field has done to add to my candida problems).

I have tried all the diets, probiotics, you name it. So here are some suggestions first for pain relief.

Go to a Walmart and buy a gallon of 100 % aloe juiice. Take pieces of clean sheets, and soak them in the aloe and wrap your body parts that have the rash. It will be very soothing (if they didn't put preservatives in it. I've used this several years ago and whatever was in that gallon at Walmart didn't hurt). This will be messy, but oh well. If you really want to topically treat the candida, get some aloe gel and mix some blackwalnut hull tincture to it and spread it over aspects of the rash. Even if you could do this after a both once a day and let it stay on your skin about 1/2 hour and then rinse it off, it would work kind of like a "lice treatment" and kill some of it and sooth you besides. Also take 3-4 baths a day to keep things clean and increase circulation to body to let it fight the infection.

If you don't have a juicer and can afford to, buy one juice 1 quart of carrots juice a day. Initially I just added water and cut up carrots and put them in blender and strained it through a cheescloth or muslin dish towel and it worked well.

If you buy one, don't make the mistake I did and get one that you have to cut the stuff up so small that it takes you twice as long to use the machine. Find one that takes a whole carrot or 1/2 and apple easily and has a good strong motor that won't burn out a month after you get it. (It really doesn't taste as bad as it sounds, add a beet or an apple to it and it will taste even better-very sweet even without the apple). Don't drink more than 8 oz. every hour. It's all your body can handle.

You get rid of candida by starving it and nourishing your body. I spent most of my years only starving it (and me) and it didn't work well and I needed tons of antifiungals, probiotics, etc. and it was very expensive.

I have instead turned to a raw vegan diet. I am nourishing my body so well and eating in such a way that I am starving them while nourishing my body so well that it is fighting the infection. If you can't do it complete add as many raw veggies and fruits and eliminate fats, nuts and seeds and meats and dairy for a month. Then you can eat all the fruit you want. I tried it and it worked (even after being on antibiotics recently). If you do want to eat "meats" try small amts. of fish and definitely stay away from pork which really feeds candida. There are lots of raw vegan websites that have tasty recipes. I'll give you my favorites if you are interested.

Aloe is just slightly antifungal but is extremely soothing if it has absolutely no preservatives in it.
You could also try 3-4 soaks in your tub through the day and add essential oil of oregano 6 drops to each tub full. Essential oil of basil is also antifungal and hyssop is an immune sytem builder. Lavender helps heal skin rashes and is good at bedtime to relax you.

Try valerian root to help you sleep at night.

Definitely eliminate pork, sugars, (even any natural ones for now), flours of any kind from your diet. If you crave "starches" eat fruit (all by itself-takes only 1/2 hr. to digest and won't ferment in gut then and feed the candida).

I also cut up and eat raw potatoes (with a little salt). I sometimes put a tomatoe slice or cucumber or avocado slice on top and make it kind of a "sandwich."

When I crave bread I eat ezekiel bread. (can get it from Health food store)
If I crave eggs I try and get free-range chicken eggs that are fertilized (have arooster in with the hens) so that it is full of omega 3 oils. I eat very few however.

If I crave peanuts (full of mold which feeds candida) I take raw almonds or pecans and make them into a meal with my food processor or blender, then I add a little salt and extra virgin coconut oil (it has to taste like coconut to have it's antifungal effect) or extra virgin olive oil. Voila, raw nut butter, better than any you find in the store and MUCH cheaper- takes about 2 minutes or less to make.

If I crave starchy anything- I eat raw sweet corn (uhm good, almost as good as cooked).

If I crave crackers I keep lots of Zesty Italina flaxseed crackers that are delicious and great with a dip.

If I crave potatoe chips I slice potatoes, salt them and dehydrate them til they are crispy or slice and salt zucchini and dip them into guacomole or raw salsa.

THe raw cornchips - just haven't found one I like but find they taste delcious with my raw almond butter on them.

When I know I need more protein in my diet, (This is only for the courageous unfussy eater). I take 1/2-1 avocado, 1 1/2 c. raw apple juice, 1 apple (core, peelings everything, & 2-4 c. mix of sprouts (bean, pea, alfalfa-lots I pick on my walks for sprouting in the winter). It all goes in my blender and I drink it thorugh the day. Sprouts are loaded with protein and all sorts of enzymes and nutrients that are a powerhouse of nutrients but I can't stand them except in this drink. I get a 1/2 juicer full and split it between two meals or drink it quick if I am "on the run" and it will satisfy me for about 4 -5 hrs. It is the best thing I've used to curb food cravings. It is called Energy soup and after 3 days I found out why. I had incredible energy during the day and sleep sound at night (but don't drink it after supper or you'll have too much energy).

My most diffiicult time is supper time til about 8 at night. I am starved and am cooking the SAD (standard american diet) for my family. I find that if I start eating my starch "substitiutes" by 2 or 3 in afternoon before I start meal preparation for my family, I am pretty well satisfied that the few bites of their food I taste to see if I need to "add any ingredients" don't "tempt me" to the point I eat too much more than a bite or too (that I truly relish).

My best trick when I am eating something I know is feeding my candida and I shouldn't is I walk over to my dog's dish , take one more bite and through it in there. She devours it before I can "continue." Works every time, but I'm amazed at the battle some days for how much I can "get down" before I get to that dish!

I know this may sound monumental. I got a call from a friend who was pregnant and had a horrible rash between her legs from the candida that burned like fire. She couldn't do raw vegan for fear of too little protein in her diet. SHe just eliminated breads and fruits and her rash went away.

I had to be infested with candida, in my brain, gut, femaile organs, adrenal glands, thyroid and every joint in my body AND think I might be pregant and lose one more child due to the autoimmune reactions in my body that kill my baby (because it's trying to fight the candida in the lining of my uterus) before I got faced the fact that I have only tried to get rid of the candida so I could go back to my love affair with sugar. I have finally forsaken that "lover" forever and faced the hard fact that I can't afford 1 more candida infection or I will lose some very important body parts that are valuable to me.

Get as much sun as you can stand on those areas as often as possible (without getting burned of course). 20-30 min. episodes 4-5 times a day. I know that my long winters without sun (in WI make things worse).

My plan is to get to a very hot sunny climate asap for good but it is in the 2-5 year planning stage at this time. I am convinced I need much more sun than I get. One guy on this forum confirmed my gut on this one. When he went to live on a tropical island for a few years he had no symptoms even when he ate normal food (except he did eat lots of coconut). When he returned to US candida came back with a vengeance.

The sunnier (even full spectrum lights on cloudy days) will help. Expose as much of this skin that is infected ot the sun.

Hope this helps.

Last edited by TNTLeAnn : Fri, Aug-26-05 at 09:39.
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