Hi, I'm a 28-year-old mom of 3 little boys. I've been treating my candida for almost 4 weeks. So glad to find this forum; been wanting someone to talk to!

I've been struggling with overweight and very poor health for 2 years. I have lupus, and 2 years ago I was very ill with that. It took a year of prednisone to knock out the problems, and then I had pleurisy and pneumonia for a long time. Which required a LOT of broad-spectrum antibiotics. See how I got candida? (groan)

I was sick, tired, gross, depressed...but the thing I was most upset about was the 40 pound weight gain while on prednisone. I've never been a dieter, but I tried everything. The plan I had the most success with was Body for Life, which I did for 3 months. I felt some better on that plan, and gained strength (its a bodybuilding thing if you don't know) but I actually never lost any pounds or inches. Which is unreal on that plan if you follow it exactly, which I did. My lack of results made me so depressed I quit the program. Since, I've counted calories, done Atkins, Slim-Fast....still no results.

A month ago I got ahold of William Crooks book, the Yeast Connection. I took that quiz in the front of the book. I don't remember my exact score (library book, I don't have it now) but it was like 400 or something obscene like that. I definitely had candida.

I went on the net and found the very strictest candida diet, and created my own plan based on that, Dr. Crook's book, and my own understanding of food combining principles. My diet looks like this:

breakfast, 3 pieces raw fruit
mid-am, raw nuts and seeds
lunch, brown rice or sweet potato and lots of legumes, garlic, salad
afternoon, raw veggies
supper, meat and cooked veggies

and a gallon of water a day.

for supplements Im taking: primadophilus, citrus seed extract, borage oil, multivitamins, B-complex vitamins, and kyolic garlic.

I jumped in the program with both feet. I hadn't heard yet that you could ease yourself in, to minimize die-off symptoms! My thought was, let's wipe this out. NOW! I can take it!

The first week was horrible-awful. lots of crying, fatigue, a sort of hungover feeling, and boils. I can't believe I had a very itchy pricky skin rash, all over, major diarrhea, and boils. I thought I was going to die.

It took 2 weeks for the rash to go away and the boils to heal. Since then I've felt like a million bucks! I am even considering bodybuilding again, since my body's working normally now. When I started I thought I would keep this WOE for 4 months. Now I think I'll keep it for life. I just like it. It feels right. This next week I start exercising on my stationary bike. Its gonna feel so good. ALso I read that I should be sweating, so I'm adding hot baths.

I almost forgot to mention, I"VE LOST 16 POUNDS since starting my program!!!!!!

If you are still reading (I'm so sorry, I've just had nobody but my dear husband to talk to this whole month that I've been treating candida)....I have a question.

?After that really violent week or 2 of die-off, could I be past the worst of it? I've felt pretty good ever since. Until the year of the prednisone I was always a very quick healer.

?Could it be true that, as long as I keep on with this WOL, the nightmare is behind me?

If you read the whole post, I love ya dearly and count you as a friend please give me your opinion!

AmyRose

hi AmyRose,

Great to have you on board. It sounds like what your doing is working really well for you, keep at it.

I've been on the candida diet (a bit stricter than yours, no fruit or potatoes and very little meat) for about a week and a half. I also had EXTREME die off symptoms for the first 5 days, things have now calmed down even though I'm still taking anti-fungals every night (TwinLab Yeast Fighters).

I find that my energy is beginning to return very slowly, however even though I can see in my face and body that I'm slimming down (and people tell me so) the scales refuse to budge.

I'm still at early stages compared to you, its nice to hear someone who's having dramatic results like you.

I've heard on average (depending on how severe the case is) it takes about 3 months to rid yourself of the candida. It may be that you have done it in 1 month, but be very careful about your diet as if you change it too radically it may come back with a vengence.

I would definitely say if you keep with the diet your health will just keep improving.

I intend to reintroduce a few things once I'm better, but basically this is my diet for life, I feel so much better on it and that's really important to me. I couldn't go back to feeling as crappy as I did before.

Anhu, hope this helps, good luck!

Row

Wow, AmyRose, you've been through alot! I scored about 400 on that candida test, too. I have been fighting of the "crud" for about 3 months now. I started Atkins on Dec 26, 02. I still am waiting for the weight to come off!! I had to go on antibiotics for a bad bronchial infection, so I think I took some backwards steps. I am now trying a different approach to the diet, I started with Atkins, but now am going to add more "alkaline" foods. I am hoping it will kill of the yeast, and some of my fat cells!!!!!

I think you are probably past the worst of the die-off, but stick with it. Since you had such severe case, it could take quite a while for all of it to be gone. Thanks for sharing your story, glad to hear about your success! Keep up the good work, and keep in touch!

-Denise

Rowena and Jessea, thanks for the replies! Its encouraging to me to find people who are living with this, yet sticking to their programs.

I wish us all the best of luck! Jessea, you must have been frustrated when you had to go on antibiotics again. I really applaud your good attitude!

I read about the spit test on this board, have either of you done it? (gross) I tried it this morning, no runners. I guess that 's good news! Not changing one thing about my program, it's working!


Here's to health!
AmyRose

hi AmyRose,

Yes, I gave the spit test a go last week and got really long runners. I'm at the early stages of my programme though, I'll try again in a month, hopefully there won't be any, fingers crossed!!


Row