need advice -Anti candida programme, coming to end of it

[Nellymay]

Hi I've been doing an anti candida plan and I'm 5 months into it - almost finished - I feel pleased with myself that I've got this far and stuck to it. My symptoms are virtually gone and I've lost 1 and half stone although that wasn't the reason I went into it in the first place.
I'm trying to add more foods to my diet such as potatoes or pasta etc but my body seems to react to these and I end up not sleeping very well. For example I had a small glass of red wine last night only enough for about 4 sips - first alcohol for 5 months and I couldnt sleep for hours!! what's the matter with me?
I guess that I need to gradually reintroduce foods into my diet although some foods I won't eat as much as I did before like sugar and wheat based foods
Has anyone else had experience of this. At my worst when Im lying awake in the middle of the night I worry I've got diabetes or something?..

[maiscout]

Hey Nelly. Me again ;)
I think we must be the only two doing this diet on here.

What kind of reaction do you have when you eat non candida diet foods? I know you don't wanna hear this, but I think that might mean the candida is still lingering :(

Most people are on the diet for a least 6 months to fully get rid - maybe another month might help?

Sorry I couldn't give you any good news/help.

[SconeRhymesWithPhone]

I did this diet about 8 years ago, and remember how hard it was! I think I introduced foods very slowly , and if I had a bad reaction to one then I would exclude it again and try to reintroduce it another time.

I did the exclusion diet for around 6 months, having previously had thrush on and off for around 8 years. As well as the diet, I finally also got some pessaries to treat the particular kind of thrush that I had (candida glabrata rather than Candida albicans). I found that the diet and the meds worked in the end.

Today I don't exclude any foods and don't get thrush any more, even when I take antibiotics.

Hang in there!

[Nellymay]

Hi scone, thanks for your post
Hi Maiscout :) how are you? Where are you on your plan? Nice to see you on here.

I'm feeling a lot better than I was last week when I wrote this post. The lingering thrush has finally gone!! :) and I finish my last and final course of antefungals today! I've not had any die off symptoms for about 2 weeks and I'm getting over my bad reactions to foods introduce although I'm taking it very carefully. Like I said here I was getting bad insomnia when I ate or drank anything that hadn't been on my diet. I then realised that I was possibly lacking in magnesium as I always used to take it to help with insomnia and restless leg syndrome and my ibs before I did the anti candida plan. So I started taking it again and it's helped with the insomnia. - I ate some carrot and potato in last night dinner and slept well! Still got to be careful though.

Oh, another thing I've done is got a months supply of a different probiotic called VSL3 that reaches the lower intestine and bowel and is shown through research and practice to to be really good for getting rid of bacteria in the bowel - I think this is what's cleared up my itchy rectum (tmi) and thrush. I think I just needed this to finish me off, metaphorically :)
It's been a long hard journey but well worth it. :)

[maiscout]

I'm alright Nelly - a tad fed up with the diet but there's not much I can do about that. I'm gonna be 5 months in at the beginning of January, but still feel like I have a way to go after that. Most of my digestive issues have gone but I get a itch all over my body if I eat something I shouldn't :/
Glad you can eat more foods without a reaction- just in time for christmas too :) where did you buy the VSL3? I need a good probiotic!

Scone- That's great to hear! Makes me feel better to know this diet isn't forever (fingers crossed). Hope you don't mind if I ask what symptoms you had? was it just the thrush?
Do you eat sugar normally now or still reduce your intake?

Thanks in advance

[Nellymay]

Hi Maiscot I got vsl3 from Dennis the chemist website. I found them very efficient and they delivered next day. Don't you find all this expensive? I'm overdrawn at the end of each month
I'll be 6 month on it by jan '15. I'm doing maintenance now.

The itchiness you talk about I had it too - it's so annoying - its like a last gasp before it all the candida dies off I think.

Do you see a nutritionist still? does it help?

God know what I'm going to be eating at xmas!! Turkey n veg :)

[maiscout]

Wow, just looked at the price of the VSL3, I can see what you mean about it all being expensive! The price of organic food, supplements, antifungals and probiotics means I basically can't have any 'extras' such as money to go out, cinema, buy new clothes etc. So my life is pretty boring right now...

What supplements have you been taking and what do you think was most important?

I went off the diet for christmas day so I could have the proper christmas dinner and a couple coconut macaroons ;) how did christmas dinner go for you? The itchiness has been incredibly annoying. I really hope it is the last gasp!

Haven't seen the nutritionist for a while - It didn't help much as I could find all the same info online. Would be nice to have someone monitor my progress though.

Please do keep me updated on how you're doing!

[Nellymay]

Hi Maiscout. Thanks for your reply. I hope you had a good xmas and are feeling ok. This anti candida is a long, hard, lonely road. Only now as I'm coming out of it do I realise how difficult it is to keep up with it til the end. Not to mention the expense!!
I did ok at xmas, I was very apprehensive in the lead up to it as I thought I'd struggle with food at our xmas meal and people would ask me why I wasn't eating "normal" food - I hate have to explain it as you see their scepticism, or they are really interested and want to know everything about it. As it turned out it was fine: I ate Turkey and loads of veg and I had some Xmas pudding and cream and a a glass of wine and as I was the driver I had a good excuse not to drink anymore.
I'm now taking a multi vit and mineral, an oil capsule, I'm still taking a pill to support my liver with detox, but finish it in a few days. I'm also taking l glutamine for digestion and liver and a mild combination pill containing caprylic acid and butryc acid, which was recommended for maintenance, and VSL3 which I finish by the end of week and then I'll just take a course probiotics every 3 months or so.

The best supplement for me generally has been one called oregano complex by biocare - it really seemed to shift the candida - if the die off was anything to go by. I also think that taking the stuff to support my liver and to heal my gut wall helped too.
I had the itch on my feet in my nose and ears and thrush - its horrible and it was the one thing that got me down and almost made me give up cause I couldn't see any sign of it going.
Yes, my nutritionist told me less than what I was able to find on the Internet.
Keep posting, as I said, its a lonely journey :)

[maiscout]

Do you think you'll carry on with the supplements now you're feeling better?

Glad the itchiness went for you. Mines still going with full force, it's the worst symptom I have right now really.

How did you find out about candida?
I just wish it was a more mainstream thing so I didn't have to feel so alone, and not know whether I'll ever get rid. People that have recovered seemingly don't post about it online (don't blame them, I definitely won't be still thinking about it!) so I'm left to wonder if it ever really goes away, or if its a lifelong battle.

Anyway, sorry for my little pity party haha just feeling a bit down that my symptoms aren't going as quickly as I'd hoped. Starting to think my problems might go beyond candida.

Hope you're well!