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Candidiasis/'leaky gut' treatments on NHS - are there any specialists and can you get referred?

36 replies

cluckyagain · 20/09/2008 08:47

Hi - seriously hoping you lovely gals can help. I've been diagnosed by a nutritional therapist as having candidiasis/leaky gut and had 5 months of radically altered diet to try and get rid. Although it's become much less severe monthly/permanent thrush, last month it came back badly and I am now aware that I may have to go on the awful diet again. My problem is that I am gluten free anyway (due to the leaky gut we think - only started getting gluten symptoms 3 yrs ago) and the 'anti C' diet is so appallingly restrictive (veg, brown rice and very small amount of fish/ org chicken allowed ONLY - no exaggeration) that I get no end of grief from others about it - dh, family, friends and all think it's perfectly acceptable to quiz me/lecture me on my health, weight loss (I'm not exactly fat at the beginning which really doesn;t help!) etc and I'm sick of it!! In addition, the supplements are extremely expensive and we can't afford for me to take them all again. I am at a loss as to where to go now. I can go back to my nutritionist, who is lovely and a friend anyway but really - HELP!!

OP posts:
cluckyagain · 25/09/2008 17:47

Jimjam - thanks so much!!! I shall have a good look at the papers/info later when the kids have gone! Cluckyx

OP posts:
louisarose · 18/10/2010 14:28

Hi

I know this was a while ago. but did you have any luck with the doctors?

I've been fighting Candida for about 9 years now, the diet is impossible to keep with unless your stuck in the north pole!

Going to the doctors was what started my symptoms, I kept being given antibiotics for thrush and it would just keep coming back over and over again, stronger and stronger, until I was depressed, anxious, itchy (everywhere!) dandruff, no sleep, yada yada yada...

Anyhoo after researching forever I found Threelac, and have been using it ever since it's the only thing that allows me to lead a semi normal life, and at least it's only one product, however... it's like £40 a tin which last around a month, and like you I really can't afford it, I want to be able to go to my NHS doctor and be prescribed something and thats it!

My previous experience with the NHS doctors are their distrustful, scornful, patronising and generally knobs about the whole thing, it's so frustrating you want to cry!

So, how did it go?

bacon · 19/10/2010 12:43

Another absolute load of rubbish there is no such thing. Restricting your diet is more dangerous and a friend of mine does this stupid restrictive diet thing and since she started it she has suffered from period problems, skin conditions etc etc. I put it all down to these restrictive diets - she is seriously damaging her body and would say she has aged on it too - looks terrible!

I suffered from thrush from 18yrs old to approx 30ish. Some of it down to prob passing it back and fo with partner. I also have had terrible chronic fatigue (28 - 34)which is much better now (nothing to do with diet). So much stuff I read, vits, eating certain foods did nothing all rubbish.
So much read about people being opened up in surgery and being full of Candidia (you can find no actual facts on this on any NHS info).

I went to see a famous at the time nutricianist - Stephanie Lashcombe - and typical she came up with wheat and tomatoes which is what they all come up with (£200! for the benefit). still my thrush still continued.

Wheat is not bad - because of the rubbish diets we have in this world, its refined thats bad, there are studies done that organic whole wheat made with real yeast administered over a slow time can break the wheat intolerance.

All this sh*t about intolerances are also very dangerous and are spread on this cut and paste culture in live in. Also goes with the detox culture which has been medically proved to be complete rubbish - the liver is there to do that.

Please start eating healthy again before you start damaging your body.

plunk · 09/11/2010 16:28

The irony here is that a good anti candida diet is simply a healthy diet if you balance it WELL and it is of no detriment whatsoever. It only appears so restrictive because our diets are so poor these days and you are right (bacon) about our cut and paste culture not helping, vaugeness aplenty. There is a lot of sceptisim about candida as there is insufficent evidence, this is understandable but regardless of whether it exists or not eating a healthy diet will make you feel better.

A good anti candida diet is how we should be eating anyway regardless as you only really need to avoid refinded sugar in all cases, additives and preservatives, yeast, caffeine, alcohol and some dairy (not all) to make a start. Keep carbohydrates at a sensible amount but in no way exclude altogether, eat lots of fresh vegetables, beans and lentils (ignore your pre-conceptions, they are every nice, Chickpeas, Butter Beans, Pinto Beans, Brown Lentils are all very nice if cooked correctly) and low sugar fruits in moderation (berries and apples are good, use lemon and lime as much as possible in cooking too), eat plenty of quality proteins and drink about 8 glasses of water a day and try herbal teas, they are very nice (Chamomile and Peppermint in particular are good). Hot water, ginger and lemon / lime is fantastic too (regardless of the reason as to why you may be drinking it).

Natrual yoghurt with pumpkin seeds / freshly cracked nuts (almonds / hazelnuts are good) is very nice good as it has no sugar and yoghurt contains pro-biotics, cottage cheese on rice cracker is also tasty too. Supplmentation can help but the diet itself is of paramount importance. You must make sure your diet is balanced and varied and if you can't stick to it it will simply mean that it will take longer to get better. REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT ALLERGIC TO THESE FOODS YOU ARE NOT EATING, YOU ARE SIMPLY NOT EATING THEM FOR A SHORT WHILE TO GET BETTER. The lenght of time it can take to get better will vary and can be a while if you are using a change in diet alone, maybe upto a year if not more. Some will suggest speeding up the process by using anti fungals but I wpuld suggest to research these throughly before deciding that they are right for you. Natrual anti fungals are a good idea and ibnclude garlic, onion, almonds (try almond butter but be careful it is very nice and a little addictive) and cocunut oil spring to mind.

Gluten can be tolerated by most people and you'll soon find out if your body is not producing the enzymes to digest it, keeping a food diary helps. I'm afraid bacon is very wrong with interpritation of intolernaces. It is a fact that some people are unbale to produce the digestive enzyme to break gluten down. This does not mean you are allergic to wheat however which is where the confusion lies. You would know immedialty if you were allergic to somethig as the reaction by the body is very different to that of an intolernace. If you do decide to remove wheat/gluten from your diet make sure yu replace it with gluten free grains such as Quinoa (use instead of cous cous) and Roasted Buckwheat (use in place of oats for a porridge).

I fail to understand why so many people are averse to a GOOD anti candida diet, it's just a healthy diet. Keep it nice and varied within those guidlines and over a period of time you will feel better and don't panic if one day you do not feel as good as you did the previous day.

If eating a healthy diet cannot improve your overall health then how at the same time can it be a bad idea.

67Forres · 26/08/2017 08:06

Candida is an intolerance to yeast. I had severe insomnia for years and it continued despite meditation, checking food, grounding, etc. I went to a well qualified homeopathic nutritionist who diagnosed an intolerance to yeast and not to have anything with yeast in it. This includes wine, beer, bread, marmite, etc and also to kill it off by not feeding it with sugar which also means simple carbohydrates such ad white rice, pasta etc. Nothing to do with gluten. I no longer have insomnia but while the yeast was dying it gives off toxins which make you feel drained. Worth it though.

rogueantimatter · 26/08/2017 08:16

Have you tried Horopito Anise manufactured by Kolorex in New Zealand? It doesn't seem to be very well known but has some research.

Poor you. I know what it's like to follow an anti-candida diet - horrendous.

JigglyTuff · 26/08/2017 08:22

Zombie thread

67Forres · 26/08/2017 08:52

Go to a qualified homeopathic nutitionist - cost about £70. NHS is useless only qualified to give chemicals not to help body heal itself.

CoteDAzur · 26/08/2017 09:07

"no treatment works now as I've had it for almost 20yrs. Where do I go from here then"

You go to a gynecologist - a trained specialist who has been to medical school (unlike the "nutritional therapist"), and trained further in the normal function and diseases of the organ you have the problem with.

I had thrush and UTIs regularly for over 10 years. It was hell. I also tried all thrush medication. It would come back in weeks if it went away at all.

Then I went to a good gynecologist who tested & properly treated the infection, simultaneously in both places (although I didn't have a UTI at the time).

That was 15 years ago. I had 1 episode of thrush since then, which was quickly resolved.

Don't go back to the woo merchant. Stop restricting your diet. Go to a gynecologist.

JigglyTuff · 26/08/2017 09:08

Cote - the OP posted this in 2008.

CoteDAzur · 26/08/2017 09:11

Oops. Hopefully she feels better by now.

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