![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by janejane on January 12, 2010, at 8:59:16
Don't know whether this is a problem for me, but seems like a possibility. I was thinking of trying some herbs or probiotics just to see whether I get a herx reaction. Does anyone have recommendations on what to try first? It seems like there are so many choices it's hard to know what to pick. I was thinking of going with a product that has lots of different stuff in it, e.g., Candida Clear by Now Foods. Is that a bad idea? Anyone have experiences with this they'd like to share?
Posted by Phillipa on January 13, 2010, at 12:25:26
In reply to Candida, posted by janejane on January 12, 2010, at 8:59:16
Jane back to the Herx isn't that only with antibiotics? Not sure of course. Probiotics I've always used just yogurt. Read a lot about candida lately do you get yeast infectons wouldn't that be a clue? Phillipa
Posted by bleauberry on January 15, 2010, at 20:40:21
In reply to Candida, posted by janejane on January 12, 2010, at 8:59:16
I looked at the ingredients of that product and they are all potent ant-candida.
The strongest Herx's I've had were with Pau D'arco tea or Oil of Oregano. A Herx can start anywhere from day 1 to 2 weeks later. For me, Pau d'arco hit in 3 days; Oil of oregano in 5 days; Diflucan in 2 days. The med Diflucan also gives me a strong Herx. I take 100mg every 3rd day.
I read online a home test for Candida. Simply spit into a glass of water first thing when you wake up in the morning. Then observe the spit to see what it does. If it develops milky strings or curtains sinking to the bottom of the water, that is candida. If it just floats on the top of the water, that is normal spit. I did not know if this test is accurate or not. Sounded kind of iffy to me. All I know is that prior to taking anti-candida herbs and meds, my spit always had big milky strings sinking in the water. After a few weeks, they were only tiny hardly visible strings, and sometimes my spit would just sit there on top of the water just fine. A clove of garlic before bed was especially potent, yet without a Herx. So wives tale or not, I don't know, the spit test has been 100% accurate for me.
Candida is a longterm battle. These are tough creatures that multiply extremely fast. To get them under control usually involves weeks to months. For me it was about 5 weeks.
They love sugar. You can actually Herx pretty bad by just eliminating all Candida food from your diet...no sugars, no fruits, no dairy, no starches. Basically just greens and meats. I don't think there is a harder diet in the world than the candida diet. But it is extreme I think. Avoiding as much sugar as possible will make the biggest difference, along with healthy doses of anti-candida agents. And time.
Where there is mercury there is usually candida. Long story, but they are good for each other.
Posted by janejane on January 16, 2010, at 7:44:40
In reply to Re: Candida, posted by bleauberry on January 15, 2010, at 20:40:21
I wondered whether the home test was bogus. It seemed fishy to me since I hadn't heard of actual practitioners using it. Then again, candida can cause nasty stuff to grow on your tongue, so maybe that's what it looks like in water. Hope this isn't too graphic, but I have noticed that after I eat lots of sweets, my tongue seems to need extra scraping and I wonder if it's indicative of thrush. It's not nearly as thick as pictures I've seen, though, so maybe it's just plaque. I did try the spit test once last year and it was pretty stringy. I should try it again.
I just read that it's best to rotate different supplements, which sort of makes sense (this was from a forum post somewhere, so I'm not sure how trustworthy the source was). Given the relationship between mercury and candida, I'm wondering whether I should wait on tackling candida until the mercury is taken care of.
Posted by bleauberry on January 23, 2010, at 19:18:50
In reply to Re: Candida » bleauberry, posted by janejane on January 16, 2010, at 7:44:40
> Given the relationship between mercury and candida, I'm wondering whether I should wait on tackling candida until the mercury is taken care of.
No, not even. Don't wait. Candida is a longterm proposition. You don't want to give it any more time to dig in deeper. Even the best treatments take months to get it under control. Symptoms can be as bad as Lyme or amalgam illness. You don't need any more of that. Even if it is just a suspicion at this time, there is no risk and pure health benefit in taking on an anti-candida approach.
It basically involves four things:
1. Limit or eliminate all forms of sugars.
2. Modify your food choices closer to what they call the Atkins diet. Very similar to the candida diet.
3. Every four days rotate a different antifungal substance...oil of oregano, pau d'arco, caprylic acid, grapefruit seed extract. As a backdrop, a once weekly pill of 200mg Diflucan would be awesome.
4. Eat yogurt and/or take a good quality refrigerated probiotic every day.Candida actually enhances the absorption of the mercury you are exposed to, so it is a good thing to lessen their population.
The most helpful thing I've found is Allicin, sold by the Lyme doctor in New York city (Zhang). He wrote the book on Lyme and Modern Chinese Medicine. Unlike all the other overhyped garlic supplements on the internet and stores, this stuff really really works. The recommended dose is 3 caps 3 times a day. I find 2 caps a day does the job within a couple weeks. I take them in the evening, and most of the odor is gone the next morning. I've tried several garlic products, but this stuff is the goods. I cannot explain why, but it also seems to be rapid anti-anxiety, helpful to improve depression, and energy booster, all in one. No idea how, it just does. Maybe because it's reducing the fungus causing all those symptoms? Other stuff too I'm sure.
Posted by janejane on January 24, 2010, at 9:40:18
In reply to Re: Candida, posted by bleauberry on January 23, 2010, at 19:18:50
Thanks, Bleauberry. A couple more questions... Would I take the Allicin while I am also rotating the other antifungals in #3 or would I take it instead of those? Also, where do you buy Dr. Zhang's Allicin? I found his website, but it looks like he only sells his products to his patients. (I'm assuming all the other allicin products at iherb, etc. are inferior.) Thanks again for all your help!
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Alternative | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.