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Advice needed regarding multiple symptoms

Posted By Maggie (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 07/05/2011

Hi I am a 51 year old female (110 lbs) and some days I feel full of energy and other days I feel like I am falling apart. I have been dealing with yeast infections, mild allergy symptoms (sinus congestion most mornings) and skin coloured bumps on cheeks, forehead for approximately 4 years now. It appears it all came about while going through menopause. The bumps on face never go away. And I literally mean NEVER. They are not visible unless close-up or in direct sunlight but I always see them. I have seen a dermatologist who diagnosed it as a hormonal imbalance and referred to them as closed comedones. She put me on retin-A which I stopped using.

I saw a naturopath who thought it could be candida. I did a cleanse and the candida diet but saw no improvement at that time. I have tried all kinds of natural remedies and supplements. I should also note I have taken bcp for many many years and finally discontinued them around the time of these symptoms. Sometimes I feel better than others - but symptoms always seem to return. I had been diagnosed with fibromylagia approximately 20 years ago (after car accident) and these symptoms seem to come and go depending on my diet and stress.

I am currently doing the following: oil pulling every morning/ baking soda and ACV in water every morning/ vitamin supplement / liquid magnesium chloride in water / vitamin b complex 3-4 days per week / coenzyme10 (100 mg per day / evening primrose oil softgel 1x/day / seabuckthorn softgel 1x/day / tsp flaxseed with oatmeal each morning plus small tsp of coconut oil in oatmeal. Aloe vera juice once a day. I was eating yogourt with blueberries every day. Stopped a month ago trying to cut back on dairy.

Yeast infection returned so I will be returning to my probiotic yogourt every day. I try to eat healthy but always end up craving sweets. I was told when I was young to be careful because diabetes runs in the family. I do not know if I have some kind of disease related to diabetes or not. Would it not show up on bloodwork? I was also suggested to use glycolic acid cream 4% for face by an esthetician. Has been over a month using and no significant difference.

I should also mention I have been dealing with receding gums and my dentist warns me I may need to see a periodontist (tried bee propolis but doesn't help the worst area of root exposure). My last blood work showed slightly high cholesterol levels and high B-12 levels. Otherwise, everything else was fine (other than hormone levels showed I was in range of post-menopausal.) I have been told in the past I had rosacea but most of the redness is gone now so could have been menopausal symptoms; and a lady at a spa two years ago inferred it is sun damage.

I don't know if I am dealing with a variety of issues or most of my problems stem from one main issue. I am not comfortable experimenting on myself with all different products and supplements in case I do more damage. I need someone who can diagnose me and give me a strict regime to follow so I can help myself instead of making matters worse. I was considering taking borax with my baking soda in the AM but feel I have done so many different things already. I need to find a regime that I feel confident in and stick with it.

Thanks to all who may have any experience with my particular issues. The frustration and lack of self-esteem is not healthy and distracts from enjoying my life and my family. And... The years are slipping by while I keep trying to find a cause and a cure... God bless to all of you who are struggling with similiar issues.

Replied by Jay (Toronto, Ont, Canada) on 07/05/2011

To Maggie from Calgary, Alberta regarding multiple symptoms. You ABSOLUTELY have systemic candida through your whole body. Candida is a fungus/yeast and like all fungus, thrives on sweet foods. Hence your cravings for sweet things. Since the human body processes baked goods the same as natural sugars, this also delights the candida. You have to realize that a candida(or any other fungal infection) is not like a bacterial infection. A bacterial infection can be treated and eliminated from the body by treating the source location appropriately. If you try to treat a fungal infection at one location in the body it will slow down any activity at that location but migrate elsewhere to cause other symptoms as long as it can get nourishment. Let me emphasize some of the fungal conditions attributed to various fungus strains.. Athlete's foot, crotch itch, diaper rash, ear infections, dandruff and dry flakey skin. Be also aware that eating a small container of yogurt per day is woefully inadequate to fight a serious bout of candida. It takes a very strong committment to a rigorous focused and prolonged attack to stand any chance of eliminating this problem. You need to attack it from several directions at the same time.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Immediately start taking a strong probiotic daily. This can be obtained from the refrigerated section of a good health food store and should contain a minimum of 6 and preferably 8 different strains of probiotic bacteria. This attacks the candida overgrowth in the gut.

2. Continue oil pulling for 15 to 20 minutes every day but use organic virgin coconut oil for this. This should help with candida and gums

3. Brush your teeth a minimum of twice a day with a mixture of coconut oil and baking soda. No other toothpaste should be used. This should help your gums.

4. Increase your ACV/Baking Soda drink to 2 or 3 times per day.

5. Use a mild dilution of ACV with water to soak and wash your face, ears and scalp every evening and follow with an application of organic virgin coconut oil to any part of your body that has either your "bumps" or dryness. Also put a small amount of coconut oil in your ears to keep the candida away from them. You can use this dilute ACV wash on your entire body if you think it necessary. You can even do a 30 minute soak with 2 cups of ACV in your bath water. This would help your body expel any toxins.

6. You need to realize that you will continue to lose this battle if you continue eating or drinking ANY sweet or sweetened foods or drinks and any yeast based baked goods.. even bread.

Good Luck.

Replied by Debbie (Melbourne, Australia) on 07/05/2011

To Maggie from Calgary, Alberta regarding multiple symptoms, I agree with Jay that it sounds as you have candida for starters and he gave some sound advice.

I would also like to direct you to a book called Gut & Psychology Syndrome - it advises how to heal the gut through diet. It also helps with candida.

Here is a link which you may be interested to read. If you have candida you may also have a "leaky gut" so you need to heal that as well. The book I mentioned deals with a leaky gut as well.

http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2008/09/autism-add-adhd-constipation-candida.html

I would also recommend you take spirulina and chlorella daily. Here is a link to an ebook which outlines the great benefits of taking them. Everyone should read this ebook. It is 39 pages long but well worth the read. I am going to print it out for my son to have its knowledge for the future.

Chlorella:

Chlorella has been touted as the perfect whole food. Aside from being a complete protein and containing all the B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, and the major minerals (with zinc and iron in amounts large enough to be considered supplementary), it has been found to improve the immune system, improve digestion, detoxify the body, accelerate healing, protect against radiation, aid in the prevention of degenerative diseases, help in treatment of Candida albicans, relieve arthritis pain and, because of its nutritional content, aid in the success of numerous weight loss programs.

- Earl Mindell's Vitamin Bible

Spirulina:

Spirulina's predigested protein provides building material soon after ingestion, without the energy-draining side effects of meat protein; its mucopolysaccharides relax and strengthen connective tissue while reducing the possibility of inflammation; its simple carbohydrates yield immediate yet sustained energy; its GLA fatty acids improve hormonal balance; and its protein-bonded vitamins and minerals, as found in all whole foods, assimilate better than the synthetic variety. Spirulina can generally be considered an appropriate food for those who exercise vigorously, as evidenced by the many world-class athletes who use it

- Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford

Chlorella and spirulina have such strong health benefits that even well-known doctors and authors use these products and note their benefits:

It is possible that the GLA found in spirulina and possibly these other products accounts for some of the positive effects that people experience when using them, including decreased appetite, weight loss, and improved energy levels, especially mental energy. I personally have used all of these products and must say I have experienced a subtle increase in mental clarity and alertness (not like a nervous, caffeine-type stimulation). These algae must subtly stimulate our nervous systems or release certain internal neurochemicals that create this "up" feeling.

- Staying Healthy With Nutrition by Elson Haas, M.D.

http://www.chlorellafactor.com/

Replied by Carly (Seattle, Wa - Usa) on 07/05/2011

Hi Maggie -

I turned 50 this year and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia over twenty years ago. I have been reading a book on hormones, progesterone in particular. It stated that the symptoms of progesteron deficiency are the SAME as the symptoms of FMS.

They ARE!

I have been taking a natural progesterone transdermal (you rub it on your skin) cream for about 3 months now. I buy it in a metered pump, online. Each pump supplies one dose.

I do believe that it has been helping. A LOT.

Also -

Take this every day:

600 mg Calcuim

600 mg Magnesuim

3 mg Boron (IMPORTANT)

5,000 IU D3

Eat foods rich in potassium and use sea salt, not regular table salt. Sea salt is rich in minerals, table salt is not.

Give it one month, and you will see a difference in how you feel if you are like I was.

Google all of the above, to see if they look promising for you and your situation, and if they do - you will NOT be sorry!

I am about 80% better than I was 3 years ago after starting the vitamins. I also do ACV every morning, along with a few other things, but I think I said all of the important first steps to helping your body heal. I don't want to overwhelm you with information!

Gentle hugs to you. I totally understand your fatigue and body aches, and it is a miserable thing to live through!

Carly - Not a doctor - just a regular person, trying to help.

Replied by Robyn (Melbourne, Australia) on 07/06/2011

Interesting and pleased for you. Im the same age and very bad fms for the same time. a bucket load of other symptoms including very bad mcs. But doing this has given me no help at all. I had the complications of the blood level of progesterone not moving even though I was administering a good quality bio cream. I tried troches. Then got a saliva test. Then I found I was a little high in progesterone. Found on the net eventually blood is the least reliable and saliva can also be a little unreliable. Stuck with the troches, a year of but Im still screaming in pain. Thats the trouble with these syndrome diagnoses. Who knows what Ive got apart from what I do know? Addisons disease etc etc but I dont know which is causing the most amount of pain. You must feel like you have a 2nd chance at life. So happy for you.

Replied by Danae (Munich, Bavaria) on 07/06/2011

... Kay, all I can tell you is --- use your intuition - and look out for a holistic doctor you feel safe and good with if you want a coach. I had after tremendous stress lumbs appearing on my face and nothing helped until I learned & read. This dissapeared when I took Schizandra (from DragonHerbs - I mention them because I did find they were supperior and describe why gentle liver detox is so important). Pearl & Goji berry extracts from pure excellent quality will help with skin issues as well - to get the inflamation out of the body. The point that this appeared after your menopause could be an indication of toxity in your body (as the female body excretes a lot of toxins naturally through the blood during the period - I am no doctor --- but there might be a correlation worth checking out).

If it is toxity which is the main reason of you health problems then check out Norman Walker, Natalia Rose, Dr. Shinya, Kimberly Snyder --- some have posts on YouTube - read and apply and you will see results. Once you help the body to detox - self-healing is a matter oftime. They all have fairly strict regimes but they work and the way you feel will keep you going but there are wonderful blogs around as well. Look up Green Smoothie Challenge and a blog called Nourished Life or organic inspiration and the real stories --- we all have to learn to be masters of our own health - no doctor can do that for us. Feel if any of the above suits your life style... otherwise there are a lot of others around which might suit you.

After that I simply had to learn and make mental notes on reactions to food or other influence which weakened my physical state (no doctor know what you eat or how you feel and wholistic books often tell you what nail deformations mean in terms of mineral depletion or skin problems often relate to toxic waste not being able to be eleminated from the body through too much processed food. For me Detox is a learning curve an solution... It is amazing to read and see results!

"Let food be your medicine" - it is a Chinese proverb from an ancient healer --- and after 6 months of dietary changes I can only say - it is truely wonderful to learn how to work with nature and understand the body mind connection.

All the best!

Replied by Danae (Munich, Bavaria) on 07/06/2011

PS. : I concur with the other contributers that candida could be playing major part... the best natural remedy I found next to Fresh Garlic (take chlorophyll and you will not smell the next day) is wild garlic or 'bears garlic'. Good luck!

Replied by Robyn (Melbourne, Australia) on 07/06/2011

Im replying to Carly from Seattle. 50 and solving her fms with progesterone.

Replied by Maggie (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 07/07/2011

Thanks Jay, Debbie, Carly and Danae for the great advice! Should I discontinue all other remedies I have been currently trying and just follow your protocol? Have you had personal success with this in the past or know of someone who has? I would like to know if I should keep taking my multi-vitamin as well. Also, I did forget to mention I take at least 1 clove of fresh garlic every day in my salad after being advised to take fresh garlic from the naturopath.

Replied by Jay (Toronto, Ont, Canada) on 07/08/2011

On 07/07/2011: Maggie from Calgary, Alberta, Canada wrote: "Thanks Jay, Debbie, Carly and Danae for the great advice! Should I discontinue all other remedies I have been currently trying and just follow your protocol? Have you had personal success with this in the past or know of someone who has? I would like to know if I should keep taking my multi-vitamin as well. Also, I did forget to mention I take at least 1 clove of fresh garlic every day in my salad after being advised to take fresh garlic from the naturopath."

Maggie, my suggestions were in regards to candida specifically. By all means, you should continue any other health promoting supplements or dietary changes that promote good health and strengthen your immune system. The only thing I would add is that you do not take the probiotics at the same as your garlic as the garlic kills ALL types of bacteria in your gut and this includes both bad bacteria and the good bprobiotic bacteria from your probiotic supplement. Taking a good probiotic supplement is necessary to rebuild the bacteria balamnce in your gut because once everything is killed, the bad bacteria, and candida will overwhelm the good bacteria your body needs for proper digestion and health.

Replied by Maggie (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 07/08/2011

Hi Jay. Well.. I think this is already working because I believe I am getting a LOT of die-off symptoms. In fact, it only confirms where a lot of the candida was residing in my body as it is causing an increase in symptoms I had already been experiencing over a very long time. Regarding the garlic and probiotic not being taken together... Do you mean during the same meal or at all? Could I take the garlic with my meal and then take the probiotic an hour later? Or is that still too close together. I can't thank you enough. I have seen progress already within my first day.. Which only verifies your diagnosis was accurate and I am now heading on the road to being candida-free. God bless you!

Replied by Jay (Toronto, Ont, Canada) on 07/08/2011

To Maggie from Calgary who wrote". Regarding the garlic and probiotic not being taken together... Do you mean during the same meal or at all? Could I take the garlic with my meal and then take the probiotic an hour later? Or is that still too close together."

There seems to be some confusion out there regarding the effects of raw garlic on beneficial probiotic bacteria, but in general it is recommended to take probiotics on an empty stomach. Raw garlic is recommended to be taken with food. I would suggest taking the probiotic an hour before the garlic meal or 3 hours after any meal.

Also remember that if you have the success you want in eliminating the candida problem, continue your treatment for a minimum of a month beyond the last recognizable symptom just to be sure. As noted before, candida can appear to be eliminated from an area and then return when conditions are more favorable or other factors have affected your immune system or your healthy gut bacteria balance.

Replied by Maggie (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 07/09/2011

Thanks, Jay! You have been such a great help. What happens if a person has to stop the candida diet temporarily. Will it come back full bore before returning on the candida diet? I have guests coming in 2 weeks and will have to "fall off the wagon" while they visit (I will try to avoid sugar 99% - but will likely have to add a few no-no foods back into my lifestyle temporarily). But I plan to return back on it for the rest of the summer at least. I know this is not at all ideal; but these diets need to be done in private at the beginning stages.

Replied by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 08/10/2011

Fibromylagia approximately 20 years ago, is a viral issue. It is easily dealt with through lysine and threonine. The lysine is taken 1/4 teaspoon and 1/3 teaspoon of threonine. The schedule fixed is to do hourly dose for four hours, and just once before bedtime. Probably got some sort of Epstein Barr from accident by surgery. The receding gum I see all the time, a lot to do with lysine deficiency. The candida is one of the effects of fluoridation of water supply and chlorination, both of these are absorbed in the shower and enter transdermally, and it gets rid of the boron. The boron is a required minerals in getting rid of fungus, in broad terms. If I want a fixed schedule then it is 1/8 teaspoon in drinking water for a week and two days off. A hydrogen peroxide dosage of 3% one capful in one liter of water is used as drinking water for 4 days out of 7 days, that means two days off. The sugar craving is easily handled by incorporating glutamine to be taken everyday, and is 1/3 teaspoon 4 times a day, and one at night mixed with the lysine and threonine supplement.

If done for a month, this should provide definite improvement, but I haven't yet covered other issues, as fibromyalgia is the most pressing issue.

Ted

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