<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
First of all, thanks to all who responded with suggestions and
commiseration... I appreciate it.
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If you don't want all the background for this...fast forward to next
dashed line
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Second of all let me describe the situation again, reader's digest
verson..
about 3 months ago I started severe itching, I thought it was contact
dermatitis from sex, but over the phone my midwife told me it was
probably yeast. I did a 3 day course of gynelotrimin, both internal and
external (the hard inserts and cream externally) and the problem
subsided for about 2 weeks...I have to say, prior to this I had never
had any yeast infections. I had had some problems with my breasts (I am
breastfeeding) that we thought might have been thrush. We treated them
as thrush, but they did not respond. (My nipples were cracking and open
and bleeding/weeping at times). I saw a dermatologist about this and she
diagnosed me with severe eczema and prescribed topical steroid cream
(elocon) but that didn't really help either. I did have quite a patch of
relief where they weren't open, but they reopened. I went and saw my
regular dr and she suggested that I start on some vitamin therapy, E, b
complex, C, multi, zinc, and calcium to help build my skin and system
up. I started taking vitamin e and putting vitamin e oil on them and
they closed up quickly (which led me back to the eczema daignosis). So,
back to the yeast....I was fine for about 2 weeks (insert period in here
which probably helped clear everything out) and then went to the gym
(which I do fairly frequently) one night and spent quite some time on
the stationary bike, probably 45 minutes.
The next morning I was itching like crazy. Thinking that it wouldn't
possibly be yeast, since I'd just been treated for that and it wasn't
consistently better I let it go...and I let it go...it varied in
intensity...some days it didn't bother me at all..some days it was
torture...
Finally, last weekend, I couldn't stand it anymore..I knew that I was
raw. I checked things out and all the tissues were flaming red (external
only), so I called the midwife. She saw me on Tuesday and did a wet prep
test and diagnosed me with candida (yeast infection). She suggested that
I eat yogurt, but I'm dairy allergic, so I can't...
and I wrote the letter to all of you fine people at the list and a whole
bunch of wonderful responses later, here we are..
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Here's what people sent me
there is acidophilus available in pill form (dairy free) from HFS and
various other locations
[thanks, I got some-Country life brand is also listed as GF]
Paud D'arco (a root) tablets/caplets
Caprylic Acid tablets
OTC vaginal yeast medications
Avoiding antibiotics
Grapefruit seed extract
sitz baths with extremely hot water (as hot as you can handle) and 1 tsp
vinegar
watch the amount of simple sugars you eat
be screened for diabetes
avoiding all yeast (vinegar, soy sauce, alcohol)
treatment with diflucan or nystatin [I took 150 mg of diflucan which is
supposed to clear out anything]
incorporate Pacific rice milk with acidophilus into your diet
taking Yeast Defense from Nutrition Now (contains most of herbs listed
above and lactobacillus)
take bifidus balans + FOS from Jarrow Formulas
subscribe to stjohns yeast list for help (sub yeast-l yournamehere and
send to [log in to unmask])
see www.panix.com/~candida/
see www.candida-yeast.com/
see www.paleofood.com/ for recipes
take olive leaf extract (500 mg with at least 15% oleauropein) and take
2-3 per meal (olive leaf might cause temporary chronic fatigue syndrome)
take beta glucans
cut out sugar and fruit
stay away from rice, potatoes, and gluten free breads/starches for about
2 weeks
read breaking the vicious cycle by elaine gottschall
follow hunter-gatherer diet
product in Australia called Acigel, which restores the pH (may be able
to find something similar here in US)-can be purchased OTC over there
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After reading everyone's wonderful advice and talking twice to my
midwife I am going to to the following
I am convinced that I contracted this lovely thing at the gym, so I am
going to take a towel and only sit on some type of covering when I use
bikes, machines etc. I am also changing my clothes immediately following
a work out (and probably showering as well to wash away all the sweat
etc)
I took at 150 mg dosage of diflucan yesterday (which is supposed to
clear out everything)
I am using Terazol cream internal
I am using clotramizol cream externally
I am taking, again, vitamin E, Zinc, and adding back in C.
I am taking Country Life powerdophilus 1 pill per day (as it recommends)
for 3 months at least, until the bottle is gone.
I am decreasing the amount of soda that I drink (I had no idea there was
THAT much sugar in 1 can of soda)
I am decreasing the amount of sugary foods I'm eating (didn't have a
problem for a while, but have been testing all my new recipes and books
so will need to move out of the dessert section)
I will see how this goes...I am hopeful that it will correct itself with
all of these treatments...I don't know if I will change my diet at this
point..I am so restricte already, with food allergies and celiac, that I
don't know if mentally I can give up anything else. plus I have to
accomodate my nursing son's allergies as well.
I have a couple other theories. I have been losing a lot of weight (this
is a VERY good thing) working out etc and I wonder if some of this stuff
isn't trapped in my body and hasn't been there for a while. I don't know
how to avoid this, because I want to continue to lose, but it's
something for me to take into consideration.
Thank you all for your considerable amount of help..I don't know AGAIN,
what I would do without you..
Please, if you have any more suggestions, don't hesitate to send them.
Andrea
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