The Fungal Theory

Hindsfeet

happytobehere...I won't be taking any blood test again until I complete the nystain and the yeast free diet. I have another three weeks. I then will take another yeast antibody test, Thyroid autoimmune, tsh, t3, tr blood test. I am curious to see the results after all the anti-fungal med's and diet...plus supplements.

Right now, I'm very anti- anything that could put you at risk for lymphedema. I'm now going to a physical therapist every week for preventive therapy...lymph draining, cording massage, stretches and etc. I read in the book on lymphedema that the physical therapist gave me that rad's can cause lymphedema. Are your nodes being radiated? If so.... read up on it. You don't want to put yourself at risk for lymphedema.

Have you tried anti-fungal drugs for your toe nail fungus? I took a few diflucan, and now I'm on nystatin for a month...but the drugs don't work if you eat sugar. Got to stay on a serious yeast free diet...no sugar. I can't wait until I complete the yeast free diet and med's. This is my cancer therapy.  

happytobhere

evebarry...How do you stay off sugar?  What are you eating?  What are you taking for supplements? 

impositive

happytobehere,

I know what you mean about sugar...it's everywhere...practically every label you read has sugar and sometimes it's hidden in obscure names.  High fructose corn syrup has pretty much taken over where regular sugar left off.  It's maddening!

I try to eat mostly whole foods like (preferably grass fed) meats and vegetables.  I make my salad dressings so I know what's in them and try to stay away from simple carbs that immediately turns to sugar in your bloodstream, like potatoes, breads, pasta, rice, etc.  Evebarry has been instructed to eat absolutely no fruits.  That has to be really tough.  I eat the low sugar ones like avocados, grapefruit, berries, and the juice of lemons and limes (and an occasional small Granny Smith apple).  It's a daunting process to learn to eat a whole new way, at least for me, who in the past ate very poorly...lots of processed food and restaurant foods.  My breakfast usually consists of eggs (fried in butter or omelets with lots of veggies) and a couple slices of bacon and 1/2 a grapefruit.  Lunch is sometimes tuna salad (no sugar mayo) or a green salad with chicken... dressing is olive oil with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and dinner is typically some kind of beef or seafood with cooked vegetables.  My current favorite snack is plain yogurt with blueberries and walnuts or pecans with a little vanilla flavored stevia to sweeten it.  My problem is I don't have a very good imagination when it comes to food and hate something that takes a lot of prep work so I get stuck eating the same thing all the time!

I have heard that the oral anti-fungals don't work so well for toe nail fungus but a good remedy is regular old Vapo Rub (the stuff we rub on our children's chests when they have a cold) applied on top and under the nail tip once in the a.m. and once in the p.m.  You must be diligent because it takes a good while...maybe months...to rid the nail of the fungus.

impositive

Haven't been here in awhile.  Ran across an article and thought it might be of interest to some. 

Are we being protected by these agencies who are commissioned to protect?  I think not...

The following link speaks of the European Food Safety Authority.  They have set limits for the mycotoxins, zearalenone and aflatoxin, in our cereals and baked goods.

http://www.foodqualitynews.com/Legislation/EFSA-finds-no-health-concern-over-bakery-toxin-zearalenone-TDI-set

My first reaction is why is the US only monitoring aflatoxin but not zearalenone and my second is, these guys have to look at every food  item we consume that contains these toxins.  

Here are some excerpts:  ...the Panel has set a tolerable daily intake (TDI) for zearalenone of 0.25 μg/kg body weight (b.w.) based on its reported oestrogenic effects.

....

"The European Commission asked the risk assessor to see whether a potential increase in the maximum level (ML) for the toxin in breakfast cereals would result in chronic dietary exposure."

....

"Estimates of chronic dietary exposure to zearalenonebased on the available occurrence data are below or in the region of the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for all age groups and not a health concern," found the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)'s Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain Panel (CONTAM). "

....

"The Parma based agency notes in its new evaluation that the possible impact of combined exposure to zearalenone with other oestrogenic substances in food (such as phytoestrogens in soya) or the environment "could be additive or antagonistic".

....

"In a worst case scenario it is possible that an individual could consume the same batch of breakfast cereal containing zearalenone at the ML every day for 2 to 4 weeks, in which case exposures may exceed the TDI," commented CONTAM.

So what if we or our children are eating cereal for breakfast, some sort of baked good as a snack at lunch along with a beef hotdog on a bun, then for dinner, a nice steak with a good ol yeast roll, every day of the year?!. Wouldn't we possibly be consuming way over the recommended TDI?  Uggghhh....Plus those (and their doctors) watching their estrogen intake aren't even considering their zearalenone intake! 

Note: ZEARALENONE is an estrogen-like mycotoxin made by Fusarium species of molds...and is allowed (in the US) to be added to our meat supply (conventional beef)..as a growth promoter.

Hindsfeet

Impositive...I'm a little confused about systemic fungal overgrowth. I've read somewhere that it's life threatening. For this reason there are doctors who strongly feel you can't have systemic fungal infections unless you are dx with aids or late stage cancers (having had chemo). I was told that I couldn't have a systemic fungal infection by one doctor and another said that I had a compromised immune system and perhaps have a systemic yeast problem. I know yeast is the root of my problems but find it almost impossible to get rid of when its systemic. Unless you are dx with a serious disease the doctor won't treat you for it.

Emme

Hi I am hoping to get some guidence from this thread.  I feel my immune system needs a boots and more than likely I need to cleanse my body a whole lot.  I'm not sure where to begin

During my first chemo a year ago jan..I had my gallbladder out, and then 3 weeks later I had suffered a biloma, where the liver dumped all the bile within it into my gut.  I develped a very bad yeast infection ...I had many drains..and a long hospitalization.  after that I had a bilateral mastectomy.  At the end of last summer I  developed MRSA and was given vancomycin during another week long hospitalization.  I took home antibiotics for three weeks following...I had and exchange surgery in November and a hysterectomy last April 2011..During that surgery I was once again given vancomycin as a preventative.  Now I take arimidex as an estrogen blocker.

I take vitamin D, Calcium, multivitamin, fiber, and fish oil, and COQ10.

I have cardiomyopathy from the herceptin and adryamycin..

Any ideas or suggestions??

Hindsfeet

Emme, your situation is very complex. You have a lot going on and there's no easy answer. I'm not a doctor, but from what I read it seems one of the issues might be a weaken immune system.  I do know that when I went on several rounds of antibiotics that I developed mouth sores and other immune deficiency problems. I had to go on a serious yeast free diet and take anti-fungal med's. For awhile I did a lot of juicing spinich, and avocado's with a little coconut milk. There are other foods and supplements that are good at rebuilding your immune system.

Impositive has done much more research on the fungal theory than I. She knows a little more than I about detoxing and anti-fungal treatments. 

(((hugs))) Hopefully you feel better soon.

impositive

Evebarry, I dont know why doctors say that you can't have systemic overgrowth.  If we have yeast in our gut (and we all do), and antibiotics can kill off the good bacteria that keeps the yeast in check, we can have overgrowth without compromised immunity.  Of course with overgrowth, we will soon become compromised.  This yeast can burrow holes into our intestinal tracts and get into our blood streams.  It seems docs are taught all about bacteria and antibiotics but very little about fungus.  They really cant diagnose and treat what they haven't been taught.  I think the key is to kill it while starving it as you did but unfortunately it took awhile to get to that level of overgrowth and may take much longer to eradicate. 

Emme, Wow...you've been through a lot very recently.  For more information on yeast and it's treatment, a good jumping off point is knowthecause.com.  Read the website and watch the show.  I have learned a great deal there and when I follow Doug Kaufmann's diet, I feel like a new person.  He is an expert on the subject and has been studying it for more than 30 years. 

impositive

Fungus, A Major Cause of Cancer? by Dr Mark Stengler, NMD

http://blog.markstengler.com/fungus-a-major-cause-of-cancer/

sas-schatzi

To all, I've had ISSUES with keflex for many years. The last prescription was in Jan. 2011. It caused a thrush that 7 weeks of ORIVIG corrected. Then two glasses of wine at dinner 1 week ago , in 24 hrs. I was thrushing again. ENT doc said to try probiotics which I have been doing by pill. This time I took the powder and put it directly on my tongue several times a day and at bedtime. At this point the tongue is clear and that obsequious taste is almost gone. So, I'm not totally out of the woods, but it's the best it's been since Jan.  I will continue doing it, if it totally clears , I will try to remember to repost.

Keflex problem was always vag yeast, this was the first problem with oral thrush.  Fingers crossed.

Hindsfeet

SAS...I know what you are going through. I am on nystatin again, and another serious yeast free diet. If I eat a little too much of anything with sugar in it the oral yeast thrust rears its ugly head. I feel as if it will never totally go away. I'm a little timid about putting the probiotics directly on my tongue. Maybe I'll try it tonight. What is orivig???

sas-schatzi

evebarry----orivig is in the zole family. But it interferes with alot of other drugs. If this direct application of probiotics on the tongue works, it's a better answer than Orivig. The yeast was heavy in the sinuses, with this constant drainage in the back of my throat. That has also really reduced. I wasn't aware of it when I posted only 4 hours ago. It's been heavy for so long, it was one of those things I just was "used" to. Then after I posted it was hmmm could it be, that as well is reduced. I 'm so hopeful at this point. I know my immunity has been so reduced on Aromasin. This thrush thing was seriously worrying me as a sign of trouble.

Keflex has caused so many very difficult to correct vag yeast infections. I corrected the last couple with dusting with probiotic capsules. Diflucan and the other zole family group of drugs were not useful any longer.

Odd I figuired if I had a return of CA in some way, I'd be toast.  Immune system too weak. So, if this really works for me it will be life changing.

If it helps at all, you can buy lozenges . I have them for my dog. I can't even give you a clue as to why I didn't think to use them for myself. These were for people, but are okay to use with dogs. Hope that isn't too confusing.

Hindsfeet

SAS....THANKS. I was not aware that the fungal med's such as difilucan was in the zole family. I need to understand that a little more...I need do a little more homework studying up the zole family antifungal drugs  I've taken diflucan twice and I'm not sure it helped. I'm now on my second round of nystatin antifungal med's. I understand that it doesn't work unless you go on a serious no sugar yeast free diet which means no bread, sugars, potatoes and rice (or dairy) .. also no fruit. It is literally a starvation diet not just for the yeast but for me. I'm only going to do it for a few weeks and then just be careful about eating anything with yeast or sugar in it. This diet gives you that girlish figure

 Building up the immune system is key. Fungus negatively effect our immune system. Yeast overgrowth is really hard to conquer...like impositive said it takes time. I'm just too impatient. I was hoping the anti-fungal med's would magically erradicate the fungus. I'm learning it is changing the way I eat forever. This is hard when you are plagued with a sweet tooth.

I do have probiotic lozenges for humans...should take them as well. Again, thanks for the imput especially since this is something I again am now struggling with.

sas-schatzi

Evebarry, still doing powder pro-b on the tongue , but not as frequently. tongue 95% clear. that icky taste is gone. I'm going to continue for awhile. I tried the lozenge and it didn't seem to work as well, but who knows. I'm so happy that my tongue is starting to look healthy again.I wish now I had taken daily pictures. The sequence would have been impressive.

impositive

sas, The Mayo Clinic found that 96% of chronic sinusitis in their study was caused by fungus so it's not surprising that your sinus drainage has begun to clear with your antifungal treatments. 

Source:      http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/09/990910080344.htm

I haven't really had sinus issues but have had the drainage all the same.  They say the body produces mucous to bind pathogens (fungus, bacteria, etc) and the more mucous we have the more pathogens. Mine was greatly reduced when I had a root canal tooth removed.   

Way back in this thread (I think it was this thread, correct me Eve, if I'm wrong) Evebarry posted a link to a video that showed fungus colonies being removed from someone's nose with chronic sinusitis.  It also showed the x-ray of the nose which revealed tiny calcifications, just like our x-rays of DCIS do.  Isn't that interesting?

sas-schatzi

Impositive---right there with you. The other thing I've noticed is the constipation caused by the pain meds is less. So, the colon must be very happy with the seemingly large amounts of Prob-b I'm ingesting.

One thing that is on my definite no list is ------wine-------I love it so. But the recurrence of thrush so fast and so heavy after two glasses. Bummer. ( had chosen to be off wine for several months, left that out in previous posting.)

 Impositive------are you saying when your tooth with a root canal that was bad was removed, you saw a change in sinus draianage?

impositive

Since I've been taking probiotics, I no longer have that chronic constipation.  I can certainly tell the difference when I dont take them.

Ahhh, wine.  I wish it were as good for us as reported.  It must be the sugar as well as the mycotoxins in the wine that do us in.  I indulge but only very occasionally.

I had the root canal in my early teens.  After reading on these forums that some believe root canals may be linked to breast cancer, I started reading.  I read a book called Root Canal Cover Up by George Meinig.  It said that all root canals are infected, as they are after all....dead.  Fungi's main job is to break down dead organic material so I believe that is what's happening to a tooth with a root canal.  As it turns out, mine was very infected and since it's dead and has no feeling, I didnt know it until the infection from the root reached my gumline.  My dentist said it didn't get like that overnight, it had been festering for years.  I wont get graphic but you should have seen what the dentist removed....not pretty.  Like you, I had just thought my drainage was normal.  I noticed afterwards that it cleared up.  My root canal was sitting just below my sinus cavity.

impositive

Smart Fungus Disarms Plant, Animal and Human Immunity

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100819141113.htm

This knowledge may enable scientists to design novel methods to combat fungal diseases in agriculture (leaf mould, root and stalk rot, smut, wilt disease, apple scab, rust, tree cancer) and in health care (dandruff, athlete's foot, candida-infections, aspergillosis, etc.).

This is another article from ScienceDaily.com.  I thought it was interesting that fungus can hide from the immune system, just like cancer and they actually know how it does it.  If cancer and fungus are linked and mainstream would recognize that fact, there are so many new studies that would open up to help in this fight of ours.  

impositive

Antifungal Drug Delays Need for Chemo in Advanced Prostate Cancer, Study Suggests

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110602122353.htm

Anonymous

Hello ladies, was followed by an environmental practitioner (MD) years ago, had the allergies shots, the nystatin then graduated to diflucan and was put on the brutal anti-yeast diet, rice bread, no fruits, etc, lost a lot of weight from 120 lbs, had all mercury removed from my mouth.

There are yeast busters supplements out there, the problem with yeast is that when attacked, it releases extremely nasty toxins which make their way into the bloodstream. Major major problem, yeast, and we all have it. Probiotics would be a good solution in an arsenal of other supplements. I gave up on the problem at one point ( I have remaine weaned from sugar though

Edited to add:  I am truly hoping that the chemo has annihilated the candida

Hindsfeet

Luan, I don't feel well when taking anti-fungal medicine. Like you said it the yeast is releasing nasty toxins that for a short time makes our problem seem worse. Although I am on nystatin right now, I'm considering getting off and just build up my immune system for awhile. I have so much going on right now and I need to feel good and be strong.  I wonder if quiting nystatin before the course is done will make the fungus resistent to it next time. What do you think impositive?

sas-schatzi

Eve-----i quit the nystatin---------but I think I was allergic to it too. Gums blew up-------but if you saw my allergy list you would go -----OH MY......only happened in the last year 1.2 .......Think it has to do with immunuty. I am staying with the pro- B

Anonymous

I can,t remember how long i had to take the nystatin which apparently was not working and i was given diflucan which is a pretty potent med, i mean this was 25 years ago. i remember not feeling well on those meds which i took for quite a while. i think the whole thing backfired on me. The allergies shots worked for my hayfever, but i mean i was declared allergic to everything, eggs, wheat, corn, an endless list, could barely eat anything, it was brutal. Evebarry, were u just dx recently

Anonymous

Hey Sas, long time, no see



I think one has to seriously detox while on these drugs otherwise the toxins must accummulate and create havoc. Sas, pro-B, are u talking vits ?

sas-schatzi

Luan-----------flaxseed oil, Bcomplex, multi, pro -b----------now at much higher level, lutien( beginning macular deg,) vita c-----smoker-----------avoiding wine----straight liiquor- nonfremented. And getting real conscious of what on my food allery list------------Ckicken, haven't had it for about 10 months, Had it twice this past 10 days--------once threw up and other reflux.

Since I satyed off the things on the food allergy list have not had a problem--------I take something on the list------problems.

Anonymous

Sas. since u list the Bs, what is pro-b ?

impositive

Eve, I dont know about quitting the nystatin. I would check with your doctor.  I'm assuming he/she put you on it because of the thrush?  I'm just not sure you can knock it out with diet alone.  It can be really difficult for your immune system to recover from yeast overgrowth because it is totally overwhelmed with all the toxins the yeast is releasing. It's sometimes necessary to starve it (diet) while killing it (nystatin).  I've read it could take as long as a year in some cases.  Herxheimer is definitely something to watch out for but usually if you get past it, you feel better than you did before you started your regimen. If you do decide to quit the nystatin, I would definitely take a natural antifungal such as garlic, olive leaf, caprylic acid, etc. and rotate them every month or so.

Sas and Luan, I watch Doug Kaufmann (Know the Cause is the name of his show).  His background is with allergies.  He worked in the allergy and immunology field back in the 70s and later opened Physicians Laboratories which was involved in food and fungal research so he's been dealing with allergies for a long time.  He says that food allergies such as yours are related to leaky gut syndrome.  Are you familiar with LGS?  Fungi can bore holes in your intestines.  Undigested food then leaks from your gut into your blood stream and your immune system attacks it because it is foreign causing the allergy symptoms.  Probiotics (Pro-B) have helped me enormously.  More and more I think leaky gut and therefore yeast, causes a huge amount of our problems. 

It's a lifelong struggle but I definely feel so much better the more I learn and put it into action.

Anonymous

thanks impositive for clarifying what pro b is. unfortunately, leaky gut is a consequence of candida as are so many other problems

Hindsfeet

I don't think I'm allergic to nystatin. I do think that sometimes when fighting yeast it rises to the top and at first it might seem worse...but when I took nystatin earlier this Spring it did help and my mouth completely cleared up...around the third or fourth week.

I was first dx with a yeast problem a little over a year ago. It's been there off an on all year. When I think its gone, I have a relaspe. It's tiring. I'm now wondering if the problem is due to a low immunity or if I might have a low grade infection affecting my immunity and opportunistic yeast problem. I'm also wondering if there is an infection due to root canals. ??? I would like to find the cause of my demise:)

sas-schatzi

Eve----still doing the pro-b etc--------There are so many foods on my allergy list that i'm looking at like-okay what can I eat. But basically haven't felt like eating for a year. It's a chore not a joy. Not to bum anyone out that doesn't know me. My Dh of 38 yrs died last Aug.20 2010. After dealing with our cancer issues for all of 2009, and his continued deterioration(10 hospital admission form Feb to Aug and death in 2010. I would say my whole body was stressed to the max is an understatement. Then I just turned off eating for months. I'm starting to get an appetite again. Exercising almost daily, that helps allot.

Have to start doing some serious study on immunity. Luan I'll relook at leaky gut, it's been many years since I studied it. So, I won't make any comment yet.  The one thing I lived on was Activa, But my body was way beyond what I needed to taking  in.
My thrush was directly related to lowered immunity from lack of eating and last fling with Keflex. Keflex shall never pass my lips again. Thanks for the thought