OMG, is my diet TOO strict? Nursing & going nuts here.

[at0micgirl]

Hi all. I certainly can't say I've made my way through enough posts yet, but I'm working on it.

Anyhow, I'm a newbie, and I think a new thread is in order here, so I can follow it. I finally figured out that I have systemic candida about 3+ wks ago or so. I realized it after a traumatic event prompted ER drs to give me Bacitracin for my lips. If it was a pill, I would have questioned the need for antibiotics, but since it was a cream, I thought it was necessary for healing over 4 stitches. Boy, was I wrong.

Anyhow, my lips were burning after a week, and after being told by poison control that I wasn't having an allergic reaction to Bacitracin, enough google searching of my symptoms finally turned up candida.

And then it hit. This is what I've been dealing with since I was 5.

OK, fast forward. I want to share my story, but right now, I also desperately want to eat a tortilla chip and I'm going nuts.

I have been trying to reach a particular dr ever since I realized this, and I still haven't gotten word back on the diet that I "chose" since learning about this online. I haven't had time to buy any books (since I want to research first, etc.).

I've already been eating all organic, gluten-free, soy-free for the past 2.5 yrs. I thought THAT was the problem - that I just had a food allergy. Eliminating these things did bring severe relief from my medical problems at the time. I had PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), endometriosis, and a circadian rhythm sleep disorder that had 5 neurologists completely baffled. Four sleep studies, and I was actually diagnosed with narcolepsy b/c they couldn't figure out what else to call it. All of it went away within 30 days after these dietary changes.

Anyhow, the diet I "found" and am following to a T has me only eating the following:

-Meat & eggs, except pork (my herbalist says it makes me produce/release heat)
-Plain yogurt
-Nuts and seeds, no legumes
-Low-carb veggies, except nightshades (tomatoes in small amts only)
-Lemons, limes, avocados, coconut, and berries if I'm "cheating"
-Fresh herbs and spices, esp. oregano, cinnamon, cloves, etc
-Xylitol (preferred), and Stevia

and that's IT.

I was just about to go back to being vegetarian before this happened, and being forced to eat so much meat for my only real protein is disconcerting.

When I google for candida recipes, most of the time, recipes pop up with potatoes or beans, or some other food I've been told is forbidden.

My herbalist thinks I should stick this diet for at least 2-3 months, but I don't know if I can. Believe me, I have AMAZING willpower, as I've discovered - I lost 90 lbs over 3 yrs prior to getting pregnant. But THIS just seems like too much sometimes.

I know how to eat in moderation. I would love to just have 6 tortilla chips, or 8 bites of rice, etc. I kind of feel that being so extreme is making it more likely for me to just crash and burn, so to speak.

Also, I've been losing weight pretty fast, and while that's nice, I am nursing and don't want to lose my milk. I was 217 lbs at the drs. near the end of march, and today I'm 203!

Other than diet, I'm taking a probiotic with 50 billion total (about 10 kinds) with FOS and enteric-coated. They're definitely making it inside.

I'm using tea tree oil soap, and lavender shampoo, etc.

I'm NOT taking Pau d'Arco or anything else like that, b/c my holistic, highly-reputed dr (who I reached once at the beginning on the phone) told me that these were not safe while nursing. What's up with this???

For my oral thrush, she has me rinsing my mouth with 2 drops of GSE (Grapefruit Seed Extract) in 4 oz. of H20 2x/day, and that's all. It seems too little for me. Now that I've been on this diet, my lips are much better. But my tongue still gets coated, and I have to "tame" it with the rinses, etc.

Otherwise, my only "western-dr approved symptom" of candida is athlete's foot that I've had ever since I was on 3-day IV drip of antibiotics while I was induced to deliver my baby, otherwise med-free. I used to use creams like clomatrizole and micronazole, but I used up the tubes long ago, before I was on this diet. Do you guys have any advice as to how to treat this externally while I'm doing the diet? Honestly, it seems like the itching is worse after starting this diet. ???

I've had plenty of other symptoms, but I can't remember them all right now. Oh, that's one of my symptoms! =D Hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism post-prg?, mood swings, irritability, etc. You get the point.

Anyhow, that's about it. I have to say, it has been amazing getting off of sugar completely. I accidentally licked my finger after wiping up my son's yogurt (which is normal Liberte fruit-filled stuff), and I couldn't BELIEVE how SWEET it was!

Thanks for your advice and comments. I love to learn, so throw at me whatever you've got. Thanks!!! =D

[tybeeanna]

Hi and No help for you but Someone else will be along to help.You might want to post in the main lobby also..

[at0micgirl]

Originally Posted by tybeeanna

Hi and No help for you but Someone else will be along to help.You might want to post in the main lobby also..

Thanks for the welcome! Where's the main lobby?

[dawnyama]

at0mic.....Welcome!! I too had candida while nursing my babies. That is how I got started on this low carb way of life. My son and I were passing along thrush so bad that I would crack and bleed and cry every time he wanted to nurse. I remember the pain like it was yesterday....and he is now 10 years old!!

All I can say to your first post is WOW!! Just WOW!! You have been through a lot!! I am so sorry to hear of your troubles. When I was trying to rid myself of candida (first with my 10 yr old and lastly with my now 3 yr old) I just payed attention to my diet and then added in antifungals internally. I used coconut oil, probiotics, oil of oregano and probiotics. I rotated the ooo and olive leaf extract. That pretty much took care of it for me. I did my darnest to stay away from bad foods and hung on there. I take l-glutamine to take care of any cravings--I have the powder form and just 1 tsp in a glass of water takes care of anything bad I might want. For the athlete's foot I would suggest that lotrimin cream that you find in the foot care aisle at Wal-Mart. The pediatrician recommends that for any diaper rash that my kids had---much better than the diaper creams you can find. Most of those are fungal in nature anyway. Coconut oil might help too. Just rub it right where it is itchy. I hope you find relief real soon, I know that fighting this just isn't fun.

[at0micgirl]

Originally Posted by dawnyama

I rotated the ooo and olive leaf extract. That pretty much took care of it for me. I did my darnest to stay away from bad foods and hung on there. I take l-glutamine to take care of any cravings--I have the powder form and just 1 tsp in a glass of water takes care of anything bad I might want. For the athlete's foot I would suggest that lotrimin cream that you find in the foot care aisle at Wal-Mart.

Thanks for the support! Did you take the OoO and Olive leaf extract WHILE you were nursing though? It sounds like you've been through a lot too, dealing with this for so many years!

And the L-glutamine sounded familiar, so I raided my partner's supplements, and turns out he has some already. Thanks, I will try this! I take it your answer to my diet question, is YES, it needs to be this strict.

As for the lotrimin, I remember finding out that was on the unsafe list while nursing - I don't remember if it was a C or a D, but it wasn't higher. That's why I was doing the other two (clotramazole and micronazole). But I just thought that using up a tube just means the fungus comes back mutated and stronger after using.

And, is there anyone out there who has beat this? I mean reestablished their flora to the point that they can eat a fairly normal diet and not have overgrowth? From my understanding of the problem, it seems like their HAS to be a way to restore yourself, otherwise I think my understanding of the problem is wrong.

Btw, do you guys think I should double my dose of probiotics to 2 capsules a day = 100 Billion probiotics? Will that be OK for my son?

Thanks again!

[dawnyama]

Yes, I did the OoO and the olive leaf while nursing. I was desperate this last time. I thought I had it beat when I started feeling better, but it turns out that I have another strain of yeast (not candida) on my forehead. My doctor said just last week that my forehead would clear up when I get the sugar out of my system. It just takes time. And I think it comes and goes. I don't know if I didn't get rid of it or it's coming back.

I don't know about the lotrimine being on the "safe" list. I don't know how much I trust that. But you can use coconut oil--do you have it? You should be fine upping your probiotics--I doubled or even took 4 times what is a usual amount, even while nursing. Like I said, I was desperate!! I was using Natren probiotics and called their customer service number and they were very nice to speak with on the phone and also very supportive. You can google them if you wish. If you look at the early posts on the candida thread that is a million pages long by now, then you can see Tooter and Margot started this. They have since gone on to a VLC (or even zero carb) diet. They feel best on that kind of plan and will follow it indefinitely. It is very interesting. I sure hope it can be cured, but I am not so sure. Like I said I thought mine was licked 3 years ago after having my last son but I still have that rash.....