ME/CFS. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Allergies. Fibromyalgia. Arthritis. POTS. Anxiety. Calcified Tendons. Depression. Endometriosis. And more.
I'm moving forward with my life!
A couple of weeks ago my teeth started to grow sensitive... again. The sensitivity has come in waves for a few years, and the wave have picked up the pace and intensity since starting the Candida cleanse. I also noticed that the inside of my two bottom front teeth were turning black. Black like cavities, without the decay or sensitivity (it's my molars that grow sensitive.) I thought about what I could do. I know that oil pulling does work with sensitivity and whitening to some degree, but it's so inconvenient. I wanted to try a different method. I looked at my container of hydrogen peroxide and remembered that it used to help with any tooth issue when I used it years ago.
I swished hydrogen peroxide for about 3 days before I noticed that my tongue had turned black. Yes, black:
If you're not too grossed out, expand the photo. You'll see that the black is actually fuzzy hairs. I immediately got a hold of my doctor, but I didn't think to tell him about the hydrogen peroxide at first. It was my mother who told me that the same thing happened to her tongue when her dentist told her to swish hydrogen peroxide in her mouth. Apparently hydrogen peroxide draws bacteria out of the mouth in such a way that these hairs form, collecting more bacteria and dirt, essentially turning them black. A bit later, I had noticed that I was developing some mild thrush on my tongue too. I never noticed that I had thrush in the past, which is one reason that I assumed I didn't have Candida before. This was the first time I saw it on my tongue, and I can only assume that the hydrogen peroxide pulled out some candida too, causing it.
My doctor had me swish plain yogurt once a day in my mouth for a week so the good bacteria in the yogurt could replenish my mouth. This was the first time I'd had dairy in my mouth in about 2 years (I quit dairy before I started working with my doctor.) This was the most disgusting thing I've done in a very long time!! Why did I use dairy? Frankly, because I live a town that doesn't sell any dairy alternative yogurt without added sugar. Dairy was my only choice, so I used grass-fed whole fat plain dairy yogurt. It tasted so disgusting that I've now lost all interest in dairy products ever again - not even cheese sounds appealing. How can any of you stand the taste?! I digress. The immediate problem was that it made me congested in my sinuses and throat (I never swallowed the yogurt.) Again, because I couldn't find an alternative yogurt, I kept using this, despite the allergic reaction it caused. The later problem was that my acne increased around my mouth. I can only assume this is in relation to the yogurt. All problems aside, it worked. My tongue is back to normal again! Well, normal for me, anyway.
But what about the black on the back of my teeth? No change. It's still there.
I have a few theories about what's causing it, but my guess is the quality of our water. When we used to live in a very old industrial building that was converted into an apartment, the water came through old pipes. We brushed our teeth with this water and it turned our teeth colors. I strongly question the quality of the water in out house at times, which is why I use filters on the water for drinking, showering, and bathing. Teeth brushing is the only time I use unfiltered water. I'm going to try to come up with a solution.
In the mean time, the next thing I'm trying is something that might seem very strange to those of you who don't already know this trick. I'm brushing my teeth with clay and charcoal. Here's the recipe:
Clay Toothpaste:
-1 part bentonite clay
-1/3rd part activated charcoal
Optional:
-1/8th part pure stevia powder for sweetness
-Ground cloves (For calming sensitive or painful teeth)
-Ground mint or cinnamon (for astringent properties and flavor)
Directions:
Mix together in a glass bowl. Do not use a metal bowl, which will deactivate the clay. (Plastic is technically fine, but I do not advise using plastic for any reason when a sustainable non-petroleum based product is available.) Wet your toothbrush, then dip it into the powder mixture. Scrub your teeth. Yes, it turns black! But it does not stain - I promise! It rinses with water very easily. For extra disinfecting and whitening power, leave in your mouth for 5 minutes after you're done brushing before you rinse with water.
(Non-petroleum plastic toothbrush)
In my experiment I'm just using the clay and charcoal. This isn't much different from the toothpaste I've been using and love: Redmond Earthpaste. The difference is that their toothpaste is a bit abrasive and does not contain charcoal. My DIY toothpaste is significantly cheaper and is not abrasive against the teeth at all, protecting the enamel. My hope is that the charcoal is gong to bring an extra level of cleaning power and help draw out whatever is making my bottom two front teeth black.
(This is "Part 1" because I'm going to say more about oral care and toothbrushes in another post. I plan to update this blog with the results of this toothpaste, as I've only brushed with it once.)
My goal was to sit down and write a post. I have plenty to write about.
Then I sat down, turned on my computer, and crashed. Now my brain feels numb and my body feels heavy. I don't really feel like doing anything. And this feeling has been becoming more and more regular in the last month.
So instead, I'm going to leave you with this (it's on Facebook, but it's public):
These are memes with quotes from people diagnosed with MCS. Each person quoted finished the sentence "For me, MCS mean______."
Thankfully, I'm not as reactive as many of these people are. In fact, I've been improving since starting my doctor's homeopathic remedy and his candida cleanse. Just today I went to the salon for a haircut. Someone just had a perm, so the air was very thick with horrible sticky chemically residue. I couldn't wait in the waiting area, as I got immediate heart palpitations and stomach pain from being in there. When I went back with my stylist, I had to walk through that area, holding my breath. I was expecting I'd be really sick for the rest of the day after that. Her area of the salon is right next to a window and is far away from everyone else, so I had much better air during my cut. And you know what? I was okay. Not great, but I was okay. My heart palpitated, my head ached mildly, my lungs felt worn out and weak, and my stomach hurt. But I survived. Granted, I did take extra glutathione and NAC before going in. But I survived. Yes, I'm definitely getting better. This is closer to how I was with chemicals before my big breakdown. I never liked them and they always bothered me to some degree, but it wasn't debilitating.
Now that I'm home and took more glutathione and NAC, I'm okay. I'm just down to heavy fatigue, brain fog, and muscle pain now. If I were in that situation 2 months ago, I'd be much much much sicker!
What I should do is get in my Far Infrared Sauna to detox from the salon (it helps a ton!!), but I think I'm honestly too worn out to survive it.
Right now, my brain feels like: "Bbblllaaaaahhhhhhh."
It has felt this way for the past 3 days. I've been uninterested in anything, not feeling up to taking on a project, and a little too bored to sit around doing nothing. This feeling is torment. I can't simply just "push through it" and get work done, because I'll just discover that I don't have the physical energy for it either.
What's causing this? I wish I could blame it on an MCS reaction, which can cause this type of prolonged brain fog, but that isn't the case this time. It's that my energy has been overspent, then my body was further taxed by the start of my period. Blah. I just want to melt into the floor and stay a liquid puddle there until I find the strength to put myself back together.
For most of my adolescent life, I had no idea that my periods were not normal. I thought every woman suffered tremendously each month. The older I get, the more comfortable I've grown talking about my monthly substantial torment, the more I've come to learn that my periods have not been "normal" at all. It isn't normal to suffer so much each month! Thankfully, I'm no longer suffering to the degree I used to. It's taken a lot of work and effort, but my periods are actually manageable now. I still can't go to work on the first day of my cycle, but I'm no longer staying in bed screaming for hours. I'm continuing to get better as time goes on.
I'm not up to writing "Menstrual Solutions Part 2." I don't have that kind of energy to spend. I do, however, want to talk a bit about PMS. I do not understand it, and this is not an advice-giving post.
PMS is stereotyped as "getting overly moody the week before a woman's period." I never thought I had PMS because this was hardly ever an issue for me. Of course, I have suffered terrible acne (as in so much acne that it was hard to see my face's skin color,) bloating, tenderness and skin sensitivities, fatigue, and chocolate cravings. I didn't know this through my teen years and early 20's, but those were all PMS symptoms. If I had to have PMS at all, I'm grateful that I had these type of symptoms rather than the mood symptoms. (I'll never be grateful for the amount of acne I've suffered, of course.)
That was then. About 3 years ago, when my menstrual issues got so bad that I was finally willing to see a doctor about it, my PMS symptoms had grown worse. I was feeling moody most of the month (both the very good moods and the very sour moods,) but I didn't quite recognize just how bad I was until my moods started to even out after getting help. My acne wasn't as bad as it was when I was 16, but I was an adult trying to hide teenage-like breakouts every so often. My breasts would grow so tender that it was painful to touch them. My bloat would get so large that I would need to go up a pant size on the day or two before my period started. I wanted chocolate all the time.
But after getting help from my Naturopathic doctor, my symptoms gradually changed. My periods slowly, but surely, eased up as the months went on. During this time, my PMS started to change. My chocolate cravings gradually went away, but my mood swings gradually got worse. I eventually got to the stereotypical point of being easily irritable the week before my period started. This lasted for several months, and then my PMS started to swing back towards being about acne breakouts and chocolate cravings again. And then it swung back to to being moody without the chocolate cravings. Let's fast forward to today. I now know that my PMS symptoms will either bring chocolate cravings or mood swings, but I don't know what type of PMS I'm going to get until I get it. Some months I get acne breakouts, other months I do not. It isn't in the least bit predictable!
What I have noticed, however, is that my acne breakouts have been big during both periods I've suffered since starting the Candida cleanse 41 days ago. My mood swings are substantially worse now too. I was so angry the week before the period I'm currently on that even my husband was feeling stressed about my stress levels.
And so I have a theory: Candida makes PMS worse, and causes it to fluctuate.
I hope to find that my PMS symptoms disappear after this candida overgrowth is gone. Please message me on Facebook or leave a comment here if you have a PMS story to share.
(I do appreciate all the Facebook messages I've received - I've had quite a few from readers who also suffer menstrual issues! While it's not normal for our periods to make us suffer, it's clearly a common problem among women.)
And now for the post that several of you have been requesting for a while: A review of my new safety razor! Let me begin this post by advising you not to try taking a pack of razor blades for your safety razor through airport security. You can imagine how that went for me. ;)
In looking for ways to reduce my use of plastic, I figured there must be a great solution to disposing my plastic Venus 5 blade razors every few weeks. I'm not the type to wax or have my hair removed with a lazer because both options are expensive and questionable. I've tried the fine sandpaper pads that rub away hair on your skin. They work very well for my upper lip hair, but not so great anywhere else on my body. I knew I needed to stick with shaving. Not knowing much of anything about safety razors, I decided to purchase one anyway.
I went to Amazon.com and searched for one. As it turned out, the price range was huge. I could spend anywhere from $15-200! After some research I found out the more expensive ones were made of true stainless steel. The cheaper ones are made with metals that resemble stainless steel. Knowing how safe, durable, and reliable true stainless steel is, I figured getting one was the way to go. I really couldn't be sure that the cheaper fake stainless steel kinds would stand the test of time. I was also concerned about rust. Well, as it turned out, the reviews on the fake stainless kind were so positive, that I simply couldn't justify spending an extra $80 for true stainless steel. So I ended up getting this one: SimplyBeautiful Double Edge Long Handled Safety Razor - Chrome Finish.
I paid $15 for this, and it's lasted me about 3 months so far. It's heavy and feels very solid. It's not having any trouble with rust yet. It's very easy to safely take apart and put back together. As of right now, I don't see any reason to spend the extra money to get a real stainless steel one. My concern is that this one will break down over time and start to have problems, but only time will tell. If that happens, then I will invest a true stainless steel one.
For another $10 I bought a pack of 100 double edge razor blades. What I'm finding is that I get about 6-7 shaves out of each blade. I could probably risk it and get more shaves per blade, but since the blades are so cheap, I'd rather not risk nicking myself with a well used blade that could have rust I didn't notice. So, I'm essentially spending 10 cents per 6 shaves (not counting the cost of the razor, which will last years and years and years, and it was only $15.) The plastic 5 blade Venus razors I have been using for years cost about $4 per 5-6 shaves. MAJOR SAVINGS! The safety razor is so much cheaper, uses no plastic whatsoever, and, believe it or not, shaves way better!
Enough about which one I bought. Does it work?
Yes, it works very well IF I'm careful. Careful is the key word here. I cut myself in multiple places the first 7 or 8 times I shaved with it. I was beginning to question if it was the right type of razor for me, but I stuck to my anti-plastic conventions and kept working on mastering my safety razor. With a bit more practice, I started to figure out how to shave without cutting myself. I'll share tips with you later in this post. Once I got the hang of it, I fell in love with it. It shaves closer than the 5 blade Venus razors I was using. This single blade is able to get right on top of the skin and cut as close as possible, whereas I think using 5 blades in the Venus Razors actually kept the blades higher off my skin and caused more irritation. I'm finding that I'm shaving less often and my skin is softer with less redness or bumps, especially in my arm pits! This is what I've learned in order to avoid cutting myself:
- Always exfoliate the skin first. I use a natural loofah and scrub my legs and arm pits well first. Any loose dead skin can disrupt the blade, pull at your skin, and leave you bleeding.
- Do not dry shave with it. Use a lubricant, whether you prefer soap or shaving lotion. I personally find that my favorite way to shave is in a bubble bath (using the very soft and moisturizing Every Day Shae Bubble Bath.) This lets my pores open up and skin soften. It also allows me to go slow and methodically. This eliminates the need for a longer shower or using messy creams outside of the shower or bath. The bubble bath leaves my skin baby soft too!
- Do not put pressure on the razor! Use the natural weight of the razor against your skin. I do this by holding the end of the handle from the top with my thumb, index, and middle finger. It's hard to create pressure when you're holding the handle gently.
- Go slow and steady, using one long stroke. I got into a bad habit of trying to shave quickly with my Venus razors, getting each stroke done as fast as possible, then going back over the areas that were still fuzzy in small quick strokes. I cannot do that with my safety razor, but I find that I get each stroke right the first time with this razor.
- Always shave against the grain. Sometimes the grain isn't up or down, but it's side to side. I have better luck getting the closest possible shave on my shins by going from side to side. Yes, this takes longer, but it works better for me.
- Use both sides of the blade. I get one stroke per side, then I rinse the blade in the bath water before starting again.
- Take the razor apart after each use. Wipe each part down and let it dry. This not only keeps it clean and sanitary, it also prevents rust (if rust is even an issue - I don't know.)
(Note: It might sound strange that I shave in a bath, because it means I'm sitting in water with tons of small hairs in it. I'm not bothered by this, and I've not noticed that I end up with lots of small hairs on me after my baths. I usually do rinse the soap off of me in the shower after the bath, which would take care of that problem if it exists. Also, and I will write a post about this, I wash my hair in that bubble bath. I find it's more effective than any shampoo I've used. I start my bath by soaking my hair for a while, then I shave without my hair in the water, then I rinse in the shower. It saves water for me, and I get more benefits from getting to soak in the heat.)
Conclusion:
I highly recommend switching to a safety razor! It's substantially cheaper, much more environmentally friendly, much healthier as it's free of synthetic chemicals, and does a much better job! Yes, there is a learning curve, and yes, you can cut yourself much more easily with it. Mastering the razor isn't difficult, and it is worth the benefits.
Bonus Review:
Back to my tip on not trying to travel with the blades for your safety razor.
What are you supposed to do while traveling? Well, in this case, waxing might be the better solution (depending on how long you'll be away.) What I did on my last trip was go to Whole Foods and buy a Preserve brand razor. You can buy these online too. They are made from recycled Stonyfield Yogurt cups. Even though the razor is made from recycled plastic, it's still plastic. There is no guarantee that the razor will get recycled again at your recycling factory. This could easily mean that those Stonyfield cups just take longer to end up in the land fill. Do not be fooled into thinking that recycled plastic is a great alternative to plastic - it's only a slightly better alternative. Thankfully, it's designed so that you get a long life out of the handle by being able to replace the blade heads.
The Preserve razor has 3 blades, and the blade head is very narrow. I found that it worked well for a non-safety razor. It shaves about as close as my Venus razors. It's comfortable to hold and work with, but can hurt if you use too much pressure. Venus blades are padded with Olay moisture strips, these are not. The edge of the blade head hurts if you use too much pressure.
It did the job well enough for me on my last trip. I'm keeping it as my travel razor. The replacement blade heads are cheaper than replacement heads for Venus razors, and since they're just as effective, I might as well save the money!
This is a post I've been gearing up to write for many months now. The problem of plastic has become one of my passions, because it is one of the most easily solved problems by the majority of people. Step one is educating the majority of people so that they have the knowledge they need to make their choice for or against the use of plastic.
Plastic certainly has its uses, and it is a revolutionary component in our modern technology focused world with advanced medical care. This post is not against all plastic, because in many cases is it the best, if not the only, material we have for certain important uses. For instance, many types of medical equipment, such as tubing, require plastic. Do you remember the commercials back in the 90's with the slogan "Plastics make it possible"? The reason for the commercial was to address the health concerns about plastic that many people were worried about. The commercial wasn't lying. Plastics do many many things possible, things that could even save a person's life. The problem is, yes, there are some serious health concerns with plastics. Those worried people in the 90's had very good reason to be worried.
Due to the importance of plastic in certain instances, my complaint is with plastics made from petroleum that are only made for a single use or that are used as a cheaper material to a more natural qualified material. Yes, plastic is petroleum product, though there are plant-based alternatives, but I'll get into this later in this post. By single use plastics I mean plastics such as water bottles, straws, candy wrappers, disposable utensils, grocery bags, etc. By cheaper material I mean clothing made from polyester instead of cotton, water bottles made from plastic instead of stainless steel or glass, etc. These are easily fixable problems.
But why are these plastics a problem? There are several issues: Plastic does not recycle as easily as we're lead to believe, plastic does not biodegrade, plastic is often totally unnecessary (it's not sustainable at all, yet it's used in place of sustainable materials anyway), and plastic is an endocrine disruptor (easily gets into our bodies and acts like estrogen.)
So why do companies use plastics when other materials could be used? I'm not sure that I really need to link to any sources to answer this question. It's cheap. Not only is it cheap, it has characteristics that other materials don't: it's versatile, flexible, doesn't break when dropped, is transparent, and can shaped easily. Plastic really is revolutionary! It provides convenience and new possibilities at the lowest price tag. There are non-petroleum plastics, though, such as hemp and corn plastic. You may have noticed in recent years that the plastic bags available in some grocery stores for vegetables and meat are now made from corn based plastics. More and more of the plastic air pockets used in boxes for shipping protection is being made from non-petroleum plastic that biodegrades quickly. There is hope for plastic to become less and less toxic as the years go on, but I'm not counting on it, and I plan to avoid plastic anyway. (...And then there's the issue of my corn allergy! I don't know if corn plastic bothers me, but if it's holding my food then there's the potential for it.)
Okay, you get it. Plastic pollution is a major problem. These reasons alone are enough to make you want to quit relying on plastic, I hope. But these reasons are only half the problem with plastics. This is a health blog, and I wouldn't necessarily bring up this topic if wasn't health related.
How plastics affect our health, and my personal plastic health story:
I'd like to start by sharing my story, because I believe having a concrete example of the health problems caused by plastics will help you understand the research I'm going to link to.
As you know if have been reading my previous posts, I spent about 8-9 years suffering from brutally painful and unmanageable menstrual periods. I was losing 10+ ounces of blood per month, not including spotting, when the average healthy woman loses about 1-2 ounces per month. The pain was so unbearable that I was taking up to 12 Ibuprofen on the first day of my period, and it often wasn't enough to manage the pain. I had PMS symptoms that were the result of hormonal and reproductive problems too: severe acne breakouts, oily skin, anger and mood issues, powerful cravings, bloating and inflammation, and more. I was told that I probably had endometreosis, but I did not go through with the surgery that would confirm this.
I decided to try an experiment about 7 months ago after getting diagnosed with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. I had been reading up on endocrine disruptors in many common household products that caused me to react, and what I kept finding were warnings about plastic as an endocrine disruptor. I decided to see what would happen if I eliminated as much plastic as possible from my life, focusing on the kitchen and clothing. I switched to only wearing clothing from natural fabrics, like cotton and linen (yes, polyester, nylon, and spandex are all forms of plastic!) If I can get a body care product in something other than plastic, I buy it instead of something in plastic (for instance, Badger Balm comes in tin cans, and coconut oil from glass jars makes a fantastic lotion and make-up remover.) I choose to use natural bristles for my body brush and use a real loofa instead of the plastic imitator (and I just ordered a plastic-free toothbrush.) My make up brushes are made from wood and natural brush fibers. I purchased stainless steel and glass water bottles, glass storage containers and bakeware, and ceramic and stainless steel pots and pans. I do not use a plastic sack to hold my vegetables when I buy them at the store. I bought a half a cow and had the meat wrapped in paper, not plastic. You get the idea. I was unable to eliminate all plastic. For instance, I cannot get chicken, turkey, or fish locally that wasn't sealed in plastic. My doctor's herbs and supplements all come in plastic containers. My liquid soap comes in plastic. I did what I could to eliminate plastic from my life. What I noticed was that each month following the plastic elimination, my menstrual periods got easier and easier to deal with. Now, I need to be very clear on something: My doctor was already addressing my menstrual issues for a year between diet, herbs, supplements, tinctures, exercise, and progesterone cream. All of these things helped considerably, and my periods were about 40% easier to deal with. I still was dealing with horrific periods, though, and needed more help. The plastic elimination helped ease my periods faster and more dramatically than anything my doctor did for me (which I'm very grateful for and was very necessary!) Last month, I was down to only losing 5 ounces of blood with no pain at all. I still got dizzy, overly tired, and light headed. I still had to lay in bed half of the day to manage these symptoms. But this is better than spending the entire day in bed screaming in pain, unable to move without extra pain, on the verge of fainting every time I stood up, wondering how to make it to the bathroom every 20 minutes or so. What's more, my PMS symptoms have lighted up too. My acne has been reduced to one or two pimples the week before my period (instead of covering my entire face and some of my back.) My mood is stable the week before. My skin hasn't had an oil problem in a year, but now it's actually staying the same each day of the month. My bloating and tenderness issues are greatly reduced (to the point of being ignorable.)
I noticed another amazing benefit from avoiding plastic clothing: I no longer have body odor! I used to have a few shirts and pants that made me reek after half a day of wearing them, and other shirts made me smell too, just not as badly. I never knew my clothes were causing the problem until I tried this experiment. The shirts that made me reek the most were 100% polyester. I also discovered that my body odor never fully washed out of those shirts. Now that I'm wearing natural clothing I don't really ever smell. Even after I work out and am sweaty, I don't really smell. Sure, my sweat smells a little musty (doesn't everyone's?), but there was nothing repulsive about it.
So how is it that I got these fantastic results with my health just by ditching plastic? How could plastic actually have that much power over our health? Well, like I mentioned earlier, it's an endocrine disruptor. The endocrine system is your hormonal system. An endocrine disruptor is a synthetic chemical that when absorbed into the body either mimics or blocks hormones and disrupts the body's normal functions. Plastic mimics estrogen in our body. To be clear, there are many estrogen like chemicals other than plastic, but I'm focusing on plastic because it is one of the most prevalent sources of estrogen like chemicals. By clearing as much of the estrogen-like chemicals out of body as I could, my estrogen/ estrogen-like levels went down. I never had these levels measured in a lab, but why else would my menstrual problems be clearing up after eliminating plastic? (I should also mention that I've never been on birth control pills and I haven't used "regular" feminine hygiene products in about 7 years. I also haven't had any soy products in several years, as I've developed an intolerance to soy. All of those also contribute to an estrogen dominance. My estrogen was seemingly mainly a plastic problem, but I'm sure there were other contributing factors.)
I wasn't sure if it was a good idea for me to talk about this issue so soon, but after discovering how common of an issue it is, I decided I would share my story so far. I need some type of outlet for this issue, because my goodness, it's the only thing on my mind right now! It also will serve as an explanation for what's going on - why I've been extra quiet and distant this week.
My doctor told me it's time to address my candida overgrowth. This surprised me. I didn't know I had a candida issue, and from what I knew of candida symptoms, I assumed I would have figured out on my own that I have a candida problem. As it turns out, I didn't know that much about candida, despite reading quite a bit of the Yeast Connection book two years ago when I was searching for answers. Yes, I had tons of the symptoms listed in the book: multiple chemical sensitives, rashes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, regular discharge, extreme menstrual pain and flow, and digestive issues. All of these symptoms, though, were explained by other methods. What I did not have were regular yeast infections (I've only had 3 in my life, one of which was expected as a side effect of antibiotics I was temporarily put on for a MRSA abscess.) So I dismissed candida, thinking it probably wasn't my issue. Even though it turns out to be one of my issues, it is good that I didn't try to address it on my own before seeing my doctor, because I was not nearly strong enough back then to handle a candida cleanse.
What I know now is that heavy antibiotic use throughout life causes candida overgrowth. As you may know, I've been put on lots of antibiotics - 1-2 rounds a year at least for most of my childhood and teen years. I was also on antibiotics for a full year when I was 1 year old due to a chronic ear infection. Antibiotics destroy both good and bad bacteria in the gut, and when there's an imbalance of good bacteria in the gut, the candida yeast spreads. I've also had several mold exposures, and yeast can feed on mold. I was also eating plenty of sugar, and yeast loves sugar. The Yeast Connection book I linked to earlier explains all of this. I suggest that you do your own research and talk to your doctor if it's something you want to know more about. There are tons of websites, books, and studies dedicated to candida. I am writing this post to share my experience, not explain candida.
My Naturopathic Doctor has me on a candida cleanse using lots and lots of herbs. I will not tell you what he's having me take. What I'm taking is very strong and cannot be purchased off store shelves. If you want to do a cleanse, talk to your doctor (I highly recommend finding a licensed Naturopthic doctor for this, but from what I've heard from others I've talked to who have also done cleanses, a licensed acupuncturist or Chinese Medicine Doctor can also provide the same type of herbs I'm on right now.) I'm taking 4 rounds of pills a day until the candida is gone. This is a process.
I'm currently on day 6 of the cleanse, but I should be clear that I've been on a diet that does not promote candida growth for over a year. I've had almost no sugar and I've been very low carb.
Here's what I've been going through, symptoms starting at day 2 of the cleanse:
- Intense bloating!! - Constipation AND too many extra trips to the bathroom - Rashes
- Night sweats - Restless aching muscles that burn like acid after being worked - Fibromyalgia flares like I haven't felt in a year - Inability to eat much because of intense bloating - Adrenaline rushes/ jittery uncomfortable energy - Debilitating fatigue - Sleeplessness and over sleeping - Teeth sensitivity flares - Nausea - Headaches - Muscle Tension - Heart palpitations
Yes, it's been really unpleasant. Apparently most of this is due to the "die-off effect." Candida can go anywhere in the body and cause problems, so as the yeast dies off, we can have die-off symptoms where the yeast was.
Let me explain the bloating symptom, because I want to complain (ha!) I didn't think to measure my belly before starting the cleanse, unfortunately, but I do know that I've been wearing a size 6 pant, which translates to a waist size of 27 1/2" as far as fashion sizes are concerned (not hip size, waist size.) I measured about an inch below my waist once I started measuring.
On day 2 the bloating began, and it was so bad that I couldn't even get my loose-fitting dresses to cover it up. I looked 7-8 months pregnant. I didn't take measurements until the after noon of day 3. Measuring at about half an inch below my belly button, I measured 36.5". The morning of day 4 I measured 34.5", at 1:30 that afternoon I was at 36", and at 7:30 pm I was at 37". Day 5 morning measurement was 36", afternoon was 37", and evening 36.5". This morning, day 6, I measured at 35" (but I forgot to measure until after taking my pills, which is an instant bloater - I looked my thinnest of the week this morning.) I'm currently at 36.5" after eating breakfast.
I don't think my belly could grow larger than 37" without bursting open! The bloating has been painful because I've felt stretched to my limit. My stomach has felt very firm, like a balloon filled to capacity. This isn't the jiggly "feeling fat" type of bloating - it's about as firm as possible. My clothing hasn't fit, so I haven't left the house. I'm sporting sweat pants and over sized shirts.
I don't know how long this cleanse will take, but I'm seriously looking forward to being done with it. Until it's done, it's dominating my thoughts. The discomfort is constant, and it's making me less interested in anything else for the time being.
Please leave a comment here on my blog or on Facebook with your candida experience. I want to hear what you've gone through on your cleanses!
I wrote this post on my phone on an airplane last Wednesday, 4 days ago. I wrote it in One Note and didn't have internet access to post it with. I'm sharing it with you "as is," meaning I'm not going through and changing or updating anything I said. This was a stream of consciousness type entry, and I want to honor that. ~~~~
I
recently saw this meme, and it's had me thinking. Whoever wrote this
must not have a debilitating chronic illness. How is it possible not to
think about and talk about a chronic illness when our lives must be
formed around it? Every day I take many supplements and pills twice a
day. I must stick to my very strict diet if I don't want a gut ache all
day (among other issues.) I can't go into many places, such as schools
or stores, without fearing fragrances or cleaners that could make me debilitatingly
sick. My life revolves around my body now. I must obey my body's needs
at all times, or I won't be able to function. If I don't talk about this
to others, how will I be able to make friends, attend events, or
participate in life? Because I struggle so much to fit in with most of
this world's norms, I need to explain myself to protect myself. That
said, I dislike dominating conversations with my chronic illness. I do
like to talk about other things more, and it does help when I can chat
for a while about topics that aren't about me.
I'm
writing this while traveling on a plane back home. In the airport
before boarding I ended up chatting with a guy who turned out to be from
my hometown of Boise, ID. He is a Mormon returning home from Virginia
from his 2 year mission. We chatted for close to an hour (flight was
delayed,) and we talked all about Boise, faith, and traveling. I didn't
have to bring up my illness at all, and I felt so normal. It made me so
happy to talk and laugh with a stranger about something we both love. I
didn't have to think about my current problems. I felt free - I got to
be me for that hour, not be sick me. I think this is the real point of
this meme. It's not possible to avoid owning our illnesses or talking
about them all the time, but when the opportunity arises to escape
talking about our illnesses, we need to take it.
On
a side note, I'm super excited for him. He finally gets to return home
to his girlfriend who he hasn't seen in two years. He was so nervous
that I couldn't help laughing in excitement.
I
just spent a month away from home with my parents and my doctor. I
didn't get to escape my health. I had to think about it every day, like I
have been for the past two years. Being away from home was refreshing,
but I'm still stuck with my personal reality no matter where I am. No, I
can't do as this meme says. What I can do is choose to focus my
energies on conversations not related to my health. I can choose to
enjoy my environment and surroundings. I can choose to put a smile on to
greet others, even when I'm grumpy from feeling sick. It isn't easy. In
fact, smiling can be really very difficult. But it's worth it. If other
people can see that you're making the best of life, they'll respond
positively and help you feel like a normal person.
I
needed to write this post, because I need to savor this time that I
have a clear head. Treatments helped so much, and I've regained enough
mental clarity to think without the influence of anxiety. My goodness, I
fought some scary bad anxiety attacks on this trip. When trapped in an
anxiety attack, it isn't possible to see the beauty in life or the
positives in my current life situation. I tried so hard to feel some
hope, but I couldn't find any hope at all. I was so consumed by fear
that I got lost somewhere in my brain and couldn't regain control. I
need to write this now as a testament to the fact that the real me isn't
an anxious person. The real me can laugh, connect with others, and look
forward to the future. The real me isn't self consumed. The sick me is
very self consumed and defensive.
I think it won't be long before I lose this good mood. I'm in a window seat next to two ladies. I don't smell them through my VogMask,
but my heart has been palpitating occasionally since we took off. I've
been fighting a mild reaction from Detroit's restrooms for a while, but
I'm handling it surprisingly well. I'm expecting to start breaking down
at some point. I may not, though, because I did just do a lot of heavy
detoxing this month and have been rejuvenated with immune system
boosting IVs and treatments. I'm also wearing my doctor's personal air
purifier, basically just a small unit I wear around my neck that
produces negative ions.
Conclusion:
Always take the opportunity to be positive when you're mentally
capable. It's hard. Do it anyway. Make the most of the times that you're
not consumed with anxiety, depression, brain fog, and pain. A little
bit of time feeling like a normal happy person goes a long way. But do
not deny your chronic illness. Do not pretend it doesn't exist. Most
importantly, you need to protect your health and sanity so you can have
the good times. There wont be good times if you don't take care of
yourself.
