My Candida Story

For people with recurring yeast infections

When I was a kid, my mother would pour weed killer on dandelions to try to grow more grass in our yard. Somehow, other weeds like crabgrass, plantain, and buttercups would spring up in their place despite repeated use of harsh herbicides. These other weeds were more persistent in taking over the lawn than dandelions.

How are stubborn weeds like a recurring yeast infection?

Just like weeds that keep coming back, yeast can return over and over again in Lyme disease patients

Yeast infections, also known as Candidiasis, is an overgrowth of the Candida species of yeast in the body. Candida albicans is the most common species and it can infect the mouth, genitals, or the entire body. Immune compromised patients, like people with Lyme disease, are more susceptible to yeast infections. In addition, antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease kills off beneficial bacteria, which increases the areas for yeast to grow in the body. Medications can help reduce a yeast infection.

Anti-fungal medications reduce yeast infections in the body

Symptoms of a yeast infection are: itching, redness, inflammation, cottage cheese-like discharge with a foul odor, white coating on the tongue and throat, asthma, psoriasis, or multiple sclerosis1. Some symptoms may be triggered by eating products containing refined sugars, wheat, or dairy. These symptoms include: fatigue, irritability, mood swings, bloating, or cramping pain. Many Lyme disease patients with yeast get relief from anti-fungal medications like Diflucan (fluconazole) or Nystatin. Unfortunately, yeast infections often return.

Supplements can also help reduce a yeast infection

Taking probiotics helps to resupply your system with healthy bacteria that prevent yeast from taking over. Garlic and grapefruit seed extract are also effective anti-yeast supplements. However, some patients have reactions to garlic or they dislike having garlic body odor. And some people are on medications which interact with grapefruit. Other herbs like lavender, echinachea, and tea tree can reduce yeast.

Are there other ways to help eliminate a recurring yeast infection?

There are three herbs that help to significantly reduce the recurring symptoms of a yeast infection

These anti-yeast herbs not only eliminate Candida, but also many other infectious germs.

Herb #1: Radix Gentianae, Chinese name: Long Dan Cao2

The properties of this herb are bitter, cold, clears heat, and reduces infection. This is used to treat jaundice, eczema, lack of appetite, abdominal fullness, genital itching, foul smelling yellow vaginal discharge, and yellow scanty urine. This herb is also used to treat stomach pain, headache, deafness, bitter taste in the mouth, red eyes, sexually transmitted diseases, seizures and convulsions, and infectious hepatitis. The ability of this herb to clear heat reduces symptoms of high fever, burning stomach pain, dry throat, severe tinnitus, ear pain or discharge, irritability, short temper, insomnia or nightmares, and constipation with yellow urine.

Long Dan Cao is contraindicated in patients with coldness in the stomach, anemia, and severe fatigue. Small doses of this herb before meals stimulate gastric acid production and enhance absorption. People with sensitive stomachs are encouraged to take this herb with food. This herb may be associated with drowsiness and sedation. People who take this herb should exercise caution while driving or operating machinery. This herb has a diuretic effect, so use with diuretic drugs may increase the elimination of water and electrolytes. This herb potentiates the effects of barbiturates.

Long Dan Cao has demonstrated liver protecting properties in mice studies. This herb is also effective in inhibiting Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus proteus, Salmonella typhi, Diplococcus meningitidis, Staphylococcus aureus (staph), and some dermaphytes. One extract of this herb, Gentiopicrin demonstrated toxicity for malaria parasites.

Herb #2: Herba Lysimachiae or gold money grass, Chinese name: Jin Qian Cao3

The properties of this herb are sweet, salty, cool, clears heat, and eliminates toxins. It is used to clear infections, reduce painful urination, clear kidney and gallbladder stones. It also treats stomach pain, distention, chest fullness, emotional instability, and frequent sighing. It is used to treat jaundice, skin sores, lesions, and snake bites. This herb can be applied topically or taken internally.

Research shows that it increases the production of bile in rats. In another study, it doubled the blood perfusion in the heart and kidneys of dogs. This herb inhibits the growth of Corynebacterium diphtheriae (diphtheria), Staphylococcus aureus (staph), Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans, and E. coli. This herb has a diuretic effect, so use with diuretic drugs may increase the elimination of water and electrolytes.

Herb #3: Caulis Lonicerae or honeysuckle stem, Chinese name: Ren Dong Teng4

The properties of this herb are sweet, cold, clears heat, eliminates toxins, and dispels infection. It is used to treat itching, swelling, redness, and burning pain. It also helps to relieve spasms and cramps in the intestines and the respitory tract. This herb inhibits the growth of Staphylococcus aureus (staph), Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus proteus, Bacillus dysenteriae, and H. suis. It is also used to treat a spirochete infection called leptospirosis. There are no known drug interactions at the time of publication.

How do you know that these herbs are working to kill off your yeast infection?

Patients report a significant reduction of yeast symptoms

After adding the above herbs to their anti-Lyme herbs, several patients have reported a decrease in vaginal discharge, increased energy, stamina and decreased brain fog in as little as one week. Several of these patients were also taking antibiotic medications. The right combination can help reduce persistent yeast infection symptoms.

The right herb combination can help you to stop a recurring yeast infection

Just like eliminating pesky weeds from your lawn, the proper combination of herbs helps you to stop a returning yeast infection. Since some of these herbs come with cautions on their use, work with a Lyme literate herbalist to develop a safe and effective herbal strategy for your condition

- Greg

1. Crook, William G. 1986. The yeast connection: a medical breakthrough. New York: Vintage Books.
2. Chen, John K., and Tina T. Chen. 2004. Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology. City of Industry CA: Art of Medicine Press, Inc., pp. 148 – 150.
3. Chen, John K., and Tina T. Chen. 2004. Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology. City of Industry CA: Art of Medicine Press, Inc., pp. 413 – 414.
4. Chen, John K., and Tina T. Chen. 2004. Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology. City of Industry CA: Art of Medicine Press, Inc., pp. 173 – 174.

There is no doubt that a yeast infection can be awfully bewildering. So many causes and so many symptoms! There is no way to tell the whole story in one short article. So, here are some beneficial tips to help you determine How To Cure A Yeast Infection permanently.

* Stop using antibiotics repeatedly. Also steroids are best avoided. The Yeast Infection is a yeast, that naturally occurs in your body, multiplying out of control and wreaking havoc throughout your body. It is flourishing out of hand as there is an imbalance in your body – actually a warning that something is not right. Good bacteria in your digestive tract should usually keep this Yeast in its correct quantity. Antibiotics kill good bacteria, as well as harmful ones, so further create imbalance. For you, this can mean your Yeast Infection keeps on recurring.

* Take a good look at your Diet. If it relies too heavily on sugar you will be helping the yeast to multiply as too much sugar “feeds” it. If you eat lots of overprocessed food and cook everything to death you are promoting acidity in your blood which makes an environment where many bacteria and viruses thrive. To encourage alkalinity start eating lots of vegetables – preferably raw and green. Eat lots of fruit – Yes, fruit can be acidic outside your body, but inside it promotes alkalinity. Switch to wholefoods with all their nutrients and enzymes intact. Include nuts, seeds and vegetable juices. Avoid foods containing fungus and mould, like mushrooms and white vinegar. Include Pro and Prebiotics.

* Try to strengthen your general well being and immune system to be more robust. This can only assist your body in its fight against infection and feeling underpar is a major cause for the start of a Yeast Infection. Look at starting a regular exercise programme. Take plenty of time for yourself – relax, have fun,slow down! Have massages or try other relaxing therapies, and practices like Yoga. Don’t overwork and over stress!

Above all, a Yeast Infection is an internal problem. It won’t be cured by externally applied creams and such like. You must discover the inner cause of your Yeast Infection and treating the whole of your body is the only surefire way How to Cure A Yeast Infection. This is known as following a Holistic, or Natural Yeast Infection Cure. The best way to do this is to follow a step by step Holistic Plan so you can systematically treat all the causes and so achieve a permanent cure.

The most important thing you need to know about thrush, candida and yeast infections is that they are all only symptoms of a bigger problem.

Many people carry yeast in and on their bodies without even knowing. It is a natural organism, known as candida albicans, and is normally found in the intestines, vagina, mouth and skin, where ‘friendly’ bacteria help to keep yeast levels low. However, when this balance is disrupted and the yeast is allowed to grow unchecked, it causes havoc in the body.

The vagina is one of the areas most likely to be affected by yeast infections and these are more commonly referred to as thrush. Although the vagina is generally too acidic for yeast to grow out of control, it is sensitive to small changes and can easily become an ideal environment for yeast to flourish. Too much, and the vaginal tissues become irritated, leading to the itching and burning sensations, which are the typical symptoms of thrush.

Most people view thrush, candida and yeast infections as minor problems, exclusive to women. But this is totally incorrect. As many as 75% of humans will be afflicted with one of the many types of this irritation at some point in our lives, whether it be in the form of nappy rash, the white coating on the cheeks and tongue of oral thrush, an itchy weeping sweat rash in a skin fold, or a slight soreness around the tip of the penis which men ignore and can then pass on to their female partners during sex..

For some people, the yeast can proliferate and leech into the bloodstream infesting other parts of the body and releasing toxins which, in addition to the usual vaginal thrush, can also be responsible for causing cystitis, eczema, blotchy skin, dryness, itching, oral thrush, sinus problems, constipation, diarrhea, restless sleep, bloating, lack of energy, mood swings, cravings for sweet food, food allergies and many more.

These yeast spores can remain dormant for years and then suddenly flare up resulting in an outbreak of any of the above. Many health professionals persist in handing out prescriptions that treat only the symptoms and this can result in a return of the infections in ever more virulent forms until they become resistant to the available drugs.

This means that it is down to you to take responsibility for your health and to start investigating the causes. Isolating what it is that worsens the symptoms for you personally.

Repeated doses of antibiotics are a well-known trigger, as is a diet rich in yeast, fungus, sugar and refined, processed produce. The physiological effects of stress are also a major factor in providing an environment which encourages the overgrowth of candida.

Unfortunately, antibiotics are often used to ‘cure’ the problems mentioned previously as being caused by candida and yeast infections so, again, an ever repeating cycle of problem/medication/problem is set in motion.

If you search the internet, you will discover all sorts of natural ‘cures’, but so many of these are replicating the problems with the pharmaceutical method in that they treat the symptoms of thrush, candida and yeast infections, not the root cause.

At the end of the day, you need to make a lifestyle choice and properly address the issues behind your susceptibility to candidiasis.

(c) Copyright – Joanna Cake. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

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If you’re suffering with any of the symptoms of thrush, candida or yeast infections, you really need to visit this site before you start a course of antibiotics or other pharmaceutical intervention.

http://www.treatthrushcandidaandyeastinfections.com

Joanna Cake is a life blogger who writes about health, parenting, anorexia, menopause, sexual relationships and intimacy.

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