[Timbit]

Bruin, what do you think of Salika's earlier posts about candida and how only naturopathic doctors take it seriously?

[Bruinrab]

Originally Posted by Timbit

Bruin, what do you think of Salika's earlier posts about candida and how only naturopathic doctors take it seriously?

Hehe, trying to draw out my biases, huh? She's probably right that most people don't take it seriously.

Here's my perspective. Candida is a small part of the "natural flora". It's on your skin and in your body from the time you're born. Your body manages to keep it in check, especially with the help of all the other natural flora around. However, it can overgrow, particularly in cases where a person has an immunodeficiency or when the balance of natural flora is disturbed (eg, severe antibiotic overuse - although c. difficile diarrhea is more likely). When it overgrows, it's pretty obvious that something's wrong and the person is visibly ill.

But a normal, healthy, young person should not be suffering from clinically significant candida overgrowth, since they should immunity to it (in fact, a candida skin sensitivity test is often used to test whether a patient's immune system is working properly).

In Salika's case, it sounds like the changes she's made have helped her. But that doesn't really prove that she was suffering from candida overgrowth. It's more likely that she has some food sensitivities, and the restricted diet is reducing how reactive her immune system is. That in turn is reducing her skin problems. The reason I suggest this is that acne has a significant inflammatory component, and both allergy and inflammation are regulated by the immune system (which is also affected by stress).

The threat advisory system is a good analogy. If you're healthy, your immune system should be at threat level blue at baseline. However, if you're constantly exposed to something you're sensitive to, you live at yellow. Add in stress, and the system goes to orange. Now, because you're always vigilant, your threshold for reacting to threats is very low - you often inflict collateral damage while trying to keep things under control. Your body overreacts to the bacteria on the skin and forms pimples, even though those bacteria are just minding their own business. Take away the sensitizing substance, and you go back to yellow. If you can reduce stress as well, you can go back to blue and everyone's happy.

[flutterz]

i might as well just fall off the face of the earth!

[Salika]

Originally Posted by Bruinrab

Hehe, trying to draw out my biases, huh? She's probably right that most people don't take it seriously.

Here's my perspective. Candida is a small part of the "natural flora". It's on your skin and in your body from the time you're born. Your body manages to keep it in check, especially with the help of all the other natural flora around. However, it can overgrow, particularly in cases where a person has an immunodeficiency or when the balance of natural flora is disturbed (eg, severe antibiotic overuse - although c. difficile diarrhea is more likely). When it overgrows, it's pretty obvious that something's wrong and the person is visibly ill.

But a normal, healthy, young person should not be suffering from clinically significant candida overgrowth, since they should immunity to it (in fact, a candida skin sensitivity test is often used to test whether a patient's immune system is working properly).

In Salika's case, it sounds like the changes she's made have helped her. But that doesn't really prove that she was suffering from candida overgrowth. It's more likely that she has some food sensitivities, and the restricted diet is reducing how reactive her immune system is. That in turn is reducing her skin problems. The reason I suggest this is that acne has a significant inflammatory component, and both allergy and inflammation are regulated by the immune system (which is also affected by stress).

The threat advisory system is a good analogy. If you're healthy, your immune system should be at threat level blue at baseline. However, if you're constantly exposed to something you're sensitive to, you live at yellow. Add in stress, and the system goes to orange. Now, because you're always vigilant, your threshold for reacting to threats is very low - you often inflict collateral damage while trying to keep things under control. Your body overreacts to the bacteria on the skin and forms pimples, even though those bacteria are just minding their own business. Take away the sensitizing substance, and you go back to yellow. If you can reduce stress as well, you can go back to blue and everyone's happy.

Thanks for that stuff bruinrab. I, as well as my doctor, suspect gluten.

The thing is I was on birth control for years (for acne, during my teen years) and took antibiotics for 9 months straight (to treat TB)... so I don't know how that would change your analysis, would it? Plus, not completing the candida cleanse but not eating any significant amount of food away from what I should be caused my face to start breaking out again so I don't know if it's food.... it's so confusing

In any case though, hopefully once my face clears up my doc and I will play around with foods and see if I react to anything specific to rule out the possibiltiy of food sensitivies. Thanks again.

[iSHi]

So um..I'm kinda thinking I need to go to the doctors office. Espcially since I haven't had a physical for like 2 years. BUt I have no health insurance. I'm looking online, and they have short term plan, some include medicine coverage..but i'm not sure what I should be looking for. I know of a clinic you can go to for $15 for a check up. But I'm thinking I might want to ask for Accutane or something of the sort. Anyways, I'm just confused and don't know what to do. Thanks ladies.

[Bruinrab]

Originally Posted by Salika

Thanks for that stuff bruinrab. I, as well as my doctor, suspect gluten.

The thing is I was on birth control for years (for acne, during my teen years) and took antibiotics for 9 months straight (to treat TB)... so I don't know how that would change your analysis, would it? Plus, not completing the candida cleanse but not eating any significant amount of food away from what I should be caused my face to start breaking out again so I don't know if it's food.... it's so confusing

In any case though, hopefully once my face clears up my doc and I will play around with foods and see if I react to anything specific to rule out the possibiltiy of food sensitivies. Thanks again.

The TB meds and birth control shouldn't have affected candida or other fungal/bacterial levels much. However, both can affect liver function (the TB meds are potentially worse), so it's possible that may in turn have affected your skin to an extent.

Gluten sensitivity is certainly possible, and when a person is sensitive to one thing...they're often sensitive to other things. One method for identifying food sensitivities is to restrict how quickly you add foods to the diet. Perhaps you could go back to the strict diet for a couple weeks? Then you would add foods back one at a time, with several days between each addition. If you react, you cut that food out, and return to level of restriction you were at before that food.

For example, let's say you are eating A, B, and C. You add D...no reaction. Then you add E...still no reaction. You add F and suddenly break out...now you go back to an A, B, C, D, E diet until your skin settles down again. Then you try G...and so on.

This is the same way you're supposed to add foods to a baby's diet to make sure they don't have allergies.

[Bruinrab]

Originally Posted by iSHi

So um..I'm kinda thinking I need to go to the doctors office. Espcially since I haven't had a physical for like 2 years. BUt I have no health insurance. I'm looking online, and they have short term plan, some include medicine coverage..but i'm not sure what I should be looking for. I know of a clinic you can go to for $15 for a check up. But I'm thinking I might want to ask for Accutane or something of the sort. Anyways, I'm just confused and don't know what to do. Thanks ladies.

Accutane is highly restricted - only dermatologists can prescribe it. A checkup isn't a bad idea, especially since you haven't had one in a while, and the clinic would be fine for that. If you're over 21, it's time to consider having a first visit to the gynecologist, just ask around to try to find one you're comfortable with.

[iSHi]

Originally Posted by Bruinrab

Accutane is highly restricted - only dermatologists can prescribe it. A checkup isn't a bad idea, especially since you haven't had one in a while, and the clinic would be fine for that. If you're over 21, it's time to consider having a first visit to the gynecologist, just ask around to try to find one you're comfortable with.

Well there's other things...nvm. I think I should PM you. Dude you should totally get paid for all the consultations you've been giving. I'm 19. i'm NEVER going to a gynecologist EVER. They scare me.

[Pushpa]

Originally Posted by sumiyia

so zakk, laimuun, affa, chotoomotoo... who else? when are your due dates?

Yup, me Due date = June 17 - exactly 10 days before Laimuun...

And Chotoo?! Congratulations

Welcome back, thejellymill!

I need fooddd.

[Salika]

Originally Posted by iSHi

Well there's other things...nvm. I think I should PM you. Dude you should totally get paid for all the consultations you've been giving. I'm 19. i'm NEVER going to a gynecologist EVER. They scare me.

My dad is a gyn... but ya... I've never gone to one either

[sally]

im thinking of going all out and getting myself a new look..well um, kinda old but new anyway...used to have dyed red hair and now i wanna go back..sigh. and sometimes im like way too attached to my naturally black hair

WHAT TO DO

[farah]

Originally Posted by iSHi

So um..I'm kinda thinking I need to go to the doctors office. Espcially since I haven't had a physical for like 2 years. BUt I have no health insurance. I'm looking online, and they have short term plan, some include medicine coverage..but i'm not sure what I should be looking for. I know of a clinic you can go to for $15 for a check up. But I'm thinking I might want to ask for Accutane or something of the sort. Anyways, I'm just confused and don't know what to do. Thanks ladies.

omg, accutane is SO FRIGGING EXPENSIVE!!! $60-$80/month for the pills alone (depending on your dosage), monthly dermotologist visits ($20/visit) and monthly (though sometimes less) blood tests (like $40-$60/visit). ALHUMDULILLAH, i only took it for like 6 months.

[farah]

on an unrelated note, i'm sooo unmotivated lately. i hate this time of the school year -- i don't wanna do ANYTHING.

[Sugarberry]

Originally Posted by farah

hm alhumdulillah, my issue isn't really the hair. i have hashimoto's thyroiditis, which basically just results in me getting hypothyroidism and a lot of minor hormone imbalances (and i really don't want to take BC for it the rest of my life). but i also have symptoms of keratosis pilaris, which i've read can be linked to candida as well. i already took the questionnaire, and it says i've likely got a chance of a candida infection.

my general practice doc seems pretty open to whatever i wanna do, so i'll ask her to test me for candida overgrowth. my other docs are a little

please please keep me updated with what your people say (whether through PM or whatever)! i'm definitely interested to see if there's any diff...

holy crap....your like a biology experiment.