Posted by Flash (213.123.77.62) on October 14, 2000 at 08:56:44:
YES - YOU TOO!!!
First off this post has NOTHING to do with shrooms!
Here is what I want EVERYONE to do - regardless of wether you normally post stuff or not:
First thing in the morning, before you do anything else.
Get a clear glass and fill it with tap water.
Muster up some saliva.
Spit it into the glass.
In a normal healthy person, the spit chould stay together in a regular shaped blob, and FLOAT on the water.
It should not do the following:
1) Turn into an greyish opaque slime.
2) Spread tendrils down to the base of the glass.
3) Break up and spread across the surface of the water.
4) Slowly sink.
If it does, then you are almost certainly suffering from a candida related condition.
POST ALL RESULTS HERE. This is important, we need to know.
OK - your either thinking:
What is candida? Not another half baked theory.
Oh no, not candida again.
Well try the test (don't drink anything, or brush your teeth beforehand). If you don't believe the results, then have a healty spouse try it too.
But please post the result! DJ - Todd, this really needs to be done as an emergency survey, with a proper button.
Margi - I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your post on candida. You may have saved my life.
Now to answer your questions:
Candida is a type of thrush that is naturally present in the human body. It plays a delicate balancing act with bacteria that live in the gut. If the bacteria is killed off then the yeast becomes predominant and this cause a lot of problems. Ultimately it can be fatal.
I must stress that eating yeast etc, has nothing to do with this condition. This is a different type of yeast especially adapated to living in the human body.
Think of the yeast as bad, and the bacteria is good. The bacteria is the same type as you find in bio yoghurt etc.
Now the important thing is that once the yeast starts to take over, it CANNOT be stopped WITHOUT medical assistance. It will never clear up without prescription drugs. Diet changes are also required.
There are several things that can kill of the bacteria. Various illnesses etc. However the most common one is prolonged or frequent use of certain antibiotics, antacid remedies and cortisteroids.
Once the bacteria is gone, the yeast starts to take over, and here is what happens:
1) It takes over large sections of the intestinal wall, sometimes all of it.
2) It gives you the runs.
3) Some of the good bacteria comes back, and this stops the runs.
4) The yeast reproduces and then penetrates the intestinal wall.
5) The yeast travel around and though every part of your body.
6) Food escape through the holes in the intestinal wall too.
7) Food particles enter the blood stream.
8) The immune system is now forced to deal with the food particles. Lots of them.
9) The food particles (and this is proven) cross the blood brain barrier.
Almost every syndrome with no apparent is probably caused by this mechanism. In two seperate trials, people living on disability benefit were tested. These people included:
ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers.
Irritable Bowel Syndrom sufferers.
Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome sufferers.
Cluster headache (Horton's Syndrome) sufferers.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Sight impairment.
Hearing impairment.
Depression.
And many many more.
The trials took in a total of 1800 people, 1200 and 600 respectively.
In each case over 98% of these people, who all had chronic and completely debilitating variants of their conditions were treated with antifungal medication, and also a special diet for between 3 and 12 months.
Now get this. Over 90% of them made full recoveries, often after years of suffering. Yes NINETY%.
The reason I am so excited is thus:
In 1984 I was prescribed a treatment of cyclic antibiotics to treat acne. The consisted of taking 3 different type of antibiotics (all of which are proven to kill the good bacteria - hey it's their job!). I had to take each antibiotic for one month, before switching to the next. I had to repaet this cycle 4 times. In other words I took those tablets for 12 months! Now I get to swear! Did it do the acne any good Flash? Did it fuck! All it did was give me:
1) In 1984 I developed athletes foot. I have tried for 16 years to cure this. I must have spent a couple of grand on it!
2) In 1985 I developed cluster headaches.
3) In 1994 I noticed that my vision was deteriorating. However somedays it was worse than others.
4) In 1996 I developed a yeast infection; round my neck, under my arms, between my legs, inside my elbows, inside my knees. This took 12 months to clear up.
5) In 1997 MPVS became symptomatic.
6) Also in 1997 my athletes foot infected all my toenails.
7) In 1998 I developed IBS.
8) In 1999 my muscles became highly supseptible to damage during exercise. Taking 6 months to heal.
9) This year my knees started to ache all the time, especially in the mornings.
10)Also this year my hearing has become impaired, although this also varies from day today.
In my only two longterm sexual relationships, my partners have frequently caught thrush from me. I realise that this is more information than you wanted!
Now it has always struck me, that us cluster heads have more medical complaints than the average person. I always felt embarresed at how feeble my system was, often I didn't even go to the doctor for fear of being considered a moaner. I was almost embarresed to type all that stuff, but looking at it I can see that there is way too much smoke for there not to be...
And then I tried the spit test. And failed it miserably. My saliva is absolutly loaded with yeast. I know what yeast looks like in water because I'm into homebrew, and my saliva IS yeast.
Here are some links:
http://cassia.org/CanDiscussion.htm
http://members.aol.com/docdarren/med/candida.html
http://www.panix.com/%7Ecandida/
http://www.infosky.net/~alexmi/candida.htm
See for yourself.
In the meantime, tomorrow morning I want spit test results from everyone who comes to this board.
Flash