Question About Coconut As An Antifungal

[dbmamaz]

Short version of my question: My stomach has been bad and my rx for antifungals (from my ob-gyn) ran out. Yesterday, craving sweets, I decided to eat the regular sweetened shredded coconut you buy in a bag at the grocery store, for baking, since i've read here that coconut is an antifungal. I probably ate about a cup of it, just plain. Well, this morning i woke up with total D . . . could this be die-off, or is it more likely (given my massive amounts of food allergies/sensitivities) that i'm just reacting badly to the coconut?

The longer background on whats up with me - started w wheat/milk 'allergies' dx'd by food challenges before age 1, due to constant D. Later lived in a house w copper pipes and well water, and spent 2 years on antibiotics in hs for acne, by the time I was 20 I had constant yeast infections. My stomach had been problematic my whole life, but was also at its worst during this period. I ended up taking nystatin orally probably every 5 years when the yeast was out of control.

about 16 mo ago my ob-gyn gave me a years worth of (dont remember - some 1-shot antifungal pill) to take whenever I had a yeast infection. The first pill sent me running to the bathroom in the middle of the night w horrible cramping and D. I thought it was a bad reaction to the pill. Then this past november, I quit gluten and dairy, and later had all sorts of testing and i'm now on a very restrictive diet - but not under the care of a doctor. After reading here, i gave the antifungal another try, and didnt have such a bad reaction - becuase it was probably a massive die-off that first time. When I stay gluten-free, my yeast is better. However, i eventually realized vinegar was also setting off my stomach - but the antifungal cleared that up and i avoided vinegar.

These days, any time i eat something that really bothers me (like i get glutened or something), my yeast flares up and my stomach flares up (yellow or green slime), and i take an antifungal. But . . . i ran out of antifungals. I"m afraid to even tell my ob-gyn why i want more - i take it more for my stomach, now, than for my yeast infections. I did call one dr who was recomended to me here, but he's closed for the holidays.

thanks for any and all responses and advice! Oh, i also got some raspberry leaf tea, which i've read is an antifungal, and i might stop at the hfs to see if they have any of the ones you guys talk about - caprylic acid and pau d' arco tea

[Rachel--24]

Short version of my question: My stomach has been bad and my rx for antifungals (from my ob-gyn) ran out. Yesterday, craving sweets, I decided to eat the regular sweetened shredded coconut you buy in a bag at the grocery store, for baking, since i've read here that coconut is an antifungal. I probably ate about a cup of it, just plain. Well, this morning i woke up with total D . . . could this be die-off, or is it more likely (given my massive amounts of food allergies/sensitivities) that i'm just reacting badly to the coconut?

Didnt you post in another thread that you reacted to an ingredient in something you ate/drank?? I vaguely recall responding to your post and asking if it was sulfites that you reacted to.....sicne that would have been the most obvious offender.

Anyways, shredded coconut (dessicated) is preserved with sulfites. It sounds to me like you're sensitive to sulfites.

No.... to my knowledge shredded coconut would not cause a die-off reaction.

[linda7276]

Short version of my question: My stomach has been bad and my rx for antifungals (from my ob-gyn) ran out. Yesterday, craving sweets, I decided to eat the regular sweetened shredded coconut you buy in a bag at the grocery store, for baking, since i've read here that coconut is an antifungal. I probably ate about a cup of it, just plain. Well, this morning i woke up with total D . . . could this be die-off, or is it more likely (given my massive amounts of food allergies/sensitivities) that i'm just reacting badly to the coconut?

The longer background on whats up with me - started w wheat/milk 'allergies' dx'd by food challenges before age 1, due to constant D. Later lived in a house w copper pipes and well water, and spent 2 years on antibiotics in hs for acne, by the time I was 20 I had constant yeast infections. My stomach had been problematic my whole life, but was also at its worst during this period. I ended up taking nystatin orally probably every 5 years when the yeast was out of control.

about 16 mo ago my ob-gyn gave me a years worth of (dont remember - some 1-shot antifungal pill) to take whenever I had a yeast infection. The first pill sent me running to the bathroom in the middle of the night w horrible cramping and D. I thought it was a bad reaction to the pill. Then this past november, I quit gluten and dairy, and later had all sorts of testing and i'm now on a very restrictive diet - but not under the care of a doctor. After reading here, i gave the antifungal another try, and didnt have such a bad reaction - becuase it was probably a massive die-off that first time. When I stay gluten-free, my yeast is better. However, i eventually realized vinegar was also setting off my stomach - but the antifungal cleared that up and i avoided vinegar.

These days, any time i eat something that really bothers me (like i get glutened or something), my yeast flares up and my stomach flares up (yellow or green slime), and i take an antifungal. But . . . i ran out of antifungals. I"m afraid to even tell my ob-gyn why i want more - i take it more for my stomach, now, than for my yeast infections. I did call one dr who was recomended to me here, but he's closed for the holidays.

thanks for any and all responses and advice! Oh, i also got some raspberry leaf tea, which i've read is an antifungal, and i might stop at the hfs to see if they have any of the ones you guys talk about - caprylic acid and pau d' arco tea

Hi, Coconut contains caprylic acid so it does have antifungal properties, but I'm pretty sure the processed stuff in the store, especially sweetened (sugar) doesn't count. If someone knows better let me know but I'm pretty sure it's not. I use coconut milk for it's health benefits, no sugar in it...some do have sugar so you have to read the labels. Also Virgin Coconut Oil is wonderful too...very stable for cooking, and it has the medium chain fatty acids so they are used for energy and not stored as fat. It has natural antibiotic and antifungal properties. It got a bad name some time ago, but it along with Olive oil is a very good oil,I recommend it to everyone I know. Good luck, I hope this helps.

Here are a couple of links re Coconut Oil.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[dbmamaz]

Didnt you post in another thread that you reacted to an ingredient in something you ate/drank?? I vaguely recall responding to your post and asking if it was sulfites that you reacted to.....sicne that would have been the most obvious offender.

Anyways, shredded coconut (dessicated) is preserved with sulfites. It sounds to me like you're sensitive to sulfites.

No.... to my knowledge shredded coconut would not cause a die-off reaction.

I remember that thread but i dont THINK you were responding to me. According to my A.L.C.A.T test, I am moderately reactive to sodium sulfite (which is in lemon juice, and I did see a reaction to bottled lemon juice but not to fresh) - but this coconut only has sodium metabisfulfite, which I did not react to on my test. Not to coconut either.

All i know is i feel awfully sick . . . runs, nausea, sunken eyes and pale face, dont much want to eat . . . except I do feel hungry, shaky hungry. My stomach has been bad for close to a week now, and it keeps getting worse. If i dont feel better monday, maybe i'll go see the regular doctor . . . who will just tell me its a virus . . . but its not . . .

[Rachel--24]

I remember that thread but i dont THINK you were responding to me. According to my A.L.C.A.T test, I am moderately reactive to sodium sulfite (which is in lemon juice, and I did see a reaction to bottled lemon juice but not to fresh) - but this coconut only has sodium metabisfulfite, which I did not react to on my test. Not to coconut either.

Yeah....I was responding to you....because you said that you reacted to the lemon juice. If you react to bottled lemon juice.....and not fresh lemon...then to me that says you're probably reacting to the sulfites.

Sulfites...are sulfites.... if you're sensitive you will react to all of them.

The most important thing to remember is that you need to listen to your body above all else. The A.L.C.A.T. is not a perfect test....there is no perfect test for food intolerances.

I have never heard of someone who is sensitive to sulfites....and yet only reacting to one type of sulfite.

Heres a list of sulfites used in many processed foods....and also fresh grapes.

sodium sulfite

sodium bisulfite

sodium metabisulfite

potassium bisulfite

potassium metabisulfite

Sulfites are common preservatives used in foods and medications. Sulfites can also occur naturally in foods such as fermented beverages and wines.

You can test them if you arent sure. My guess is that you'll react to them all.

[Rachel--24]

Hi, Coconut contains caprylic acid so it does have antifungal properties, but I'm pretty sure the processed stuff in the store, especially sweetened (sugar) doesn't count. If someone knows better let me know but I'm pretty sure it's not.

Yup....the high quality coconut oils are good for alot of things. Coconut oil does have antifungal properties...but the shredded store bought stuff that is preserved with sulfites is definately not going to be resulting in any die-off of yeast.

[purple]

Yeah....I was responding to you....because you said that you reacted to the lemon juice. If you react to bottled lemon juice.....and not fresh lemon...then to me that says you're probably reacting to the sulfites.

Sulfites...are sulfites.... if you're sensitive you will react to all of them.

The most important thing to remember is that you need to listen to your body above all else. The A.L.C.A.T. is not a perfect test....there is no perfect test for food intolerances.

I have never heard of someone who is sensitive to sulfites....and yet only reacting to one type of sulfite.

Heres a list of sulfites used in many processed foods....and also fresh grapes.

sodium sulfite

sodium bisulfite

sodium metabisulfite

potassium bisulfite

potassium metabisulfite

Sulfites are common preservatives used in foods and medications. Sulfites can also occur naturally in foods such as fermented beverages and wines.

You can test them if you arent sure. My guess is that you'll react to them all.

So... what about sulpha (sp?) My husband was allergic to it some 45 years ago. Is it a sulphite? I think he is allergic to gluten, has some minor symptoms. Thanks for your intelligent answer, I still think you should be a doctor.

[Juliebove]

If the pill you were taking was Diflucan, that can indeed make you very ill. It did me! Very sick to my stomach. And it didn't help.

Coconut is indeed an antifungal but you must have the unsweetened kind. Either buy a whole coconut or get the kind in the green bag that is just dehydrated with no additives. Sorry, I can't remember the name. Ah... Just looked it up. Let's Do Organic. Looks like Bob's Red Mill also has an unsweetened but I don't know if that has additives and I know it has an iffy reputation for being gluten-free.

You can also use coconut oil. I get the Nutiva brand. Some people eat it by the spoonful, but I prefer to pop popcorn in it and use it for baking. If I must, I will take a small amount on a bite of cracker or bread. Easier for me to do perhaps because I don't have gluten issues.

Also keep in mind that coconut can detox you. So if that was what was happening, you might feel worse before you feel better. But I'd be willing to bet it was the sugar in it, if not the sulfites that caused your distress.

[Rachel--24]

So... what about sulpha (sp?) My husband was allergic to it some 45 years ago. Is it a sulphite? I think he is allergic to gluten, has some minor symptoms. Thanks for your intelligent answer, I still think you should be a doctor.

If he is allergic to sulfa drugs...that would be a seperate issue which is unrelated to sulfites. Sulfa and sulfites are not chemically the same....they have different properties and functions.

People can have problems with both but they are two different things.

[dbmamaz]

Well, thanks again for all the feedback.

I dont think it was diflucan, but whatever it was, it only bothered me the first time, and after that it seemed like a miracle drug, clearing up both yeast and stomach symptoms.

I read some about sulphites . .. pretty depressing, really. I"m on a totally limited diet, my son reacted to gluten and then to several of my staples, my littlest one reacts to food dyes and i'm starting to wonder about preservatives .. . maybe sulphites .. . and I still feel sick . .. still have the runs . still have cramps . . . starting to hope its a bug . .. . and of course i have the whole holiday weekend to spend letting it run its course. But if i'm still sick monday, i WILL go to the doctor . . . who will tell me its a virus. If i insist on a stool test . .. ugg . . i have to go home and collect poo and take it in? Do you have any idea how much I DONT want to do that?

[Ken70]

Well, thanks again for all the feedback.

I dont think it was diflucan, but whatever it was, it only bothered me the first time, and after that it seemed like a miracle drug, clearing up both yeast and stomach symptoms.

I read some about sulphites . .. pretty depressing, really. I"m on a totally limited diet, my son reacted to gluten and then to several of my staples, my littlest one reacts to food dyes and i'm starting to wonder about preservatives .. . maybe sulphites .. . and I still feel sick . .. still have the runs . still have cramps . . . starting to hope its a bug . .. . and of course i have the whole holiday weekend to spend letting it run its course. But if i'm still sick monday, i WILL go to the doctor . . . who will tell me its a virus. If i insist on a stool test . .. ugg . . i have to go home and collect poo and take it in? Do you have any idea how much I DONT want to do that?

Have you eaten tomatoes recently? Several people I know have had the same symptoms as you recently, including myself. I have a feeling it's related to the salmonella outbreak somehow. I thought I was having a food reaction but it lasted for days and wasn't fixed by diet.

[purple]

If he is allergic to sulfa drugs...that would be a seperate issue which is unrelated to sulfites. Sulfa and sulfites are not chemically the same....they have different properties and functions.

People can have problems with both but they are two different things.

Thanks for letting me know!

[RiceGuy]

Here's one product I'm aware of for dealing with candida:

Open Original Shared Link

I've tried many brands of coconut oil, and the only one which tastes good IMO is from Indonesia, and is extracted by centrifuge. Too pricey for me, unfortunately, but worth it if you can get it. Here's the link: Open Original Shared Link

[dbmamaz]

ok, so . . i feel better. Maybe it was just a bug. Dont you hate that? You just never know what hits you sometimes . . . could have been a tomato, or a virus, or a glutening, or yeast, or sulfites ... ugg

[ShayFL]

Have you eaten tomatoes recently? Several people I know have had the same symptoms as you recently, including myself. I have a feeling it's related to the salmonella outbreak somehow. I thought I was having a food reaction but it lasted for days and wasn't fixed by diet.

I have been having bloating and D for a few days myself and I know I was not CC. I made cilantro dressing and ate it for a few days. They are now thinking the Salmonella could be tomatoes, cilantro and other ingredients in salsas too. I am wondering.......