Egd / How Many Have Been Diag With Candida Besides Celiac Or Gluten Intolerance

[Susan123]

Be careful with taking acidophillus with some antibiotics. I am taking Macrobid and magnesium inhibits the abosorption of it. Acidophillus supplements sometimes has magnesium as an ingredient. My doctor said that macrobid doesn't cause yeast infections. Does anybody know if that is true? I am on a least a month of Macrobid and nervous about it.

[Rachel--24]

Good information!

And how long is the typical time period that I must stay on this diet? A year? Does that mean I shouldn't have potatos or rice either for a whole year?

Also, whatelse could be my underlying problem besides the gluten intolerance thing?

The sooner you get rid of all the underlying causes which are allowing Candida to overgrow the sooner your gut will heal and intolernaces will go away. The doctor on the radio show explains all this stuff really well....also about the diet and such. I've researched Candida, read several books but I dont buy into everything I read online. I believe this doctor has it right when it comes to Candida overgrowth. You may only have Celiac Disease but there can also be other factors that go along with that. If you were to stay on a strict candida diet for a year it would be extemely unhealthy... Candida diets are VERY strict. They will work but as soon as you go off the diet symptoms will return if the underlying reason for Candida is still there. Candida should not be extremely dificult to control...if it is there is likely something else going on. I did the strictest form of the diet for 4 months...no fruit. I went off the diet 6 months ago....only making sure to be gluten-free...and I now have candida overgrowth again. It could NOT be from gluten at this point and I've been gluten-free long enough to have started healing. Further testing showed the C-Diff infection. If I never got diagnosed w/ that infection I'd have candida and food intolerances indefinately...no matter what I did.

Be careful with taking acidophillus with some antibiotics. I am taking Macrobid and magnesium inhibits the abosorption of it. Acidophillus supplements sometimes has magnesium as an ingredient. My doctor said that macrobid doesn't cause yeast infections. Does anybody know if that is true? I am on a least a month of Macrobid and nervous about it.

Whats Macrobid? Antibiotics cause yeast infections...I'm not sure if Macrobid is an antibiotic or not?

[danikali]

The sooner you get rid of all the underlying causes which are allowing Candida to overgrow the sooner your gut will heal and intolernaces will go away. The doctor on the radio show explains all this stuff really well....also about the diet and such. I've researched Candida, read several books but I dont buy into everything I read online. I believe this doctor has it right when it comes to Candida overgrowth. You may only have Celiac Disease but there can also be other factors that go along with that. If you were to stay on a strict candida diet for a year it would be extemely unhealthy... Candida diets are VERY strict. They will work but as soon as you go off the diet symptoms will return if the underlying reason for Candida is still there. Candida should not be extremely dificult to control...if it is there is likely something else going on. I did the strictest form of the diet for 4 months...no fruit. I went off the diet 6 months ago....only making sure to be gluten-free...and I now have candida overgrowth again. It could NOT be from gluten at this point and I've been gluten-free long enough to have started healing. Further testing showed the C-Diff infection. If I never got diagnosed w/ that infection I'd have candida and food intolerances indefinately...no matter what I did.

Whats Macrobid? Antibiotics cause yeast infections...I'm not sure if Macrobid is an antibiotic or not?

Rachel, thank you by the way for always being so helpful and informative!

Anyway, so what kind of doctors do the kind of tests that could find infections like the one that you have? It sounds like you have a special kind of doctor who doesn't just go to med. school and stick with the information in the old books he's read 20 years ago! where do I find a doctor like that? As you know, I have the appointment with the dietician next Tuesday, but she wouldn't be able to do tests on me, would she? She's just for food, right? How come I'm fine when I eat natural foods that have not been processed AT ALL, but as soon as I add any candy, or processed foods, or alcohol, I'm back to my old stomach problems? Could a casein intolerance be an underlying problem? I'm waiting for my results on that now, and I've never been completely dairy free.......so maybe?

Also, did this doctor say where you got this infection from? How does this happen?

I feel like I'm a computer with a really bad virus that constantly creates new problems.......ahy yai yai!

[Rachel--24]

Dani,

I have answers to all your questions but will get back here later...after work.

[danikali]

Dani,

I have answers to all your questions but will get back here later...after work.

THANKS!!!

[Rachel--24]

Anyway, so what kind of doctors do the kind of tests that could find infections like the one that you have? It sounds like you have a special kind of doctor who doesn't just go to med. school and stick with the information in the old books he's read 20 years ago! where do I find a doctor like that?

I think this is the hardest part. I just got really lucky finding my doctors. I had done so much research and kind of had hunches as to what was going on with my body but I couldn't find any doctor who seemed to be on the same "page". Not even close. They kept wanting to send me to the ENT and to the shrink. Having someone look in my ears, nose and throat just wasnt cutting it anymore. I also saw an alternative doctor who basically just agreed with everything I said so I was basically paying to be my own doctor. Not good. What I like about these doctors is they look for the actual cause of symptoms. They dig deep. They dont just say "oh...take this and you'll feel better" and they dont just say "Oh...you've got gluten intolerance...just stay off gluten and you'll be fine". If you're not fine...theres a reason and they know how to find it because they know alot about gluten intolerance and how it affects the body. I'm sure you've figured out I like to research stuff...well for me this is an awesome experience. I'm learning alot. I go to a BioHealth clinic...BioHealth Diagnostics is the lab that runs all these tests.

I'm in CA and this is where they are based so I dont know if they are also in other states. There are other people on this board who also have done testing through them but I think they're in CA also. I'm sure a doctor anywhere could order the tests but you would want someone who's knowledgeable that would know what tests to run and how to proceed w/ treatment if something is found. I dont have that much info about finding doctors like this in other areas cuz this is all new to me...I only started going there last month. They have some info about BioHealth on those radio programs. The commercials advertise BioHealth and I think give a phone #.

As you know, I have the appointment with the dietician next Tuesday, but she wouldn't be able to do tests on me, would she? She's just for food, right? How come I'm fine when I eat natural foods that have not been processed AT ALL, but as soon as I add any candy, or processed foods, or alcohol, I'm back to my old stomach problems? Could a casein intolerance be an underlying problem? I'm waiting for my results on that now, and I've never been completely dairy free.......so maybe?

The dietician can't run any tests for you. She cant tell you whats going on...she can just advise you on how to eat healthy. There are alot of reasons why you may not be able to eat processed foods. I cant eat processed foods because I have an infection, candida overgrowth, lack of beneficial bacteria, leaky gut and who knows what else. Everyones different so your situation could be less complicated. I did all I can do as far as strict diet changes and I've been gluten-free/cf for quite some time but did not get better so thats why I decided I needed help.

Also, did this doctor say where you got this infection from? How does this happen?

My infection specifically comes from antibiotics...nothing else. C. Diff can live in a healthy person and will only become toxic if it is allowed to overgow. He suspects I was gluten intolerant for years without knowing it. This would compromise my immunity to some degree and the lining of my intestines would not be as healthy as it should be. Then I go to the dentist and he gives me antibiotics. Next thing you know I'm sick and it only gets worse and worse. C-Diff is opportunistic and will grow if there are no friendly bacteria there to keep it in check. A compromised immune system makes it very easy for bad bacteria and other "bugs" to start taking over. C-Diff is aggressive and toxic and can make you very sick. Then I'm perscribed even MORE antibiotics from doctors who dont know what is wrong so just give me drugs and my health continues to deteriorate until I go gluten-free. Then I get *some* of my health back but nothing close to what normal should be. Candida is there as well cuz it also will also overgrow when the good bacteria get wiped out from antibiotics. Food intolerances associated w/ leaky gut have a direct link to candida overgrowth. Its basically a whole chain reaction type deal....one thing leads to another. This is why not all of us get better just by going gluten free. Alot of this is explained in the program about gluten intolerance. Apparantly they see this very frequently so thats why my doctor knew on my first visit that I had an infection. What they talk about in the radio show is EXACTLY how this whole mess affected me. Thats why I find it so interesting. Of course I'd much rather NOT have all this going on but at the same time I'm learning stuff I would have never knew anything about otherwise. You can always turn a negative into a positive in some way.

[hollyd]

That's good that you made an appt. with the gyn. I would just be concerned that the pink could mean there is blood there and that should always be checked out. I can't see why they'd give you anti-biotics if it's a yeast infection! But let them figure out what it is first. I would stay away from the fruit for now too as fruit has a lot of sugar in it.

I do know that if you take a pro-biotic it needs to be one with a LOT of live cultures in it, like a billion or more per capsule to really do an effective job.

good luck with this!

Holly

[danikali]

Thanks for your input Holly and Rachel.

The yeast infection or whatever that was is gone. Mabye because I took monistat?

Rachel, thanks for all of the information. I live in NYC, so I'm going to see if there is a Biohealth lab in my area. I know that everyone is different, but may I ask how you knew that you weren't going to get better on the strict Candida diet? And when you were on the diet, did you feel like a normal person again? And then you would try something, and you felt like crap again? How did this work for you?

I just want to compare myself a little bit to you because today, besides feeling tired from having to get up to pee a lot last night (I drank too much liquids before bed), I feel normal again. My stomach is flat, I have no gas, no pain, anywhere and I feel good. Yesterday, I started feeling better until I had a potato. I didn't feel bad after that, but I got really bloated again and had gas. Today, all I've had were lots of raw nuts (I realized I can have nuts that are raw, but anything else doesn't work. I guess the MSG?) some carrots and a banana. And nothing has effected me. The longest time that I've gone on this strict diet is 1 week. Then I start by adding something little like life savers, and then gluten free chocolate, and etc. etc. And during that week, I feel amazing! So, I guess my question to you is, do you always feel sick, even if it's something little, and even when you were eating the right foods? Or were you like me?

I guess the only thing that I am worried about is that I just keep getting new intolerances. Like I've noticed if I have a potato or rice cakes these days, I get all blown up and gassy, and those used to be the staple of my safe foods. Is it possible that everytime I would go off my little strict diet, I would make things worse, and that is what causes another new food intolerance to pop up?

And also, even if I am not affected by fruit, like the banana this morning, should I still stay off it for three months or whatever it is? And also, I know, all these questions; does the candida diet really work for people, because from what I am reading, people do it, get a little better, but it all eventually comes back. So is it worth it?

Anyway, that's all I can think of for now. I know I'm not paying you, but any advice you want to give me would be great. Thank you so much for your input.

And I'm really happy for you that you are finally on your way. You've had it a lot tougher than me and I know how frustrated I am with the whole thing!

[Susan123]

Whats Macrobid? Antibiotics cause yeast infections...I'm not sure if Macrobid is an antibiotic or not?

Macrobid is an antibiotic they use for UTIs. I have been eating yogurt every day (8ounces) but does anybody know which kind is better. I hear some have more acidophillus then others.

[Rachel--24]

Dani,

As far as Candida goes...you're right people feel better on the diet but symptoms come back with any infraction. I was on the diet for four months and read books and was regularly on the candida message boards getting info but after awhile I started thinking something about it isnt right. People on the candida message boards NEVER get better. They just keep fighting an endless fight. I started to figure that candida is just another symptom of a bigger problem. Candida does suck....and it can make you feel sick...but WHY is it there? Healthy people dont just *get* candida even after taking antibiotics the immune system should be able to keep it under control. Thats exactly what I was doing on the diet *controlling* it....so yeah...I felt pretty good but not "normal". I felt like there was still something wrong and obviously there was cuz since then I got dx'd with the gluten intolerance and the c-diff infection. Both of those (or just one of them) would be enough to cause a candida overgrowth.

If you listen to the talk show I posted the link to it answers all of those questions you're asking. There are 2 talk shows about gluten intolerance and one about Candida and they are really good. If you've read Dangerous Grains you may be familiar with some of this stuff already but its worth listening to.

In my opinion trying to get rid of Candida is like trying to put out a small fire when there is a huge blaze going on behind you....its futile.

Is "futile" a word...or did I just make that up?

[danikali]

Thanks so much Rachel.

I will have to listen to that when I get home from work. I can't really listen to it while I'm at work....it's a quiet law firm and it wouldn't be appropriate to have headphones on at my desk... I had school last night so I didn't get a chance, but I am DEF. going to tonight.

So, how is this doctor treating your C-diff so far? Does he say that you will be better eventually, or is this something that you will have to live with like gluten intolerance. I'm really starting to wonder if this is just something we have to deal with for the rest of our lives (a sensitive gut).

I was just reading the SDC diet thread and even the people in there who were strict on their diet for like 8 months went off and got sick right away again! So, can we ever really be healed? Or are there just certain things we can and can't do and live with it?!?!! (I'm not yelling at you with those extra !!! haha, I'm just being pesamistic again)

So what did your doctor say regarding this?

Oh and futile is a word! haha, a good one!

[penguin]

Is "futile" a word...or did I just make that up?

Main Entry: fu·tile

Pronunciation: 'fyü-t&l, 'fyü-"tIl

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin futilis brittle, pointless, probably from fu- (akin to fundere to pour) -- more at FOUND

1 : serving no useful purpose : completely ineffective <efforts to convince him were futile>

2 : occupied with trifles : FRIVOLOUS

See also: Screwed

[covsooze]

I started to figure that candida is just another symptom of a bigger problem. Candida does suck....and it can make you feel sick...but WHY is it there? Healthy people dont just *get* candida even after taking antibiotics the immune system should be able to keep it under control.

I agree. I had a couple of attempts at the candida diet and they made a bit of difference, but didn't solve anything. At the time, i asked my doctor about it and she said, you only get a candida over growth if your immune system is already compromised by something serious like an autoimmune disorder. And hey, here I am a few years later having been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder!!

I think also that going on a candida diet is bound to make most people feel better to some extent as it cuts out so much stuff that's bad for us.

My big worry about the diet was it made me lose weight v fast. That's a problem if you're already v skinny. I think it's really important that this is something that's diagnosed properly, as you'll end up cutting out so many foods.

Dani, I haven't been around here long enough to know how much you've explored other possible food intolerances. Have you done the whole food diary bit?

I hope you manage to get the answers you need.

[danikali]

I agree. I had a couple of attempts at the candida diet and they made a bit of difference, but didn't solve anything. At the time, i asked my doctor about it and she said, you only get a candida over growth if your immune system is already compromised by something serious like an autoimmune disorder. And hey, here I am a few years later having been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder!!

I think also that going on a candida diet is bound to make most people feel better to some extent as it cuts out so much stuff that's bad for us.

My big worry about the diet was it made me lose weight v fast. That's a problem if you're already v skinny. I think it's really important that this is something that's diagnosed properly, as you'll end up cutting out so many foods.

Dani, I haven't been around here long enough to know how much you've explored other possible food intolerances. Have you done the whole food diary bit?

I hope you manage to get the answers you need.

Hi,

Yes, I've had a food diary now for about a month and a half. I'm seeing a dietician on Tuesday, and I also met a wonderful lady on this forum who is helping me out. So I will see how that goes.

Thank God I'm getting the truth about this Candida diet before I start one myself. I'd really like to maintain my weight and it would only make me more frustrated.

May I ask if you have other food intolerances and what you do about them?

Thanks!

[Rachel--24]

Main Entry: fu·tile

Pronunciation: 'fyü-t&l, 'fyü-"tIl

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin futilis brittle, pointless, probably from fu- (akin to fundere to pour) -- more at FOUND

1 : serving no useful purpose : completely ineffective <efforts to convince him were futile>

2 : occupied with trifles : FRIVOLOUS

See also: Screwed

Thanks for the definition!

I dont know what it is with me today. I type out a word and then it just looks wierd to me and I start thinking I made it up.

I did the same thing with "differenciate" (I'm thinking thats a real word that I might be spelling wrong)...I must have brain-fog or something.

[Rachel--24]

So, how is this doctor treating your C-diff so far? Does he say that you will be better eventually, or is this something that you will have to live with like gluten intolerance. I'm really starting to wonder if this is just something we have to deal with for the rest of our lives (a sensitive gut).

My doctor says the body can heal itself when all of the things that are causing stress to the immune system are identified. He always uses gluten as an example because the majority of the time a person doesnt *know* they're gluten intolerant and they may not feel sick at all but slowly over the years its doing its damage and at the same time stressing the immune system. Eventually it takes its toll. It could really become noticeable when another "big" stress comes into the picture. Maybe its a virus or a surgery or whatever but the immune system can no longer adapt to the gluten intolerance and keep you feeling well so you notice the symptoms. Doesnt mean it wasnt already there. It could have been there forever but you werent aware of it until you're body gave out on you. He says that while all this stuff is going on over the years there is constant inflamation and the intesinal lining is constantly irritated and eventually gets leaky. Stuff doesnt get digested properly because of the lack of enzymes. The leaky gut adds more stress to the immune system and when the immune system is compromised enough infections can develop. Everyone gets parasites and bad bacteria entering the digestive tract everyday but a healthy immune system takes care of it and these guys dont get to stick around.

People with gluten intolerance tend to develop infections because of all the things listed above. It all starts with gluten intolerance weakening our immune defense and affecting the intestinal lining which is our barrier against toxins and other bad stuff. From what my doctor has told me...they *always* find infections of some kind or another in people with gluten intolerance. They dont just focus on Celiac but they believe gluten intolerance in general to be a HUGE problem and the underlying cause for many, many health problems.

So....he does tell me that my body can go back to the way it once was...even healthier because I'm off gluten. He says its not as simple as some doctors make it out to be when they diagnose someone with Celiac. Alot of doctors will just say avoid gluten and thats the end of it....but then we're left wondering why we have all these lingering problems and added food intolerances. He said it doesnt have to be that way...and it SHOULDNT be that way. So my doctor digs deeper and tries to find additional underlying causes that have developed as a direct result of gluten intolerance and compromised immunity.

I'm on the antibiotic from hell right now for the C.Diff infection and I have 7 days to go. Thats the only way to treat C. Diff. He is not treating the candida because he said it should get under control easily once the infection is gone. He also said I may have other problems or "bugs" not yet identified so we just have to wait and see how I progress when the c. diff is gone. If I'm not getting better we'll do more tests.

[danikali]

That was such a GREAT explanation! Rachel, you should become a doctor, A GOOD ONE, like the one you have right now! And you can specialize in Celiac disease and gluten intolerance and really help get the word out there that this is serious, and it's complicated, but there is hope, and this is what you do.

Thank you very much! Now I need to find a good doc.

[Rachel--24]

That was such a GREAT explanation! Rachel, you should become a doctor, A GOOD ONE, like the one you have right now! And you can specialize in Celiac disease and gluten intolerance and really help get the word out there that this is serious, and it's complicated, but there is hope, and this is what you do.

Funny, you're the second person to tell me that this week. I honestly knew nothing about how the body works or any of this stuff until I got sick. I find all this stuff interesting but really doubt I could be a good doctor...I get weak at the sight of my own blood. I've thought about it though and if I ever did something like that it would definately be like what my own doc does....he gets to help people and he doesnt have to deal with blood.

I'm just a girl who works in a grocery store but I kinda always had this feeling I should be doing something bigger and better...just didnt know what. Ya never know maybe all this stuff happened to me for a reason.

I hope you find a good doc!

[danikali]

Okay Rachel, I couldn't wait anymore, I'm listening to this online recording of biohealth and I hope no one tells me to turn it off.....

Anyway, so far, he isn't really talking about other food intolerances. For example, let's say your doctor gets rid of the infections that you have and you are obviously gluten free, but you have other food intolerances you don't know about. Do those just go away? Or do you have to pinpoint them before you start the whole process? Do they make us sicker?

You really should think doing something in the health field to help other people. I mean, how much have you learned and are still learning through all of this? I've been gluten free 3 months, you've been gluten free, what 3 years?

[covsooze]

Hi,

May I ask if you have other food intolerances and what you do about them?

Thanks!

Of course you may, seeing as you asked so nicely !

I've only been gluten-free since Jan 11, so I'm fairly new to this. I'm DF as well, as I'm pretty sure I'm dairy intolerant. I can remember as a child feeling sick when drinking milk, and dairy tends to bloat me up and give me evil wind

I've stopped eating tomatoes as well, as they make my stomach sore and I'm pretty sure they are the major contributor to my mouth ulcers.

I've known for ages that red winde gives me migraines and stilton cheese gives me palpitations.

I suspect I'm intolerant to rice, so just as soon as I can work out alternatives to all the things with rice flour in, I'm going to go rice free. I have reduced my rice intake significantlty and noticed a difference.

I think beans and lentils bloat me up.

I can't drink tea.

Other things give me GI problems only when my stomach/intestines are already playing up.

I need to eat acid fruits only in moderation and fats in moderation too.

None of this has been particularly scientific - literally based on gut reaction.

I'm waiting for my York test results and hope to use them as the basis for an elimination diet to try to figure out any other problems. my son's paediatrician who specialises in allergies and intolerances said that the only truly reliable way of testing for intolerances is eliminating foods, one at a time, for 6 weeks, then going back onto them for 6 weeks. He said that with intolerances, you don't get 'hidden' reactions like with celiac disease - rather, what you see is what you get. So, if you've got a problem with a particular food, you should notice a difference. I know people on here have used a similar technique, but with much shorter testing times.

I want to use the combination of York tests and elimination rather than food diary, as I suspect so many things and I react at different times to different things, so I think this might be the easiest way.

As for what I do about them...I'm strictly gluten-free, trying to be strictly DF. Then with the others, unless I'm testing something, in which case it would have to be 100% eliminated, then I think some things I'll have to avoid as much as possible and some things just not eat too often. What I'm not clear on is, if we have food intolerances, whether we need to eliminate those foods completely until we are healed. Maybe someone else will have insight on that one.

HTH

Susie x

That was such a GREAT explanation! Rachel, you should become a doctor, A GOOD ONE, like the one you have right now! And you can specialize in Celiac disease and gluten intolerance and really help get the word out there that this is serious, and it's complicated, but there is hope, and this is what you do.

Thank you very much! Now I need to find a good doc.

I agree, thanks for the really helpful explanation Rachel

[jerseyangel]

Susie--you and I share a lot of the same intolerances! I will be interested in hearing what you come up with as a sub for rice flour. I am sensitive to rice, corn, soy, tapioca, legumes, tomatoes, almonds, oranges, cocanut, and even tea now! These I found through trial and error on my own. I will be seeing an allergist next week who does test for food intolerances as well as allergies. I made the appt. for a consultation only--I want to see if he and I are on the same page, so to speak, before doing any testing. I have also been in touch with Immuno Labs in Fla.--if the allergist does not work out, I may have my blood tested there.

[covsooze]

I've bought some different flours - potato, buckwheat (it's not actually wheat at all), maize meal and gram flour. Haven't quite figured what to do with them all yet though! Gram pancakes are OK and I've made some yummy gram/ buckwheat brownies. I need to figure out how to make bread though.

I think coconut is probably a problem for me too and maybe soy, so yes we are pretty similar.

Good luck with the allergist!

[danikali]

Okay, of course, I'm in so much pain today, and that only makes me worry more when I read certain things. As far as these infections go, don't we all have them because we keep noticing different intolerances? I mean, they are like never ending! So, my question is, if we don't find a doctor who can give us medicine for these infections, then how the hell are we ever going to get better! (I'm not yelling at you guys, I'm just so upset! I can't take this anymore!)

Rachel, I called 2 doctors that were closest to me at Biohealth. They are both very very very far away from NYC (one in New York the state, and one in New Jersey), and I don't have a car. I called one of them and I'm waiting for them to get back to me and the other one just told me straight out that I'm too far to come from NYC! Okay!

So, now I'm freaking out that if I don't get one of these doctors, I'll always be sick. And right now, all I ate today was cashews and an apple and my stomach looks like I'm 6 months pregnant and my back is killing me!

I'm going to stop eating for 24 hours straight and then maybe give myself some applesauce. This has been going on for 2 weeks straight now. I'm so hopeless.

[Rachel--24]

Anyway, so far, he isn't really talking about other food intolerances. For example, let's say your doctor gets rid of the infections that you have and you are obviously gluten free, but you have other food intolerances you don't know about. Do those just go away? Or do you have to pinpoint them before you start the whole process? Do they make us sicker?

Dani,

The way my doc explains it is that yes, the food intolerances are added "stressors" on the body because obviously the immune system has to deal with them on top of everything else that may be going on. He normally puts people on an elimination diet to identify the intolerances and then I assume you would avoid those foods until your health is better. He doesnt have me on the diet because I've pretty much already eliminated all the foods that bother me and I'm not eating any of the "allergenic" foods. He knew immediately because of all my symptoms and strict diet that I have other issues going that are basically putting a heavy burden on my system. Thats been his main focus so far...so not too worried about the food intolerances right now. He said the intolerances go away when the body heals itself but without removing the main causes of stress it cant properly heal...so its just a never-ending cycle. If you keep eating all the foods you shouldnt eat then yes...you will be making yourself sicker.

Anyway, so far, he isn't really talking about other food intolerances.

I dont think he talks about food intolerances on the program about gluten. I believe he discusses it more on the Candida program...with regards to the candida diet. Its not really about intolerances though...its more about WHY this stuff happens.

You really should think doing something in the health field to help other people. I mean, how much have you learned and are still learning through all of this? I've been gluten free 3 months, you've been gluten free, what 3 years?

Nope....I've been sick 3 years but only diagnosed with gluten intolerance since August. So before August I knew zip about gluten. So its been like 6 months now. Before that I was on the Candida diet for 4 months so *unintentionally* I had a head start on my gluten-free diet.

The first 2 years I was just a mess....I couldnt even read a sentence w/out having to re-read it about 50 times and I still couldnt retain any info. Most days I couldnt get out of bed and I had depression big-time. No way I could have been participating on this board like I do now. I was on disability...mostly I just slept all day and watched alot of reality shows on MTV. I was really sick and scared.

[Rachel--24]

As far as these infections go, don't we all have them because we keep noticing different intolerances? I mean, they are like never ending!

My doctor says *most* of the time we do have infections but some people can get on the diet and heal and have no further problems as long as they stay gluten-free. I think the doctor in the program (he's the founder of Biohealth) says that he has never NOT found an infection in someone with gluten intolerance. Of course the people who go there have on-going problems or they wouldnt be needing help. The other people on this board who go to Biohealth also were found to have infections...although so far I dont know of anyone else that has c-diff. I'm just really unlucky I guess. C-Diff is the worst of all the "bad" bacteria we have in our intestines.

Oh...theres another girl on here that sees my same doctor and I guess shes finished w/ the elimination diet and is feeling better. I havent got to that "feeling better" point yet....my doc says I'm "special" but in all actuality he means I'm really screwed up...one of the more complicated cases.

I called one of them and I'm waiting for them to get back to me and the other one just told me straight out that I'm too far to come from NYC! Okay!

The reason they say this is because its not like seeing a normal doctor where you just go in for one appt. and thats it. They work with you and they get to know you...I go once a week but after this week I'll start going only twice a month. It probably depends on what they need to do as far as testing and stuff like that but since my case is more on the complicated side I've had alot of appointments. I actually look forward to going.

Dont stress yourself out by thinking you'll never get better. Stress is definately not good for the healing process. Gotta think positive! You WILL get better but it takes time. It took me 2 1/2 years to find out about gluten and then another 6 months to find a decent doctor...and I still have a ways to go until I can say I'm "normal" again. I think of it as sort of a "journey" and I learn what I can along the way. I can honestly say before this happened my biggest concern in life was probably if I would have a bad hair day.

Seriously, this has changed me....for the better....I think.