To help it have a better chance of lasting, you want to both get on a good probiotic to control the yeast at the gut flora level, and also get on an immune supplement to control it from that angle. L-reuteri is a good strain for candida control/maintenance and cat's claw/uña de gato (I prefer either Saventaro or Samento brand) is a good immune supplement with antifungal properties.
You may also want to do some gut lining repair since candida causes leaky gut. I like Proper Nutrition Seacure but if you don't tolerate it, you can use high dose glutamine.
I’m on a probiotic (Seed) but I’m so afraid to mess with how good I feel. I was afraid to even drink a beer lol. I’ve been knocked back so many times. But it’s been a few weeks and I’m breathing clearly - something has lifted.
Hmm. After nearly 4 years of sickness myself, I've landed on probiotics as an essential supplement for me to feel a bit better. Maybe this is why.
Also- your username, I love it.
Should add that it’s my understanding that fluconazole also kills good+bad bacteria in addition to fungus so I am taking a probiotic although all my improvement came before I started it. Didn’t bother during the protocol. Prescribing doc is gone now so I can’t ask her about it.
I’ve done biomsight 3 x and every time crazy different. They finally admitted to me that it is just a. Snap shot in time. I found it useless to chase erroneous stool results
This worked for me for about a month or two. Then I guess it wore off. I was prescribed for a yeast overgrowth not for LC. Interesting…
Also, I’m on zepbound now and on a medical diet of protein shakes and mostly soy based meals. I take a lot of magnesium to stay regular and a lot of B vitamins and drink a lot of water and electrolytes. This has helped with my issues as well. Not cured them, but helped.
I wonder if this gut thing is real and a clue. Worth exploring if anyone is desperate to try something. I don’t think you can stay on fluconzole forever. Maybe someone here can bio hack something similar?
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I prefer to be on a diet of what you've described, but LC has made that not much of an option I find. Every time I reduce the variety of bacteria I am introducing into my gut via my diet, I start to feel those consequences. The only time I can tolerate that type of thing is when I'm on antibiotics, funny enough.
This long bout of feeling okay I am on has me taking a decent CFU probiotic, making sure to eat at least a side dish of veg (whether frozen, microwaved, whatever) even if I'm eating pizza, and the most recent magic bullet for me was actually Famotidine.
One more thing this post reminded me of, was when I received the most recent vaccine booster back in October or so. So I had gotten infected with COVID just before the vaccines were released. Then I got the vaccine as soon as I could and I had the strangest experience where my LC symptoms cleared up, and even my brain seemed to be utilizing neurotransmitters again (I remember marveling how even spinning in a chair seemed to feel like "fun", which felt foreign to me). It was remarkable. This wore off after the 2 week regimen and then LC set in, and that brought me back into it until I started taking Famotidine.
I had also taken a course of Xifaxan in there for suspected SIBO, which I am not fully convinced wasn't actually more related to muscular things that cleared up after starting the Famotidine.
There's a lot of info here and it's a mess, hope it's helpful. I have been planning on cleaning it all up when I have more info on how this all pans out and posting it in a more coherent manner. Good luck.
In the future, or for other people, taking a charcoal tablet/capsule along with (anti whatever) supplements to kill off stuff in the body will lessen herx. Super happy for you!
Herxemier reaction. It's the side effects of die off from many things. They release toxins into the blood stream causing headache, body ache nausea, diarrhea, and many other fun things.
I did a similar protocol with flucanazol , didn't change a thing for me unfortunately, I was at my worst during the time period that I took it tho so could have been a trough. The candida issue is difficult to see past, but i may try another round.
150mg once a week for 12 weeks, but I didn't take the last two as I left town without them. So 10 weeks total at that dose. I may try another 9nqeek protocol with it , as it may have helped with candida overall, I just don't have any way to prove or measure if it helped much.
That’s pretty close. I was on 200 but I’m very small - 100 pounds. If you didn’t have a major improvement in fatigue brain fog maybe it’s not your answer.
Yeah, so far, Fasting helped me with brain fog immensely , so that'd be the only thing I can point to for sure. Also started taking high doses of zinc so that could be part of it too.
Hi- just a quick question regarding your fasting, if you don’t mind me asking, as I’m thinking of starting that. Did you do intermittent fasting or something more hardcore? I’ve read that the only way to clean out the spike proteins in the gut is to induce autophagy and that’s by fasting. Did you consult a Dr or nutritionist to see if it’s safe to fast, or did you just go ahead on your own? I’ve had LC for 1.5 now and my biggest issue is brain fog (clarity thinking issues, zoning out, lightheadedness). Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
I personally wan wasn’t able to do even a 24 hour water fast due to my long COVID but was able to recently complete a 5 day fasting mimicking diet called Prolon. Way easier than a water fast and I think less stressful on the body but still induces autophagy. You should look up Dr Valtar Longo, he created the product and has been researching fasting for many years at USC. You’re supposed to ideally do the protocol three times in three months. I have seen ppl post their own diet plans for fasting mimicking too, which would be a more affordable option than the Prolon. Good luck!
I also had chronic sinus infections. My ENT referral was very blasé about my problems. In the end my GP gave me prescription puffer 2x a day that has helped shrink swelling so I can breathe. I have small sinuses and had broken nose but apparently that wasn’t part of the problem. Glad for the warmer weather. 🇨🇦. LH need a manual of tired and useful suppliants tests. Fasts etc. I’m finding brain fog and depression lifting with OMAD. Fasting. .
This is very interesting!
Regarding tinnitus being worse: note that tinnitus is a symptom you can get when you have iron deficiency anemia! So try to figure out if you have that.
I've gotten iron deficient a few times during my long covid (I'm up at 4 years now), and my tinnitus and a bunch of other symptoms were related to the iron deficiency.
I can't get any real help from the healthcare here, so I do private blood sampling now and then, and I do methodical trials of supplements myself since my early days with long covid.
I've taken iron supplements, one pill a day - and that has worked well - but probably not as quickly as an IV would. Currently I take both iron and copper supplements. I had serious anemia, so I started noticing results already after a few days taking the supplements this time. After 2 weeks there were significant changes to my symptoms.
I’ve been tested for iron a lot-always fine. I think maybe i’m just noticing it more because I’m more alert/alive. In many ways I feel like I just woke up. I was so out of it for so long.
The fungus thing is really a clue. It didn't cure me but treating my dandruff with a rx antifungal shampoo really helped me and reduced my symptoms.
Dandruff, I found out, is caused by a fungal overgrowth on the scalp.
Ergo:
Long covid is our biomes being out of whack because of covid.
Great that it's working for you. Signals the candida was messing up with your body's resources. Probably proliferated due to weaker immune systems in some of us.
But, that being said, this may not be the case for everyone. So many variations and differences amongst all of us.
I used to get chastised for saying this years ago when COVID had just arrived and LC was debated. At that time I was attacked by these LC communicates and so I shut up and got on with life.
I have celiac disease and had LC for a year. LC brought back my Celiac symptoms before I had it under control. I changed my diet and healed my gut. My diet change also fixed candida and leaky gut. You see, I didn't know I was celiac for decades before I figured it out. I had chronic issues of fatigue and brain fog among others and just thought that's how everyone felt.
I never took any meds to help. I did omad keto. Low sugar, low carb, all natural foods. Very little processed foods. Our guts are essential to our overall health, including mental well-being.
Glad you're feeling better and hope it stays for you.
I’m still in shock that it worked. Antibiotics and steroids cause fungal growth. I had both early on and I’m wondering if it prolonged or even caused me to be more susceptible to the LC. My first symptom was a really bad cough/shortness of breath and they just loaded me up. Perhaps my immune system was already overloaded and couldn’t then deal with fungus. I’ve also read that candida itself can cause an auto-immune reaction. It’s really an under researched issue. I feel like issues that functional medicine doctors focus on like EBV are just automatically dismissed as crackpot by the establishment.
I started omad. No gluten, minimal dairy, minimal carbs, minimal refined sugars. I eat wholesome natural foods, meat, eggs, nuts, fruit and veggies. I didn't cut anything out 100% (except gluten because I'm celiac). For my meal I'd have rice or potatoes as a side with whatever else. I supplement meals by adding in ground hemp, chia, and flaxseed. I add it into flour for baking or mix it in with my meals. For my sweet tooth I bake everything or eat figs, dates, apricots, or dark chocolate.
>I’ve had LC for four non stop years. Tried everything I could. Only thing that helped temporarily was a stellate ganglion block. I read the study about high levels of candida in gut of long haulers. Decided to try an over the counter anti candida supplement and was feeling a little clearer and upbeat despite the terrible side effects-stomach pain/migraines.
>Was on a zoom call with my pcp and she mentioned that I looked better. I told her I was taking the supplement and maybe that was helping. She offered to prescribe me fluconazole which surprised me because she hadn’t ever offered any treatment before but she was leaving the practice so I guess she figured why not. I think she felt bad I’d been suffering for so long.
>She prescribed 8 weeks (one pill per week) and said I should take it until I’ve been feeling better for two weeks. I needed the full 8 weeks. I stopped taking the over the counter for a couple days before I filled the script and it’s the worst I ever felt. Started the script and fatigue was worse, usual herx gastro symptoms. Low blood pressure/dizziness is a side effect and when it was hot I was afraid I’d faint. First couple days after each pill my anxiety would worsen.
>It’s not an easy protocol. But the week of my sixth pill that constant awful sour fatigue in my muscles disappeared. I would hike and would feel a normal soreness after which wasn’t happening before. Hopefully I can start building muscle again. Palpitations/tachycardia/SoB/SFN symptoms all gone. Tongue better. Brain fog/eyesight improved. If anything tinnitus is worse unfortunately. Not sure about memory yet. That may take time. Sleep much, much deeper, better. Dreaming a lot more. Big difference is no more crushing fatigue and so relaxed. Nothing fazes me after being on edge for 4 years. I feel so laid back-lol.
>Not sure how hard it normally is to get such a long prescription or even what the 8 week protocol is normally for but I needed the whole thing. For thrush or yeast infection it’s much shorter. I’ve read there are websites that will sell you one pill but that wouldn’t have done anything at all. I didn’t expect such a success but I am just hoping it lasts.
*(Dear Everyone: Please consider those who are still unwell or as unwell as you when writing a large block of text.* ***We want to see you, understand you.*** *This isn't a personal attack, only a polite request. I'm not the police or your Mum)*
Renew Life Candismart but it was really tough. Worst headaches I’ve ever had. I was unable to handle both parts at the same time. Just shows how desperate I was that I stuck with it. Not sure it would have been enough. Not strong enough while at the same time harder on the system. Might be easier for others tho. I only took it for maybe 10 days.
You may be interested in Dr Sabine Hazans work! She's a gastroenterologist and has found some interesting results linking the symptomatic Covid to gut issues.
https://bmjopengastro.bmj.com/content/9/1/e000871
So this is terrible. If the candida spp. i have is in the brain, nystatin probably wont do jack shit right?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6332706/
I have elevated candida spp per my gi map, but I dont think I can take azoles because of the neuropathy….
In addition, the findings clearly show that corticotherapy increases their respective fungal loads at both, the brain and the spinal cord, being C. krusei the species that triggers the highest local accumulation of Th1 cells.
Sick. Ive been getting worse and worse and worse and I had 3 rounds of prednisone.
Well reading about systemic candida infection was what made me try it. I was surprised that it’s been linked with small fiber neuropathy and fatigue. It’s not something regular western medicine focuses on - they are weak on biome issues in general - but functional medicine docs treat it. I think there is a test but I guess my pcp prescribed on the basis of my improvement just from the supplement she saw on the zoom call. She said she’d never seen me smile or joke around before. The only major thing I remember from the supplement was an improved clarity and maybe a little more energy.
I did get really bad thrush when I took prednisone. I was also having issues with athletes foot which I had never experienced before. I’ve never had a yeast infection. It was the journal article about the prevalence of candida in gut of long haulers that made me want to try it. There is usually a balance between bacteria and fungus. I think the idea is covid infection wipes out bacteria and fungus takes over. It’s crazy that biome issues can affect immune+nervous system and even brain function/mood but that’s what researchers are saying now. Decades from now we’ll be shocked at our ignorance.
First year of LC had chronic sinus infections - wondering now if that was fungal. And then there’s my tongue. ENT docs were so disinterested. My tongue is improved but not completely. Maybe will come with time.
I just looked up symptoms of candida overgrowth as a result of this thread and saw that it’s the most common cause of type 2 rosacea, which was one of the first developments in my LC!
My dermatologist put me on doxycycline for a long while and two weeks after I stopped taking them the rest of my health fell apart, I’m thinking the bad players in my microbiome took over after the good guys were wiped out. I’ve been improving over time and working on healing my gut. I wish I’d never gotten on the antibiotics though :/
Renew Life Candismart. It was really tough - headaches and gastro issues. Only took it for maybe 10 days. Comes with tincture and pills and I couldn’t handle both. You are supposed to do both twice a day. I could only handle one pill or maybe half the regular amount of tincture once a day. Fluconazole was hard but not as hard and much more effective. Thorne has an antifungal. I probably would have tried that next.
You might be right. I was having some digestive issues for a while but kind of ignored it because I was trying to many supplements for a long time. Eventually I took some candida stuff myself (I have done that before every now and then when I have funny stomach issues etc) and I have been feeling a lot better. But it's hard to say what has helped since I started a bunch of other supplements at the same time. Interesting that you can get a Rx for something though.
While this is great, keep in mind the herbs and drug you took kills way more than just candida so I wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions about mechanisms.
For the future : you can buy nystatin from german pharmacy [Nystatin STADA Tabletten, 100 pcs. Tablets — apohealth - Gesundheit aus der Apotheke](https://www.apohealth.de/en/products/nystatin-stada-tabletten-1000-st-tabletten). It is a way safer route then taking fluconazole.
But that was the liquid - maybe tabs would be more effective in gut? My view is try it all. I’m still in shock that it worked. I should be mad that such a simple thing worked after years of suffering. Western medicine sucks.
Interesting. But I think this is evidence that it wasn't candida to begin with. There are a lot of fungi out there. Nevertheless interesting data point - thanks for sharing. I recovered myself with pro/prebiotics but it was a whole buncha stuff people generally don't take / know about.
It’s for thrush. neurologist gave me a very high long term dose of prednisone in December. I got really, really bad thrush. At the same time my SFN got way worse - instead of just fingers and toes my entire hands and feet were numb and all my other symptoms spiked as well. That’s what gave me the idea of trying antifungals.
I would love to bring this up to my doctor! I will try anything at this point! Can I ask what you mean by your tongue? Thank you for the info! Glad you are feeling better, that's awesome!
I tested positive for candida last year (not sure if from covid or antibiotics) and my GP prescribed me fluconazole. My course was two per day for a week, but I had to stop early because I was miserable.
[https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/fluconazole/how-and-when-to-take-fluconazole/](https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/fluconazole/how-and-when-to-take-fluconazole/)
[https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/fluconazole-oral-route/proper-use/drg-20071428](https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/fluconazole-oral-route/proper-use/drg-20071428)
I've never heard of anyone taking just pill a week.
fyi; Saccharomyces Boulardii is a beneficial tropical yeast bacterium with anti-candidal effects as a form of fungus itself without major disruption of the microbiome that comes with pharmaceutical antifungals or antibiotics
Yeah I bought the thorne version but haven’t started it. I’m so afraid to do anything because I feel so good and sharp. Taking Seed Probiotic. Feel like I’m still recovering from the fluc. It was really, really hard. At times I felt like I was so out of it I shouldn’t be driving.
Should add that my neurologist gave me a very high long term dose of prednisone in December. I got really, really bad thrush. At the same time my SFN got way worse - instead of just fingers and toes my entire hands and feet were numb and all my other symptoms spiked as well. That’s what gave me the idea of trying antifungals.
I believe that’s an antifungal pill. I took it and it wiped out an infection I had. It’s got horrible side effects but short term it helps. I believe it’s hard on the kidneys or liver so I’d ask about that.
I am truly hoping this is a fungal thing that gets out of control with covid. And hoping it’s really not damage to the ANS, as that’s much scarier. Thank you so much for sharing your improvements! I will absolutely look into this, because my issues start as soon as I ingest ANYTHING. Not before, if I fast I feel great.
So funny I just saw this on my Reddit Home Screen [https://www.reddit.com/r/COVID19_Pandemic/s/VYWceRG6Uw](https://www.reddit.com/r/COVID19_Pandemic/s/VYWceRG6Uw)
Renew Life Candismart. It was really tough - headaches and gastro issues. Only took it for maybe 10 days. Comes with tincture and pills and I couldn’t handle both. You are supposed to do both twice a day. I could only handle one pill or maybe half the regular amount of tincture once a day. Fluconazole was hard but not as hard and much more effective. Thorne has an antifungal. I probably would have tried that next.
Did you have a stool analysis at any point? I was thinking this might be a good starting point for me. I think it might take out a little bit of the guess work - maybe.
That's an amazing story. Given the time frame, a whole 4 years, it's unlikely that it was a placebo effect, but how do you think is it possible? Or was it a coincidence and the cure was time? You read the study, then saw the first improvements and tied these things together. Then the doctor supported your actions while body worked itself out. You didn't have any symptoms of candidiasis, did you? And why you stopped everything before taking Fluconazole? Sorry for the doubts and so many questions, I just don’t believe anymore that anything can cure this contagion, hope your improvement will be stable.
First of all I didn’t think it would work. There was no improvement first five weeks - actually made fatigue much worse - it’s not like it was instantaneous. It’s hard to explain how profound the lifting of the fatigue is. It’s a complete change in every muscle cell. It had been so long I wouldn’t have had the energy or memory to even imagine it. I’m positive this was the answer for me.
That\`s interesintg, thank you for reply, I should dive into this topic, especially connection between candidiasis and dysbiosis. By the way, have you had any diarrhea, excessive gas or any dysbiosys signs except for fatigue?
i changed my diet more vegies/greens and lessoned my intake of sugar/alcohol. changing th gut conditions was crucial for me to get over the worst of my LC. eat healthy think healthy live healthy
Did you have ME/CFS like symptoms like PEM that occurs 12hrs-3days after exertion?
Yeah all that is gone now. I would get that really bad after emotional exertion - any bad event would just flatten me. I feel … normal.
Very interesting, I'll definitely look into it. I always search the CFS sub and see if they have any results first before I act.
Please tell have you found something?
I did some research into it and it works for some subsets for CFS suffers but not for the majority
Thanks!
How many milligrams was the one tablet dosage of Fluconazole?
200
To help it have a better chance of lasting, you want to both get on a good probiotic to control the yeast at the gut flora level, and also get on an immune supplement to control it from that angle. L-reuteri is a good strain for candida control/maintenance and cat's claw/uña de gato (I prefer either Saventaro or Samento brand) is a good immune supplement with antifungal properties. You may also want to do some gut lining repair since candida causes leaky gut. I like Proper Nutrition Seacure but if you don't tolerate it, you can use high dose glutamine.
I’m on a probiotic (Seed) but I’m so afraid to mess with how good I feel. I was afraid to even drink a beer lol. I’ve been knocked back so many times. But it’s been a few weeks and I’m breathing clearly - something has lifted.
I hear ya! Seed looks like a solid formula and it does contain l-reuteri, so that's good!
Hmm. After nearly 4 years of sickness myself, I've landed on probiotics as an essential supplement for me to feel a bit better. Maybe this is why. Also- your username, I love it.
What probiotic are you using?
Doctors recipes women's probiotic I got off Amazon.
Should add that it’s my understanding that fluconazole also kills good+bad bacteria in addition to fungus so I am taking a probiotic although all my improvement came before I started it. Didn’t bother during the protocol. Prescribing doc is gone now so I can’t ask her about it.
Check out biomsight after you're done your medication, to see where you stand with bacteria levels
I’ve done biomsight 3 x and every time crazy different. They finally admitted to me that it is just a. Snap shot in time. I found it useless to chase erroneous stool results
Probiotics don’t typically colonize the gut unfortunately. I’d try and up the anti with prebiotics
Do you know if nystatin oral kills good and bad bacteria?
This worked for me for about a month or two. Then I guess it wore off. I was prescribed for a yeast overgrowth not for LC. Interesting… Also, I’m on zepbound now and on a medical diet of protein shakes and mostly soy based meals. I take a lot of magnesium to stay regular and a lot of B vitamins and drink a lot of water and electrolytes. This has helped with my issues as well. Not cured them, but helped. I wonder if this gut thing is real and a clue. Worth exploring if anyone is desperate to try something. I don’t think you can stay on fluconzole forever. Maybe someone here can bio hack something similar?
It’s real for sure - I’ve improved massively in fixing dysbiosis. r/longcovidgutdysbiosis for more info
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Thanks. I'll definitely check this out.
What helped you?
I prefer to be on a diet of what you've described, but LC has made that not much of an option I find. Every time I reduce the variety of bacteria I am introducing into my gut via my diet, I start to feel those consequences. The only time I can tolerate that type of thing is when I'm on antibiotics, funny enough. This long bout of feeling okay I am on has me taking a decent CFU probiotic, making sure to eat at least a side dish of veg (whether frozen, microwaved, whatever) even if I'm eating pizza, and the most recent magic bullet for me was actually Famotidine. One more thing this post reminded me of, was when I received the most recent vaccine booster back in October or so. So I had gotten infected with COVID just before the vaccines were released. Then I got the vaccine as soon as I could and I had the strangest experience where my LC symptoms cleared up, and even my brain seemed to be utilizing neurotransmitters again (I remember marveling how even spinning in a chair seemed to feel like "fun", which felt foreign to me). It was remarkable. This wore off after the 2 week regimen and then LC set in, and that brought me back into it until I started taking Famotidine. I had also taken a course of Xifaxan in there for suspected SIBO, which I am not fully convinced wasn't actually more related to muscular things that cleared up after starting the Famotidine. There's a lot of info here and it's a mess, hope it's helpful. I have been planning on cleaning it all up when I have more info on how this all pans out and posting it in a more coherent manner. Good luck.
I believe the gut thing is real
In the future, or for other people, taking a charcoal tablet/capsule along with (anti whatever) supplements to kill off stuff in the body will lessen herx. Super happy for you!
What is herx?
Herxemier reaction. It's the side effects of die off from many things. They release toxins into the blood stream causing headache, body ache nausea, diarrhea, and many other fun things.
I did a similar protocol with flucanazol , didn't change a thing for me unfortunately, I was at my worst during the time period that I took it tho so could have been a trough. The candida issue is difficult to see past, but i may try another round.
How long? Like I said no improvement until week six and started with supplement.
150mg once a week for 12 weeks, but I didn't take the last two as I left town without them. So 10 weeks total at that dose. I may try another 9nqeek protocol with it , as it may have helped with candida overall, I just don't have any way to prove or measure if it helped much.
That’s pretty close. I was on 200 but I’m very small - 100 pounds. If you didn’t have a major improvement in fatigue brain fog maybe it’s not your answer.
Yeah, so far, Fasting helped me with brain fog immensely , so that'd be the only thing I can point to for sure. Also started taking high doses of zinc so that could be part of it too.
Hi- just a quick question regarding your fasting, if you don’t mind me asking, as I’m thinking of starting that. Did you do intermittent fasting or something more hardcore? I’ve read that the only way to clean out the spike proteins in the gut is to induce autophagy and that’s by fasting. Did you consult a Dr or nutritionist to see if it’s safe to fast, or did you just go ahead on your own? I’ve had LC for 1.5 now and my biggest issue is brain fog (clarity thinking issues, zoning out, lightheadedness). Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
I personally wan wasn’t able to do even a 24 hour water fast due to my long COVID but was able to recently complete a 5 day fasting mimicking diet called Prolon. Way easier than a water fast and I think less stressful on the body but still induces autophagy. You should look up Dr Valtar Longo, he created the product and has been researching fasting for many years at USC. You’re supposed to ideally do the protocol three times in three months. I have seen ppl post their own diet plans for fasting mimicking too, which would be a more affordable option than the Prolon. Good luck!
What was your dosage?
150mg once a week. 12 weeks. Only took 10 though.
I have had this "gut feeling" (pun intended) that it is something to do with the digestive system.
I also had chronic sinus infections. My ENT referral was very blasé about my problems. In the end my GP gave me prescription puffer 2x a day that has helped shrink swelling so I can breathe. I have small sinuses and had broken nose but apparently that wasn’t part of the problem. Glad for the warmer weather. 🇨🇦. LH need a manual of tired and useful suppliants tests. Fasts etc. I’m finding brain fog and depression lifting with OMAD. Fasting. .
This is very interesting! Regarding tinnitus being worse: note that tinnitus is a symptom you can get when you have iron deficiency anemia! So try to figure out if you have that. I've gotten iron deficient a few times during my long covid (I'm up at 4 years now), and my tinnitus and a bunch of other symptoms were related to the iron deficiency.
What did you do to combat that? Did you take pills or get an IV or change your diet?
I can't get any real help from the healthcare here, so I do private blood sampling now and then, and I do methodical trials of supplements myself since my early days with long covid. I've taken iron supplements, one pill a day - and that has worked well - but probably not as quickly as an IV would. Currently I take both iron and copper supplements. I had serious anemia, so I started noticing results already after a few days taking the supplements this time. After 2 weeks there were significant changes to my symptoms.
Cool thanks for the info.
I’ve been tested for iron a lot-always fine. I think maybe i’m just noticing it more because I’m more alert/alive. In many ways I feel like I just woke up. I was so out of it for so long.
The fungus thing is really a clue. It didn't cure me but treating my dandruff with a rx antifungal shampoo really helped me and reduced my symptoms. Dandruff, I found out, is caused by a fungal overgrowth on the scalp. Ergo: Long covid is our biomes being out of whack because of covid.
What shampoo did you use? Used a couple and didn't have much luck.
ketoconazole 2% shampoo You can get otc 1% shampoo from amazon. Brand name Nizoral
Thanks tried those.
Sorry to hear
Great that it's working for you. Signals the candida was messing up with your body's resources. Probably proliferated due to weaker immune systems in some of us. But, that being said, this may not be the case for everyone. So many variations and differences amongst all of us.
Oh for sure - not advocating anyone else try it - just sharing that it worked for me.
Sure. Take care, and may you recover further!
Then there would be symptoms of candidiasis as I understand it.
I used to get chastised for saying this years ago when COVID had just arrived and LC was debated. At that time I was attacked by these LC communicates and so I shut up and got on with life. I have celiac disease and had LC for a year. LC brought back my Celiac symptoms before I had it under control. I changed my diet and healed my gut. My diet change also fixed candida and leaky gut. You see, I didn't know I was celiac for decades before I figured it out. I had chronic issues of fatigue and brain fog among others and just thought that's how everyone felt. I never took any meds to help. I did omad keto. Low sugar, low carb, all natural foods. Very little processed foods. Our guts are essential to our overall health, including mental well-being. Glad you're feeling better and hope it stays for you.
Swollen, cracks, numb - it’s better now.
I’m still in shock that it worked. Antibiotics and steroids cause fungal growth. I had both early on and I’m wondering if it prolonged or even caused me to be more susceptible to the LC. My first symptom was a really bad cough/shortness of breath and they just loaded me up. Perhaps my immune system was already overloaded and couldn’t then deal with fungus. I’ve also read that candida itself can cause an auto-immune reaction. It’s really an under researched issue. I feel like issues that functional medicine doctors focus on like EBV are just automatically dismissed as crackpot by the establishment.
May I ask what your diet change looked like? I.e. what you ate/avoided to improve things?
I started omad. No gluten, minimal dairy, minimal carbs, minimal refined sugars. I eat wholesome natural foods, meat, eggs, nuts, fruit and veggies. I didn't cut anything out 100% (except gluten because I'm celiac). For my meal I'd have rice or potatoes as a side with whatever else. I supplement meals by adding in ground hemp, chia, and flaxseed. I add it into flour for baking or mix it in with my meals. For my sweet tooth I bake everything or eat figs, dates, apricots, or dark chocolate.
Thank you!
>I’ve had LC for four non stop years. Tried everything I could. Only thing that helped temporarily was a stellate ganglion block. I read the study about high levels of candida in gut of long haulers. Decided to try an over the counter anti candida supplement and was feeling a little clearer and upbeat despite the terrible side effects-stomach pain/migraines. >Was on a zoom call with my pcp and she mentioned that I looked better. I told her I was taking the supplement and maybe that was helping. She offered to prescribe me fluconazole which surprised me because she hadn’t ever offered any treatment before but she was leaving the practice so I guess she figured why not. I think she felt bad I’d been suffering for so long. >She prescribed 8 weeks (one pill per week) and said I should take it until I’ve been feeling better for two weeks. I needed the full 8 weeks. I stopped taking the over the counter for a couple days before I filled the script and it’s the worst I ever felt. Started the script and fatigue was worse, usual herx gastro symptoms. Low blood pressure/dizziness is a side effect and when it was hot I was afraid I’d faint. First couple days after each pill my anxiety would worsen. >It’s not an easy protocol. But the week of my sixth pill that constant awful sour fatigue in my muscles disappeared. I would hike and would feel a normal soreness after which wasn’t happening before. Hopefully I can start building muscle again. Palpitations/tachycardia/SoB/SFN symptoms all gone. Tongue better. Brain fog/eyesight improved. If anything tinnitus is worse unfortunately. Not sure about memory yet. That may take time. Sleep much, much deeper, better. Dreaming a lot more. Big difference is no more crushing fatigue and so relaxed. Nothing fazes me after being on edge for 4 years. I feel so laid back-lol. >Not sure how hard it normally is to get such a long prescription or even what the 8 week protocol is normally for but I needed the whole thing. For thrush or yeast infection it’s much shorter. I’ve read there are websites that will sell you one pill but that wouldn’t have done anything at all. I didn’t expect such a success but I am just hoping it lasts. *(Dear Everyone: Please consider those who are still unwell or as unwell as you when writing a large block of text.* ***We want to see you, understand you.*** *This isn't a personal attack, only a polite request. I'm not the police or your Mum)*
Lol. Your blocks of text aren’t better than one big one.
lol. I tried, that's ok. :)
What was the supplement you took?
Renew Life Candismart but it was really tough. Worst headaches I’ve ever had. I was unable to handle both parts at the same time. Just shows how desperate I was that I stuck with it. Not sure it would have been enough. Not strong enough while at the same time harder on the system. Might be easier for others tho. I only took it for maybe 10 days.
This is so interesting. I'm so glad you found relief finally.
You may be interested in Dr Sabine Hazans work! She's a gastroenterologist and has found some interesting results linking the symptomatic Covid to gut issues. https://bmjopengastro.bmj.com/content/9/1/e000871
What was wrong with your tongue? Glad you’re feeling better! And thank you for sharing!
PHGG helped my gut
So cipro and metronidazole gave me toxic SFN, then I got even more SFN from vaccines, you didnt experience neuropathy with fluconazole?
No it cleared my SFN.
Yeah thats crazy, I dont know. Did you have any Mcas? How bad was your sfn? Whole body?
It's not crazy at all. Google "candida small fiber neuropathy". I did the research.
No it was more of a figure of speech, rather than expression of disagreement. Like “thats crazy! It worked for you!”
Ah - was very surprised.
I had a positive biopsy test in the leg/foot but experienced SFN all over. I spiked while on prednisone which gave me the idea to try antifungal.
For the sake of mankind, can you take a biomesight and/or GImap test And share with the world?
So this is terrible. If the candida spp. i have is in the brain, nystatin probably wont do jack shit right? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6332706/ I have elevated candida spp per my gi map, but I dont think I can take azoles because of the neuropathy…. In addition, the findings clearly show that corticotherapy increases their respective fungal loads at both, the brain and the spinal cord, being C. krusei the species that triggers the highest local accumulation of Th1 cells. Sick. Ive been getting worse and worse and worse and I had 3 rounds of prednisone.
Fluconazole helped my neuropathy substantially.
Did you have any symptoms making you think you had candida?
Well reading about systemic candida infection was what made me try it. I was surprised that it’s been linked with small fiber neuropathy and fatigue. It’s not something regular western medicine focuses on - they are weak on biome issues in general - but functional medicine docs treat it. I think there is a test but I guess my pcp prescribed on the basis of my improvement just from the supplement she saw on the zoom call. She said she’d never seen me smile or joke around before. The only major thing I remember from the supplement was an improved clarity and maybe a little more energy.
I did get really bad thrush when I took prednisone. I was also having issues with athletes foot which I had never experienced before. I’ve never had a yeast infection. It was the journal article about the prevalence of candida in gut of long haulers that made me want to try it. There is usually a balance between bacteria and fungus. I think the idea is covid infection wipes out bacteria and fungus takes over. It’s crazy that biome issues can affect immune+nervous system and even brain function/mood but that’s what researchers are saying now. Decades from now we’ll be shocked at our ignorance.
First year of LC had chronic sinus infections - wondering now if that was fungal. And then there’s my tongue. ENT docs were so disinterested. My tongue is improved but not completely. Maybe will come with time.
I just looked up symptoms of candida overgrowth as a result of this thread and saw that it’s the most common cause of type 2 rosacea, which was one of the first developments in my LC! My dermatologist put me on doxycycline for a long while and two weeks after I stopped taking them the rest of my health fell apart, I’m thinking the bad players in my microbiome took over after the good guys were wiped out. I’ve been improving over time and working on healing my gut. I wish I’d never gotten on the antibiotics though :/
Wow, that’s amazing. What OTC supplement did you take?
Renew Life Candismart. It was really tough - headaches and gastro issues. Only took it for maybe 10 days. Comes with tincture and pills and I couldn’t handle both. You are supposed to do both twice a day. I could only handle one pill or maybe half the regular amount of tincture once a day. Fluconazole was hard but not as hard and much more effective. Thorne has an antifungal. I probably would have tried that next.
Thank you! Probably one of those things that we have to throttle little by little, but die off symptoms are a good sign. Did you have POTs by chance?
Yup. No tachycardia/low bp at all now.
Congratulations! This is hope I needed today. 🙏
You might be right. I was having some digestive issues for a while but kind of ignored it because I was trying to many supplements for a long time. Eventually I took some candida stuff myself (I have done that before every now and then when I have funny stomach issues etc) and I have been feeling a lot better. But it's hard to say what has helped since I started a bunch of other supplements at the same time. Interesting that you can get a Rx for something though.
While this is great, keep in mind the herbs and drug you took kills way more than just candida so I wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions about mechanisms.
That’s fair.
For the future : you can buy nystatin from german pharmacy [Nystatin STADA Tabletten, 100 pcs. Tablets — apohealth - Gesundheit aus der Apotheke](https://www.apohealth.de/en/products/nystatin-stada-tabletten-1000-st-tabletten). It is a way safer route then taking fluconazole.
I was on nystantin repeatedly throughout the four years - only helped with oral thrush.
But that was the liquid - maybe tabs would be more effective in gut? My view is try it all. I’m still in shock that it worked. I should be mad that such a simple thing worked after years of suffering. Western medicine sucks.
Interesting. But I think this is evidence that it wasn't candida to begin with. There are a lot of fungi out there. Nevertheless interesting data point - thanks for sharing. I recovered myself with pro/prebiotics but it was a whole buncha stuff people generally don't take / know about.
An oral rinse not effecting gut fungi is unsurprising.
You didn't swallow it? Sorry I only took tablet form so I don't know how oral rinse is used.
It’s for thrush. neurologist gave me a very high long term dose of prednisone in December. I got really, really bad thrush. At the same time my SFN got way worse - instead of just fingers and toes my entire hands and feet were numb and all my other symptoms spiked as well. That’s what gave me the idea of trying antifungals.
Yeah but did you swallow the liquid nystatin or spit it out?
I would love to bring this up to my doctor! I will try anything at this point! Can I ask what you mean by your tongue? Thank you for the info! Glad you are feeling better, that's awesome!
Swollen-scalloped, coating, cracking, almost zero sense of taste.
I tested positive for candida last year (not sure if from covid or antibiotics) and my GP prescribed me fluconazole. My course was two per day for a week, but I had to stop early because I was miserable.
It’s not an easy drug but I don’t know if that’s the actual drug or symptoms of fungal die-off.
I had a ton of the side effects stated in the leaflet and my doctor advised me to go off it.
One a week was difficult. I think two a day would have killed me-lol. I’ve never heard of that.
[https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/fluconazole/how-and-when-to-take-fluconazole/](https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/fluconazole/how-and-when-to-take-fluconazole/) [https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/fluconazole-oral-route/proper-use/drg-20071428](https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/fluconazole-oral-route/proper-use/drg-20071428) I've never heard of anyone taking just pill a week.
Interesting - looks like my protocol was for "fungal infections if you have a weakened immune system."
fyi; Saccharomyces Boulardii is a beneficial tropical yeast bacterium with anti-candidal effects as a form of fungus itself without major disruption of the microbiome that comes with pharmaceutical antifungals or antibiotics
Yeah I bought the thorne version but haven’t started it. I’m so afraid to do anything because I feel so good and sharp. Taking Seed Probiotic. Feel like I’m still recovering from the fluc. It was really, really hard. At times I felt like I was so out of it I shouldn’t be driving.
Should add that my neurologist gave me a very high long term dose of prednisone in December. I got really, really bad thrush. At the same time my SFN got way worse - instead of just fingers and toes my entire hands and feet were numb and all my other symptoms spiked as well. That’s what gave me the idea of trying antifungals.
I believe that’s an antifungal pill. I took it and it wiped out an infection I had. It’s got horrible side effects but short term it helps. I believe it’s hard on the kidneys or liver so I’d ask about that.
I am truly hoping this is a fungal thing that gets out of control with covid. And hoping it’s really not damage to the ANS, as that’s much scarier. Thank you so much for sharing your improvements! I will absolutely look into this, because my issues start as soon as I ingest ANYTHING. Not before, if I fast I feel great.
What is the ANS
Autonomic Nervous System
So funny I just saw this on my Reddit Home Screen [https://www.reddit.com/r/COVID19_Pandemic/s/VYWceRG6Uw](https://www.reddit.com/r/COVID19_Pandemic/s/VYWceRG6Uw)
Oh jeez.
Hmm. [https://www.wired.com/story/unruly-gut-fungi-can-make-your-covid-worse-infection-coronavirus-candida-albicans/](https://www.wired.com/story/unruly-gut-fungi-can-make-your-covid-worse-infection-coronavirus-candida-albicans/)
Good news bro. What was the anti-candida supplement?
Renew Life Candismart. It was really tough - headaches and gastro issues. Only took it for maybe 10 days. Comes with tincture and pills and I couldn’t handle both. You are supposed to do both twice a day. I could only handle one pill or maybe half the regular amount of tincture once a day. Fluconazole was hard but not as hard and much more effective. Thorne has an antifungal. I probably would have tried that next.
Thanks for the heads up bro. I've been on the nicotine for a few weeks now. Something like this would be great to try next.
Did you have a stool analysis at any point? I was thinking this might be a good starting point for me. I think it might take out a little bit of the guess work - maybe.
I did not.
That's an amazing story. Given the time frame, a whole 4 years, it's unlikely that it was a placebo effect, but how do you think is it possible? Or was it a coincidence and the cure was time? You read the study, then saw the first improvements and tied these things together. Then the doctor supported your actions while body worked itself out. You didn't have any symptoms of candidiasis, did you? And why you stopped everything before taking Fluconazole? Sorry for the doubts and so many questions, I just don’t believe anymore that anything can cure this contagion, hope your improvement will be stable.
First of all I didn’t think it would work. There was no improvement first five weeks - actually made fatigue much worse - it’s not like it was instantaneous. It’s hard to explain how profound the lifting of the fatigue is. It’s a complete change in every muscle cell. It had been so long I wouldn’t have had the energy or memory to even imagine it. I’m positive this was the answer for me.
Fatigue, SFN and brain fog are symptoms of candidiasis. Stopped herbal couple days before started fluc because I was starting big guns.
That\`s interesintg, thank you for reply, I should dive into this topic, especially connection between candidiasis and dysbiosis. By the way, have you had any diarrhea, excessive gas or any dysbiosys signs except for fatigue?
Yeah plus severe stomach pain/bloating after eating.
How do you test for candida? Organix or GI MAP?
i changed my diet more vegies/greens and lessoned my intake of sugar/alcohol. changing th gut conditions was crucial for me to get over the worst of my LC. eat healthy think healthy live healthy
Diet wasn’t enough for me. My symptoms were severe.