Candida & HPPD

[ludwig80]

Quick update still continuing treatment. I'm experiencing severe mood changes one day ill feel uber confident and then I have difficulty leaving the house. My vision is erratic as well the Vivid vision I described deteriorated for a week or so but its been back a couple of days and its the best it has been for as long as I remember. I don't know what else to write its more of the same really... it seems to go like this... I start to feel better and then I feel worse but after a few cycles I start to reach a new lvl of feeling better and then I get ill again and so on and so on. I will say today feels really special like i'm at a turning point but I have had these feelings before, I don't think im out of the woods yet.

How is the keppra going Ludwig?

To be completely honest i can realte to this. I'll have a week of alright and then a week of hell. My symptoms don't change too much during this period but just how I am emotionally. I haven't really felt great days yet but I'm hopeful after a good amount of time and healing things will come around. Keep it up man, whether the turning point is now or a bit later you're doing the right thing.

I am still hopeful that David will chime in and continue on what he was mentioning earlier!

Still waiting on my damn results for this EEg for some reason.. I don't know what the deal is and unfortunately the first available appt isn't until the 30th.

[pennyarcade]

Big News!

Tonight I had sinus drainage again... when it happens i sometimes get shivers I think its because the bacteria, fungus (whatever.... i sound like a hypochondriach but I can't help but analyze these things) is going down the back of my throat and into my stomach and I get exacerbated die off. Today was slightly different I got cold but I also became really tired it came on out of no where and I fell asleep on the couch for maybe fifteen minutes. I awoke and had what I assume was completely normal vision I was still waking up and I didn't really get a chance to examine my surroundings properly it lasted for about 10 seconds and then I saw what looked like a sperm swimming in my eye site and they multiplied till they filled my vision and everything became more and more distorted till I was back in the land of HPPD. You would think I would be over the moon but I found it alien and somewhat disturbing I actually felt relief when my vision went back to HPPD, I don't know what to make of it especially how it felt maybe because I couldn't take it all in in 10 seconds. I've had this for 1/3rd of my life coming up to ten years I guess that this reality has become my normal. I have over the years many times tried to visualize what things looked like pre HPPD and it would always look like HPPD and even though I saw it an hour or so ago I still can't visualize it correctly.

[pennyarcade]

I'm more excited about what happened yesterday today I think it weirded me out and it put me in a very depressed mood I really hope it comes back again.

[pennyarcade]

Update, severe depression wacky mood swings behaviour past couple of weeks which has been clearing up over the last few days. Discharge from head is way worse I can hear cracking/clicking noises like someone breaking up a rice crispy cake its coming from the top of my skull and temples there is actually solid chunks of substance coming down past my ears and going into my stomach its making me feel really sick, My head must of been full of whatever this is its obviously being broken up into smaller chunks so my body can get rid of it, its even behind my eye sockets and cheeks im going to see if my doctor can analyse a bit and tell me what it is as it obviously not normal...

[ludwig80]

I'm more excited about what happened yesterday today I think it weirded me out and it put me in a very depressed mood I really hope it comes back again.

The very few moments of clarity i've had used to end up like this.. Mostly because of how excited I would get, even though I know it would likely be short lived. I think now I don't get nearly as excited because you never know how long it will last.

[ludwig80]

Update, severe depression wacky mood swings behaviour past couple of weeks which has been clearing up over the last few days. Discharge from head is way worse I can hear cracking/clicking noises like someone breaking up a rice crispy cake its coming from the top of my skull and temples there is actually solid chunks of substance coming down past my ears and going into my stomach its making me feel really sick, My head must of been full of whatever this is its obviously being broken up into smaller chunks so my body can get rid of it, its even behind my eye sockets and cheeks im going to see if my doctor can analyse a bit and tell me what it is as it obviously not normal...

This sounds really intense.. I've know i've read tons of horror stories about symptoms when trying to get rid of candida, so don't feel like you are alone. There's all kind of crazy shit that people have said happen. Let me know what the doctors says and hang in there penny- it'll all be worth it soon.

[brendan]

before i took mushrooms and got hppd i had really bad brain fog - a dense heavy sensation in the front of my head with permanent tiredness. Maybe this was from cannabis, i cant remember which came first. Maybe it was candida? I have a friend who self-diagnosed with candida and did a 5 day water fast which caused loads of die-off symptoms. She has done hallucinogens but not got hppd. I also did a 5 day water fast which made me clearer but no major changes or die off symptoms. I got a bit of herxheimer (some spots on feet and belly) from taking a teaspoon of limonene but not any change in hppd, and the same but milder more recently from pau d arco as mentioned above. So maybe had some mild candida or other old lingering infections? Pau makes a nice brew as well. I dont get any herxheimer from acetyl cysteine but does massively improve my clarity and anxiety. I recommend if you are doing all this detox stuff to also supp with acetyl cysteine as it makes toxins more water soluble and less toxic, and replenish your glutathione levels which will be depleted by all that crap swilling around your system. Acetaldehyde is one of the candida toxins neutralised by AC. On the other hand, making the toxins more water soluble and hence mobile may exaccerbate the herxheimer.

[pennyarcade]

Hi Brendan. Your story is all to familiar. The tiredness which you describe prior to mushrooms does sound like what I was going through before I took LSD was your memory particularly bad (if you can remember ). Theoretically if your symptoms were caused by candida a week of treatment would not be sufficient imo. You say your detox helped so it maybe worth taking it further.

Im pretty sure that I significantly reduced candida from my digestive system the problem im having is reaching the infection in my head. Im assuming its just my sinuses but its taking an age to sort. Ive spent hours lying on my side with Hydrogen Peroxide ear drops in trying to clear the crap that comes down but its causing a bit of a viscous cyccle where it drains into my stomach and starts causing problems again, the noises that come from stomach are scary. Its so unpleasant that I am very apprehensive about doing it but i gotta press on.

When I clear my ears I get short lived visual improvements, significantly reduced afterimages and only mild static and more vibrant colours. I also get a similar result by putting two tablespoons of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar (a potent antifungal) in a glass of warm water I then dropped a little into my ears and laid on my side its hard to describe the sensation in my head but there is a lot of movement within 20 minutes my visuals clear up noticably also the tightness is somewhat reduced, maybe you could try it and report back you may want to read up online before trying as it is acidic. I think the key is eliminating the infection from the head and thats what im trying to do.

I plan to reintroduce NAC in the near future I stopped taking it as I realised it was causing dieoff. Other things I have been taking to reduce the candida toxins are molybdenum and a bayberry formula which contains Bayberry, Milk Thistle, Marshmallow, Butternut Red Clover, Burdock Ginger and Wild yam. I was getting alot of liver pain from the detox and the bayberry formula has significantly reduced it.

[brendan]

<span class="Apple-style-span">i find chaparral is another good herbal detoxer.  And limonene. If you're in uk, www.</span>homeopath.it is<span class="Apple-style-span"> the only place that i found selling chaparral.  I tried the vinegar in ear thing and it had no effect on me.  Perhaps one of the reason nac works is due to clearing mucous (it is mucolytic).  I find it slightly strange that something external can have an affect on visuals that are presumably internally generated.  Maybe it puts pressure on your eyes so it is like putting your fingers in your eyes and getting shapes.</span>

[ludwig80]

How are things Penny?

I plan to reintroduce NAC in the near future I stopped taking it as I realised it was causing dieoff.

I started back up on this, been a bit foggy brained among other issues.. didn't realize that it can cause dieoffs too.. maybe this is why.

[pennyarcade]

hey ludwig, a bit of a mixed bag. The sinus drainage has nearly stopped after literally months I am now just getting a sticky residue in my ears occasional popping bubly noises it feels like it is the last of it now. My head pressure has completely gone now I would say my visuals are maybe 65% better and maybe as good as 80% at times (usually a couple of hours after taking antifungals), Ive been having some really vivid dreams and most nights I am waking up in a puddle of sweat my visuals are also intensified after the dreams but it clears up within a minute or two of having my eyes open. My energy levels are ok but im experiencing really bad depression despite the improvements in my visual symptoms I was taking MACA which helped for a while but as the HPPD has been getting better ive been having this overwhelming sense that my life up until now (not just HPPD) but prior also has been a lie. I feel like ive been through all this suffering needlessly, I feel really let down by doctors and the like, I feel I could have been succesful with something in my life instead of the situation I am in now... depressed with hardly any friends with a very twisted sense of what the world/reality is, I think i may need to talk to someone about it as at times it becomes to much. I don't know if its just my brain playing tricks (candida related) or if I really feel this way as sometimes I seem to be without any burden at all.

[ludwig80]

hey ludwig, a bit of a mixed bag. The sinus drainage has nearly stopped after literally months I am now just getting a sticky residue in my ears occasional popping bubly noises it feels like it is the last of it now. My head pressure has completely gone now I would say my visuals are maybe 65% better and maybe as good as 80% at times (usually a couple of hours after taking antifungals), Ive been having some really vivid dreams and most nights I am waking up in a puddle of sweat my visuals are also intensified after the dreams but it clears up within a minute or two of having my eyes open. My energy levels are ok but im experiencing really bad depression despite the improvements in my visual symptoms I was taking MACA which helped for a while but as the HPPD has been getting better ive been having this overwhelming sense that my life up until now (not just HPPD) but prior also has been a lie. I feel like ive been through all this suffering needlessly, I feel really let down by doctors and the like, I feel I could have been succesful with something in my life instead of the situation I am in now... depressed with hardly any friends with a very twisted sense of what the world/reality is, I think i may need to talk to someone about it as at times it becomes to much. I don't know if its just my brain playing tricks (candida related) or if I really feel this way as sometimes I seem to be without any burden at all.

First off, if you ever need to talk to anyone, I'm here, same with many others on the board. I can relate in a lot of ways to how you feel from time to time. On top of HPPD, I have other health issues that seem so far to be very persistent and non-diagnosable. I find myself at times also depressed about how much suffering i've endured and how it has changed my life and social surroundings. I find it unfortunate that a few a poor choices has effected me so much, and i'm annoyed that I've allowed it to effect my life so much. The constant flux of my cognitive ability, vision, and sense of self has left me confused and shaken up when I think about reality. I don't know what to believe anymore because I want the world to make sense, but it doesn't. I believe in karma, but I see bad things happen to good people, and good things to not so great folks. I have a very skewed sense of self and the world around me. I find myself thinking a lot like the song, "isn't it ironic" by A. Morissette. In the sense, that when good things happen to me I'm afraid that something bad will happen soon after to balance things. For instance, I was living in Ca for a summer and found a twenty dollar bill in the stairwell, I could have certainly used it since I was hurting financially, but I didn't pick it up. Didn't want to deal with something bad happening later because of it.Man, I know it's such a shitty way to view the world, and I know it's wrong, but I think i'm just looking for a way to make the world make sense. I watch a person right behind me pick it up and walk off, they saw me in front of them and could of asked if perhaps I dropped it, but they acted like nothing and walked off. So I know this isn't how most people think, If something good is to happen to me, i want it to be hppd gone.

I have these feelings you describe though occasionally, sometimes for a while, sometimes they're short lived. Either way it's a very alarming feeling, essentially I've become a very malcontent person with little energy to combat it. But to be honest, I think alot of it is the an intensified by candida issues, because I find that sometimes I have a much more lighthearted attitude as well. I think subsequently, the fact that you're feeling better visually is another reason, like when a business owner sells his successful business and is kind of lost for a while or postpartum depression after giving birth, i think it just causes you to look back on how much work and/or suffering you went through and how it may have left you stronger but slightly lost and confused at the same time.

Although, I pretty quickly recognize that there are people out there suffering much worse than I, and regardless of my situation, I am fortunate in many ways. I think it's important to remember this.

I've been wondering for a long time, how long I could possibly have had a candida problem. I was a sick alot in my childhood, years 1-4 I was in and out of the hospital all the time from what I hear and took tons of antibiotics. Perhaps I've grown up with the problem and getting rid of it will be a quite a shock for the body. Maybe similar for you. Sorry, if this post seems scattered brained, I feel bit cloudy at the moment.

[pennyarcade]

Thanks for your post man I really appreciate the support, your feelings are very similar to my own its comforting to know im not the only one feeling this way. This thing has made me very self centered its felt like a prison where I only have myself for company and the occasional visitor who comes and goes, free to live a normal life on the outside. I know everyone has problems but I have great difficulty taking other peoples problems seriously they just seem like they are for the most part not really problems I hate feeling like this I feel cold and apathetic. Still I have always recognised like you that things could be much much worse but suffering is all relative.

That whole thing with the twenty dollar bill I can relate... I'm always overanalysing things looking for connections where there are most likely none. Sometimes this whole thing feels like a test like its been setup by some greater power to teach me something that I could not have possibly comprehended otherwise. It seems very silly when I talk about it, I am for the most part very rational im not religious (wish I was) I think these feelings are probably coping mechanisms as I to want things to make sense but they really don't.

This candida thing is messed up... I'm sure ive had it since birth my Mum was telling me about these physical and psychological problems she was having after my birth I was born prematurely and very nearly didn't make it. I think my mother has a serious candida problem to. Sometimes she gets really depressed and when this happens she gets a little delusional when things get really bad she gets a sore/itchy scalp with hair loss, i'm trying to convince her to do a candida cleanse but she is rightfully sceptical, its hard watching her suffer when I feel I have the answer.

I also believe one of my close friends who smokes alot of cannabis has candida. He has had sinus problems for a longtime and has some physical problems and is often overly tirred, I've suspected he has had this for a while and I can clearly see his condition deteoriating he has an itchy scalp and is losing alot of hair and recently he has become quite obsessive. I was talking to him about HPPD and he told me that from time to time he has experienced these strange sensations/hallucinations and he described what we would know as macropsia/micropsia. His diet is so bad I really want to tell him I think he has candida but he is not very open minded and how do you even approach someone and tell them ... the reason your sinuses etc are getting worse is because your doctor is giving you antibiotics and what you need is antifungals lol it sounds crazy and thats probably what he would think I am I'm going to have to try and find a way to tell him cos he looks like he is heading to a really bad place.

[ludwig80]

Ya, I know man, if HPPD has done anything for me it's made realize that most "normal" issues are pointless and futile to be upset about. The days are gone where my biggest worry was some totally insignificant shit. When I got hppd 4 or 5 years ago I was in a dorm- and so I had no choice but to mostly stay social etc. So now, I still have some close friends and still go out- but things have changed drastically in the last year when I quit drinking. Every time I'm forced to quit something, such as weed now alcohol- I find myself losing people who I thought were friends. Now i'm left with a very close few that I've just known forever. But there is the gap that wasn't there since we were always drinking buddies. No one wants to go out and drink by themselves with the sober guy so I feel slightly ostracized and only get calls when there's is a group going so it seems.

I've also thought that, perhaps in a way this is some kind of test. Some way to learn something or teach me something I was lacking initially. I suppose I used to be a bit of agnostic. I always thought religion was for people who couldn't handle life and that depression was for the weak. I never understand really. Ironically enough, HPPD came along and knocked me on me ass. There I was anxiety ridden, full of depression, and seeking some kind of relief. Figures right, hence the Isn't it ironic song? So now i feel jaded, and watch what I say just in case. Which annoys me cause no body else cares/ or does but I still just don't want anything to get worse .. I know it ain't right or unlikely.. but still find myself doing it. Now, I want there to be something better after life, I want to believe in finding peace through something. I still struggle with religion to some degree, but I want to believe- I want there to be something better after life- somewhere to finally find peace again. So, i'm spiritual, I believe/hope there is something, but I take religion as more of a good set of morals to live by. I don't believe humans have the capacity to understand what awaits beyond the grave. I think it'd be nieve and egotistical to think that we humans could understand a higher power, just as a bug can't really comprehend us.

Wow, I really can relate to your ma's situation. Basically, i'm pretty damn sure my dad has candida as well, but like you- no way will he listen or take such drastic measure to change things. He's got bad dandruff and has been using shampoos like head and shoulder for yearssssss. He's got tons of those vague candida symptoms like fatigue etc. but in the last year or two developed diabetes and went through some bad health issues. He wasn't producing white blood cells and they diagnosed some kind of mystery autoimmune problems as well bone marrow issues, reoccurent sinus/ear infections, it was a ruling out diagnoses so they are still watching him closely and as of now are waiting to make sure nothing gets worse. It's really really sad to hear these kind of things and I know the depression/anxiety all to well from it, you're right, it is really hard to watch them suffer when I think I could help. I remember eating a whole loaf of french bread with him once, we both love bread, he still eats it, i don't. I don't think I could convince him of candida issues though.

My ma, she gets bad migraines and takes topamax (antiseizure med) plus thyroid issues. She started going to to a more natural doctor which convinced her to go on a candida diet. But she doesn't really take it seriously and basically fails the diet within 24 hrs of starting it all the time.

Man, it's def tough to approach someone about it. Idon't have any advice really because no one really listens to me. They don't understand my diet, health issues and just think i'm an overreacter so I don't have much pull. But I had seeing take more antibiotics knowing that perhaps it's just making it all worse.

I can't really fathom how my life would be if I didn't have hppd. Things have been forced to change so much. Anthony Bourdain described himself in one episode as a man with "perpetual malcontent," That's basically me these days. So my aspirations are basically to find contentedness, somehow, someway. Working 9-5 and buying nice things won't work for me, not with hppd, even with anthony bourdains job i still likely be unhappy to some degree, even though that'd be a really cool way to make a living and i love traveling...So, I've decided i'm just goiing to try and reach my most far fetched dreams because that's the only way, at this point I think I can find that elusive feeling of content.

[pennyarcade]

Hey man my mood has picked up over the last couple of days and so have my visuals... But a big change in the last fewhours... Dude I feel fucking normal!!! I still see snow but I don't feel like I have HPPD i'm calm I have space to think straight its that elusive feeling of content.

It's a shame man there is so much anti natural health propaganda at the moment and they are passing bills to outlaw the sale of many supplements in Europe as we speak http://www.anh-europe.org/node/3113 ... as if the war on drugs wasn't enough. I read a news article that just said flat out that supplements don't work no specifics they just don't work gggrrr. I feel genuinely sad for the people that dont give alternative medicine the time of day its as if there were never any real treatments before the drug companies invented them. I hope people close to me will see the change in me, and maybe one day consider the option. I've had a major paradigm shift, I don't know how many people check this thread or even take it seriously and at this moment in time I couldn't care either way. If you guys have had ear infections eye infections weird clicking noises in your head/neck... head pressure, unexplained muscle pain, severe cramps, radial palsy or any kind of peripheral neuropathy (I could go on) seriously please please please look into this, ive been a member of these boards for many years and ive got better things to do than play HPPD....

I know exactly what you mean about the 9 - 5 and buying things just not meaning anything thats why I pursued music because it seems to be the only place I fit in, it doesn't matter how messed up you are as long as you create something that people appreciate or that you even appreciate yourself.

I'm going to visit a practice that my psychiatrist advised me on, the Doctor who works there combines mainstream and alternative medicine hopefully I will be able to get some proper antifungal meds prescribed. Peace!

[ludwig80]

Hey man my mood has picked up over the last couple of days and so have my visuals... But a big change in the last fewhours... Dude I feel fucking normal!!! I still see snow but I don't feel like I have HPPD i'm calm I have space to think straight its that elusive feeling of content.

It's a shame man there is so much anti natural health propaganda at the moment and they are passing bills to outlaw the sale of many supplements in Europe as we speak http://www.anh-europe.org/node/3113 ... as if the war on drugs wasn't enough. I read a news article that just said flat out that supplements don't work no specifics they just don't work gggrrr. I feel genuinely sad for the people that dont give alternative medicine the time of day its as if there were never any real treatments before the drug companies invented them. I hope people close to me will see the change in me, and maybe one day consider the option. I've had a major paradigm shift, I don't know how many people check this thread or even take it seriously and at this moment in time I couldn't care either way. If you guys have had ear infections eye infections weird clicking noises in your head/neck... head pressure, unexplained muscle pain, severe cramps, radial palsy or any kind of peripheral neuropathy (I could go on) seriously please please please look into this, ive been a member of these boards for many years and ive got better things to do than play HPPD....

I know exactly what you mean about the 9 - 5 and buying things just not meaning anything thats why I pursued music because it seems to be the only place I fit in, it doesn't matter how messed up you are as long as you create something that people appreciate or that you even appreciate yourself.

I'm going to visit a practice that my psychiatrist advised me on, the Doctor who works there combines mainstream and alternative medicine hopefully I will be able to get some proper antifungal meds prescribed. Peace!

Dude, still feeling good!? Really stoked for ya. I hope things stay well. I've suspected candida being an issue for a long time now, glad to see getting rid of it is helping someone. How strict is your diet nowadays?

Ya really bummed about the lack of understand in alternative medicine. i think some of it's quacky but some of it is legit and can be a much safer/better option for people. I wonder how long it iwll take before Candida is accepted as a mainsteam issue.

What are you doing music wise lately? Still playing, recording? Playing out? Trying to get signed?

[mbellamy09]

hey guys i seem to have some of these symptoms and i have taken a lot of antibiotics throughout my life. i have the "foggy" head as well as someneck pain, stomach pian some tingling and numbness sometimes in my left arm. is there any way to test if i have this? these symptoms could also be my DP/DR

thanks

[ludwig80]

Part of the problem is that candida is not well accepted unless you have a low immune system etc. So generally speaking it's not recognized in the mainstream and aside from the spit test (which accuracy is questionable if you ask me) there isn't much as far as test goes. Wish there was.

However, if you start the diet and start seeing die off symptoms and relevance changes then you have a good idea if it's effecting or not. Lots of stuff to read on the net. I don't know a whole lot. Just following the diet strictly and adding basic antifungals along the way.

[tifftoro]

ummmmm I get CHRONIC yeast infections and I even just recently had thrush! BUT I did get an onset of HPPD from mushrooms 11 years ago. I notice sometimes that after I eat, my anxiety and visuals worsen. I ALSO have been on antibiotics regularly throughout my life bc I have a bad immune system. Taking acidopholis and eating probiotics while being on anti-b's still doesn't stop me from developing a yeast infection. I may have to try a Candida diet and see what happens. Thanks PennyArcade

[bigron 7]

Does anyone think that this CANDIDA realy affects HPPD if so should we not try to get rid of it just in case we have it?

[nepuinthesky]

Does anyone think that this CANDIDA realy affects HPPD if so should we not try to get rid of it just in case we have it?

dont think so^^

candida diets could even be dangerous

its just another naturopaths money making magic in my opinion.

to have a candida overgroth you MUST have a very fucked up immune sytem so we all should be tested for HIV.

and people with Aids could die by a candida overgroth so i feel very alive^^

[bigron 7]

cheers neptu