To Joy

[Guest guest]

Hi Joy,

Good to hear from you & hope you're doing well! Thanks for all your detailed input. Do you mind me asking which probiotic you use and where/how you get? Does it really help you tremendously?

How long had you used abx for before you get Candida? Anything you can use to prevent Candida other than not using abx?

Since you seem so knowledgeable about this disease, I was wondering if you could educate me a little more on how you know when you're having an exacerbation. For example, except for a little fatigue (and the streaks of blood), right now I feel fine (ie, no cold symptoms, fever, chills, etc.). However, my mucus from my lungs does look different than normal. Normally everyday, it's always a little yellow. However, lately it's been more yellow (sometimes a bit darker yellow), thicker and more frequent (normally I spit up yellow mucus about 4 times a day and now it's closer to 10). Would that normally be considered an exacerbation in which you'd use antibiotics (especially in light of the yellower, thicker mucus)? Or would you wait until you got more physical symptoms (ie, increased coughing throughout the day, etc.) It's just that this disease seems so subjective that it seems so difficult to know when to use

antibiotics! I'll ask this same question of the group but I wanted to know your thoughts too since you've had this disease for quite a while . . .

Just curious, when you do get an exacerbation, how do you know which abx to take? Do you take a broader or narrower spectrum abx depending on how ill you feel? Or does your doctor order a sputum culture and you get the results prior to deciding on the abx? It seems to me that lots of times sputum cultures may not be totally accurate, though.

With respect to the blood streaks, do you think the frequency increase means that the disease is progressing? How often do you get blood/blood streaks?

Thanks for your input,

Cassie

[Guest guest]

Hi Cassie,

I use one called SB FlorActiv, but don’t know if available in US, is made by BioCeutical, contains Saccharomyces cerevisiae (boulardii). The blurb says it is resistant to abx use, altho I tend to wait til I’ve finished abx. Maybe I shouldn’t as I’ve gone from years of frequent severe diarrhoea to now persistent opposite problem!

How long had I used abx before Candida.... I started life on abx I think instead of milk...! All my life I can remember I’ve had abx 1 – 3 times per winter most years of my life, and abx for other things in-between. So I think it’s as much about accumulative effects more than a one-dose thing. Also some abx are more prone to encourage fungal infx than others (don’t know why). Fungal infx is opportunistic – all the bacteria are wiped out, so it’s open playground for something else – nature abhors a vacuum!!

My ‘symptoms’ - clues...(a bit like chronic fatige – rather vague and hard to pin-point dx) are, generally – lungs feel dry/hot rather than cold/clammy of bacterial infx; sore dry eyes, headaches, fatigue...

Hard to answer some of your other questions! Yes, it is a hard disease to treat b/c so ‘individual’, but some things that provide some ‘typical’ behaviour, and choice of abx depends on the specific pathogen. If that hasn’t occurred, then always, so far as I’ve ever known, broad-spectrum abx are used – mainly cos even if there is a dominant ‘bug’ (my case, is Pseudomonas) infx are usually a mixture of opportunistic infx. B/c Pseud is resistant to all but Ciprox that’s the only one I take, until it no longer works then it’s IV abx, Gentamycin and Timentin (I don’t make the choice, a dr does that). Sometimes a culture is done but Pseud is notoriously unreliable to detect, or even if it is doesn’t necessarily mean there’s infx, so it’s more a matter of the whole cluster of symptoms and do they add up to infx?

I’ve been told whitish sp is old white blood cells - infx successfully controlled by your body’s own defence systems; yellow is pus = infx. Bad smell is also another clue to infx (bacterial). Increased coughing may not occur until infx really well ingrained, hard to treat, all depends on what’s usual for you. Increased sp, change of colour – darker, yellower, greener etc.. sounds like infx to me.... Whether you should go onto abx, I can’t say, but I’d suggest see your doctor if you can .

Blood in sputum – sometimes it’s streaks, sometimes a little chunk of old blood (dark), sometimes just ‘dirty’ looking, tinged. Definitely happens more when there’s infx around, often is precursor, never when all is fine, so I’m not convinced when docs say it’s ok it’s not serious. They’re not the ones who go through the weeks and months of feeling tired, rotten, struggling, coughing, poor sleep, etc etc....then decide months later, oh, you’ve got an infx! It’s my opinion, a strong one – if lungs bleed, it’s not a good sign!! If it’s anywhere else internal it’s not taken lightly, how so in a vital organ?

I hope this helps, also not worries you too much, but better to try learn e’thing poss, understand as much as poss.... Years ago, sometimes I used to be able to get over mild infx w/out abx, but it’s been a long time since then.... Now, my main prob seems to be trying to convince my dr that all is not well, I am not well! Oh well, I have an appt w/ new specialist in 2 weeks and one can only hope.... There’s only 2 specialists in town, and this is second one!

All the best,

joy

[Guest guest]

Hi Cassie,

I use one called SB FlorActiv, but don’t know if available in US, is made by BioCeutical, contains Saccharomyces cerevisiae (boulardii). The blurb says it is resistant to abx use, altho I tend to wait til I’ve finished abx. Maybe I shouldn’t as I’ve gone from years of frequent severe diarrhoea to now persistent opposite problem!

How long had I used abx before Candida.... I started life on abx I think instead of milk...! All my life I can remember I’ve had abx 1 – 3 times per winter most years of my life, and abx for other things in-between. So I think it’s as much about accumulative effects more than a one-dose thing. Also some abx are more prone to encourage fungal infx than others (don’t know why). Fungal infx is opportunistic – all the bacteria are wiped out, so it’s open playground for something else – nature abhors a vacuum!!

My ‘symptoms’ - clues...(a bit like chronic fatige – rather vague and hard to pin-point dx) are, generally – lungs feel dry/hot rather than cold/clammy of bacterial infx; sore dry eyes, headaches, fatigue...

Hard to answer some of your other questions! Yes, it is a hard disease to treat b/c so ‘individual’, but some things that provide some ‘typical’ behaviour, and choice of abx depends on the specific pathogen. If that hasn’t occurred, then always, so far as I’ve ever known, broad-spectrum abx are used – mainly cos even if there is a dominant ‘bug’ (my case, is Pseudomonas) infx are usually a mixture of opportunistic infx. B/c Pseud is resistant to all but Ciprox that’s the only one I take, until it no longer works then it’s IV abx, Gentamycin and Timentin (I don’t make the choice, a dr does that). Sometimes a culture is done but Pseud is notoriously unreliable to detect, or even if it is doesn’t necessarily mean there’s infx, so it’s more a matter of the whole cluster of symptoms and do they add up to infx?

I’ve been told whitish sp is old white blood cells - infx successfully controlled by your body’s own defence systems; yellow is pus = infx. Bad smell is also another clue to infx (bacterial). Increased coughing may not occur until infx really well ingrained, hard to treat, all depends on what’s usual for you. Increased sp, change of colour – darker, yellower, greener etc.. sounds like infx to me.... Whether you should go onto abx, I can’t say, but I’d suggest see your doctor if you can .

Blood in sputum – sometimes it’s streaks, sometimes a little chunk of old blood (dark), sometimes just ‘dirty’ looking, tinged. Definitely happens more when there’s infx around, often is precursor, never when all is fine, so I’m not convinced when docs say it’s ok it’s not serious. They’re not the ones who go through the weeks and months of feeling tired, rotten, struggling, coughing, poor sleep, etc etc....then decide months later, oh, you’ve got an infx! It’s my opinion, a strong one – if lungs bleed, it’s not a good sign!! If it’s anywhere else internal it’s not taken lightly, how so in a vital organ?

I hope this helps, also not worries you too much, but better to try learn e’thing poss, understand as much as poss.... Years ago, sometimes I used to be able to get over mild infx w/out abx, but it’s been a long time since then.... Now, my main prob seems to be trying to convince my dr that all is not well, I am not well! Oh well, I have an appt w/ new specialist in 2 weeks and one can only hope.... There’s only 2 specialists in town, and this is second one!

All the best,

joy

[Guest guest]

Hi Cassie,

I use one called SB FlorActiv, but don’t know if available in US, is made by BioCeutical, contains Saccharomyces cerevisiae (boulardii). The blurb says it is resistant to abx use, altho I tend to wait til I’ve finished abx. Maybe I shouldn’t as I’ve gone from years of frequent severe diarrhoea to now persistent opposite problem!

How long had I used abx before Candida.... I started life on abx I think instead of milk...! All my life I can remember I’ve had abx 1 – 3 times per winter most years of my life, and abx for other things in-between. So I think it’s as much about accumulative effects more than a one-dose thing. Also some abx are more prone to encourage fungal infx than others (don’t know why). Fungal infx is opportunistic – all the bacteria are wiped out, so it’s open playground for something else – nature abhors a vacuum!!

My ‘symptoms’ - clues...(a bit like chronic fatige – rather vague and hard to pin-point dx) are, generally – lungs feel dry/hot rather than cold/clammy of bacterial infx; sore dry eyes, headaches, fatigue...

Hard to answer some of your other questions! Yes, it is a hard disease to treat b/c so ‘individual’, but some things that provide some ‘typical’ behaviour, and choice of abx depends on the specific pathogen. If that hasn’t occurred, then always, so far as I’ve ever known, broad-spectrum abx are used – mainly cos even if there is a dominant ‘bug’ (my case, is Pseudomonas) infx are usually a mixture of opportunistic infx. B/c Pseud is resistant to all but Ciprox that’s the only one I take, until it no longer works then it’s IV abx, Gentamycin and Timentin (I don’t make the choice, a dr does that). Sometimes a culture is done but Pseud is notoriously unreliable to detect, or even if it is doesn’t necessarily mean there’s infx, so it’s more a matter of the whole cluster of symptoms and do they add up to infx?

I’ve been told whitish sp is old white blood cells - infx successfully controlled by your body’s own defence systems; yellow is pus = infx. Bad smell is also another clue to infx (bacterial). Increased coughing may not occur until infx really well ingrained, hard to treat, all depends on what’s usual for you. Increased sp, change of colour – darker, yellower, greener etc.. sounds like infx to me.... Whether you should go onto abx, I can’t say, but I’d suggest see your doctor if you can .

Blood in sputum – sometimes it’s streaks, sometimes a little chunk of old blood (dark), sometimes just ‘dirty’ looking, tinged. Definitely happens more when there’s infx around, often is precursor, never when all is fine, so I’m not convinced when docs say it’s ok it’s not serious. They’re not the ones who go through the weeks and months of feeling tired, rotten, struggling, coughing, poor sleep, etc etc....then decide months later, oh, you’ve got an infx! It’s my opinion, a strong one – if lungs bleed, it’s not a good sign!! If it’s anywhere else internal it’s not taken lightly, how so in a vital organ?

I hope this helps, also not worries you too much, but better to try learn e’thing poss, understand as much as poss.... Years ago, sometimes I used to be able to get over mild infx w/out abx, but it’s been a long time since then.... Now, my main prob seems to be trying to convince my dr that all is not well, I am not well! Oh well, I have an appt w/ new specialist in 2 weeks and one can only hope.... There’s only 2 specialists in town, and this is second one!

All the best,

joy