Candida Issues and…Colon Hydrotherapy?





Candida Issues and…Colon Hydrotherapy?

Brace yourself; this is not a post for the faint of heart, or the easily squeamish.

I am fully aware that the majority of my visitors are here for the recipes, but occasionally I like to branch away from food to focus on other aspects of living a healthy lifestyle. While I personally believe that food plays a major role, if not the most important role in our overall health, healing and well-being, sometimes food just isn’t enough to fix what’s happening within.

While this post may be considered TMI for more than a few of you, today I am going to chronicle my personal experience with candida overgrowth and colon hydrotherapy. Yes, you heard me right, colon hydrotherapy.

Before you run for the hills, hear me out. This is not me advising you to try colon hydrotherapy, nor is it me suggesting you shouldn’t. This post is simply my experience with candida overgrowth and colon hydrotherapy, covering everything from what it is, why I did it and my experience overall.

Before I get into the nitty-gritty of it all, let me start with why I decided to give colon hydrotherapy a try.

At the beginning of October 2013, I was hastily put on an antibiotic for what I believed to be a simple urinary tract infection. After having inguinal hernia surgery just a few months prior, everything seemed to be out of whack when it came to my body, and having had experienced a UTI in the past, the symptoms were pretty recognizable, or so I had thought.

The antibiotic I was put on had worked well for me in the past, so when I hadn’t experienced any relief after taking the full prescription, I headed back into my doctors office with an elevated sense of worry.

Several negative tests later, I was sent on my way with no more than a shrug and another prescription for stronger antibiotics. While I was consciously apprehensive about taking another round of antibiotics, let alone stronger antibiotics, I was in so much pain that I didn’t even hesitate to start round two. For two solid weeks, I religiously took my two pills a day, only to discover that I was still experiencing pain.

Frustrated, angry and desperately seeking relief, I asked my doctor for a referral to an urologist to get to the bottom of what was going on. Thankfully, I was able to get in rather quickly, but was once again told that all tests came back negative, and I was essentially experiencing pain without cause.

Never before have I felt so defeated. How can there be nothing wrong when I am clearly able to feel it? In a certain sense, I was furious with my body for not producing at least a verifiable cause. I felt as if I were a crazy person, swearing up and down that something was there that no one else could see.

At this point, the doctors and myself were basically taking a stab in the dark as to what could be causing this relentless discomfort. Medically, it just didn’t make sense, but after answering a series of question and undergoing an ultrasound, the urologist came to the conclusion that I was probably experiencing something known as urethritis, but couldn’t identify a real cause as to why. Unfortunately for me, the treatment for urethritis is – you guessed it – antibiotics. While there were no guarantee’s that this course of antibiotics would be the end of the road, I felt somewhat hopeful as this ceaseless pain now had an identity. Just as I had done the 4 weeks before, I filled my prescription and did as I was told.

About 3 days in, something miraculous happened. The pain I was experiencing was starting to disappear. Truthfully, I had become so jaded at this point that I contained my excitement, knowing that it seemed too good to be true, and sure enough, it was. After completing my 2-week course of antibiotics, I returned to the urologist in no better shape than I had been in before. She told me that since I did have some relief while on the antibiotics, the best next step would be to put me on a lower dose for an extended period of time, which ended up being around 2 months overall.

In total, I had been on some form of antibiotic for 3.5 months, which is absolutely insane. Would the pain probably have gone away on its’ own in time? Sure. Would I have taken antibiotics for that long had I known that it would basically take the same amount of time to clear up on its’ own? Never.

Once I came off the antibiotics, the real problems began. While I was no longer in pain, I had virtually destroyed every bit of good bacteria my body had to offer. Within two weeks of stopping the antibiotics, I gained an astonishing 7 pounds with no changes to my diet or workout routine. My body doesn’t fluctuate more than 1 or 2 lbs. – ever – so to gain so much, virtually overnight, was absolutely mind-boggling. Shortly after, I started to experience a lot of hair loss. As a woman preparing for her upcoming wedding, gaining weight and losing hair was distressing to say the least.

In a desperate bid to get back on track, I worked out harder than I ever had and ate as clean as I possibly could, but regardless of my efforts, I couldn’t budge the scale. At this point, my wedding was only 4 months out, and I was beginning to freak out about my dress fitting. It wasn’t so much just the number on the scale causing me anxiety, but the stress of everything I was already experiencing really seemed to magnify the situation. I had started a strict regimen of probiotics, which helped with the losing hair issue, but the weight wasn’t moving no matter what I did. Having never had a struggle with losing weight in the past, I was truly at a loss. I had done everything I could with nothing to show for it, so I made an appointment with my doctor to run some blood work, convinced it was my thyroid or something else internal. I want to say I was relieved when my blood work came back clear, but I selfishly felt a little upset that there wasn’t an underlying cause I could blame it on. In my mind at the time, I felt like it would have been easier to hear that it was my thyroid, because then, at the very least, these radical changes could be explained. I know that sounds ridiculous, and believe me, I am so grateful to have my health, but in the frame of mind I was in at the time, I just wanted something to make sense, and so far, nothing did.

Fed up of being told that everything I was experiencing was “probably nothing,” I took matters into my own hands and began tirelessly looking for others dealing with similar situations. Late one night as I mindlessly searched my symptoms, I came across an article on candida, discussing the effects that an overgrowth of candida, or bad bacteria, can have on your system. If you’re not familiar with candida, this definition from mindbodygreen.com sums it up quite well:

Candida is a fungus, which is a form of yeast, and a very small amount of it lives in your mouth and intestines. Its job is to aid with digestion and nutrient absorption but, when overproduced, candida breaks down the wall of the intestine and penetrates the bloodstream, releasing toxic byproducts into your body and causing leaky gut. This can lead to many different health problems, ranging from digestive issues to depression. The healthy bacteria in your gut typically keep your candida levels in check. However, several factors can cause the candida population to get out of hand:

Eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar
Consuming a lot of alcohol
Taking oral contraceptives
Eating a diet high in beneficial fermented foods
Living a high-stress lifestyle
Taking a round of antibiotics that killed too many of those friendly bacteria
The last 4 bullet points were all points that I related to, so I began to dig deeper on candida and how to go about treating it without the use of an anti-fungal prescription.

I started with my diet. While I was eating incredibly healthy, I was consuming a lot of fruit, which only exacerbated the issue. Outside of fruit, I was consuming a lot of starchy vegetables and legumes, such as sweet potatoes, butternut squash and beans of all varieties. Like fruit, these foods were only making the problem worse, so it was time to give them a rest until my body could heal itself.

In all honesty, cutting out sugar and starchy vegetables was hard. You never understand the power that sugars, even natural sugars, have on you until you give them up completely. That first week I felt tired, moody, weak and almost like I had a touch of the flu, but these physical symptoms are pretty common when someone with a candida issue gives up the very things that are keeping the candida alive. It is commonly referred to as ‘die-off,’ and that is a pretty accurate description of what you feel like.

Within merely a week and a half of this diet change alone, I noticed that my pants were fitting a little looser than they had in a while, and the scale seemed to confirm what I was seeing. Just like that, I had lost 2 lbs. After months of struggle, I finally, FINALLY discovered the problem, and was bouncing off the walls with excitement and joy. I can’t explain how elated I was to not only know what was going on, but to actually have a solution to fix it that wasn’t going to hurt my body more than it had already been. While the diet was effective, the weight loss came to a halt rather quickly. I started to feel the bloated, uncomfortable fullness I had before I changed my diet, and knew that it was time to get this problem fully under control. The great thing about candida overgrowth is that it is curable, but the problem is that it can take some time to do so. For some people, it can take years to get a candida issue under control, and with a wedding right around the corner, I knew I had to find a way to move the process along quickly in order to feel my best.

Enter colon hydrotherapy….

Few things strike fear onto people’s face like mentioning the word ‘colon.’ Our colon plays such an integral part in our health, yet is almost too taboo to discuss. Why that is, I’ll never know, but I guess I am a pretty open book with very little filter.

In the case of resolving candida overgrowth, colon hydrotherapy was the most effective thing I could have done. My only regret was not doing it sooner, because within three sessions, I was back to my normal weight, and able to maintain it without any irregular fluctuations.

When I first mentioned that I was going to try colon hydrotherapy to my friends and family, their eyebrows raised with concern and questions flooded their mouths.

“Isn’t that dangerous to do?”

“How does it feel?”

“Is it painful?”

“Is it embarrassing?”

“Can you smell/see/hear anything?”

The list of questions goes on, but let me start off with a general explanation.

Colon hydrotherapy is a safe, gentle infusion of water into the colon via the rectum. No chemicals or drugs are involved, and the entire process is both relaxing and effective. During treatment, the client lies on a custom treatment table in complete comfort, covered from the waist down. A small, disposable speculum that is attached to the hydrotherapy unit is gently inserted into the rectum, and through this hose, warm filtered water passes into the colon.





The treatment center I visit uses an FDA Registered colon hydrotherapy unit that employs multi-stage water purification, and uses individual, disposable speculums and hoses. This eliminates any possible contamination to the client. This is a closed system, meaning that waste is discretely transported into the drain line without any odor and without compromising the dignity of the client. After each therapy session, the unit is thoroughly cleansed and disinfected in preparation for future use.

The therapist will do several fills and releases of water, as well as light bodywork techniques and breathing instruction.

During the therapy, water temperature and pressure will be monitored and can be varied to stimulate peristalsis (muscular contraction) in the colon. This is very important to help the atonic (sluggish) colon.  When performed in the manner described above, colon hydrotherapy is not addictive and is very safe. It encourages the restoration of the colon’s natural function by strengthening peristalsis.

Each colon hydrotherapy session lasts approximately 45 minutes. Initially, a series of at least three separate therapy sessions is usually recommended to achieve the maximum cleansing benefit. This helps to eliminate fecal matter, which may have been lodged in the colon for weeks, months, or even years, and to keep the client properly hydrated.

With colon hydrotherapy, the entire large intestine is cleansed, and the therapeutic benefits are much greater than those achieved with an enema. Over-the-counter suppositories stimulate expulsion of the contents of the rectum, but contribute to dehydration thanks to chemical additives, which can actually exacerbate a constipated condition.

Just one colon hydrotherapy session may be equivalent to having many regular bowel movements. Eliminations during subsequent therapy sessions can be even more substantial as older, hardened, impacted feces are dislodged from the colon walls.

Now, if you’re still reading and not completely grossed out, you may still be wondering why I chose to do colon hydrotherapy to fix a candida issue affecting my digestive system. Well, the simple answer is that I wanted the quickest fix possible, and candida is eliminated through our waste (hence why it takes so long to treat with diet alone). When combined with the proper diet and continued use of anti-fungal supplements (which I’ll list below), I was able to get back the body I had in a matter of weeks, and actually maintain it. Aside from the physical benefits, my headaches, itchy skin and constant state of grogginess completely disappeared. I went from having hardly any energy at all to feeling as if I could take on the world,

Clearly, candida overgrowth is not a quick fix issue, and it takes a lot of proper planning and supplementation to get it under control, but in my opinion, colon hydrotherapy made the process so much more efficient than it would be to treat it with diet alone.

Please know that this is simply my experience with candida and colon hydrotherapy. The combination of diet, proper supplements and colon hydrotherapy was extremely effective in eliminating most of my candida issues, which is why I have decided to share this information with you. If you choose to give colon hydrotherapy a try, please be sure to do your research on finding a reputable place. Not all treatment centers are created equal, so it is possible for your session to be completely different from the experience I described above. Some centers choose to use an ‘open system’ rather than the ‘closed system’ I mentioned, which is much different, so be sure to ask questions before scheduling an appointment.

Again, this post is simply a ‘for your information’ type post. When I was struggling with serious candida overgrowth issues, I scoured the internet in an attempt to find someone going through something similar, and any possible solutions they had. While this may not be a subject for everyone, my hope is that it can shed light on a natural alternative, and provide possible relief to those experiencing similar issues. Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments below, or if you feel more comfortable asking privately, feel free to email me by clicking the email button at the top of the left hand column.

Supplements I use on a daily basis for candida overgrowth control:

Coconut oil – 4 capsules a day

Garlic – 3 capsules a day

Probiotics – 1 capsule a day

For the first 2 weeks after my first colon hydrotherapy session:

Wormwood – morning and night

35 comments on Candida Issues and…Colon Hydrotherapy?

  1. PG
    October 20, 2014 at 7:31 am (9 years ago)

    What diet did you follow for the candida overgrowth? Did you have a book that you read/followed?

    Reply
    • Danielle
      October 22, 2014 at 11:03 am (9 years ago)

      Hi PG,
      I started off with Kimberly Snyder’s Beauty Detox Solution which was fantastic overall, but when I was really struggling with candida, I followed these guidelines and had a lot of success in getting it under control:

      Foods While Treating Candida:

      •Fresh vegetables
      • Green vegetable juices (try adding a Granny Smith apple to the
      juice for flavor)
      • All fish except shellfish
      • Free-range or organic chicken and turkey, eggs
      • Lemons, limes, fresh cranberries, Granny Smith apples
      • Well-cooked grains: brown or wild rice, millet, buckwheat,
      amaranth, quinoa
      • Pasta made from any of the above recommended grains
      • Beans and lentils
      • Raw fermented foods
      • Essential fatty acids such as those in flax oil and olive oil
      • Unsweetened rice or almond milk
      • Raw almonds and seeds, raw almond butter
      • Herbal teas such as chamomile or peppermint
      • Natural sweetener such as stevia
      ——————————————-
      Foods to Generally Avoid
      while treating candida:

      •Sugar: sucrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, glucose,
      mannitol,
      sorbitol, galactose, maple syrup, brown, raw and date sugar,
      honey and artificial sweeteners
      • Wheat and yeast
      • Alcohol, soda, coffee, ciders
      • Condiments, sauces and vinegar products
      (mayonnaise, catsup, MSG, pickles)
      • Dried or candied fruits such as raisins or dates
      • Processed fermented foods such as soy sauce
      • Fruit juices
      • Fruits, except those listed above
      • Dairy and cheese
      • Mushrooms
      • Peanuts

      Hope this helps!

      Reply
  2. Natasha
    November 24, 2014 at 10:30 am (9 years ago)

    Your story is almost identical to mine!! Except I was taking antibiotics for acne. Completely destroyed my digestive system. For months, I’ve been dealing with weight gain, bloating, and constipation that would not go away. I’ve been seeing a naturopath and im taking a wide array of supplements but still wasn’t seeing improvment. I eat a very strict diet of only organic meats and eggs, vegetables, and some nuts (very restrictive!). But just in the past week I’ve had two colonics done and I wish I had done them sooner! I feel 10 pounds lighter, I have more energy, and I have very little bloating. I wish I had done this sooner! I still have a few more sessions coming up so I’m excited to see my results!

    Reply
    • Danielle
      November 24, 2014 at 8:00 pm (9 years ago)

      Thanks for sharing your story, Natasha! I love to hear from others on this topic, because, as I am sure you have seen, it isn’t widely discussed! I did about 8 sessions total and felt like a brand new person after I was finished, so I am sure you will see similar results :)

      Reply
      • Óliver
        June 9, 2016 at 2:46 am (8 years ago)

        Hi!

        I´m also suffering candida :-(

        Three weeks ago, I had 3 colonics sessions. Honestly, it´s getting better now, but I still have bad days where I don´t feel so good..

        How long did you both take to feel completly healthy after the colonics sessions?

        Thank you and Br

        //Oliver

        Reply
  3. tom
    January 15, 2015 at 8:51 am (9 years ago)

    I am suffering from candida and after reading your article am definitely going to have the treatment. How many did you have and what was your use of probiotics/ antifungals and diet during and after? Thanks for the post x

    Reply
    • Danielle
      January 15, 2015 at 1:10 pm (9 years ago)

      Hi Tom. I did about 8 treatments, just to get it all out of my system, but I felt immensely better after 3. As far as supplements go, I found them to be crucial. Everyday I would take 4 coconut oil capsules, 1-2 garlic capsules, and for about 2 weeks, I used wormwood, which really helped, but let me warn you, it’s disgusting. I stopped taking the garlic after about a month, but I continue to take the coconut oil everyday just to keep candida at bay. Diet is also incredibly crucial. Without diet, the treatments don’t work near as well. Here is a sample of the diet I followed…

      Foods While Treating Candida:

      •Fresh vegetables
      • Green vegetable juices (try adding a Granny Smith apple to the
      juice for flavor)
      • All fish except shellfish
      • Free-range or organic chicken and turkey, eggs
      • Lemons, limes, fresh cranberries, Granny Smith apples
      • No grains
      • No gluten
      • No dairy
      • Raw, fermented foods – try to avoid things like kombucha though because they can aggravate the situation and stick to things like coconut kefir
      • Essential fatty acids such as those in flax oil and olive oil
      • Unsweetened coconut milk or nut milk – a lot of people say no nuts, but I make an exception here
      • Herbal teas such as chamomile or peppermint
      • Natural sweetener such as stevia

      ——————————————-
      Foods to Generally Avoid
      while treating candida:

      •Sugar: sucrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, glucose,
      mannitol,
      sorbitol, galactose, maple syrup, brown, raw and date sugar,
      honey and artificial sweeteners
      • Wheat and yeast
      • Alcohol, soda, coffee, ciders
      • Condiments, sauces and vinegar products
      (mayonnaise, ketchup, MSG, pickles)
      • Dried or candied fruits such as raisins or dates
      • Processed fermented foods such as soy sauce
      • Fruit juices
      • Fruits, except those listed above
      • Dairy and cheese
      • Mushrooms
      • Peanuts

      Hope this helps!

      Reply
      • Chara
        March 10, 2015 at 5:24 pm (9 years ago)

        Hello! Thank you for sharing your experience! It has definitely shed some light on my current symptoms but I have to ask why do you incorporate apples? Aren’t you supposed to completely give up fruit when detoxing from candida? Thanks again!

        Reply
        • Danielle
          March 13, 2015 at 11:59 am (9 years ago)

          Hi Chara! I personally do cut out all sugars, but I know for some people this is really difficult, so I listed some recommended lower sugar fruit that shouldn’t derail progress too much if cutting out all sugar is too hard. Green apples, lemons and limes are low enough in sugar to be considered decent options. Hope that helps!

          Reply
  4. Kriss
    February 22, 2015 at 3:21 am (9 years ago)

    I have researched Candida to death and like you Danielle I have never felt so frustrated by the the lack of advice or help via my GP and other health care professionals. They simply don’t know or refuse to acknowledge Candida albicans. I have undergone so many tests and procedures from urology to gynological surgeries which have all proved negative which is fantastic but my body was telling me much more and I was never receiving answers to my fatigued body. My wonderful herbalist doctor (alternative medicines) shone a light on my symptoms and quickly put me on probiotics and other herbal medicinal drinks to help elviate some of my worst symptoms. What frustrates me the most, I was an extremely active person and considered myself a healthy eater especially during my thirties when I desperately tried to conceive. I was unsuccessful naturally and with IVF, devastated is an understatement. My lack of energy and ability to function fully on a day to day basis was & is still killing me. Not to mention the sinus problems and lower back ache and list goes on….my body & mind feel physical and emotionally drained, sick! Diet is definitely a major role with the need to cut out refined sugars but it is extremely difficult especially when I live away from home and organic healthy foods are not so easy to come by. That’s not to say I pack what I can to take with me but most green vegetables are seasonal here and not always of the best quality. I try, when I can find it at a high cost, to include avocado in my diet daily which has had a significant affect on my skin and hair.My best change of all, is cooking with organic coconut oil…please try it it’s wonderful! My food tastes even more scrummy. My herbalist keeps telling me to go to a retreat but I had some sort of adverse negative reaction to this….I don’t know why…too expensive perhaps, I didn’t want to throw money away that I didn’t have to spend in the first place or I thought it would be a complete waste of time and energy. But after more reading about the how the candida transforms from a yeast to a fungus with a chitin wall which is incredibly difficult to breakdown or penetrate and gets into the bloodstream and soft tissues I knew I had to something more than diet alone. I often wonder if candida is one of the reason to my infertility. It’s robed me of my life. As a teenager I was taking oxytetracyline a powerful antibiotic for acne (almost 6years) plus I was taking the contraceptive pill and later in life I was put on anti depressants. My whole personality changed and I became isolated (by choice) as my mood changes were so unpredictable making me extremely anti social. My inability to think clearly was being constantly compromised and my confidence diminished beyond belief. I took time out of my teaching profession to find solace. A time to heal and relax, to do yoga and meditate. Three years on and I’m worse off my candida flares up on a regular basis and I’m in an ever ending cycle. This leads me to colonic hydrotherapy. After much research I have decided and thank you once again to Danielle and others who have suggested this…I am to embrace this very procedure when I return home in mid March. I cross my fingers that perhaps this procedure along with the correct diet and probiotics i can finally find myself again. I thought I was alone in this but it’s so comforting to hear I’m not and that there can be light at the end of the tunnel, a success story can truly happen. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Danielle
      February 23, 2015 at 2:02 pm (9 years ago)

      Hi Kriss-
      So sorry to hear of your struggle with candida. I know from first hand experience how truly awful it is. I appreciate you sharing your story because, as you know, there are a lot of people out there who feel they are alone in this and struggle on a daily basis. Hopefully this article and people sharing their individual stories will help bring light to this poorly diagnosed issue that so many people suffer with.

      Reply
  5. Chris
    February 28, 2015 at 4:24 am (9 years ago)

    hey, thanks for the info. Can u tell me what order you did everything? Did u get all 3 colonics back 2 back then start the supplements?

    Thanks, Chris

    Reply
    • Danielle
      March 2, 2015 at 2:47 pm (9 years ago)

      Hi Chris!
      The first thing I did, probably starting about 3 weeks before I did my first colonic, was change my diet. I cut out all sugar (including fruit) and anything processed, while sticking to a diet of lean proteins and lower sugar veggies. After my first colonic, my colon hydrotherapist suggested that I start taking the supplements. The wormwood, coconut oil and garlic were essential and made a HUGE difference by the time I went back for my next colonic, which was about 2 weeks after my first session. After my second session, I continued on with just diet, coconut oil and garlic (no wormwood), and went back in for a third session after another 2 weeks. From there on out, I maintained the diet, coconut oil and garlic, and switched to doing colonics about once a month, which I would still be doing if I wasn’t currently pregnant.

      Hope that helps!

      Reply
      • John
        March 18, 2017 at 1:25 am (7 years ago)

        Hi Danielle, thank you so much for this usefull information, have you ever been able to go off the diet since then?

        Reply
  6. Stu
    June 19, 2015 at 9:57 am (9 years ago)

    Hello

    I have just read this page as my life has been turned upside down by what can only be described as a un explained illness which has plagued me for the last 3 months. 14 weeks ago I was a very active strong guy who was up a challenge until one day I had what can only be described as a random panic attack.

    Living in the UK my first response was get to the Docs and get this sorted, so I did, blood test and ECG came back clear. Like yourself Danielle I was over the moon and thought nothing of it.
    Round 2 Panic attack and nearly collapsing. Back to the docs, more tests, came back clear.
    At this point the soldier in me then decided to carry on but two days after I started to get discharge from my front end nether regions. Now I was worried!!! I went to the sexual health clinic and had every unpleasant test I could think off, which all came back negative. I was given a strong course of Antibiotics over 7 days which cleared the rash but presented the next drama.
    I had an allergy test (stepping away from the UK NHS system) which then pointed me to campylobacter. I thought great here we go something to blame.

    I went back to the docs and gave a stool sample which came back clear, so I was happy, time to move on.

    Wrong!!!! then came the head fog, memory loss, IBS, constipation, loss stools ect.
    Back to the docs and I was prescribed with Prozac!!!
    Now if there is one thing in my life I am not deficient and thats Prozac!!!!

    I then read sites like these and noticed my symptoms were the same as a lot of peoples who suffer which candida.
    I have done lots of studies recently but there seems to be 101 thousand different theories.
    This site I stumbled across!!! As I had never thought about hydrotherapy in conjunction which anti fungals and probiotics. The thought of have a pipe stuck up my bum and then flushed with water scares me, but you guys have given me the confidence to go book my first appointment. so thank you very much and fingers crossed I can get back to my A game.

    Reply
    • G
      September 9, 2015 at 7:51 pm (9 years ago)

      hi
      I was so happy when I found your website. I’m 21 years old and suffer from candida. Normally I’m an upbeat, happy, and outgoing person, but I had my first panic attack this summer and it scared me to the point that I thought I would have to drop out of college. The thought of doing anything gave me immense anxiety. I also experienced brain fog, crying spells, and depression among other symptoms, but these were the worst. I thought I was going crazy because I had no idea why I felt this way, but luckily my mother took me to get looked at and to figure this thing out. Thankfully we did. and thankfully I didn’t have to do it alone.
      This no alcohol diet is a killer for a 21 year old, but I’m doing it! I just had my first colonic and already feel much better! Although, having someone in the room with you while you do your business was awkward; it made me laugh. And laughing is a good sign to me. Along with the colonics i’m sticking to a strict diet and taking herbal supplements much like the ones you listed. It makes me happy to know I’m not the only one out there with this problem because my peers just don’t understand it. Thank you so much!

      Reply
    • Nat25
      September 27, 2016 at 8:05 am (7 years ago)

      Did you ever try a coffee colonic versus the standard colonic? Wondering if one is better than the other for candida.

      Reply
  7. Desiree
    December 8, 2015 at 2:40 pm (8 years ago)

    Hi Danielle,
    After reading your story, I felt like we walked down the same path with doctors. In September of 2013 I lost my mother to a short 7 mo battle to cancer. The stress, poor diet, and lack of sleep carried on after my mother left me. I started noticing my stomach was acting strange, but I never really paid attention as it was intermittent issues. Then one morning in December 2014 I woke up and felt incredibly bloating /distended. I figured it was because I ate late the before, tok a gas-x and went to work. Later that night, I felt the same as the morning. I started to be more careful with my diet, cutting out gluten and dairy. NO RELIEF! Soon after I started experiencing extreme fear/anxiety, brain fog, exema, headaches, muscle pain all on top of the unbearable bloating/distention I made a doctors appointment. My PCP took blood and prescribed me an acid reflux med. My blood came back fine, so I asked for an ultrasound sound, as i knew something was still not right! The ultrasound come back fine. I then scheduled with a GI doc. He immediately thought it was H. Pylori and scheduled an endoscopy. The endoscopy confirmed H. Pylori. They put me on 7 days antibiotics for eradication. After the dose of antibiotics I felt no different. They ordered a stool sample to see if eradication was achieved. It was.. So what now?!?! Now it was gastroparesis and nothing more could be done. I was not accepting this, as I wanted my life back!!! I went for a second opinion. Oh and by the way while I was on my course of antibiotics I got a call from my PCP apologizing because they missed H. Pylori. Frustrated because I had already paid my $500.00 deductible for the endoscopy that could have be prevented had my blood been read correctly initially. Nevertheless I still felt horrible. The second GI doctor scheduled a Gastric Emptying Study. They gave me a some oatmeal with a little radio activy material added. Then i was put on a table hooked up to a monitor for one hour to measure how long it took me to digest the oatmeal. This test came back fine. Then my doctor wanted to check for SIBO (small intestinal bacteria overgrowth ). The test measured for hydrogen/methane gasses. They found a little bit of hydrogen and started 7 days of XIfaxan, didn’t feel better, in fact worse! The bloating was beyond horrible. I was now prescribed 2 weeks of Augmentine (another antibiotic). Initially I felt better! At least I was able to put jeans on and not yoga pants! So I thought maybe relief? Nope after 2 weeks I was the same and back to yoga pants. I called my doctor he prescribed more Augmentine, and another stomach pain med. I suggested a colonoscopy. We scheduled it and results…. did you guess? They were good! So next he suggested a endoscopy capsule and called in more meds, treating me for IBS yhis time..Frustrated beyond words I put the capsule endoscopy procedure on hold and just kept taking IBS meds. I started seeing a natropathic doctor who took some blood a looked at it under a microscope and found 6 different parasites (sorry gross, I know). I was iron deficient, my liver was so compromised due to the antibiotics and then CANDIDA, lots of CANDIDA!! I stopped taking IBS meds and started taking antifungals, probiotics and Pau’d Arco (sp) tea. She put me on diet alot of what your diet consisted of. I have had 3 colonics which my therapist said I had tons of candida (sorry again)! It’s been a little over 2 months if no antibiotics, only doing herbs, diet and colonics and I am seeing signs of improvements. On certain days I can wear jeans, so that’s progress..☺ I’m definitely not 100 yet but getting better! The bloating /distention is still there but not as bad. Can you tell me were you able to do away with bloating completely ??
    Congrats on baby!

    Reply
  8. Friendgirl
    April 30, 2016 at 9:48 am (8 years ago)

    Danielle, I came to your site out of a desperate mid night internet search to find out how to her relief from Candida albicans which l was diagnosed with over 10 years ago. I did the usual prescription treatment several times since then and never considered giving up certain things in my diet, like sugars, to keep my health on track. After a stressful mice to another location, I had such constipation I didn’t know what to do. Thankfully, I now live in an area where natural medicine is more available and accepted among the community. I finally tried colonics and did three treatments over a period of several weeks. With the first one I had such relief! I did not learn of natural anti fungal treatments until most recently, as I have been plagued by itching in my nether regions, and now bumpy, itchy skin on my arms at the elbows and backs of hands. I also am having itchy eyes and nose and have thought maybe an allergy and that the two were unrelated. After taking allergy medicine, the itchiness around the face has not sub sided very much at all, so I now believe it is my bodies way of telling me my Candida is back with a vengeance! I am going to contact my colonics person and get started on some internal relief again. This time, I am going to add the garlic and other herbs to help combat this unrelenting condition! Thank you for all your knowledge on this embarrassing condition! I hate that anyone else had to deal with this but glad to know I am not alone!

    Reply
  9. Denise
    July 11, 2016 at 9:34 pm (8 years ago)

    Hi Danielle, how bad was the die off after? I’m scheduled for my first colonics for Candida in 6 days but am nervous about how bad I’ll feel after since I’m such a lightweight and and everything affects me so much. Plus I’ll have to bottle feed my 4 month old :(, so I’m having second thoughts, but am so sick of this Candida. Thanks for your help!

    Reply
  10. Kat T
    March 16, 2017 at 4:35 pm (7 years ago)

    I noticed fermented foods were listed. I use Apple cider vinegar (organic, with the mother) and drink Kombucha OFTEN. What would you advise concerning this if I am concerned with possible candida overgrowth.

    Reply
  11. Paula
    April 3, 2017 at 7:06 pm (7 years ago)

    I believe I initially ruined my gut with a sugar addiction followed by an alcohol addiction. 40 years later here I am with on-and-off yeast infections in my gut. I have spent a fortune on probiotics. I’ve spent money on apple cider vinegar almost free which is been helpful and most recently I Googled because I thought maybe a colonic might help and I found a woman who infuses anti Candida herbs into the colonic so those fungus are killed right there boom. I was very sick the next day even threw up once but it was worth it because now I’m like a week later and I feel great! Please if you can find a service of this nature get your routine started with a clean out with the antifungal herbs in a colonic. And then use all these instructions from the texts above. Apparently it’s just going to be a lifelong issue for some of us and we have to accept that. I cannot do the diet totally because I tend to be suicidal and that diet is enough to make me want to commit suicide. So I will just have to pay for additional supplements used and go get one of those antifungal colonics on a routine basis. That is my plan. My best to you!

    Reply
  12. Nicole
    October 15, 2017 at 1:20 pm (6 years ago)

    This was such a helpful article! I have been battling candida for months after taking 4 antibiotics earlier in the summer for a cold of all things and that spiraled into 10lbs of weight gain and bloating that I can’t lose. I’ve been reading all about Candida and leaky gut that apparently go hand in hand and my herbalist/acupuncturist referred me to someone who does colon hydrotherapy, but I have been unsure of whether I should do it. Your post made me realize I definitely should do it, thank you!!

    Reply
  13. Amber
    November 8, 2017 at 8:16 pm (6 years ago)

    Thank you for all of this info!! It was really helpful!!!

    Reply
  14. Kaitlyn Farrell
    November 11, 2017 at 8:10 pm (6 years ago)

    Hi Daniele,

    I️ can’t thank you enough for your insight. I was wondering, when did you start adding fruits and starchy vegetables back into your diet? Iam 2 weeks into my Candida cleanse right now and would love to have an apple or some butternut squash. I am taking antifungals prescribes by my functional medicine doctor but am planning on my first colonic next week to help move things along. I want my energy and clear skin back so I can keep up with school and my 3 year old. Do you strictly stay away from all sugars now? I would hate to think that I can’t even enjoy a cookie on Christmas (every once in a while).

    Reply
    • Danielle
      June 5, 2018 at 8:58 pm (6 years ago)

      I am currently off both fruits and starchy vegetables again as pregnancy made my candida flare up something fierce. The best way to do it though is to start with lower sugar fruits , try a tiny bit at a time and give your body a few days to see if you have a reaction. If you do, you are probably not ready for it yet. As of now I stay away from all sugars because when I don’t, my yeast flares up pretty quickly.

      Reply
  15. Matt B
    January 31, 2018 at 5:40 am (6 years ago)

    Great post. I’m late to the party here but am curious to know how far apart your colonic treatments were. I’m doing some myself soon in order to tackle my Candida issues and am trying to get am idea of the optimal spacing between sessions. Thanks!

    Reply
  16. Mender
    May 6, 2018 at 1:53 pm (6 years ago)

    Hello, I had my first two colonics this past week. Unfortunately, they scheduled my appointments prior to sending me the diet protocol, so … I feel like I didn’t get the most benefits since I hadn’t been following a low sugar diet nor was I prepared after to make such drastic changes. I’m going to make those changes and continue the hydrotherapy.

    I was wondering if they discussed with you what they saw via the elimination during the treatment. For example, one therapist told me the foggy water indicated yeast. The next day, a different therapist told me the pain I was constantly feeing in my upper abdominal area (just below the sternum) was an indication of fungus. She also told me I was passing rope worms. Sorry to be so graphic. Were you told any of this during your treatments?

    I’ve been suffering with IBS-contipation since 1999. At first, I alternated between constipation and diarrhea. I was prescribed antibiotics, which led to weight gain. I developed high blood pressure as a result and either the antibiotics or the bp meds shoved me into a constant battle with constipation.

    I gave up on the medical community and switched to a naturopath. But after years of buying supplements, probiotics and different diets (none suggested a candida diet), I looked for another way. Hence, the colonic hydrotherapy.

    Reply
    • Danielle
      June 5, 2018 at 8:41 pm (6 years ago)

      Hi Mender. I appologize for the delayed response. When I did my colon hydrotherapy sessions, I was told what was passing during my elimination treatment. Yeast is very distinct looking so it was obvious to tell. Definitely make sure you are taking a high quality probiotic on a daily basis because even though you are wiping out the bad stuff, you’re going to wipe some of the good out too during the process.

      Reply
  17. Gail
    May 7, 2018 at 2:12 am (6 years ago)

    Hi Danielle, I am so glad I came across your site. Relieved as well. I found a naturopath that confirmed what I believed for a long time. Candida overgrowth. I had my first colon hydrotherapy with ozone session last week with two more sessions booked two weeks apart but I felt there was something missing. I was told to cut back on sugar which is my addiction but otherwise told to eat as usual which I thought was strange as I thought that was part of why I ended up so sick to begin with. I’ve been researching and did find some helpful info but your site is awesome. I wasn’t told to use any supplements. I’m going out tomorrow to buy the supplements you used. I want to get the best out of this and get my life back. I used to do physical work all my life and loved it and prided myself for being such a hard worker and so strong. Ten years ago I started getting vertigo and migraines and severe brain fog that just didn’t stop and I ended up on disability which became permanent when degenerative arthritis set in. Later came the diagnosis of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. I’m 54 and came to the conclusion my life was pretty much over between the fatigue, pain and brain fog until I found this naturopath. But things like the diet were just left out and during the sessions I just get a small heat pack for my abdomen, no massaging or anything like that. Is there anything else you can advise me to do to help myself during this process so I can get the most out of it.
    Thank you for putting your story out there. It’s the people that have been there that really understand. My family doctor just says it’s fibromyalgia and there’s nothing I can do. I recently went through a month and a half with such bad brain fog and pain and I couldn’t even put a sentence together properly. My doctor said it might go away or might not so I had to start researching for myself cause I felt like I was just going to keep fading away to nothing. Sorry for such a long post. I just feel like I just found the rest of the answer to the puzzle to get my life back and I am so grateful.
    Thank you
    Gail

    Reply
    • Danielle
      June 5, 2018 at 8:32 pm (6 years ago)

      Hi Gail! I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to get back to you. Somehow your post got lost in the shuffle of spam. Anyway, I am so sorry to hear that you are dealing with this. Candida is so under recognized, and SO hard to eradicate. It really takes the right combination of anti fungals and diet. I am by no means an expert, but I will tell you that you are on the right path with your decision to see a naturopath. I think for me personally, diet has been the biggest factor in starting to get my candida under control, but I still have a ways to go. It really requires strict adherance. Body Ecology would be a fantastic book for you to check out that will explain everything more thoroughly, but to give you an idea of the basics, I do no sugar (including fruit), no alcohol, no grains or starchy vegetables. I stick to lots of greens and organic, antibiotic free lean meats. Antibiotic use is a huge contributor to candida overgrowth, so its really important to repopulate your gut with a high quality probiotic daily. Some natural antifungals include coconut oil, wormwood, garlic and black walnut. Please be sure to check with your naturopath first to go over any other medications you may be using. I also really like to get things ‘moving’ with Magnesium Oxygen supplements. The more you are having bowel movements, the more your body is able to get rid of the yeast. A safe place to start would be the coconut oil supplements and the magnesium oxygen supplements. I prefer Aerobic Life Mag 07 Oxygen Digestive System Cleanser Capsules. I would give those two supplments a try, and definitely do some diet modification. Really and truly, the Body Ecology book is a fantastic place to start. Hang in there!

      Reply
  18. Victoria
    June 24, 2018 at 5:11 am (6 years ago)

    Hello!
    I randomly found your page, and all informations are so helpfull!
    I was honestly totally desperate lately… 3 months ago, I took 5 days of a very strong antibiotics, which destroyed everything in me. Since then, I have recurrent vaginal candidiasis and I was feeling desperate, did not know why this vaginal candidiasis was so resistent depite all treatments.
    So I red a lot and came through your pos, and through all lectures, I understood the reasons the vaginal candidiasis was so resistent…it was actually because orinially it was in my colon… its been a week now I started the diet, and also did 2 colonics, will do the 3rd tomorrow, and hope it will solve my issues, as I started to feel depressed etc
    Also wanted to ask you how did you organized your 8 colonic treatments, one each week or? And how many months did it take you to get free from the candida?

    I had opposite problem, I m naturally skiny, and candida diet made me loose already 3 lgs :(

    Maybe someone has a solution on how to gain back some weight during the candida diet?

    Looking forward your reply! Greetings from France

    Victoria

    Reply
  19. Ela Gold
    July 3, 2018 at 8:51 pm (6 years ago)

    Thank you, Danielle, for sharing your story which gives hope to candida sufferers. I’m a colon hydrotherapist and naturopath in Australia where I see these stories every day. The good news is that usually, within one month we can clear it up. I use a combination of colonics, diet, essential oils and occasionally some herbs to treat it as I find that just with diet it takes too long and most people don’t have the stamina to be absolutely sugar-free for 6 months. Of course with some people, there is even more to the story, like food allergies and other underlying health issues that require slightly different treatments. Also, Candida can have the same symptoms than some parasites like Blastocystis.
    The important thing is to remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel!

    Reply
  20. Joanna
    July 13, 2018 at 9:13 am (6 years ago)

    hiya. i noticed when you posted foods to eat you put a few grains in the first list but not the second?

    is there a reason why?

    Reply
    • Danielle
      September 2, 2018 at 11:13 am (6 years ago)

      I had to go on an AIP style diet for inflammation, and grains are a no-no for that.

      Reply

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