Hi Dwayne, regarding coincidence or not, is it possible that it's a coincidence, yes it's possible, but is it likely? I don't think so. After 8 months this is the best you've felt and you start hearing better etc just right after a few days of starting on Nystatin. It seems a bit of a stretch to be coincidence, and even if it was a coincidence, I would give it the benefit of the doubt, because it might just be the thing to really help you. Here is the good news! From reading this forum I've read that taking anti-fungals have die off stages, where you will feel worse or crappy for a few days, this is because the body is working overtime to clean and get rid of it from the body. So it's not surprising that you are back to square one after feeling better. In addition, taking more dosages is said to make die off stage more severe because it's killing too many fungi at once and so the body has to work even harder! You are taking 250 units where two other doctors prescribe 100 units, perhaps this is the reason you should lower the dose so the crash is not a crash but a softer landing, it will take longer but at least you won't crash and burn as you say. How do you know it is working after taking it a while? You will have days where you feel worse, so that's happened, check! The important thing is to write down for how long the feeling crappy part lasts. If after staying the course you notice the crappy days are getting shorter and shorter and you are feeling better then that's a very good sign! In summary, 1. I would lower the dose to 100 units, it will take longer but with less of a cra 2. Write down how long the good days last and how long the crappy days last to know if bad days are getting shorter, etc 3. Keep it simple with Nystatin only since this is the one that gave you a good response.
Edit: What I meant by the good news is that, this is supposed to happen and is a possible sign that it's working! "cra" = crash is what I meant to say
Thanks Prozeal (and Vicki), that is good advice, my daughter has also said today that I should not give up so easy, very nice of you to look out for me, I am depressed from all of this.
Dwayne I know it can be discouraging but if you search the forums many have been good then not so good then good again in the beginnings of treatments, even with antivirals. and the die off effect from antifungals is real and happens to most. The best and only way to judge, if a treatment is helping, is to look at the overall picture, not concentrate on the not so great days in the beginning of a treatment, which is very common to have. I know it is difficult but hang in there and please keep us updated.
Don't get discouraged or give up - fact remains that with this treatment you got 12 days of great feeling, which is better than it was for months prior. Hold onto that. I know that my last major setback was triggered around this same time of year - for me I believe it was the chocolate (too much Halloween candy). It is possible that because you were feeling so much better you ate something different, drank something different, etc...that put things back off balance.
Nicmger made me think of this, are you on a candida diet? You need to avoid certain foods when treating a fungal infection, I don't think the pills do it alone if you eat carbs and sugars etc etc.
http://www.thecandidadiet.com/foodstoavoid.htm sheesh that's alotta food to avoid Foods To Avoid On The Candida Diet Treating your Candida can mean making some difficult changes to your eating habits and lifestyle, especially during the strict anti-Candida diet. However, remember that things will get easier once you start to reintroduce foods to your diet again. Some of these foods provide energy directly to the Candida yeast. Others affect the working of your immune system and reduce your body’s ability to fight off infection. If you really want to beat your Candida infestation for good, give yourself the best start possible by avoiding all these foods. This list provides a good summary of which foods you should avoid during your Candida treatment. For a larger and more detailed list, check out my Ultimate Candida Diet program. Foods To Avoid CATEGORY FOODS TO AVOID NOTES SUGARS Sugar Honey Syrup Chocolate Molasses Rice Syrup Artificial Sweeteners Condiments tend to be high in sugar and can exacerbate your Candida. Stay away from the soft drinks too. Always read food labels to make sure your food doesn't contain sugar. Be careful - the aspartame in diet cola weakens your immune system can leave you vulnerable to Candida. ALCOHOL Wine Beer Spirits Liquors Cider Drinking large amounts of alcohol can actually lead to a temporary drop in your blood sugar, but moderate amounts tend to increase it. Alcoholic drinks are often full of carbohydrates and associated with high sugar mixers and foods. In the long run, alcohol consumption tends to decrease the effectiveness of insulin, leading to consistently higher blood sugar levels. Alcohol can also increase gut permeability and negatively affect your immune system. GRAINS & GLUTINOUS FOODS Anything made with wheat, rye, oats or barley, e.g. white bread, rye bread, pasta. Spelt products Corn and corn byproducts Rice Many Candida sufferers have a high sensitivity to Gluten. Give your immune system a break and stay off gluten during your Candida diet. Corn-by products like popcorn tend to be contaminated with mold. FRUIT Fresh Fruit Dried Fruit Canned Fruit Fruit Juice The high sugar content in fruit feeds Candida, even though they are natural sugars. Fruits like melon may also contain mold. A squeeze of lemon is OK. VEGETABLES Potatoes Carrots Sweet Potatoes Yams Beets Peas Parsnips This group of vegetables is very nutrient-dense, however they should be avoided until your Candida overgrowth is fully under control. They then can be reintroduced in small portions one at a time. MEATS All pork products Cured meats Processed meats Smoked or vacuum-packed meats Pork contains retroviruses that survive cooking and may be harmful for those with a weakened digestive system. Processed meats like lunch meat and spam are loaded with dextrose nitrates, sulfates and sugars. FISH All fish except for wild salmon and sardines All shellfish All shellfish and most fish contain alarming levels of heavy metals and toxins. These will suppress your immune system and leave you vulnerable to Candida. Studies have shown that farmed salmon contain high levels of PCBs, mercury and other carcinogenic agents. DAIRY PRODUCTS Cheese Milk Cream Whey products Almost all dairy should be avoided except ghee, butter, kefir and probiotic yogurt. Milk contains lactose so it should be avoided. Kefir and yogurt are better because most of the lactose disappears during the fermentation process. ADDITIVES & PRESERVATIVES Citric Acid Anything you don't know or can't pronounce! The manufactured, additive form of citric acid is derived from yeast. However the natural form, as found in lemons and limes, is OK on the diet. Additives and preservatives can disrupt your friendly bacteria and allow the Candida yeast to flourish. OTHER BEVERAGES Coffee Black & green tea Diet & regular soda Energy drinks Fruit Juices Caffeine can cause your blood sugar to rise, but the main problem is that it weakens the adrenals and can impair your immune system. Coffee also contains mold. Even decaf tea and coffee are to be avoided, as they contain residual levels of caffeine. NUTS Cashews Peanuts Pistachios This group of nuts contains a high amount of mold, which can inflame your Candida problem. BEANS Beans and other legumes Chickpeas Tofu Soy cheese Soy milk All soy products The combination of being hard to digest and high in carbs rules out beans from the first stages of the diet. They can be reintroduced later on in small portions. Soy products are mostly forbidden, as the majority of soy is genetically modified. If you can find non-GMO tofu, it should be OK to eat. MUSHROOMS / MOLDS Mushrooms Truffles Mushrooms don't "feed" Candida as some websites claim, but eating some fungi can cause an inflammatory reaction if you are already suffering from Candida. On the other hand, some medicinal mushrooms are actually OK on the diet and have strong immune-boosting properties. Good examples are Reishi and Maitake. CONDIMENTS Ketchup Mayonnaise Regular Mustard Relish Horseradish Soy sauce Ketchup, tomato paste, and spaghetti sauces all contain high amounts of hidden sugars. Condiments generally do tend to be high in sugar, and they can exacerbate your Candida. For an alternative salad dressing, try coconut aminos or a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing. VINEGAR All vinegars, except for Apple Cider Vinegar Vinegar is made in a yeast culture, depletes the stomach of acids and can also cause inflammation in your gut. However, one particular vinegar (unfiltered apple cider vinegar) can actually be helpful in combating a Candida overgrowth. FATS AND OILS Peanut oil Corn oil Canola oil Soy oil Peanut, corn and canola oil are contaminated with mold. And most soy beans used in soy oil are GMO.
Yes I have looked at that diet and have cut way down on carbs, and yes when I was feeling better I had a couple drinks and 2 pieces of pie. I am skinny as a rail and cannot follow that diet to the letter. I have cut way back on carbs though and that may help? I wont eat any more pie since it all fell apart (or alcohol). I will read over the diet. Thankyou for that effort so much. I cut down slightly on the dosing and feeling some better today, hoping to wake tomorrow in functional condition.
Reminds me of my first, of many, ENTs that gave me a list of foods to avoid. I called it the "eat like a rabbit" diet.
In 1999 the Mayo clinic released a paper identifying that 96% of all Nasal Infections are caused by mold. The link to the paper is below http://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/otorhinolaryngology-ent/minnesota/research/chronic-sinusitis The Mayo Clinic Article was originally found on: http://www.ehow.com/facts_6028277_mold-dizziness.html
I wonder if mold is the cause of my many sinus infections. I will read your links thank you for posting them.
After taking Nystatin for couple weeks I crashed and burned again as you may know. Then had tooth removed thats been bothering me for years (actually a dental implant), I immediately got well nearly to the max and today is my 22nd day in good shape and actually improving overall slightly each day. I do not really need my hearing aids near as much now so not wearing. Due to some continued tooth pain in other teeth I have turned to the DOA regimen(Dwayne of Atlanta). This is fresh garlic 1 clove mashed and swallowed with water chaser 3 times per day, oregano oil softgel (now foods) twice a day, Vit D3 5000 twice a day, Vit C complex 1 per day. my regimen I believe is aimed at natural antibiotic protocol. I believe that continued possible infection whether it be my teeth, sinus or inner ear may be addressed with the garlic and oregano oil. The oregano oil I will continue and taper off and perhaps do a couple weeks here and there (if my plan continues to work) . The garlic , due to its many benefits, I will continue for the long run except will likely cut down especially if I ever get a girlfriend again. I studied a bit about garlic and the pills and gels do not give full benefit (I have taken many) but the raw stuff has all the antibiotic properties. I know this may all sound half baked, but this is my current theory and I will keep you posted as to when I crash again or not. I will be testing it all soon as I am back on the schedule to go Thai/Vietnam in January and I always get sick there (dizzy and can't hear). Additionally ,I will wait til I return in March to go back to the dreaded dentists for bridgework and possibly another extraction.
Good to hear you're doing well wish I get that break one of these days, I'll be elated! Maybe Nystatin still helped? I will go get my wisdom teeth pulled incase that's causing issues since it's really tight there at the back.
It is possible the Nystatin helped, but I attribute that period of improvement to vertigo which in turn relieved some of the endolymphatic pressure temporarily. But, yes, I could be wrong. Have to keep a very open mind in this situation.
Dwayne oregano oil and garlic are remedies for migraines and MAV, could it be you have MAV as well and that's why you are feeling better along with the antifungal?