Re: brain fogginess - chantal

[Guest guest]

chantal,

 

thanks for the question.

 

i'm, actually, still in the process of piecing together some of the " history "

surrounding my illness, and i've found that it's really difficult to determine

exact " starting points " of certain onsets, etc.  as near as i can tell, my

" brainfog " started very gradually and subtle back in 1996 when i was under an

enormous amount of stress due to pressures from my job, my marriage and my

finances.

 

today, what i have for certain is epstein-barr virus, chronic fatigue/immune

dysfunction syndrome and candida/yeast overgrowth.  in some ways, my medical

history turns into a " chicken and egg " question that perhaps becomes irrelevant

with EFFECTIVE treatment.

 

so, from 1996 thru about 2002, i was very, very aware that something had changed

in my skull, but i was still able to function on a fairly reasonable basis,

except for alot of depression and some moderate fatigue.  in 1999, i had

started drinking alcoholically after 13 consecutive years of abstinance, which i

also know compromised my immune system.

 

in light of your question, chantal, i basically believe that because of the

stress and the alcoholism, my immune system was compromised enough to make me

susceptible to EITHER the epstein-barr virus OR the candida/yeast overgrowth. 

i feel fairly certain that it had to be one or the other, and in light of some

recent discussions in which bee pointed out that candida produces alcohol in the

body, i suspect that it was the candida first.

 

then, as things got worse with my immune system, i think that it's entirely

possible that the epstein-barr virus emerged as a co-conspirator.

 

in late 2002, i suffered, what i believe from my reading, from " acute onset of

chronic fatigue/immune deficiency syndrome " .  but until i am actually able to

rid myself of the candida, i have know way of knowing whether the 2 are

virtually synonymous in terms of the symptoms and the amount and degree of

suffering involved.

 

everything that i've read on chronic fatigue suggests that the severe flu-like

symptoms of cfids can last up to 6 months or a year or more.  this flu was

accompanied by horrible brainfog and fatigue.  and that's when i first knew for

sure that there was something horribly wrong in me that was sick, and i

suspected that no doctor could possibly understand.

 

it wasn't until 12/08 that i was actually tested for epstein-barr virus.  and

it wasn't until then that i actually received the cfids diagnosis.  then, based

on my research into cfids, the whole subject of candida surfaced.  this is why

i say that the particular name and cause may not be as important in the early

stages as is treating the candida first, and then seeing what's left after

that.  i've talked quite a bit with other suffers of cfids who CLAIMED that

they were treated and cured of candida, but that this fact made little if any

difference in the degree and severity of their symptoms.

 

you could, in fact, be one of these people, i don't know because i'm neither

knowledgable enough nor qualified to really say much more.

 

me, i want to eliminate the candida variable of my suffering, and see what's

left after that.

 

i've been transitioning onto bee's diet for a couple of weeks now, and i notice

that the nature of my brainfog has changed, and the severity of it is slightly

less.  but, chantal, the most important thing to me that i've noticed is what

happens to my brainfog when i " cheat " on bee's diet.

 

when i eat any kind of carb, i almost IMMEDIATELY feel it in my skull.  so even

though my brainfog hasn't diminished significantly, this carb realization tells

me very, very emphatically that carbs make my brainfog worse.  and if that's

the case, then eliminating carbs seems to be the answer.  thus far, i have

found absolutely no treatment at all anywhere that gives me this kind of

result.  anti-depressants haven't touched the fog.  stimulants/amphetamines

haven't touched the fog.  only this diet change has shown me any kind of very

real concrete and tangible results that i can truly feel a difference.

 

the changes, i must admit, feel EXCRUCIATINGLY SLOW, but unless or until another

treatment alternative presents itself, i feel that i have no choice at all but

to follow through with this thing to it's very end.  i'd also be curious about

some feedback on this, chantal, and again, thanks for your question.

 

russ

 

 

From: Chantal <the_anygma@...>

Subject: [ ] Re: brain fogginess

Date: Monday, January 11, 2010, 12:42 PM

 

>

> Hello,

>

> I had been ill for several years before discovering candida as the source of

my problems. One main problems was foggy, unrealistic thinking as well as

emotional reactions to nothing. Now that I've been on the diet and anti-fungals,

I finding living without the fog challenging. (!?)

>

> It's difficult to explain friends and family what it has been like to feel a

little bit 'drunk' all of the time. Has anyone else had this experience? Any

advice on how to manage this change?

>

> All my best to people who struggle with candida, Beth

>

Hi Beth

i've had brainfog all my life and i'd like to know how long you have been on

Bee's diet for the fog to lift off? i've been on it for a month and a half and

still feel very foggy.

would like to know how long it took also for anyone else. i've only dreamed of

this fog going away all my life and can barely imagine what it's like to not be

foggy, tired and low energy all the time.

thanks and all the best to you and everyone!

Chantal

[Guest guest]

>

> chantal,

>  

> thanks for the question.

>  

> i'm, actually, still in the process of piecing together some of the " history "

surrounding my illness, and i've found that it's really difficult to determine

exact " starting points " of certain onsets, etc.  as near as i can tell, my

" brainfog " started very gradually and subtle back in 1996 when i was under an

enormous amount of stress due to pressures from my job, my marriage and my

finances.

///when i went to see a naturopath doc., i wrote my health history starting with

my mom being preggy with me. it's long, very long. if i add the stress history

to it, ouff, i'd rather not think about it too much. at least here, it doens't

seem to matter so much what's in the past, it will get better, might take longer

for some of us but we all get there. i've been trying for many years to regain

my health, but it seem all i could do is struggle just to keep status quo. i'm

very greatfull for Bee and this diet, because it gives new hope, that no matter

the past, it can all get better.

my first food was... cow milk, diluted with water and with sugar added!!! no

wonder i'm hypoglycemic. i had many tonsillitis and many round of antibiotics

till i got them removed at 7 years old. so somewhere in there, my brain was

already fogged up. ///

>  

> today, what i have for certain is epstein-barr virus, chronic fatigue/immune

dysfunction syndrome and candida/yeast overgrowth.  in some ways, my medical

history turns into a " chicken and egg " question that perhaps becomes irrelevant

with EFFECTIVE treatment.

>  

///had to google about epstein-barr. found out 95% of ppl get it. and

mononucleosis is related to it... i had mono when i was 11. not fun and not

looking forward to retrace that. it's also related to the herpes virus... i used

to get cold sores a lot and after my daughter was born, i had shingles twice...

also a type of herpes. ///

> so, from 1996 thru about 2002, i was very, very aware that something had

changed in my skull, but i was still able to function on a fairly reasonable

basis, except for alot of depression and some moderate fatigue.  in 1999, i had

started drinking alcoholically after 13 consecutive years of abstinance, which i

also know compromised my immune system.

>  

> in light of your question, chantal, i basically believe that because of the

stress and the alcoholism, my immune system was compromised enough to make me

susceptible to EITHER the epstein-barr virus OR the candida/yeast overgrowth. 

i feel fairly certain that it had to be one or the other, and in light of some

recent discussions in which bee pointed out that candida produces alcohol in the

body, i suspect that it was the candida first.

>  

> then, as things got worse with my immune system, i think that it's entirely

possible that the epstein-barr virus emerged as a co-conspirator.

>  

> in late 2002, i suffered, what i believe from my reading, from " acute onset of

chronic fatigue/immune deficiency syndrome " .  but until i am actually able to

rid myself of the candida, i have know way of knowing whether the 2 are

virtually synonymous in terms of the symptoms and the amount and degree of

suffering involved.

>  

> everything that i've read on chronic fatigue suggests that the severe flu-like

symptoms of cfids can last up to 6 months or a year or more.  this flu was

accompanied by horrible brainfog and fatigue.  and that's when i first knew for

sure that there was something horribly wrong in me that was sick, and i

suspected that no doctor could possibly understand.

>  

> it wasn't until 12/08 that i was actually tested for epstein-barr virus.  and

it wasn't until then that i actually received the cfids diagnosis.  then, based

on my research into cfids, the whole subject of candida surfaced.  this is why

i say that the particular name and cause may not be as important in the early

stages as is treating the candida first, and then seeing what's left after

that.  i've talked quite a bit with other suffers of cfids who CLAIMED that

they were treated and cured of candida, but that this fact made little if any

difference in the degree and severity of their symptoms.

>  

> you could, in fact, be one of these people, i don't know because i'm neither

knowledgable enough nor qualified to really say much more.

///i guess i'm one of those peoples... had mono, shingles, chronic fatigue all

my life, depression, fibromyalgia... the reason that most peoples still suffer

from these illness after being cured of candida is probably because it takes

some more years for the body to be able to heal all that, once the candida is

cleared.///

>  

> me, i want to eliminate the candida variable of my suffering, and see what's

left after that.

>  

> i've been transitioning onto bee's diet for a couple of weeks now, and i

notice that the nature of my brainfog has changed, and the severity of it is

slightly less.  but, chantal, the most important thing to me that i've noticed

is what happens to my brainfog when i " cheat " on bee's diet.

/// i haven't even dared cheating. i had the lemon electrolyte drink once and

that was enough for a flare up of the yeast infection. lemon's not for me yet

///

>  

> when i eat any kind of carb, i almost IMMEDIATELY feel it in my skull.  so

even though my brainfog hasn't diminished significantly, this carb realization

tells me very, very emphatically that carbs make my brainfog worse.  and if

that's the case, then eliminating carbs seems to be the answer.  thus far, i

have found absolutely no treatment at all anywhere that gives me this kind of

result.  anti-depressants haven't touched the fog.  stimulants/amphetamines

haven't touched the fog.  only this diet change has shown me any kind of very

real concrete and tangible results that i can truly feel a difference.

>  

> the changes, i must admit, feel EXCRUCIATINGLY SLOW, but unless or until

another treatment alternative presents itself, i feel that i have no choice at

all but to follow through with this thing to it's very end.  i'd also be

curious about some feedback on this, chantal, and again, thanks for your

question.

>  

> russ

>  

>  

>

/// it's slow but we're not alone, we have Bee for help and everyone else for

support i'm glad you're seeing results