Sometimes treatment for yeast infections should include a hormonal component, especially in women who aren't responding to the anti-yeast regimen.
One theory that has been presented to me, and makes sense, is that are needed to stimulate the immune system in these difficult-to-treat patients. T3 is the number one preferred hormone for this purpose, and the other is DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone, a steroid hormone, a chemical cousin of testosterone and estrogen that has been shown to have anti-aging, anti-obesity and anti-cancer effects) from the adrenal glands.
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Thyroid medication is available by prescription only, but DHEA can be purchased over-the-counter, although it is best to have a baseline measurement of your DHEA level with a blood or saliva test before starting to take it and to discuss it with your doctor.
Judith Lopez's Amazing Story
I was touched by Judith's story of courage and honored when she asked me to write some comments for the jacket of her book, Immune Dysfunction - Winning My Battle Against Toxins, Illness & the Medical Establishment. Here are excerpts from her story:
In 1970, at the age of 30, I suddenly became disabled by an illness so bizarre that doctors could not believe it was real. The worst symptom was a crushing, relentless exhaustion. Often I could not even get to the bathroom without collapsing en route. My joints ached, my cognitive abilities were impaired, I developed neurological problems and strange allergies. I saw many doctors. Each one insisted that it was "all in my head."
Some were impatient, some were hostile. One laughed at me. None believed me. But by the mid- 1980s, more and more people were developing this "unreal" illness. Our cries for help forced the medical world to give the phenomenon a label - chronic fatigue/immune dysfunction syndrome.
Almost from the beginning, I felt certain that my illness was caused by a damaged immune system. But what had caused it? It couldn't be a contagious bug, for no one ever caught it from me. Unlike a virus, it struck mostly women and did so in a random fashion.
Not until I came across the work of such pioneering doctors as C. Orian Truss, William G. Crook and Carol Jessop did I realize the role of toxic substances in this devastating illness. The cause of my immune system collapse was our chemically altered environment. I was simply being poisoned to death.
My condition deteriorated to the extreme, until I was little more than a skeleton with a heartbeat. I weighed less than 80 pounds and was bedridden, my mouth and throat covered with a growth of Candida albicans (fungus). And then, when it was almost too late, I came under the care of a doctor who understood my illness. Dr. Vincent Marinkovich saved my life when the task seemed all but impossible. Under his guidance, I removed the major toxins from my environment, took antifungal drugs and supplements, and learned to eat a healthy, immune-supporting diet.
Little by little, I felt my body reconnecting to itself. And I took the first tentative steps back to health, re-entering at last the world and the life that I thought I had lost forever. My experience has convinced me that CFS need not be mysterious or frightening. Once the underlying toxic causes are understood, the pathway back to health becomes clear and is available to everyone.
Marianne Hauwelaert's Story
Hello Dr. Crook,
My name is Marianne. I am 37 years old. I am happily married for 17 years and have two wonderful children. We live in a nice house with a large (to Belgian standards) garden. All this sounds nice indeed, but there's a dark side to my story,
For almost eight years now, I've suffered from poor health. The first four years I was told that all my complaints were caused by depression, and my doctors wanted me to take antidepressants. I wasn't convinced and refused to take them. So, I was classified as a "difficult patient." After four years, I got the diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
In the meantime, my list of complaints was getting longer by the day, I was now at the stage that I couldn't get up from my chair or lift a cup of tea. Again they prescribed a number of drugs to ease my symptoms. I refused because I felt I could not take drugs if the doctors couldn't even tell me what was wrong with me. It didn't feel right for me to fill my body with more chemical pollutants because it was already sick enough.
Two years passed. I was just a zombie, who was trying to find my way in this terrible world. I had lost my confidence in doctors and was trying to cope on my own. Luckily, I had some very supportive people behind me. Otherwise, I probably would have taken my own life. During that time, I had noticed that when I ate certain things, my symptoms got worse.
I searched the Internet and read everything I could find about chronic fatigue syndrome. Then, one day, I found a connection with albicans. I ran into an article by Dr. Elmer Cranton, and I knew that candida was the right track to follow. Sadly enough, there was no doctor that would take it seriously. Can you believe this? What a bunch of ....
Sorry, it just makes me feel so angry.
I had to play my own doctor. I bought all your books, via Internet, because they aren't available here. Well, dear Doctor, after eight years, I feel like I've been born again. Six months ago, I started the diet and, later on, as I read your book, Yeast Infection No More, I started to take Diflucan.
I also take caprylic acid, flaxseed oil, extra vitamins, lots of good bacteria and something to clean up the liver. I hope to be able to discontinue the Diflucan.
The results are unbelievable. Now I am even more angry with these so-called "doctors."
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I am so grateful to you. It is all so true, but then again really sad that most doctors aren't ready to see yet. I guess it will take years before your message gets here. Meanwhile, I'll play one of your disciples and spread the message. Many, many thanks. I really hope that this message reaches you personally, and maybe, when you find the time, you could send me a little word back.
Maybe some day, as I regain my health, I'll translate your book into Dutch. Oh, that would be something!
Kindest Regards,
Marianne Hauwelaert
Belgium
To find out more, you can check out Thyroid And Yeast Infections.