Yesterday I started VSL#3, a probiotic designed for people with irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis. I was nervous about it. Although it is designed to be gentle, given that the target population of users already have inflamed intestines, I was holding my breath. I’ve had problems with other high potency probiotics, sometimes with them causing unexpected problems (like making the tinea on my chest flare up) or the usual problems (gas, bloating). So I was a bit nervous.
The insert with the package says that some patients in the trials for the probiotic experienced bloating for the first few days of use. Okay, I experience that on a regular basis. But I’m also using it for a slightly different purpose, I’m trying to get rid of my Candida overgrowth by introducing enough beneficial bacteria to outcompete it. So I was also preparing myself for a Candida die-off.
I took the first two pills yesterday morning with breakfast. By lunchtime I was a little bloated. After lunch, I had bouts of smelly, explosive gas every hour or so. I heard gurgling in my abdomen then felt sharp pain in my lower abdomen. Right after that, I had explosive gas (and moved to another room or opened a window). This went on until I went to bed.
Embarrassing but not major suffering.
Today I felt the combination of the Lyme herx from Wednesday night’s coiling session and the Candida die-off. I was in bed all day. I slept a lot. I used the biomat. I had only a little appetite. I wanted to be alone, not on the phone or with people. I had a mild head and neck ache and light sensitivity. The gas is less frequent but not gone. My bowels seem stretched. I had a lot of very hard feces this morning, requiring several trips to the bathroom. But after that cleared out, I’ve been feeling a little better than before in my digestive tract.
I’ve had one funny thing going on all day. I want a bowl of oatmeal. Lots of warm, yummy grain. I’ve resisted thus far because I can’t tell who wants it: me, my nascent probiotic colony, or the desperate Candida colony. (Candida infamously generates cravings for sugars and starches.) I’ll probably give in if I still want it in the morning.
Thursday
Coiling
- Bartonella, abdomen, 5 minutes; chest, 2 minutes
- Candida, abdomen 10 minutes; chest, 2 minutes; one minute each: each side of head+each hand, each shoulder, spine in 3 places+elbows, each hip, knees, feet, lower abdomen/pubic bone
Detox
The VSL#3 dosage I started today is 2 pills twice a day.
- skin brushing
- lemon water
- biomat (1 hour, level 4)
- rest
- diatomaceous earth
Body
Although I felt trashed from the previous night’s Lyme coiling session when I woke up, I was able to rally and get motivated to go out to lunch with a friend. Once we were out and about, I was okay, enjoying a beautiful sunny day that seemed like spring, until I crashed. We were still out for another hour or so. When I got home, I couldn’t do anything. I had to lie down for a while to generate enough strength to make an attempt a simple dinner. I spent the rest of the evening and night prone until I went to sleep.
Friday (today)
Coiling
I figured that since I was a mess today and planning to spend the day in bed, I might as well start adding to the Bartonella protocol.
- Bartonella, abdomen, 5 minutes; chest, 2 minutes; sacrum, 1 minute
- Candida, abdomen 10 minutes; chest, 2 minutes; one minute each: each side of head+each hand, each shoulder, spine in 3 places+elbows, each hip, knees, feet, lower abdomen/pubic bone
Detox
- rest
- nap (2.5 hours)
- biomat (1.5 hours, level 4)
- lemon water
- kombucha
- diatomaceous earth
Body
I was wiped out. I woke up tired. I stayed tired all day. I couldn’t concentrate on much. I felt like my body was telling me to use my energy to heal not on the world around me. I experienced moderate roving pain (abdomen, joints, head) but the main issue was fatigue severe enough to make me lie down for an entire day.
Categories: detoxification support, healing process, Herx reactions
Tags: bartonella, candida, lyme, symptoms
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Coiling for Lyme 