Praise be, I have finished my cleanse! I am no longer Candida over-grown! Hurrah!

That was the good news - and now for the not so good. Along with a "candida-busting" kit, I also kept strictly to an anti-candida diet. The kit I chose was loaded with yeast-killing ingredients, and lots of them - I think it worked. But I think it also wreaked havoc with my hormones, and this month I have had the worst PMS of all time!

In the past, I have attempted an anti-candida diet each time I've felt too yeasty. Using the basic yeast-free principles, I have avoided fruit, dairy and sugar, as well as vinegars, prepared sauces and processed foods. Though I have to be diligent for a few weeks, my yeast balance usually normalizes after that time. Easy-peasy. I have, though, a few times in my life been so yeasty that I've needed to undergo a total cleanse!

Typically during a yeast-cleanse when one experiences "die-off" - or gas released when the yeast is killed - it can be almost debilitating. Symptoms can be worse than the symptoms giving reason for a cleanse, and can cause people to abandon a cleanse entirely. Because of this, it is often recommended that a gentle approach be taken, to avoid as much die-off as possible. Slow and gentle may take longer (and means a longer time on a candida-free diet - n o chocolate! Sob! ), but with no die-off the candidiasis symptoms just subside until they are gone. Having experienced this last cleanse, next time I will take the slow and steady approach!

The first two times I experienced yeast overgrowth my symptoms were heinous: huge, eczema-like rashes, hives, and allergic reactions. I used the Innovite Yeast Buster kit: simple, gentle, and effective. Coupled with the diet, I stayed with the program for 6 weeks and was so healthy afterwards! I experienced NO die-off, and I felt amazing. I only needed 8 hours of sleep (vs my 9 1/2 hours these days), I had incredible energy, and my skin was practically translucent.

This last time my symptoms were WAY less: I experienced gastro-intestinal upset and a little rashiness on my hands, but it was nothing compared to my previous episodes. And so, I thought my yeast levels weren't as high. Because of this, I went for a more radical kit, one that combined a multitude of yeast killers:

Ingredients CandiGONE I (Morning Internal Body Cleanse) Supplement Facts: Uva Ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi *20% arbutin) 300 mg ** Garlic Bulb (Allium sativum *2000 ppm allicin) 150 mg ** Magnesium Caprylate (Caprylic Acid) 75 mg ** Citricidal Extract (Grapefruit Seed & Rind ) 75 mg ** Pau D'Arco Root Bark (4:1 Extract) 75mg ** Calcium Undecylenate (Undecylenic Acid) 75 mg ** Barberry Root (Berberis vulgaris * 6% alkaloids) 50 mg ** Neem Leaf (Azadirachta indica) 5:1 extract 50 mg ** Olive Leaf (Olea europa 18% oleuropein) 50 mg ** Berberine Sulphate 25 mg ** ** Daily Value not established Other Ingredients: Vegetable capsules (vegetable fiber and water).

CandiGONE II (Evening Cleanse) Supplement Facts: Oregano Leaf (Origanum vulgare) 39.6 mg * Orange Peel (Citrus sinensis) 33 mg * Oregon Grape Root (Mahonia auquifolium) 33 mg * Pau D’Arco Root Bark (Tabebuia heptaphylla) 33 mg * Cinnamon Bark (Cinnamomum casia) 20 mg * Clove Bud (Syzgium aromaticum) 20 mg * Peppermint Leaf (Mentha piperita) 20 mg * * Daily value not established Other Ingredients: Filtered water & Ethyl alcohol. Herb extract at a ratio of 1 gm of herb to 5 ml of water and alcohol.

Percent Alcohol: 45-55%

I was advised by the packaging to take treatment 2 times per day, for 15 days. This will be simple and fast, thought I. Forget 6 weeks! I'll be candidiasis-free in days! And so I undertook a diet of fresh veggies and proteins, with a little brown rice for extra fiber. And I used the cleansing kit. Easy, right? WRONG.

If you noticed my few updates during my cleanse you may have noticed that I was not a happy camper. I experienced die-off in the most incredible ways: migraines, bloating (I looked 6 months pregnant, no kidding), constipation, and rashing. My partner (who gamely did the cleanse along side of me) experienced the same responses to the kit - and this was not coincidence. We both wanted to rip our own skin off, and occassionally even tore a shred off of one another. We chalked it up to the intensity of the cleanse - until the 15 days were up. And we were both still messes.

I can't speak for my man ( although I did last week, when he was PMS-ing), but I can say that for the first time in years I had the worst PMS ever. I may have been experiencing die-off, but even a few days after stopping the herbs I was still suffering terribly. I was anxious, tense, and had gained 5 pounds in 3 days. I broke out into acne that had troubled my only in my teens. I had night sweats. OMG, I had PMS!

My discomfort may have been due to the herbal formulation, with such powerful herbs being taken twice per day. The manufacturer suggested taking 20 herbal drops and 2 capsules morning and night for 15 days. We did this. I wish I had done a google review, where I would have found this review HERE advising a different dosage. Not sure where this site got those directions, but they might have helped reduce my reactions. I believe that these herbs pushed me into an imbalanced hormonal state, and my partner too.

So to summarize: if you want to cleanse, go the slow, gentle route! Mild discomfort is normal, since when we remove a food from our diets we often crave it. But cravings aside, no one should have to endure intense side-effects like my partner and I did.

If you have any questions about a particular cleanse or you want to know more about the kit I tried, send your questions my way! I may not answer right away, as I may be thigh-high in chocolate. But I promise to answer within 24 hours.

Still grumpy, Sage

Photo Credit: darkpatator