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Candida Die off
“Candida Die Off Symptoms” That’s the non-technical term for the Herxheimer reaction. When the bad bacteria and fungi “die off” in the system, there is a flushing of dead yeast cells into the system. As the body tries to get rid of these it can produce an number of different physical and mental reactions.
In my case it produced everything from flu like systems and joint pains to constipation, diarrhea, mood and psychological symptoms. While the physical symptoms can be uncomfortable the psychological symptoms were what I found the most interesting and in some ways harder to get through.
When I would actively begin a cleansing regimen using anti-fungals, probiotics or eating anti-fungal foods I also noticed a shift in mood, for a day or two after.
Candida Die Off Symptoms in the Cleansing Process
- A. Eat the probiotic food or anti-fungal
- B. Usually I would feel pretty good immediately after, sometimes almost high
- C. The next day my moods usually took a noticeable dip, this has varied in severity from the early years.
- D. Usually following “the dip”, I felt a new level of mental clarity as well as physical relief from symptoms. Mentally speaking, in the beginning it could be in a range causing me to be either weepy or snappy..to pretty extreme alterations of mood/reality, but these days it’s usually much more subtle.
I also feel that beyond the cleansing process, that the bad bacteria may also be affecting mood based on the support that the various bacteria are providing for brain chemicals. For example the pathogenic bacteria Candida also produces serotonin. My theory is that when the “die off” occurred, that caused serotonin levels to dip temporarily.
You may ask well, if you have to suffer through these “Candida Die off Symptoms” why kill it then? Well, because pathogenic bacteria also create inflammation and other immune responses that can have a negative effect on health. In the long run they also can create “brain fog” and cloud mental functions. They also tend to feed on sugars and simple carbs, which can lead to cravings for those..which of course isn’t good either.
If the body gets dependent on the “bad” bacteria for mood support there can be a parasite-like feedback loop of cravings, which in turn provide the much needed serotonin boost. Breaking this cycle and re-colonizing the digestive system with the good bacteria that can also produce the serotonin (or other brain chemicals) that are needed is part of the challenge of transforming the gut colonies.
I also suspect that this can go the other way too… that by altering behavior, stress levels, diet, etc. that the bacterial colonies will also adjust.
Article: Stress Affects the Balance of Bacteria in the Gut and Immune Response
My experience has been that changing the bacteria in the micro-biome (gut) is a long term process…and I have been working on this for around 5 years at this point. The changes are most noticeable early on, but are incremental.
So, the key I think is to not only cleanse the bad bacteria, but also take probiotics and eat the foods that create the conditions for a healthier gut micro-biome. Also, being aware that this may cause a dip in certain brain chemicals is key. I also think that once a person is more aware of these dips, they can also consider supplements that can make up for the dips in brain chemicals.
Supplements that may help Candida Die Off Symptoms
Some of the supplements I have used are Passion Flower (which can boost Gaba), 5htp which can boost serotonin. I also like to eat pumpkin seeds (with the shells), Avocado, or chickpeas, or sometimes cashews which can have a serotonin boosting effect. So my main point here is to say: please be aware of these changes in brain chemicals and go slow and take it easy.
Mental side effects
While going fast may be tempting, a massive die-off could also cause massive anxiety, which I suspect is also at least part of what happened in the case of my most severe anxiety. I also suspect that the bacteria in our gut is also tied in with the mental programming that sets our “sense of self” or identity (ego). The “die-off” process may lead to mental and physical releases.
So, my surprise was that this is also a psychological process and that cleansing and changing the gut bacteria can also release suppressed mental issues even as the physical transformation takes place. Shifting that too fast could also be unnerving or even psychosis producing, so go slow and take it easy on yourself.
On a more far out note, I also seem to have noticed a correlation between the die off and cycles like the full moon and seasonal changes. It seems to me, based on this observation, that the body may wait for certain times for larger cleansing cycles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plilIvLm76A https://www.youtube.com/embed/plilIvLm76A?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1
Here’s a comment from the youtube video above, that kind of sums it all up:
Thank you so much. I have been struggling with the yeast beast for about 3 or 4 years now and just started the ‘diet’ earlier this year. I knew immediately when I started giving up sugar that there were emotional roots and that that would be my main struggle.. dealing with all the repressed emotions! Being present and grounded has been so difficult but through tremendous effort I have been able to form a new relationship with myself.
I am just recently becoming aware of the THOUGHT>EMOTION>FLARE-UP cycle, and keeping a detached awareness of my thoughts, and noticing the train wreck that can occur after one little negative thought. Watching your videos have confirmed this for me and your words are very helpful. So good to hear from someone who has been through it and knowing that the ‘diet’ is not temporary. That has been part of my struggle, always feeling that someday I’ll be able to go back to the way I was.
It helps me to feel so much more confident knowing that this change is an enormous blessing that is leading me to everything I ever envisioned for myself. Another trail of thought that has been on my mind… imbalances in the sacral/root chakras? Have you dove into that sphere at all? When I really look into the emotions that come up for me, it’s a lot of physical insecurity (sacral), though I am sure it is different for different people. Love these videos!
Thanks for being real, and thanks for sharing.
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