Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Okay, I waited 6 weeks to write this review as I wanted to be thoroughly sure of the results. I spent 5 years believing I had some sort of gluten sensitivity, yet it didn't make sense because I would also experience severe symptoms when I ate potatoes or corn products; such as tortilla chips, popcorn, or tortillas. I would experience a bright red rash on half my face and along my jawline as well as a rash on my chest, shoulders, back, and more recently, upper stomach. My ears ceased to produce wax, but instead would feel moist in the canal and would itch so badly, I would fantasize about capping a Q-tip with steel wool. The rashes on my body would itch in a way that was impossible to ignore and I often scratched until I bled. My formerly strong as steel fingernails suddenly began to weaken and form ridges. Fast forward to today...I now understand that I had many other symptoms and some for far longer than the rashes (up to 20 years), but did not know they were all related, including an interest in eating only carbs, severe insomnia (I often went up to 36 hours sleepless), subtle anxiety or irrational fears, grand emotional highs and lows, and much more. Honestly, I functioned well and have always been a busy person, but these issues troubled me from time to time (though I hid them well). In the last 5 years, the rashes and unexplained weight gain were my biggest concerns. To cut to the chase, I stumbled upon some information that made me realize, I was not gluten sensitive, but rather infested with candida. I am a plant based vegan who makes her own natural deodorant, cleans the house with homemade natural solutions, and makes her own toothpaste, so the idea of going on antibiotics and Difulcan was far from appealing (especially considering my earliest symptoms began during a year when I was on heavy antibiotics for some repeated oral surgery five times in one year). So I went on a hunt for a natural treatment plan. What I did... 2 Candida Support in the morning with water (before my coffee) 1 Kyolic mid-morning 1 d'lenolate mid-afternoon For lunch I ate a meal which included as many of the following as possible - raw garlic, raw onion, apple cider vinegar, pickles, and sauerkraut. (If I could get some of those foods in at dinner, I did that as well) I drank tons of water all day to flush my system. After dinner I chewed 5 or 6 Papaya Enzyme pills In the evening, I consumed 3 swigs of Plain Kefir Shortly before bed, I took 1 Gut Buddies capsule. I did not change my diet or follow a candida diet plan. I made wise choices and aimed for sprouted wheat breads and avoided excessive sugar like cake or junk foods, but I ate pretty dang normal, including my typical rash triggers like potatoes and corn, rice, or pasta. What I experienced... All of my rashes and itch symptoms increased at first. Then I began to experience a few itchless/rashless days, followed by another attack of heightened symptoms. This happened on and off for nearly one month. I went three weeks with even worse insomnia than I had experienced through the years and I had to really convince myself not to give up my candida regime, but through my exhaustion, I held strong. Between each attack, my rashes were smaller or in different locations, different than I had ever experienced before. I began noticing other issues improving, which I had no clue were related...everything from addictions to specific foods to thinning eyebrows and hair, bathroom changes, and even my 3 pack per day smoking habit diminished to 1 pack per day (clearly something to do with stress and dopamine). 6 weeks in... I have had zero symptoms for about 2 weeks now. I continue to take 2 candida support in the morning (I'm on my second bottle and plan to continue for a full 3 months) I continue to take my Papaya Enzymes, Kefir and Gut Buddies in the evening. I finished my bottles of Kyolic and d'lenolate and feel I can stop taking them now. I continue to eat fermented foods as often as possible (Sauerkraut, Apple Cider Vinegar, Raw Onions, Garlic, Pickles) I now fall asleep much faster and for more hours. My weight has ceased to increase inexplicably, though it is too soon to know if I'm going down in numbers. My plan is to go back on candida support once or twice per year for two weeks, as I am apparently prone to this issue and never want to experience it again. I will continue to taake Gut Buddies and enjoy Kefir regularly for life. I apologize for the very long review, but I know there are others suffering long term who are seeking detailed information as I had been. I highly recommend NOW FOODS Candida Support. It works! As a side note, I also began taking NOW FOODS Super Cortisol Support as "high cortisol" is a common issue for people with long term candida overgrowth. You might want to look into that as well. Best of luck to you all. xx