Is that even possible and if yes to what extent?

I have bunch of different symptoms,some fit candida overgrowth symptoms,some don't,all my symptoms fit with mcas but I'm not diagnosed,doctors didn't really help so idk.I did test positive for candida albica in mouth but it was 2 years ago.I never treated it properly nor cured it tho.

Hi all, I've had candida for the past few years after antibiotic overuse. Mostly my symptoms are yeast infection and cracks in the corners of my mouth. Have developed allergies to some foods as well.

S. Boulardii (paired with my other probiotic) finally seemed to be helping. I had no symptoms for maybe a month. I'm on my second bottle and now it seems to be doing nothing? I seem worse off than how I started to be honest.

Anyone have similar experiences and have any fixes or suggestions? I eat really low sugar diet, no added sugar, barely any fruits. Lots of fiber. TIA!

My mum was in a serious car accident a couple of months ago and it was an extremely stressful situation. My body's response was that I got a really bad candida overgrowth and it was extremely uncomfortable. In the past whenever I've had thrush, I've just used the typical over-the-counter creams and that seems to have cleared it up but this time that wasn't helping at all.

It would maybe clear up for a couple of days or a week and then it would just resurface and come back. I did a bit of digging and read that maybe it was actually an imbalance in my gut that was impacting down there. So I started on a daily probiotic powder and it cleared up within three days and hasn't come back. Has anyone else looked at fixing their gut microbiome as a way to tackle candida or thrush?

Has anyone in this thread successfully ordered gentian violet to canada?

Hi everyone, it's Eric Bakker here, the kiwi naturopath from Aotearoa (NZ)

After helping people with gut problems for awhile, I retired from clinical practice. But I quickly realised there was one thing I missed more than anything else... the people...

When I retired from clinic in 2019, I didn't stop teaching. Instead, I poured my energy into creating educational resources through candida.com, YouTube, writing books, developing new gut health products, and participating in discussions here on Reddit.

A lot of people assumed I'd simply put my feet up and enjoy retirement. Sitting in some chair. Nope.

The truth is, while I don't miss running a busy clinic—or all the endless paperwork that came with it—I do miss spending time talking with people about their health.

I miss the conversations and helping someone finally understand why they've been unwell for years. I also miss watching people gradually regain their health, confidence, and quality of life, it's one of the parts about running a naturopathic practice - people actually come back and would tell me: "Eric, I'm feeling a lot better!".

I've never been the sort of guy who could happily disappear into a men's shed every week, talking about the "good old days". I'd much rather spend my time helping people improve their health.

My passion is about health and wellbeing and I genuinely enjoy helping people understand their bodies, make better lifestyle choices, and discover how powerful natural health can be when it's applied consistently, patiently, and sensibly.

That's why, after retiring, I threw myself into new several projects. In many ways, I'm still doing what I've always loved...

I'm just doing it in a different format...

The Gut Health Assessment

I recently launched a free Gut Health Assessment on candida.com. Everything is completely confidential, of course, but the anonymous results have been fascinating.

Certain symptom patterns appear again and again. Different gut health profiles emerge.

People often seem to follow remarkably similar recovery pathways. I'm currently putting together a brief YouTube video to share some of these insights because I think they'll help many people better understand what's really going on in their gut. Keep an eye on my new YouTube channel to hear more.

I'd Like To Try Something Different

At the same time, I'd like to try something I've never done before.

I'd like to invite a small founding group of just 25 people from the United States and Canada to work through my Lite 3-Stage Gut Health Program together. It's based on my 84-page Lite Guide.

This isn't about creating another online course, and it isn't about pushing products onto people. It's about creating a small, supportive gut health learning community. It's an invitation to collaborate on improving gut health education.

We'll begin with the Gut Health Assessment so everyone understands their own starting point. There is no cost to participate. The only thing I ask is your commitment. If you're not genuinely ready to improve your health, this probably isn't the right group for you, then please don't commit and leave you space for somebody who is ready.

Then we'll work through the 3-stage Lite Programme together with weekly YouTube Live sessions where I'll explain the principles behind gut health recovery, answer general questions, discuss common challenges, and share many of the practical lessons I learned from helping thousands of patients over the years.

Just as importantly, participants will be able to encourage one another, share what's working, stay accountable, and hopefully discover that improving your health is a little easier when you're not trying to do it entirely on your own.

Participants will receive free educational resources and other programme materials to support their learning throughout this project.

If you're wondering what's in it for me, that's a fair question.

After nearly 40 years in practice, I'm no longer trying to build a busy clinic. What I am trying to do is discover whether a small, supportive online learning community helps people achieve better results than trying to improve their health all alone. If it does, I'll use what we learn to create better educational resources for thousands of other people.

Why Only The United States And Canada?

I've deliberately chosen the United States and Canada because that's where the majority of people completing the Gut Health Assessment have come from, and it keeps the time zones practical for weekly live sessions.

Sunday 6:00 AM in New Zealand falls on Saturday evening in America. Because of the time difference and the International Dateline, the exact American time depends on you, the participant's specific time zone:

If this pilot works well, I'd love to open future groups to people from the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere. This first group is really about learning what works before expanding it.

Participants should be willing to:

• Attend the live group sessions once per week (likely on Saturdays)
• Complete the Gut Health Assessment before starting.
• Follow the Lite 3-Stage Programme throughout the project. (free 84-page book on candida.com)
• Share feedback about their experience to help improve future educational resources.
• Respect privacy and confidentiality of other group members at all times.

This Isn't One-On-One Medical Care

It is important to mention that this isn't clinical practice, and it isn't one-on-one consulting, I'd like to make this very clear from the onset.

It's an educational pilot project where I'll guide the entire group through the same structured approach.

Please note: I won't have the time to be reviewing individual 25 medical histories, communicate privately about personal health concerns outside the group sessions, interpreting laboratory tests, commenting on medications, or providing personalised treatment plans. I've done that for a long time previously - If you're looking for one-on-one medical advice, this group probably won't be the right fit for you.

One thing I learned during my years in practice is that knowledge alone isn't always enough. Many people already know what they should be doing. The challenge is staying consistent, staying motivated, and not giving up when progress feels slow. And you'll find me a super health motivator.

Over the years I've mentored a lot of people, and I've become convinced that learning alongside others can make an enormous difference.

I'm genuinely interested to see whether a small, supportive group can help people stay focused and achieve better outcomes than trying to tackle everything alone.

I'm also hoping the experience will help me create even better educational resources for the wider gut health community. I've often said that my patients have been my greatest teachers, and I suspect this group will teach me a great deal as well.

I'd Love To Hear Your Story

If you're based in the United States or Canada (not the UK, Australia, NZ, or elsewhere at this point), and have been struggling with gut health issues such as Candida overgrowth, IBS, SIBO, bloating, constipation, food intolerances, or other chronic digestive problems, and you'd genuinely enjoy learning in a supportive group environment, I'd love to hear from you.

This programme is best suited for people who:

• experience ongoing bloating
• suspect Candida overgrowth
• have IBS-type digestive symptoms
• have previously been told they have SIBO
• struggle with food intolerances
• want to improve their gut health using diet, lifestyle and education
• are happy learning in a supportive group environment

This programme may not be suitable if you:

• have a serious medical condition requiring specialist supervision
• are undergoing active cancer treatment
• have complex medical conditions involving multiple specialists
• are taking numerous prescription medications that require close medical management
• require urgent medical advice
• are looking for one-to-one clinical consultations

Please leave a comment below or send me a private and confidential message on the email address below telling me a little about your gut health journey, where you're struggling most, and why you'd like to be part of this founding group. Remember, please don't attach lab tests, medical reports, etc.

Whether you're selected or not, I truly appreciate everyone who's followed my posts over the past year.

Many questions and discussions from patients over the years have helped shape the work I'm doing today, and I'm excited to see where this next step leads.

Does This Sound like a Right Fit for You?

I've been helping people one at a time in my clinic at home or online since the 80s. This is the first time I've ever tried helping a small group learn together online. Maybe it will become something much bigger. But maybe it won't!

Personally I think it's worth finding out. If this sounds like something you'd genuinely enjoy being part of, I'd love to hear your story.

Proposed Timeline

• Applications open: Now
• Applications close: Sunday, August 7 (or earlier if all 25 places are filled)
• Participants notified: Within one week
• Gut Health Assessment completed: Before the first session
• Lite Guide downloaded (it's free): Before the first session
• First live YouTube session: Saturday, August 8 (North America)

Tell me:

• What you've been struggling with.
• What's been the hardest part of your gut health journey.
• Exactly why you'd like to join the founding pilot group.

I'll personally read every single application before selecting the 25 participants.

Thank you for being part of the journey.

— Eric Bakker, N.D. (New Zealand)

To apply for the: Lite 3-Stage Gut Health Program please email me at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

Helping people understand Candida overgrowth, gut health, the microbiome, and digestive recovery through education. www.candida.com

Hey all,

I’m 34 and I’ve been dealing with balanitis since December 2025. It first started with irritation, then turned into mild phimosis. I’ve tried creams, and cleaning, and all sorts of recommendations. I have to really warm up for sex not to hurt or foreskin to get cut. Now I’ve made a decision to get circumcision. Tired of the ongoing irritation and tightness. I feel at peace. But this condition really sucks, and looking forward to having it go away permanently.

I (23F) have dealt with recurring YI every time after unprotected sex with the same person for 1.5 years now. This is following an IUD insertion in Nov 2024, with the YI starting in March 2025. I had never had one previously. Things I have tried are:
- Boric Acid (only a few nights at a time)
- Fluconazole (6 month treatment)
- Terconazole (1 week treatment)
- Uro and Lemme Purr probiotics
- Protected sex
- 1 month breaks between sex
- Treating my partner with Fluconazole
- Unscented soaps, lotions, detergent, etc.
- Cotton underwear and no underwear at bedtime

I feel like I’m going crazy. It’s so hard to get an appointment with my gyno, and so I’m trying to figure out what I can do on my own. I’ve been tested to figure out the specific strain and it is just the basic Candida. I’m open to any suggestions, and especially interested to hear if you had any success after an IUD removal. I have the Mirena. Please give me all the suggestions!

Probably obvious to people here, but I need to vent. I have had gut problems for years: GERD, gastritis, probably some leaky gut, and I react badly to histamine. Now candida has been thrown into the mix and I can no longer tell what is actually happening.

One morning I wake up with a coated tongue and that gross taste in my mouth and think, okay, candida. Then I eat something bland and safe and within an hour I'm flushed, itchy, and my nose is running, so I think histamine. Later at night my chest is on fire and I'm burping acid, and I figure it's reflux. It feels like symptom roulette.

The worst part is that every plan conflicts with another. People tell me to go low sugar for candida, but the sugar substitutes wreck my stomach. Fermented foods are supposed to help the gut, but they spike my histamine symptoms. Probiotics are recommended everywhere, but half the time I feel worse and then wonder if it's die off or if I'm making things worse. The candida advice online is either extremely strict or completely vague, and I do not have the energy to run another month-long experiment on myself.

I'm exhausted from trying to read my tongue, my skin, my throat, my mood, and my stomach like some kind of diagnostic dashboard. If you've been stuck in this overlap, what was the one clue that helped you separate candida symptoms from everything else?

Has anyone gotten rid of anhedonia by taking nystatin?

Llevo un poco más del mes aplicando ácido bórico diario, y los síntomas desaparecieron después de 20 días aprox, pero volví a tener algo de comezón hace unos días, estoy pensando en extender el tratamiento a 2 o 3 meses… ya que he escuchado de personas que lo aplican hasta por 6 meses para poderse curar…
Cuánto tiempo ustedes lo dejaron si es que les funcionó?

A year ago I tested positive for candida in my blood. Couldn't handle the "die off" from pau d'arco. So for a year I was searching for something else and found gut disbiosis and was on a lot andibiotics and antimicrobials (rifaximin, oil of oregano, berberine) which made me feel better at first and now I feel like shit again... I am looking into an OAT test but it's not as available in my area as I thought. Please help as I have been struggling with horrible brain fog and gi issues and at the worst of it the oral flush was there too! If it is candida what can I do for die off? I feel like a brain dead zombie most of the day...

Also eating garlic makes me "flare up" as well.

I have my first appt with infectious disease dr this week and have no idea if she will give an antifungal but I def need one. Which one worked for you and is least harsh on your body? I have fatty liver and many other health issues.

Thanks!

What is the most effective treatment for SIFO? I was given rifaximin, which worsened my symptoms.

hi I’m on the elimination diet and legit am sensitive to most foods atp😭 I am vegetarian but started eating fish cos I’m intolerant to lentils and soy and egg whites. anyone else on the elimination diet too? I’m feeling so depressed eating the same meals everyday just veggies and fish everyday :(
would love some words of encouragement

So just recently I've had the good fortune of discovering LDI shots for my candida related issues. And my god has it been a life changing thing for me.

I have psoriatic arthritis, which I had come to the conclusion a while ago that it was being caused by candida overgrowth. I took an immuosuppressant medication called Enbrel that was prescribed to help the arthiritis, but it made the overgrowth much worse, along with a myriad of other problems. I've been off the medication for 8 months now and have seen improvements in my candida-related symptoms, but inflammation had still been a lingering issue. That is until I had my first shot of LDI, about 3 weeks ago. Inflammation all over the body has significantly improved, I can think much more clearly, and my bodily functions are all operating better than they have in years (I had some sexual dysfunction related to my inflammation). it's relieving because for so long I had felt like I had been doing everything in my power to reduce inflammation (diet, sauna, exercise) but it just wasn't quite solving the underlying problem.

If anyone out there is going through something similar, I'd recommend doing some research on LDI. From my understanding of it, LDI introduces your body to low doses of certain things that your body might be reacting to unnaturally (yeast, lime, pathogens, other chronic infections). So while you might have a normal amount of that something in your body, your immune system could be overreacting to that pathogen, causing chronic inflammation all throughout. And by introducing a low dose of the specific pathogen, you train the immune system to stop reacting and fighting itself constantly.

Anyways, just thought I'd share this in case there's anyone out there that might benefit. Wish you all the best in your recovery journey's.

so like the title says, i have a horrible yeast infection. it started out last week with a uti, then i started on meds and immediately the day after i became very itchy. went to urgent care and got tested for everything but they said “it may or may not be a yeast infection but we’re not gonna start you on anything” okay awesome. ended up in the er that night and surprise, yeast. well since then its gotten progressively worse. everything hurts when i pee because its all so swollen and irritated, and now i have sores near my clit that hurt like a bitch. ER said it could be herpes but my partner was recently tested and it was negative. i was negative a bit ago too. they started me on treatment for it anyways just in case. since then its only gotten worse (this was saturday) and i have found 0 relief. ive gotten 2 doses for my yeast and my uti is still there so they switched my meds too. im barely able to sleep. everything is so painful. tomorrow i follow up with my gyno in hopes of them figuring this all out. until then is there anything i can try to stop the burning and maybe finally get some sleep tonight???

Hello please see picture! So it’s been months that it has been affecting me. Late first I thought maybe it was a combination of breastfeeding, lack of sleep, a dairy and soy free diet, etc but I genuinely feel that I possibly have a yeast imbalance. I was told only really immune compromised ppl get oral thrush, but that would make sense in my case because I was breastfeeding, not sleeping, etc. anyways, I went to my dentist and doc who said it didn’t look like thrush, however, I brush my tongue every night and in morning when I usually have appointments it’s not very prominent. But i wake up bad breathe and the white film collects throughout day and gives me horrible taste in my mouth e erytime I eat? I was told to try this medication for GERD which I’ve been taking but hasn’t done anything. Do I need anti fungal pills?

Thank you!

I like to eat a lot of fish and I usually use vinegar as a dipping sauce I wanted to know is that okay if I use apple cider vinegar and garlic as a dip or is it okay if I use any type of vinegar mixed with garlic as a dipping sauce

I'm trying to get rid of seed oils in my diet and wanted to know if tallow and Ghee is ok to use for candida

Hello i have been seeing alot of mixed info on Kefir, i am currently following a Candida diet but i feel like i should be replenishing my good bacteria and yeast too? Is Organic Grassfed Kefir unsweetened ok?

I'm trying a candida-friendly reset, but meal planning feels impossible because my symptoms overlap with other issues. I have GERD and I think I might have some histamine sensitivity since fermented or aged foods tend to make me worse. A lot of candida diet suggestions are either acidic, high in histamine, or just seem to wreck my reflux. On the flip side, the bland GERD foods leave me worried I'm eating too many carbs.

I'm not looking for a diagnosis, just practical suggestions from people who have had to balance these things.

What are your safest go-to meals and snacks that:

- are low in sugar and generally candida-friendly

- do not trigger reflux (so nothing spicy or very acidic)

- avoid obvious high-histamine foods (aged, fermented, or long-stored)

Also, any tips on handling protein and vegetables without relying on sauces, vinegar, citrus, or tomatoes would be super helpful. I cook at home and can do simple batch cooking, but leftovers sometimes bother me, so I'm open to strategies like freezing portions.

If you have a short list of foods you can always tolerate when things flare, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!