I can only list what I've used when I get a flare-up as there are zillions of remedies out there. I think anyone who has candida has to try and find what works for them. I get it on and off, both in my gut and vaginally. A few times when it was really bad it was systemic, and boy was I a witch with a "b" to live with for two months as it affected my brain chemistry and I was raving and irritable and irrational. Usually my flare-ups have to do with poor eating, like when I "go off the wagon" and eat sugar in any form: cane, beet, fructose, barley malt, organic or no. absolutely NO ALCOHOL for me.

I DO drink LOTS OF WATER every day--this is about all I drink anymore, with an occasional herbal tea for medicinal purposes and rarely organic fruit juice watered down with ice cubes and 1/3 to 1/2 water.

I can eat fresh fruit without ill effect, exept for cantalope as the skin is very porous and the fruit is subject to mold; it give me diarrhea. I can eat honey do melon, however. go figure.

I take Spilanthes Usnea Compound by HerbPharm. I get it at my practitioner's office or order it from my local health food store. It comes in a 1 fluid ounce glass container with a stopper. this doesn't sound like much but it lasts a long time as you only use drops of it since it's a liquid Herbal dietary extract. Since it's an extract I take anywhere from 35-40 drops in a bit of water 3X daily, depending on how bad the flare-up is. I even put 40 drops of it in warm water and douche with it when the problem is vaginal candida and this helps immensely! It's got lots of good stuff in it like usnea lichen, oregano leaf and flower, spilanthes flowering herb, pau d'arco inner bark, tea tree leaf essential oil. It's certified organically grown. It does come in a base of grain alcohol (57-67%)and even though the amount is minimal when you are using only drops of the extract, I still "burn off" the alchohol before taking the remedy. I do this by boiling some spring water. I put the appropriate number of drops of the extract in a small cup and then pour a little hot water into it. The alcohol evaporates. I let it cool to room temperature and then swallow it. The boiling water does not affect the medicinal value of the extract.

I also use a Thorne product called Lactobacillus Sporogenes. It comes in a capsule 100mg each. I take two a day, every day. It is a "good bacteria" that aids in digestion. It helps keep the level of candida in your gut down. I give it to my son who also has occasional problems with candida in his gut, mostly from poor eating habits (he's a teenager and doesn't listen to mom when it comes to avoiding sugar in his diet). I get it from my practitioner and am not sure how a person would get it in a health food store--I think Thorne sells it by a different name in the stores. They sell it under the Thorne label only to health care practitioners and pharmacies. Thorne's address is Thorne Research, Inc. Dover, Idaho USA 83825

Leslie uses a powerful form of acidophilous he gets at Whole Foods Market. Leslie, could you post the name of the brand you use? He has written how it helps him with his digestion, and I'd suspect it is great for candida, too.

Thanks for your info on the raw chocolate, Oztin! I'm gonna try it. I love processed chocolate but I can't tolerate it--sugar, milk, caffeine--aarrgh! My candida loves it, though!