For 2 1/2 years I've had Depersonalization Disorder...brought on by fear and anxiety. I've had a constant feeling of unreality...brain fog..inability to focus..etc. I had to quit my office job...and have been "roaming" for the past year.
While at my office job..which was coincidently in a building w/ a black mold problem...I began to develop some weird symptoms. Sebhorreic Dermatitis on my scalp and face...and I became increasingly intolerant of alcohol..(I was a "big" drinker..stupid).
About 5 months ago I began a Candida Diet..thinking that this might be part of my problem. I had taken TONS of antibiotics as a child for ear problems..and a good chunk as an adult. The strict diet for a month made me feel odd..tehn I began to take the Candida killing supplements...I had a REALLY severe reaction..and had to stop the supplements after 1 week..this was at the beginning of June...I stuck w/ teh diet for about 1 more month...then i weaned myself off...introduced breads..sugars..and alcohol back into my diet...gradually. My symptoms..Brain Fog..and Unreality increased 100X from when I began the Candida Supplements and had a die-off reaction...thye have not returned to baseline..which is terrifying to me..I can barely read a single page now.
About 2 1/2 years ago I began to notice that odors were becoming bothersome. Car Exhaust in particular. Dishwashing detergent..cigeratte smoke! About 6 months ago..other smells began to bother me..oil paints..things were starting to make me light-headed...foggy.
Fastfwd..I moved back home to my folks place...things had gone from bad to worse. My parents had all their hardwood floor removed, replaced, and stain..or polyeurathane..whatever the hell it is...placed all over the floor. I couldn't stand 1 minute in the house.. I bought a cheap new tent..and decided to sleep outside. I noticed my brain fog getting worse. Finally after three weeks outside..i figureed that the smell had aired out enough..I slept in my room for 1 night. This was 4 days ago. I woke up with the WORST brain fog. I became filled with anxiety..that perhaps I had poisoned myself..and that the brain fog wouldn't go away. Well..teh fog hasn't lifted and I'm very scared..especially after reading conflicting reports on MCS and brain fog. I considered that perhaps the fire retardant in my tent was making things worse..and teh one night in the house just sent me over the edge. I slept in a hotel last night..and am looking for a canvas tent today.
My question...CAN I GET BETTER? Can my brain fog lift if I avoid the chemicals which cause it? My parents have slept in the house for three weeks with no problems. I've read about the connection of Candida and MCS..and aldehyde..I purchased some Pantethine..and am waiting for it to arrive. I've read reports of people treating Candida..and their MCS's eased up..Can I recover? Can I do anything to ease the brain fog..and bring back my mental clarity? Thank you very much for any help you can offer.
BTW..8 years ago I caught EBV...and it became a Chronic infection for about 4 years..It's under control now.
From my own grueseome experiences with a systemic infection of candida I learned over a period of several years years that it caused a multitude of symtoms which worsened over time. I experienced the continuous white tongue, smell sensitivity; couldn't bear to be around people with cologne and car fumes affected me terribly, ringworm infection, toenail fungus, brain fog, and had blurry vision (last symptom, and most scary).
I have cycled many different types of anti fungals and what I've learned is that the die off is going to be horrible and MUST be endured several times to get the infection under control. One cycle of anti fungals and diet will only reduce the infection somewhat, ready to bounce back again to where it was - taking over your body and mind.
Hi. I have both systemic candida and full-blown MCS. The doctor I saw for the diagnosis of MCS and a clinical study I read recently confirmed it for me further, that the best 'treatment' for MCS is complete avoidance of exposures. So, making sure your 'home' environment, be it a tent, cabin or house, is as free of contaminants as possible might be a good place to start. I found it enormously stressful to avoid exposures in the beginning and I found anxiety to be a further trigger for my unwellness. Even after living with MCS for two years now I still find it an enormous chore to establish the means (ongoing process) and the discipline of avoiding them at all cost. I do wonder if my way of managing stress over the years has had a fair amount to do with the combination of illnesses I have. I hope I'm not being too presumptuous, but I'm guessing once you have a place where you're able to take refuge from contaminants, you'll have better luck with all the other things, like researching a way to treat candida that best suits you. I've used the Candida Forum a lot at curezone and I'm happy to say, I think its helped a bit. I did the candida diet for about three months and then slowly started back on grapefruit and low-glycemic foods. Can't say I'm cured of candida or anything else, but doing much better. I'm not fond of drinking alcohol, so don't drink. It's a bonus really. I know a lot of people love to drink and it must be hard with the candida especially. Don't know how related MCS and candida are. Maybe someone will do a study and come up with something. Hope you're doing better.
I've have had full blown MCS for about 8 months due to a paint we used in our kitchen and was later exposed to a wasp spray which increased my sensitivety even more. I now am having serious problems at work. We replaced the sheet rock out of the kitchen and have been trying to find things that I can live with. Put in new sheetrock which still kept me off the main floor although it is not as deadly as the paint. What I'm trying to say is that I have been unable to create that "safe place" for me to have that will help me begin to feel better. I'm unable to avoid my house. We just tried a small area where we used a "mud" so we can eventually use a low VOC primer that will quickly (hopefully) off-gass and seal the sheetrock so I can live in my home again but the "mud" is causing me problems but I'm hoping that will be short lived. Has anyone had any experiences with this type of problem and can give me a few pointers? I also agree that the anxiety part of this is a contributor. Thanks
Hi there - boy, can I relate!! I feel so deeply for you because I have the same problems. But I have an added problem that keeps me from being able to get rid of the Candida, which I really believe is a huge contributer to the chemical sensitivities, and that is a condition called colonic inertia, which means my colon is paralyzed to some extent so I am unable to have regular bowel movements, which means I can't kill candida, take probiotics or even follow an anti-Candida program because the "die-off" is too severe. Though I'm trying another herbal fiber product and I have had some improvement in this so far, so we'll see...
Anyway, there is a really good product that was helping me feel better energy-wise about 4 years ago and my brain fog seemed to be improving, and it's called ThreeLac. I noticed this improvement after only a few weeks on the product - But I couldn't stay on it b/c of my severe bowel problem, so didn't know if it helped with the chemical sensitivity. But it seems formaldehyde is my biggest offender, causing me to be unable to breathe when I'm around even minute amounts of it, and since Candida puts out aldehyde, I really think there is a big connection.
Anyway, I think ThreeLac might be worth a try for you, but ONLY if you can poop out the yeast that is dying off!! Otherwise, you'll feel even more sick and sensitive to things. The nice thing is that you can get a 60-day (I think, at least 4 years ago you could) money-back guarantee on the product. Be sure to get it wholesale. The site where I learned about it and it explains a lot about candida from a guy who had it pretty badly is http://www.candidafree.net.
I have no connection to this site , so please don't think this is an advertisement! I just really believe in this product. But like I said, only if you can poop out the bad guys, by this I mean having several bowel movements every day if possible.
Anyway.... as for the chemical sensitivity, I can very much relate. It can turn a person into a wandering homeless person. My husband and I have tried to live in 3 places in the last 5 years b/c I'm severely allergic to something in just about ever home I go in. We've had to learn this the hard way, and have lost so much money, and are currently trying to sell the last home be bought, and this is a terrible time to be selling a home! We have been living with my husband's parents for 5 years, and though I'm VERY THANKFUL I can tolerate it here, it's been very difficult not having our own place, coupled with me being so ill I'm pretty much bedridden, and I have severe depression and anxiety, food sensitivities, etc..., etc... and for various reasons I'm allergic to just about every friend's house due to air "fresheners" (polluters, actually), smoke, mold, paint, etc..., etc....
Anyway, I hope some of this helps you and I hope to hear back from you or anyone else needing to find someone who can relate. This is such an isolating condition and we all need support!!
Hello, I have MCS and I had an overgrowth of yeast. The last test showed the overgrowth of yeast is gone. I natural doctor told me that yeast leave behind mycotoxins that the body has a hard time getting rid of and that many people who take the following supplements for 4 months get rid of or greatly reduce their chemical sensitivities. The supplements are: Molybdenum, Pantethine, Lactobacillus Sporogenes, Fish Oil, and Black Currant Oil (for the high GLA). Have you tried these supplements by any chance?
Thanks so much for the information. I'm really glad to hear your Candida level is down. So, are you taking these supplements, and if so, for how long, and have they helped your MCS??
I have actually tried several of those supplements you mentioned to no avail. The Molybdenum made me have horrible die-off. Again, this is because my colon has paralysis and cannot move toxins out. I'm in a real Catch 22 situation. The last resort is to have the colon removed, but the small intestine can be paralyzed as well and then I have no idea if anything can be done about that. My friend just had her colon removed over a month ago and has this small intestine paralysis -- she is still very ill with Candida, etc..., because of it...
Anyway, if I ever can get rid of my Candida, I will definitely try all of those products again.
Sorry you have those colon problems. I have a problem with detoxification but not like that. Phase 2 is too slow for phase 1 detoxification and the toxins build up to fast before being removed. I have only been taking those particular supplements together for about 2 weeks now so I'll see. I also use lots of coconut oil.
What exactly is phase 1 and phase 2? I guess I'm not familiar with those terms. I'm sorry detoxifying has been a problem for you, too. Did you have really severe MCS? And did you notice any improvement with those symptoms at all since you've dealt with the Candida?
Sorry, I should have explained better. There are two phases to detoxification for the liver, Phase 1 and Phase 2. There is information on sites like liverdoctor.com (I do not use those products). A good example is when you fill up the garbage can that is phase 1 and when the garbage man comes to pick up the trash that is phase 2. My phase 1 is too fast for my phase 2 so the toxins(garbage) builds up too fast before ready to go out (garbage man). The toxins then recirculate in the blood. I have leaky gut, had candida, had parasites, have food sensitivities, and chemical sensitivites.
How severe is my MCS: - I'm not sure how to compare to others on that. If I smell a chemical like fragrance, fabric softeners, cleaners etc that creates inflammation in my joints and muscles. I can't have flouride, chlorine etc either. Can't use any scented products, all cleaners and soaps are unscented and chemical free. I can't work in buildings either so now have no job.
I am taking the supplements I mentioned to see if I need to get rid of toxins left from the yeast which may be keeping my MCS bad. My MCS has not improved any even after getting rid of the yeast overgrowth and parasites.
The first thing to do is to cure the Candida. Do whatever it takes but see a holistic doctor, don't try to do it yourself by taking this and that. And the diet alone isn't enough. You can't get well or do anything else with a systemic candida infection.
I developed MCS when I had candida. The candida was cured but I still have MCS though it's mild now. It's just that the smell bothers me and sometimes makes me cough.
Hi I was reading your message and just wanted to ask some questions...I suffer with MCS...since last summer...I am going to a health doctor and will be getting an injection of LDA...and also a yeast free diet...I cant be around any chemicals-fragrances..etc..or my mouth gets inflamed...just curious if you have tried LDA or heard of?
denisesjon@yahoo.com
thanks
Please, if anyone is living in a moldy environment the first and most crucialmstep ismto get away from mold! That alone can cause mcs, depersonilisation, candida and much much much more. Please join the sickbuildings yahoo group, read dr shoemakers book, and get the help you need. My life is in tatters because of mold, ruins because i did not get onto the problem early enough. Yours does not have to be. If gotten early enough mold illness is treatable.
If you're in that position, where there seemingly is no safe place, free of toxins, this may help.
- Get a 3M 6800 Series Full Face Mask from Amazon.
- Get two 60925 Cartridges from Amazon.
- Clean the inside of the mask with vinegar and hot water and if possible, let the mask air out, outside for a week. A brand new mask is made of rubber, and will offgas a bit. Yes, I realize the irony. We can take it up with 3M if we survive.
- If you have a beard, LOSE IT. It will render the mask useless. Get over it. If I had, I'd be healthier.
- Perform a fit test. This is VERY important. It will ensure the mask is making a good seal, and therefore working. Otherwise, you're wasting your time and will look ridiculous AND still be poisoned. Place both your palms on the two cartridges and cover the inlets as best you can. Inhale. If you feel the mask pull inward, and there are no leaks around your face, then you have a good seal. If you feel leakage around your face, adjust and fit test again.
I had tried a lot of masks before this with no luck. I also wouldn't get rid of my beard because I didn't think it would make a difference. If I had this information while my brain was being attacked, I may not have fallen so far. If anything, you may be able to use the mask to stabilize yourself to a point where you can attempt treatment, and finding safer housing.
Good luck to all. I pray for the day when we can beat this.
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Depersonalization...Candida...and MCS.
HELP! 
