Natural treatment for digestive problems (esp. candida!)

holly.rebecca

Hello fellow health-seekers,

I'm a female in my early 30s, I generally eat very well and keep active, and I like to live a very healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately though, my overall health has not been great for the past few years because of chronic digestive problems.

I've seen conventional doctors about this problem and they have been totally U-S-E-L-E-S-S (apologies if I have offended any doctors reading this, but that has been my experience).

About 3 years ago I started seeing a naturopathic doctor and she was excellent. Basically what she told me was that chronic digestive problems are the cumulative result of many factors over a long period of time, and that's why they are not fast or simple to treat. She told me that some of the factors in my poor digestive health were candida and parasites.

The treatment program recommended by my naturopath was based mainly on nutrition (eliminating yeast, sugars, alcohol and other problem foods that allowed the candida to flourish) and some natural/herbal remedies to kill the parasites and other things like that. While I was following her treatment program it helped my digestive system immensely. The only problem was, it was very difficult for me at the time to stick to the strict dietary guidelines because I had a LOT of stress, chaos and transition in my life at the time (which I am sure were contributing to the digestive problems in the first place....)

So my question is, is there anyone else who has successfully followed a natural treatment program for candida, irritable bowel syndrome, intestinal parasites or other chronic digestive problems? I am planning to get back onto a treatment regimen soon and would really like to exchange information and support.

Thanks for reading.

bambholebaba

JoeFriday

I've been suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome for a few years now.. and yes, it really is something people do 'suffer' from.. I believe my case was caused by a combination of food poisoning I contracted when I was about 28, and a hernia operation a few years later (which always causes abdominal stress to the patient)

fortunately, my case wasn't as severe as many people's.. but it still was causing me to change schedules and limit my travelling to only what was necessary.. it's hard to enjoy life and be spontaneous when your innards might suddenly cause you to double over in pain at any given moment

and to further complicate matters, it gets worse with stress.. well, worrying about having an attack tends to cause a lot of stress, so it's a circuitous problem

anyway, I decided I had to do something about it, so I started doing a lot of research online about a year ago.. I found a few websites that were extremely helpful, and explained the typical causes, as well as 'cures'

diet is a huge factor, as you've already discovered.. you (or at least I) need a diet that's rich in soluble fiber.. once I changed my eating habits, I saw a great improvement in my condition.. there were a few other things that also helped, but not as much

if your situation is like mine, take heart that you can get back to having a normal life.. also, studies show that somewhere around 20% of the adult US population suffers from something like this.. so we are not alone

woundedhealer

Psyllium works wonders for digestive problems. You can get it as husks or seeds. I personally prefer seeds. They can be taken in two ways. They can be soaked in water for about 8 hours or you can drink a glass of water after taking them. I prefer the second method, because the soaked one finish up as a slimey mixture.

Melissa tea (lemon balm) is great for easing ibs symptoms.