Joe,

Sorry to hear that your family isn't supportive of this, but luckily there are lots of people on this forum who understand what you're going through.

I assume it's possible to have mercury toxicity without candida, but I really don't know for sure. What I do know is that there is not a definitive test for candida in existence. I've heard about the saliva test before, but I have never once read any research about it or had anyone confirm it's validity. It could be valid, but I'm always a bit skeptical unless I have some sort of proof.

The best diagnostic tool for candida is the self-questionnaire - you can find it at www.wholeapproach.com -- they are a support forum dedicated to Candida Related Complex. And while the questionnaire is a good tool, it is limited in the fact that the symptoms overlap so much with other disorders, such as mercury toxicity, adrenal fatigue, thyroid issues, etc. So I've been treating candida for over 3 years now, but I can no longer tell how bad an issue candida is for me, now that I have discovered that i have adrenal, thyroid, and mercury issues....which symptoms come from which piece of the puzzle? It's hard to know. Either way, I think it's a good place to start.

Also, have you read Pat Sullivan's book? He talks about a test that supposedly tells you more definitively if you have candida or not. I had never heard of the test before, nor know anything of its validity, so of course I am skeptical. On the plus side though, that is how Pat Sullivan is too (he likes difinitive tests and is skeptical of things that don't have research to back it up), so that lends weight to the test, I would think. I have the ebook, if you want to check it out. Or they will send you a link to it if you sign up for the free newsletter on their website, www.jigsawhealth.com .

~Tia