TGoss, thanks so much for the well wishes and recommendations. I've made a note of the recommendations in my little mercury notebook.

Your question about my reaction to antibiotics. Some of them I don't tolerate well. Others I seem to have done alright with. But nearly all have caused candida overgrowth for me. I generally feel downright wretched if I'm taking a course of antibiotic for something.

Antibiotics are generally not used for viral infections, I think. Antibiotics can alter the intestinal flora and cause candida infections. The antibiotics kill much of the healthy flora in the gut and that leaves us susceptible to infections with unhealthy pathogens, like candida.

To kill yeasts, antifungals need to be used. Whether they be in the form of food therapy (for example, garlic is a powerful antifungal), natural antifungals or prescription antifungals. However, I keep reading stories where some people have eliminated their candida after doing amalgam removal and metal detox.

I have to say that I agree with what ljamesjohnson said. Sometimes candida can appear as a result of another underlying problem as well. Candida is just another telltale sign that an immune system is toxic and struggling for some reason. So:

1. Candida can appear as its own illness and occasionally complicate into a secondary bacterial infection somewhere in the body; or

2. Candida can appear as a complicating factor from existing underlying illnesses -- like viral or bacterial infections; or

3. Candida can appear as a result of metal/mercury toxicity.

Candida/yeasts can produce over 300 known mycotoxins. And those mycotoxins are toxic to the body. And those mycotoxins can make someone feel very ill at times. It can affect virtually any of the body's systems. INterestingly, many of the symptoms for metal toxicity are the same as they are with candida overgrowth.

Candida is also known to cause increased sensitivities and/or allergies, including sensitivities to medications and even supplements.

I'm still reading and learning about metals -- but I reckon that metal toxicity can cause those sensitivities as well. I'll bet the reason why I'm still fighting with candida is because of the metal.

ljamesjohnson, I've used pharmaceutical antifungals and also used natural antifungals (of which there are many). It's a good idea to rotate antifungal therapy because it's thought that the yeasts can become resistant to single therapies. Even farmers who use fungicides are told to rotate their antifungals when treating their crops.

I hope I didn't overtype this and take up too much room! And if I missed a question, don't hesitate to point it out to me.

SomedaySoon