Did you check out the new vid about how to check your immune system at home? AMAZING!

[Dr. Diana]

Spoonies! An easy way to see if your immune system is low. This is common in numerous “autoimmune” and neurodegenerative disorders. Great test for those with M.S., EDS with dysautonomia, chronic Lyme, chronic fatigue, M.E., fibromyalgia, Lupus, Sjogren’s, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Alzheimer’s, etc. Dr. Diana explains

[Dr. Diana]

Hi Kate,
Oh, great! A scientist! Maybe you can help us take the reigns on this one. Do you know of any studies showing this to be the case (or not)? It’s easy to culture this to verify it is indeed, Candida. I stumbled across this while studying AIDS, and other immune deficiencies (since most of us were showing up with such deficiencies). When most patients I spoke to showed candida in their esophaguses (what IS the plural for “esophagus”?) ;), verified by the ENT’s, I knew we were onto something. Then came the research into M.S. where at first, researchers thought this meant that candida was the CAUSE of MS. I sort of thought they were missing the mark. Naturopaths have used this test for years… Perhaps that is the place to find the best research? We’d all be grateful for anything you can find. Did you try it, BTW? Are you a patient? Thanks, Kate! 🙂 Diana

[Give My Daughter the Shot!]

http://www.nationalcandidacenter.com/candida-self-exams/

http://www.candidasupport.org/test_saliva.html

Hi Kate,

I hadn’t heard of anything like this before. After watching the vid, I just tried it. It turned out exactly how Diana said. The ‘dots’, jellyfish, and all. Afterward, I looked online to see if there were anything I could do to ‘take the edge’ off – if, indeed, yeast is an issue for me. Sadly, a couple years ago one of my holistic friends mentioned candida to me as a possible issue. I just figured I had enough to deal with and didn’t follow up. Anyway, wondering if I should just eat yogurt or something -ugh- I found the two abovementioned references.

Oh, and I did just now see your recommendation for garlic. Will it work on a more widespread ’bout’ with candida?

[Dr. Diana]

Spitting out the first load and rinsing your mouth with water before taking the test would be more specific.

So the way I look at it, this test will only be helpful, indicating possible C. albicans overgrowth, with the right instructions AND, more importantly, if it is truly specific for Candida albicans, something I seriously doubt…
Kate

Thanks, Kate. I agree that we should rinse out our mouths, get rid of the first “load”, etc. before trying this quick and dirty test. We certainly did! OK, everybody, let’s back up and try it again! Please let us know if you showed a “positive spit test” AND if you were confirmed to have a candida overgrowth (via your ENT, endoscopy, etc) or if your testing came out NEGATIVE. I will say, Kate, most patients I know with this overgrowth (due to a low immune system) have a NO BRAINER case of overgrowth. Certainly, if we have vagus nerve compression decreasing our immune function, we are prone to chronic infections like this one (and UTI’s, etc). I look now at my tongue and am HORRIFIED. The really “bad” case that you see in the video is from a patient who has confirmed chronic candida — and this pic was taken after a month on fluconazole! We’re about to find out if she has it in her esophagus. I think she’ll share the pics! Yikes. I’ve spoken to a lot of patients and naturopaths who were unable to control their (or their patient’s) yeast infections. I don’t think that is controversial. Controversy seems to come in when discussions of potential SYSTEMIC candida pop up. Does that happen? I think the jury is still out on that one… *esophagi?* HA! Thanks, Kate! 🙂

[Give My Daughter the Shot!]

Hi Kate,

There’s a movie called ‘Terms of Endearment’.

[Give My Daughter the Shot!]

Hi Kate,

I, too, wouldn’t dare mention the spit test to my doctor. I might, however, be inclined to figure a way to ask her to blood test for it during my next intensive blood draw round. Surely, I could figure out a way to ask to be checked, right? Would you? I did find some blood tests but wasn’t sure if it was a lab promoting themselves or a standardized test. Any thoughts?

Please, I truly would appreciate your thoughts/suggestions. Can it be reasonably tested for – candida? A couple years ago a friend (holistic type) was telling me that I should be checked for yeast but I already felt that I had enough to contend with.

When you feel as crummy as I do, you start to want to find anything to ‘take any edge off’.

[Give My Daughter the Shot!]

Hi Kate,

Thanks. It always seems like the next potential issue isn’t worth the effort and, therefore, I end up coming back to the ‘potential issue’ again much later on. I have the feeling about the candida, is it worth bringing up when there is so much else wrong with me? Yeast would seem one of the lesser worries. If, however, I could just draw an extra tube of blood or pee in a cup – then, I could almost bring it up in a ‘why not check it’ type of fashion with a bit of justification for why I ask. Can you tell I’m sick of being treated as though I’m hysterical?! To have to feign that calm and nonchalant manner while going through such a nightmare is, in and of itself, would seem to skew the autonomic system. Yes, I am familiar with PTSD.

Thank you again for any information you have, so so much.

[Give My Daughter the Shot!]

I’ve come out of pocket 90,000 (approx) for a single, yet massively involved, incident. Of course, that would not be possible again after being so sick for so long. I thought it was a once and for all fix – til I later experienced battery of health conditions beyond comprehension. I also came to realize that my massive issue was related to EDS! I think it is FAR CHEAPER to do it right the first time!!!!! And YES less is much much more!!!! No, you don’t need to jam a needle in my spine to test me for MS, frankly I don’t care if I have MS and it is not worth sticking a needle in my back. I am not a fan of contrast either and the contrast testing they’ve done on me were the wrong tests that are relatively worthless for diagnosing what I have as well as having to value for treatment and/or research toward improved tx. I just need to learn about diagnostics so that I can ‘group’ or plan or something – I’m not getting appropriate care and need to be paying attention to my care – very unfortunately. I definitely group my bloodwork because I am phobic and it is soooo traumatic for me to do bloodwork. I just want to make whatever testing they do worthwhile if at all possible. So, YES, less is more and planning is key. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure for me and I can’t even get to the prevention/maintenance part. Ugh. Please, any relatively benign suggestions or profoundly important ones will be greatly welcomed. In a nutshell, I agree with you completely and I also do (funny you should say) think about the financial investment even if it’s not my own. Frankly, I’d have spent the money A LONG LONG LONG TIME AGO TO ‘GET IT RIGHT’. It’s a huge waste to prolong my care and treatment and I know I am deteriorating (which will end up being far more pricey in the long run).

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