Ssri's Are Antifungal And Kill Candida..

[CuriousOne]

I somehow got on a page this morning that talked about how SSRI's exhibit antifungal activity against Candida, among other things. Google SSRI candida antifungal

Here's one study:

Open Original Shared Link

So now let me tell you what I think this is true...and how it all relates. I was going to post something this morning about something similar, but now this actually supports it all....

The only times I have felt "good" in life, truly good... to be honest...was when I was on Paxil. The only other time was when I was doing this thing where I put candles on at sunset, and allowed myself full restorative sleep bathed in melatonin.

I think if I did have candida, which I still think I might... both of these things provided anti-fungal activity to kill the candida. I was looking at my health journals last night, and when I was doing the sleep thing I remarked how I hadn't felt this good since I was 12.

Anyways this all sorta makes sense. I think when it comes to candida we have 2 different sides. Minimizing what candida feeds on, but also maximizing our immune system, or serotonin...or what have you...to help eat the candida.

I have been experimenting with health for a long time, and yes...the two times I have felt the most sane was when I was on Paxil and then a couple years ago for 4 or 5 months I was doing the sleep thing. In fact with the sleep thing, I was also trying to not overdo sugars/carbs. But it only took 1 or 2 nights for me to seriously feel like a different person.

Everyday I would wake up with so much optimism and positivity, have sustained energy all day long. I was using no caffeine, tobacco, no drugs of any kind at all.

I didn't even know about gluten at the time...which might have possibly made me feel even better, I don't know...

Anyways...its funny how I read about Paxil this morning....because for a few years now I really started wondering exactly how this drug works. I really started wondering if it did something other than what we think it does. Recently I read someone speculating on why lithium works...like if it somehow does something to the gut. Then I started thinking...what if SSRI's are just really toxic...and because of the toxicity they kill off candida...

And then I read this study...

So anyways...this gives me hope. I know that these two different things both helped me considerably feel way better than I've ever felt before...so its possible the underlying connection really -is- candida... so now I know what I am dealing with. So I can either do the necessary steps to get back on that candlelight sleep plan, where my body's immune system was so good that it killed the candida on its own. Plus I was producing tons of melatonin...

Or if I can't somehow do that I can take Paxil again, combined with a low-carb diet like I'm basically already doing, to get back on track...

The thing is though, I would rather align myself naturally to allow my body to fight it off itself, then take Paxil. Paxil sorta made me a different person in some ways, I think...

But in modern society with electricity/EMF's...its hard to pretend its life before the light bulb. I could write a big essay on this alone. I think its possible some of us, and lots of people with psych issues...have really sensitive Pineal glands. We are not only sensitive to light (which is just a -visible- form of EMF), but other things/electronics that emit EMF.

I have to say though...another aspect of why I felt so good getting all that sleep, is that I did spend a lot of time out in the sun. Sun is known to stimulate serotonin...which would then again act as an anti-fungal against candida. Maybe thats why they say you should let the sun hit your naked body everyday and it helps with candida. Its just the anti-fungal activity of the serotonin?

Anyways this post has a ton of ideas. I hope someone can benefit... as now I have new directions to go in my research and life strategies to beat this... I can't wait to report benefits if any...

[Ursa Major]

I don't know if SSRI's actually give any benefit when it comes to candida. But I wouldn't recommend taking Paxil to combat candida, just because it might have an antifungal ingredient!

Antidepressants are addictive and have lots of side effects. There are plenty of antifungals out there that you can safely use. Garlic is one of them.

Why don't you find yourself a good naturopathic doctor? They know how to get rid of candida without dangerous meds.

You were saying that during the time you felt good you were cutting out carbs and sugars, got plenty of sleep and lots of sunshine. I think that was the secret, not the Paxil.

Maybe you want to get your vitamin D level checked. Unless you sunbathe without clothes every day, you won't have enough vitamin D. Lack of vitamin D will cause mental problems as well as a ton of physical ones.

[CuriousOne]

No you misread. I wasn't taking Paxil during the time I was getting lots of sleep. I think its actually more complicated than just any old sleep. Eh...I was trying to make a point about EMF's/light pollution and its relationship to the pineal gland producing melatonin... because if these things are messed up, our immune system will be messed up...you won't be producing the amount of serotonin you -should- be producing...and i think you will not be producing certain anti-fungals (maybe from lack of serotonin or what have you) that naturally exist to get rid of candida type stuff...

I probably won't go on Paxil. I'm no-where near as bad as I use to be when I had to go on Paxil before... but I may consider a small dose to see what happens.

I would love to have a place I could go to sleep whenever I wanted to, in pure darkness...but I have roomate issues...even from roomates through the walls.

[Ursa Major]

Okay, a small misunderstanding. I get it now. It would be hard to get the sleep you need and want with roommates!

Still, I advise against Paxil. You might want to try 5HTP instead. Eat garlic, cut out carbs and sugars. Get as much sunshine as you can, and if you can't get it every day, take cod liver oil to get enough vitamin D.

And if you think you have candida, as I said, there are effective anti-fungals out there, that are not addictive and mess with your brain!

[CuriousOne]

Thank you Ursa... I just swallowed 2 garlic cloves whole (supposedly helps release juices through entire digestive tract)...as well as ate 3 cloves of crushed garlic. Its kinda weird I actually like just eating garlic...

I will experiment with this. I agree on the Paxil.. but at the same time I just think candida and its problems can be worse than Paxil...its like the lesser evil especially if it helps you so much in life. I don't -need- it in life like I did back then...but boy did it help me at a time I did need it.

[Joni63]

Hi CuriousOne,

I completely understand what your talking about and I know I'm extra sensitive to things like light and caffeine. I also know that if I take naps during the day I WILL NOT sleep right at night, no matter how small of a nap it is. That's really tough for me because I'm fighting iron and D deficiencies and I'm tired all the time.

Have you ever had your vitamin levels checked?

I think once sleep is disturbed and out of whack, everything just tumbles from there.

I agree with Ursa, you could try some anti-candida natural remedies. Lot of herbs and supplements can help with that.

Have you considered a naturopath?

[RiceGuy]

The suggestion of garlic is a good one, though crushed would definitely be better than whole. If you can handle it raw, all the better.

When I wanted to get rid of the yeasty beasties (candida), what I did besides avoiding sugars, yeasts, vinegars, and fruits, was to take caprylic acid capsules. Caprylic acid is a natural component of coconut oil, which is also very health, besides being anti-fungal. I felt like I had a new body in a matter of weeks.

I do understand what you mean about sleep. Poor sleep cycles will really mess you up in many ways. I had so much trouble sleeping, even after I got rid of the candida, I just figured I'd never be able to sleep right.

Then I discovered the whole gluten thing, and since then started taking B12 and magnesium. Also vitamin D, which as you know can help too. I now can say I have no trouble sleeping at all! I find it amazing that I can sleep almost any time of the day or night. I also don't have such severe sensitivity to light, noise, etc. My eyes adjust to different light levels much faster than they ever did before, which I think is mainly due to the B12.

There are also probiotics which may help, and I've read that many find them very effective.

There is a period of withdrawal as the candida die off, so if you do have a candida issue, expect that to occur. But I figure, if you can handle all that raw garlic, you'll have no trouble with the withdrawal LOL.

[BRUMI1968]

I am glad to read about this sleeping thing. My partner and I are about to embark on quite an adventure in life; we're selling virtually everything we own and touring the American West by motorcycle. We'll be camping the entire time. We plan to be out at least a year. I like sleeping in the fresh air and the light issues; I'm just nervous of all the animals and such, but I'll probably get used to that. I'm going to try the candle/lantern thing starting tonight ... I've been having trouble sleeping which is unusual.

[CuriousOne]

Here's the thing...

The pineal gland is driven by ipRGCs...these are receptors in your eye...that only respond to the blue-wavelength of light.

Candlelight does not have much blue-wavelength...so you can read by candlelight, meanwhile your pineal gland will start producing the melatonin. Suddenly you'll feel so warm and great and be ready to pass out...blow out the candle...bam...your out...

The idea is that say you do this at 7 pm...and you fall asleep by 9. Thats 2 extra hours of melatonin production every single night. And I bet the 2 hours from 7-9 is worth a lot...since its more in cycle with the earth. That has been my experience.

Lanterns might not work. They might have too much blue wavelength.

Alternatively you can go to lowbluelights.com and buy one of their lights. They block the blue wavelenths of light. The thing really works. Its just, you can't have any other light from anything. For instance I just bought this light, but my current roomate stays on his computer until 1 am...on his laptop. The light/emf from his laptop is enough to cancel the effects of melatonin...

I'm very sensitive... when I was growing up I had a very acute sense of direction. Scientists can put EMF's on pigeons birds and suddenly these birds will not know where to fly anymore...the birds depend on the geomagnetic fields of the earth, using their pineal glands, to instinctual migrate etc etc...

Anyways... the pineal gland secretes melatonin...which pulls from your serotonin... people now say its high serotonin that is bad... and if you don't make enough melatonin to pull from your serotonin every single night...you are going to have issues in general.

It just seems unless you make a decent effort to secure a dark/emf free area at night, you might not get what you want... but when you do perfect it (which is basically just perfecting what should be perfect to begin with) you probably will have amazing results...

The lowbluelights are a good alternative to the candle since you don't have to worry about a flame.

Good luck camping! I know what you mean about the animals...but it should be interesting how you feel. Just try to keep any emf-type stuff away from you while you sleep...as its possible any sort of EMF ...weather light or non-light...could mess with the melatonin also. But for some reason blue light is very bad. Probably because the sky is blue...so your body gets signalled to stay away.

I never understood all this until a few years ago when I read a blog on shanspirations.com(.org?)...

I was trying to go to bed early every night...since it seemed impossible to me. Even if I forced myself up at 6 am every morning to run out in the sun, i never had luck...i would still stay up at night. It never occured to me that I would stay up on the computer screen....which basically was like telling my body I was looking right at a blue sky. My body thought it was daylight...and would stay up stay up stay up and finally just pass out from total fatigue. That was the only way I knew how to go to sleep.

The first night I tried the candlelight thing... I had already gotten into a rhythmn of waking up early for work...so I had that going for me. The first night I put candles on at 7 pm... I guess I was tired because I felt a wave of melatonin hit me and I passed out for 12 hours. I woke up feeling pretty good. The next night I did the same thing and naturally slept almost 10 hours. After I think the 2nd night I literally felt like a different person. Things got extremely good for me... I did that for 3 or 4 months...until I moved from that room back to another city.

For whatever reason I have not been able to replicate my experience I had... its EXTREMELY frustrating to know that you need to be free of most emf/light at night...and thats the one thing that makes you actually productive/sane/optimistic/happy...in fact I remember remarking I never felt so sane in my entire life. It was like a miracle...it was to me.

But its amazing how the entire world does not want to go to bed with the sun... I have been so frustrated trying to go to bed early, only to not sleep because of light leaking in my window, or people moving about making noises outside my room, or even my pineal gland picking up on EMF's in the room next to me. All these things dont' help...

For instance I spent some time with my uncle in this little commune thing out in the middle of nature. I was so excited to be able to FINALLY get the rest my immune system needed.. so as the sun went down it felt so good to be in that rhythmn. I setup my tent near his trailer...and I couldn't sleep. he had his lights on/tv etc on till midnight. How frustrating is that. Its like impossible to get away from modern day crap.

It angers me more to think that something that should be natural and part of my life gets taken away from me. Especially since it made me feel human and alive...the only thing really other than Paxil. In the book Lights Out, it talked about the National Institute of Mental Health said that SSRI's main reason they work is by balancing out the circadian rhythmns...

And that made perfect sense in my experiment. Either way who knows...but I had pretty much given up on the sleep thing since its so frustrating to try all the time and never be able to find that peace of mind/darkness at night.

Hopefully I'll be getting my own apartment soon...and I'll be putting the candles on at 7 pm and starting a routine to be in rhythmn with the earth again.

Sorry for writing an essay. It really did make such a huge difference in my life. It literally was amazing. But its really just what we were designed for. Its like... it should be considered abnormal NOT to go to bed soon after the sun. Candles are just similar to having fires...which also don't produce much blue spectrum light...

I predict that going to bed with the sun and using candles will become one of the next alternative health practices...but it makes such a huge difference that it will become a lifestyle for some.

Maybe if I didn't have the issues I have, it wouldn't be so crucial for me? I don't know...but for whatever reason, it made such a big difference... it was a similar feeling to being on a working anti-depressant for me...but instead I felt more like myself.

[tom]

I somehow got on a page this morning that talked about how SSRI's exhibit antifungal activity against Candida, among other things. Google SSRI candida antifungal

Here's one study:

Open Original Shared Link

Well .. I just read it.

Hmmmm . ....the conclusion of the study was that while SSRIs can inDEED be anti-fungal, the concentration req'd is also toxic to human cells.

" ...significant toxic effects on human cells at concentrations required for activity against fungal pathogens."

Even if one wanted to try, it looks to me like our blood is incapable of carrying that concentration.

The SSRI "reaches steady-state plasma levels of 50

[BRUMI1968]

Our lantern is candle -- sorry -- it's a candle lantern and we use beeswax candles (parafin is made from petroleum and gives out fumes and uses petroleum, something I'd rather save for the gas tank).

Our other goal, besides seeing the American West, is to find a place we'd like to settle, where we'll farm a bit. I look forward to the bed with the sun and up with the sun thing...and I can handle lots of sleep in the winter too.

Thanks for the info.

[CuriousOne]

"We often find that lipophilic compounds exhibit cytotoxic characteristics at high concentrations, a phenomenon also observed by others (e.g. Chen et al.5), suggesting that toxicity rather than a specific inhibitory mechanism may be driving the antifungal activity of SSRIs."

Wow... thats amazing because that theory/concept came to me last week. That SSRI's are just toxic and they kill off things in your gut causing your issues. Same with lithium...its extremely toxic.

Anyways Tom, if I'm right...then the study is basicallys saying SSRI's don't really kill candida by some -specific- anti-fungal action... but they just kill it like a bomb going off in a building.

In other words, they are extremely toxic...killing everything in the GI trac. hmm...good AND bad bacteria?? I wonder... maybe thats why when people go off SSRI's sometimes they feel worse than when they started...

Seems better would be to build the body/immune system up as much as possible through different things...a more holistic approach towards health right? Let the body heal itself...give it what it really wants.

[tom]

Wow... thats amazing because that theory/concept came to me last week. That SSRI's are just toxic and they kill off things in your gut causing your issues.

.. .....

. .. .

In other words, they are extremely toxic...killing everything in the GI trac. hmm...good AND bad bacteria??

At concentrations req'd to kill candida - a conc. which cannot be achieved in the bloodstream anyway - it acts on more than good/bad bacteria in the GI tract. It's toxic to human cells at that concentration.

Any effects one sees from taking SSRIs have nothing to do w/ the laboratory finding that biologically-unattainable concentrations have an anti-fungal effect in a petri dish.

Or did I misread parts of the study?

[RiceGuy]

About lithium, I just heard that while lithium is toxic at higher than normal concentrations, it is a necessary nutrient for brain function. I'm sure I can look it up, but haven't felt the need to do so. Don't forget that even ordinary nutrients like vitamin A can be deadly if you take too much. Most vital nutrients do have a level at which they become toxic.

Speaking of natural rhythms, consider the Open Original Shared Link. Apparently, this frequency has been slowly increasing, which in the opinion of some researchers is messing with the life on this planet. There's also a number of cycles of the sun, moon, and so forth. Don't overlook the 60 Hz frequency of standard electrical power we have in this country. Unfortunately, we can't get away from that unless we move out into a remote area.

Another link:

Open Original Shared Link

There's also the fact that the magnetic north pole has been shifting too. Plus some areas get more or less effected by magnetic waves due to iron concentrations in the ground. There are experiments which demonstrate all sorts of interesting interactions with the human nervous system, including ways to scramble or cancel unwanted frequencies to negate their effects.

I've always felt that MRI's must be bad for the body and brain, and maybe some day researchers will prove it.

[AliB]

If you have Candida, the last thing you want to be doing is overloading your poor beleaguered liver with yet more toxic crap, regardless of how it makes you feel! Most drugs are toxic to the body - hence the side-effects.

There is one way of using the Paxil thing positively - if you could figure out what the 'active' ingredient is, and what plant it originated from, you might be able to take a natural remedy that would have a similar effect, like St John's Wort, for instance (my daughter swears by them - the SSri's made her feel like crap, the SJW makes her feel better!).

Medical Science extracts the 'active' ingredient from these remedies, makes it into a very commercially attractive and financially lucrative drug and then can't figure out why people get so many horrible side-effects! The reason is, of course, that they have effectively thrown the 'baby out with the bathwater' by ignoring all the other very important ingredients in the natural remedy that are there to counteract those very annoying side-effects! But then they wouldn't make any money by marketing the natural remedy!

Money makes the world go round...............meanwhile we are all getting sicker. Have you noticed that none of these drugs ever actually CURES anything???

CO, you probably felt a lot better simply because you were going to bed so early. There is an old saying that every hour before midnight is worth 2 afterwards. It probably does have a lot to do with the Melatonin and Serotonin levels. I know if I go upstairs in the dark, I have a real aversion to switching on the light as I know it will wake me up. I have to do it as there are things I need to be able to see to do, but if I could deal with everything in the dark and get straight into bed and go to sleep I know I would be a lot better for it! I never go to bed until the early hours as for some unfathomable reason I have an aversion to letting the day go, but I know I would be a lot better if I did!

[CuriousOne]

Tom - Yeah I would have to re-read that study again myself too...not sure what it says exactly. And those studies are -so- fun to read right?

Ali- I have wondered how in the heck they came up with SSRI's... I tried researching a few years ago the origin of say, Prozac...like who invented it etc... I couldn't find anything at all at the time. I wonder if its been supressed...that information. Because if people knew what plant it came from, then they could see what sort of native tribes used it, and what "problems" they used it for.

Like how do you just randomly invent some drug in a laboratory and test it and figure out it makes people feel less depressed...

St. John's wort is a good one...its anti-fungal also. You know... how come its never recommended for candida? Seems more people should be getting the yeast/depression connection... I think with the internet these things are coming together faster now.

But let me say again...when I was doing the "going to bed early thing" I was not on Paxil. I took Paxil at a different point in my life, and wasn't going to bed early then...and it did make me feel actually sane for once. It truly really helped me. In fact when I took it it made me feel like I was truly alive and not in pain for the first time in 10 years.

But yeah... when I was going to sleep early that was a few years later when I had already been off Paxil for awhile and decided I wanted to find a better way to deal with my dis-ease.

[ravenwoodglass]

Independant of the SSRI and candida issue proper sleep is very important for all of us. In our society it can be hard to achieve. You said you have issues with sleeping due to light and noise from roommates and society around you. Have you ever tried using a sleep mask and ear plugs? Could that maybe give you the relief you need without any drugs?

[CuriousOne]

Hi Raven,

Yes I have tried multiple multiple multiple times with sleep masks, ear plugs, even sleeping in the closet. But for some reason my body could pick up on the person outside of the closet on his stupid laptop at midnight. Probably the light seeping underneath and through the vent. That blue light is enough to "wake" me in the morning after a good pitch black night...so I can see how it can wake me when i'm trying to go to sleep.

the past two nights i've finally perfected this sleep thing at my current place i'm living...and i finally am actually entering deep sleep and also dreaming. i actually think i'm starting to heal very deeply now. just lots of reasons why...but time will tell.

The thing is...I think the pineal gland can pick up on light...its not just the eyes... they've done studies in a completely dark room..someone shining a light on the back of a person's knee from a fiberoptic tube...and the melatonin levels dropped. So it seems either the skin can read light, or the pineal gland was picking up on that emf... I do know I have slept better when wearing full length clothes and socks and all that. Maybe thats why pajamas were so popular at one point...I don't know.

But its sorta shocking to me. Maybe there are a subset of people out there with very very sensitive pineal glands. If we were in a natural environment we would be healthy. But because we are surrounded by emf/light... some of us might be getted robbed of sleep NIGHT AFTER NIGHT...at least certain aspects of sleep and the hormones it can produce.... because we are getting the wrong cues in our environment.

Thats what I'm hoping I'll be able to figure out here soon.