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    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

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  1. kurt

    Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 7 - conclusion)

    Hello blog readers! Time for the promised update. Sorry about the long delay, thanks PASC/LC for that... Here is a final entry in this blog series, my 'results' report and conclusion based on evidence of multiple people testing out this theory, with some references. I am now calling this a...
  2. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 6)'

    I am working on an update again, thank for the reminder!
  3. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 6)'

    This is just an update to let people know I'm starting to work on the next blog finally. It has been a long time and I should explain what has happened. As usual it's a bit of a story. So stay tuned.
  4. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'its over...'

    I've had both, they are similar but not the same. I recovered from long covid after about 5 months, but then got it back again. A few different symptoms than I had from ME/CFS. I think the jury is still out on what either disease is about. Yes we have a more clear trigger with covid. And...
  5. kurt

    Cured their ME/CFS, and went on to live their lives (35 Stories)

    Sounds like CFS should be renamed chronic fatigue spectrum. I'm reminded of the metabolomics study. Navioux has commented recently on his website that there probably are 50 different ways we can end up with a cell danger response. And that he believes could cause CFS. 50 causes sounds like a...
  6. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 4)'

    I would not be surprised. Candida is so complex, iron status is also important. And apparently the IDO2 gene is also important in fungal immunity. So we have that working against us.
  7. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 4)'

    I can be bad if there is more than a trace quantity. Tryptophol is the active toxin in African Sleeping Sickness. And I believe it creates problems in ME/CFS as well, if there are high enough levels. We should not have much tryptophol in us, but may have enough to block melatonin, due to...
  8. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 6)'

    Probably great for quick energy, but a huge dose of tryptophan, which I am learning is a big variable in candida toxicity.
  9. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (Introduction)'

    The tryptophan issue here is a defect in the genes for the enzyme IDO2. The specific genes involved are listed in the 2018 paper by Robert Pfair. At one time 23andMe tested some of the genes involved, however they dropped those genes from the test several years ago. If you have a very old...
  10. kurt

    Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 6)

    This is part 6 in a series on the theory that ME/CFS involves a complex fungal intolerance. If you have not read the introduction and parts 2-5 which discusses the theory and treatment experiment, that is recommended before reading this post. This is a summary of the treatments used in the...
  11. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 5)'

    I'm referring to the ones listed in part 4. I tried them out one at a time, slowly.
  12. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 5)'

    Someone asked a question backchannel about the instructions on the bottles of cellulase enzymes, and I realized I should include a comment. The cellulase enzymes generally include a warning not to take the supplement if you are taking drugs that use a cellulose-based time-release mechanism. This...
  13. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 4)'

    Sweet potatoes may be lower calorie than white potatoes, but they are still are fairly high in starch so not good for an anti-Candida diet. I have had good success with 'The Body Ecology Diet', and have been on that for over a decade now. You mention weight gain and that's a good topic that I...
  14. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 4)'

    Dr Phair is aware of my theory, we discussed it privately several months ago. In fact he helped me connect a few dots, the possibility that melatonin could theoretically be blocked by tryptophol in the pineal gland. I avoid brewer's yeast due to the general fungal issues, so don't know if I am...
  15. kurt

    Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 5)

    This is part 5 in a series on the theory that ME/CFS involves a complex fungal intolerance. If you have not read the introduction and parts 2-4 which discusses the theory and treatment experiment, that is recommended before reading this post. This is a discussion of treatment success factors so...
  16. kurt

    Effects on Candida

    This is fascinating since manganese starvation is one of the ways a host defends against fungus. Is that the reason you are restricting manganese? I think manganese modulating symptoms supports a fungal involvement. And some fungal toxins can get right into the brain if they get into blood.
  17. kurt

    Effects on Candida

    Have you considered that fungal infection like athlete's foot probably indicates a global problem with fungal regulation? I would look at the gut as well. I totally agree with your suspicion, and think a subset of ME/CFS might be the result of a complex gut fungal problem, due to the specific...
  18. kurt

    Effects on Candida

    Apple cider vinegar is proven to be anti-fungal, works against Candida. Don't know about white wine vinegar, does that have sugar? For cider against Candida, see: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788933/
  19. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 3)'

    Yes, that's what I kept finding again and again. Most of the treatments that I thought were working on all sorts of different pathologies were just working against Candida. Candida is a very resilient opponent but there are many ways to defend against it. And fortunately for us, there is a...
  20. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 3)'

    I also take lysine daily. I had not seen that about taurine. This might be a good topic for the candida forum.
  21. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 3)'

    I am familiar with that study and plan to address the topic in a future post. I am putting together summaries of all the research articles that together produce this theory. It might be a very long post. Tryptophol is a weaker quorum sensing chemical than farnesol. Also, it is possible that...
  22. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 4)'

    Some good comments about sugar: This is more complicated than just the sugar issue but you raise a good question. Some people seem to have not passed the threshold where sugar causes their Candida to create the more potent mycotoxins. I think there are some variables here that will take a lot...
  23. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 4)'

    Yes, SIFO. But in theory very complicated due to the tryptophol problem and how it can disrupt the autonomic nervous system.
  24. kurt

    Comment by 'kurt' in 'Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 3)'

    I also tried to fight Candida for years, with modest success. But this time is very different, and I believe it is due to targeting the small intestine. Which I believe takes a certain combination of treatments (I'm working on posting that next).
  25. kurt

    alcohol helps me?

    I was also one of them, chased Candida for years. Turns out I did not have the right target. Most of the Candida inside us is probably harmless, but in a few places in the body it can become incredibly toxic. That's what I'm blogging about right now, too much to post in a thread. And this is not...
  26. kurt

    alcohol helps me?

    I used Relora to help get off benzodiazapine. Started with a partial dose and worked up until it made a difference. I used tablets since they were easier to work with, usually I would take a quarter or half. Relora is pretty powerful, it stimulates increased GABA production. But treating Candida...
  27. kurt

    alcohol helps me?

    Not sure what you mean, Candida can be a fatal infection, and is often part of the end stage infections in immune compromised patients. ME/CFS includes immune problems. Candida can exist in yeast or mold type forms, and has a complex metabolism and can produce at least 69 mycotoxins. Yes, there...
  28. kurt

    alcohol helps me?

    I just found this thread and was about to say the same thing. Especially if Whiskey works, as that has no sugar, so would not be causing glucose swing issues that derail so many of us. He is boosting GABA activity (part of the effect, Alcohol binds to GABA receptors). There are many other ways...
  29. kurt

    Connecting the dots ... Is ME/CFS a complex fungal intolerance? (part 4)

    This is the fourth blog in a series on my theory that a major ME/CFS pathology may be a complex fungal intolerance. If you have not read the introduction and parts 2-3, that is recommended before reading this post. This is a speculative theory and a sharing of experience, and not to be...