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Hello all!

This is gonna be long but I really hope you have the time to read through it and help the best you can.

It all started when I was 17 and started developing acne. After a few months I visited a doctor who got me Benzoyl Peroxide to treat it with, however this didn't go well and I dropped it. After trying that I was put on Tetralysal which is an antibiotic drug and this cleared my face up. But the results didn't last long, as soon as I quit the acne came back in full force. Devastating. After that they wanted me to try it again, and I was on it for a long time but it didn't help any at all, probably just made it worse and my stomach was really upset for a long time with LOTS of gas and sounds from the stomach.

Acne continued flourishing and I think I tried the antibiotics one more time, completely unknown what side effects could come with these. I developed rosacea like symptoms that didn't went away after many months until after many regulary facials at a derm (Exuviance, Neostrata products). My skin turned the best it's ever been since clear. Though the acne didn't stop completely and in october 2010 (when I was 21) I was put on Accutane. Finally something that would get rid of it forever I thought. The accutane flared it up big time, I was so tired, gained weight and looked puffy. When the six month course finished my skin was clear and it was so nice to see. However I felt a bit empty, couldn't really put my finger on what it was.

The results lasted for a month and then acne started coming back with a vengence. Now six months later I still get acne and it's ruining my life and all the diet changes have made me very skinny which I am uncomfortably with.

My other symptoms than acne is that I have

Mood swings - Most due to how my skin looks and feels for the day.. Brain fog - Think it's called this. It's almost like you can't think clear and I have trouble picturing up things clear in my head like I could when I was younger. Tounge - It's white coated when I'm waking up in the morning. Tiredness - Don't have the energy I need for work. Also experience this after eating, specially big meals.. Bloating/Puffiness - My face get very puffy, bloated after eating, sitting by tv and computer screens and in the evening.

I got the idea it could be candida and tested myself for it. The result: http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/2175/sss1q.jpg

I started following an anti candida diet (Bee) in middle of december and been doing it til now. I can't say I've experienced any die off symptoms and now I am even skinnier and feeling weak. Acne is still there and skin looks a bit worse overall to be honest. I read on here that candida gets worse in Ketosis so the last couple of days I have added in safe starches and berries, hoping that help.

Still not sure if I have Candida and if that is why I get acne?

What I eat:

Meat (Beef, lamb). Organic eggs, Fish (Salmon, Cod, Tuna). Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, sallad, cabbage, spinach etc). Butter (added in this five days ago, after avoiding it for five years, so far no negative effects). Coconut Oil. Berries (200 g blueberries every other day). Safe Starches (White Rice, Brown Rice, Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash). Fermented Cod Liver Oil/Butter Oil (Green Pasture).

Other supplements: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Zinc, Calcium, Vitamin E, Vitamin K2, Vitamin D, Drinks: Water, water, water

I will add in Bone Broth and Liver (can't stand the taste though but will try anything).

Skin care: Cleansing twice a day with Exuviance Gentle Cleansing Creme, then put Salicylic Acid cream to moisturise face.

Can anyone hack my symptoms and give me suggestions? This is ruining my life, my budget, my relationships and I must get back on track before my whole youth has gone down the drain. Thanks for taking the time.

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1 
 If you're not taking retinol you are a) not taking the most important vitamin for acne b) not following bee's advice. She doesn't advocate zinc or fermented cod liver oil either. And you should definitely not be skinnier if you're eating as much fat as she recommends... There must be some improvements in your skin, right? – Korion Jan 31 2012 at 16:32
Forgot to mention I dropped most carbs in july and acne broke out very badly on cheeks and forehead. Have hardly ate any carbs since then and in december I started Bee's program except for a few differences. I eat probably 6 or more tablespoons of coconut daily and that is my primary fuel of fat. Other than that beef and butter. My skin can start to look good one day, then next day worse, and so on. – Lost and found Jan 31 2012 at 16:42
Did you try an elimination diet without nightshades, eggs and nuts? – Korion Jan 31 2012 at 16:45
Yes! For a long time even before I got my eyes on candida, I have only reinforced eggs. Seems to do fine. No nuts or nighsthades ever. – Lost and found Jan 31 2012 at 16:51
Zinc. Assists in the growth of fungus. Probably want to go easy on that particular mineral. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC414618/pdf/… – PatternMatching Jan 31 2012 at 16:56
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4 Answers

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The oral thrush is a relatively clear sign that there is a fungal overgrowth of some kind.

I completely sympathize with your situation as I have suffered with a diagnosed Candida Albicans overgrowth for some time.

First and foremost: no more antibiotics. Antibiotics, as far as I am concerned, should be reserved for severe, life-threatening infections. Antibiotics treated my acne short term when I was a teen, but the acne came back worse than ever following stoppage of treatment. You're wiping out gut flora that is a vital and helpful part of your immune system.

Secondly, probiotics. I don't care what Bee says about her diet. Probiotics are not created by the body so you need to supplement them in some fashion. Nutritional condition of the body may or may not promote the presence of certain strains but I simply do not buy a lot of what Bee is peddling. The diet is pretty uncontroversial as far as macronutrient ratios for someone in your condition so you can keep that up so long as it eventually helps you.

Finally -- safe starches. I am not convinced that safe starches are essential for the treatment of a fungal overgrowth. I've asked Dr. Jaminet about this in the past and he believes that certain blood glucose levels are required for ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) and the immune pathways that are responsible for eliminating fungal overgrowth. I disagree because of my own experience. The body can convert any nutrient to glucose, as shown by Chris Masterjohn. Your glucose levels will normalize and likely be lower and more stable without the addition of safe starches. Take them out for now. If you want to try them down the road once you are feeling better for the health benefits that Dr. Jaminet proposes in PHD, I think you can certainly do so.

For some more ideas on how to self-treat Candida, see my answer to a similar question below:

http://paleohacks.com/questions/93435/candida-is-it-a-myth-any-experiences-success-stories/93490#93490

Please remember that there is no religion when it comes to treating Candida. It is what works for you and improves your symptoms over time. Let me give you an example. Around here, people kind of poo-poo the idea of juicing because it's not taking in the vegetables in their natural form and you're missing out on the insoluble fiber, etc.. Well, juicing has been of enormous help to me because raw veges can be tough on digestion for some folks and it's highly recommended on the GAPS gut healing diet protocol. Self-experimentation and quantification is king.

Good luck! Please feel free to give me a shout if I can be more helpful in any way.

P.S. - After about 6 months of Paleo n=1 experimentation, I no longer get acne. At all. Ever. There is always hope.

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Agreed about the safe starches. They cause acne for me, even though it's mild acne. – Korion Jan 31 2012 at 17:01
1 
 Thank you so much for this answer. You really seem to know what you are talking about! I just ordered Bio-Kult probiotics, and is going to the store to get more Sauerkraut. I will also try eating Liver again and do brone broth tonight. Anything else I should include? I've heard about Kefir, but not sure how well my skin would react to dairy. If I still want to avoid getting into Ketosis, is there anything I can eat to prevent that and in what amount? I also have Grapeseed Oil, Oregano Oil and Clove Oil at home. Plus Apple Cider Vinagear. Add in these as well? – Lost and found Feb 1 2012 at 12:50
Regarding juicing, which vegetables would you advice to mix in the blender? How much should I be drinking? I've done green smoothies a few years ago and it gave me great energy, so will try it this time without any fruit. How about blueberries every other day? – Lost and found Feb 1 2012 at 12:51
ALso which fats should I consume regulary to help my gut and acne? I probably eat over 6 tablespoons of Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil daily. Other than that salmon a couple of times every week and visible fat on Entrecote. Fermented Cod Liver Oil as well, two teaspoons daily. – Lost and found Feb 1 2012 at 12:59
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 Kefir isn't necessarily done in dairy. You can try water kefir. – Korion Feb 1 2012 at 15:17
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My spidey senses are telling me you need more bacteria in your gut. All those antibiotics got rid of the good stuff as well as the bad. The white box that looks like a bar graph at the bottom of this infograhic and this article show how. Mark Sisson wrote a great post about restoring gut flora.

Are you getting plenty of sunlight? Until I figured out that dairy was the culprit, a day full of sun, without overdoing it, seemed to make my face look and feel healthier and clearer back when I had severe acne (like, Proactiv-shocking-before-picture severe).

I hope I've helped, and that you figure this all out soon!

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Great reply, thanks! I don't get enough sunlight as it is very dark and Winter over here. I live in Norway. I supplement with Vitamin D around 6000iu daily. I know sunbeds are bad but would it be good to do a few minutes in one every week to help my skin on the way? For the Vitamin D. I don't really think supplements in pills give me what I need. What foods would you recommend to restore my gut flora? – Lost and found Feb 1 2012 at 12:53
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Thinking about it - the only fat I can use without feeling like it could be negative for my skin is Coconut Oil. I ditched Olive Oil a few months ago as I was worried I got too much Omega 6 in my diet.

Other than Coconut Oil I eat salmon a couple of times every week and last few days I have eaten lots of butter (thinking about quiting as small pimples have developed here and there - could be a million other reasons but you know how it is).

I am really struggling in what kind of fats I can eat that will not have an negative impact on my acne and skin. Please help here. On my grass fed beef there's no really visible fat (roast beef, beef tenderloin). The only one with visible fat is Entrecote. Should I eat more of that or what would you suggest?

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I'm thinking about replacing pretty much all My suppments and buy lot's of different foods.

Which foods do you recommend for: Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium,

I eat Liver/Fermented Cod Liver oil for Vitamin À, nutrtional yeast flakes for B vitamins, CLO/butter oil for Vitamin K2. What Am I missing?

Please help me with which foods to eat for the above vitamins and minerals that won't most likely break me out.

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