Die-off: An explanation - Medical terms can sound Greek to most of us and medical slangs? Well, it seems even tougher. So while the pro might get what a Herxheimer reaction means in a second, the rest of us are more comfortable with the casual term die-off. The term applies to the mass deaths of any pathogens residing within the body. “That’s sweet!” - You might say. But it’s not entirely a wine-and-roses story. Die-off creates a large number of symptoms and not all of them are detectable medically. It worsens the situation and might get you from the frying pan to the fire, so follow the old saying: Si vis pacem, para bellum (staying prepared for war is the best way to avoid it). It is crucial for a complete recovery from CRC i.e. Candida Related Complex (CRC).
Why do die-off symptoms come?
It’s well known that Candida symptoms are caused by the toxic metabolic by-products it releases in the body. But we are mostly unaware that they do the same – this time in larger volumes – when they are dying. The body, obviously, tries cleaning these toxins as well as the dead yeast cells. This taxes the liver, the kidneys, the colon and the lymph system, throwing their other normal activities out of balance. It makes the uncomfortable symptoms (an exaggerated symptom of Candida or chronic health conditions turning worse) show up. But the good news is, it is the darkest before the dawn. You definitely feel worse, but you feel much, much better once it’s over.
The die-off is a sign of the medications, diets and the probiotics doing their job, but you cannot predict exactly when it will start or how intense it will be.
Is there any specific time frame for the die-off to commence?
On an average, it starts a few weeks after the Candida-fighting measures are introduced; if you are real lucky, it may start right off the bat. This is when you feel feverish, feel some amount of stuffiness, mild headaches, general aches, pains and numbness, rashes, brain fog, impaired decision making, physical and mental fatigue, constipation (or diarrhea). If you are a woman, do add vaginal irritation/discharges to the list.
Die-off: The span
It can just be a day or maybe even a full month, but no further. At times, it may just disappear in between the treatment program only to return few days later or at the end of the treatment program. Some get it right from day two; those are the lucky few. For them, susceptibility to Candida-released toxins reduces faster and so do their die-off symptoms.
Controlling die-off symptoms:
This is for overzealous people. The body needs as much time to get rid of Candida as it took to get infested, so revving things up to insane degrees does more harm than good. Try pushing out Candida impatiently and die-off reactions will get more severe. To avoid it, you must know where Candida chiefly resides.
Candida colonies, most commonly, are found along the sides of the colon, typically hidden behind (and inside) fecal waste build-ups. The fecal matter (also, intestinal mucous) protects Candida from the actions of medications a great deal, so the delay in its die-off is proportional to the amount of waste you are nursing inside. It’s best to go for garlic, lemon and castor oil cleanse and facilitate the action of the medication(s); the castor oil (with very high anti-microbial properties) also helps real-time cleaning of the dead Candida and boosts up the entire digestive and excretory systems. Aided with garlic, it delivers a double whammy. When you are not letting the toxins mix with the blood, you are cutting down on the chances of die-off symptoms occurring.
Or, you may just go for a slow, gradual Candida elimination process, with anti-fungal doses increased each consecutive phase. This will ensure moderate die-off symptoms; however, it’s always best to avoid than bear with it.
