Candida, Thrush, Herpes

(Wiltshire, UK)

Question:
I have been taking about 10ml of my husbands Olive Leaf Complex in one dose at breakfast most days for about a month - initially for recurrent genital herpes but then I continued as I got thrush which I get regularly, and the thrush is now the worst it's ever been. My husband said that to read the bit on your site which explained how it can get worse before it gets better. So, it looks like I should continue, but I wonder if I am taking the best dosage, form or what of the Olive Leaf. I think I should also get my own supply!
Could you advise me? My vaginal thrush / candida has been long long standing(about 15 years regularly and I also have a very sore swollen patchy tongue - (geographic) which has come up this week, and again, I have not had that for several months. Genital herpes I get almost always after any kind of energy healing - be it reflexology or reiki, or energy healing.

I am undergoing a lot of stress right now and its been quite a traumatic 3 years, so there is a build up of stress, but I do practice energy medicine techniques (Donna Eden), prayer, and inner smiling.

Answer:
When there is a long history of immune-system-related illness, it is usually caused by a lifestyle that is not conducive to the health of your own particular constitution. This includes foods, medications, stress, environment, pollution, preservatives and who knows what else.

Your husband may be right in that you are experiencing "die-off" symptoms, but if you have systemic candidiasis and other problems it may take a long time to win the battle with just olive leaf extract. If there are ongoing causes, you may win for a while but eventually when your immunity is down at some point it will probably come back.
I normally suggest making sure you are eating the right foods and some supplements to create a healthy gut flora. This may also mean the avoidance of medications that destroy beneficial gut bacteria and upset your hormonal balance, e.g. birth control pills, antibiotics.
At the end of the day, our bodies are designed to function a certain way and the more we deviate from that way the more problems we begin to pick up.
As a layman I suggest you read up about yeast overgrowth so you understand what is happening. I link to a book below which although it is quite old, explains the problem very well and has an excellent section on diet, what you can and can't eat to get back on track and it is not a severely restrictive diet at all.
I would also suggest taking a good probiotic formula similar to the one below. It is more important to have the right certified bacteria rather than multiple billions of the wrong ones which can't colonise your intestines or do much good if they do.
You can also help matters by eating fermented foods which you can make yourself.

You may find taking olive leaf capsules works better for you than a liquid formula, especially if it is flavoured.
Lastly, if you are on medication, consult your health care professional before making any changes so you can be monitored and helped along the way.

This book may help you correct your diet and here is an example of probiotics that can help. You can also try making kefir and sauerkraut or other fermented foods to stabilize your gut bacteria.