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Rise Up and Fight

Posted in Morale

The hardest thing about dealing with an infection that antibiotics won’t kill is the despair. You’re not just fighting an infection, you’re locked in a death grapple with fear.

Powerlessness.

Hopelessness.

It’s so hard to keep on going when you see no light at the end of the tunnel, when hope feels like a cruel trick being played upon you by an evil fate. You get to a point where you dread even the sensation of hope, because you’re absolutely sure it will be crushed again, leaving you in an even deeper pit of despair. Emotionally crushed by multiple defeats, pain that never ends, your whole life consumed by this one stupid issue that no one else seems to have, just you.
The freak with a bladder that won’t heal.

Your one comfort is that this is a problem you carry on the inside, where no one can see it. So you hold it together and go on like it isn’t there, with almost no one outside of your immediate family even knowing what you’re dealing with.

You are not alone. Let that sink in.

You are not alone.

And you CAN be healed.

Never stop fighting. Never give up, never give in.

Every. Single. Time. I felt that there was no way this infection could be defeated, that I was going to break under the weight of a burden too great, I was right on the cusp of being healed. And I was healed because I picked myself up and tried one more time.

 

“This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

       —Winston Churchill, Harrow School, 29 October 1941.

 

Don’t sell yourself short: you can do what I and hundreds of other women have done. And one day, you’ll look back on this struggle and know that you’re healed because you looked Despair in the eye, and punched it to a bloody pulp.

You’ll have won a priceless treasure, not only your health, but the sure and certain knowledge that you are MIGHTY.

The battle does not belong to the fearless: it belongs to those who fight on till they overcome.

If you’re reading this, it’s because you’re trying one more time. And if I had a hat, I’d take it off to you. I have been deeply moved at the strength and courage I’ve seen in so many. With that courage, they won their freedom.

And so will you.

 

Rise up and fight.

 

97 Comments

  1. Lori
    Lori

    Congratulations Alex, I’m so happy for you! I gives me hope.

    December 20, 2018
    |Reply
    • Alex B
      Alex B

      Thank you so much but I am still a bit paranoid and eating mostly safe and taking meds. Ptsd is the worst part of it all to be honest. Make sure you check out Rebekah’s two new posts they may be very helpful for you. Believe me I am someone who is very prone to depression and I have been suicidal because of this. You aren’t alone, we are all in it together. What got me threw those few days is not thinking ahead at all. I just worried about what meds/food I need to take now or an hour from now. Otherwise I go crazy with worry. Just keep on keeping on. And Rebekah ofcourse..she is a saint and she will help you through this. I know i have a long road aheas of me trying to fix my acid but I have no choice if I want to get better. Again, I am trying to think not how long it will take me but just worrying about my next meal and taking HCL with it.

      December 20, 2018
      |Reply
      • Lori
        Lori

        That’s great advice since, I’m the same way, I need to learn to take it one day at at time.

        December 20, 2018
        |Reply
  2. Alex B
    Alex B

    Rebekah I am trying now 3 times to post a response but it is not letting me – I am guessing because I inserted links.

    I will try again without links – maybe I will just spell out the name of the product and you can look it up – so sorry for this but it is not letting me respond otherwise.

    I tried finding acereola cherry in Canada but seems pretty hard to get your hands on. The best I could find on Amazon.ca is these two options. The first one has also Vitamin C from Organic oranges and lemons added which bothers me as I have bladder sensitivity after my UTIs. Not always, but some things can set me off. Here is the one I mean – do you think it works or avoid because of the orange/lemon?
    It is called:

    NATURELO Premium Vitamin C with Organic Acerola Cherry and Citrus Bioflavonoids – Whole Food Powder Supplement – Not Synthetic Ascorbic Acid – 500 mg – Non-GMO – Raw Vegan – 90 Capsules

    The other option I see mentioned in the article you posted is Camu Camu. I found this on amazon.ca. Would this work or is it too acidic for my purpose? It is called:

    Ecoideas Organic Raw Camu Camu Berry Powder, 113g

    I found the salt reccomended in the post you linked however amazon canada only has the chunky version not the finely ground on. Can I just grind it in my nutribullet and use it this way?

    Also for the coconut water, is the Vita Coco Pure Coconut Water okay? It is the one sold everywhere, or do I need a special one?

    So sorry for so many questions but I just want to make sure I do it right.

    Last few questions:

    – Do I start this now as in right away or do I wait until my UTI is fully gone. I am pretty sure it is gone but I am keeping up with doses for another week just in case.

    -How many times a day do I take this, with food or without, does it have to be 2 hours away from food, etc?

    -How long do I need to keep doing the adrenal coctails for? Until my acid is fixed, along with celery and HCL?

    Again apologies if this is the second time this posts and for the many questions.

    December 17, 2018
    |Reply
    • Rebekah W.
      Rebekah W.

      It’s okay: the last attempt worked! I was able to check the links and respond. 👍

      December 17, 2018
      |Reply
      • Alex b
        Alex b

        Great thank you so much. What about the first one that had acereola cherry and some vitamin c from oranges and lemons? This one won’t work? I will go to whole foods and keep looking for pure acereola cherry in the meantime.

        December 17, 2018
        |Reply
        • Rebekah W.
          Rebekah W.

          Orange juice is the very devil when it comes to bladder issues: I would avoid anything orange-related until you’ve been healed for a year.
          I can eat and drink anything now, but I still dislike orange juice unless it’s just been squeezed in front of me.
          Store-bought just isn’t good for anyone.

          December 17, 2018
          |Reply
          • Alex B
            Alex B

            Ah yes I thought so too. Finding acerola vitamin C here is pretty impossible and i am way to paranoid to risk anything ecoli related. I will go to whole foods and keep looking.

            December 17, 2018
            |Reply
            • Rebekah W.
              Rebekah W.

              Look for a liposomal C at the store: that should do the job without the risk.

              December 17, 2018
              |Reply
          • Alex B
            Alex B

            Rebekah I called around a few health stores in my area and I found one thing but I am not sure if it is what I am looking for. One of the stores carries this product: It is called Flora Organic Acerola Powder. You can google it as it is not letting me post links. The ingredients only say Organic Acerola fruit juice powder. So the word “juice” is throwing me off a bit.

            The second product I found is available on a Canadian website called Upaya Naturals and it is called Truly Natural Acerola Cherry Powder (Formerly Truly Natural Vitamin C) (6 oz/171g). The ingredients say :Ingredients: Acerola cherry extract
            Other Ingredients: Non-GMO Corn Maltodextrin as a drying medium

            Would any of this do? They are both pretty pricy but I guess it is what it is. If any of those would do, I can order them today.

            December 17, 2018
            |Reply
            • Rebekah W.
              Rebekah W.

              Okay, I *finally* found a link willing to reveal the actual C content in Flora Acerola Powder: one scoop contains over 10X as much as you need per cocktail, so that’s more cost-effective than it looks at first glance. I’d get that one since it’s 80 days worth and has no corn extract in it, and use a tenth of a scoop (try a 1/8 tsp measure and see how many of those fit into 1 scoop to get a gauge on it).

              I think the “juice” part just means that the cherries are juiced and the powder is made from that in order to exclude useless fiber.
              https://www.naturalhealthyconcepts.com/acerola-powder-1oz-p-flora.html

              December 17, 2018
              |Reply
              • Alex B
                Alex B

                Rebekah so sorry to bother you with this again but I am about to order the acereola powder and once we did the math, the second brand , Truly Natural Acerola Cherry Powder, turns out to be a much better deal. The only thing I am hesitant about is you said there is a corn additive in there. Is that a dealbreaker? Also regarding the Flora brand, there was complaints it clumped up pretty fast and people had to toss it out. I am guessing it may be exactly because there was no drying medium in there but I could be wrong. If I go for the other brand, is the corn additive a deal breaker ? Do I have to wait till my infection is over then to use it ? So sorry for so many questions and bothering you with this.

                December 17, 2018
                |Reply
                • Rebekah W.
                  Rebekah W.

                  For most people, the corn additive is no big deal and you’d probably be fine on it. Maybe 1-2% of people would react to it, but if you do, you can send it back and get the other one.

                  December 17, 2018
                  |Reply
  3. Alex B
    Alex B

    Hi Rebekah. I wanted to provide you with an update. Today was the first time when after peeing on a stick in the morning, it didn’t oxidize slightly pink after 30 mins or so. I used to think oxidizing was normal but the few times I made my hubby pee on a stick I noticed his doesn’t. Yesterday was the first day I used lemon shots to swallow my pills with and acid with. It dawned on me that the reason maybe I get a UTI once a year (this time) and last time it was a year and 9 months without one, is that I must have a low grade infection there that was never truly dead because my acid was so low and neither antibitoics nor natural meds were absorbed. I knew my acid was low so when I tried taking HCL as I had mentioned to you I had a very hard time dosing it because I’d only get that warm feeling on and off and never know what my dose is so I sort of gave up and relied on celery. I think the reason I never felt anything was because I was maybe diluting it with so much water or possibly drinking too much water before meals.I could be imagining this, but I think when yesterday I started swallowing both my acid AND my pills during meals with lemon shots, it finally made a dent. I know it is a very subtle difference and I may imagining this, but I think it is possible. My test was snow white even after one hour and a half of being left out – and this was also morning pee that was at least 6 hours old. I think I have finally figured out that all this wasn’t working for me because I kept diluting the acid too much. All of that being said, I have a few questions: If I take my pills with acid during meals, I usually take 4 OLE and 4 Pau D’arco an hour later with just water. Is it okay if I keep taking those with just water or do I need to take them with lemon shots as well? I ask because I took them with lemon shots yesterday and I think this is what upset my ulcer so much. I think the lemon shots are okay when they are with a meal, but those meds that are in between eatings are hard for me to stomach with lemon. If it is necessary though, I will do it. I was also planning to call my naturopath’s office tomorrow and see if they offer B6+B12 shots and get one if they do. My question was do you think I should get shots and if so how often or buy a supplement that has B6 and B12 in it and take that every day for a while? I am cautiously optimistic that I MAY be killing finally a very low grade infection and I want to to this right this time after being stuck in the same place for so long. Hopefully 10 days of this will completely eliminate the biofilm, while I continue to also steadily work on my acid. Last question – do you think if I finally eat normal on Christmas Ever and Christmas Day that will undo my hard work? As much as I am watching my diet now, I know for a fact those 2 days I will be eating carbs and sugar, eggs, etc. I would love to hear your thoughts on all of this…I am almost afraid to hope I am finally making progress for good. If I am really realllly lucky maybe I will make it into the new year without this evil in my life finally…

    December 16, 2018
    |Reply
    • Rebekah W.
      Rebekah W.

      The main thing is to try to get those nutrients through diet if at all possible, because B12 shots feed E. coli. (Sorry)
      https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/foods-rich-zinc-vitamin-b-8584.html

      OLE and PDA are highly bioavailable, and they’re easier to absorb when they’re not mixed with food: you might try taking them with lemon water and see how that does.

      Diluting the acid pills with too much water is a definite possibility: maybe try taking them with lemon water if a lemon shot is a bit too much?

      *As long as you are taking acid with food* you can pretty much eat what you want: the main thing is to cure your digestion because that’s the root of everything else.

      December 16, 2018
      |Reply
      • Alex B
        Alex B

        Okay this sounds good. So not supplements OR shots for b12 or b6. I know you also said zinc so I went out and got pumpkin seeds. I am taking OLE and Pau d’arco between meals. I was just wondering if taking them with water is okay instead of a lemon shot? Because when I do my other meds with food(oregano oil, cayenne, horseradish and garlic), lemon shots don’t bother me. But since OLE and Pau d’arco are between meals, when I do them with a lemon shot and no food it is a little rough. But if it is needed to make sure they are absorbed, I will! Thanks so much for letting me know I can enjoy Christmas dinner. Much helpful! I have a huge bottle of acid coming Tuesday, in the meantime I am doing with the little I have left. Do you think I am finally breaking through a biofilm or I am imagining it?

        December 16, 2018
        |Reply
        • Rebekah W.
          Rebekah W.

          Yes, OLE and PDA with water/lemon water between meals should be fine without a lemon shot. Minimal water, though, just enough to get the pills down.

          In my experience, the most common cause of resistant/recurring infections is low acid, and fixing that wipes the infection out.
          It generally isn’t so much a biofilm as the meds simply not making it to the bladder, or not in sufficient quantities.

          When it *is* a biofilm, and not gut interference, fresh horseradish wipes out the biofilm and bacteria in less than a week, often within 48 hours.
          When that doesn’t happen, either the horseradish isn’t fresh or the gut isn’t healthy enough to let the horseradish through to the bladder.

          December 16, 2018
          |Reply
          • Alex B
            Alex B

            I am taking horseradish – the store 2 mins away from my house sells it but they are telling me it is no longer is season so it is not the “freshest”. I am still taking it though because I am just throwing everything at it. They are receiving new stock on Tuesday so I am hoping it is super fresh. I am definitely going to be sticking with acid from now on. I hope I can get off of it eventually but if I must I shall supplement forever, AS LONG AS I don’t get another UTI ever again. Thank you so much for troubleshooting this with me. It is like I knew all of this but it was hard for me and overwhelming to put it all together. I am hoping this can be the end of this for me for a long while..God bless you for all you do and how selflessly you help others.

            December 16, 2018
            |Reply
            • Rebekah W.
              Rebekah W.

              It sounds like you’ve already kicked it, but keep going full steam for a few days to make sure you crushed every last cell!

              It’s best to cut a horseradish root right through the middle and grate it there, instead of from the end: if it’s fresh the smell will blow your hair back and make your eyes water.

              It’s hard to see clearly when you’re in the thick of things, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes intuitive.
              Just minimize water anywhere near meals, chew slowly, eat smaller portions a little more often instead of larger meals, and always take as much acid as you comfortably can.
              You can take pills with lemon water with meals instead of plain water, too.

              You should feel better and better all over, with your energy levels, mental clarity, and mood steadily improving. You should also drop some water weight and periods should become less painful/heavy.

              December 16, 2018
              |Reply
              • Alex B
                Alex B

                Is there a chance I would be able go get off of HCL eventually? What is usually the average time for that to happen? I know everyone is different but I just wonder. I willdefinitely keep going with the full protocol till at least end of this coming week. Probably start dropping doses as of the 26th- I am too paranoid about Christmas eve and dinner. I usually try to eat smaller meals but sometimes if we are eating out or events such as Christmas I can maybe take some extra acid to compensate.

                December 16, 2018
                |Reply
                • Rebekah W.
                  Rebekah W.

                  It does vary by person, and almost anyone can develop low acid during a stressful period, but in most cases it’s totally reversible.
                  1. You want to be consistent about acid supplementation.

                  2. Cleanse thoroughly with activated charcoal to remove Candida, which contributes to low acid.

                  3. A good diet and good eating hygiene, so to speak. No water drinking near meals, chew slowly and thoroughly, don’t eat while stressed, and eat a varied diet of unprocessed food.

                  One more thought: when you have low acid it’s easy to get completely turned off meat, but animal protein stimulates acid production: a diet with some fish/chicken/beef will help keep your acid levels up.
                  Even a piece of salmon once a week, or roast chicken thighs, or some vegetable beef stew with the beef marinated in red wine first.
                  A lot of our favorite recipes around here are vegetarian, but I make sure to serve chicken regularly year-round, beef stew in the winter, and salmon when there’s a sale.
                  I know now that I had low acid as a child (I got frequent stomachaches, and sometimes heartburn), so I’m careful about that with my kids.

                  December 16, 2018
                  |Reply
                • Rebekah W.
                  Rebekah W.

                  The way you’ll be able to tell is you’ll feel it if you take too much acid (it feels like your stomach is tingly and uncomfortable right after eating, but there’s no heartburn or bloat), and the amount of acid you feel that with grows less and less.
                  I had a low acid spell last winter when I was stressed, but it was completely reversed in a few weeks with acid supplementation and celery juicing.

                  December 16, 2018
                  |Reply
                  • Alex B
                    Alex B

                    I am only worried because seems I won’t have much acid tomorrow as my order arrives on Tuesday. Would more lemon shots be also sufficient in the meantime? Id hate to go back in progress. I have digestive butters and a supplement that has 200 mg of HCL per one pill..if i take a few of those with meals and a fat lemon shot would it be enough to hold me over?

                    December 16, 2018
                    |Reply
                    • Rebekah W.
                      Rebekah W.

                      Yes, that HCL + lemon should tide you over just fine!

                      December 16, 2018
  4. Alex B
    Alex B

    No what is it and how do I test for it? When you mean amino acid do you mean HCL? So take slippery elm and aloe instead of HCL? Should i cancel the HCL order and order something else instead? Or stick to HCL for next ten days until i try to kill this and then go from there? And also which brand/how do j take them etc. When at first I started this I thought okay may take some time but if I juice constistently it will be fine. But 0 progress? Also two weeks before this UTI happened i was getting a bit constipated even..it’s like no progress and I don’t know why. Not surprised I am still prone to UTIs. What would you reccomend I do exactly?

    December 15, 2018
    |Reply
    • Rebekah W.
      Rebekah W.

      L-glutamine and bone broth help the stomach intestinal lining by providing amino acids with which to repair/build those cells.
      Slippery elm is beneficial because it’s full of mucilage that coats and soothes the lining and provides anti-inflammatory antioxidants. If you can’t do the glutamine or broth, I’d go with slippery elm.

      The vagus nerve governs the digestive system: when it isn’t functioning properly your digestive organs aren’t getting the signals they need so they don’t function properly, either.
      One cause of nerve dysfunction is B12 deficiency, and since it’s impossible to absorb B12 without enough acid, you end up in a self-reinforcing cycle.

      Stimulation of the vagus nerve alongside HCL, zinc, B6, and B12 supplementation may be the missing piece of your puzzle.
      https://fwchiro.com/low-stomach-acid/

      December 15, 2018
      |Reply
      • Alex B
        Alex B

        I can now take L glutamine after my stomach calmed down. Which is good! When you say zinc B6 and 12 supplementation, do I need to buy them in supplement form or can i just supplement them by eating foods rich in those? If supplement form,is there a supplement that you reccomend? Can you also clarify what you mean by stimulating the vagus nerve? Do you mean taking the zinc b6 and b12 supplement? So take slippery elm and L glutamine, take HCL, juice celery and take a supplement with B12 B6 and zinc. Do I have all this covered? Also is me taking HCL with my pills enough so that my infection goes away? My strips are crystal clear but I know if I let up too soon it will come back.

        December 15, 2018
        |Reply
      • Alex B
        Alex B

        Hi Rebekah. So sorry to bother you again but I am a little worried. I went to pee right now before bed and I was a bit dehydrated even though I have been drinking 8-10 oz of water an hour after meds with food and haven’t had any issues. Anyways the pee felt a tad hot/uncomfortable but that may happen sometimes if i am dehydrated. I decided to pee on a stick and the stick leukocytes pad right away turned a funny shade of a tad yellow – I did have asparagus for dinner and was a bit dehydrated so I thought okay maybe normal..But the strip turned pretty fast shade of mauvy. Not purple or strong purple but this dull mauve color – does this mean I am getting leuks again?! I am so terrified, I am shaking, I thought I was doing better? Only thing I did differently is this: The first few days I was taking 3 Vitacost Oregano oil 4 times a day. They are 45 mg , standardized o 70% carvacrol (32 mg) . However since my naturopath also gave me the Candibactin AR there is also oregano oil in there – 100mg, providing 55 mg carvacrol. So I’d take 3 Vitacost OO and one of the Candibactin x4 times a day. I only realized last night that may be a LOT Of oregano oil, and it only crossed my mind because I got a little bit of clear vaginal discharge. I thought to look and I was like okay that’s a lot of OO, I will start taking 2 OO of the vitacost with one of the Candibactin. I did that today. That’s it…That is the only different thing I did. Could that have set me back? Oh also, as I am writing this, I peed on another stick and made hubby pee on one too. The other stick is perfectly fine. No leuks, nothing is going mauvy at all. It has now been sitting for 15 mins and it is clear. The initial stick also turned very funny shade of pink around the edges of the nitrates pad and the nitrates pad looks a tad …shiny. I touched it it is not wet, it is almost like the covering of it went “off”. I guess I am looking for some reassurance – are my doses of OO still enough? If they are not, I will go back to 3 of the Vitacost ones. I was about to go to bed and now I am having a bit of a heart attack…Could that strip have been maybe just off?

        December 16, 2018
        |Reply
        • Rebekah W.
          Rebekah W.

          You’re feeling burn-y and the leuks pad is a pinkish color?

          December 16, 2018
          |Reply
          • Alex B
            Alex B

            I only felt a little burny when I peed because I could tell I am a tad dehydrated. I wouldn’t say the pad was pinkish, it was more mauve-y. The urine was a bit of a stronger yellow than usual. I did eat asparagus though, that could have been it..I have been religious about my water intake. I eat my food and take my meds and right away set an alarm for an hour from that time to drink 8 oz of water. My second test at 15 mins is having some very pale dots peeking from the background…I don’t know if it is because of what I ate today…I just had organic chicken baked with asparagus and brussel sprouts for dinner… Is my OO dose sufficient you think? Also I took ALL my meds with lemon shots, none of them with water. Even the OLE and Pau D’arco. Everything the same.

            December 16, 2018
            |Reply
            • Rebekah W.
              Rebekah W.

              What was your pH?

              Any pink/mauve/red tint to the leuks indicates the presence of Gardnerella vaginalis, the bacteria that causes BV.
              Sometimes, the natural meds flush latent bacteria screaming out of the undergrowth, and you want to apply a topical treatment, like a coconut oil bullet overnight. Place it nice and high while lying down in bed and don’t make it bigger than your pinkie finger’s middle joint: you don’t want the oil coming back out.

              December 16, 2018
              |Reply
            • Rebekah W.
              Rebekah W.

              Have you put a dollop of charcoal paste on your urethra since this began?

              December 16, 2018
              |Reply
              • Alex B
                Alex B

                Hi Rebekah – yes I put charcoal paste on my urethra every night except last night. I freaked out over my leuks results and forgot. Also because I was home Wednesday Thursday and Friday I pretty much had charcoal paste on my urethra the entire days and kept reapplying almost every time I peed. No tingling or anything of the sort. My test this morning looks fine. I did wake up twice to take 4 OLE and 4 Pau D’arco as well as D mannose. I noticed that yesterday, after 2 days of regular BM’s I got constipated again… I did go almost before bedtime but was not really regular..I am also very gassy. I did go this morning twice but I strongly believe it is beacause I took 8 OLE during the night – OLE always makes me go if I am a bit constipated and take it on an empty stomach. Yesterday I had ONLY lemon shots with meals, water ONLY an hour after a meal, even my OLE and Pau D’arco were with lemon shots. Why am I still having a hard time going…It is so frustrating – this has been going on for a month now. I also juice celery twice a day in addition to the lemon shots. I eat oat bran for breakfast. With all that fibre and lemon I should be okay. Oh and I also take digestive bitters 30 mins before meals. I just don’t get it. I have been keeping up with the little HCL I have on hand. I have no other die off symptoms even though I am on major doses of all sorts of natural meds . I got maybe one pimple from all the garlic I have been eating – that is about it. I just don’t get why my digestion is so slow even doing ALL of this. Most people get diarrhea after so much lemon, I have to take 8 OLE to even go once…

                December 17, 2018
                |Reply
                • Rebekah W.
                  Rebekah W.

                  It sounds like the leuks may merely have been a back-up of die-off toxins. They cause inflammation, and leuks respond to inflammation.
                  Can you use a saline laxative to do a thorough charcoal cleanse?

                  What kind of exercise are you getting? 1-2 miles of brisk walking interspersed with running stimulates peristalsis, and the increased circulation will flush toxins and make you feel good.

                  December 17, 2018
                  |Reply
                  • Alex B
                    Alex B

                    Hi Rebekah. I finally went this morning 3 times after celery and my oat bran breakfast. This is a very funny thing with me I have noticed. Even before this UTI – I am usually okay during the week and regular. Come the weekend, it doesn’t matter if I eat the same. I have a hard time going. It is like my body takes a day off on Saturday and Sunday and then as soon as I wake up on my regular time for work on Monday. I usually go. Also it makes no sense as well because I am most active on Saturdays and Sundays. We run errands and I walk a lot more. But even if I am sitting at home. Same thing. I get backed up for two days and soon as the week comes, I resume regular schedule. I cannot figure it out and it is driving me insane. It is the same if we go on vacation – I understand the food on vaccation is not ideal so that could be it. I am patiently waiting for my acid to arrive tomorrow – I would like to see if my digestion will be the same this upcoming weekend, even while taking acid with every meal.

                    December 17, 2018
                    |Reply
                    • Rebekah W.
                      Rebekah W.

                      This sounds like a good time for a dose of charcoal!
                      I would try to get 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day, and see if that regulates things, overall: it’s enormously helpful on a variety of levels, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
                      You can’t go wrong.

                      December 17, 2018
                    • Alex B
                      Alex B

                      I did a large charcoal cleanse the day this all started. Should I do another dose? I am having a hard time timing it though is the problem…I eat, then in an hour half a glass of water or celery juice. Then in another hour I have my 4 OLE and 4 Pau d’arco and then in another hour I eat again and take my other meds. How do I time the charcoal so it is 4 hours away from all of this without sacrificing my meds?

                      December 17, 2018
                    • Rebekah W.
                      Rebekah W.

                      Any time today would be good, even at bedtime: what was your total charcoal dosage the day you cleansed?

                      December 17, 2018
                    • Alex B
                      Alex B

                      I did the bootcamp as outlined. So I did the 3 large doses of charcoal. I did about a tablespoon in 16 oz of water the first dose, then an hour later about the same dose – little less than a full tabelspoon in 12 oz and then an hour later the last dose was again a little less than tablespoon in 12 oz of water. I then resumed eating and meds 2 hours after the last dose. That was it.

                      December 17, 2018
                    • Rebekah W.
                      Rebekah W.

                      That’s great!
                      Did you see the charcoal again within 24 hours?
                      Pee your brains out for a day or two, afterward? Get a big surge in energy, mental clarity, and mood?

                      December 17, 2018
                    • Alex B
                      Alex B

                      I did see it the next day, yes. I didn’t get the boost in energy and all because I have done this cleanse about 6 times now. I started the first one in April – I did two back to back within one week -just the charcoal part, not the rest of the protocol. I did see a huge boost in mental clarity and energy. I used to be a zombie before – I’d go to bed at 8PM and I would be a zombie at 8 am the next day and need 3 coffees to survive. Mind you I am 29 years old. If I ever stated up it will take me 3 days to recover. I was always exhausted and no one could find anything wrong with me – blood test and all.I just figured that is the way I am. Once I did the first charcoal cleanse this greatly improved. Since then I have done it 3 or 4 more times. I forget now. I started also juicing celery and it has been 7 months doing that. Even though my energy is much better, my acid is still struggling unfortunately. I did find that my hair stopped falling out significantly – It falls out way less than before. Lately though in the past month, I started getting more constipated and my hair is still falling out less, but more than before. I can tell I am struggling with my acid, I just don’t know how to fix it. I also laid off coffee almost 3 months ago now. So I eat healthy, juice celery, hadn’t had a UTI in 9 months…But I am still struggling with what I think at least is acid. Could be something else but I am no expert… I am getting very discouraged that I will never get better – I would say depression is my worst symptom with all of this.

                      December 17, 2018
                    • Alex B
                      Alex B

                      Okay I posted a response but seems it didn’t go through – if it does eventually, sorry for double posting.

                      I tried finding acereola cherry in Canada but seems pretty hard to get your hands on. The best I could find on Amazon.ca is these two options. The first one has also Vitamin C from Organic oranges and lemons added which bothers me as I have bladder sensitivity after my UTIs. Not always, but some things can set me off. Here is the one I mean – do you think it works or avoid because of the orange/lemon?

                      https://www.amazon.ca/NATURELO-Premium-Vitamin-Organic-Bioflavonoids/dp/B0719C9N9F/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545064295&sr=8-1&keywords=acerola+cherry+vitamin+c

                      The other option I see mentioned in the article you posted is Camu Camu. I found this on amazon.ca. Would this work or is it too acidic for my purpose?

                      https://www.amazon.ca/Ecoideas-Organic-Camu-Berry-Powder/dp/B01MQTT4LK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1545064426&sr=8-3&keywords=camu+camu

                      I found the salt reccomended in the post you linked however amazon canada only has the chunky version not the finely ground on. Can I just grind it in my nutribullet and use it this way?

                      Also for the coconut water, is the Vita Coco Pure Coconut Water okay? It is the one sold everywhere:

                      https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/vita-coco-pure-coconut-water/6000189551855?cmpid=sem_google_en_pla_none_868545256_45415463938_None&gclid=Cj0KCQiAr93gBRDSARIsADvHiOql8_9LW8_vF3lc1-DnDK8I-LWBezdWOjnLJWW70lTMP9-5iEtnezEaApTXEALw_wcB

                      Or do I need a special one?

                      So sorry for so many questions but I just want to make sure I do it right.

                      Last few questions:
                      – Do I start this now as in right away or do I wait until my UTI is fully gone. I am pretty sure it is gone but I am keeping up with doses for another week just in case.
                      -How many times a day do I take this, with food or without, does it have to be 2 hours away from food, etc?
                      -How long do I need to keep doing the adrenal coctails for? Until my acid is fixed, along with celery and HCL?

                      Again apologies if this is the second time this posts and for the many questions.

                      December 17, 2018
                    • Rebekah W.
                      Rebekah W.

                      Camu-camu is fine *as long as you do not have a gram-negative UTI*. It will feed E. coli/Klebsiella/Proteus: acerola cherry C does not, but if you can‘t get that, camu is the next best option.
                      That coconut water looks perfect! Yes, you would want to grind the salt: a small mortar and pestle would work fine and only take a few seconds.

                      You mustn’t take the camu until you’re positive there’s not a single bacteria cell left alive in the bladder, and the instructions for taking are in the linked post, on an empty stomach at 10 am and 2 pm.

                      I would keep taking that cocktail and doing the celery and HCL until you wake up feeling great every day, your hair is re-growing like gangbusters, and you can digest anything without help.

                      I know that sounds like an impossible dream right now, but it CAN happen.

                      December 17, 2018
      • Alex B
        Alex B

        Hi Rebekah . I had a few questions as my protocol is progressing. My acid arrived and I have been supplementing. However my stomach is getting very shaky swallowing all my pills with lemon shots. I feel like I am going to start throwing it all up if I keep with them. If I try very hard to swallow them with the smallest amount of water, would that be okay? I also am getting so fed up with raw garlic. I know I can do Allimax but it is one more supplement to buy and I just rather not to spend the money right now. Is it okay if I increase my oregano oil a bit more and replace it with that? If not, I will suck it up and keep going. I also ran out of Vitacost OO and I bought this brand: Natural Factors, Oregano oil softgels – minimu, 80% carvacrol, 180 mg. Is this sufficient? If not I will go out and buy another brand. Is it also okay to have a soup as a meal? Since it is liquidy, I am not sure if that is okay for acid/taking my pills with but I am loosing my mind as my diet is so limited right now. So sorry for so many questions. I also did an experiment – I peed in a cup , my first morning urine. I left it covered and tested 12 hrs later. The strip didn’t turn pink BUT after 20 mins the nitrate pad turned the lighest pink. I made my husband do the same and his never turns pink. I am guessing the infection is gone but that I have always had a low count of ecoli lingering in there. I am wondering since I keep treating my acid and taking all of those natural supplements if that low count will eventually go away…I also got a new horseradish but again, it is not in season and isn’t the freshest… I am very committed to killing this once for all, just getting a little bit burned out and it has only been a week. I will keep going hardcore however for another week, if I can at least reduce the lemon and the garlic intake because they are making me extremely nauseaus at this point.

        December 19, 2018
        |Reply
        • Rebekah W.
          Rebekah W.

          Shaky as in you feel queasy when you take it? You’re doing that mid-meal, not right before eating, yes?

          Judging by those test results, I’d say you’re fine and you can taper everything down and focus on taking some HCL with meals to keep your digestion working like it should. You’ll quickly get a feel for how much you need with any given meal: if you take a little too much HCL and feel discomfort, just eat a few more mouthfuls, no big deal.

          I would drop the garlic and just take OLE and a couple of OO with meals, if you want to play it safe. That OO sounds just fine, and soup is great! Just don’t eat a lot of watery soup: go for the thick and chunky ones.
          It sounds to me like you can eat normally now and let yourself relax a bit.
          You did great!

          December 19, 2018
          |Reply
          • Alex B
            Alex B

            Yes, I am doing the lemon shots mid meal to take my pills with. Today I feel like I am one wrong bite away from hurling everything.

            So essentially my day looks like this : 1. have celery juice soon as I wake up 16 oz. 30 mins later take digestive bitters. 20 mins later eat food. Mid meal take acid pills with a lemon shot, then take garlic and horseradish with my food ( I hide it in the food to avoid swallowing it with more liquid), and take 3 OO and 2 Cayenne pepper with lemon shot as well. 2. I set an alarm for an hour later and when the alarm goes off I have 8 oz of water with L glutamine in there, take my probiotic and my tumeric pills. 3. Set an alarm for an hour later and have 4 OLE and 4 Pau D’arco with a lemon shot. 4. An hour later – take digestive bitters, then wait 20 mins eat, …Repeat all of this.

            So if I stick to the same schedule but drop the garlic and the lemon shots and take my acid pills and meds with the tiniest amount of water it should be okay? And then after Christmas I will start tapering down the rest.

            What are your thoughts on low levels of bacteria still growing in my urine? You think it will eventually die out if I keep up with the acid?

            I was really nauseaus so I had some crackers right now with dinners. I certainly hope it doesn’t set me back…

            December 19, 2018
            |Reply
            • Rebekah W.
              Rebekah W.

              That sounds fine: a mouthful of water to get the capsules down is no big deal.

              The thing about E. coli is, it can double in size every 20 minutes when it’s not kept in check, so whatever is giving you that faint tinge of color at 20 minutes, I doubt it’s nitrites from E. coli.
              If it were in there at low levels it would come right back out to play any time you stopped natural meds.
              The chemical reactions that cause the colors in urine test strips are unstable, which is why the color guide has the timing under the different pads (1 minute, 2 minutes, 45 seconds, 60 seconds), and why the strips gradually go “off” over time and with air exposure. I remember my test strips dried pink around the edges while my son’s dried crystal clear, and I didn’t have an infection.
              Now I’m wondering what I’d see if I bought some strips and tested the whole family! 🤔
              Remember they’re made to be used as a diagnostic tool, and here we use it as a monitoring tool. In my experience, when a person’s test strips are clear at the 5 minute mark for 3 days running, the UTI is dead.

              You hit it hard right away, you’ve been strict about your diet, and you’ve kept up the pressure.

              The acid supplementation plus the probiotics will certainly kill E. coli in your gut, and get you making more of your own acid again, and you can stimulate the vagus nerve with some Christmas carols for good measure.
              Belt ‘em out, girl. You earned some R&R: let yourself enjoy it!

              December 19, 2018
              |Reply
              • Alex B
                Alex B

                Oh wow so some people’s strips do turn pink then after some time even withoutan infection..that is very comforting to know. Well I think my UTI is dead or I hope so. Hitting it hard instantly definitely worked in my favor. I am going to be focusing on my acid very seriously and I am just waiting to get everything I need to start adrenal coctails. Praying this is the end of this tale for me and I can go into the New Year healthier…thank you so much for your support!

                December 19, 2018
                |Reply
                • Rebekah W.
                  Rebekah W.

                  Yes, drying with a pink tinge isn’t anything to be worried about.
                  Lots of people have enough inflammation in their bodies to turn a leuks pad bright purple without a UTI, for instance. Charcoal cleansing and natural meds (and stomach acid treatment when needed) all take care of that.

                  You’re a warrior! I’m really proud of you. ⚔️⚔️⚔️

                  December 19, 2018
                  |Reply
                  • Alex B
                    Alex B

                    Hi Rebekah. I am so sorry to bother you again but I think my infection came back. Firstly, the urine I had left out for 72 hrs turned magenta pink when I dipped a stick in, I had taken this urine on December 16th so I thought okay maybe my infection wasn’t gone then. I did a brand new test today – I peed first thing in the morning in a jar, shut the lid tightly and put it in the oven with the light on only. I haven’t tested that yet but yesterday I ate pizza and today I ate a burger because we were out – essentially eating bad for first time since December 12th when my infection started. I came home just now and went to pee and peed on a stick. My strip was normal this morning but it is now 3 pm and my leukocytes pad turned purple as soon as I peed on it..maybe like 40 second in. And now it is dark dark purple. I am absolutely terrified. I think the natural meds were just keeping it at bay. I think it is coming back. Someone on the facebook group told me to try cryptoleps tincture, and juniper tincture, as well as bidens/buhner tincture. I see those are availble on a US website but it will take them forever to get here. I will call my natural health store now and ask if they have at least the cryptoleps and the juniper. I am so terrified, I am in tears. I knew this was too good to be true. No fresh horsereadish to be found anywhere – it is not in season. Also I forgot to mention – I am 3 days before my period and sometimes my leuks go up but nothing like this. Please help 🙁

                    December 22, 2018
                    |Reply
                    • Rebekah W.
                      Rebekah W.

                      No tinctures with alcohol in them!
                      You’re asymptomatic? Did you take acid with your food?
                      Leuks often show up when you’re about to get your period.
                      Sometimes you’ll see traces of blood show on the test well before the period begins, too.

                      December 22, 2018
                    • Alex B
                      Alex B

                      So sorry for double posting , my first comment didn’t go through. YES I have been taking acid with every meal every since it arrived. I have been religiously avoiding water ANYWHERE near meals. I don’t even snack in order to avoid this problem. I just eat meals and take all my meds with the meal and my acid. I think the acid must be working because I am very gassy especially after meals. I tested the urine that I put in the oven this morning. I put it in at 7 30 am and I tested now at 3:00 pm and after 9 ish minutes the nitrate pad turned slight pink around the edges. Which I know isn’t usually a big deal but I did the same with the first urine I had done on December 16th and nitrates only showed 3 days in – might have been because it wasn’t tightly shut or in a warm place, it was just on the bathroom counter and I draped a piece of toilet paper over the top. However, bacteria stil grew in that sample because the nitrate pad turned MAGENTA pink on day 3 while first two days was just pink around the edges after 10 mins which I thought was it just oxidizing…I am not symptomatic right now but I haven’t been symptomatic at all this entire UTI because I started treating right away and it didn’t progress. However. I think I am just keeping it at bay and it is not truly gone. I am too terified to drop natural meds to test my theory but I also cannot be on them indefinitely. It is also Christmas and nothing will be open for a while. I don’t know what to do – is there anything stronger I can take??? Maybe my oregano oil isn’t strong enough? We were supposed to go to the movies and I am just sitting here bawling…I wil retest the urine tomorrow as well to give it truly 24 hours. Do you think by then if I have still UTI the nitrate pad will turn? It is in a warm place in the oven with the light on. What do I take? What can I take stronger to knock it out? I am so sad and feel so hopeless right now, worst Christmas ever…

                      December 22, 2018
                    • Rebekah W.
                      Rebekah W.

                      Sweetie, go to the movies.
                      You’re fine.

                      Just keep taking what you’re taking, use charcoal for the gas, STOP TESTING, and enjoy your Christmas.

                      There may or may not be a few cells of bacteria living in your bladder at the moment, but there’s a whole lot of them living rent-free in your head right now.
                      You need to take charge of your mind just like you took charge of your bladder.
                      Tell the fear to take a hike, and go enjoy your symptom-free bladder.

                      If necessary, I’ll mail you a horseradish root. You have nothing to fear.
                      YOU GOT THIS, GIRL!

                      December 22, 2018
  5. Lori
    Lori

    Thanks again for responding. I have been doing horseradish oregano oil and ole (the good stuff) I was doing the cel,lem,ginger but had too many accidents at my job (very embarrassing) so ive only been able to do that sporadically. My last day at work is the 21st so i plan to be dilegant with that again and going back to garlic. I still do the cinnamon and cayanne but not every meal. Digestive enzymes,bitters, and lemon shots at almost every meal. My doc has me taking marshmallow, yarrow,uva ursa, Japanese knotweed which is suppose to destoy biofilm according to European studies because of all the lyme disease with biofilm. Now that Im going to be out of work ill be abe to do boota camp which scares me because if thst doesnt work I’m really at a loss. I left a message on the other page about my most recent symptoms. I can’t imagine a day that I can live uti free. I will be so grateful and appreciate the simple things of life.

    December 14, 2018
    |Reply
    • Rebekah W.
      Rebekah W.

      The juice gives you the gallops?
      Forget mag citrate: just juice and then take charcoal when the fun starts.
      I know this sounds counterintuitive, but when you’re throwing the kitchen sink at something and it’s just laughing at you, the best course is to slash everything down to the basics and go from there.

      Basics being 4-6 oz celery/lemon/ginger root juice *every time you pee*. 1 tsp grated horseradish root with every meal plus with a snack at bedtime.
      When you’re throwing everything at it at the same time you can’t tell what’s making a difference.
      After you’ve done a couple days of that juice/horseradish combo, if the infection isn’t obviously showing steady improvement, you add in one thing per day to gauge the effect. Oregano oil with meals, then OLE with the juice, etc.

      December 14, 2018
      |Reply
  6. Alex B
    Alex B

    Hi Rebekah…just re reading this post as I am here once again with a beginning of a UTI after 9 months of nothing. I have been treating my stomach acid by juicing celery for 7 months every morning religiously. I have done about 4 -5 charcoal bootcamps since then. I also did the protocol for a bit in the beginning. I also just recently started taking digestive bitters as I could tell my stomach acid wasn’t improving and HCL was too much for me – I’d go through it like candy and couldn’t keep up with the cost. Two days ago my naturopath gave me also two prescriptions, one is essentially essential oils to be used as a biofilm buster and the other has berberine in it to help improve stomach acid. She told me these two work together to kill and slice through any biofilms. And then all of a sudden yesterday night I peed on a stick and after 10 mins it dried a bit pink…considering for the past 7 months my sticks have been drying clear, no purple and no pink no matter how long left out. I started immediately on the protocol as I knew a UTI was coming on. Currently no symptoms as I think I caught it very early. I am just SO depressed. WHY WHY what am I doing wrong? I have done charcoal cleanses, probiotics, 7 months of juicing every single morning. I am sitting here reading this post and sobbing and feeling sorry for myself because WHY ME. Also this would be the first time I attempt to kill a UTI naturally and I just don’t think I can do it..I feel like I will fail and that as sooon as I let go of natural meds it will come back with vengeance and I will have to resort to antibiotics. I just don’t think I can do it and also I am stuck…I thought I had done major improvement but clearly I haven’t. Why is this happening, where am I going wrong..I feel so utterly alone and depressed with all of this..I wish I knew what I am doing wrong and why I am still getting them. Also through all the cleanses I have done I have had no die off…because I started with bootcamps. I was convinced I can’t have a biofilm but clearly no matter how much I cleanse it seems there is one..I just truly feel like there is no hope and I am starting to get awful thoughts like I am better off dead and so on. So sorry for rambling. I am re reading this trying to feel better but I just feel so lost.

    December 13, 2018
    |Reply
    • Rebekah W.
      Rebekah W.

      Are you sure it isn’t the strips getting old? When they start to go ‘off’ the nitrites pad dries pink.

      December 13, 2018
      |Reply
    • Rebekah W.
      Rebekah W.

      How are you doing?

      December 14, 2018
      |Reply
      • Alex B
        Alex B

        Hi Rebekah. Thanks so much for your quick response! I see you responded on Dec 13th but I only got a notification now. I tried to respond earlier to your comment but the site blocked me for some reason. Trying again here. I know it wasn’t because of my tests as they are pretty much two weeks old and I also knew something was a bit off. I re-tested 30 mins later and I got leuks starting on my test. I knew it was coming on so I ran out to get horseradish – it’s not currently in season so it is not the freshest but it will have to do. I will list for you here what I am currently doing. Since I started treating right away before nitrates can even register, my tests have been clean – I started treating at 9:30 pm on Wednesday night. I took everything I had and went to bed and woke up during the night to take some more meds so my strip in the am was clear. I then took MoM around 5 am to start the charcoal cleanse and in the hours that it takes before you can eat anything, I peed on a few strips and you could tell my strips were slowly starting to get a tad darker again, even though not yet full UTI results. Once I was done yesterday with the charcoal portion I have been on this protocol: I am doing essentially the full bootcamp with a few additions. I am doing 2 cloves garlic 4 times a day, horseradish 4 times a day , 3 Vitacost OO 4 times a day, 2 x cayenne 4 times a day; 2 Candibactin-AR and 2 Candibactin -BR x twice a day (this was something my naturopath put me on 2 days ago only – she said the BR is to try and restore my stomach acid and the AR is essential oils biofilm disruptor); in between those stuff which I take with meals I take 4 OLE and 4 Pau D’arco with water 4x a day an hour after meals; then also taking L glutamine once a day, a probiotic once a day and also drinking cinnamon tea 2x day plus drinking my celery juice in the morning and then in between meals I make 8 oz of celery juice with fresh tumeric juiced in there and a fresh chunk of ginger once a day. Also last night I woke up twice and took meds twice during the night so I think that definitely helped too – I took 4 OLE and 4 Pau d’arco the first time at midnight and then at 3 am I took 4 OLE and 2 Oregano. I also do my 4th nighttime dose of meds right before bed with a snack. So yeah as you can tell I am throwing the kitchen sink at it….Also watching my diet like a hawk and only eating safe stuff. I also take digestive bitters for my stomach acid which is tricky to time with the cinnamon tea because I don’t want to dilute it too much…But yeah essentially I am taking something every 2 hours and in between either alkaline water or juice. I am planning to keep going this full protocol until the 26th and then after the 26th start dropping stuff slowly..Do you think all I am doing is enough? I am so paranoid of this coming back full force if I drop meds too early. I think my BIGGEST issue is my stomach acid – even though I have been juicing celery for 7 months I still don’t burp after baking soda and this is why I caved and went to see a naturopath. She says she likes digestiive bitters (which I started on a week ago) and Berberine for restoring stomach acid. This is why she prescribed Candibactin AR and BR together – one has berberine and the other essential oils to target biofilms. I am not sure if you are familiar with these products but maybe you can tell me if there is any hope of restoring my acid…i find that this is what I have been struggling with and this is why I keep getting UTI’s. It is just not budging and it is very discouraging for me! My only symptom right now is a bit of bladder pain which BTW I only get after taking my doses of meds with meals – I am pretty sure it is the cayenne, but I am too paranoid to drop it…So sorry for the long post!

        December 14, 2018
        |Reply
        • Rebekah W.
          Rebekah W.

          The only thing that would prevent all that from crushing it like a bug would be malabsorption: are you taking acid every time you take meds?
          A shot of pure lemon juice is good.

          December 14, 2018
          |Reply
          • Alex B
            Alex B

            I am not taking a shot of lemon juice but I am taking digestive bitters 20 mins before food. Is that enough? I take the St Francis Canadian Bitters. In addition, the supplement she has me taking, the BR one has a lot of HCL in it – she suggested I take 2 pills in the am with breakfast and at night with dinner. I read online that it is very strong bebrine – maybe you can comment on it? So i thought the bitters and that supplement will be enough. Let me know if I am wrong and should start the lemon juice. If it matters, I have had 5 BM’s today, which has never happened before…They are not the runs, not really but close. Only reason I have hard time with the lemon shots is that I am taking so many meds mid meal and I end up diluting it that shot with water anyways, so I feel like – is it even worth it if I am diluting it? Any suggestions on my stomach acid situation? Why do you think mine is not improving…am I defective somehow..Also I was thinking of staying on this until the 26th of December to cover myself for Christmas and Christmas Eve dinner..just in case. Do you think that is enough time on the protocol..As much as I watch my diet now, I cannot not cheat on Christmas, I just need to be realistic but I also don’t want to overfeed the bacteria and have it come back.

            December 14, 2018
            |Reply
            • Rebekah W.
              Rebekah W.

              The water with the supplements might be diluting your acid too much: I would try adding in a lemon shot and see how that does. Remember that, if your stomach feels uncomfortably warm afterward, you can eat a little more to soak it up.
              You want to edge right up to the point of taking a little too much acid in order to see how much you really need. For some people, it’s high. I’ve known some to take 6-8 HCL capsules per meal, at first.

              It sounds like you’re ready for a dose of charcoal tonight!

              December 14, 2018
              |Reply
              • Alex B
                Alex B

                Just to make sure I understand correctly, when you say add a lemon shot do you mean use it instead of water and swallow my pills with it? Is this correct? Also what about my acid in general? Do you think bitters and the supplement the naturopath recommended are enough? If you feel they are not, I will go back to taking HCL supplements. I just couldn’t do it before because I would need 15 pills per meal and I would go through a bottle in a week and a half and have to spend 30 bucks every time. At the end I gave up and I decided to just stick with celery but clearly this isn’t working. What would your suggestions be? Also do you think keeping up with this till the 26th is sufficient?

                December 14, 2018
                |Reply
                • Rebekah W.
                  Rebekah W.

                  Yes, if possible, pure lemon juice for the pills is optimal, to increase absorption. You can use the concentrate in a bottle, and for HCL there’s a brand called Doctor’s Best on Amazon: 360 capsules for $21. You can do a lemon shot and a few HCL capsules per meal for maximum benefit.

                  The quickest route to acid improvement is to supplement it while juicing celery daily: *without acid your body can’t break down and absorb the nutrients it uses to make acid*. (Low acid is a self-reinforcing negative cycle that won’t break without acid supplementation)

                  Bitters can’t stimulate acid formation *if there’s nothing to make acid with*, so taking acid with every meal and getting enough zinc and Vitamin B6 are super important. B12 is also important for vagus nerve health: without enough acid you can’t absorb B12 at all, and without proper vagus nerve function you can’t digest properly.

                  In my experience, lemon and ginger root in the celery juice helps a lot.

                  December 15, 2018
                  |Reply
                • Rebekah W.
                  Rebekah W.

                  And yes, as long as your system is absorbing the meds, continuing through the 26th should be more than sufficient.

                  December 15, 2018
                  |Reply
                  • Alex B
                    Alex B

                    Thank you for detailed explanation Rebekah. I had the Doctor’s best pills but the thing is I am really struggling with dosing them properly. I have taken up to 15 and I just don’t feel much. I have now repurchased the bottle that has 360 pills. I started taking lemon shorts today and I also had little HCL left from before so took some with dinner. I have also been taking my pills with lemon instead of water so hope this helps. I read that pumpkin seeds have the most zinc so I will pick some up as well. Not sure about B6 and B12 but i will look into what I can eat for that. I had a quick question – I am very careful with what I am eating but can I have some yogurt? Plain yogurt? I had a bit today, maybe two tablespoons. If not, I will pull back. I also wanted to mention at first I was juicing ginger and lemon with the celery but my stomach after 2 weeks of doing this got incredibly upset and too me month and a half to calm it down. I would get bloated as if I was 9 month pregnant after a meal and my stomach would ache after the smallest thing. Once I stopped the lemon and ginger it slowly calmed down but i could barely sleep I was so bloated. I would stick to HCL and see if this does it. All this lemon today is really hurting my stomach a bit but I will see if i can stick with it for the duration of the infection. If you have any advice on any of this, it is so appreciated. Thank you once again!

                    December 15, 2018
                    |Reply
                    • Rebekah W.
                      Rebekah W.

                      When you were bloating like that, how fast was your gut moving?

                      December 15, 2018
                    • Alex B
                      Alex B

                      Wasn’t at all. I had to take charcoal after a few days because I felt like I was dying. I was going to explode. I took a laxative and some charcoal and it got a bit better but my stomach hurt for a good month. Its been an hour after dinner and now my ulcer is in pain after all the lemon today. It really hurts now..Is it okay if I just stick with a few HCL pills per meal and take my pills with very little water?i just cannnot handle the lemon. My ulcer very rately hurts maybe twice a year max but I just cannot handle this much lemon.

                      December 15, 2018
                    • Rebekah W.
                      Rebekah W.

                      Argh…are you juicing red cabbage and a carrot with celery? Bone broth daily?
                      An ulcer complicates things…Can you do a modified diet for awhile with lots of juicing and some plant protein smoothies?
                      You’ve got a nasty trifecta of issues going on: that’s quite the needle to thread.
                      It can be done, but it’s going to be some intensive work. Whatever level of acid you can take without discomfort is what I’d shoot for. A little is better than none.

                      December 15, 2018
                    • Alex B
                      Alex B

                      I tried juicing cabbage after my stomach started hurting. It made everything so much worse! I got even more bloated – I couldn’t handle all the fibre..once i stopped everything my stomach calmed down. It was so bad even L glutamine would hurt me. By the way I have no issue doing HCL- even up to 15 pills is fine. Its only when I start the lemon juicr that affects me. My ulcer isn’t ever really an issue..it very rarely acts up when i have seriously pissed it off! Do you think if I can just take HCL without the lemon juice that is sufficient?

                      December 15, 2018
                    • Rebekah W.
                      Rebekah W.

                      My eyebrow just did a Spock thing…these are some fascinating symptoms.
                      How are you with bone broth?

                      When you took those high HCL doses, what happened with your digestion?

                      December 15, 2018
                    • Alex B
                      Alex B

                      To be honest I am not a meat person AT all. When all of this was happening me and my husband made bone broth…we cooked it for 2 days and then when it was ready we tossed it all out. It smells like death and tastes like death and is disgusting. Im so sorry I just cannnot handle it. I have been taking L glutamine. Essentially nothing else bloats me or makes me uncomfortable unless it’s lemon. Btw mt husband is juicing with me and he got the exaact same reaction after 2 weeks of lemon and ginger and he doesn’t even have ulcer or gastritis. His stomach was irratated for 3 weeks. I am just so desperate to fix my acid but when all this happened it set me back 2 months. I had to pull back on everything and just do celery till everything calmed down. When I take hcl my digestion is okay. O usually have one BM per day. Past two days since i starged taking the BR supplement the naturopath gave me which has HCL in it I had 5 BMs..so I guess that once a day is not nearly enough. But with the doctors best HCL I never had that reaction even after large doses of it. The HCL supplement the naturopath gave me had that effect in two days..I looked at the bottle and the one she gave me seems to have HCL and some other stuff- if you want maybe look up the ingredients..I will pick up the doctors best and hope for the best I guess. In the meantime I will also stick with the supplement she gave me its only a month supply..maybe combination of all of this works. So many people improved their acid within 3 weeks of celery and it seems NOTHING is working for me and it is very discouraging…

                      December 15, 2018
                    • Rebekah W.
                      Rebekah W.

                      Ugh.
                      It sounds like slippery elm bark and aloe would suit you better than the amino acid approach.

                      This is sounding like you have an issue with the vagus nerve: have you ever looked into that?

                      December 15, 2018
                    • Rebekah W.
                      Rebekah W.

                      And yes, plain yogurt is fine!

                      December 15, 2018
    • Lori
      Lori

      You expressed exactly how I’ve been feeling. It’s as if you wrote for me what i was unable to express myself. I almost needed to hear that someone else knows what im going through. I’ve been at my wits end doing everything. I finally had to leave my job because its just too hard to function on a daily basis. I just want to stay close to my bathroom. I have no choice but to keep trying since I’m afraid it will get worse. I also feel stuck and utterly consumed with how bleak my life is. I’m sorry I’m not able to be more positive or hopeful. I just wanted to let you know you are not alone as I’m sure many on here have felt and experienced. I do find some solice when I read the “Rise up and Fight” post but I’m just tired. Keeping you and I both in my prayers. The good thing I can say is this whole ordeal is bringing me closer to God and learning to trust.

      December 14, 2018
      |Reply
      • Rebekah W.
        Rebekah W.

        Lori, can you give me a list of your symptoms and a rundown of your regimen?

        I take it cayenne pepper has been ineffective against this strain?
        What about ginger root juiced with celery and lemon?

        When nothing else works, horseradish usually works.
        When horseradish doesn’t fully work, either it’s malabsorption, or you need Vitacost oregano oil.

        December 14, 2018
        |Reply
  7. Rebekah W.
    Rebekah W.

    You bought Vitacost brand?
    It’s worth taking, believe me. Just be careful that you don’t build up the dosage too quickly or else the Candida die-off will be debilitating.

    October 16, 2018
    |Reply
    • Lori
      Lori

      I bought 4 big bottles.

      October 16, 2018
      |Reply
  8. Rebekah W.
    Rebekah W.

    Lori, have you started taking lemon juice shots with meals? That’s the first step I would take in your circumstances.

    October 16, 2018
    |Reply
    • Lori
      Lori

      Ok I just found this reply. I did the lemon at each meal yesterday. Then today I started Phase 1 and drinking lemon water all day but the only thing I didt start was Olive extract because someone mentioned about the Magnesium stearate I got scared I looked it up and I’m not sure if I want to risk it. I was kind of hoping to hear from someone giving a reason why it’s not that bad because I want to be able to take it since it was already delivered to me.

      October 16, 2018
      |Reply
  9. Lori
    Lori

    I’m beginning to get lost on here. I’m not able to tell if there has been any responses to my posts like I could before. I’m sure there’s an easier way to look for them. I keep check it fb which I’m also illiterate on. I’m of able to tell if I’ve been accepted. It sounds like thats the place to get help.I’ve been on this site all day but shouldnt be while at work.

    October 16, 2018
    |Reply
  10. Lori
    Lori

    Sorry to hear about the death in your family. I appreciate you responding more than you know. I’m sure it keeps you so busy answering to so many issues.I will keep reading and trying to follow best I can.

    October 14, 2018
    |Reply
  11. Lori
    Lori

    Oh I just figured it out I have to turn my phone sideways. I do have digestive issues and I take digestive enzymes I know that I have leaky gut, adrenaline fatigue and Hashimoto’s thyroid plus a whole laundry list but of all things my worst fear are UTIs. I’m waiting to hear how my fungal test comes out. Im sure i wont want to take whatever they prescribe. Do you do any one on one consulting?

    October 14, 2018
    |Reply
    • Rebekah W.
      Rebekah W.

      All of those things can be tied to low stomach acid: they exacerbate each other in a negative cycle. Fix the acid, and everything else starts improving, including the bladder.
      You can break that cycle and start climbing out of it by taking lemon juice or betaine HCL with meals.
      I’m not a medical professional and don’t charge anyone anything: I’m just a sort of information clearing house.

      I haven’t been online much lately due to a death in the family, but I happened to see the notification for your comment this morning.

      https://www.naturalendocrinesolutions.com/archives/why-is-hypochlorhydria-common-in-thyroid-conditions/

      October 14, 2018
      |Reply
  12. Rebekah W.
    Rebekah W.

    And hang in there, love. I know how hard it is to even hope that things will ever get better, but they can.
You can.

    October 14, 2018
    |Reply
  13. Rebekah W.
    Rebekah W.

    Lori:
    I need to write a series of posts on this issue, but it appears that the hidden, underlying cause of many resistant infections is low stomach acid: the body simply doesn’t break down and assimilate either pharmaceutical or natural remedies properly, and so you end up on a merry-go-round of medications, never getting anywhere.
The lemon juice shots will not only clean you out, they’ll give you the acid you need to digest and absorb properly.
Bloating, heartburn, and indigestion vanish, meds start working properly, and your adrenal function improves.
    If you have gastritis you need to skip the lemon juice, do a mag citrate/charcoal cleanse, and then focus on celery/cabbage juice, bone broth, slippery elm, and zinc carnosine until the stomach lining heals, then use lemon juice.

    October 14, 2018
    |Reply
  14. Terri G
    Terri G

    I am currently in the hospital due to my second bout with a UTI that turned septic within 3 months of each other. They have given me some strong antibiotics and I just asked for them to stop bc I am on day three of no sleep and I feel like my throat/esophagus is burnt. I am better of the symptoms but I want to go home and begin to get rid of whatever is causing this in me. I have been reading your writings on these issues and I just need you to tell me what to do first. Do I repair my gut from overuse of antibiotics? Do I do a charcoal cleanse before that? Please help me know where to start. The drug they had me on was mereopenum and it has made me extremely bloated. I need relief. Thank you for writing on this issue!!

    July 2, 2018
    |Reply
    • Lori
      Lori

      I was hoping to hear the answer to this, I feel the same despair those words hit it on the nose. I have been reading all through this site and I don’t know where to begin. I’ve already purchase some stuff online but not sure about all that I need. I don’t know if this site is still active.

      October 14, 2018
      |Reply
      • Rebekah W.
        Rebekah W.

        Lori, the charcoal cleanse is always a good place to start.
        The easiest way to go about it is to take a shot (1.2-2oz) of pure lemon juice with every meal: this should get you cleaned out within 24-36 hours.
        After you’ve gone 💩 3x in succession, you can take charcoal.
        2 rounded teaspoons is a good starting dose.
        Also, google “low stomach acid symptoms” and see how many you have. It’s a common side effect of antibiotic use, and an underlying cause of both digestive issues, and recurring UTIs.

        October 14, 2018
        |Reply
        • Lor
          Lor

          Wow I’m in total shock. I never expected such a quick response. I don’t know how you can keep up with this site its so thorough in that it answers just about everything. Ive been living in constant fear but since I found this site, I feel I found a buried treasure. Its given me hope that I thought was gone. Im just overwhelmed to the point of feeling paralyzed. It just seems like the medical profession has no clue, even those who treat with natural remedies. It’s like living in the twilight zone. God bless you for all you do for others.

          October 14, 2018
          |Reply
          • Rebekah W.
            Rebekah W.

            I need to write a series of posts on this issue, but it appears that the hidden, underlying cause of many resistant infections is low stomach acid: the body simply doesn’t break down and assimilate either pharmaceutical or natural remedies properly, and so you end up on a merry-go-round of medications, never getting anywhere.
            The lemon juice shots will not only clean you out, they’ll give you the acid you need to digest and absorb properly.
            Bloating, heartburn, and indigestion vanish, meds start working properly, and your adrenal function improves.

            If you have gastritis you need to skip the lemon juice, do a mag citrate/charcoal cleanse, and then focus on celery/cabbage juice, bone broth, slippery elm, and zinc carnosine until the stomach lining heals, then use lemon juice.

            October 14, 2018
            |Reply
          • Rebekah W.
            Rebekah W.

            And hang in there, love. I know how hard it is to even hope that things will ever get better, but they can.
            You can.

            October 14, 2018
            |Reply
          • Lori
            Lori

            For some reason each message get skinnier and skinnier and till it’s just one line of single letters and I can’t read the comment

            October 14, 2018
            |Reply
  15. Pearl Hughes
    Pearl Hughes

    What meaningful words that can be applied to every area of our lives, not just the battle of UTI’s and candida. I’m sending this article to someone in our family who is fighting an addiction, they need a word of encouragement.

    April 12, 2017
    |Reply
    • Rebekah W.
      Rebekah W.

      There’s only one sure way to fail, and that’s not to try.

      Every battle we fight starts in our hearts and minds, and the most crucial battle is the decision to fight at all.

      “A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.”
      –G. K. Chesterton

      “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your children may live”
      –God, Deuteronomy 30

      April 12, 2017
      |Reply

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