Candidal Vaginitis

Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:

Thuja (Eastern White Cedar, Thuja Occidentalis) [1, 25, 26, 27]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. Little is known about the full effects of Thuja, so it is not recommended for medicinal use. Thuja can be poisonous if ingested in large amounts.

Recommendation: no recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that Thuja helps to treat candida)

Grade of Evidence: very low of evidence

Tea Tree Oil [1, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. WARNING: Tea Tree Oil is not recommended for children, pregnant women or mothers that are breastfeeding. Also, Tea tree oil should never be taken internally. Should only be used over skin, inhaled with a vaporizer, or mixed with water as a mouthwash.)

Recommendation: weakly in favor (Laboratory studies have shown that tea tree oil may be effective in treating candida. However more research needs to be done in the form of clinical trials)

Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence

Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda, Simoncini Cancer Therapy) [1, 13, 14]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: No recommendation (Available evidence does not support claims that baking soda helps to treat candidiasis in any way.)

Grade of Evidence: moderate quality of evidence

Goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis) [1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: Weakly against (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that Goldenseal helps to treat candida. More studies are needed. Goldenseal may produce toxic effects, including depression, constipation, rapid heartbeat, stomach pain, mouth ulcers and vomiting.)

Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence

Cloves (Caryophyllum Aromaticum, Eugenia Caryophyllata) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: weakly in favor  (evidence suggests that Cloves may help treat candidiasis, but more research is needed)

Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence

Cats Claw (Uncaria Tomentosa):

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: no recomendation (insufficient evidence to support claims that Cats Claw can help to treat candida)

Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence

Boron [28]:

REcommendation: weakly in favour

Level of evidence: Moderate level of evidence

* www.gradeworkinggroup.org

Summary References

Treatments:

1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009

2. Balch, Phyllis and Balch, James. Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 3rd ed., Avery Publishing, ©2000, pg. 94.

3. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Third Edition by Dan Bensky, Steven Clavey, Erich Stoger, and Andrew Gamble 2004

4. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/cloves

5. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-clove.html

6. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/goldenseal

7. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/goldenseal/

8. Tierra Michael (1998): The Way of Herbs. New York, Pocket Books

9. Grieve M. (1971): A Modern Herbal. New York, Dover Publications, Inc

10. Mills S. and Bone K. (2000): Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. Philadelphia, Churchill Livingstone

11. Tice Raymond (1997): Goldenseal and Two of its constituent alkaloids: berberine and hydrastine Research Triangle Park, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, in Seiger E: Review of Toxilogical Literature

12. http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/ellingwood/hydrastis.html

13. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/sodium-bicarbonate

14. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682001.html

15. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/tea-tree-oil

16. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-teatreeoil.html

17. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18816275

18. http://bastyrcenter.org/content/view/972/&page=

19. http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/62/4/769?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=staphaseptic&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT

20. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2145499

21. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9055360

22. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12451368

23. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9848442

24. Bishop, C.D. (1995). "Anti-viral Activity of the Essential Oil of Melaleuca alternifolia". Journal of Essential Oil Research: 641–644

25. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002769.htm

26. http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_thoc2.pdf

27. http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v%3Aproject=medlineplus&query=thuja&x=0&y=0

28. Ringdahl EN. Treatment of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis. Am Fam Physician 2000;61:3306-12, 3317.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11262459?dopt=Abstract