David was 45 years old when he signed up for Quantify, after years of dealing with dry, itchy patches of skin on his arms and legs, and not getting anywhere with conventional medicine.
A dermatologist had diagnosed him with eczema a few months after his symptoms started, and had prescribed a steroid cream to apply regularly to the affected areas, a standard first-line treatment for the condition.
When that didn’t work, he suggested that David try an immunosuppressive medication, in case his immune system was causing the issue.
A machine learning engineer at an AI startup, David knew that making decisions based on data, rather than intuition, was almost always a more effective strategy for solving complex problems, so he wasn’t thrilled about taking a medication that would suppress his immune system without running any tests to determine that this was the best approach.
What’s more, when he asked his doctor if there were any other factors that might be causing his eczema, he dismissed the question, insisting that immunosuppressive medication was his only option.
Reluctant to take such a potent medication without actually having any data as to what was going on, David decided to look elsewhere for answers.
In his first appointment at Quantify, David’s health coach recommended a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) stool analysis, to test for parasites, bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and evaluate intestinal permeability, inflammation, and the health of his microbiome.
Test results
His first time conducting a comprehensive evaluation of his health, David’s qPCR stool analysis showed a significant overgrowth of Candida albicans, a fungus that typically exists at low levels throughout the gastrointestinal tract, but that often overgrows due to antibiotic overuse, consumption of processed foods, compromised immune function, and other factors that disrupt microbiome diversity.
Having taken antibiotics regularly for chronic sinus infections for more than a decade, David had likely developed candida overgrowth years ago, but only recently reached a tipping point at which his immune system could no longer keep the fungal infection under control, resulting in his eczema, a common manifestation of uncontrolled candida.
An important harbinger, had he continued with the same approach—taking antibiotics every few months for his sinus infections, while further disrupting the balance of his microbiome—it’s quite likely that eczema would be just the first of many other chronic symptoms that he would develop down the line.
Recovery
David was shocked to learn that his eczema was caused by an intestinal fungal infection, which, in turn, was caused by his overreliance on antibiotics, but he wasn’t surprised.
He had been apprehensive about his use of antibiotics for years, knowing that at some point he would have to pay the piper, but his primary care doctor’s lack of concern had ultimately dissuaded David from exploring other approaches.
Recognizing that this was both a moment of reckoning, but also an opportunity to take control of his health, David started following his health plan closely, checking in with his health coach regularly to help him stay on track.
He eliminated processed foods, sugar, and grains from his diet, increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fermented foods, started drinking at least 64 ounces of water per day, and took certain supplements, such as ginger, triphala, and astragalus.
Within a few months, not only did his skin start to improve, but he also reported that his sinuses felt clearer, an encouraging indication that his microbiome diversity was improving, and that his immune system was coming back online.
Within a year, his eczema had completely resolved, he was no longer getting sinus infections, and a follow-up qPCR stool analysis showed a normal level of Candida albicans, further validating the work he had done to address the fungal infection that had unknowingly compromised his health.