I've been struggling with these things, and I've been wondering if I have Candida.
I did take tetracycline for years as a teenager. My digestive problems started in college with IBS. Basically days with no movement then a day with a lot. And stress would be a trigger. I also started having some minor reflux symptoms.
About 5 years ago, I added dizziness to the equation. It varies from just minor but constant disequilibrium to periods of severe spins where I have to lay still and have a very hard time moving around.
I've seen doctors, including ENTs and GI, but none have been much help. I've been trying to solve this on my own.
One thing I found was taking colloidal silver (4oz for 3 days) would alleviate GERD symptoms for 2 weeks. So I was taking it every week. I decided to take it for a month, at the end of which I felt good, but after a little more than 2 weeks the symptoms came back with a vengeance, and I haven't been able to quench them again.
At the moment, the GERD symptoms are the worst. Frequent almost constant nausea that I know is caused by excess gas, as when I can burp it helps. The burps are very...fumy. Actual heartburn is rare, but not lately. I had one day last week where I had it all day, and nothing I took helped.
Have you gotten any resolve yet? I just came across your post. It has been three months. Have you been to any drs. to see what is going on with your digestion? i have similar problems to you. i have chronic gas in the lower abdomen. Also indigestion and some nausea off and on. I have lots of other symptoms also. But i think my symptoms overlap with cfs/fibro/post viral syndrome. All my symptoms started 5 yrs ago after a virus. I have a feeling it is partly candida also. Are you on a candida diet? Let me know the latest. LaLa
Hello, I'll second that - my symptoms are also very similar (took tetracycline when young; IBS-sort of symptoms started in college, and the last couple years (I'm 30 now) have shifted more towards lpr/reflux, occasional nausea, and lots of gas/bloating if I eat the wrong thing. My sense is the gas is pushing on the LES and eventually weakening it, but I haven't figured out why. Candida or some kind of food sensitivity (lactose?) seem the most likely suspects right now.
Hello, Yes I too often wondered if there might be a connection. I was diagnosed initially with H,Pylori two yrs ago. Treatment corrected that. Further investigation revealed Hiatal-Hernia, Diverticulitis and finally, I ended up with Gerd. I don't suffer reflux but have bad Bloating/Gas/Nausea/wind and indigestion,daily. (thank God not all at the same time). I also get thrush often in my mouth, and whenever I have had treatment for it my stomach seems to improve as well. "Could there be some connection". I await replies with interest. Solofelix.
Solofelix:
I have all the same symptoms as you. I have indigestion and very bad chronic gas everyday. There is a feeling that goes from my throat to my stomach that just feels off. I have had two endoscopys. i have a hiatal hernia and acid reflux. It is ruining my life. (especially the gas problem). It also does not matter what i eat. I eat healthy with lots of veggies. (Maybe that is the problem). I take oil of oregano and probiotics and very little sugar. I do eat some sugar but I try to keep it to a minimum. I feel I either have a very bad digestive problem which is causing all the problems, or it is bad candida which is causing the problems or both. The candida can be causing the digestive problem which in turn is causing the gas. I have been on lots of anti fungals over the years, but nothing really helps. I know that you are suppose to be on the candida diet but I find it extremely difficult and depressing. I like to have my drinks when I am out with friends and I like my bread when i go to a restaurant. I don't know where to turn because there is no solid test to give a definitive diagnosis of candida. What do you know about it? LaLa
Solofelix:
I have all the same symptoms as you. I have indigestion and very bad chronic gas everyday. There is a feeling that goes from my throat to my stomach that just feels off. I have had two endoscopys. i have a hiatal hernia and acid reflux. It is ruining my life. (especially the gas problem). It also does not matter what i eat. I eat healthy with lots of veggies. (Maybe that is the problem). I take oil of oregano and probiotics and very little sugar. I do eat some sugar but I try to keep it to a minimum. I feel I either have a very bad digestive problem which is causing all the problems, or it is bad candida which is causing the problems or both. The candida can be causing the digestive problem which in turn is causing the gas. I have been on lots of anti fungals over the years, but nothing really helps. I know that you are suppose to be on the candida diet but I find it extremely difficult and depressing. I like to have my drinks when I am out with friends and I like my bread when i go to a restaurant. I don't know where to turn because there is no solid test to give a definitive diagnosis of candida. What do you know about it? LaLa
lala, what medication were you given for your AR. I was prescribed PPIs but left them of after one week, I felt they were making me feel strange and I have a friend who is hooked on these over a yr now. I am doing my best to keep of sugar but its almost impossible. I do believe it is the most important part of the Candida diet.
To find out more on this subject, a trip to the Candida site may help us. Solofelix.
Solofelix:
I was on nexium but went off of it. I did not feel it helped and don't want to take meds.
Then I took enzymes from a natural dr. that did not help either. Nothing seems to help.Now i am just sticking with pro-biotics and I also take pure virgin apple cider vinegar every morning in water with flax oil and evening primrose, which is suppose to help with menopuasal symptoms. I can't stand the indigestion, but what is worse is the chronic gas. Anyway, I am in bed and falling asleep for now. (i never sleep through the night. Always up tossing and turning and sometimes even up and can't fall back to sleep and I end up on the computer.) Take care and let's talk soon. LaLa
Hi lala, hope you get on o.k with the ACV. It really is a case of trial and error with what suits v what doesn't. I have been taking Aloe Vera Juice for about a month now. Still have a number of symptoms, but will stick with the AVJ for awhile. I really wonder if there is a cure for AR/Gerd!!..You are wise to take EPO for Menopausal symptoms, I took it for three yrs before I went through it and I have never suffered one symptom (Perhaps I was Just Lucky). I wish you all the best. Keep in touch, Solofelix.
Hi all!
Yeah, I was diagnosed with systemic Candida Albicanis in 1990. Had to stop driving for a while due to extreme vertigo.
After 5 years of doing the Candida diet all my horrid symptoms subsided and
I felt great.
Then 10 years ago I began cheating here and there with regular fare (ice cream,
bread, pizza). Now this year I have full blown Candida again. This time though
the Vertigo is HORRIBLE when I cheat. So....through watching what happens when I go off the CAVE WOMAN EATING PLAN (Candida Diet) I have a deep cough, fatigue, achy joints, blurry vision, headaches, and serious bouts of
VERTIGO that puts you flat on your back.
I am convinced there is a definite connection for some folks.
Good health wishes sent your way!
Wolfcafe:
Wow. I still have a hard time with this whole candida thing. I have been suffering with all kinds of issues, the ones you have plus lots of other things. The diet is impossible. I can stay on it pretty good Monday thru Friday, but the weekends are tough when we go out to dinner or any parties etc. I don't know how you could do that diet for 5 years. I think something else has to be going on with you because after 5 years you should be able to eat like a normal human being. Usually if you get candida from a not so good diet it is usually combined with something off with your immune system. Also, when you were on the diet were you taking probiotics or any other supplements. also now what are you doing? Are you back on that diet? In my opinion there is no life without eating certain food at least once in a while. I would like to know how exactly did you get diagnosed with candida. I know that there really is not a test that is that accurate. I would love to hear from you. Hope you are feeling better. LaLa
Hi lala, My symptoms are the exact same as yours. I eliminated sugar,cakes/biscuits/bread and all white flour products and stuck with a healthy diet. I suffer dreadful Gas (both ends ahh..)
and a washing machine noisy stomach. I have had this two yrs now and I'm fed up with it.
Like you it doesn't seem to improve whatever I eat.
I did try Grapefruit Seed Extract which helped with the Thrush in my mouth but after awhile it came back again.
All my symptoms started after treatment for H.Pylori. Some people swear by Probiotics, I have taken them and Probiotic yogurt everyday for over a year and cant say they have helped at all.
Is there anyone out there who has cured their Candida for it never to return!!... I would dearly like to hear from them and how they did it..
All the best to fellow sufferers, Solofelix.
Wolfcafe:
Wow. I still have a hard time with this whole candida thing. I have been suffering with all kinds of issues, the ones you have plus lots of other things. The diet is impossible. I can stay on it pretty good Monday thru Friday, but the weekends are tough when we go out to dinner or any parties etc. I don't know how you could do that diet for 5 years. I think something else has to be going on with you because after 5 years you should be able to eat like a normal human being. Usually if you get candida from a not so good diet it is usually combined with something off with your immune system. Also, when you were on the diet were you taking probiotics or any other supplements. also now what are you doing? Are you back on that diet? In my opinion there is no life without eating certain food at least once in a while. I would like to know how exactly did you get diagnosed with candida. I know that there really is not a test that is that accurate. I would love to hear from you. Hope you are feeling better. LaLa
Hi there LaLa52!
Well, actually anyone can do the eating plan and have success at achieving the
systemic Candida to return into the gut where it naturally lives minimally.
But, it is also POSSIBLE to not only accomplish this success, and have the
Candida become systemic down the road. This is due to the "host's" immune
system being compromised, and/or adrenal gland stress/weakness.
Sorry, but the word NEVER is not in my vocabulary.
This Candida journey, is to me, NOT written in BLACK & WHITE for any one
person.
Not into regret, or guilt. If I choose to cheat once in a while, I do so happily.
I do not dwell on the "what if's" when choosing to enjoy a ice-cream cone.
Whatever the next day, or moment bring's, it can be faced head on with a smile. So be it.
Not living in FEAR with this Candida thing. As I had mentioned in another
post somewhere, once one "MAKES FRIENDS WITH THEIR CANDIDA" the
fear factor is erased, and the courage to face it all head on comes into play.
Was diagnosed by a reputable Naturopathic physician.
Yep, definitely doin' the CAVE WOMAN/MAN EATING PLAN almost every day/night of every Moon. No big deal. Life is full of sacrifices anyway.
Any ailment we are given, or create ourself in our life time, should be viewed
as another log thrown in our trail. We can allow it to destroy our mind/spirit,
or we can choose to just do what we need to do, when we need to do it with
a good attitude and patience.
This particular issue is not seen as THE END, but just a new beginning in life.
Solo:
If the diet does not ever help plus the supplements, i would wonder if your problem is not candida. I don't know what else it could be though. If it is truly candida, maybe you should try something stronger plus the diet. Like Diflucin or nystatin. Have you ever tried any of them? I know they are controversial, but I think if you combine them with a very rigid diet, it might help. What do you think? LaLa
Wolfcafe:
You sound like you have a good attitude. If you eat something that upsets your system and you only suffer for a day or so it is not that bad but supposedly when you have candida you will never get rid of it if you cheat. It is a set back as if all the hard work of the diet was a waste. That is what i always hear. But you sound very strong and positive. That is great. I can't help getting down about it. I don't feel good. It depresses me. LaLa
Solo:
If the diet does not ever help plus the supplements, i would wonder if your problem is not candida. I don't know what else it could be though. If it is truly candida, maybe you should try something stronger plus the diet. Like Diflucin or nystatin. Have you ever tried any of them? I know they are controversial, but I think if you combine them with a very rigid diet, it might help. What do you think? LaLa
Wolfcafe:
You sound like you have a good attitude. If you eat something that upsets your system and you only suffer for a day or so it is not that bad but supposedly when you have candida you will never get rid of it if you cheat. It is a set back as if all the hard work of the diet was a waste. That is what i always hear. But you sound very strong and positive. That is great. I can't help getting down about it. I don't feel good. It depresses me. LaLa
Hello Lala!
Just got on here and read your post above. Appreciate your compliments.
Personally, I am not the kind of person that believes everything I read about
what to do, what NOT to do in order to totally recover from the Candida thing/
I "made friends" with the idea of even having to have this yeast over growth.
I do not allow it to cause me FEAR. I also affirm daily that I am in control of
the Candida, not the OTHER WAY AROUND.
Plus, I do not dwell on it too much. Humor also is so helpful on a daily basis.
My Spiritual beliefs are very beneficial in giving me a positive attitude towards
this little set back in life.
About what you stated, that all the work on the Candida diet is ruined and a waste if you cheat, well, I don't buy that at all. But, that is my belief because I saw myself get SUPER healthy after several years of doing the eating plan, and I
definitely endulged in a fun, social "cheat" at least every other month or so.
Sometimes we just have to accept what Life may throw us and do our best
without letting it TAKING CONTROL OF OUR LIFE.
If ever I feel down, sometimes I like to have some Saint John's Wort for a
week or two.
In Germany, St. John's Wort is one of the most popular prescribed herb for
depression. Just an idea one might consider.
Hi LaLa,
Thanks for your reply. Yes I have taken NYSTATIN for Thrush in my mouth and have found it works well.
Trouble is I think Candida is a difficult condition to deal with. I know for me eliminating sugar in all forms is of great benefit, but eating out and being with friends its not always possible to stick with the rigid diet.
I wish you well with your own symptoms, Solofelix.
Solo:
I agree. The diet is impossible. You can't enjoy life on this diet. I was just thinking....I don't know your age. Are you in menopause or peri-meno? I think the fluctuation in hormones can create an imbalance in the gut flora. Also, i don't know what pro-biotic you take but I have been taking two different ones. Jarro-dophilis 5 billion organisms in the morning and culturelle sometimes in the afternoon. Good luck. I hope this helps. LaLa
Solo:
I agree. The diet is impossible. You can't enjoy life on this diet. I was just thinking....I don't know your age. Are you in menopause or peri-meno? I think the fluctuation in hormones can create an imbalance in the gut flora. Also, i don't know what pro-biotic you take but I have been taking two different ones. Jarro-dophilis 5 billion organisms in the morning and culturelle sometimes in the afternoon. Good luck. I hope this helps. LaLa
LaLa, The probiotic I take is in powder form as I cant swallow pills.
It is called PROBIO-EASY, and contains (Lactobacillus, Acidophillus, Bifidus).
I have not found any Probiotic has helped at all. I went through the Menopause many years ago with no symptoms at all (Guess I was Lucky).
I think a number of my symptoms are connected to my Hiatal Hernia and Candida. I have just gone back on the Aloe Vera to see if that will help.
What are your symptoms. Keep in touch and thanks for reply.
Solofelix.
Solo:
I just saw something on the Dr. Oz show about gas. He did mention IBS. I was diagnosed with that by the gastro drs. The natural drs. talk about candida. Dr. Oz says that one of the causes of gas is IBS. Did you ever get diagnosed with that? (R u familiar with Dr. Oz?) I also have a hiatal hernia. That causes me acid reflux and an uncomfortable feeling in the upper stomach right in the middle between the breasts but a little lower. Also indigestion etc. (the works). Also i get nausea for no reason. I wonder if some of this is a hormonal imbalance. I am post meno also but only by 1 1/2 yrs. My estrogen level is still not regulated. I am going to a natural hormone dr. on Oct. to see if some of my problems could be related. I also have hashimotos/hypothryoidism. I have tingling on the top of my head and eye twitching. I have gone through horrible symptoms of just about every part of my body. I am not imagining these things. It is not emotional. I don't know for sure whether I have candida. the natural dr say yes. But there is no difinitive test for it. How do you know that you have systemic candida. I know you said you had thrush. You were treated for h pylori I would guess with antibiotics. That is definitely the reason for the thrush. But I think antifungals should have helped with that. Maybe you still have h pylori and that is why you are still suffering. Have you looked into natural remedies for h pylori? Maybe you should try changing up your pro-biotic. You could use capsules and open them and take the powder out and add them to food. Just a suggestion. Talk soon. LaLa
The Following User Says Thank You to lala52 For This Useful Post: solofelix (08-15-2011)
Solo:
I just saw something on the Dr. Oz show about gas. He did mention IBS. I was diagnosed with that by the gastro drs. The natural drs. talk about candida. Dr. Oz says that one of the causes of gas is IBS. Did you ever get diagnosed with that? (R u familiar with Dr. Oz?) I also have a hiatal hernia. That causes me acid reflux and an uncomfortable feeling in the upper stomach right in the middle between the breasts but a little lower. Also indigestion etc. (the works). Also i get nausea for no reason. I wonder if some of this is a hormonal imbalance. I am post meno also but only by 1 1/2 yrs. My estrogen level is still not regulated. I am going to a natural hormone dr. on Oct. to see if some of my problems could be related. I also have hashimotos/hypothryoidism. I have tingling on the top of my head and eye twitching. I have gone through horrible symptoms of just about every part of my body. I am not imagining these things. It is not emotional. I don't know for sure whether I have candida. the natural dr say yes. But there is no difinitive test for it. How do you know that you have systemic candida. I know you said you had thrush. You were treated for h pylori I would guess with antibiotics. That is definitely the reason for the thrush. But I think antifungals should have helped with that. Maybe you still have h pylori and that is why you are still suffering. Have you looked into natural remedies for h pylori? Maybe you should try changing up your pro-biotic. You could use capsules and open them and take the powder out and add them to food. Just a suggestion. Talk soon. LaLa
Hi LaLa, I was given Colofac which is for IBS sometime ago. As I said previously I cant swallow pills and all the tablets for IBS say to swallow whole. I would like to give them a try if I could crush them.
I don't know for sure that I have Candida in my stomach but I read if you get thrush in your mouth then its most likely in the stomach.
When I finish my Probiotic powder I will try what you suggest.
Thank you for your interest. Solofelix.
