So if I have Candida what happens now?

[MadameCastafiore]

Have I think with some lovely mumsnetters help found out what us wrong with me!

I am constantly tired and unhappy, have quite loose poo, itchy bottom, have had a ear infection (the skin in my ear) for the last 4 years, since pregnant with DS and have the worst flatulence possible! I have a healthy balanced diet but can't loose weight and poo problems are just an everyday occurence! Migraines are worse, have dry skin in patches on feet and hands - god I could go on and on!

So if I go to the doctor and say - I think I have Candida! What will he do? What medication to the tell you to take? Do I have to change diet?

Have so far sent DH out to get some yakult so I hope that is the right thing!

Just reading the bloody Candida site was like a list of how I feel!

So what now? And should I buy this threlac thing that is publicised on all these candida sights?

My FIL suffered from candida and had to restrict his intake of sugary yeasty foods, like cakes and bread which exaserbated the problem.

I'm surprised your GP didn't realise you might have this problem

Before you start self medicating, I would see your Gp and se what advice he has to offer.

erm, not sure i could do it but I have heard that colonic irrigation can help...
But sadly, if you really want to get rid of persistant candida, a change in diet is usally recommended, as maidamess says.

However, I would go to gp first and see what he/she says as your symptoms could equally be IBS and a weakened immune system (possibly exacerbated by stress?)

Ah, windy! Me too - used to be awful, along with flaky skin (itchy white patches) yukky poo and general low energy. Doctor not interested. Homeopath said 'hate to tell you this, but you need to cut right down on yeast and sugar and didn't your doctor suggest that?' So the anti-candida diet - meat, veg, carbs (pasta rice potatoes) no breadc jam biscuits, cheese, mushrooms, vinegar (inc balsamic but cider ok) wine, beer...... Really Boring. Eat nothing yeasat or sugar or fermented. But I lost 3 stone in 4 months, was buzzing with energy, hair gleaming, felt great waltzing into Jigsaw and finding that the size 12 was a bit big..... I drank gin or vodka and slimline tonic... And things got much less windy.

OMG the op sounds so familiar to me.

I started having most of the problems listed on those sites about a year ago. I was told by my gp that I had IBS and that was it.

However i also get more or less all of the other syptoms on those lists.

Right I am off to the docs tomorrow - I have just burst into tears reading some of the stories of sufferers - they are me to a t most of them!

Mrsmaidamess - I have horrific migraines that stop me speaking and blind me - the symptoms come on in 10 minutes and render me a pretty useless mother but my oh so helpful GP will not prescribe me anything without having MRIs and more tests - all of which I have had to rule out a stroke which one of migraines was confused as - he is utterly crap to be honest - and there was me thinking I was a nutter and a hypocondriac keeping going to him for the itching and the headaches and the loose poo (I can't spell diarrea???) and tiredness and wind - and it could have actually all been one thing causing them!

You poor thing! Hope you can get it all sorted. x

Hope you get it sorted MadameC.

Hope you don't mind me hijacking a bit, it was just that your op set off bells in my head.

Basically then i'd have to not eat anything that I eat now which I am unsure is possible.

Would switching to wholegrain bread help or is bread just a complete no go ?

Will look at gluten free too.

Thereis no way my gp would agree that I had anything like a gluten problem or candida as she is crap.

Think I've been a bit flippant. The diet I did was, I think, pretty good. It got me eating far more vegetables, cut out all the sugary things and the cheesy and rbeady things that i loved. Initially I was eating like a horse - my blood sugar levels had got all skewed, so needed to feed big time and regularly for a while while the blood sugar stabilised. But even then had started losing weight. The other thing to be aware of is that B6 vitamins come from bread, so is important to eat some yeast-free bread from time to time. All told, I never ate more healthily in my life and wish I had to will power to stick to it now - but with 3yr old DS and foodie DH is very hard.

Thats fine Crackernut - I feel all enlightened - like I may not be mad afterall!

You can eat soda bread apparently.

I am at present spending DHs cash on books on Amazon which detail symptoms and diet as I also fear that my GP will think I am barking!

And really don't mind the idea of a colonic - anything to stop my itchy bottom!

Can you eat tomatoes - one site said no but another said yes - god my life would be full of plain pasta if I couldn't even have a tomato!

I ate tomatoes - pasta sauce it had to be lots of. Did give up parmesan, but someone said that actually that's ok, made differently apparently. Also gave up fruit, which was v depressing. Bananas and grapes esp bad. Basically, could be that one reason for feeling so crap all the time is that as the candida spreads through the gut, it gets harder and harder for the nutrients in your food to get through and absorbed. Yeast and sugar are the finest food for the candida - it literally swells and grows at a great rate on that stuff.

Another thing I never tried but was recommended is Psyllium Husk - health shops, you can buy it as pill, or as raw material which you make up into truly disgusting drink. Take with LOTS of water - it swells up like the candida and pushes all before it to the exit. Kind of like a colonic, I guess. But I never tried it.

Thanks vikt - this i smaking for some good reading - looks like soya milk and rooibus tea or water and lemon is my preferred drink from now on - vodka and tomato juice is also ok!

Water and lemon was my drink - hate builders tea without sugar so gave that up too! God! It's coming back to me. Whatever you decide to do, I suppose telling the GP is a good idea, not sure why, never told mine till after and then he got all embarrassed and started offering me drugs. Turned them down - the diet did make me feel really great, and being slim was fantastic.... See a homeopath too? GOod luck! Might have to do again myself now.... bakc to a muscle-free size 16 and feeling pretty lousy most of the time myself.

My to (private) did a test to see if I had candida overgrowth, a blood test designed to measure ethanol levels in the blood because yeast creates ethanol as a byproduct of sugar. Normal level is around 20, mine was 168. Have been on no to low sugar and no alcohol diet and taking antifungal pill once a day for a week and will continue for three more. Lost a half stone and feel amazing, no more itchy bum, eczema, and sluggish gut feeling better. It is amazing.

Also avoiding wheat, that has also helped. No whole grains only rye or wheat free breads and oats. Loads of veg. No sugar. I miss candy but feel so full of energy it is worth it!

Yeah, that should have said my GP. Oops.

To completely clear out your system, perhaps try Jason Vale's juicy programme thing. Just healthy veg/fruit juices for a week or so should help to get you back on a level playing field again.

Garlic tablets also help, as can Echinacea. I prefer the aged garlic tablets rather than garlic oil capsules. And include as much fresh garlic in your diet as you can stand (or as much as your family will put up with!). Also take probiotic supplements - in chilled section at health food shop in capsules. These are higher strength than the probiotic drinks, and you need to take several capsules a day. Biotin can also help as this prevents the candida converting into a form which roots into the intestinal lining. All great stuff. I think the sugars are food for the candida, and if your body has an overgrowth of this, it can become more sensitive to yeasts, hence the removal of both from the diet. But apart from starving the candida with no-sugar diet,the above herbs and supplements can help control it. Be prepared for yeast die-off though which can make you feel a bit rough at first. If you do take a B vitamin supplement, make sure it is yeast free. Avoid marmite.

Natural live yoghurt is great (1 spoonful/day) a day is great at clearing candida. Also as others say cutting down on sugar. The live yoghurt rebalances the gut. Helps to take it if on antibiotics or steroids as these contribute to it.

Could dry patches be excema?

Reading this and having a look at a candida website I think I may have this

There is a link between candida and IBS as well, according to a book that I read.

I have been following a low carb diet (on and off!) for a number of years now, and I have noticed that my candida and IBS flare ups are much, much less frequent as a result.

Definitely agree that you need to look at dietary changes:

no sugar - which includes fruit
no alcohol or anything fermented, so no vinegar or soy sauce
no smoked foods (bacon, smoked mackerel or salmon)
no wheat (so no pasta, flour or bread)
no yeast (no bread or Marmite)
nothing fungal (no mushrooms or Quorn)
not sure about dairy - can't remember!

What you can eat is any meat or fish (as long as it's not smoked) and any vegetable. Not very exciting, but if it makes you feel better then it's worth it!

Don't buy Yakult as it has sugar in it - you will be better off with acidophilus that you can get from a good health food shop, and it should be in the fridge.

Thanks guys.

I have cut all of that out and am even having soya milk - the book I have says I can have shredded wheat and soda bread sp that is making life easier.

Have binned the yakult and bought lots of herbal tea and cottage cheese.

I did wonder if it was IBS - I had peppers lat night and was ill all night and I know someone who has IBS and oeooers are like poison for her!

Am off to see a holistic practioniner on Monday and will have colon irrigated to clear everything out and she apparently will gibe me some sort of coconut oil gumph if she thinks I have candida to kill it and help with the 'die off' whatever that is but it will apparently make me feel like shit!

Joy of joys!

Agree 100% with Chelseamorning I did the Jason Vale (including physillium husk) for 10 days in Dec. I lost 12 lbs and felt better than I have in years.

The only person I know with a Candida overgrowth is a little barking eccentric. Her list of what she will eat is only about 10 things, so it is tricky having her over for tea!

I always thought I might have IBS (my DM had it ) as have flatulence, have to rush to the loo (a few seconds grace) as soon as I feel the need, all very explosive, loose, itchy bottom etc always tired, becoming more and more emotional/depressed.

Perhaps I should check out the website...

Itchy bottom is a symptom of Candida - it plagues me - I have to go to the loo and rub violently with loo paper - that is really the thing that has got me down the most.

TMI wasn't it!