Candida Infection.....UUGGHH!!!!

Kimberly M · Post by **Kimberly M** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 5:36 am

Hi All!

Been with a new doctor since May since my gastro doc who diagnosed me with colitis wasn't any help at all with managing it. After a series of tests, including blood and stool I have been diagnosed with a candida infection which is a yeast overgrowth in my digestive system. I had never heard of this before but after some research understand it can cause alot of problems and is very hard to get rid of. My new doctor has put me on a strict diet, GF, SF, DF no sugar, no carbs except in vegetables, no vinegar......basically meats and vegetables. Also on specific probiotics & prebiotics along with antifungal and enzymes. Dr. feels that treating my colitis will be more successful when we get this candida cleared up. He feels the yeast overgrowth was caused by the use of antibiotics and the continued use of Entocort. I have been following this protocol now for about 6 weeks. The die off symptoms have been a little tough but it seems my bowels are becoming a little more normal. Hoping to get off the Entocort soon and see if clearing up this infection will indeed allow the MC to be a little easier to manage. Has anyone else experienced a candida infection or know anything about them??

Kimberly

Post by **tex** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:20 am

Hi Kimberly,

Over the years, more than a few members here have had a candida overgrowth. It's a somewhat common problem with MC. It can even trigger MC, since the roots of the candida can penetrate the tight junctions, causing them to remain open, which is equivalent to the leaky gut syndrome.

Kimberly wrote:Dr. feels that treating my colitis will be more successful when we get this candida cleared up.

More than likely, when you get the candida under control, your MC will be under control, as well, provided that you are being very careful about a GF, DF, SF diet. I would think that it would be very difficult to get candida under control while taking Entocort, though, because you need a strong immune system to fight the candida, and Entocort tends to limit the effectiveness of one's immune system, (depending on the current state of one's immune system, and how long Entocort has been used).

Good luck with your recovery, and please keep us posted.

Tex

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:20 am

Kimberly,
What are the die-off symptoms like?

I've always wondered if I might have candida issues, but I haven't had any specific symptoms to suggest it, no female yeast infections, no thrush, etc. I did test sensitive to yeast through Enterolab, which I understand may be one indicator. I would consider trying the sugar-free, starch-free diet for a trial period to see if anything happens. What antifungals were you prescribed? Diflucan? How long do you have to be on the limited diet? How was the candida overgrowth diagnosed? Do you recall the specific blood or stool tests that looked for it?

Kimberly M · Post by **Kimberly M** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:15 pm

Tex, I have been on Entocort for about 15 months. I was 9mg per day until this last Oct. when I was able to cut back to 6mg per day after removing gluten from my diet. My attempts at cutting back to 3mg per day have not went well so I have stayed on 6mg. After about 6 weeks on the biofilm protocol my stools have firmed up and I am considering trying to cut back the Entocort to 3 per day again. I see my dr. again the end of this month to figure out how to proceed. He really wants me off the Enotcort as he feels it causes alot of other problems. I am hoping the fact that my stools are finally firming up is a sign that the candida is working it's way out of my system. Do you know how others on the site have treated their yeast overgrowth? The diet part of it has been a bit difficult with the colitis but I am managing. I am truly shocked that I have this other major thing going on in my gut......the flora is totally out of whack....so happy I have found a doctor that understands this condition!! Forgot to mention that I am taking caprylic acid as well. Thanks for your input...I always look forward to and respect your responses.

Zizzle, the die off symptoms can include headaches, nausea, mild fatigue, skin breakouts, increased mucous etc. I used to occasionally get yeast infections but it has been along time so this totally surprised me! The anitfungal I am on is Nystatin along with the other things I mentioned. It is quite a protocol to follow. The diet along with the anitfungal, pro & prebiotics, enzymes & caprylic acid are a 12 week program. I believe he will retest then to see if the infection is gone. The first month of the diet is super strict then each month of the next two months you can slowly add in a few things. I have not been able to follow it to a tee because of the colitis which he said is ok but may take a bit longer to completely clear up. Mine was diagnosed through a stool test, the lab was Doctors Data. He ran a comprehensive Stool Analysis and one of the tests was specifically for yeast. I would not try this protocol on my own but try and find a doctor that can help you through it. I was lucky enough to find a doctor that is more holistic and tries to get to the root of the problem rather than just throwing drugs at his patients.....I feel soo lucky! My last gastro doctor was horrible and just kept telling me to take different drugs. Anyway, good luck and I hope you can find someone to help you figure it out! Let me know if you have any other questions!

Post by **tex** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 2:45 pm

Kimberly,

It sounds as though you are doing the full treatment - as extensive as any that I can recall being discussed here, (and more extensive than many treatment plans), so it should surely get the job done. There are many past discussions about treatments for candida overgrowth. The following link is probably the most recent one, and you might find parts of it interesting.

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13549

Tex