Anyone else suffered from this? WARNING - Very personal

KatWood

Hi there,

I have been suffering from some stomach problems for quite some time that seem to have gotten worse recently as my stress level has increased. Having done some research online I think it is a systemic yeast infection. I have almost all of the symptoms and some of them (such as the headaches, insomnia and respiratory problems) suprised me because I didn't think they were related to my stomach issues.
There are a lot of herbal supplements and recommended diet changes to get the yeast levels in your body back under control. It sounds like there are some prescriptions as well.
I'm just wondering if anyone on here has dealt with this and what their experiences are. What has and hasn't worked. I'm going to book an appointment with my doctor to discuss my symptoms but he hasn't been very supportive about this in the past. Some of the triggers include stress and birth control pill so I am going to talk to him about other forms of birth control to get off the pill.

Here are the symptoms I found in an article online:

Generalized: Fatigue, lethargy, migraine headaches, weakness, dizziness, sensory disturbances, hypoglycemia, muscle pain, respiratory problems, chemical sensitivities.

Gastrointestinal: Oral thrush, diarrhea, constipation, rectal itching, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), flatulence, food sensitivities.

Genitourinary: Yeast vaginitis, menstrual irregularities, PMS, bladder inflammation, chronic urinary tract infections (UTI’s), cystitis.

Dermatological: Eczema, acne, hives. People with yeast overgrowth can also be prone to fungal nail infections, as well as skin infections such as athelete’s foot, Tinea rash, ringworm, “jock itch” and dandruff.

Psychological and emotional: Confusion, irritability, memory loss, inability to concentrate, depression, insomnia, learning disability, short attention span.

raindancer

My little sister had alot of the symtoms and she found out she had a gluten allergy.

Gershwyn

Not to be all diagnostic or anything, but you might want to get yourself on a Candida diet as soon as you can and see if it makes a difference.

glimmer01

I would get a different Dr. if he still acts like it's no big deal.

aggie04chic

I had similar issues, combined with signs that my gallbladder was on it's way out. It took 6 months, alot of very expensive testing, and quite a bit of stress for my doctors to finally realize it was the birth control I was on (and note I was NOT on YAZ, so don't assume because you aren't on the one everyone is suing you are safe). Definately get checked out! And if your dr isn't supportive, get a new one!

tammybee5

Hi Kat,

I think it is good that you are talking to you doctor about what you found, and what you suspect to the be the problem.

As a nursing student, I would wait to speak with your doctor before making any choices regarding the article that you found.

A lot of those systems could be attributed to many other things, besides systemic yeast infection.
The only thing I will say about the GI upset is that if you are experiencing these symptoms, please make sure to keep up you fluids a lot of these GI upsets can really ofset you electrolytes and make you very dehydrated!

As for birth control, there are many other alternatives to the pill, such as depo shots, condoms, IUD's etc.

I see your from canada too, so this is a great website that talks about different birth control. http://www.sexualityandu.ca/home_e.aspx

Anyways, good luck!

ttdragonflytt

I had systemic candidiasis for several years prior to a hysterectomy. As I had many 'female' issues, this was a persistent problem. I was told to eliminate many foods and go on a GOOD probiotic. I first went on a certain medication (Diflucan) to counter much of the more irritating (itching) issues, and at the same time began the probiotic, body flush (like a detox) and started introducing foods slowly. Coke, sugars, etc. can be a big catalyst. There are sites on the web that can outline a diet that might help.

I have been symptom free for 7 years now. I would recommend looking systemic candidiasis up on the internet and perhaps talk it over with your GYN. There are tests that can confirm the diagnosis.

Hoping the best for you!

TaraMaria

Hey hunny,

First, I'm so sorry for your symptoms. As someone who is chronically ill, I've experienced many of the symptoms that you are talking about. Let me just add a few things...

My family and I are very familiar with the candida diet. For many different reasons however all health related. I currently feel that I need to go on it again for the EXACT same reason as you (stomach issues) and NO answers from doctors. But let me tell you one story from my family. My little sister Kirsten started developing white spots on her skin. You may recognize the name Vitiligo from Michael Jackson as this is why he bleached his skin. He had the same disease. My parents brought her to doctor after doctor and was told there was nothing that could be done. When they started doing their own research and brought this diet up to a PC they were met with scorn. Now I'm not saying every doctor is like this. But in my experience: Healthy eating/Nutrition and the regular medical field do not mix. My parents ended up bringing Kirsten, now covered with white spots to a nutritionist who put Kirsten on a NO yeast NO dairy NO sugar diet. She basically ate veggies and chicken for 6 months. The spots were gone. When they brought Kirsten BACK to her PC he said the disease must have "cleared up on its own" because there is no way the diet would have helped. This diet is amazing. You feel amazing. Your body feels great. Its HARD to get started on, but the results are worth it.

My other little tidbit is as far as birth control goes...stay away from IUD's...lol...I just can never not tell someone that. I know there have to be people out there that have had good experiences. But myself and people I know have not. Very very bad ones infact. I promise I'm not being bossy, lol! I just can't in good conscience not tell a soul this! )

Good luck and keep us posted on what you decide hunny! )

SyreetaJayne1

I would get a different Dr. if he still acts like it's no big deal.

I totally agree and was going to say this as well.

KatWood

Thanks everyone! I am going to make a dr appointment but I probably won't be able to see until the new year. So in the meantime I am going to monitor what I eat and reduce anything with yeast in it. Given the holiday season I don't think I will be able to completely eliminate these things from my diet but I will try to be more aware of them and see how I feel. I am definitely going to explore alternate forms of birth control. I'm a bit surprised to here negative things about IUDs since they were recently praised on Dr Oz. I'm not really sure I like the idea of an IUD anyways though.

I have been writting my symptoms off for quite some time. I thought "oh it's just stress" or "I'm just tired." I'm excited to think that there is an end in sight to my symptoms and that I can feel better. I have worked so hard these last few years to change my lifestyle for the better. I have lost weight, become active, completed a half marathon and quit smoking. I feel like I have earned the chance to feel better than I do.

WalkingGirl1985

I definitely agree...see if you can find a Dr or see if you can find a specialist that deals with your symptoms. I pray that everything goes well and you get well soon! I didn't exactly have this problem before, but when I was a kid up until I was 12-13, I had frequent bladder infections that made me sick and it had to do with kidney reflex which was very serious...could of went to kidney failure if i didn't get the problem fixed with surgery. I wish you the best of luck!

elainegsd

You need to see a doctor that will take this seriously. The symptoms you list are broad and can be attributed to a number of problems. I have had ALL those symptoms as part of my chronic auto-immune disorder, for example.

A good doctor will help you sort things out and get appropriate treatment.

Sweet13_Princess

I've never suffered from this, but I do want to advise you to go see your doctor if you have a concern. It's really easy to self-diagnose with all of that information out there on the internet, but the doctor is the only one that can narrow it down for sure. It's always better to play it safe.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Shannon

TaraMaria

You need to see a doctor that will take this seriously. The symptoms you list are broad and can be attributed to a number of problems. I have had ALL those symptoms as part of my chronic auto-immune disorder, for example.

A good doctor will help you sort things out and get appropriate treatment.

Exactly! And the problem is doctors will often put symptoms like this under two categories: You are either overweight or depressed. SO. Its amazing to deal with a medical world that should take you and your symptoms seriously but they often generalize you into the masses.

If you want a No Yeast buddy and supporter...I've been considering trying this again. Do you want to team up? )

KatWood

You need to see a doctor that will take this seriously. The symptoms you list are broad and can be attributed to a number of problems. I have had ALL those symptoms as part of my chronic auto-immune disorder, for example.

A good doctor will help you sort things out and get appropriate treatment.

Exactly! And the problem is doctors will often put symptoms like this under two categories: You are either overweight or depressed. SO. Its amazing to deal with a medical world that should take you and your symptoms seriously but they often generalize you into the masses.

If you want a No Yeast buddy and supporter...I've been considering trying this again. Do you want to team up? )

Sure that sounds great! I have decided that there is no way I can completely eliminate yeast from my diet since Christmas is coming, but I have decided to cut back alot and see if it makes a difference. Do u have any good recipes?

anotheryearolder

Raises hand for good results with an IUD. Zero problems and 35 years experience with one. I am for the least intrusive and fewest meds/pills/shots possible solution for any given situation. Most of the bad results I know of are from people who had not had a child before getting an IUD. That may have changed through the years but I doubt it.

KatWood

Day 1 of 15 day cleanse to rid my body of excess yeast. Missing my morning coffee a bit. However, with the horrible driving conditions I wouldn't have had time to drink it anyways. Breakfast was ok. Unsweetened coconut made the oatmeal edible. I added chia to it for the first time. The chia was awesome! I couldn't believe how much it expanded. I can really see how it would be useful for losing weight.

Lunch will be hard. There is a free pizza party at work. I'm kind of excited about my nappa salad though so that should help.
So far no side effects or withdrawl but it is early.