Does anyone have any advice re: Candida causing IBS symptoms and how best to deal with it? Feeling totally scunnered.

[bazman61]

Was feeling very upbeat after reading about the FODMAP diet from fellow users of this forum and no question it has been of great benefit to me in finding what I can and cannot tolerate.

Have found that I have reactions to apple juice and other products in the fructose category with a particularly bad trigger for me being fructose/glucose syrup. After some bad bouts of pain, cramping and the usual reactions of IBSD I was convinced that my problem was with onions or garlic but after introducing them again I have found to my bewilderment that I can eat quite substantial quantities of these with no bad reactions.

For myself the worst bouts of pain have come after eating flavoured crisps, mildly spiced Fajitas when having dinner at a friend's house or any occasion that has involved even small quantities of alcohol.

I now have come to the conclusion that my issues come when eating anything with lots of chemicals in it, anything with sugar and any form of alcohol. I have tried all forms of beverage in mild quantities and find that all of them cause me to have bad stomach spasms the following day.

I know that I have a horrible lining building up on my tongue in the morning and am convinced it is caused by candidal overgrowth. I have suffered with this for over 12 years now and am convinced my problems came about after many years when I took a lot of codeine based painkillers to deal with severe migraines- think that this may have caused my digestive problems. My doctor told me that as a teenager at school he thought I was actually addicted to the codeine and that it was the actual cause of my headaches.

Just find myself so frustrated with my GP about these issues as I know the UK medical profession seem to dismiss Candida as being the cause for any G.I. issues.

The only product that I have found that seems to help for a while is one called Candigest but find all of these products so expensive to buy for a prolonged period. Am also wary of taking tablets such as natural remedies or probiotics nowadays as I find they cause my stomach to grumble and ache more than not taking them at all.

Maybe I just have to accept that I have this horrible condition and will have to live with it as best as I can without any support or help from doctors. Finding it very hard to socialise and relax when in any company when I am constantly stressing about food cashing me pain and worrying about being in the vicinity of a toilet.

Just wondered if anyone else has had any experience with this as any advice would be very welcome. Can honestly say that I have gained so much from reading everyone else's posts - have picked up better advice on this forum than I have in years by attempting to get help at a doctor.

[Pooh10]

Have you done a candida spit test in a glass? That might give you a clue as to whether this maybe an issue for you.

nationalcandidacenter.com/c...

I treated my candida with ecobalance for a 3 months. The first week I felt worse but I think that is due to gut balance changing. I also did an elimination diet and then excluded gluten, dairy and eggs. I also removed as much sugar as possible from my diet without being really strict.

This helped me out a lot.

[bazman61 in reply to Pooh10]

Thanks for this. Yeah, I have done the spit test several times and always get a positive result, sometimes worse than other.

I'll look into the ecobalance then. Just find the candida elimination diets so restricting and end up back at square one eventually. Don't want to have to be so restrictive for the rest of my life. Glad to hear it worked for you though.

[Pooh10 in reply to bazman61]

I agree the diet is v restrictive. I also used over the counter fluconazole (anti fungal) when it came back 1 a week for 3 weeks. If you use this I'd check with pharmacist re dose (again felt horrid inc. stomach) but felt better later on.

[bazman61 in reply to Pooh10]

Did think about fluconazole but was always weary as I'd read about horrible side effects and interactions. Quite wary about self medicating these days. Diet seems like a better solution for the long term but takes a lot of willpower.

[dorban3]

add as many as possible fungus killing foods like raw garlic, raw ginger, Licorice Root to your diet.

i write raw beacause i meant to write raw an no other form.

eat small amont of raw garlic befor any meal.

i have same problem of ibs with candida and h. pylori ulcers it seams they are related.

go low on sugars, sweet fruits, white carbohydrates are bad for you.

* chew some licorice root till you get all the nutrients from it than spit it out, dont swallow.

Garlic is the main remedy for me - it has strong taste but it doing wonders.

[Bermuda1]

I had this chronically, eventually found by endoscopy, after I had lost 2.5 stone, and had tachycardia (much too fast heart beat ). Eventually got Flucanzole from my GP, and after 4 to 5 days went away, after a week the tachycardia also went. Had to take it 3 more times so far this year, as it does return if you have had it severely. This time it is now nearly 1.5 months since I last had the tablets, and the gap gets longer each time. Don't eat mushrooms or marmite, that is feeding a fungus fungi. I also took priobotics and ate raw oregano leaves, and live yogurt if you can take lactose. Oregano is a natural rebalancer and has some antibiotic qualities. First time in 4.5 years I have been able to eat curry again and some other foods I totally avoided. Eat one oregano leaf at a time as they have a burning sensation , but are harmless.

[woodgut8]

Yes you will get lots of support from people here with so similar problems all trying to live with it and with no real ideal of how it all started or why. I try to cut out all sugars, which includes alcohol of course, I have an upset stomach this morning with anal irritations(!) goodness knows why. so I always think what have I had or taken recently that was different from normal, and there always is something. I feel I have the condition/problem and that all these things simply irritate the existing problem.

[Hidden]

I suffered all my teens and early twenties with candida (down below), they say it grows in your bowls. when I was 25 I had my second child and was so constipated that I had to have an enema, I have not suffered since.(30 years)

I may be worth having colonic irrigation (posh name for enema, in my opinion).

I have for the last 30 years eaten loads of sugar, love marmite and all the things that could cause it, with no repercussions.

Hope this may be of help.

[bazman61]

Thanks everyone for their great advice and taking the time to reply to me. Have got plenty of new strategies to try/ things to try cutting out etc. It's good to know that others have had similar issues to me and have found ways of managing it. Just find it such a hard thing to talk to people about and as a result I tend to cover my discomfort up and avoid situations. Definitely think there is a strong link with stress, anxiety, feeling run-down. Have found using mindfulness techniques to be very helpful also- at least it lets you cut down on all the unproductive chatter that only amplifies your problems and possibly masks your main triggers or symptoms.

Thanks again for taking the time to help me.