is it CANDIDA?

[shond2015]

My stomach problem appears to be developing fairly rapidly lately (last week or so) and I wondered if anyone would give me their point of view on the following?

I have been complaining about my stomach bloating over the last 2 years to my GP (I think I may have even mentioned it a few times on posts on this site) but this past week it has become quite unbearable.

After 2 years of being on Levo (highest dose for me was 200mcg daily), bloated/distended stomach has never really left me. After reading many posts on here, I came to the conclusion that I was possibly not suited to Levo. (not just because of the bloat, other symptoms too of course). I am now being prescribed (had to go private) on 30mg of ERFa combined with 50mcg Levo

My stomach for this last week however, has been permanently distended from waist to hip bone. My stomach protrudes quite jauntily and is very firm to the touch but around my back it feels like fat - (however, I am eating very little at present).

Whilst reading Dr Barry Durrant Peatfield's book the other night, I was particularly interested in the chapter where he discusses Candida (Page 146 - second edition) and explains that bloating is one of the symptoms of Candida. I did his basic test (spitting into a glass of water on waking) and was horrified to see the result matched his description, confirming Candida. I shot out to the shops yesterday morning and in a frenzy spent around £70 buying everything he recommended. e.g. Fluconazole, plus probiotics, and grapefruit seed extract etc.

I am trying to follow his advice....... which is (Step 1 starve Candida of sugar and refined carbs etc and (Step 2) Commence the Fluconazole with grapefruit extract, (Step 3) and embark on a course of Probiotics.

However In the last 48 hours my stomach, rather than improving has actually got worse and now I am getting a bit worried.

I'm old enough to know these pills and treatments don't work overnight but am getting a bit scared now and would love to hear from/be assured by others who have gone through the same thing? (just checked Stomach bloating out on website to be put into a scare again as it all refers to ovarian cancer - especially as it mentions stomach bloat is accompanied with back pain, which I also have).

Would appreciate anyones thoughts/help. Many thanks, Shond

[Marz]

Have you considered being gluten free ? Bloating can be a sign of inflammation which in turn can be caused by gluten. The meds are possibly causing a die off of the baddies - so things can get worse before they get better ..... hope you soon feel better.

[hellybaybee in reply to Marz]

Was gonna say just that! Try cutting out gluten for a bit and see if that works, if not, try cutting out lactose. Also, are your periods normal? I get bloating on my belly and have hypothyroidism but I also have endometriosis which also causes bloating. There are things you can do for it whether it is due to your thyroid problem or because of endometriosis, both issues are sensitive to what you eat. If you look up hypothyroidism diet or endometriosis diet and try following one of them for a bit you might find it helps. Are you optimally medicated? What were your last results?

[deb25426]

I would personally go to docs and mention the ovarian cancer worry..don't leave it.. as others here have said it could be gluten intolerance,. But don't leave anything to chance go to docs...

[shond2015 in reply to deb25426]

Good morning and thank you for all kind words of advice and I intent to follow it where applicable. Regarding the cancer worry.....I'm in a bit of a pickle regarding GP. He did do a test a year ago which came back clear(but it was a year ago). I have lost faith with my GP totally and last week requested all my medical records relating to the thyroid issue. I haven't received these yet and so don't want to change Surgery until I get these. This means I would have to go and see him which I really feel very uncomfortable about (although, he isn't aware of my strength of feeling....yet!) and the private endo wrote to him last week requesting a Vit D test...which I am booked in for tomorrow. Don't quite know what to do.......

[deb25426 in reply to shond2015]

Good luck in all your tests.. x

[Familymatters]

Hi, I agree with Marz. If you have candida you will get worse for a week or so before you get better. It is the "baddies" complaining and making you will feel worse so give up and give them what they need to thrive i.e. Sugar. My daughter had a really severe die off reaction after giving up sugar. I couldn't believe it could do that to you but sure enough 2 days of very bad reaction followed by a week of headaches and feeling fluey and she started to improve.

Good luck.

[Howard39]

Hi

You could find out for certain what the issue is by having a Genova stool analysis.

I've just redone mine and it came back with Candida 0-4 ( mine was 4)

Also it tells you about stomach acid probiotics levels and general absorbtion together with which antibiotics you are resistant too.

I do agree with everyone I'd try gluten free- I am but you can have too much fruit etc.

From my understanding you have started off with the right course of action- if you are no better in a month then you can add in uva ursi. Then a month later it's co-amoxvclav antibiotics added in according to my specialist.

On a personal note I have no bloating but I did have really bad pains in my kidneys.

Good luck.

[shond2015]

Thank you Howard... can you pm me where to get the Genova stool analysis? many thanks

[marigold22]

Many years ago I attacked my candida albicans by giving up dairy, sugar, wheat, yeast. I also took the grapefruit seed extract. Yeast & sugar together are dynamite. Good luck

[shond2015 in reply to marigold22]

Marigold22 ...Did it work for you? Shon D

[marigold22 in reply to shond2015]

Yes it worked for me

[MiniMum97]

Unless you are immunocompromised you cannot have an overgrowth of candida causing systemic issues in the body. It simply isn't possible and is an internet/alternative practitioner led myth.

Having said this you may have a gut flora imbalance which would be helped by cutting out sugar and taking probitics. So that can't hurt!

Really think you should go and see a GP with these symptoms and get them to rule out all other potential causes. Is it your stomach or gut that is bloated? If stomach have a look at SIBO. If gut, consider trying the low FODMAP diet. Definitely have a read if the clever gut diet book by Michael Mosley

Hope that helps

[shond2015 in reply to MiniMum97]

Hi Mini mum....thank you very much for your reply... Would you mind explaining.what you mean by "unless you are immunocompromised" ? Do you mean - you have to have an Auto Immune Disease? Much thanks. Shon D

[MiniMum97 in reply to shond2015]

Immunocompromised usually means you have condition on treatment that makes you immunocompromised and there fore risk of their bodies not being able to fight the infection so it spreads throughout the body. This haopensz with candida whichis always in the gut but in immunocomprosed person theyxa end up with systemic candida which can cause all sorts of problem.

[Glosgran]

What should you be looking for when spitting into a glass of water on waking to test for Candida?

[shond2015]

Glosgran

What you are looking for (according to Dr Barry Durrant Peatfield (thyroid expert) your spit will either just sit on the top of the water in bubbles - this is normal - or your spit will form long tails which fall down underneath the surface of the water..the remaining spit forms a clump on top of the tails and takes on the impression of a jelly fish. That what I had when I did the test.....Shon D

[dina7]

I do sympathise, I still suffer bloating and it weighs me down horribly. The only thing that works for me are Kiki's Body Biotics, so it's a question of trial and error to find what works for you. But I agree that gluten is the first thing to cut out - I look at so many people and think they look like puffed wheat - because the wheat in this country is not fit to eat. And given your back pain too you should definitely get checked out by the GP asap. Good luck and hope you feel better soon.

[shond2015]

Hi dina7. Thank you for your reply. Likewise, you too have my sympathy. the discomfort that comes with such intense bloating is hard to take....I cannot bend easily and this affects almost every part of my day! Yours too, I would imagine? I have no faith in my current GP so will have to wait until I move surgery. Thanks for your words of encouragement.

[HealthyEmski]

I had candida for years and eventually referred myself to an outpatient candida clinic. They gave me several doses of fluconzale which didn't work. I finally found out that I had candida glabrata rather than albanica, which fluconzale was not very effective against. I declined having more antibiotic treatment. Of course, i didn't know I had a thyroid problem because my GP kept saying my thyroid levels were normal ( TSH lower than 5). A holistic perspective is what's needed, but conventional medicine doesn't look at that.

Have some tests done to find out what kind of candida you have. Use live probiotics; most of the ones sold in tablet form in health shops and chemists are already dead. A good one is VSl #3.

[shond2015 in reply to HealthyEmski]

Hello HealthyEmski

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and reply to my post. Can you advise via a private message, where you get VSI No.3 from? are you in the UK? can I make it? very grateful. Shon

[RedApple]

shond2015, In case you haven't already seen it, Dr Myhill has some useful things to say about candida. drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Yeast_p...

[shond2015]

thank you so much for the link.....will now read it !

[HealthyEmski]

Hi Shonda2015

please google the company VSL~#3. Am in the UK and buy their products regularly. Good luck!

[Neeta-K]

I have candida issues. I was on fluconazole for a month and started to feel better, but then after I finish the course it just keeps coming back. It's misery.

I take 2 VSL 3 a day, tried fermented foods, low gi, no gluten, no dairy etc

[shond2015 in reply to Neeta-K]

Hello Neeta

Candida is definitely misery.....with a capital M !! Am interested to know whether you took the fluconazole with probiotics and the grapeseed extract and for the same period of time? can you let me know?

If your candida keeps returning after using the non prescription fluconazole, what about asking your GP for the stronger stuff, the Nystatin? And also, did you starve the body of sugar? Many thanks, Shon

[Neeta-K in reply to shond2015]

Hi Shon. I am low GI. My GP says my candida is anxiety! Even though she swabbed me and it came back as severe. She says to take one fluconazole a week, but it does nothing.

I didn't take grapeseed extract. I've been on probiotics for years. Take them twice a day away from fluconazole. I aren't on fluconazole anymore. I did a one month course.