Candida infection or something else?

[Ferguston]

Hi, I've been having some weird feelings that get worse or appear when I eat (also, the more sugar/carbs it has, the more appears to worsen the feelings). The feelings are weakness, dizziness, headache, head pressure, anxiety, heart beats faster, sometimes nasal congestion and runny nose, those two seem better that they where a month ago.

My doctor did give me itraconazole 100mg (antifungal) for 10 days, but it was 3 weeks ago. Also, did some reasearch and the dose and lenght if it's an internal candida infection, won't do it. No one seems to listen to me when I tell them about candida, it's like they can't accept that I could have candida overgrowth, even if I told them I used to take a lot of antibiotics. Three months ago for example, I took two rounds of antibiotics with only two weeks in between.

Could candida give such symptoms after you eat? Also my blood sugar is alright in the morning, so it can't be diabetes or prediabetes.

I'm asking here in case someone ran into those weird feelings, since I got this feeling, "What if it's not candida, and then what can it be?".

P.S. I did a candida stool test before and after, candida was still present in stool even after. But my doctor said that the stool test can show positive even to people without a candida overgrowth. I don't know what else to do.

[trents]

Sounds to me like you might be on the right track.You might test your theory by trying the keto diet. It's an effective way to lose weight and manage it long term as well if that is needed.

[cyclinglady]

How long have you been gluten free?  I know you do not have a formal diagnosis, but it seems that the gluten-free diet has been helping.  Did you know it takes most celiacs a year or longer to feel well?  Maybe consider giving the gluten-free diet more time. Or start consuming gluten for several months and get tested for celiac disease.  

Candida intestinal problems are rare.  Like if you have HIV.  More common are chronic vaginal yeast infections, diaper rash, or thrush and those are visible.  Twenty years ago Candida was the rage in alternate medical communities or functional medicine.  Long before celiac disease was found to be very prevalent.  You need fungus and bacteria!  That is why it was found in your stool.  Listen to your doctor.  

You can trial a keto diet, it will not harm you.  Most people feel good when they give up sugary junk food.  

Edited July 8, 2020 by cyclinglady

[knitty kitty]

Furguston,

Have you heard about Auto Brewery Syndrome?

https://www.healthline.com/health/auto-brewery-syndrome

I wonder how your symptoms compare.

Cutting out carbohydrates seems to be key in getting rid of the Candida yeast.  Have you thought about the Paleo Diet or the AutoImmune Protocol diet? 

Hope this helps!

Knitty Kitty

 

[Ferguston]

Thank you everyone for your responses.

As for auto brewery syndrome, I did consider it, but I did a blood alcohol level test two hours after I've eaten a high carb meal. It came back negative.

@cyclinglady I've been gluten free for almost two months. But, now I'm considering refeeding syndrom. I've read on the forum that this might be possible. It might be that my body is starting to heal and absorbing more nutrients? It's so weird.

 

[knitty kitty]

Have you considered Mast Cell Activation Syndrome?

Here's an article that explains it very well even though it mentions autism...

https://mastcell360.com/autism-and-mast-cell-activation-syndrome/

Hope this helps

 

[knitty kitty]

P.S. this article mentions thiamine deficiency and MCAS....

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9184654/

If not refeeding syndrome, at least a thiamine deficiency...

Proper thiamine deficiency testing, because blood levels can be "normal"....

http://www.hormonesmatter.com/thiamine-deficiency-testing-understanding-labs/

[Ferguston]

Will take in considerations MCAS, also I see that histamine intolerance is another one, as for thiamine deficiency, don't think I have one, I'm eating enough food and I'm taking vitamin supplement that has B1 in it, well over a month now.

Also, I'm rather fat, lost some weight, but it's hard now to lose even more, hence why I'm considering a candida overgrowth.

Those things are so weird and tangled, I don't even know what it is anymore.

[knitty kitty]

Ferguston,

Maybe this article will be helpful to you.  It's about SIBO and the need for extra thiamine when you eat a lot of carbohydrates....

https://www.eonutrition.co.uk/post/thiamine-deficiency-a-major-cause-of-sibo

Thiamine is water soluble and is easily flushed out of your system.  Thiamine helps keep SIBO bacteria in check.  The RDA for thiamine is set too low.  It was originally set in WWII as the lowest dose to prevent illness so that soldiers wouldn't get sick.  Our world has changed.  We eat way more processed foods and tons more sugar now than when the RDA was set.  Processing damages or removes thiamine altogether.  Certain processed foods (wheat containing mostly) are required by law to be enriched with extra vitamins like thiamine because of the processing.  The manufacturers don't put enough vitamins back in.  Also antibiotics can deplete thiamine.  Illness and stress use up thiamine very quickly, causing a deficiency.  When there's a thiamine deficiency, you need more than the "normal" amount to replenish that extra need and deficiency.

Hope this helps.

Kitty

[plumbago]

20 hours ago, Ferguston said:

Hi, I've been having some weird feelings that get worse or appear when I eat (also, the more sugar/carbs it has, the more appears to worsen the feelings). The feelings are weakness, dizziness, headache, head pressure, anxiety, heart beats faster, sometimes nasal congestion and runny nose, those two seem better that they where a month ago.

My doctor did give me itraconazole 100mg (antifungal) for 10 days, but it was 3 weeks ago. Also, did some reasearch and the dose and lenght if it's an internal candida infection, won't do it. No one seems to listen to me when I tell them about candida, it's like they can't accept that I could have candida overgrowth, even if I told them I used to take a lot of antibiotics. Three months ago for example, I took two rounds of antibiotics with only two weeks in between.

Could candida give such symptoms after you eat? Also my blood sugar is alright in the morning, so it can't be diabetes or prediabetes.

I'm asking here in case someone ran into those weird feelings, since I got this feeling, "What if it's not candida, and then what can it be?".

P.S. I did a candida stool test before and after, candida was still present in stool even after. But my doctor said that the stool test can show positive even to people without a candida overgrowth. I don't know what else to do.

Hi,

I have had similar heart symptoms and documented it here

 

and also here

in case you’re interested in reading about the cardiac symptoms I have had recently.

Long and short of it is, I have these SVTs that really disturb me, but for now cardiologists say are “benign.” I won’t repeat what I’ve said in those posts, except in my case, as well, I believe processed carbohydrates have their role to play. Also, to get more information may be helpful for you. You may try getting a set of vital signs during your symptoms.

None of us can say what is going on with you, but I have heard that the medication you referenced, itraconazole, is only used to treat oropharyngeal or esophageal candidiasis, but you’d need to verify that.

You say: “Could candida give such symptoms after you eat? Also my blood sugar is alright in the morning, so it can't be diabetes or prediabetes.”

Blood sugar actually lags behind insulin in terms of development of diabetes. This is relatively new information, but once you have had hyperinsulinemia for a while, it may be too late. Eventually your pancreas’s beta cells will throw in the towel, say that’s it, and then you will see high blood sugar. Point being, it’s the insulin you should be thinking about.

Our body acts as a whole, and sometimes how we feel in our head depends on our legs. I mean, there are very important venous pumps in the legs that are needed to return blood to the upper body, the head in particular. Make sure you are daily getting those leg pumps to do their vital jobs!

Good luck,

Plumbago

[Ferguston]

You're saying I should do a insuline blood test? That might not be a bad idea. Since, I had both of my grandparents from my father side with diabetes.

I do agree that processed carbohydrates have a mild or big effect on us. I'm underlining processed since we need carbohydrates to function properly, the rare cases that you should avoid them is when they damage you, but those are a small number of people only.

[plumbago]

7 minutes ago, Ferguston said:

do agree that processed carbohydrates have a mild or big effect on us. I'm underlining processed since we need carbohydrates to function properly,

You got it! 100% agree.

7 minutes ago, Ferguston said:

the rare cases that you should avoid them is when they damage you, but those are a small number of people only.

I could not disagree more! We are learning, every day, how ultra processed food damages us. Look at what Covid is doing to our inflamed bodies. Ultra processed foods are among the most addictive things on earth, right up there with heroin and nicotine. Sounds like hyperbole, but it's truly not.

9 minutes ago, Ferguston said:

You're saying I should do a insuline blood test?

I'm saying to do a bit of research on your own, first, in order to know how to talk to your PCP or endocrinologist. A fasting insulin test may not be a bad idea, but again, do your research, talk to others, and definitely talk to your doctor(s). I have done a fasting insulin test. Results indicated I was ok, but something is not right, I feel. For example, I just ate a carb-heavy breakfast, good carbs (veggies and fruit) with some meat. 30 minutes later, blood glucose was 89. That struck me as a bit unusual. Now, it just could be a fluke timing with some pancreatic pulsing insulin into my system, who knows. (I'm giving you WAY too much information, a risk I always run when typing/thinking out loud (apologies),) but what I'm wondering about doing myself is some other kind of insulin challenge test. Maybe an old-fashinoned OGGT, who knows. Sorry for that digression.

 

[plumbago]

@Ferguston .....unless by "the rare cases that you should avoid them is when they damage you, but those are a small number of people only." you meant carbohydrates as a general category of nutrients and not processed carbohydrates. If so, my humble apologies. I often race to post things without stopping long enough to consider context.

[Ferguston]

I meant carbohydrates as a general category. There are some types of cancers that you need to stop eating carbs for a while, also there's some forms of autism, also some autoimmune problems and just a little search could show more. But those are the only ones that they need to remove carbs.

Processed carbs are as bad as processed fat or processed protein. But we do need carbs to survive. Contrary to how people think you need fat for brain, you actually need more carbs for the brain, since the brain uses a whole lot of energy, and that energy doesn't come from fat.

In case someone else sees this, I made my own system on how you should simply look at those 3 categories:

Carbs - Energy (You need energy to insulate and build a house that will protect you.)

Fats - Insulation (You need insulation for information to travel well to your house.)

Proteins - Bricks (You need bricks to build a house and a rooftop to protect yourself.)

[trents]

Energy for brain activity or any other of the body's fuel needs can also be derived from proteins and fats, just not as readily. That's why the keto diet works so well. It trains the body to more efficiently use non carb sources (particularly fats) for it's energy needs.

[knitty kitty]

I agree with Trents.  You can live without carbs. 

Here's an article on how the body utilizes both carbs, and proteins and fats as sources of energy.  

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/does-the-brain-need-carbs

The body breaks down carbs into glucose which the brain uses for energy.  But the body can also turn fats and proteins into glucose to provide energy for the brain.

The main reason people switched from a high protein/high fat diet to a high carbohydrate diet is because large groups of people started living in close proximity. The surrounding land could not support enough animals as the source of protein/fats for everyone. 

In Genesis, Abraham and Lot had to separate because the land could not support all their flocks and herds together. (Genesis 13: 5-12).

Historically, as agriculture spread, people shifted away from nomadic herding societies.  The increasingly expensive animal protein sources were reserved for the elite and the ruling classes, while the laborers and servants were fed the cheaper carbohydrate based diets.  

Robin Hood was wanted for taking from the rich and giving to the poor.  He poached the king's deer to feed the poor.  Deer living free in the forest were reserved for the elite and rich to hunt and consume.  Poaching was an offense punishable by death.  So was malnutrition.

When Marie Antoinette was told the peasants were revolting because there was no more bread, she said "let them eat cake."  She wasn't referring to birthday cake or cup cakes.  She was referring to the hardened crusts, burnt onto the baking stones of the brick ovens. This was weekly scraped away and sold to the poorest and most destitute who could not afford bread.  

Charles Dickens' novels portrays paupers begging for crusts of bread, not steak dinners.  Meat was still for the rich.  The bread fed to the poorer classes was adulterated with sawdust and plaster of Paris.  Malnutrition was rampant among the poor at that time.  Life expectancy among them was age twenty-eight.

Pellagra raged across the South in the early 1900's caused by the consumption of a high carbohydrate diet based on corn, which is deficient in Niacin, and very little meat.

Refined wheat was not enriched with thiamine,  one of the vitamins stripped away during processing, until the 1940's.  Before that, the insane asylums were full of people suffering with the madness caused by thiamine deficiency. 

I can remember a time when soy beans were viewed in this country as animal fodder.  Manufacturers have increasingly used soy as a filler instead of more nutritious, but more expensive, wheat.  Soy and corn (another grain originally viewed as animal feed) are cheap fillers utilized by manufacturers to increase their profits.  

The fallacy that you need carbohydrates to live is a marketing ploy, as is the Food Pyramid that taught us to eat lots of cheap carbohydrates at the base of the pyramid, and very little meat at the apex.  

Our society, with its high carbohydrate diet, is seeing an increase in obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, cancers, and other health problems.  These illnesses are on the rise in other parts of the world as they turn from their traditional diets and adopt a similar high carbohydrate diet.

Native Americans thrived by following the herds of buffalo.  Theirs was one of the healthiest high protein/low carbohydrate diets ever.   

I'm proud of my Neanderthal hunter-gatherer, Celiac genes.  I'll stick with my high protein/low carbohydrate, genetically-correct diet.  

Eat more Liver!

Knitty Kitty

 

Knowledge is power.  The internet is at your fingertips.  Knowledge has never been so widely available and so easily accessible.  Use it!  Question everything!

 

 

 

 

[trents]

knitt kitty, that was quite the tome!

But I agree. The traditional food pyramid we all grew up on has done our society and immense amount of medical harm and is largely responsible for the spiraling numbers of obesity (with all it's attendant vascular problems) and diabetes, just to name a few. We have shot ourselves in the foot with the emphasis on "low fat is healthy" everything when the opposite is true. Fat and protein satisfy without producing dramatic spikes and troughs in blood sugar levels and it is those blood sugar troughs which make us hungry and drive us to eat more. Again, that's the genius of the keto diet, it eliminates those cycles.

But I would also add that we can also get fat from vegetable sources such as nuts and seeds and that may be healthier than relying totally on animal sources such as meat, dairy and eggs.

[Posterboy]

On 7/8/2020 at 11:30 AM, Ferguston said:

The feelings are weakness, dizziness, headache, head pressure, anxiety, heart beats faster, sometimes nasal congestion and runny nose, those two seem better that they where a month ago.

On 7/8/2020 at 11:30 AM, Ferguston said:

I'm asking here in case someone ran into those weird feelings, since I got this feeling, "What if it's not candida, and then what can it be?".

On 7/8/2020 at 10:25 PM, Ferguston said:

. But, now I'm considering refeeding syndrom. I've read on the forum that this might be possible. It might be that my body is starting to heal and absorbing more nutrients? It's so weird.

Ferguston,

You  might to try some Molybdenum.

Here is some articles about it.....it is key in turning around a Candida infection....it helps us detox...

The symptoms could be from a Sulfite allergy associated with low Molybdenum and thus a Candida infection...

https://nutrientssolutions.com/top-7-health-benefits-of-molybdenum/#:~:text=Molybdenum is responsible for breaking down a toxin,Acetaldehyde is also a product of alcohol consumption.

see this article that explains why this is...

https://www.yeastinfection.org/how-molybdenum-can-help-fight-against-candida-yeast-infection/

quoting

"According to studies done as early as 1991, those who took molybdenum were able to see improvements in the flu-like symptoms, sluggishness, aches and pains, and soreness. Sinus and nasal congestion becomes less, mental sluggishness disappears, the generalized musculoskeletal achiness improves, and the patient’s energy returns."

If you try some Bentofitamine with the Molybendum I think you will notice a difference...

If it is Refeeding Syndrome....try taking Magnesium Glycinate as well.....

It can help your fatigue issues.....the Refeeding syndrome typically has electrolyte abnormalities....

Like low Albumin levels and low Sodium levels or Low Potassium etc....

If it SIBO taking an Enyzmic B-Complex with meals will be helpful as well.....

Both B1 (thiamine) and B2 aka Riboflavin has shown to be low in SIBO....

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691510002474

the LPS mentioned in this article is something produced when we have SIBO and it causes our body to react to the inflammation it causes and Riboflavin helps down regulate it.

So take you a Molybdenum, Thiamine as Benfotiamine, Magneisum Glycinate and a good Enzymic B-50 or B-100 with meals and you should begin to see an improvement in a couple of months.

I used to have angular cheilitis (my lips leaked and cracked) it was low Riboflavin levels.

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advise.

Posterboy,

 

[Zeon]

Hey @Ferguston!! I see you've been getting a lot of possible insight here, and just wanted to throw in my two cents as a fellow celiac- this sounds similar to what I went through before finally getting diagnosed with SIBO? I've been adamantly gluten free for 9 years, and it was one heck of a mystery when I suddenly started feeling ill after eating- weakness, foggy headed, light sensitivity and other weird things, I don't even remember what else- and carbs and sugar seemed to make it especially worse! I had also wondered about my blood sugar and gotten it checked twice, and had asked about candida with a similar response- I'd definitely suggest getting tested for SIBO if you can? That is essentially your gut flora being out of whack (similar with candida), it just might not be the culprit you originally thought!

Especially if you've been on many antibiotics, that can apparently contribute to it developing- SIBO is basically just your regular intestinal flora growing how they shouldn't, and farther up in the intestinal tract- and fermentable carbs and sugar absolutely makes it worse! (The sugar/carb thing is one of the things that eventually clued me off on mine.)

If you do get tested, ask for a hydrogen/methane breath test, since there are two types of SIBO- one is hydrogen prominent (the bacteria feed on all the goodies in your gut and give off hydrogen gas) and the other is methane-prominent depending on which bacteria overgrew- some tests only look for hydrogen, but as somebody who got the methane-variety (which is a little harder to kick!) it's good to check for both.

I know how daunting it can be trying to figure out these mysteries, and I wish you luck in figuring yours out- you know your body best, so if you feel like something's up keep at it and keep on your doctors!! I've found they don't always 'get' some of this stuff, and I had to insist with the SIBO test, but you'll get there! (Out of curiousity, have you been having bloating or belching after meals? Because I did too, also indicative of SIBO, and then found out I had H. pylori too!)

As an addendum- I saw you mention you've been gluten free for a short time, and first of all well done- I know it's not easy! Secondly, and this is something I had to learn for myself- how careful are you being with cross contamination? Different celiacs have different tolerances there (even within the 'safely gluten free' range!), and I myself am pretty sensitive- when I first went gluten free, I thought I was doing a good job, but still kept having symptoms despite feeling better- definitely make sure that you're taking that into account, because a lot of the foods that are labeled 'gluten free' are in fact, very Low in gluten, but not completely free of it- I've gotten gluten symptoms even from things certified gluten free (less than 20 parts per million) before, but been fine with others- try and keep track if you can!! (Also make sure any toothpastes and medicines are gluten free, if you haven't already- it can hide in sneaky places, I've even gotten sick from plain coffee, that I'm assuming got cross contaminated during production!) It's a lot, but you'll get there!

-Whitney

[Ferguston]

I don't think I was very careful, I might have been eating sunflower seeds that say they might contain gluten, and other foods with big chance of having been contaminated. But now, that my doctor says that I might possible have it, and I should keep staying gluten free for more time, I will be more careful.

Also, thank you everyone for helping me figure this out. I took notes and will be taking my time and see how I'll feel on gluten free first. Since celiac has a wide range of problems, I don't want it to mix with what ever else I might have.

As for the SIBO, I've been taking a candida treatment that also works for SIBO too. For now, I'll give it time and see if my body is healing, there are people who say the body can have a "healing crisis", don't know if it's a scientific fact or something else.

[Posterboy]

Ferguston,

You should definitely treat your SIBO.....Celiac and SIBO often occur together....

SIBO will come back often if you don't treat the underlying cause(s)....

Try the Baking Soda test to see if you are low in Stomach acid and it is going undiagnosed with/as part of your Celiac Diagnosis...

This doctor Jockers article explains it well.....I think you might be surprised...

https://drjockers.com/5-ways-test-stomach-acid-levels/

See this Celiac.com article about how SIBO is common in Celiac's....entitled "Bacterial Overgrowth of Small Intestine Common aka SIBO in Treated Celiac Disease"

https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/bacterial-overgrowth-of-small-intestine-common-in-treated-celiac-disease-r791/

It is good research that has been forgotten....

I had written a Posterboy blog post that explains how I was low in Stomach acid going undiagnosed that might be helpful to you.

https://www.celiac.com/blogs/entry/2106-is-ncgs-andor-celiac-disease-really-low-stomach-acid-misdiagnosed/

Good luck on your continued journey!

I hope this is  helpful but it is not medical advise.

Posterboy,

[Ferguston]

Almost forgot, we don't have SIBO tests here where I live. Is there cheap alternative for testing SIBO? Also, do the natural treatments work for SIBO? I know that doing a google search there are alot of people saying that they work, just wanted to know if someone here cured their SIBO that way.

[knitty kitty]

Have you Googled. "SIBO and vitamin deficiencies" ?

Malabsorption occurs in Celiac Disease.  You're not absorbing enough vitamins and minerals for the body to keep intestinal bacteria in check.  Checking for nutritional deficiencies is part of follow up care for Celiacs.

Hope this helps!

4 hours ago, Ferguston said:

Almost forgot, we don't have SIBO tests here where I live. Is there cheap alternative for testing SIBO? Also, do the natural treatments work for SIBO? I know that doing a google search there are alot of people saying that they work, just wanted to know if someone here cured their SIBO that way.

 

[Posterboy]

On 7/16/2020 at 10:50 PM, Ferguston said:

Almost forgot, we don't have SIBO tests here where I live. Is there cheap alternative for testing SIBO? Also, do the natural treatments work for SIBO? I know that doing a google search there are alot of people saying that they work, just wanted to know if someone here cured their SIBO that way.

Ferguston,

Their is some nice home remedies....that will help it....but until you treat the underlying cause(s)......like Low Stomach Acid (Often)....it will keep coming back.

Average remission time is 10 months with Antibiotics.....before it comes raging back...

You can take some Coconut Oil it will help kill of the Candida infection naturally....

https://www.livestrong.com/article/358123-how-does-coconut-oil-kill-candida/

You can also take some Pepto Bismol (if you are not a child) or have an Aspirin allergy....

It will turn your Stool Black....

Read this article about it....it explains it well....

https://thescienceofnutrition.me/2019/04/18/multiple-beneficial-effects-of-pepto-bismol-explained/

Treat the underlying cause(s) by taking a good Enzymic B-Vitamin with meals and you find in a couple months....if you don't burp now....you will begin doing so....even up to even a couple hours after a meal!

Niacin helps us build and/or rebuild our ability to make stomach acid again...

http://www.yourhealthbase.com/database/niacin-treats-digestive-problems.htm

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advise.

Posterboy,

[Ferguston]

I did order a B complex today, the headaches, nausea and me feeling weak today, after I skiped a meal cause I didn't have time, and it made me think that there must be something related to this. Still feeling slugish today, and I think I might have been glutened, cause I have this, clogged nose, sinus pressure that spreads like a headache, sore throat, sneezing, and congestion. Did not feel like this for a while.