Candida in the gut

Just wondered if anyone has had a diagnosis of overgrowth of candida in the gut and if they managed to sort it through diet.

Or anyone who knows anything about it.

Ta

Comments

  • Yes, years ago.  The doctors think it was connected to the onset of reactive hypoglycaemia. 

    But it was sorted through antifungals for 8 weeks and a no-yeast, no-sugar, no-gluten diet, not diet alone.  It was 1994  & I don't remember the full details (sorry!) Very very dull eating for a few months, then gradually reintroduced foods (ooh, the first bowl of pasta was sheer joy).

    Once it was sorted out, I could eat normally, though for a few years my body would tell me if I needed to cut back on bread.  Now, I can eat anything I like image (well at least from the gut viewpoint....my waistline is a different issue!)

  • mavamava ✭✭✭

    cheers. 

    Did it take ages to find out what the problem was?  

    I suspect it is at the root of my gut problems, but I had a friend who had great difficulty persuading her GP that it was a real issue rather than some 'alternative' diagnosis for the 'worried well'. 

  • I was really fortunate - the (private) endocrinologist realised that the digestive system problems were separate from the hypoglycaemia, and something more than "worried well" or stress associated with the pancreas hoo-ha.  He referred me to another consultant (forget the specialty) After a endoscopy and negative test for Crohns, consultant 2 bounced me back to the endocrinologist with "nothing found". 

    Endocrinologist was pretty open-minded, and listened well.  Decided symptoms were symptoms, not "just life" and referred me to a private GP specialising in odd tummies.  The private GP took one session to decide what it was.

    Honestly, I had thought it was associated with the mess the hypoglycaemia was making of my eating habits....

    good luck with the GP!

  • mavamava ✭✭✭

    Cheers again. 

    hmm.  My GP has so far just muttered vaguely about IBS after ascertaining my problem wasn't coeliac disease.  She really seemed very uninterested.  I guess I need to push it. 

    Still interested in any other experiences as well folks! 

  • I believe there is a book by Xandria Williams which is about how to treat Candida with diet. How effective this is I am not sure. As you probably know Candida is the fungus that normally causes thrush but it can occur in the gut and gives rise to symptoms not unlike those of IBS or Coeliacs disease. Usually the most appropriate therapy would be an oral antifungal treatment such as Nystatin which your GP will have to prescribe, however it maybe worth asking at the pharmacy if they have any over-the -counter medications for the treatment of abdominal thrush. Rather than being uninterested your GP is probably a bit stumped, I would persevere in the hope that the GP refers you to a gastroenterologist who will be more familiar with this problem and will be able to arrange the appropriate investigations.

  • mavamava ✭✭✭
  • NessieNessie ✭✭✭

    Really interested in this.  Mr N has had IBS/Coeliac symptoms for ages, and is waiting for the results of tests for Coeliac having had a colonoscopy and an endoscopy 2 weeks ago (prompted by possible ulcer-type symptoms).  He has cut out gluten in the meantime, and his symptoms have eased a bit, but in my mind too quickly to be coeliac.

    Will tell him to suggest this to his GP if he comes back negative for coeliac.

  • Take all the professional medical advice you can get, but be prepared for progress to be frustratingly slow. In the meantime, there's plenty you can do yourself.

    Use the internet to look up:

    Candida overgrowth

    Coeliac disease

    Gluten intolerance

    Non Coeliac Gluten Susceptibility

    Late onset Coeliac disease

    Read the forums and the better blogs. Find the cases which match yours.

    You can make decent progress with Candida overgrowth by removing sugar from your diet as much as possible, and taking probiotics. Candida feeds on the sugar, and takes over the good gut flora, which then needs replacing. The health food shops now have specific treatments for Candida overgrowth. You'll be shocked at the price, though I'd still give it a go.

    You can develop a form of Coeliac disease - damage to the small intestine lining - by a lifetime of gluten in your diet. Then any gluten inflames the beginning of the small intestine, reduces the absorption of nutrients and sends  badly digested food into the large intestine. The lack of nutrients will manifest itself in many ways - besides low energy levels and poor general health, there can be visible aspects such as poor skin and hair, loss of teeth enamel, and mental effect such as depression and lack of motivation. The poorly digested food in the gut can cause pain, wind, bloating, etc. - a good indicator is that the discomfort is often at regular times of the day. (Most of this will also be seen with candida overgrowth, I believe.)

    You can start a gluten free diet from this moment. Set yourself a target of one month, though you will have a good idea of progress within five days, if you are allergic or intolerant to gluten. Cut out all gluten/wheat products, and while you have made this commitment, cut out dairy, soya, any other grain produce, and processed foods, which are the other main intestinal irritants. There is plenty of evidence that the things you crave could be part of the problem, so cut out coffee, chocolate, liquorice all-sorts, pear cider, or whatever. This is all easier than you think once you have made the decision. I'll provide meal suggestions if you wish.

    I believe there is good evidence that L-glutamine is valuable for repairing the intestinal lining.

    I have no medical expertise; then again, nothing in any of my suggestions can do any harm whatsoever. It's only one month; give it a go - it could improve you life for ever.

  • Yes, I've suffered with Candida through leaky gut syndrome.  My doctor was incredibly unhelpful and i had to find a private GP to treat me.  The private GP was incredibly helpful gave me lots of help and advice and I did follow an anti-Candida diet for about 8 weeks. 

  • i use a product called dida from Holland and Barrett, it restores balance of candida albicans

    http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=717&searchterm=dida&rdcnt=1

    after years of IBS, bloating and pain etc. It worked wonders on me but I also changed my diet a lot and know my trigger foods. I now take it occasionally if my tummy is playing up.

    hope that helps

  • mavamava ✭✭✭

    Thanks everyone.

    Colin - i have researched it a lot but I was looking for experiences of runners - like how do I stay a marathon runner if I can't eat sugars?!  I know I'm not coeliac as I've had some antibody test.   I have avoided wheat though anyway for several years now.  

    Elifant - thanks for that link. I did see that in H&B the other day but baulked at payiing that price knowing nothing about it.  I might give it a go if it worked for you.   

  • there was an artcical on it in the holland and barrette mag
  • Mava although I wasn't mara training at the time, it was very hard to stick with my normal running.  I did resort to running with a bag of cold, cooked wheat-free pasta!

  • mavamava ✭✭✭

    eurrggh Pavey!  tough to eat while on the run I would think.  and fairly slow to give the carb hit.  Did it work? 

    I've got a marathon in just over 2 weeks followed by an 80km bike ride the following week, so I won't be making any drastic changes to my diet at this stage, will just have to put up with the discomfort.  I'll consider a few changes  one I've got those races out of the way.

     I've just found some chickpea spaghetti in Waitrose - haven't tried it yet.  Have you come across it?

  • Is that the fresh spaghetti in Waitrose?  It's really nice - alwo worth trying is the Rossiky bread (it's wheat and yeast free). 

    It was really difficult to run with cold pasta - I didn't do it often and reduced my distances ... to be honest, not sure what I would have done if I'd had a mara coming up! 

  • mavamava ✭✭✭

    had some of the chick pea spaghetti for lunch - not bad.  Yes, it's the fresh stuff.  Not cheap though.

    I'll have a look at the Rossiky bread.  Ta.

  • NessieNessie ✭✭✭

    Mr N's results have come back positive for coeliac.  At least we know what we are dealing with, and can get rid of all the symptoms (crosses fingers)

    Pity we don't have a Waitrose anywhere near - I doubt Tesco will have anything as sophisticated as chick pea pasta. 

  • mavamava ✭✭✭
    Nessie - try Ocado if they deliver in your area. Waitrose might be a bit on the pricey side but they do tend to stock a really good 'free from' range.  There's a rice based spaghetti I get there too - in the normal pasta section.  I've never seen it anywhere else and it is much much nicer than the corn stuff.   Good luck!
  • To be fair Ness, Tesco has a pretty good free from range.  They're the only people that have a free from Victoria sponge!!  There are also tons of websites that deliver free from food (goodness direct etc).

  • NessieNessie ✭✭✭
    Thanks folks.  I've now been to the "big" Tesco locally (we have 3 of different sizes), and they have a pretty good "free from" range right enough.  I'll check out the online suppliers too.  Can't have hubby living on baked potatoes for the rest of his life!
  • Hi mates!

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    I ordered pills for myself on ebay, but now the ebay has restricted to sell Nystatin and others it's a problem for me , and I've managed to contact the seller who sold me NYSTATIN before he told me about problem with listing on eBay. I bought a lot of NYSTATIN and others boxes , 100 pills
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    All payments are safe. Nystatin and others
    Don't hesitate to ask me about treatment of candida or other medical consult?
  • After trying unsuccessfully for years to control my intestinal candida with diet and herbal remedies, I'm finally making progress. I discovered that the body's immune system will keep it in check if provided the right nutrients.

    Beta carotene was very helpful. I bought carrot juice and cooked it to improve digestibility. After it cooled I added lactobacillus probiotics and fermented it in a similar way as making yogurt. This removes the sugar that feeds candida and also provides good bacteria that compete with candida. I don't know whether the carotene works directly or just increases vitamin A levels, but vitamin A supplements didn't work for me. I did this a few times before it helped.

    I used sublingual vitamin B12 tablets in the form of methylcobalamin. At first I used the high dose 5,000 mcg tablets. After three days I would get severe yeast die-off symptoms, so I switched to the 1,000 mcg tablets.

    Zinc supplements made a big difference. I took 10 mg per day and occasionally more. Research has shown that zinc totally inhibits the fungal form of candida, commonly seen as Thrush (white tongue). It takes time to build up your levels. I found it helpful to take larger doses at first and then taper off.

    I'm just starting to experiment with vitamin D. Some people have claimed it is helpful against candida. Vitamin D is known to boost the immune system.

    Reducing sugar consumption did help. Reducing fat consumption also helped. Apparently the fungal form of candida can eat fat.
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