Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: Need help with yeast overgrowth diagnosis!!!! Please!

To all who have been posting here:

Hello. So about a week ago I started an anti-fungal diet. It has been very difficult and I have been very depressed. I'm somewhat depressed because I feel rather alone in this, most people in my life don't really understand any of this (I'm 21 years old, most people my age that I know don't have problems or think about their health really at all); and I'm sure the depression and fatigue could be a direct result of "die-off."

The thing is, I began this diet by my own volition, not my doctor's or anything, and I was never formally diagnosed with a yeast overgrowth. It is something I have suspected for some time because for the past 4-5 years, I have experienced: chronic headaches, digestive problems, IBS-issues, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, mood swings, severe brain fog, vaginal yeast infections, etc. These have all happened on and off and overall, the past year has been considerably better than in the past... for example, no vaginal yeast infections for 5-6 months now (which is a big deal), IBS symptoms are almost under control, and I can get away with eating a lot more. I still experience unexplainable tiredness and brain fog almost daily; headaches, dizziness, and joint pain occasionally. What I am trying to weigh here now is whether this diet is even worth it for me right now. It almost feels as though the costs outweigh the benefits (though it would be unthinkable and incredible if I were completely cured and seldom suffered from ANY of the aforementioned symptoms!) The fact of the matter is, I have almost grown accustomed to this and not that I like it and don't want to change it, I feel more depressed these last few days that it doesn't seem worth it. It feels like I've convinced myself that this is so much worse than it actually is, when I stop to remember that before I started the diet, I was uncomfortable at times, but I was happier.

I guess what I am interested in knowing from anybody else here is what kinds of symptoms do/did you have that you think are/were a result of Candida? And how often? I have done a lot of research and it seems like many other people have had a yeast overgrowth far more severe than mine, with symptoms much more horrendous and life-altering. Mine are awful and I hate it, but I've been living this way for quite a while... and most of the time, it's manageable. I really want to be healthy but I am miserable. This diet is affecting my social life, I don't feel like I can go out and do the same things I used to, since many social situations are occasions for eating and drinking. Plus, nobody in my life seems to understand this. Or they think I am crazy.

Please, thoughts from anybody?

Thank you.

--------------------
21, female, Long Island, NY
school in Kingston, RI

IBS-C, abdominal pain, gas, bloating, cramping; acid reflux; fibromyalgia; chronic fatigue syndrome; chronic headaches

"Nothing is either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."

"Suffering arises ... whenever we resist the flow of life and try to cling to fixed forms..., whether they are things, events, people, or ideas."

Print Remind Me Notify Moderator