I’m a newbie. I’ve recently been lurking around this board, and really appreciate all the information/support y’all provide. After hearing my symptoms, my sister immediately suggested I have a candida overgrowth; she herself has been fighting a candida battle this past year through strict diet, and she’s feeling great now. Thus, I found my way here. If the following is longwinded and bothersome, I really apologize, I just figured I should include sufficient info.

Basically, from reading the board, it sounds like I’ve had a die-off surprise.

Last summer I spent 3 months working in SE Asia, living in many rustic settings. Was having diarrhea every day, a symptom that stayed with me until this spring. After I returned last fall, I did a natural parasite cleanse, but no change. Concerned, I then went to a GI doc, tests came back neg. for things like celiac and various parasites, so she gave me a blanket diagnosis that my body was still recovering from an infection I did have, that I have IBS-D (errmm duh), and put me on 2 Antibiotics for 2 weeks. I had also been on various Antibiotics for Acne when growing up.

Sigh. Nothing got better. Energy drained. I just kept feeling worse. Depressed, moody, white coated tongue, lethargy after meals, funky eye issues, constant fatigue (though I have been low energy for years, generally since I had mono 8 years ago), craving sugar/carbs/alcohol like no other (again, I’ve been like this for years, cookies and wine being two of my fave things in the world), tingly hands (though this I have had for years), bloating of a ridiculous degree, irregular menses, not fat but about ten lbs of cushion, etc. Of course, all the while it’s not that I’m eating so unhealthily, I’m a vegetarian and I love my fruits and veggies, but I was eating chocolate, drinking alcohol (I’m in my twenties and def hard not to when you’re playing with friends), eating carbs. At this point I really hadn’t thought about candida. I finally decided to be in control again—so I started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, essentially, similar to an anti candida diet that would starve intestinal bacteria overgrowth—basically no grains, no sugar, no starchy veggies. I started this one month ago. Within days I started getting a rash on my arms. A rash that would soon show up on inner thighs, vagina/rectum, back, stomach, and/or ankles whenever it so desired. Then I got a “cold” last week, in addition to this rash. I’ve been spacey, itchy, dry mouth, fatigued. However, I stuck with the eating plan. And, for the past few weeks no diarrhea for the first time since June (hallelujah!). Did a couple enemas the past two days b/c I figured it’d help with cleansing symptoms, lo and behold I expel many white flecks and got rid of brainfogginess for at least a few hours.

So after about 3 weeks of this new type of suffering (i.e. for once not IBS-D ☺ ) the rash is mostly subsided, lest a little itching. So, am I, in fact, at the right board? And if so, I wonder: Has it been difficult to find an MD who will test for candida (I’m just thinking this way b/c I have health insurance that won’t cover an ND)? I figured it couldn’t hurt to try, so 5 days ago I started using Solarays’ Yeast Cleanse, probiotics and CS—how long can one use CS? Today I definitely feel better. Do most people have one bad die-off or numerous episodes? A suggestion for next step to take? I appreciate your time, foks. (Sigh) I just want to eat granola again.