Candida / Yeast

[Emme999]

Just the other day my doctor decided to test me for celiac and the blood tests came back positive. The great indicators were: osteoporosis (I'm 32!), heartburn, dental problems, depression, fatigue - etc. but what I'm *really* wondering is how this is going to affect the chronic / recurrent yeast infections I've had for about a year. I read some postings from over a year ago from a woman who said she's had candida for something like 20 years! (gasp!) Is there any hope that after I'm on a gluten free diet the yeast infections will end? I am so so so frustrated and depressed by the whole deal. If you can offer me hope, please reply! Also, for others looking for information on the relation of celiac to candida, I've found this site: Open Original Shared Link

Please educate me! I'm new to all of this and would really like to hear something about my life soon changing for the better.

Thanks!

- bean

[KaitiUSA]

I have candida and was on Nystatin for a round of it and I've had no problems since. I do not follow the candida diet, just the gluten free diet. I would go get something to take care of the infection.

The diet could definitely help control it.

The things your doctor also said you have..osteoporosis etc. are very much related to celiac being untreated for a long period of time.

[Emme999]

Thanks for the response. Unfortunately, I've treated the candida with all sorts of medications already. The last course was 10 days of diflucan (each day) and then another pill 72 hours later while using boric acid suppositories for two weeks (in addition to the diflucan). It appears that I have a super-resistant strain of candida.

I'm hoping that once I am gluten free that my body will be able to heal itself. I just wonder if anyone else has had this sort of problem - for such an extended period of time.

With the comment about having untreated celiac for a long period of time... I wonder if my intestinal tract is just so destroyed that it can't fight candida overgrowth. I also have a lot of food allergies (dairy, eggs, sesame seeds, etc.) that were confirmed by blood tests. Is this another common characteristic of celiac?

Any idea on how long it might take for my body to become strong again - assuming I've had celiac disease for a long time? Months? Years?

[KaitiUSA]

It varies from person to person..depends on the overall health, age, damage to the intestines and so forth of a person.

I had to be on Nystatin for over 1 month...

Food allergies can be linked with celiac...I for one do not have any additional issues with other foods but some people do have them

[gabrielle]

im sorry im a real dope... what is candida? is it just a yeast infection?? are reoccuring yeast infections a symptom of celiac??? just a little confused.

[KaitiUSA]

Candida is an overgrowth of yeast.

I have (or now you can say had)candida in the small intestine. Symptoms can sort of mimic celiac symptoms too. After being on medication to get rid of the infection everything seems fine now

O another thing I recommend...Probiotics are supposed to help with candida because of the good bacteria it puts out so I recommend finding a good probiotic. Probiotics are good in general to help you even if you don't have that though.

[gabrielle]

i've never heard of this!! I used to get yeast infections all the time, and I was told that i was using the wrong soap- BUT I USE DOVE and i've used it my whole life! I hope i don't have some yeast a brewin' in my sm intestine... thanks for the info girls...

[cdford]

Recurrent yeast infections were a real problem for us prior to going gluten-free. Most people are unaware that if you have candida in the usual place for women, you also have it in the intestinal tract. If you do not treat the entire system, it will continue to recur. Once going gluten-free completely, a 10 day round with the diflucan corrected the problem. This was not the first time we had done that, but that in conjunction with the gluten-free diet seems to have fixed it "permanently". (If you have ever had a problem with this stuff, you'll know why permanently is in quotes.) It has now been more than a year since the last episode. We hope that miserable stuff stays away.

[Emme999]

Thanks for the hope! This yeast thing just doesn't seem to want to quit for me - but I'm told not to go gluten-free until after I have the biopsy (in about 3 weeks).

It's *really* frustrating to know that my blood tests came back positive and with all my other symptoms it's a pretty sure thing - but then be told to keep putting poison in my body. It's weird to eat gluten filled foods because I "have to" to prevent my intestines from healing. I can't look at food the same way. Even foods that taste good on my tongue don't taste good in my mind.

I can't wait to start healing!

[KaitiUSA]

Yes do not go gluten-free until all testing is complete. Do remember though if there is sporadic damage or no damage yet they may miss a diagnosis but you still may have it. There are some blood tests that are specifically for celiac and have a slim to none chance of false positives.

[Rikki Tikki]

I agree with Kaiti. Don't go gluten-free until after the biopsy. I still wonder why it's not enough if you have the blood test and it's positive they continue with the biopsy. I guess it's just one of those medical wonders. I think I wish my doctor had just told me after the blood test and not waitied for a month while I continued with the gluten.

Hey Kaiti: How do they know that you have a yeast infection in your intestines? Is there a specific test? As a woman would you know because of a yeast infection in other places?

Is it something they should be looking out for?

I guess I am having a problem in that after diagnosis your just kind of left on your own. For me there is not any follow up in regards to vitamins or anything else? How does everybody else cope with this?

[KaitiUSA]

Sally- I had a stool test done in January of 2004 that showed candida...they were not even looking for it but thats what they found. The doctor I had at the time blew me off with that and just sort of overlooked that test result. I did not get treated for it until this year...I was on Nystatin for over a month and it has seemed to clear it all up.

There is a wide span of symptoms that candida can cause. You can find many lists of symptoms on the web. Alot of symptoms are similar to those of celiac. I sometimes had symptoms after there was no possibility of gluten and found out they were being caused by the candida.

Probiotics and vitamins help...

I prefer sublingual B12 vitamins on top of a multi though so it goes straight to my bloodstream...intestinal candida likes to thrive off of vitamin b.

[jknnej]

Kati,

Tell me one more time what kind of digestive enzymes you take..I'd like to try some.

Thanks, Jenn

PS where do u get them as well?

[KaitiUSA]

Jenn-

I take CompleteGest by Enzymatic Therapy(capsule form) I get them at Vitamin Shoppe or Roots(a health food store) You could get them pretty much at any health food store I would think.