This started out to be a quick post on what I’m doing to combat Candida and yeast, but it soon spiraled into a lengthy essay. To make it easier to read I’m going to break it up into three parts. In this, the first segment, I’ll quickly cover Candidiasis and why I’m having an issue with it. Then, in the subsequent posts, I’ll report on the different things I’m doing to deal with it and provide some links for your own research. I hope you find it helpful.
My LLMD is of the opinion that the root of my brain fog is Candidiasis — a systemic infection of Candida albicans. Seeing as my foggy head is really my most annoying symptom I'm trying to take this aspect of my treatment as seriously as I am my fight against Lyme. I always thought yeast was an… um… woman’s problem, but I’ve been enlightened to the fact that it can be an issue for anyone.
What is Candidiasis? I can’t even pronounce it.
Candida albicans are a natural strain of yeast that from an endosymbiosis (save that word for Scrabble) with the body to neutralizes a certain species of gut bacteria. It is very useful in the body when it is found in low concentrations because it helps maintain ideal intestinal flora levels. This maintenance is the normal, healthy function of Candida albicans.
However, the use of antibiotics, even for a short time, can throw off the happy harmony in your gut and allow the yeast to reproduce as it pleases. This leads to a dysbiosis in the gut (a state of more bad bacteria than good) that can quickly snowball into a systemic and chronic issue. For Lyme patients who, like me, are taking relatively massive amounts of antibiotics this is a particularly critical in the treatment of our illness.
How do I know if I have a problem?
It's hard to differentiate yeast overgrowth symptoms from the regular Lyme symptoms because they're practically identical, but when yeast starts to get out of hand it can lead to some very common health disorders. These disorders can range from fatigue, possible muscle weakness, sleep disorders, anxiety, headache, depression, rashes and other skin disorders, hives and itching, brain fog, diminished sex drive, muscle and joint pain and chemical sensitivities.
There is a blood test that can test your Candida levels, but my LLMD doesn’t think it’s worth the price of a needle stick. He treats more on symptoms than blood tests. I also had a naturopathic doctor tell me the same thing. I did have a CFS expert test me way back when I thought that was my problem. The test showed a slight elevation, but noting wildly out of control. Of course that was before I started taking antibiotics.
There’s also a spit test that you can do at home. I tried it, but it’s pretty gross and I’m not going to go into it. Seemed like a bunch of bull to me anyway. Google if you’re curious.
What can I do about it?
Of course, like with everything else I'm up against, the treatment is almost as bad as the illness. Fighting Candida involves a treatment trifecta of drugs, herbs, and diet/lifestyle adjustments. The latter being by far the hardest part for me to adapt to. It involves a huge change in just about every aspect of my already pretty healthy diet.
If you’re in treatment for Lyme (or simply taking antibiotics for any other reason) you should seriously be considering addressing yeast during your treatment. It’s vitally important to keep your body as healthy as possible as you fight the spirochetes. I’m still working out what works best for me. I’ll share what I’m doing in my next posts.
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