Ongoing digestive trouble...

Hey. :] Perused this forum for a while, and finally decided to join and see if I can get some answers...

I've been having some debilitating issues with my GI tract for a while now. It started way back in December, when I got pretty violently sick at work (ie diarrhea) and had to leave, and then again in January, forcing me to quit. Both times, I'd consumed sugary-sweet things about four hours prior to the episode. The first time, I was chewing some sugarless gum with xylitol and sorbitol in it, so no explanation needed there, and the second, it was right after eating chinese food. Despite that, most of the problem has been gas and constipation. I haven't had diarrhea since (though it feels like I've come close a few times, staved off with Pepto Bismol). My diet is pretty much limited to chicken, potatoes and saltine crackers. Any red meat, fiber, sugar, pasta, dairy or fruits/veggies just make me gag to look at them.

My GP (Who is a skeptic when it comes to homeopathy) did an IBD blood test and is now convinced I have Crohn's, but I'm not so sure. My symptoms don't match up that well, and once I saw that the antibody marker was for a bakers yeast, I did some research on Candida Overgrowth, and here's what I came up with... spit test- positive. Questionnaire- DEFINITELY positive. And after excluding yeast and sugar from my diet, I've tried reintroducing it, to painful results.

It makes more sense to me that it would be a yeast infection, because I realized I've had recurring vaginal yeast infections (now that I know what they are) for as long as I can remember. The symptoms were gradual in onset, and I also have some pretty severe acne on my face that won't respond to usual treatments. Depression has set in, and yes, there is an extensive family history of that. Not only that, but my father has Diverticulosis, and my mother had IBS for a while before I was born.

I'm going to see a homeopathic doctor about this, but is there any way I can start treating myself for Candida before then? Would Align probiotics be a good idea, and other things like caprylic acid to help kill the yeast?

Thanks. :]

[patient915]

I would recommend seeing a GI doctor and asking about a colonoscopy due to your family history.  Good luck.