I had to keep after my MDs to give me something more than the one-time-only dose of 100 or 150 mg Dilfucan/fluconazole, and it wasn't until I was up to 200mg PER DAY for weeks that I got better.
Mine was an extreme case, but it just shows that it can happen. Another MD, a family friend who doesn't treat me, suggested I ask for tests for yeast other than Candida IgM, but so far I haven't been able to get any MD to test for anything else -- although Candida is only about 60% of the bad yeast infections out there.
There was an MD (now deceased) named William Crook who figured out that, with the rise in abx use, there was also a rise in fungal infections (yeast), and 20 years ago he had begun studying and treating yeast infections with antifungal medications and diet. His books are written for laymen and are pretty easy to follow, but because he didn't publish through the medical journals, mainstream medicine discounted what he said (and still does).
His books (and books he inspired) are on the internet used and new, just google -- william crook yeast -- and you'll find them if they are helpful to you. I bought a bunch of them a few months ago, and they are somewhat repetitive of each other, so you don't need them all, imo. The recipe/meal planning books are pretty but don't have a lot of stuff in them.
(I will say though that I have always had a touchy gut ever since I was a little kid, and it was only after I went on this no-sugar,no-grains, no-dairy diet that my gut quieted down like never before in my life.)
If I learn anything else about this topic, I'll post on it.
I have IBS symptoms right now and I am on treatment. I have lower abdominal movement and twitching so bad they had to give me an gyno ultrasound, but it turns out it is indeed my bowel. I have also had a long history of ulcers as well.
JackieCalifonia,
I think I need to get my yeast levels tested. I have horrible brain fog. No bloating or anything, but my tongue is swollen and hurts too. My dr's say it's not from yeast, but I still wonder.
I have learned the hard way over the past year that I got severe yeast problems from all the antibiotics I have been taking over the past couple of years for Lyme and a coinfection. When people (incl. MDs) hear the term 'yeast infection', they think 'vaginal' and then they think ' monistat cream' for a few days. There is much more to a yeast infection than that, however, and some (otherwise very good) MDs don't get it.
I had slowly been getting a foggy brain and a swollen belly, but I just thought it was from gaining weight, but when I started getting shooting pains at either side of my waistline, I realized something else was happening. I was also fog brained, but thought that was the Lyme. It was all easy to explain away, and several MDs (including my LLMD, an internist, and an infectious disease MD) just blew it off.
Finally I got one of them to order a blood test for Candida [a type of yeast] IgM, and it came back extremely high. I have now taken Diflucan (fluconazole) for extended periods of time, but it has risks of liver damage.
The medical profession has viewed antibiotics as low-risk tools for a half century now, but it's not like that for everyone. Some of us may be more sensitive to the effects of massive antibiotics, and in addition I was taking (at the LLMD's insistence) a yeast-based probiotic called Florastor, which I am now told not to take again. That is a product popular in Europe and starting to be used here in the US, and there are problems showing up as documented in medical literature, but MDs still think Florastor is okay -- because it shows high levels of protection against a very serious bacterial infection (C. difficile) of the intestines that can happen after extended antiobiotic treatment. For many people, Florastor is good; for me, it was not.
The bloating and brain fog you mention sounds like me. I stopped all antiobiotics 6 months ago, went on a strict diet to avoid feeding carbs to the yeast, and took Diflucan off and on at my doctor's instruction. I'm much better now but still not entirely over the whole thing. Yeast is common in the environment, but when it takes over your body they way it did mine, it's a serious event but MDs don't expect to see it except in (for example) AIDS patients on longterm antibiotic therapy who can get thrush (yeast infection in the throat).
So I'm not saying you have a systemic yeast infection, but if you can badger your MD into doing the bloodtest to see what your Candida IgM is, it will at least rule out that. The symptoms are so similar to Lyme that it might be lurking without you knowing it.
Just a thought; I'm not an MD, so this is just a guess on my part. Let us know what you do and how you do -- best of luck --
my worst bloating/IBS. was before I got treated with 'doxycycline' [antibiotic] - I now take 'acidophilus' daily - regardless of any meds. [good bacteria] - I just take one high strength tablet.
The bloody stools could be from the 'constipation' which goes with IBS. - you should always get 'bloody stools' checked - it is often from heamorroids [can't spell that!!] - I have found that the 'suppositries for heamorroids' are good - ie; stopped me from getting them - hey I know this is an embarrassing prob. but it is usually part and parcel of IBS.
I used to get soooo bloated - you would think I was about to give birth!!! - well almost.
I can relate to most of your symptoms with the exception of 'noises in ears'.
I feel that anxiety and depression go along with lyme - either it is a symptom or it is brought on by all the 'unknown' stuff that is lyme.
I have most of what you mention except the GI. I have read that Samento is effective on lyme and viruses. So maybe it's working for you.
Yep I have most of those symptoms you mention. The only symptom I'm not getting which seems typical in lyme is the vision problems. I also don't have much GI problems.
Good luck. Hope you feel better soon.