Yeast Gave Me IC...?

[IamBlessed]

I'm almost positive that I had an undiagnosed, and untreated vaginal yeast infection when I was about 10 or 11 years old. At age 11 I started to develop gastrointestinal problems. It started with stomach aches, nausea, and cramping. Then the diarrhea started. As years went by my symptoms got worse. By age 13 or 14, I was given Bentyl and told I had IBS. The medicine did nothing to help. I continued to suffer with IBS with it getting a little worse every year. I was able to stay in school but often made embarrassing trips to the bathroom because of urgent diarrhea. I started to notice certain foods seemed to be causing these symptoms so I did my best to avoid them and tried my best to enjoy my teenage years. My senior year in high school, age 18, I got mononucleosis. My childhood doctor loved to prescribe antibiotics, of which I had many over the years, so I'm sure I was put on a round of them to treat the mono. Soon after having mono I started noticing that I had to pee more often then usual. By age 19 I was in college, and bathroom trips had taken over my life. I had frequency and painful urgency. I am now 29 years old, and was given a diagnosis of IC two years ago. I've been suffering for 10 years with IC, on top of my IBS which only keeps getting worse and worse. Lately, I've been flaring more then ever before and I started to pray desperately for some answers. In my hours and hours of searching the internet for answers and help for both my IBS and IC I had seen this word Candida. For some reason I always passed it up and never looked into it. About a week ago while sitting, and suffering, the word Candida just popped into my head. I thought, what is this Candida and I wondered why I'd never looked into it before. The list of symptoms for Candida is long, and I have nearly all of them. I did the at home saliva test and according to that I have Candida, badly. I still need to see my doctor and get the official test, but reading all these things about yeast made me think back to the first major health issue that I ever had. I was 10 and my vagina started to ich very badly. It was a constant nuisance and distraction. I also had lots of white discharge. At 10 years old this freaked me out. I can't remember how long I waited to tell my mother (we were not close and I felt embarrassed) but she finally took me to the doctor. I remember getting checked, but I do not remember getting treated. I do remember being told this was normal, a part of puberty, and my symptoms continued for years. I am wondering, did I have a yeast infection that was never treated? Did this yeast infection develop into Candida? Has Candida been invading my body for nearly 20 years? Did Candida cause my IC? I was always given antibiotics whenever I got a cold as a kid. I think the overuse of them killed all my healthy gut bacteria causing the yeast infection. I also grew up on fast food, canned food, and all around not natural healthy whole foods. As a teen I developed "seasonal" allergies. I took anti-histamines for several years. I also took the birth control pill for 3 years. I think that the antibiotics caused the yeast infection. The yeast infection was never treated, I ate very high sugar and very poorly, took antihistamines, more antibiotics over the years, and eventually in my 20s took the birth control pill. I think all of these things caused my body to develop Candida. I also think it's fairly common knowledge in the IC community that yeast is a huge bladder irritant, therefor it could be a possible cause of IC.

I'm curious if anyone else has a similar story. How long did you suffer with Candida? How long until you got IC? Have you had any treatments that worked for you?

Right now I am following the anti-candida diet, along with the IC diet. I am also taking a new supplement called Caprylic acid. I'm adding more Oil of Oregano and I'm going to start Garlic and Vit E. If anyone out there has a similar story please share it with me. I would love to hear what has worked or not worked for you as I try to fight this yeast.

[IamBlessed]

I thought I would post an update in case anyone is finding this information useful. I saw my doctor and he does believe that I have Candida overgrowth and he also thinks that I have parasites. He said there is no way to know for sure but that absolutely the Candida could have caused me to develop IC.

He prescribed me a prescription anti-fungal(PM me if you want the name) for the Candida and told me to look for natural supplements for the parasites. I had also already started taking a few different anti-fungal supplements and a strong pro-biotic on my own, which he said to continue taking.

So far I am feeling so much better! I am not having any bad reactions or flares from the prescription or the parasite supplement. I do think that the anti-fungal supplements are causing me some urgency and frequency. I had taken them before and did not have a problem. I think that maybe the anti-fungal supplements plus the prescription anti-fungal is just too much since when I tried the prescription by itself I feel just fine. I stopped the supplements yesterday. I am going to add them back in one by one to find the culprit. I am still following a strict anti-candida diet too to help the healing process.

I guess I am posting all of this because I know there is someone out there who is in a similar situation and I hope this information can help you. I went from doctor to doctor searching for answers for my IBS and my IC and got none. It wasn't until I figured out that I probably had candida and then found the right doctor to actually diagnose me that I got some answers. If you're not getting any answers then you need to be your own advocate when it comes to your health. I've spent countless hours praying and searching for answers on my own and now I have them. I feel like I am finally healing. If you think that you may have issues similar to mine I urge you to seek out a Doctor of Osteopathy. I looked up a few and called and asked if the doctor specifically treated patients that have problems with candida.

Praying that everyone can find the answers that they need. If we can find a cause, then we can find a cure!

[Shelby123]

Were you ever exposed to mold? I believe my IC symptoms came from mold exposure.... think back to when your IC symptoms started. I to had a severe yeast infection when it first started.. but soon found out I had two tyes of funguses in my blood from mold exposure. Im curious to find out if you knew of any mold growing in your home?

[Sweetpea85]

Were you ever exposed to mold? I believe my IC symptoms came from mold exposure.... think back to when your IC symptoms started. I to had a severe yeast infection when it first started.. but soon found out I had two tyes of funguses in my blood from mold exposure. Im curious to find out if you knew of any mold growing in your home?

When I first started getting weird health issues first started when I actually got fungus in my nails, got that treated and I ended up getting sick like once a month for a year straight. Then I got a weird case of ring worm or some rings of fungi on my body everywhere I got that treated and over time that went away...I got diagnosed with high prolactin puitary tumor (non cancerous) and got put on dostinex for that then I got my wisdom teeth removed and that actually took me 3 1/2 months to fully heal because something was going on with me (couldn't explain it) then that next year found out I had a huge cyst on right ovary and got
That removed last march 2011 then I was takiing antibiotics and dyflucan and been dealing with infections ever since and I got taken off the dostinex because it was causing my body physical pain. Made my nerves twitch really bad and also stressed me out alot too. I'm still not being treated for that issue but after that laprascopic surgery I got infection after infection after infection and went on dyflucan for 3 months and i also found out my work had a big mold problem and who knows how long i breathed that in because i have been workin there for like over 6 years. But they took care of the mold problem now.

But then finally did a Cystoscopy with hydrostension feb 1 2012 and they diagnosed me with IC. And currently being treated for IC. I was just wondering if anyone else has problems with red circles or ringworm whatever its called on your body? I put fungi cream on them and they seem to go away but come back so just curious if anyone else has delt with this problem and what does it mean? Ive gotten my blood tested before and my immune was put into the "Normal" catigory but im going to get my blood tested again this monday to see what it says now.

Shelby: How do you know mold exposure caused your yeast issues? Im just curious because before my mold exposure ive never had health issues but after being exposed to black mold all these issues seemed to pop up like uncontrollable yeast and ring worm and IC now. My drs that ive talked to doesnt seem there was a connection (made me feel crazy) Also my gyno put me on birth control to stop my yeast infections and it worked so something you can try is birth control. I dont know what ill do when i decide to go off it though.

[Shelby123]

I am not 100% sure that the IC came from the mold but i have a very strong gut feeling it did. I am not a doctor but I no my body preety well and as soon as we moved into that home it had started along with all my other problems as well. Plus it seems to me the doctors dont no a whole lot about IC either so mold exposure could be a possibility since the cause is unknown. Ive had ring worm a few times and I no people whove had it all over there bodies and cant get rid of it and that ushually comes from animals.. if you keep treating your self and not your animals they will keep giving it back to you. Do you have animals? Ive had ovairian cysts and just recently was diagnosed with COPD... the sinus infection was very hard to get rid of! I kept having to go back in for CT Scans and xrays eventually my doctor told me not to get anymore CT Scans because of the radiation.