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Mystery Illness/Brain fog/Light sensitivity

Posted , 7 users are following.

emzie89
emzie89

Hello,

Last October i had really bad digestive issues. Bloating/constipation and gas. I tried every single over the counter remedy, and nothing worked. Fast forward to December, and i found out i was pregnant. I started to feel a bit spaced out, it felt like i was extremely high. It would come and go, along with some headaches every couple of days, which with a little tylenol would be gone.This went away after a few weeks, and then a week later i miscarried. I did not feel spaced out, or have the headaches again until about 3 week later, and now the spaced out feeling is 24/7 from when i wake up to when i go to bed for the past 4 months. 

I am certain that these issues have some link to digestive problems, because the spaced out feeling gets worse when i eat sugar/carbs. I have been to a gastro who did some stool samples, and the only thing that came back was yeast overgrowth in stool. He gave me nystatin for 10 days, and it didn't do anything except make me a little more regular with my bowel movements. He wanted to do a colonoscopy, but i have put that on hold because i don't want to go under anesthesia with my head feeling this way. Other symptoms i am experiencing: 

Extreme light sensitivity 

Heartburn only after "bad" foods 

Bloating 

Constipation 

Stomach pressure 

Itchy ears/nose 

Post nasal drip 

Itching/red vagina (although yeast test from pap came back negative)

urgency/frequency urination (microscopic blood found in urine) 

Undigested food in stools 

White tissue bits in urine and stool 

Yellow nut looking things in stool sometimes without consuming nuts 

I have had a ct scan of the head which was normal, and have been tested for celiac twice. I also read about yeast overgrowth issues seems my gastro found overgrowth in my stool. I saw a doctor who deals with yeast overgrowth who has given me nystatin and diflucan to try. I am giving it a go, but i am 3 weeks into treatment now with 0 improvement. Could you possibly recommend what testing i should have done based off of my symptoms? I feel helpless right now and need some guidance. Sometimes i just feel like i would be more at peace not living, because this is no life. I am not saying i am going to do anything, but this is making me severely depressed.

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • ann11007
    ann11007 emzie89

    Posted

    Hi, in my experience anti yeast treatment can take quite a long time to achieve results. I remember taking Nyastin for many months. It is recommended to support this with anti yeast diet. No sugar few carbs even few fruits etc. There are quite a few guides online. It does work eventually. You could try herbal anti yeast treatments like oregano tablets or Pau D'Arco capsules. Though it is important to find a good practitioner and quality products as the standard does vary.
  • emzie89
    emzie89

    Posted

    Thank you so much for the feedback. May i ask what your symptoms were?
    • ann11007
      ann11007 emzie89

      Posted

      I think it might be a reasonable idea to rule out other issues first, if your doctor suggests a colonoscopy ask for more details, what are they trying to eliminate. Otherwise I am not aware of conventional testing for yeast/fungal overgrowth except for the breath test for SIBO, small intestine bacterial overgrowth which can give false negative. There are other urine tests that a medically trained herbal practitioner can do.

      I can relate to the majority of your symptoms and have found that it is a long term battle to stay on top of bacterial/fungal overgrowth. But perhaps the most important thing is trying to get the right support and advice. I am now getting treatment from a registered medical herbalist and seeing a gastroenterologist for delayed stomach emptying as I got worse with nausea and vomitting. This may also be caused by the bacterial ovegrowth.

      Sorting out the diet though is crucial. At first it is all very daunting so do take care.

       

  • Hildegard
    Hildegard emzie89

    Posted

    Hi emzie - I have a lot of the symptoms you mention - all the stomach issues, feeling of fullness and pressure, bloating, constipation, plus the nose/ears/itching and congestion - but mine turned out to be a combination of : side effects of other meds (NSAIDS and bipolar meds), a stomach ulcer/pre-ulcer from excess acid, sensitivity to artificial sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame, ...

    plus Hypothyroidism. which on its own can cause virtually all the symptoms you describe. Have you asked your GP for a complete blood screen - to have your thyroid tested, plus for diabetes, occult infections (blood cell tests), and vitamin or mineral deficiency?

    Sometimes its easy to focus on the stomach/bowel/diet, which may well have issues - candida infection is nasty and as 185 says, can take a very long time to recover from - but bowel disorders including candida can also be caused or encouraged by other disorders?

    I am finding releif from lanzoprazole off the doctors, plus home remedies:

     - Milk of magnesia (lifesaver!! as you can use it for heartburn in small doses and use it safely as often as you like in larger doses for constipation - as it is an osmotic laxative, not a stimulant so wont make your bowel 'lazy')

     - Ginger (fresh, or dried in biscuits which is the only thing I can eat first thing!)

    - High potency pre- and pro-biotic supplements

    - Good quality low-fat probiotic yogurts pref. from an indepdendent local dairy, (rather than the commercially available ones that often include sweeteners which will give you a lot of bloating and pain)

    - Deflatine or any Simeticone-containing product for trapped wind which I found was the cause of that 'pressure' feeling

    Of all the things that surprised me the most, it was the artificial sweetener thing. I was drinking gallons of flavoured mineral water and diet pop to avoid ingesting sugar. And it was the nasty substitutes that were causing so much pain all along! Just thought it might be a point to bear in mind since you are also avoiding sugar. I also have big probs with fruits - they are both too sugary and too acid.

    Best of luck and hope you feel better soon =- people dont understand how debitlitating it is to have this pain and bloating and how distressing and worrying it is too. I hope things improve soon for you.

    Christine   

  • Hildegard
    Hildegard emzie89

    Posted

    PS - Forgot to say - the 'spaced out' feeling - or Brain fog as you describe - is absolutely textbook for underactive thyroid!!! Do you also feel exhausted, like you could sleep for a month? And do you get dizzy and sick if you try to push past that tired feeling and 'battle on'? I get all those feelings - and very often you can have something called 'subclinical hypothyroid' where your test results are normal/borderline but symptoms are still troublesome. 

    Speak to your GP and get tested just in case. x

  • emzie89
    emzie89

    Posted

    I am working with a doctor who just did a thyroid test, so should have the results soon. She also did a food allergy test to see whether i have issues with foods. It just gets me down that one day i was fine, and i literally woke up with this 24/7 one day. I feel like i will have to live like this forever.
    • Hildegard
      Hildegard emzie89

      Posted

      I know sweetheart - i totally totally understand, trust me. You could ask for some anti-depressants if you feel seriously down: being depressed can affect digestion too - dont suffer in silence. - especially if you feel you cant go on and you are thinking about selfharm or worse..? 

      But if you try some of the tips people on here give you - I can honestly say I never thought anything would work, and my tips are the result of 4 months trial and error, there were lots of other things that didnt work, but you have to keep trying i am afraid!!

      Dont worry - you will get there in the end i am sure - wait and see what the thyroid result says and go from there.

      Very best wishes - loads of people do sympathise so your not alone. x

  • Mo786
    Mo786 emzie89

    Posted

    Hi Emzie,

    Sorry to see you are uncomfortable but please dont be so upset, at least you have a diagnosis for yeast.

    I have been suffering for the last 6 months with the same issues, I have dry skin, mouth, and my body is not absorbing nutrients, i feel weak and miserable and the doctors stil dont know whats wrong, though Iron levels are low, 3 stool tests done and no candida or bacteria or parasites, hcl levels are normal. The only thing keeping me going to work is digestive enzymes and the fact that I need to provide for my family.

    My issue began with overwhelming, extreme anxiety for 2 months...nothing has been normal since.

    I come close to breaking down several times in a day so please lift your spirits as your doctors seem more dilligent than mine.

    Best Regards

     

  • Thefuzz13
    Thefuzz13 emzie89

    Posted

    Out the the blue I had a terrible panic attack and since I'm not the same person. I'll have a couple hours a day where I'm fine and other than that i have extreme anxiety and feel really spaced out almost to the point where it's like im tripping (at its worst). When my anxiety is the worst I feel like I'm losing it then its gone. My head will get really hot and hurt then next thing I know I'm shivering. At night car lights have a little fog around them. I think it might be candida because obtained a candida pamphlet with all the symptoms and I have almost all. I don't get to see a doctor for 3 weeks as the Healthcare system where I'm from is little to non existent. Any help would be great i just really want to feel myself again

  • kristen_96915
    kristen_96915 emzie89

    Posted

    Hi emzie89! I'm so sorry for how you were feeling and I really hope you're better by now. I completely understand because I'm experiencing the brain fog now and have been every single day for over 2 months. My doctors don't want to really listen to what I'm saying or do everything it takes to help me figure out what is going on and I can't stand this anymore!!! I was just wondering if you ever figured out what was causing your brain fog?!

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