You probably know by now that I suffer from candida. I’ve had candida for years now, and each day is a new battle, a new fight.
You can read my full story here. Learn how I went from being so sick that I thought I was dying to discovering I had candida.
Candida has a whole host of different symptoms that manifest itself throughout the entire body. It’s hard to diagnose candida because the symptoms are so wide-spread, and most of the time it’s diagnosed as IBS.
My doctor told me that I had IBS, and I spend years trying to fight symptoms and not the root cause.
In this blog post, I want to give you 6 of the absolutely worse candida symptoms that I tolerate every day.
There’s not a day that passes that these symptoms don’t annoy me. Maybe you’re in the same boat as me. Let’s break each of these candida clashes down.
A Candida Version of Jock Itch
Jock itch is a fungal infection that usually forms on the inner thigh. People that get jock itch go crazy by the constant itch or irrating burning. You feel like you’ll never get any relief from this annoying condition.
If you have ever had jock itch, then you’d know what I am talking about.
It gets its name because people who sweat a lot (like athletes) are its usual victims.
Jock itch usually looks like a red rash in the inner part of the thigh and can develop small blisters which either itches or burns. A fungus called dermatophytes is the cause for jock itch.
Similar to jock itch, is a rash that forms in my inner thigh. This rash isn’t caused by dermatophytes, instead it there because of candida albicans.
Though Jock itch and candida rashes are two different types of funguses, the concept is the same and so is the annoyance level.
This candida symptom drives me absolutely insane. Let’s just call it the candida version of jock itch, and it lives up to its name (it itches like crazy), but worse than the irritating itch is that it can also have a sour smell.
That’s right. It smells like yeast.
It’s difficult to treat, and usually, I just let it take its course. I find that these rashes will come and go often, so treating it is a waste of my time.
Sometimes it will be very severe, and other times it will be very light. It all depends on what I eat. At the time of writing this blog post I don’t have the rash, but that could change over night.
There are several different ways you can clear up this fungal rash. You could purchase an antifungal cream like Puriya Antifungal Cream Onitment to kill the fungus and heal the infected area.
You could make a homemade coconut oil cream or use fractioned coconut oil to dilute some essential oils to spread over the rash.
Try using oregano and tea tree essential oils. These are very strong anti-fungals and with it begin diluted in coconut oil it should kill the fungus and heal the skin.
Other great essential oils that are anti-fungals are peppermint, lemon, geranium, clove bud and thyme.
I have added some Amazon links above to suggest products that I’ve used and love. Remember that these procedures only treat the symptoms and won’t get rid of the rash permanently. In order to heal the rash permanently, you need to make sure that you heal your gut by killing the candida.
Chronic Sinus Infections
Another symptom that drives me crazy every day is a sinus infections
Before I got severely sick with candida, I went to the doctor several times to see what was the cause of my chronic sinusitis.
My doctor did some test and ended up prescribing me medication, but couldn’t give me a conclusive answer to what was causing it.
It wasn’t until I got sick and was diagnosed with candida that I realized that the sinus infections were actually related to my candida.
Today, if I eat too much sugar, I will end up with sinus pressure, a headache or infection.
I’m glad that I know that my fight is actually against candida, and that I stopped just treating sinusitis. For years I would cover the symptoms with Advil cold and sinus or use allergy medications.
If I slip in my candida diet and eat too much sugar, a sinus headache will be the result. I mean, days after I will start to feel the consequences.
Sinus problems are the pits. I’m always stuffed up and suffering through that sinus pressure, that headache and pain – it’s terrible.
Also, sinus issues makes me do tired. With sinusitis it’s hard to get motivated to do anything, you feel so groggy and become irritated and grumpy. Ask my wife!
If you’re dealing with chronic sinus issues, I would try using a candida cleanse and see if your sinus problems go away.
I never have sinus issues when I’m not eating sugar or carbs. The problem is when I slip from my diet and eat what I am not supposed to be eating.
Awful Bloating
One symptom that I face every day is bloating. I feel like I’m a balloon ready to be popped.
My bloating or distention is so bad that it causes me lower back pain, arm and leg pain and it’s so uncomfortable.
As of today, it’s been a while since I haven’t had pressure in my stomach. Every day that I wake up I feel like I’m pressing my stomach out.
When I eat sugar or carbs, then my bloating becomes worse – way worse.
I even believe that because I deal with severe bloating that nerves in my back are compressed and this causes pain in my legs, arms and neck.
The bloating has also caused muscles to stretch which causes more problems and discomfort.
The worst part of bloating is how uncomfortable you feel every day. That full feeling that bloating causes really impacts how you live your life.
For many with candida, bloating occurs when you’re eating sugars or carbs but after a while it slowly declines. Not me! My bloating has turned chronic because of the amount of candida that I have in my gut.
Candida ferments the food that’s sitting in your gut and produces gas in the intestines. Because candida messes with the balance in your gut, it causes constipation with produces even more gas.
If you are fighting candida and are annoyed by gas, you could use activated charcoal and see if it relieves the pressure of bloating caused by candida.
I’ve tried many different remedies to try to ease bloating caused by candida, but nothing has worked for me so far. If you are experiencing bloating and you think you may have candida then I would begin with a candida cleanse and start at the root of the problem.
If you have discovered a great way to ease the gas symptom, then write it in the comments below.
Fatigue
The most common symptom that people face with candida is fatigue. Chronic fatigue can impact your life in so many ways.
For me, trying to find the energy to get basic tasks done has become a burden.
There are two main reasons why candida causes fatigue.
The first reason is because of the sinus issues. When someone is dealing with sinusitis they feel tired and sluggish.
I know what’s it like to try to get motivated to do something, but because of sinus pressure you just can’t get the wheels moving.
The second reason candida causes us to be fatigue is the lack of essential vitamins that our body needs but candida makes it difficult for our bodies to properly process it. When our bodies do not have the vitamins that we need, we end up having a weaker immune system which can leave us feeling drained.
One vitamin that our body needs is magnesium. Magnesium deficiency is common with people who don’t have candida; it’s even more frequent with those that have candida.
Magnesium deficiency or hypomagnesia causes a series of side-effects. Muscle twitches, cramps, various mental disorders, high blood pressure, asthma, irregular heartbeat, and fatigue.
Does your day feel sluggish? Are you finding yourself a little behind mentally in the day? If you have candida, this is the reason why.
My naturopath doctor found several symptoms relating to my deficiency of magnesium (irregular heartbeat, constipation and fatigue). He suggested that I take a magnesium supplement. A couple of clicks on Amazon and I had one in the mail, and soon I was replenishing this essential vitamin that candida was stealing away from my body.
Because I have candida, I find that my days always begin slow. I find it hard getting up in the mornings, and starting the day begins at a turtle’s pace.
It’s incredible how much candida affects our lives each day.
Fighting fatigue begins with fighting candida. It’s a domino affect that candida has on our bodies.
I am so glad that I much better than I was when I started to fight candida. When I was first diagnosed I didn’t even get out of bed. Today I’m able to live my life again.
Fatigue is still something that sneaks up on me. Again, if I get off the candida diet and eat things that I shouldn’t all of the symptoms will begin to flare up.
Join and Muscle Pain
I mentioned above that mornings are pretty difficult. When I get up in the morning, I experience joint and muscle pain.
My doctor told me that I was getting older. That’s true!
Aches and pains are a sign of getting older, but it’s also a sign that something bigger may be getting on.
Inflammation often is the cause of achy joints and muscles, and candida can cause inflammation to spread throughout our bodies. This is especially true with people (like me) who have a chronic form of candida.
Let me give you a real-life example. Sometimes, when I sneeze and contract the muscles in my arms, those muscles will ache.
Mornings are difficult for me because my muscles are stiff and sore. It’s one of the hardest symptoms that I have because of candida.
Brain Fog
Hey! Can I get your attention . . .
My last symptom that I wanted to mention is brain fog. Brain fog is where you feel disconnected or distant from reality. Brain fog causes a lack of concentration and focus.
This is something that I struggle with every day. Trying to remember where I’m suppose to be and keeping up with the daily tasks of life can be difficult with candida.
I even have to bring a pad of paper with me to write appointments or even names down so that I don’t forget.
Brain fog is caused by toxins that are roaming inside our bodies. As candida dies, toxins begin to mess with our brain and they cause a series of nasty symptoms. One predominate symptom caused by these toxins is called brain fog.
If you have candida, you’re not alone in this fight. Normally symptoms flare up when eat what we are not supposed to be eating. Do your best to eat right, exercise and take essential vitamins and this will help minimize your symptoms.
Thanks for reading this blog post about the top 6 candida symptoms that I face almost every day. Let me know you’re worst symptoms in the comments below.
