i just joined this group recently because i believe that i have a candida overgrowth. i have had "stomach problems" since i was a kid (i'm 23 now), that regularly involved bouts of diarrhea and frequent gas. these symptoms got gradually worse in my late teens and early 20's, so much so that i've been missing work and declining social invites because i'm simply embarassed about my condition. in the past 2 years i've self-diagnosed myself with lactose intolerance, many food and chemical intolerances/sensitivities, and more recently IBS. my main symptoms are nausea, headaches, fatigue, terrible gas, bloating, and frequent diarrhea or loose stools. despite cutting junk & fast foods completely out of my diet (this includes MSG), altering my diet to remove many carbs (i take beano for some) and red meats, and cutting back on sugars i am still having the same problems. it seems like there's a new cause for my discomfort every week!!

i take digestive enzymes with almost every meal (at least 75% of my meals are vegetarian now), as well as beano when needed and multi-vitamins (veg formula) 2x a day. i take a shot of cranberry juice with oil of oregano every morning and night, and an iron supplement every evening. i have also just started taking a shot of apple cider vinegar chased with 1 glass of filtered water first thing in the morning (i have read many favourable accounts of treating various conditions with ACV).

my breakfast usually consists of either A: kefir smoothie (fermented with 2% organic cow's milk) with 1/2 a banana, 1c. hemp milk (chocolate or vanilla), 2 tsp. ground flaxseed and nutmeg and/or cinnamon to taste, or B: a yogurt smoothie (plain organic probiotic yogurt, no sugar added) with 2 tsp. ground flaxseed, about 1/2c. various frozen berries (usually black or rasp), 1 cube frozen pineapple pulp, and 1/2c. cran (no sugar added) or orange juice (from concentrate). i've been drinking kefir and probiotic yogurts off and on for about 3 years now and haven't noticed any ill effects directly related to either of them.

my lunch is most often a cucumber and avocado sandwich on some kind of toasted whole wheat bread (bakery fresh 12 grain with tons of seeds and *on sale* is my first choice) with medium or aged cheddar (i tolerate this well in moderation), yellow mustard, a bit of mayonaisse, and coarse black pepper. some days i do skip lunch though.

dinner varies from day to day but i eat most often organic boneless skinless chicken breast, wild pacific salmon, mostly organic fruits & veggies (i do use canned corn and tomatoes though), russet & red potatoes, basmati or jasmine rice, couscous, chickpeas, mixed nuts (cashew, almond, walnut, etc.) and sometimes pasta (rarely). i believe i am eating a very balanced and healthful diet but somehow i am still having problems. i recently tried drinking freshly juiced (pulp removed) carrot, apple, and ginger juice and i had terrible gas within a few hours (hadn't eaten anything else besides kefir both times i tried it), this leads me to believe that sugar is a bigger problem than i thought (good thing i didn't start that juice fast i was contemplating!). coincidentally after a few google searches i came to a page that described candida, something i had disregarded when mentioned to me a few years ago because the main symptom was a "yeast infection" (how vague), something i didn't think i had ever experienced. well, i'm starting to reconsider.

i'm doing all i know how to for my IBS and am not satisfied with the results. i don't want to keep taking shots in the dark with "treatments", i need something that works. i'm 99.9% sure my problems are related to candida, but how do i find out what 'strain' i have? what if my doctor won't listen or just doesn't have a clue? are there certain tests i can request?

really any insight you can offer would be welcome. i'd like to start a few other threads about more specific topics as well...