candida symptoms-sleep problems, memory loss

Candida symptoms

Here is a list of symptoms and conditions that commonly occur in people with Candida overgrowth.  Most all of these same symptoms typically improve or disappear with effective treatment for Candida.

Some of the symptoms listed may sound “normal,” because the Candida problem is so common in the modern world.  Some are led to say, when they review this list, “Doesn’t that describe everybody?”  It must be emphasized that none of these symptoms are part of normal health.  When too many people around us are ill, strange symptoms may become common, but that does not make them normal.  Many of the things listed — such as asthma, diabetes, epidemic obesity, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, ADD/ADHD, autism, panic attacks and others — were virtually non-existent (or at least much less common) before the 1970s.  They became much too common as a consequence of various factors, including:  widespread overuse of antibiotics starting in the 1950s; increased availability of chlorinated swimming pools; much increased use of pesticides, hormones and antibiotics in the food supply; the advent of the birth control pill; and the addition since the 1990s of barley malt into nearly every baked food (cereals, crackers, cookies) and of high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener in beverages.

A person with Candida overgrowth may have only 2-3 of these symptoms, or may identify with many.

Mental/emotional/nervous system:

• Headaches and migraine headaches
• Depression
• Sleep problems — difficulty falling asleep, or waking up in the middle of the night with a mind that won’t calm down (typically between 1 and 3 am)
• Irritability and confusion
• Poor memory
• Anxiety attacks, panic attacks
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Heart beating too fast or irregularly
• Sexual problems — impotence or lack of desire, or excessive sexuality
• Attention deficit, hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD)
• Dizziness
• Numbness
• Feeling of floating or not quite being in your body
• Indecisiveness, difficulty organizing and cleaning messy areas

Digestive system:

• Cravings for sugar, chocolate, milk, cheese, vinegar, pickles, alcohol, bread, nuts or fruit
• “Metabolic syndrome” which includes the following: large abdomen (“beer belly”), adult-onset diabetes, high cholesterol or triglycerides, high blood pressure
• “Beer belly,” also called truncal obesity — excess weight centered around the abdomen
• Acid reflux/GERD (heartburn)
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Bloating, flatulence or abdominal pain
• Rectal itching
• Constipation and/or diarrhea
• Excessively thin or anorexic/bulimic

Skin, eyes, hair:

• Skin and nail fungal infections (current or past), including: athlete's foot, vaginal yeast infections, fungal toenails, ringworm, jock itch, tinea versicolor or itchy eyelids
• Skin problems like eczema, rashes, psoriasis
• Prematurely graying hair
• Pupils always dilated
• Unusually green eyes, or eye color has turned greenish

Immune disorders:

• Asthma and allergies
• Recurring infections — colds, ears, bladder, sinus
• Autoimmune disease (lupus, hypothyroidism, arthritis, others)
• Penicillin allergy

Whole body:

• Fatigue
• Muscle or joint pain, fibromyalgia
• Cold feet, cold hands, sometimes cold nose
• Sweating, especially at night
• Uncomfortable at any temperature

Women’s health issues:

• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• Endometriosis (chronic pelvic pain)
• Infertility (female), some miscarriages, toxemia of pregnancy (preeclampsia)

Symptoms seen particularly in children up to about 8 years old:

• Early allergy to foods like milk
• Infections as a baby
• Child had or has frequent ear infections, tonsillitis, strep throat or bladder infections, especially if these infections were treated with antibiotics
• Cravings for milk, cheese, yogurt, macaroni and cheese, or peanut butter
• Asthma
• “Drama king” or “drama queen” — complains quite vocally and often
• Poor sleep patterns — difficulty going to sleep, sleeps too lightly or has frequent nightmares, and wakes up too early (or sometimes too late)
• Too thin or overweight
• Attention deficit with or without hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD)
• Aggressive, poor social interactions, can’t stop moving, frequent fights or arguments, frequent crying
• Autism
• Pale complexion, dark circles under the eyes

Two points should be understood with regard to the above list of signs and symptoms of Candida overgrowth.  First, while all of the symptoms listed are definitely seen in Candida patients and evidence indicates Candida causes or strongly contributes to the development of these problems, there are other contributing factors that can also bring about some of these problems (such as mercury or other metal toxicity, consistent excess electromagnetic field exposure, underlying viral infections, petrochemical exposure, etc.).  Second, treatment for Candida alone will usually bring about significant improvement in these symptoms, but will not be adequate in all cases to restore health.  Often additional treatments aimed at improving liver, adrenal or thyroid function, or correcting immune and allergic problems, are necessary to regain health.