Hello, I am new to this forum, and hopefully could find some answers.

I have been diagnosed with candida many years ago, and battled it successfully 3 times before. This is my fourth crisis, and I am losing the battle.

For a couple years, I had extreme fatigue and lung congestion. But I only realized candida was back when I had a 2 months bronchitis last spring.

I was then extremely sick and have not really gotten better since. Lungs are ok. But I have been mostly unable to function, eat or whatever for the past six months.

I have used garlic, essential oils, been on the diet strictly (meat, veg, eggs) for months; to no avail. For the past two months I have tried Tibetan medicine, Chinese herbal concoctions. Nothing.

Previously, I had some tests showing bacterial and fungal dysbiosis. But I never paid attention to the small intestine bacterial overgrowth.

And because the problem has been so long term, I have severe leaky gut; with the result that at all times, after eating anything, toxins leak from the bowels into the skin. (This had been also diagnosed previously) These toxins produce a constant prickly, itchy, stinging sensation from head to toe - the whole surface of the skin. It is absolutely awful. I use clay to pull them out which gives me 24 hour break.

Last time, it took me a year to get better from candida; and these toxins feelings in the skin gradually diminished. Now it seems they are getting worse.

Also, since two weeks, I suspect I got some bacterial infection in the gut because I have serious burning in the small intestine area (lower back right in the middle, and towards the lower right side of the colon). The gut feels so inflammed.

Oh, and according to the alternative doctor I used to see, I am allergic to candida itself; which makes me allergic to all moulds (hence a reaction when I try to have any nuts or grains).

I have used Chinese antifungal herbs (bitters with berberine), the diet, avoided allergic foods, taken super probiotics, slippery elm, L-glutamine, betonite, essential oils; but I am nowhere, not getting better at all.

It may be that candida is still there (woke up this morning with itchiness just over the oesophagus, itchiness on the belly which tells me it is) or maybe there is bacterial dysbiosis which has not been adressed?

Has anyone experienced this sensations of toxins in the skin? Leaky gut like Gruyere cheese? Has anyone been severely ill with candida or bacterial dysbiosis?

I know I need a top notch doctor, but there is none here. So am pretty much at a loss what to do next.

Please help if you can.

I have been suffering with a systemic candida for nine years now, I have had the sensation of skin crawling many times which I believe is caused by the candida. I have also had a inflamed liver from the candida for eight years. I have had full body itch severely which I believe is from thecandida as well as bile acids backing up in my bloodstream.it's possible your liver isn't functioning well and that's causing theitch. There is a blood test for serum bile acids which is a really good indicator of the bile acids backing up in into your bloodstream and could tell you if that's what's causing the itching.but also candida causes severe itching, so if you have systemic candida, that could also be causing it.

Hi Dechen,

Welcome to the forums. Hopefully we can all help each other out. I have struggled with severe Candida and SIBO for 10+ years.

I agree with ocdfreak that liver toxicity and poor bile flow can be a common cause of skin problems due to the toxins being excreted through the skin. It seems you are well aware of this with your use of clay exfoliant. Liver toxicity could also explain your gut inflammation and back pain, however. When the liver is overwhelmed and functioning poorly it is forced to dump still toxic substances into the bile which is then excreted into the duodenum (top part of the small intestine) - the result as you might expect is irritation and inflammation of the small intestine which of course causes pain. Any inflammation of the gut can also translate to pain felt in the back which can be mistaken for kidney pain.

It seems that you have been doing all the right things which just shows how tricky Candida and gut dysbiosis are to treat - assuming this is the correct diagnosis. Which tests have you had to confirm this?

Suggestions:

For Candida you may have to bite the bullet and try antifungal medications such as nystatin and fluconazole (Diflucan) for a prolonged period. Recent research has found that nystatin combined with clove oil is very effective so combining medications and essential oils might be helpful.

In terms of bacterial dysbiosis (SIBO) the essential oils and other natural microbials such as grapefruit seed extract should be helpful but you may need to have a comprehensive digestive stool analysis (CDSA) test to identify the strains of bacteria present and the most effective antibiotics (natural and pharmaceutical) for them.

Another factor you need to consider in gut dysbiosis of any kind is digestive function. If you are deficient in stomach acid or digestive enzymes it allows bacteria and yeast to proliferate as food is poorly digested and absorbed and ends up feeding the bugs instead. Additionally, one of the jobs of stomach acid is to sterilise the upper digestive tract and keep it free from bacterial and yeast growth.

For healing a leaky gut zinc and vitamin A are very important as they are required for tissue healing and i the case of vitamin A, mucous production. Mucous protects the intestinal wall from damage. Some specific nutritional formulas are also reportedly very powerful treatments for increased intestinal permeability e.g. Perm-A-Vite from Allergy Research/Nutricology and a product called Seacure which is made from partially digested white fish protein.

Probiotics are a tricky subject as knowledge about them is still in its infancy so it is easy to buy a probiotic supplement that is of poor quality and won't help you at all. It is important you use a probiotic that has been proven in clinical trials - some examples include VSL#3, Culturelle (Lactobacillus GG), Mutaflor, and Align (Bifantis).

I hope some of this is of help.<br /><br />Post edited by: Maff, at: 2009/09/21 19:54

Hello OCDfreak,

Crawling in the skin - I am not sure it would be the same sensations. Mine are stinging like prickly powder, and causing some itchiness.

It is very interesting you should point out liver and bile involvement. My liver is indeed damaged. One Tibetan doctor treating me this summer said exactly this - bile had gone into the blood. It is interesting to know that there are now testings to corroborate these parallel findings. I worked very hard for three weeks on the liver and this burning in the blood. But the diet was too restrictive and I had to concentrate on candida itself.

Where would you get this serum bile acids testing? And how did you deal with this problem? How do you manage to treat candida with an inflammed liver? You must be quite ill.

This is my big problem and why I can't adress candida with all out weapons - liver won't take it. So I wither away, malnourished.

I don't have severe itching; just these stinging, prickly dust, causing some itching in the skin. For all I know, it could be meteorites dust. But some other doctors have said they are toxins leaking out of leaky gut. Heal the infections in the gut, skin problems disappear.

Hi,

You must be very ill if your liver is inflammed! I don't know if your skin symptoms are the same as mine. Crawling? In any case, for me, there's a lot of stinging, prickly sensations... weird tickling on the skin, all kinds. Really nasty.

It is very interesting that you should point out this connection with bile acids in the bloodstream. Last summer, I was treated by a Tibetan doctor who said my liver had blown and was spilling bile into the blood. How interesting that there is a blood test corroborating that!

Where could I get this blood test? And how did you deal with bile acids in the bloodstream? How do you deal with candida with an inflammed liver?

My liver also has some form of chronic hepatitis, but it is from candida and from the treatment as well - essential oils and garlic are very hard on the liver.

We attempted to treat my liver last summer but the diet was too strict - down to turkey and vegetables... It was impossible! I do have very good liver pills made from santalwood, pearl powder, safron, etc. Very efficient. But the poor liver is having a very hard time and I don't know what to do for this.

The fact that the liver is inflammed limits my possibilities for treatment of candida; this is why I am so sick now. I cannot wage an all out war against candida with my usual weapons: essential oils, garlic, GSE.

Hence I really decline by the day.

Hello Maff,

Thanks for that answer. It is helpful.

This is probably what happens, liver is overwhelmed, already I had chronic hepatitis from previous candida fights. So toxic bile would cause inflammation in the small intestine?

The pain in my back is definitely not kidney, it is small intestine - located right in the backside of the basin, and feeling like a circle.

My gut is inflammed through and through - colon and small intestine. Went to the Chinese doctor today who says it is infected with a virus/bacteria. Two weeks ago, caught stomach flu and seems like my immune system is too weak to get rid of it.

Testing confirming candida was done in France, long time ago, through a simple stool test showing proliferation of candida albicans (I had had intraveinous antibiotics not long before). They gave me 7 days Ketonazole. Of course, 3 months later, it was back.
Then I had an organic acid test done in 2005 showing both bacterial and fungal dysbiosis.

As for CDSA, I am in Canada, I am not sure how I could get this done. I would love to have such a test done. Otherwise, we are just treating blind, and self treating which makes it nearly impossible.

In terms of treating candida, as I said to ocd, I cannot take antifungals, certainly not chemical ones, not even the regular natural ones, because of the liver. Took Diflucan for 2 weeks in 2000, and my liver got swollen! I think it caused a lot of damaged. Essential oils also contain phenols which are hepatotoxic. I was thinking of Nystatin, but heard it is not so strong.

I just don't know how to treat candida without these! This is why I am caught in this loop - liver cannot take the real efficient antifungals and candida is damaging the liver.

I use Chinese herbal prescriptions. They use bitter herbs like phellodendron, and sophora for antifungal properties. But candida is very resilient and there is more than candida here. My problem is, immunity has gone completely and I have weakened to the point of shaking and trembling.

I was thinking to get some GSE again. Doesn't it elevate liver enzymes? It can also irritate the gut. But it may be worth another try.

How do you treat stomach acid and digestive enzymes? Supplements? Which would you recommend?

Am already taking vitamins, and a zinc supplement. As for leaky gut, also, I take L-Glutamine and slippery elm, two ingredients of Perm-A-Vit.

I was using Custom Probiotics, which had helped me before. I don't know if you know them. But I have ordered VSL#3.

Merci beaucoup!