I believe I've had CD my entire life also. Had a very weak stomach as a child. As a teen would feel sick even though nothing was going around and would have little or no fever. Things got worse after I had kids. After my daughter was born I had a sinus infection and low grade fever for 3 months. Went anemic during both my pregnancies. I would imagine I had boughts with candida from time to time also. More often than not in the last 15 years. The only thing that sent me to the hospital besides the migraines was what I thought was a heart attack in my early 30's. They said every thing tested fine and some women my age would have pain in their chest muscle walls and no one knew why. I now know it's the candida. I read somewhere (I really need to write down where I read things!) that the mycotoxins released by the candida often time cause muscle pain in the lower back, shoulder area and chest wall. Sorry, forgot about the time in my 20's when my husband gave me a big bear hug, I had a searing pain in my lower back on the right. Went to the ER thinking I had ripped something (it hurt that bad, after I screamed, he let go of me and I was on the floor) they said it's just tight, start walking to make it better.

Every day things get better. I've been LC since the middle of Feb. I read about the celiac and was eliminating gluten when on Valentines Day we went out to dinner. Had one scoop of icecream (which I didn't usually eat because dairy and IBS don't go together)and the next day I was on my back I was so sick. It was the next day or two I found out about the candida. Sugar was gone that day. And it's slowly getting better from there. I started exercising this week!! Slow and steady, little old ladys were passing me on the walking trail around the lake at the park!! But at least I was out there!! I do yoga a couple of times a week and next week I'm adding weight training with hand weights to get some upper body strength. I'm currently a total wimp. Are you doing any regular exercises? I eat regular cheese but only natural and only an ounce at a time. Still don't drink milk. Probably never will. Couple of times a month I'll have sour cream on my taco salad. Most of the other candida stuff, sugar (never again added to my diet), vinegar, mushrooms, sill stay away from those. I only added the cheese after my energy started coming back and did it slowly to see if it would flare up the IBS. Some thing I'll probably just never eat again.

Do you take L-glutamine? It does amazing things. I do and I just found out I can take way more than I am. I'm gonna get the powder so I can take more. It's an amino acid and it helps to rebuild the intestinal wall where it's been damaged. It also combats muscle fatigue. People who work out take it so they don't have muscle stiffness the next day and if you take it 1/2 hr before you eat on an empty stomach it stops sugar cravings. It's a brain food and aids in clear thought, there's more too. It's amazing and not expensive. Deffinately something you should look into.

OMG, I can't believe I wrote that much. Hope you don't mind. With the kids and my schedule I don't have any close friends, the kind who talk about everything. Since I've discovered all this stuff, it's really nice to talk to someone about it who understands. I'm so glad I found this forum. There are so many great people here!! Thanks for the link. It's very interesting. I speak a little medicalese but that was a little over my head. If you have something that's a little more layman directed that would be great. Hope you have a great weekend!!!

Liz