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Hello, I am usually posting on the Lyme Disease forum as I initially thought that all of my symptoms were from Lyme. I have Fibro and CFS as well. Lately I am moving more in the direction of Candida while keeping in the back of my mind that Lyme may still be a possibility. I know that I have a fungal/yeast issue as I have thrush and major digestive issues. My digestive issues were not bad until I quit smoking 2 months ago. Since then I have had chronic constipation. I cannot go to the washroom without the aid of a laxative or an enema however I have bad issues with flatulence. I am also exploring the possibility of tape worms.

I was just wanting the low down on what IBS is all about on this board. Is Candida a known term around here? What is the diet that you guys adhere to? Etc. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Hey Katie,
I've been on the Lyme board too- funny we're running into each other here. Sorry to hear that you're having constipation issues after quitting smoking and the candida problem. Good for you for quitting smoking though! That's a big step, so kudos. Are you on antibiotics at the moment for Lyme or have been? I know that those can cause a lot of G.I problems for some.

For candida it is recommended to cut out sugars, dairy (lactose sugar), and high carb foods (that easily break down into sugars). Some folks are very strict and don't even include fruit in their diet, at least not fruit juices as those are very high in sugar. This diet is often paired with an anti-fungal of some sort whether it be natural or prescription. Dr. Nicola McFadzean Ducharme, ND has some good info. on her site about Lyme and candida if you want to check that out. Also, as Susie mentioned, visiting a G.I doc could help and if you want you could ask them to have you do a parasite/c.diff stool test for you too. I've done one of those before and my insurance at the time covered it.

In the meantime, for your constipation- some natural solution ideas include taking magnesium (and/or doing epsom salt bath soaks) and drinking coconut water/milk- both tend to have a laxative effect. Vitamin C also can have a laxative effect and is immune boosting. Just mentioning some things I've come across.