Hi, I've been researching on the internet this weekend out of desperation to figure out whats wrong with me and find a way to feel better. I think I have candida. Sorry if it's long, but no one else can understand all of this....

I'm 51, female, and before all of this, had no allergies to anything (food or scents), no stomach problems, really no problems of any kind except for the fact that I smoked, so I got sinus infections maybe 2-3x a year, got treated with antibiotics, and was fine after. I was also prescribed Advair and Albuterol, which I kept in the house and took on occasion, but never regularly.

I also was diagnosed in 2010 with glaucoma, for which I take Diamox and a variety of eye drops daily. Since I lost vision already in one eye, I asked the eye doc what else besides the meds I could do to save my good eye....he said "quit smoking"....apparently smoking is the biggest cause of macular degeneration....the other eye disease that, if I get it, could leave me completely blind.

So in October, 2010, I got another sinus infection and being frightened enough by the eye doctor at the thought of losing my eyesight, I figured this would be the perfect time to quit smoking, since it hurt to smoke while I was sick anyway. So I got a round of antibiotics, some nicotine patches, and I haven't smoked since. But I also have never been the same since that round of antibiotics.

Everyone asked me "dont you feel better now that you dont smoke?". But the answer was "no, I actually feel worse". I went back to the doc after about a month and told him that since my last visit, I have constant respiratory "issues" and other non-respiratory issues. He blew me off saying it would take months to get over a 35 year smoking habit and that I probably have COPD. But I knew this was not true. My symptoms are unrelated to smoking and were NOT present when I DID smoke, which they would have been if I had COPD. They all appeared right after the antibiotics.

My symptoms usually go in 2-day cycles. For 2 days, I wont be able to breathe from my nose, it constantly feels like I have to sneeze, and I have to blow my nose all day long. Then that clears up and the next 2 days I'll be constantly clearing my throat, again the excess mucous causing me to clear it and spit out mucous. Then it's 2 days of coughing, feeling like there is dust in my throat, and again, more spitting out mucous. These are so exhausting and they also come with headaches and shoulder aches. It was googling "excessive throat clearing" that brought me to info about candida.
I can see the doc relating coughing to quitting smoking, but itchy, stuffy, runny nose and throat-clearing? It just didn't make sense to me, plus there are other symptoms.

In addition to having one of the above upper-respiratory symptoms EVERY SINGLE DAY, I also have confusion, lack of concentration, my back hurts, stiffness after sitting (at a desk or driving) and I can barely bend down to pick anything up. In the 4 months since that last round of antibiotics, I have also had bad diareah once, constipation once, and an acidy stomach feeling (with pain and burping) a few times a week, none of which I ever had before. The brain fog is listed as a possible side-effect of Diamox, but I've been taking it since well before all of this and I did NOT have that side effect.

I also had the bad breath thing in the beginning (AFTER I stopped smoking??) but that seems to have stopped. I could tell it wasn't coming from my mouth, it was coming from deeper down and I could actually TASTE it in my mouth.. I also get exhausted by about 8pm and have no energy to do anything after work at all. Dry skin and dry mouth also, but this might be attributed to the extreme cold weather and dry heat in the house.

Oh, and one day a lady came into my job wearing perfume and I had a HUGE reaction...couldn't breathe, couldn't even talk I was choking so bad and I had to run out of the room. It was horrible and nothing like that has ever happened before. Yet with all of this, the one thing I HAVEN'T gotten is a vaginal yeast infection.

So I did the spit test and it sank almost immediately. I am confused because if I do have candida, do you have to know WHERE it is (like esophagus or stomach) or can you just treat it the same way no matter what? Because mine seems to be floating back and forth in different areas of my body.

Since it's only been 4-5 months, I'm hoping I can clear this up before it's too far gone. Do you think I should ask a doc for an anti-fungal first and then maybe move on to three-lac or the "diet" later if the anti-fungal doesn't work?

I have already spent hours reading online but am really no closer to knowing what to do next. But I cant take much more of feeling sick every single day. I live on Advil cold & sinus just so I can breathe and stop clearing my throat and coughing (although that doesn't work fully, just takes the edge off), and regular Advil 2x a day for the muscle and joint pain.

Oh, and I might as well add, I eat mushrooms often (love them), and yes, sugar, dairy, bread and diet soda. But at least I dont smoke anymore! But it almost feels like I might as well, since I feel so horrible ever since I quit. A coincidence, I'm sure, but it stinks that I never got to feel any benefits from quitting because I got "this" (whatever "this" is) at the same time.

What should I do next?

I'll get back to you later, have to get supper for the kids, just wanted to make sure I was subscribed to this thread.

ciao bella

amanda