CANDIDA SYMPTOMS

What are typical Candida Symptoms?

Not feeling well? Maybe you got Candida!

Candida is a type of yeast that naturally grows in your intestines. Yes, even in yours, sorry!

When the balance of healthy friendly bacteria is out of kilter a yeast overgrowth occurs.

Causing all sorts of Candida symptoms namely inflammations that can literally occur anywhere in the body.

Typical signs of a yeast infection include sneezing and dry, sensitive eyes – no different from a cold or hay fever.

If your immune system is up to spec you are likely to only experience a very localised infection of the skin or mucous membranes of your body. The most well known type of candida symptom in women is probably thrush.

Candida Symptoms versus Cold/ Hay-fever Symptoms

It’s usually quite hard to differentiate between a yeast infection and say a cold or Hay-fever as candida symptoms are virtually the same. Yeast infections can make you feel equally as groggy.

Signs of a Simple Yeast Infection

Other common candida symptoms include redness, itch and discomfort in the affected area.

Typically infections of the nose, sinuses, throat area right down to the stomach, digestive organs and genitals.

Chances are, if it’s warm and moist you can get a yeast infection in that part of your body.

Candida Die-Off Symptoms

To top it all when your body manages to eliminate some Candida it produces poisonous by-products that are a seriously uncomfortable local disorders of a Candida infection. This is also called Candida Die-Off.

Candida Symptoms of Systemic Candida Sufferers

If you’ve been very ill or your immune system has taken a knock due to a prolonged period of stress you might experience what is called systemic or Chronic yeast infections.

The general characteristics of this type of candida are the same you just have lots of candida symptoms. These symptoms have become chronic over time.

You might have inflammations on your skin as well as the sinuses and your bladder or sexual organs. In severe cases even the brain and the heart get infected. That’s why it generally takes longer to get rid off all the candida symptoms for people who suffer from Systemic Candida.

The fact that Candida problems can occur everywhere in your body makes it a bit hard to diagnose. Millions of people suffer from all kinds of candida symptoms for years, until they find out that a yeast infection is the reason why they’ve been suffering.

If you suspect you might have candida I recommend you join my email list. That’s where I share everything I know about yeast infections that you cannot find anywhere else on this site.

But first go through this helpful checklist to be able to quickly assess if your problems might be Candida related.

Self Diagnosis Help:

Even if you only have 1 or 2 of these candida symptoms but on a regular basis this can indicate that you might have a yeast infection.

You don’t have to show ALL the listed ones here!

That said, sadly, by the time most people find out about their candida infection it has become systemic, virtually encompassing all the candida symptoms mentioned.

Candida Symptoms Checklist

Cravings for sweet food and bread (yeast feeds on sugar)
Mood swings, depression and sudden anxiety attacks (Candida interferes with hormones)
Feeling “woozey” after eating a lot of carbs (yeast produces alcohol)
Feeling low and tired (particularly after a meal)
Feeling bloated and/ or gassy
Constipation or diarrhea, IBS
Skin infections, rashes and nail fungus
Food allergies, hayfever
Sinuses, lung and throat infections
Urinary tract infections, thrush (Candidiasis), low libido, painful intercourse
Joint pain, stiff joints
Edema (for instance swollen ankles)
PMS
Loss of memory, foggy thinking
Thyroid problems, hair loss
Insomnia
Muscle twitching, heart palpitations
Numb or tingling feeling in fingers or toes
Dry, irritable or infected eyes
Sensitivity to smoke, perfume and damp, moldy environments
Weird and random symptoms!

What’s your score – How many Candida Symptoms have you got?

3+ Candida Symptoms:

If you ticked more than 3 boxes, then there’s a distinct chance that the symptoms you’re experiencing might stem from a yeast infection.

To be double sure you can try out a free home Candida Test. Regardless of the outcome though I’d recommend you follow the candida diet for a few weeks to see if it helps you to get rid off your symptoms.

6+ Candida Symptoms

If you ticked one of the highlighted options then it looks like you already have a yeast infection. This can be sorted out very quickly though generally, if that’s the only candida symptoms you’re displaying.

If however you’ve ticked more than 6 boxes altogether, then I’m afraid it’s highly likely that your Candida Symptoms are not coincidence but signs of a systemic yeast infection. You can treat this naturally, too, so don’t worry. It just requires a bit more of a systematic approach with focus on re-building your immune system, as if you had only a mild infection that’s localized to one area in your body.

For you my friend The Candida Diet is not optional. It’s your only chance of getting your Candida symptoms under control and your health back. You’ll find lots of tips and natural remedies for any symptoms you might have, here on my blog.

If you suspect you might have candida I recommend you also download the “Candida Safe Foods List- Pdf” – Not only is it FREE for you if you get my updates – you’ll also get my weekly health tips and recipes emailed to you.

Candida Diet: 5 Core Natural Remedies

Every Candida Sufferer Should Have! Get Your FREE Report Now

susan mundell
Reply June 1, 2012
May I eat mozerella cheese and a green apple and biltong on the candida diet?
- Sandra
  Reply June 1, 2012
  Hi Susan,
  have you just started the candida diet? I’m only asking because the guidelines what you can eat are a lot stricter at the start of the diet as opposed from say in phase 3 when your immune system has got stronger.
  Biltong is made from red meat which takes a long time to get fully digested, and therefore encourages fermentation and yeast-growth in the gut. That’s why it’s not the ideal candida diet food.
  That said if you only enjoy it as a snack occasionally I wouldn’t worry about it. Try to find what ingredients were used to make it though. If lots of salt, vinegar and sugar were used then better avoid it for some time.
  You can eat small amounts of mozzarella from phase 3 onwards if it agrees with you. In phase 2 I’d stay away from practically all dairy because of the natural sugar it still contains.
  If you are eating out and it’s either mozzarella and tomato salad or pizza then opt for mozzarella – damage minimization…
  Green apples do unfortunately contain fruit sugar and are generally not allowed on the candida diet.
  I personally believe you can enjoy a few slices of green apples, some blue berries or half a grapefruit, every once in a while – as a treat, say every couple of weeks or once a month. If the rest of the time you stick to the diet consistently then vitamins and enjoyment outweigh any potential negative effects in my eyes.
  So, just to summarize: Eating these foods on a regular basis might prolong your candida problems.
  But if you generally eat healthily as best as you can then you can occasionally snack on things like biltong, green apple or mozzarella; as long as they don’t make your symptoms worse.
  Hope you’ll get better soon. Feel free to ask me any other questions you might have – that’s what I’m here for ?
  Sandra
susan mundell
Reply June 1, 2012
Biltong is dried meat south africans love
k
Reply August 25, 2012
I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease and also Candida . I believe I have had Candida for quite some time and now it’s manifested to the point of needing thyroid medication . I have a great Doctor who suggested Olive Leaf, Oil of Oregano , Grapefruit extract , Acidophiles, but the endocrinologist wants me on Syntroid , which I am fighting to start . What are your feelings on controlling Candida versus thyroid medication .
- Sandra
  Reply August 26, 2012
  Hello my friend. Hashimoto’s disease and Candida can go hand in hand.
  I truly believe that I would not have had Hashimotos if I hadn’t had candida undetectedly for so many years. The disease was simply wearing my poor thyroid out. Now sadly I went through the whole endocrinologist’s medication shebang because I had no idea about the underlying cause. Had I known about candida I had tried the natural approach. I actually had a thyroid overactivity relapse and went back on the medication again a few years later. So don’t think if you take the thyroid medication now it will be over for good. It can come back!
  Those kinds of medications have also got far reaching side effects. Mine for instance made my skin extremely sensitive which led to several years of eczema problems.
  Without knowing how bad your condition is and bearing in mind that I am not a doctor I feel inclined to recommend you to work with a naturopath to bring your hormone levels in order. Just reducing the toxic overload in your system from the candida will take a big burden off your thyroid and immune system. So you might not need any endocrinological medication after all. How wonderful would that be!
  There are also fantastic herbs and natural remedies to regulate how your thyroid works, relaxation techniques to manage stress levels, certain foods that inhibit thyroide activity or boost it… So if like you say you have a great doctor who supports you in following the natural approach it’s well worth giving this a shot first. Controlling candida symptoms is key to a healthy thyroid.
  All my best,
  Sandra
Beth
Reply August 31, 2012
Hi Sandra,
I’m at wits end – I just delivered my second son and three days before delivery my body became racked with hives or probably PUPPS. The doctors told me it would go away with delivery but seven days post partum it is still raging. I put myself on the candida plan just yesterday – and it seems as if the hives actually got worse – I’m guessing this could be normal with the die off symptoms? Any hope you can offer as to when these hives may start clearing up and I might find some relief – the itching is unbearable! Would love your advice and input!
Thanks, Beth
- Sandra
  Reply August 31, 2012
  Hi Beth, I’m feeling for you – itchy skin can totally drive you crazy.
  I cannot even begin to imagine how stressful this must be with a new born baby as well. From my experience skin inflammations always get worse when starting on the candida diet before they are getting better.
  Here are a few things that have helped me when my skin flared up:
  – Make yourself a big flask of fresh chamomile flowers tea and drink it all throuout the day
  – Make sure that you also drink lots and lots of good quality still water – You want to flush out whatever is upsetting your system internally as quickly as possible.
  – Most importantly you need to calm down your body – inside and outside. So deep breathing, yoga, listening to relaxing music or guided meditation and minimising stress are super important.
  – Just as much as avoiding foods that promote inflammation. Avoid eating meat (particularly red meat) eggs, coffee, highly spicy food and sugar at all costs.
  – Eating oily fish or taking fish oil supplements is very good, so is eating lots of veg, leek, onions. This will help to take the redness out of your skin to calm it down. Eating cooling foods like cucumber, as boring as it sounds, is a god send when your skin is going crazy. Eat plenty of it.
  – Initially to stop the itch it can be beneficial to take antihistamins but I don’t know if that is perhaps not advisable if you are breast feeding.
  – Try NOT to scratch (I know it’s incredibly hard not to…!)
  – Drinking aloe vera before meals is helpful. It’s also soothing as moisturiser (especially if you put it in the fridge).
  Be patient, giving birth is a shock to your system and very stressful. So it’s quite normal that your body is out of kilter for quite a bit afterwards. It’s natural to feel alarmed by it but try and focus on doing things that calm you down and that you enjoy. And go easy on the diet. Perhaps just eat a bit healthier and lighter than you would normally do, giving your body time to adjust to the changes.
  Hope this helps.
  Ps: Congratulations to your baby boy All the best for you
Beth
Reply September 2, 2012
Thank you so so much – I’m going to give your advice a try and hopefully we will see some positive results soon:) I so appreciate you spending the time to answer and help.
Sally
Reply September 7, 2012
I believe I have systemic yeast. I DO have most symptoms I find listed on every site I look at! I was feeling like a crazy, unstable hypochondriac until I started my own research. I so appreciate others experiences as often they are similar to mine.
Lately, I’ve been crazy with anxiety. Today I found another site which others were experiencing similar levels to mine. This doesn’t seem like it is addressed often enough… or understood. I think it’s interesting that I recently changed my probiotic to a much stronger strength. Until the increase, the only die off symptoms were a few break outs and feeling sad occasionally and usually in the evening- which I blamed on craving sweets. I was getting increasingly frustrated because I was expecting to get “sick” from die off and I was only continuing with the fatigue which seems to have become my longest and largest symptom for several years. I’ve also had heart palpitations, night sweats, disturbed sleep, thyroid issues, skin and nail fungus and hair loss long before I ever began my candida diet. (Start date was July 22.)
I realize now that a better probiotic has given a kick start to die off that the rest of my anti-fungal- vitamin- supplement regiment wasn’t touching. What I didn’t realize until today was ANXIETY is a symptom of die off.
Please everyone, be kind to yourself through this process! I’ve been kicking myself for my lack of energy, foggy thinking, lack of focus and anxiety. I’ve been a saint on this diet- no cheating- not even a breath mint. I read every label- ever since I found there is more than tuna in a can of tuna, LOL. I will continue to believe the few testimonies of when this is through, I will feel amazing!!!
- Sandra
  Reply September 11, 2012
  Hi Sally, I’m glad you mention Anxiety as a typical Candida Symptom – I totally agree. I personally have had real panic attacks and also felt inexplanably sad at times – definitely die off symptoms. Sometimes you only realise it once the symptoms subside. For years for instance I believed I was depressed, but really it was just the yeast playing havoc with my emotions. This is very hard to fathom for candida sufferers just as much as for the people living with them. But it really helps to share experiences just like yours and encourage each other to keep following the diet.
  And I can definitely vouch for the fact that the brain fog, anxiety, night sweat… you mentioned all go away as soon as the yeast count has gone down to a manageable level. To this day I am still amazed and almost waiting for the symptoms to come back, but fingers crossed they’ll stay away for good.
  Hope you’ll see a marked improvement, too, soon.
Hade
Reply March 1, 2013
I’ve always had digestive problems and doctors never find anything wrong with me they just give me the usual things for an upset stomach but its not just my stomach that bothers me, I can feel it in my intestines too and lately I’ve been feeling really sick and just can’t take it anymore because it is affecting me in school so I’ve been searching all over too see what could be the cause of my problem and well everything that is wrong with me that I’ve searched has ultimately led me to Candida which I had no idea existed. As i kept reading more and more about it and looking at the symptoms I realized that this is definitely my problem and when I talked to my parents about it they told me that when I was little I had this problem and the doctors even diagnosed it. I never knew about this because my parents had forgotten about it even though I’ve struggled with digestive problems all my life! so you see why I am so set on this condition being the issue. On one hand I hope I’m right because this is really taking over my life and I need to find an answer to why I feel so weak all the time and just overall feel like something isn’t right, but on the other I’m worried that i cant do the diet because I LOVE FOOD!! i have a bad sweet tooth and eat sweets and candy everyday, pretty much every food I’m not supposed to eat on this diet is what I love to eat and usually eat on a daily basis. I want to give this a try but I noticed that the first week says you have to fast….how does that work? I’ve never fasted before and I cannot live off of water alone for even a day…
- Sandra
  Reply March 2, 2013
  Hey Hade,
  don’t despair, I’m just like you – I LOVE FOOD! That’s a good thing. You can use that to your advantage.
  If you love food you’ll have the drive to find foods and recipes that really nourish you, leaving you happy and energized. Granted, there are times when your body has to adjust to new foods. But you can do this gradually. Particularly if, like you say, you are eating a lot of the wrong foods on a daily basis at the moment. No need to launch yourself into a full on fast. That’s way to radical.
  Just slowly replace a few sugary foods with filling healthier alternatives.
- Eat wholemeal pasta instead of white pasta, preferably rice pasta or soba noodles.
- Eat oat porridge instead of cereals.
- Eat brown rice pudding with rice milk and cinnamon as snack (so good for you, filling, comforting and really yummy!). So good in fact you could have it for breakfast.
- Snack on seeds, nuts, probiotic yoghurt.
- Make wholemeal pancakes instead of your usual snacks….
- Or try a few smoothies for an afternoon boost of energy.

Karrie

Reply June 4, 2014

I am new to the Candida world. A friend just posted some info about it on facebook a few days ago and when I read it a light shown down from above and I heard music. I have gone to a doctor for at least 4 years because I was fatigued to the point I could fall asleep driving, I had horrible memory problems to the point of forgetting what I was saying in mid-sentence and libido was gone. I was 33 when I first went to the doctor but I believe my symptoms started when I was in my early 20’s.
Naturally, my doctor told me I was depressed and my blood work showed I had the Epstein Bar Virus. I was also told I had chronic fatigue and went through a sleep study which showed I have restless leg. Last year my husband and I both started a diet we did for 10 1/2 months which was 0 carbs and a lot of protein with one day of free eating and not counting carbs a week. (I’m not over-weight I did it in support of my husband) Let’s just say I felt a lot better on that diet and did really well not realizing until now that that was the best thing for what I have come to realize is a candida over growth.
I could go on for hours about how excited I am to get my life on track. I have 3 children and most of their life I have been so tired and it has been so frustrating taking medicine after medicine thinking it would help and nothing. The doctor said she was going to have to send me to a psychologist because she couldn’t understand why the medicine wasn’t working. I always told my husband that I don’t understand why my brain won’t work and why I’m so tired. I’m not that old yet.
I wish my doctor would have just mentioned something about Candida.
I have 12 of the symptoms listed above, I’m so ready to be myself again. Thank you for posting so much information to help me on my journey!

Sandra
Reply July 15, 2014
Hello Karrie,
sorry for the late reply, how are you now? I hope you have seen an improvement in your symptoms. It certainly sounded encouraging that you responded so well to the diet you were following with your husband. I totally get what you are saying about feeling so tired all the time and not understanding why your brain isn’t working. It is the most frustrating thing ever, as if your body is disconnected from you. And especially if your doctors don’t know what’s going on, how are you meant to know… The main thing is that you can get better, slowly but gradually! It is hard with 3 kids that want to be fed “Candida un-safe food”… but at least you will soon have more energy to deal with their demands. Please do keep in touch and let me know how you are getting on. It will be so nice to get your life back. I am keeping my fingers crossed that your recovery is as quickly and smoothly as possible. All my best,
Sandra
Sandra
Reply July 16, 2014
Hi Karrie, sorry for the late reply — I know exactly how you must have been feeling! It’s high time you got your life back
It’s not always easy to follow the diet when you have kids. But just take one day at a time. You can do this! Soon your foggy brain will be a thing of the past…! Have you started on the diet yet? How are you getting on? All my best, Sandra