Candida Overgrowth: My Triggers and Symptoms

I am breaking down what exactly Candida overgrowth is, the triggers that caused mine, and the physical and mental signs that showed I had Candida overgrowth.

Living with Candida overgrowth is like battling a silent intruder that wreaks havoc on both the body and mind. It took me a couple of years of confusion, suffering, and misdiagnoses before finally uncovering the truth behind my IBS symptoms. I wanted to share my personal journey with Candida overgrowth, shedding light on what my triggers and symptoms were, how I discovered I had it, and the steps I took to reclaim my health.

Understanding Candida Overgrowth

Candida, also known as Candida albicans, is a naturally occurring yeast in our body. It can be found in different systems in our body, including our digestive tract. For most people, they live in peace with this fungus, and it never causes an ounce of harm. However, some lifestyle factors can shift the delicate balance between the yeast and other microorganisms in your gut, leading to an overgrowth of Candida.

Everyone's triggers for Candida overgrowth can be different, but mine were certainly influenced by key lifestyle factors:

1. Weakened Immune System

Growing up, I was constantly getting sick from seasonal allergies and respiratory infections. I was often susceptible to the flu, stomach bug, or strep throat - whatever was going around in school that year. I have taken probably over 10 rounds of antibiotics since I was a kid. The overuse of antibiotics has weakened my immune system over time, making me susceptible to Candida overgrowth.

2. High Sugar and Processed Foods Diet

As mentioned in my other post on the lifestyle that paved the path to IBS, I did not eat the healthiest of healthy foods growing up. When you're born and raised in America in the 2000s, processed foods and lots of sugar were just built into your diet naturally. I was just a product of my environment. By the time I left for college, I began to focus more on my diet and eat more whole foods. Especially when I moved off-campus and into my own apartment, I would cook nutritious and healthy meals, and cut back on added-sugar. Safe to say, that it was simply too late. Candida already found a safe and warm place to thrive in my gut.

3. Birth Control

Being on the pill for almost 8 years unfortunately wreaked havoc on my body. At first, taking hormonal contraceptives were important to regulating my cycle and minimizing my PMS, but the suppression of ovulation led to severe hormonal imbalance. Over time, I became more estrogen dominate, as noted by hormonal acne, horrible PMS, and migraines. Being estrogen-dominant also increased my risk of Candida overgrowth. The hormonal changes from birth control along with other lifestyle factors, again, made it a fabulous environment for Candida to thrive.

4. Imbalance in the Gut

From the previous triggers mentioned, this has created the perfect storm for bad bacteria to outweigh the good. Overuse of antibiotics, a weakened immune system, a highly processed diet, and birth control impaired the normal function of my digestive tract. It has a combination of these lifestyle factors that resulted in a lack of beneficial bacteria. Without the good guys guarding my stomach, Candida was allowed to quickly take the throne.

The Severity of Symptoms: The Physical Symptoms

Before I was diagnosed with Candida overgrowth, I was a seemingly healthy, 21-year-old who just returned from a study abroad program in Italy. My symptoms arrived slowly, like infrequent constipation/diarrhea, feeling queasy after a meal, and even not feeling hungry. After about 6 months of minor disturbances, my physical symptoms began to intensify.

1. Digestive Issues

Digestive issues were the main driver of my Candida overgrowth symptoms. I had persistent bloating, nausea with every meal, stomach cramps, inability to go to the bathroom, going to the bathroom too much, and was really gassy. I could not eat a meal and enjoy it without some digestive disturbance. In fact, sometimes I wouldn't eat at all and would still experience bloating and nausea.

2. Recurring Yeast Infections

I had a 3-month period where I could not rid of yeast infections and BV. No, I was not in a hot-girl-summer-era. I was the opposite of that. Yet, I kept on having recurring infections down there, and antibiotics only made it worse.

3. Skin Issues

I started to have acne around the time I went to college, about 3 years before my Candida overgrowth really wrecked havoc on my body. At that time, it was just hormonal acne during my period. When my digestive orders started worsening, so did my skin. I was breaking out all of the time, around my chin, jawline, cheeks, and forehead. I changed my skincare regime and started getting regular facials. Anything I tried only seemed to make it worse. For almost two years, I just had to settle for inflamed, red, acne-prone skin.

The Severity of Symptoms: The Mental Symptoms

Candida overgrowth does not stop with the physical symptoms, no. That would be too easy! It was affecting my mental well-being, too.

1. Severe Migraines, Fatigue, and Brain Fog

I had been susceptible to migraines in the past, but during this period I would experience migraines and migraine-related-nausea more frequently. I often had to take time off of work to combat these 24–48-hour migraine episodes. I was also chronically exhausted, no matter how much I slept or coffee I drank. There was no sense of mental clarity, and I just did not feel present.

2. Trouble Sleeping

There was a stretch of time where I would take hours to fall asleep and wake up often throughout the night. I would do my best to reduce blue light before bed, drink chamomile tea, read a book, and "wind down". With all of that in place, I sill could not fall asleep easily. When I did manage to fall sleep, I would sleep for 10+ hours and would wake up often throughout the night. I never felt well-rested, even after sleeping for a long time.

3. Stress and Anxiety Peaked

One of the reasons why I had trouble sleeping is because of stress and anxiety. I could not shut my brain off and would often wake up just feeling stressed out and anxious. I was finishing college and applying to jobs at the time, so I also had a lingering sense of doom going into "the real world". This certainly did not help, but even after doing intentional breathwork and yoga, journaling or going on a run, I felt like I had a ton of pent-up stress.

4. Moody and Low Energy

I was constantly moody, and no, it was not that time of the month. My patience was thin, I would pick fights, and my dull mood was keeping my energy flat. I did not feel like my normal self.

For almost a year and a half, I endured these worrisome symptoms without a clear diagnosis. It wasn't until I started working with a holistic chiropractor and took a comprehensive gut microbiome test, that I was able to take back control. I embarked on a journey towards healing and ridding my body of Candida overgrowth.

Learn more about how I tested for Candida overgrowth and the protocol I used to manage my symptoms.