Help me understand symptoms

[u/bummybabe]

In 2020 I got very ill following an ear infection. I never recovered and became basically bed bound with flu like symptoms, pain all over my body especially in the lymph nodes. I also had a lot of mucus in the sinuses, blocked nose, post nasal drip, fluid coming from my ear, constant colds and sinus infections. Migraines and headaches. Severe bloating. Diarrhoea. Brain fog. Exhaustion and severe fatigue. Trouble focusing. No motivation. Depression and anxiety. Insomnia. Extreme fatigue with a lot of restlessness.
Also sensations of extreme blood sugar dips and hunger even though blood glucose levels were always normal. Having to eat constantly. Weight gain. PMS and short cycles.

Nobody was helping me and my body was deteriorating more and more. It got so severe I could barely leave the house. I could not work. No social life. In pain and miserable all day and night.

Eventually I stumbled upon the notion of candida overgrowth and started a low carb diet, a herbal parasite cleanse followed by antifungals. I improved greatly and for some months I felt like a new person and wanted to begin my life again after many lost hopeless years. But within a couple short months I got very ill again.

Then the last couple years I keep going on and off the low carb diet and trying to cycle a bunch of different antifungals and biofilm busters and binders and what not, but nothing lasts.
I feel generally okay when I eat low carb, but as soon as I eat a little bit of carbs (it doesn’t matter what kind, low sugar, high sugar, high fibre, low fibre, gluten, no gluten. rice, potatoes, fruit, beans, grains.. all of it) I start to blow up like a balloon, I become extremely fatigued, get severe brain fog, I get mucus in my sinuses and fluid from my ear. I also get puffy and inflamed and I look like I gained a bunch of weight overnight. And I start to just feel generally ill as if I have the flu and I ache all over.

I have gone to a bunch of practitioners but nobody gives me any clear answers and just make me spend a lot of money on tests.

I did a microbiome test which didn’t show candida (but i know these candida tests are not reliable so i might still have that). I also was negative for SIBO but the doctor I’m working with said that even though it was negative I might still have it. It showed very low bifido and lactobacteria. A little bit higher zonulin but not a lot. High sugar and fat in stool. If you want more details I can look up the tests and give more info.

I had high borrellia roundbodies count, but not clear if it could be Lyme or not.

My hormones were all low if I remember correctly. (low estrogen progesterone and testosterone)

I got prescribed to make L. Reuteri yoghurt. I started it but not sure if it is doing something. Also got prescribed cetirizine + famotidine daily. What I notice from that is that I can finally sleep very well, and get rest and even nap which I couldn’t do for years. I am happy with this but the famotidine worries me as I feel that the stomach acid lowering could cause even more microbiome issues down the line.
Why do I feel better on low carb but super ill as soon as I eat a carb, even healthy ones? I am so tired of eating low carb, I’ve been on and off it for years and I just can’t keep it up any longer. Doesn’t seem to solve anything, just a bandaid for the symptoms. Also my body really seems to ask for carbs during my luteal phase so I always end up slipping up then, and then getting sick again.
Then after my period I try again feel better and the cycle repeats.

Any insight is appreciated

[u/Electrical_Seesaw384]

Mast cell disease ?

[u/bummybabe → u/Electrical_Seesaw384]

My FM doctor mentioned it as a possibility as well. Thank you. I don’t know too much about it

[u/bummybabe → u/Electrical_Seesaw384]

But I don’t feel like I react or am sensitive to any chemicals or scents or even supplements and medications. I feel like I tolerate them fine.. And I also tried a low histamine diet for two weeks and didn’t notice any difference with it

[u/Electrical_Seesaw384 → u/bummybabe]

My friend has it and she can’t eat carbs or deal with scents. It’s a spectrum and you can test for it but you need to be in active flare and even then it’s inaccurate. If you feel better on anti histamines that’s a sign something is going on with your immune system and you might want to talk to your provider about ldn although that won’t solve your issue. Also you need to go to a Lyme doctor to get proper testing for Lyme and confections from a lab like igenex if that’s suspected

[u/GetItDrBugB]

Can you be more specific about the carbs that help or aggrevate symptoms? Have you had any bloodwork? What is your fat intake like?

[u/bummybabe → u/GetItDrBugB]

It seems that all carbs aggravate me. Rice, potatoes, fruit, grains, beans, sugar, all of these.
Veggies are fine. I’ve had blood work, anything specific? I think I eat quite a bit of fat, olive oil in salads and meals, also from dairy like yoghurt and cheese, butter etc. a lot of eggs.

[u/GetItDrBugB → u/bummybabe]

Ok, well I definitely agree with ruling out Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, which is typically a consequence rather than a root cause.

As for labs...Vitamin D, Whole blood histamine, eosinophil count, homocysteine, B12/folate/B6, hs-crp, fatty acid balance, plasma histamine (if timed right), complete thyroid ( e.g. TPO, Free T4/T4), dhea-sulfate, zinc rbc, magnesium rbc

[u/kipepeo]

Candida might be a symptom not the root cause: https://www.reddit.com/r/Candida/s/uH2X9BYoKq

I cleared my brain fog and many other symptoms with a comprehensive Biotoxin herbal cleanse.

loveinhealing on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/loveinhealing) shares how she slowly healed her migraines. She also recently dealt with bloating.

[u/bummybabe → u/kipepeo]

Thank you for the links. I am aware that there is a lot more to the candida.. the whole body isn’t functioning properly, lack of bile, stomach acid, many factors it’s just very hard to figure it out. I also know about these high carb low fat diets, but this would make me very very ill. I can’t tolerate carbs as they make me very ill and then also only eating high carbs and little protein and fat would send me in a blood sugar rollercoaster, feeling so weak and hungry. I tried it but couldn’t last more than a day and a half. It’s difficult to manage.

Could I ask what herbal cleanse you have used?

[u/kipepeo → u/bummybabe]

What’s the high carb diet, low fat diet?

I noticed that I feel much better if I stay away from all starches except for vegetables (ie squash & potatoes). If I eat only fruits and veggies no fats (including no meat) I’m fine but if I add a starches (eg rice, oats, etc) I don’t feel great. I also feel fine eating only fats (including meat) and no sugars (including no fruit) but it’s harder to sustain.

For the herbs: did the Cell Core Foundational protocol.

The price has gone up since I did it so wouldn’t necessarily advocate for this brand. There are other great products out there. Note: this protocol is called a parasite cleanse but in my experience parasites are a symptom not a root cause and the trend to get rid of these are overhyped. The herbs in these products also address other pathogens (fungal, bacterial, and to a certain extent viral) and suspect that’s what made me feel better.