Candida overgrowth is one of the most misunderstood—and most commonly misdiagnosed—conditions on earth. And it’s not a fad. It’s real.

I’ve been treating Candida for over 20 years, and I’d like to tell you about the symptoms that I’ve seen it cause, and these aren’t just digestive problems!

Most people with a Candida problem don’t know they have it.

And most doctors don’t know how to recognize it.

Today I’m going to walk you through the core symptoms and then some of the less obvious ones that my patients have experienced—symptoms that most providers would never connect to Candida.

Part 1 — What Candida Really Is

Candida is a yeast—or a fungus—that naturally lives in your gut.

This is normal. Everyone has a little bit of it.

It becomes a problem when it grows beyond its normal level and starts to disrupt the balance of your digestive system. When that happens, it can affect digestion, immunity, inflammation, blood sugar, mood, your skin, and even how your brain functions.

What’s tricky is that Candida doesn’t cause one single symptom.

It can cause many different symptoms across multiple systems that most people, and most doctors, never put the two together. And different people often experience Candida very differently. And many people have just one or two of these symptoms.

The “Big 10” Symptoms of Candida

1. Chronic Gas and/or Bloating

These are the most common symptoms by far.

Because Candida ferments sugars, just like any yeast does, gas can build up. And if it’s not coming out the back end and stinking up the place, it’s trapped—and when that happens, people describe themselves as looking “six months pregnant” by the end of the day.

2. Digestive Cramping or Abdominal Discomfort

Candida also causes inflammation in the gut lining. And this, as well as trapped gas, can lead to unexplained abdominal pain—even really bad pain.

3. Irregular Bowel Movements

Candida can destabilize the microbiome and gut motility. That can lead to constipation, diarrhea, or an unpredictable mix of both.

4. Sugar and Carb Cravings

Patients often tell me that they crave sweets, and they have no idea that Candida literally drives cravings to feed itself. This one is very common.

5. Brain Fog

Not just fatigue—patients often describe feeling cloudy headed, slow, disconnected, or “not like themselves.” Candida produces toxins that can cause this feeling.

6. Fatigue That Doesn’t Make Sense

Even with normal sleep. I recently saw someone who’s only symptom was this. Candida stresses the immune system and creates inflammation that can wear you out.

7. Recurring Yeast Infections or Oral Thrush

White patches on the tongue, a coated tongue, or frequent vaginal yeast infections are big clues. These are often associated with a larger Candida overgrowth.

8. Skin Issues—Rashes, Acne, Peeling Skin

Many patients mention cystic acne, peeling skin, eczema-like rashes, and mysterious itching. I see a lot of skin issues that resolve in my Candida patients.

9. Chronic Sinus Issues

Runny nose, sneezing, post-nasal drip, sinus pressure—even when allergy tests are negative. These are surprisingly common.

10. Symptoms That Started or Worsened After Antibiotics

This is a potentially big clue. Antibiotics wipe out the bacteria that normally keep Candida in check, often leaving you with a bad Candida overgrowth. This can also develop over years of antibiotic use.

Remember, these are just the most common symptoms. And most people don’t have all of them, although you could have all of them. Or you could have just one of them.

Additional Symptoms Patients Often Mention

Then there are other symptoms that patients have mentioned.  These aren’t as common, but they do happen.

Digestive Symptoms People Report:

• Feeling overly full after small meals

• Nausea

• Heartburn or reflux. This one is actually fairly common

• Mucus in your stool.

• A gut that feels “inflamed” or “achy.”

• Feeling like you can’t digest anything. Candida affects your ability to break down food.

Neurological / Cognitive Symptoms:

• Lightheadedness or dizziness

• Feeling “dream-like,” “floaty,” or “high all the time”

• Memory lapses, trouble finding words

• Difficulty multitasking

• Headaches. I see quite a bit of this in Candida patients.

• Anxiety or irritability (often worse after carbs)

Immune & Inflammatory Symptoms:

• Constant colds or feeling “run-down”

• Post-antibiotic immune crashes

• Swollen lymph nodes

• Histamine-like reactions

• Muscle aches.

Skin & Body Symptoms People Describe:

• Itchy skin

• Hives or random red patches

• Dandruff or scalp flaking

• Blepharitis or eyelid swelling

• Acne flares

• Athlete’s foot or toenail fungus (another fungal clue). They are other types of fungus, and are often found when there is a Candida overgrowth, and often improve when the Candida is treated.

Mouth, Throat & Respiratory Clues:

• Bad breath

• Coated tongue—white, yellow, or thick

• Mild chronic sore throat

• Hoarseness or voice fatigue

Hormonal & Metabolic Symptoms:

• PMS that worsens with sugar

• Blood sugar crashes (hypoglycemia)

• Irritability when hungry

• Weight fluctuations with no clear cause

Emotional / Behavioral Symptoms:

Some people describe:

• Mood swings

• “irritability” or agitation

• Difficulty sleeping

• Feeling like “I’m not the same person anymore”

Why These Symptoms Are Missed

Candida masquerades as a lot of things: IBS, anxiety, food sensitivities, reflux, hormonal changes, or “stress.”

Most providers look at symptoms in isolation.

In my clinic, we look at patterns.

Candida overgrowth often explains the combination of gas + cravings + brain fog + sinus issues + fatigue—when nothing else does.

How We Diagnose and Fix It

You can’t diagnose Candida based on symptoms alone.

You need the right testing—and even then Candida often avoids showing up on tests. Sometimes treatment is the only way to confirm that it’s there. And that’s how we know it affects so many people, because we’ve been treating it for over two decades and helped thousands of patients.

And treating it is easier said than done. You have to:

• Change your diet

• Use appropriate antifungal strategies

• Restore the microbiome

• Repair the gut lining

• And Prevent recurrence

And you have to do all of this for a long time, and in the right order. This is why many people have struggled for years with Candida and not gotten better.

If you would like all of the nitty gritty specific details on exactly how to diagnose and treat Candida (and there are a lot of details), you can sign up for my online program and I’ll walk you through every step in my do-it-yourself course. You can learn more about it by click at this link right here.

If these symptoms sound familiar—Candida may be part of your story.

But you don’t have to keep guessing. And  you don’t have to deal with this on your own.

At the IBS Treatment Center we can help you get your life back.

We work with patients all over the U.S. and worldwide through telemedicine, just as we’ve done since 2005.

Reach out to us at 206-264-1111.

We’d love to help you finally get answers.

And if you have other symptoms that I forgot to mention, let me know in the comments section below!

Related Content:

Can Candida Cause Gluten Intolerance?

Is Candida Die-Off a Good Thing?

How To Know If Your Candida is Gone

The Top 7 Symptoms of a Candida Overgrowth in the Gut‍