Many patients with Lyme disease are familiar with co-infections that come from ticks. Another form of co-infection that is common in patients with Lyme disease is candida or yeast. This type of co-infection comes from within the patient instead of from a tick. It is normal to have candida present in our gastrointestinal tract, however issues arise when these organisms grow to abnormally high levels. This is a common issue in Lyme patients due to both immune dysfunction and the use of antibiotics to treat infections.
Symptoms of candida can include:
- Fatigue
- Sinus pressure
- Skin rashes
- Sugar cravings
- Headaches
- Brain fog
- Muscle pain
- Thrush
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Bloating
These symptoms overlap with many common characteristics of Lyme disease. It is important to consider candida when treating Lyme disease so it is not confused with persistent Borellia infection. Candida can be identified using stool testing, blood antibody testing or markers in the urine.
Effective treatment of candida involves multiple approaches including a low carbohydrate diet, antifungal herbals or medications, colonic hydrotherapy, and rectal ozone. It is also important to improve the beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract to prevent future recurrence of candida infections.
Rectal ozone can be of particular benefit due to its ability to both treat candida, and improve a patient’s immune response as a result of improving a patient’s GI flora.
Our experienced naturopathic doctors can help you to assess and manage both Lyme disease and candida to help you get back to health. Knowing what infections you are dealing with is of the utmost importance so appropriate treatments can be utilized.
