Costochondritis- And Candida

My experience with candida is that I know I have it. That about covers it. lol. No, really though, candida is a known cause of Costochondritis. YEE-HAW! I just want to share 2 different stories of struggles with candida and little info on how it causes costo...here we go!

A MOM'S STORY:
So, a few months ago, I had a conversation with a woman who shared her experience with Candida and was kind enough to share her thoughts with me, here's what she had to say:

"Hi Lucy,
I know I have candida because I suddenly developed acid reflux,mild joint pain, recently & I think I have been had what they call IBS since 2003 but I didn't know nothing about it then. I have developed a list of issues now that the doctors just shrug there shoulders & say "your fine you just need a anti-depression pill"! Just dope you up so you don't know what your body is trying to tell you. I never had a healthy diet & drank a lot of pepsi & then after I got pregnant twice & breastfed 2 babies that's when my issues started. I think the babies made me have mineral deficiencies that can weaken your body.

I went on a anti candida diet around sept/aug 2009 & was doing really good & my chest pain was gone & my acid reflux started to go away but then I cheated & kept binging on the diet before you knew it, my candida was back to the friendly yeast. Also my diet I think had too much protein & fat on the anit candida diet. Protein is the hardest for your body to break down & fat slows down digestion & with candida your digestion is already bad. So now I'm back to square one & am seeing a naturopathy in hopes she can help me stay on the right path once & for all." -A

A LITTLE INFO:

Here is an excerpt about Costo and Candida, thought you might want to check it out, WARNING...lots of gibber gabber:

• Candida arthritis, osteomyelitis, costochondritis, and myositis
• Candidal musculoskeletal infections were once uncommon; recently, they have become much more common.The most common sites of involvement continue to be the knee and the vertebral column. The pattern of involvement is similar to the pattern observed in bacterial infections. The infection may be divided into exogenous or endogenous forms. The exogenous infection is due to the direct inoculation of the organisms, such as postoperative infection or trauma. Affected sites include the following:
• Ribs and leg bones
• Vertebral column and paraspinal abscess
• Flat bones
• Sternum - Generally observed postoperatively after cardiac surgery. The patient is frequently asymptomatic, and the history reveals risk factors typical of disseminated candidiasis, as well as pain localized over the affected site. The physical examination findings are frequently unremarkable but may reveal tenderness over the involved area, erythema, and bone deformity, occasionally in association with a draining fistulous tract.
• • Arthritis: Candida arthritis is generally a complication of disseminated candidiasis but may be caused by trauma or direct inoculation due to surgery or steroid injections. In addition, Candida arthritis after joint replacement is not uncommon.
  • Osteomyelitis: Candida osteomyelitis originates either exogenously or endogenously. The exogenous infection is due to direct inoculation of the organisms via routes such as postoperative infection, trauma, or steroid injections. The endogenous form is a complication of candidemia or disseminated candidiasis. In most cases due to hematogenous seeding, the vertebral disks are involved and frequently progress to discitis with contiguous extension into the vertebrae body. Other bones affected include the wrist, femur, scapula, and proximal humerus.
  • Costochondritis: This is an uncommon form of infection and also has two modes of infection. Candida costochondritis is usually due to hematogenous infection spread or direct inoculation during surgery (median sternotomy).
    
  • Myisitis: Candida myositis is uncommon but is frequently associated with disseminated candidiasis. Most patients are neutropenic and report muscular pain.

ANGELA'S JOURNEY:

Also, a big thanks to Angela, who commented on this blog and said I could share her recent experience as she's on her journey to healing!

"Yes, I do want to tell you about Candex by Pure and Pearls Active Cultures. I strongly believe(d) that I had candida overload in my body, so I went to Whole Foods to ask for a probiotic that would make it past my stomach into the intestines. Research was telling me the candida was in my intestines. I'd been taking Neem, but I think that wasn't making past my stomach.

So, I found that long lasting probiotic (Pearls). And the dear, sweet, little woman that was helping me told me about Candex. She said, "yeasts and fungi can flourish as long as their cell walls remain intact." Actually, it says that exact thing right on the bottle too. :) I think they should change the wording from 'flourish' to 'survive' or 'kick butt.' Flourish is too pretty of a word to give to candida and yucko yeast! In fact, I refuse to give candida and costo capital letters. They are not proper enough in my book, and do not have my respect enough to give them capital letters. I purposefully type that small caps 'c' with extra oomph as if to say, "costo, you're not in charge here. I am! And you're on your way out!" How do you like them apples?

Anyway, I was a half skeptical and half excited beyond belief, before I even took my first pill. Skeptical because I've gotten excited before and had my hopes dashed. But excited because I know that I know that I know that too much fungus lived in my body. And the more I read, the more I learned that too much fungus among us can wreak havoc in soooooooooo many ways.

So....I'm on pill four, just after two days of it, and I felt a slow and steady change (erase of symptoms) (And you know, slow and steady wins the race). Can't rely on these quick fixes any more. PS. I'm almost sure I have slight scoliosis, too.

Anyway, I say that because, I'm not sure how similar we are in reasons for costo, but I am pretty sure two of three are the same. Lifting/strain on the cartilage, and scoliosis. But I'm trying to rack my brain as to why if I've had scoli for some time, I haven't had costo for equally long. And if I've lifted a thousand heavy things in my life (and I have!), why I didn't get costo sooner. The only connection I have is that when my lovely little fungal infection met my feet, and then introduced itself to my hands, and then to my blood and my colon, only then I was put into this arranged marriage with costo by my adoptive parents candida and fungi. Well, I don't believe in divorce, unless there's abuse. And costo has abused me! So I'm getting out.

And by the way, my fingers (along the nail bed) look the prettiest I've seen them in two years. And my feet, soft for the first time. Don't know if you've gone down that candida cause route, but it's worth try. I'm also noticing things go away that I didn't know I had: bloating of entire abdomen. I feel like I've lost weight--bad weight. It might not even be weight, but bloating that went away. I look thinner. In fact, in the past four months, I was really starting to wonder why I was gaining weight. Have never gained weight like that in all my years.

And this is for everyone reading. I hope it might be the key to someone else, to everyone else.No false hope here, just a possibility."- Angela

A big thanks to Mom A., Angela and the random internet information site. -) Okay ladies and gents, so candida and costo. is definitely a route to look into as you are on your way to healing! Here's an idea of an anti-candida diet and the Candex that Angela kindly left in the comment section:

• Anti-candida diet
• Here's the Candex
• A Few Causes of Candida
  

Hugs,
Lucy

PS- I almost put a picture up here of Candida....and then decided that everyone might not want to throw up today. That is all. No offense to anyone who has it.