What Do Ingestion, Diarrhea And Brain Fog Indicate Despite Following A Healthy Diet?
Question: Hello,
Please see below details of myself and the issues I am experiencing.
Me:
Male. Age 28. 5’11”. 73kg.
Diet: I think pretty ok see examples:
Breakfast: porridge or brown bread/egg or Fried bacon/sausage/egg no more than once a week
Lunch: bread/soup or sandwich
Dinner: varied usually homemade – spaghetti or potatoes/protein/veg or rice/curry etc
Snacks: 1 sugary biscuit 4 time a week or homemade brown bread/cheese
Coffee: no more than once a day. Sometimes I take a day or too off if I have trouble sleeping
Alcohol: I have a glass of wine or two with dinner some days during the week. On the weekends I have been known to drink a little too much but have pretty much given up the all-out benders.
Exercise: I’m fit (I can run for 30 minutes) and I am rarely caught for strength but I don’t exercise enough. Little or no exercise at the moment.
Symptoms:
Every single morning for the past 18 months I wake up to a lining of white substance on my gums. If I wipe my finger on my gums a small amount of the substance builds up. There is no foul smell but my breath is not great in the morning. It is an icky feeling and I have a bad taste, I always go straight to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I usually need to wee in the morning and it is quite yellow in colour. I get mouth ulcers from time to time.
Might be a separate issue or related:
I get severe (for me) bouts of brain fog. I work at a computer and find myself not being able to complete emails or carry out tasks. Some days are great and I can get through a lot of work other days are very bad and I have no productivity or concentration.
My digestion can be funny at times, unsettled. Loose stools, sometimes it feels like somethings disagree with me.
Might be a separate issue:
I don’t have great tonsils I have to carry throat spray in my wash bag and use it at times throughout the year if I don’t I get a cold that always develops from my tonsils. Have had bad tonsils since I got glandular fever 10 years ago. I might get them removed at some point but I get by ok.
Treatment so far:
• I have tried treatment for night time acid reflux. Alflorex, one a day in the morning prescribed by my GP. No difference made.
• I have tried raising the head of my bed from the base by 15cm which should also immediately stop GERD. I did this for one week (my girlfriend wasn’t to impressed) in any case it made no difference.
• One google diagnosis is a form of candida or leaky gut. To test it you are asked to spit into a glass of water in the morning and if your saliva sinks to the bottom and creates mushroom type shape you have candida. Mine does exactly this. I tried the candida diet but could not keep it up. I tried antifungals prescribed by my GP in conjunction with a probiotic. I seemed to experience “die off symptoms” as they are described on the internet. The medication didn’t have any effect. Eventually I ordered a candida testing kit which involved sending a stool sample to Germany. The test results returned that my gut PH was normal and I did not have candida.
Family History
My dad gets night time acid reflux and combats it by using loads of pillows. This seems to work for him. I rarely ever get heart burn in the day time so I not sure this relates to me.
Doctor Comments
Bloods have been taken, I am not sure specific things have been tested for but I have never had an issue. Generally he would say I’m in good health.
Dentist comments
Good oral hygiene and my teeth are in good shape.
I feel I have had more issues than normal, I lost a tooth about two years ago and have yet to get an implant as it is not visible when I smile . I have lots of fillings and I fell this morning white film issue is not helping.
Both doctor and dentist would say I do not have candida.
I am lost as to where I can go next or what I can try. Any help would be very welcome.
Thank you XXXXXXX
Please see below details of myself and the issues I am experiencing.
Me:
Male. Age 28. 5’11”. 73kg.
Diet: I think pretty ok see examples:
Breakfast: porridge or brown bread/egg or Fried bacon/sausage/egg no more than once a week
Lunch: bread/soup or sandwich
Dinner: varied usually homemade – spaghetti or potatoes/protein/veg or rice/curry etc
Snacks: 1 sugary biscuit 4 time a week or homemade brown bread/cheese
Coffee: no more than once a day. Sometimes I take a day or too off if I have trouble sleeping
Alcohol: I have a glass of wine or two with dinner some days during the week. On the weekends I have been known to drink a little too much but have pretty much given up the all-out benders.
Exercise: I’m fit (I can run for 30 minutes) and I am rarely caught for strength but I don’t exercise enough. Little or no exercise at the moment.
Symptoms:
Every single morning for the past 18 months I wake up to a lining of white substance on my gums. If I wipe my finger on my gums a small amount of the substance builds up. There is no foul smell but my breath is not great in the morning. It is an icky feeling and I have a bad taste, I always go straight to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I usually need to wee in the morning and it is quite yellow in colour. I get mouth ulcers from time to time.
Might be a separate issue or related:
I get severe (for me) bouts of brain fog. I work at a computer and find myself not being able to complete emails or carry out tasks. Some days are great and I can get through a lot of work other days are very bad and I have no productivity or concentration.
My digestion can be funny at times, unsettled. Loose stools, sometimes it feels like somethings disagree with me.
Might be a separate issue:
I don’t have great tonsils I have to carry throat spray in my wash bag and use it at times throughout the year if I don’t I get a cold that always develops from my tonsils. Have had bad tonsils since I got glandular fever 10 years ago. I might get them removed at some point but I get by ok.
Treatment so far:
• I have tried treatment for night time acid reflux. Alflorex, one a day in the morning prescribed by my GP. No difference made.
• I have tried raising the head of my bed from the base by 15cm which should also immediately stop GERD. I did this for one week (my girlfriend wasn’t to impressed) in any case it made no difference.
• One google diagnosis is a form of candida or leaky gut. To test it you are asked to spit into a glass of water in the morning and if your saliva sinks to the bottom and creates mushroom type shape you have candida. Mine does exactly this. I tried the candida diet but could not keep it up. I tried antifungals prescribed by my GP in conjunction with a probiotic. I seemed to experience “die off symptoms” as they are described on the internet. The medication didn’t have any effect. Eventually I ordered a candida testing kit which involved sending a stool sample to Germany. The test results returned that my gut PH was normal and I did not have candida.
Family History
My dad gets night time acid reflux and combats it by using loads of pillows. This seems to work for him. I rarely ever get heart burn in the day time so I not sure this relates to me.
Doctor Comments
Bloods have been taken, I am not sure specific things have been tested for but I have never had an issue. Generally he would say I’m in good health.
Dentist comments
Good oral hygiene and my teeth are in good shape.
I feel I have had more issues than normal, I lost a tooth about two years ago and have yet to get an implant as it is not visible when I smile . I have lots of fillings and I fell this morning white film issue is not helping.
Both doctor and dentist would say I do not have candida.
I am lost as to where I can go next or what I can try. Any help would be very welcome.
Thank you XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Upper Gastrointestinal endoscopy is required
Detailed Answer:
Hello Sir,
I can certainly understand your concern
I worked through your query in details
Your symptoms are certainly not related to candida
The possibility of an esophageal disorder is high.
It's important to rule out conditions of the stomach like Hiatus Hernia.
Therefore, I'd advise you to get an Upper Gastrointestinal endoscopy and Esophageal manometry to determine further course of action.
Further management if any is largely based on test results.
Feel free to post your further queries, if any.
Thank you
Upper Gastrointestinal endoscopy is required
Detailed Answer:
Hello Sir,
I can certainly understand your concern
I worked through your query in details
Your symptoms are certainly not related to candida
The possibility of an esophageal disorder is high.
It's important to rule out conditions of the stomach like Hiatus Hernia.
Therefore, I'd advise you to get an Upper Gastrointestinal endoscopy and Esophageal manometry to determine further course of action.
Further management if any is largely based on test results.
Feel free to post your further queries, if any.
Thank you
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee