In January I contracted a mysterious traveller's digestive infection in the South Pacific, got extremely ill and dehydrated with a distended abdomen with paralyzing pain, spent some time in clinic there (very little medical care on the island), was put on Cipro (bowel obstruction ruled out by x-ray) , missed my flight home, finally made it back to NYC and was then put on Levaquin and Flagyl by my beloved GI for 3 weeks to clear it up after a CT scan was conducted. Stool tests cam back negative due to the antibiotics so the culprit will remain a mystery. I was cleared of the infection and scoped to confirm. Not long into my antibiotic treatment I developed a cough and began to expectorate thick green mucous every morning. I saw an ENT and pulmonologist. ENT scoped me, said I was fine and put me on omeprazole thinking it was heartburn. It's not heartburn. I took the RX for a month and the cough got worse. Pulmonary doctor said my lungs were clear, sent me for an x-ray which was clear and tried to put me on nasal steroids. I thankfully ignored him. Eventually my throat and cough became extremely uncomfortable, my tongue and mouth were white and my taste was buds were way off, with stinging spots on my tongue. My lovely wife (not a doctor) suggested I might have thrush. I went back to the ENT and asked for a throat culture and then went for a second option to another ENT who took 3 separate types of cultures. I also saw my PCP who sent me for a 2nd chest x-ray which was also clear. The first culture came back positive for candida and I was put on Nystatin swish and swallow for 2 weeks. This was in March. Fluconozole was suggested but we went with something more mild for fear of aggravating my digestion, which has actually been excellent baring a bowel obstruction that cleared on it's own (rushed to GI and had this confirmed as BO.) I've been taking loads of probiotics and Florastor, eating clean, no gluten, sugar, alcohol, caffeine and little dairy and meat since the the thrush diagnosis. The Nystatin cleared up the upper throat and tongue thrush but this nagging cough has remained. An additional culture from my new ENT came back positive for moraxella catarrhalis and she wanted to put me on Augmentin but we have held off given these yeast issues. Since then I have developed a moist red rash with itching, flaking and odor around my anus. I have had this for about 3 weeks now. The second ENT had taken a culture that took 4 weeks to grow also came back positive for candida. I have generally been feeling low energy, foggy and crappier than normal compared to my pre January self. PCP and ENT agreed to try me on Fluconozole oral. I have been on 150mg for 5 days now of 7 total prescribed. I have also started using Zeazorb AF down there. I have seen some mild improvement in the cough and my energy level has increased. The leg-pit issues do not seem to be improving. About 15 years ago while I had UC I developed a candida infection down there which was diagnosed by a skin doctor and my father, who has no digestive issues also had a bad bout of the same thing when he was in his early 40s (I'm 35) which was only cleared up after nuking it with Nystatin. I have been on a pretty strict candida diet with some lapses as I travel for work for a month now. I'm pretty frustrated with this cough, lower bum infection and general crappy feeling after a full 4 months of this.
I see my GI and PCP again this coming Friday. I think it may be time for an upper endoscopy and/or pouchoscopy to see if this infection if in my digestive tract. How long should something like this take to clear? An underlying factor with the cough may be the moraxella catarrhalis infection, but I am horrified of taking another broad spectrum antibiotic for fear of angering the candida even more. 3 broad spectrums got me here in the first place (but also likely saved my life). Still I think it's wise to first resolve any candida issues. Can anyone offer some advise or had a similar experience? I'm concerned that my course of Fluconzole may end before it has done it's job or may actually not even be the correct treatment. I'm just not sure how hard it is to clear this type if infection. I have read that dosing for esophageal candida can be as long as 5 weeks on Fluconozole.
