Is Candida Overgrowth Contributing to Your Fatigue?
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- October 7, 2025
Fatigue can be debilitating and cause anxiety, and unfortunately, many doctors and patients struggle to identify the cause. In my years as a practicing immunologist, I have seen what happens when doctors and patients treat symptoms without identifying and addressing the underlying causes. My professional curiosity has led me to understand that good detective work and a multi-pronged approach are key to a patient’s relief.
Mike was a lanky, athletic college student who felt his health had spiraled downward. He was on the college varsity hockey team and believed his long practices that led to intense sweating were causing his terrible facial acne. He consulted a local dermatologist, who treated him with a tetracycline antibiotic for several months. Mike’s acne started to clear, but within a few months on the antibiotics, he experienced abdominal bloating and frequent loose stools. He also noticed a white coating on his tongue and a rash in his groin. What became even more debilitating for Mike was that he had been developing brain fog and was chronically fatigued.
Because Mike was exhausted, he found it almost impossible to complete his college coursework, and he had to curtail his hockey activities. So, he went to a primary care doctor, who did routine blood testing and told him that everything was normal. Feeling frustrated, Mike turned to the internet and began reading up on his symptoms. He became convinced that his problem was Candida overgrowth. Mike read that he needed to change his diet: no sugar, no dairy, no wheat, and no alcohol. So, he cut out bagels, sandwiches, cookies, and cakes, along with the weekend beer and pizza nights, hoping this would cure his condition. Mike initially noticed some improvement with his diet changes, but not enough to make the sacrifice of missing out on fun with his friends. He finally realized he needed professional help, so he went back to the internet and learned about my functional medicine practice that specializes in Candida.
When I saw Mike in my office, he looked dejected. He thought that by cutting out sugars and foods that quickly turn to sugar (think pizza dough), he had done everything to help himself. Yet he couldn’t shake the brain fog or chronic fatigue. After taking his history, I told Mike he had Stage 4 Candida. Stage 1 is the gastrointestinal stage, in which patients experience bloating along with abdominal pain from diarrhea or constipation. Stage 2 is when they develop rashes like jock itch, hives, or vaginitis. Stage 3 is when brain fog sets in, and in Stage 4, an individual gets hit the hardest: developing chronic fatigue. I told Mike not to give up hope that he could definitely be helped.
To put Mike’s situation in perspective, he is not alone in being challenged to find a doctor who could diagnose and treat him effectively. Candida overgrowth has been a controversial diagnosis for a long time. Many conventional physicians believed it was a made-up illness that existed only in the patient’s mind. Candida, a type of yeast, is normally found in the gut microbiome of healthy individuals, but when certain factors are introduced, it can overgrow. Over time, Candida overgrowth can cause chronic fatigue.
The risk factors for Candida overgrowth are straightforward: I have a 15-question list I review to determine whether a patient is at risk for it. In Mike’s case, his long-term use of the antibiotic tetracycline, along with his high-carbohydrate diet and alcohol consumption, contributed. Candida feeds on glucose, so if you eat large amounts of sugar, your body will form excessive amounts of acetaldehyde, which causes muscle fatigue.
However, because Mike’s Candida had advanced to Stage 4, diet alone couldn’t reverse his symptoms. He needed rebalancing of his microbiome, which I was able to do with a combination of antifungal medications, sublingual immunotherapy that uses the Candida protein, and vitamin treatments. I’ve learned that the latter is critical to avoiding the dreaded Herxheimer or “die-off” reaction, which initially causes even more fatigue initially until the patient’s microbiome is rebalanced.
Mike followed my program diligently, and after several months, he noticed his brain fog had cleared, his energy levels were back to where he could practice with the hockey team regularly, and his bloating and constipation had gone away. Now that he knows what contributes to Candida, he can avoid the microbiome imbalance that caused him so much trouble.
Finding the underlying cause of chronic fatigue is very challenging, as the culprit could range from vitamin deficiencies to anemia to autoimmune diseases to a combination of issues. A thorough medical evaluation is necessary to rule out other treatable conditions, but unfortunately, Candida overgrowth has been excluded from this list for too long. It’s time for it to be recognized and treated appropriately. No one should have to deal with the stress of feeling exhausted and ill and not knowing what to do to regain their health and energy.
Written by Dean Mitchell, MD
Dr. Dean Mitchell is a board-certified immunologist and a pioneer in holistic immunology. As the founder of Mitchell Medical Group, he specializes in food allergies and sublingual immunotherapy. A podcast host and published author, he blends conventional and integrative care to treat root causes and educate patients on lasting wellness solutions. His new book, Conquering Candida, will be available in October 2025. Learn more at www.MitchellMedicalGroup.com
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