Always consult with your doctor before beginning any treatment. Cryptococcal meningitis is a very serious fungal infection. It is caused by a fungus found mainly in dirt and bird droppings. Meningitis means swelling of the meninges. The meninges cover the brain and spinal cord.
Symptoms can be hard to recognize as being caused by cryptococcal infection.
Watch for fever, vomiting, headache, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, and a general feeling of not being well. Other symptoms are a stiff neck and, infrequently, seizures. Pneumonia may be an early sign of infection. Tell your doctor about symptoms right away. A treatment that can be given by pill, in some cases, or by intravenous injection is fluconazole, or Diflucan.