Yeast?

[bunny]

Has anyone looked into this? The more I research yeast, the more questions I have.

I was just about to give up on the natural stuff and try meds (adderall) when I ended up taking my son to the doctor for a cough that wouldn't go away. He "almost" had pneumonia, and after 2 rounds of antibiotics, his cough of 6 weeks has finally gone away. Needless to say, I didn't want to start the adderall until all the other issues were cleared up.

In the meantime, my sister brought up the subject of yeast, and she is about to try THREELAC www.candidasupport.net

Her daughter has ADD inattentive, as well as problems with eczema, stomach aches, and fatigue. The above web sight had me very sceptical (though I am a sceptic at heart).

Any thoughts or experiences?

Thanks

[catatonic]

Our pharmacist recommends taking acidophilus along with any course of antibiotics in order to prevent defloration of the gut. In conjunction with grapefruit seed extract, it's also an effective treatment for yeast overgrowth. My son periodically begins showing hyper and obnoxious behavior for no apparent reason, and I've found that a two-week course of probiotics and GSE return him to normal, usually within several days, but I keep treating him for the full two weeks in the hope that it will be longer before the problem returns. You don't need to buy something as expensive as threelac to do the job right. Just go look in your local health food store. For somewhere around $6 you can get a bottle of acidophilus. It should be in the refrigerated section (the acidophilus dies without refrigeration) and for about another $5, a small bottle of grapefruit seed extract. You normally put 5 drops in a small glass of water for a child, twice a day. This tastes seriously nasty, the bitterest stuff you'll ever drink. My son holds his nose to drink it, which seems to help a little.

I was also very sceptical about the whole yeast overgrowth issue. So much of the candida "theory" is based on a bunch of hooey and there's a serious lack of any decent research in support of it. I only stumbled on the connection between probiotics and my son's behavior by accident, when giving it to him along with antibiotics. The change in his behavior was noticeable. I've seen it happen several times now, so have become convinced that gut issues play a real role in his symptoms. (Not surprising, since he responded so dramatically to the Feingold diet. Obviously processing food is a problem for him.)

The acidophilus/GSE treatment is cheap, free of risk, so what the heck, why not give it a try? Maybe you'll find it as helpful as we have.

[rosierobinross]

Hi Bunny, I used to be also a sceptic on the yeast problem but not anymore. Any person or child who has had two doses of antibiotics certainly has a yeast problem. The eczema, stomach aches and fatigue are the most common symptoms. Also sort of a fuzzy feeling in the head like it is hard to think sometimes, this is sometimes why I think people feel there is a link to ADD. I do not think there is a link but if you have this fuzzy head feeling on top of inattentive ADD it can make it all worse. Cat's advice is perfect!! The important thing to add is that yeast lives on sugar and fermented food so you must kill the yeast with the grafefruit seed extract, promote the good bacteria to grow to fight it with the acidophilus but also starve it to death, Try to get your child to cut out as much sugar as possible and fermented food like vinegar, pickles, ketchup also dried fruit, etc... which tend to harbour mold. It is pretty hard to eliminate everything that yeast likes to live on but you can at least slow it down. Acidophilus is a must in everybodies home, we take it when ever somebody has to take antibiotics also when you have an upset stomach or diarrehea. Great for travel especially in those countries where you get the "trots" as it keeps the good bacteria active in your gut. We were in a resort in Mexico a few years ago where the whole resort was stricken and our family was all fine as we had started taking it a few days before and the whole time we were there. Acidophilus is something that can never hurt you as it is just the normal bacteria our guts should have so you can never take too much. Live Yogurt has it too but you have to eat an awful lot of it to get enough. Good Luck.

[franksmom]

I just wanted to mention...
Don't forget to check your medications before starting anything grapefruit- there are some meds that react badly with it.

[catatonic]

Do you know what medications you need to be careful about? The only information I have on grapefruit seed extract claims there are "no well-known drug interactions".
www.vitacost.com/science/hn/Supp/Grapefruit_Seed_Extract.htm

[ohmama]

If you are using Seroquel (an antipsychotic) you need to avoid grapefruit. Would that also apply to using grapefruit seed extract??

Also, if using any citrus fruit it would not be advisable for someone taking meds like adderall, ritalin, concerta, etc. But we are not talking about the fruit itself only the seed? I find it all very confusing.

[Renee]

I was curious about the whole yeast/candida issue myself as it comes up in many holistic books on ADHD treatment, allergies, ect. But I have a good friend whose daughter developed several odd symptoms after several rounds of antibiotics. She was tested by her local doctors and hospital and then at the Mayo Clinic because everyone was puzzled. She had a horrific skin rash, huge developmental delays, constant ear infections and respiratory problems. She was eventually dx with a genetic skin disorder, even tho she didn't have the gene for it. Then, at the urging of a neighbor, my friend worked by phone with a pediatrician who seemed to specialize in "no hope" cases. She determined it was a huge candida overgrowth problem that was systemic. After about 3-4 months of treatment for candida, the rash and other symptoms were gone and she began to progress developmentally. But the treatment was far more than just the acidophilus and grapefruit extract (which I don't beleive she uses). It was many supplements and severe diet changes. But she was a changed person.

After hearing her story, I looked into candida more closely and found a naturopath that has almost made it a specialty after she found it to be an underlying cause in her patients that had fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, ADHD, allergies, arthrities, and a host of other issues. My whole family has been working with her for several months and it has been quite a journey. And trust me, candida overgrowth is very real.

Acidophilus is key, as well as starving the yeast through avoiding the foods it feeds on, as rosierobinross mentioned, plus killing the yeast with garlic, myrrh, pau d' arco tea, and spilanthes. I think how agressive you will need to be depends on how pervasive it is in your system. With us, it was a major problem - more for the kids than me.

With acidophilus, you need to make sure it is not only live when you take it, but that it can make it through the stomach acid alive so look for one that is guaranteed to do that. Also, I asked our doc specifically about threelac because it makes it sound so easy to get rid of the candida. She told me that the lactobacillus in it is not even the same type of lactobacillus that is in the human body, which the one we take is, plus ours in much cheaper.

In terms of research, it would be great if there would be a good research study or more done on this. I think it will take getting the medical community to first admit that it could be a problem and then maybe we could get a government funded study. There is no single drug that addresses the problem, and since most studies are done by pharmas to get their drug to market, I don't see any studies happening in this arena soon either.

I find the best books on the topic are written by Dr. William Crook. But there are many more docs beginning to write about it now as they see the problem in their clinical practices.

Bunny, if you want more info on exactly what we are doing, email me. If candida is indeed a problem (and there is a questionairre in Dr. Crook's books that most people use) you may need to do more, based on the score. Plus, the brand of products you use will have an impact on the outcome. For example, our doc tested 23 brands of myrrh and only found 1 that killed the yeast, so if you used one of the other 22 it would do nothing.

[bunny]

Wow! That was some great information!

Thanks for all the time and thought put into it.

I am going to talk to my sister (send her this link) about her daughter, as well as bring this up with my DS doctor (who may consider this, as she didn't fight me when I blamed my other son's behavior issues on food dye).

I think this is a subject worth digging into.

Bunny

[AustinsMom]

I have some questions for those of you who have been dealing with the yeast issue. First, catatonic: Does your child tolerate the grapefruit seed extract without any behavioral changes? I have tried a capsule variety with Austin, but it seems to cause changes.

But then there are some who would say that if you use something that is successful, then you might see negative changes in behavior from the yeast die-off. Has anyone seen that to be true?

Also, I have been wanting to try Brewer's yeast for B vitamins, but see conflicting reports on the internet regarding if you should use it if you have yeast issues. Any thoughts on that?

Thanks for your input. I haven't been around in awhile, but I always know where to turn when I need answers.

[catatonic]

Welcome back! It has been a while, and I hope things have been going well with you.

Grapefruit seed extract doesn't seem to have negative effects on Challenge Boy. We use the liquid, 5 drops stirred into a little water, and it tastes AWFUL. Actually, the capsules probably are a more effective way to administer the GSE, since the encapsulation helps keep them intact through the stomach so that the extract makes it into the gut where it's needed. Trouble is, a capsule provides (normally) the equivalent of an adult dose of GSE, which is about 4 times the child's dose. My son is big enough now that it probably doesn't matter any more, and Austin probably is too.

How long did you try the grapefruit seed? Were there negative changes the entire time? I've also heard the theory that you may see worse behavior for a brief period, as a result of yeast die-off. Personally, we haven't experienced that.

It's perfectly possible that Austin is sensitive to the grapefruit seed extract. It's highly concentrated and even a minor sensitivity would be triggered by it. In fact, package information sometimes includes the warning that use of the product can cause you to DEVELOP a sensitivity to it! And potential problems aren't limited to the grapefruit, either. Could be one of the manufacturing additives. You could try the plain unencapsulated oil (if Austin will cooperate and drink the nasty stuff) and see if you still have problems.

Like you, I've read conflicting advice on whether or not you need to avoid brewer's yeast. True, it is not the same strain of yeast as the candida which causes the problems. But then, neither is bread yeast, and plainly that has to be avoided. Seems like "yeast people" recommend avoiding ALL yeast, and "brewer's yeast people" say it's not necessary to avoid their special yeast. Who do you believe??? I'd say to be safe, temporarily eliminate the brewer's yeast. Add it back in after treatment.

[franksmom]

Bunny- I was reading a great article and thought you might like to read it.

www.annboroch.com/candida.htm

It is called"Candida- The Silent Epidemic ".
See if it is helpful.

[franksmom]

Sorry this ended up in two post but I also found this...

www.danasview.net/yeast.htm

after reading up on this I think everyone in my house needs to be treated

[catatonic]

True candidiasis is a very serious fungal infection, in nearly all cases acquired in a hospital setting generally following surgery, and is often fatal. The form of candidiasis, or yeast overgrowth, that Dr. Crook refers to in his book "The Yeast Connection" and which is being discussed here is one for which very poor clinical evidence exists. Lots of convincing anecdotal information, but it doesn't hold up to scientific scrutiny.

I mention this because I think scientific evidence is important. Without it, how would we know that strattera can cause liver damage, or that vioxx may induce heart attacks? Without it, how would we know that rituxan halts the progress of cancer or that dextromethophan suppresses coughs? This doesn't necessarily mean that treating for yeast is a bad idea. In fact, I think in many cases it's a darned good idea. But you probably want to gather more information before jumping in with both feet.

For example, if you're assuming a yeast problem when really you have a bacterial imbalance in your gut, the yeast treatment will make things worse. If you're treating a caprylic acid resistant strain of candida with caprylic acid, you'll achieve nothing.

A gentle and generic treatment like acidophilus or acidophilus/lactobaccillus combo is a safe experiment and your results will let you know if you're on the right track. If you want to go beyond this, I would think it would be wise to have some testing done to determine if you are indeed dealing with yeast overgrowth, and if so what treatments it is likely to respond to. I know that the Great Plains Laboratory will do a Microbial OAT test that provides all of this information -- plus more. While it is expensive ($200), and does require a doctor's order (can be an MD, a chiropractor or a naturopath), many insurance companies will reimburse the bulk of the cost. Mine (Blue Cross) pays 80% of the bill.

I would rather rely on a test like this than on the symptom questionnaire provided by Dr. Crook. It covers pretty much every diffuse, non-specific symptom you can think of and using it would probably result in about 99% of the population diagnosing themselves with yeast overgrowth. And there are probably those who would argue that 99% of the population may suffer from yeast overgrowth! But I'm a Doubting Thomas and always prefer to have some sort of hard evidence, something that can be replicated and independently verified and tracked to determine if treatment is working.

My personal experience has been that supplementation with probiotics makes a noticeable positive impact on my son's behavior. Based on that, I thought it wise to have the testing done through Great Plains. Now I want to have him tested for food sensitivities so I'll go back to his neurologist for a lab order and send it off to Great Plains. With any luck there will be a couple of things -- cumquats? goat meat? -- that he won't be allergic to.

www.greatplainslaboratory.com/home.htm