yeast test

[Belle]

Has anyone done the saliva test to test for a yeast overgrowth? I did it this morning and it came up positive. My question is, Now what? what do I do about it? I have redmond clay that supposedly can pull the yeast off the intestinal walls but my dr. said not to use it b/c it can also absorb my medication (i'm on entecort). do you think it would be a problem to drink it like a half hour b4 i take my meds. i take the meds b4 every meal and the clay says to have it on an empty stomach. Another question is, my joint pain finally feels somewhat better after 6 weeks on entecort but now I have this weird feeling of fluid rushing into my legs. It does not feel like varicose veins which i have had during pregancy. this feels like there is something flowing in my legs, like by the sides of my bottem legs, my ankles and my feet. anyone else experience this? thanks for your help

[Zizzle]

I don't know much about that test, or about the sensation you are feeling in your legs. I do know that yeast (candida) overgrowth can be very hard to treat. Normally you must remove all yeast, starches and sugars from your diet to starve the yeast. That means no breads, no sugar, no fruit, etc. Do you have any other symptoms of yeast overgrowth like frequent vaginal yeast infections? Thrush on the tongue? I've wondered whether one could get a jumpstart on yeast elimination by taking Diflucan, a pill used for female yeast infections, then following that with a sugar and yeast free diet. I think there are herbs that can help too, oregano oil comes to mind.

I should mention that I tested positive for yeast intolerance through Enterolab. The assumption here was that being positive meant you have yeast overgrowth. I stopped eating bread and other foods containing yeasts for at least 4 months, but I definitely still had sugars. A complete stool analysis done a year later showed I did not have yeast overgrowth. I doubt that means I successfully treated it, I think I never really had it. But who knows?

[tex]

Belle,

I've never noticed a flowing sensation in my legs, but I've had a somewhat similar symptom - a sensation that something is crawling on a leg, when nothing was there. In my case, I blame it on peripheral neuropathy, (which I have), caused by gluten. Sometimes I can hear/feel blood flowing/pulsing in my temples, and occasionally I have muscle twitches in fingers, or arms, or in the temple area, but they're usually only temporary. The effects at my temples usually occur due to BP changes, such as when standing, and they fade away after a few minutes.

There are no known reliable ways to diagnose a yeast overgrowth. IMO, the yeast test at EnteroLab may be the best way to diagnose it, even though it's not a Candida test, (it only tests for baker's/brewer's yeast) and the lab personnel dispute that it can detect a yeast overgrowth.

As Zizzle pointed out, one has to starve a yeast overgrowth, by avoiding sugars/carbs for at least several months, (or more), and Diflucan is often used in the treatment, (especially early on). Candida can cause leaky gut, so it's certainly possible that it could be contributing to your joint pain.

Tex

[Belle]

thanks for your answers. its weird b/c i don't have thrush or a vaginal yeast infection so its hard to know if i have the Candida overgrowth. i did call enterolab and as you said they don't test for this kind of yeast so i was not sure what to do. i was off all starches and sugars for 6 weeks and did not feel better. I have this redmand clay which i was told absorbs the yeast from the intestines but my dr. claims it will also absorb my meds and therefore make them ineffective. He also does not believe in the leaky gut. surprised?

[tex]

surprised?

Nope. He's right about the clay, though. Such clays can even be used to absorb mycotoxins in the diet, to prevent them from being absorbed by the digestive system, thereby rendering them harmless.

Tex

[brandy]

Hi Belle,

Not sure if it is the same but I also had the tingling rushing up from fingers to arms. It felt like fire ants biting my arms and running up my arms. Glad the joint pain is reduced. Brandy

[tex]

Not sure if it is the same but I also had the tingling rushing up from fingers to arms. It felt like fire ants biting my arms and running up my arms.

That could be due to a vitamin B-12 or folic acid deficiency.

Tex

[Belle]

Tex,
I was on the scd for 6 weeks and did not feel any better. I don't know for sure if i have a yeast overgrowth or not and I don't want to go on that extreme diet again if it is not necesarry. I did speak to enterolab and they did say their test does not test for candida. I'm not sure if I should do the test anyway. My joints lately have been feeling better. It seems the entecort is kicking in more and more. Can I rely on that to resolve my issues (with somewhat modified diet that i am on) or do you think i need to do the extreme diet to deal with the yeast? If that's what it is

[Leah]

Hi Belle. I believe there is a big difference to having an intolerance to eating yeast and having a Candida over growth. I had chronic yeast infections for years. I was treated with Diflucan heavily for weeks ( one a day) and tapered off to once a week and now I only take one as needed ( not often). It doesn't sound like ( from your lack of symptoms) you have an overgrowth though. Since you are having such good results with the Entocort, I don't know if you should mess with the clay to treat something you may not have. I don't know if you eat products with yeast, but maybe you should just stay away from them for now. I think sometimes we can make ourselves crazy trying to treat our disease . I'm glad that you are feeling better with the Entocort. I hope you get to the bottom of the sensation in your legs though.
Take Care
Leah

[tex]

Belle,

I agree with Leah that without having signs of thrush, or chronic yeast infections, the odds of you having a Candida overgrowth seem rather remote. The Entocort will help, in the meantime, and as your intestines heal, the joint problems should resolve, unless there is still something in your diet that is causing an autoimmune reaction, and if there is, eventually you should be able to track down whatever is causing the problem.

Tex

[Belle]

thanks for your reply's. I am now trying very hard to stick to an elimination diet but it is very difficult especially since i keep passover. i feel like i will have nothing to eat but i am determined to figure out what is affecting me.

[Lesley]

Belle,
The Torah tells us that pikuach nefesh, the preservation of life overrides even Shabat. When you are sick you have to do what preserves your life. If you eat passover foods you will have diarrhea, which is not good for you. If you don't you will be excused because you are sick!
So don't worry about it. Do what you have to do to be well!

[barbiem]

Hi - this is to Leah - I have a yeast overgrowth from the steroids I am guessing as I haven't touched sugar or starches since march although I eat a lot of bananas. Once you treated with diflucan daily were you able to stay on entocort without the diflucan and did yeast ever come back? how long were you on entocort before the yeast started and then how long after taking diflucan were you able to stay on entocort without a yeast flare?
thxs
barb

[Leah]

Hi Barb.
During the time I was taking Diflucan daily, I was not on Entocort. I didn't even have MC yet. Actually my first autoimmune disease that showed up was vaginal (Desquamative,inflammatory vaginitis). It took almost 10 years for an actual dx. Thyroid followed suit and then MC. I know that yeast grows from being on antibiotics, but was not aware that steroids do the same thing. Are you sure it's the Entocort? I haven't had a yeast flare in years and that includes the time I was on Entocort.

Leah

[barbiem]

Hi leah thanks for your quick reply ! Yes I am pretty sure unless its from bananas. I am on very strict diet since march of no sugar and no carbs at all except bananas (sometimes was eating 4 a day). Honey in my yogurt shakes which I have since cut out because of yeast. Don't know if it is from entocort but dr says it will cause a weakened immune system which makes you susceptible to yeast infections. have no idea if related to entocort or the bananas! my tongue is coated daily with no let up unless I take diflucan but it only then subsides for a day or 2 (nice pink colour) and then boom right back to coated again. I am going for the hydrogen breath test in 1 week so I have to be on an even more strict diet not to feed the yeast as unable to take any antifungals until after the test.

How long were you on entocort for? any diet restrictions? I first started with hypo thyroid for 16 years - actually I started with gasterontitis of somesort 20 years ago which led to IBS which I have had for 20 years. now lymphocytic colitis! UGH!! I have had to stop all yogurt and probiotics for 2 weeks and already my watery diarrhea is back with a vengeance!! Must be SIBO related - were you ever tested for SIBO? How long on entocort and how long before tapering off? thxs so much. I have been in tears all weekend yelling at everyone in my life to leave me alone and just want to die - can't stand this disease!!!