Thoughts about candida/yeast connections to MC?
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Thoughts about candida/yeast connections to MC?
Sorry for all the posts! :) Just curious whether any of you believe that intestinal yeast may have triggered your MC, or be related in some way? I've always wondered whether fungus might be to blame for some of the health issues I've had, but it just seems so nebulous (and of course no traditional medical practitioner believes in it, other than the obvious stuff). It should be noted that I do not have a history of heavy antibiotic or corticosteroid use, nor have I experienced repeated bouts of vaginal or oral thrush. However, I was on birth control pills for years and maintained an extremely high sugar/starch diet during that time. I also have other symptoms (since ~2004) that various internet sites attribute to "candida-related complex", such as brain fog/memory trouble, anxiety/depression, digestive problems (obviously :), chronic post-nasal drip, toenail fungus, major eye floaters, infertility, UTI's/cystitis (that just started recently), sugar cravings, lots of itching, etc. etc. Which makes me wonder if I'm at the stage where the yeast has switched over to its mycelial (hyphal) form and has created a leaky gut situation, even though the more typical manifestations of yeast are not present? What are you guys' thoughts on this? One reason Entocort scares me a little is because I wouldn't want it making an existing fungal problem any worse by suppressing my digestive immune system. And also because the one time I ever took a steroid (prednisone for ~5 days in 2002 for a poison oak rash) was a horrible, horrible experience. I'd really love to stop entertaining the notion that I have systemic yeast, since I've been plagued with that fear for almost a decade now, thanks to Dr. Google. ;) But I can't help coming back to it from time to time. What are your thoughts? Is there any way to know for sure if this is an issue?
I actually had a very expensive stool analysis ( which is how I found out I had low SIgA ) after I did my enterolab test. It showed I had a candida overgrowth. I worked with a practitioner to go on a low carb diet with other supplements to kill it. I am like you infertility, brain fog, fatigue. Take away for me was it is a very complex situation that is very hard to control. I read everything I could on the subject to find that there really isn't a great solution to the problem....even if you stay low carb to " starve " them out. I was very ill for two months on that diet before I tapped out. I quit the supplements a month in but stayed low carb and I had zero energy, worse BMs. I think there is a connection....but it didn't work out for me. I concentrated on diet and stress reduction. ...got much better. But we are all different!
Vanessa
I've thought fungus and yeast over growth could be one of the several possible reasons for why I developed MC. It has occurred to me that the diet of avoiding wheat, and in general eating lower carb is anti-fungal. The supplements I'm taking also, such as vitamin D, olive extract, coconut oil, aged garlic are known to have some anti fungal properties. I also do some energy medicine ideas such as grounding and infrared, both are thought to have anti fungal properties due to raising oxygen levels. It's a Dr. Jerry Tenant idea. I've found the energy ideas quite helpful with improving the gut. It's been a pleasant surprise.
personally though for me I suspect my problem is diet related. Right now I'm of the belief that dairy and beef are the main problems for me. I've had some confusion with this as aged dairy doesn't seem to be as problematic for the gut, even constipating in the case of cheese, but eating aged dairy wasn't allowing me to heal, leaving me with out energy and more or less in a daze more than I wished. That's my theory for now, avoiding dairy, beef, and gelatin, and it is working quite well for the last month, as energy levels are up, looking healthier, and upbeat.
personally though for me I suspect my problem is diet related. Right now I'm of the belief that dairy and beef are the main problems for me. I've had some confusion with this as aged dairy doesn't seem to be as problematic for the gut, even constipating in the case of cheese, but eating aged dairy wasn't allowing me to heal, leaving me with out energy and more or less in a daze more than I wished. That's my theory for now, avoiding dairy, beef, and gelatin, and it is working quite well for the last month, as energy levels are up, looking healthier, and upbeat.
Thanks, Vanessa! I actually did an expensive stool analysis myself via a functional medicine practitioner awhile back (before the MC was diagnosed) and it said I had HIGH sIga- 257 on a normal scale of 51 - 204 mg/dL. It also showed "moderate" yeast levels in my stool (on a scale of Few/Moderate/Many) but no yeast was isolated in the culture. My stool PH was 6.3 (slightly acidic, but in the normal range), and I had no mucous, white blood cells, red blood cells, or signs of parasites. My practitioner felt these results were okay and did not recommend anything beyond supplementing with a good probiotic. However, the interpretation I received from the company (which was Doctor's Data, btw) indicated that "moderate" yeast levels are considered abnormal, even if no yeast is isolated in the culture. Also, my levels of beneficial bacteria were pretty low (particularly bifido). Anyway, these conflicting opinions have made me unsure of whether I'm dealing with a yeast problem or not...I mean, I know that some yeast in our digestive tracts is normal and whatnot. Do you also suffer from chronic yeast infections or oral thrush? Glad we can share notes! :)
P. S. The few times when I've tried low-carb in the past were MISERABLE. Never felt so awful.
P. S. The few times when I've tried low-carb in the past were MISERABLE. Never felt so awful.
Interesting! I've never suspected beef or gelatin as a problem. And I've been eating a lot of it recently...plus collagen (beef) protein in my smoothies. Dairy is definitely a no-no for me, as is gluten. I've been mostly gluten/dairy/corn free for the past decade and have recently eliminated soy. Guess I should probably get the Enterolab testing- I'm just terrified of what will come back, lol. I'm really underweight and any further eliminations will be tough...Blueberry wrote:I've thought fungus and yeast over growth could be one of the several possible reasons for why I developed MC. It has occurred to me that the diet of avoiding wheat, and in general eating lower carb is anti-fungal. The supplements I'm taking also, such as vitamin D, olive extract, coconut oil, aged garlic are known to have some anti fungal properties. I also do some energy medicine ideas such as grounding and infrared, both are thought to have anti fungal properties due to raising oxygen levels. It's a Dr. Jerry Tenant idea. I've found the energy ideas quite helpful with improving the gut. It's been a pleasant surprise.
personally though for me I suspect my problem is diet related. Right now I'm of the belief that dairy and beef are the main problems for me. I've had some confusion with this as aged dairy doesn't seem to be as problematic for the gut, even constipating in the case of cheese, but eating aged dairy wasn't allowing me to heal, leaving me with out energy and more or less in a daze more than I wished. That's my theory for now, avoiding dairy, beef, and gelatin, and it is working quite well for the last month, as energy levels are up, looking healthier, and upbeat.
Lucy,
I believe that virtually all of us have leaky gut when our MC is active, because increased intestinal permeability it what leads to the food sensitivities that are associated with MC. Without leaky gut, food sensitivities are not likely to ever develop (except for sensitivity to gluten). Gluten sensitivity is a known cause of leaky gut, and so is alcohol, excessive sugar, and/or a yeast overgrowth.
Furthermore, I suspect that most of us have some degree of yeast overgrowth while we are reacting. Candida is very opportunistic, and it rapidly responds to the availability of poorly digested foods that include undigested sugars, because the inflammation that causes MC interferes with normal digestive processes. One of the first things that happens with enteritis (intestinal inflammation) is the loss of the inability to produce the enzymes needed to split sugars so that they can be digested. That opens the door to candida overgrowth.
But as Blueberry pointed out, the GF diet can be used as a very effective anti-Candida treatment. Because of that, most of us automatically resolve our yeast problems as we recover, and our digestion improves. I'm sure that I had a yeast problem when I was initially reacting, because I usually had thrush, and various other characteristic symptoms of a yeast overgrowth. But once I got my diet properly sorted out, and my gut had a chance to do some serious healing, the thrush disappeared, and I'm sure that the Candida also dropped back down to a normal level. I did significantly limit sugar in my diet, mostly because I couldn't digest it, so it caused fermentation, gas, bloating, and D.
FWIW, beef was also a problem for me back when I was recovering. It didn't cause D, but it would cause many other symptoms, including gas, bloating, headache, backache, stiff neck, etc. I can eat it now, without any noticeable symptoms.
I hope that some of this insight is helpful.
Tex
I believe that virtually all of us have leaky gut when our MC is active, because increased intestinal permeability it what leads to the food sensitivities that are associated with MC. Without leaky gut, food sensitivities are not likely to ever develop (except for sensitivity to gluten). Gluten sensitivity is a known cause of leaky gut, and so is alcohol, excessive sugar, and/or a yeast overgrowth.
Furthermore, I suspect that most of us have some degree of yeast overgrowth while we are reacting. Candida is very opportunistic, and it rapidly responds to the availability of poorly digested foods that include undigested sugars, because the inflammation that causes MC interferes with normal digestive processes. One of the first things that happens with enteritis (intestinal inflammation) is the loss of the inability to produce the enzymes needed to split sugars so that they can be digested. That opens the door to candida overgrowth.
But as Blueberry pointed out, the GF diet can be used as a very effective anti-Candida treatment. Because of that, most of us automatically resolve our yeast problems as we recover, and our digestion improves. I'm sure that I had a yeast problem when I was initially reacting, because I usually had thrush, and various other characteristic symptoms of a yeast overgrowth. But once I got my diet properly sorted out, and my gut had a chance to do some serious healing, the thrush disappeared, and I'm sure that the Candida also dropped back down to a normal level. I did significantly limit sugar in my diet, mostly because I couldn't digest it, so it caused fermentation, gas, bloating, and D.
FWIW, beef was also a problem for me back when I was recovering. It didn't cause D, but it would cause many other symptoms, including gas, bloating, headache, backache, stiff neck, etc. I can eat it now, without any noticeable symptoms.
I hope that some of this insight is helpful.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hey Lucy,
We sound very similar! I had no thrush or recurrent yeast infections. I too had doctors data stool test which showed moderate candida and low s. Bouliardi? Bacteria. All of it pointed to stress including the low SIgA. Do the enterolab! I wish I could to make my life easier in the long run. I wonder if SIgA levels can rise after stress reduction has been a priority as well as diet changes?
Tex,
Thanks for shining a light on this complex subject. Now that I'm a year and a half out.....the healing seems to be taking place much more rapidly, although as Gabes says the niggly problems are more in your face the farther you are out from gluten.
We sound very similar! I had no thrush or recurrent yeast infections. I too had doctors data stool test which showed moderate candida and low s. Bouliardi? Bacteria. All of it pointed to stress including the low SIgA. Do the enterolab! I wish I could to make my life easier in the long run. I wonder if SIgA levels can rise after stress reduction has been a priority as well as diet changes?
Tex,
Thanks for shining a light on this complex subject. Now that I'm a year and a half out.....the healing seems to be taking place much more rapidly, although as Gabes says the niggly problems are more in your face the farther you are out from gluten.
Vanessa
Lucy and Tex,
I guess for me, beef has always been on my radar as a potential problem food, but it also seems to depend on what kind of beef.
(I know milk has been an avoid item since I was a teen) What I mean is by far the most intense painful stomach episodes happened after eating hamburger. The big attacks happened 3 times after eating store bought beef. Grass fed beef though didn't cause the same problem. And not all store bought beef caused problems. To add to the confusion, when I avoid beef I have other issues pop up, such as overly sore inflamed gums, bleeding from odd places, and the gut will act up but energy levels are on the good side. It's just one of those strange things. I'm just going to push through the problems this time and go for months on the cow avoidance diet. Anyway, just venting.
I guess for me, beef has always been on my radar as a potential problem food, but it also seems to depend on what kind of beef.
(I know milk has been an avoid item since I was a teen) What I mean is by far the most intense painful stomach episodes happened after eating hamburger. The big attacks happened 3 times after eating store bought beef. Grass fed beef though didn't cause the same problem. And not all store bought beef caused problems. To add to the confusion, when I avoid beef I have other issues pop up, such as overly sore inflamed gums, bleeding from odd places, and the gut will act up but energy levels are on the good side. It's just one of those strange things. I'm just going to push through the problems this time and go for months on the cow avoidance diet. Anyway, just venting.
Thanks, everyone! Vanessa, it does sound like we have some similar issues. I'm still trying to work up the nerve (and budget ;) to do Enterolab. We shall see...
Yep, I've read articles that suggest leaky gut underlies pretty much all autoimmune disease, which makes a lot of sense when you think about it: Intestinal permeability --> toxins breaching the intestinal walls and wreaking systemic havoc in the body --> immune system freaking out and trying to protect us. It becomes a vicious cycle. In your opinion, can anti-inflammatory medications like budesonide, mesalamine, LDN, etc. help heal leaky gut, or at least get the process started? I know diet is the long term solution- I'm just trying to get over this hump in the meantime. :)tex wrote:I believe that virtually all of us have leaky gut when our MC is active, because increased intestinal permeability it what leads to the food sensitivities that are associated with MC. Without leaky gut, food sensitivities are not likely to ever develop (except for sensitivity to gluten). Gluten sensitivity is a known cause of leaky gut, and so is alcohol, excessive sugar, and/or a yeast overgrowth.Tex
TBH I really don't know. There's certainly a reasonable chance that anti-inflammatories might help to suppress the degree to which the tight junctions open, because clearly they do improve digestion, and suppress symptoms. But as you noted, the key to long-term control is diet changes that allow the gut to actually heal. Because without the diet changes, the effectiveness of medications is only temporary.
Tex
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.