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In another post, I mentioned that I suspected that Prednisone would not help if a reaction was caused by yeast, but as I pointed out, I was just guessing.
I looked it up, and I was right. Not only will it not help, but it will probably make the situation worse, (if a yeast overgrowth is the problem). BCP's also add to the problem. I found this statement interesting, because I had never seen this pointed out, before, (the red emphasis is mine):
The fourth way candida can develop and overgrowth is through contagion i.e. repeated contact with someone who has it. Generally, I find that if one member of a household has candida, the whole household has it. Since they all eat the same and have physical contact, it pretty much follows that candida is going to be passed back and forth.
This site mentions that Prednisone only suppresses symptoms, and therefore will not resolve a disbiosis problem. Also, it discusses the reasons why a patient being treated for yeast, feels worse, before feeling better.
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.
Hmmm...so how does one know for sure if one has candida? I certainly have many (most) of the symptoms they list in the one link--which could be related or not. Is there a test that they do, or is diagnosis an elimination diet that then results in the disappearance of symptoms? Is it necessary to take a probiotic to aid in balancing out the good and bad flora?
It also certainly seems possible that our entire household could have it based on what I'm seeing in the kids. It makes sense that we could be passing things around.
Thanks, Tex...I'll do some more research on this tonight!
It's not easy to diagnose - at least not in conventional medical circles. Check this support site. It has a couple of free tests you can try, yourself:
Well, guess I'll be spitting into a water glass tomorrow morning!
What really made me sit up and take notice was the question that asked if you are sensitive to cigarette smoke, perfume, etc. My mother smokes and then wears perfume to cover the smoke smell, and I just can't even stand to be in the same room with her...it will be an interesting test to see! I have an appointment on Thursday morning with my regular doctor to discuss the sleep apnea test I just had done (yes, I'll be wearing a mask to bed from now on), so perhaps we'll be talking about candida as well. Certainly would answer the question as to why the Predisone hasn't been working...
I just hope that this leads to a solution, so that you can get your life back.
Good luck at the appointment.
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.
Well, I just replied to the other thread on Candida. In case you missed it my doc said to take Flora Q or VSL#3 for a very long time. 1 -2 caps/day.
I'm not responding to steroids either.
Think I'll spit tomorrow too. Maybe I'll get my hubby to do it too, just as a comparison.
Pat
P.S. Thanks to all of you! You have helped me to have hope. I realize that a lot of you have this licked and you don't have to be here. Thanks for being here!
Thanks for the kind words. I can't speak for anyone else, but I suspect that most of us are here to continue to learn more about MC, and all the related issues that keep turning up. This is finally becoming a more popular topic among medical researchers, and more and more good information is becoming available.
Besides, it's an interesting challenge. We get a lot of the tough cases here - the ones that stump the doctors. Helping someone to find a solution, whenever the white coats strike out, is an awesome and very gratifying experience.
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.
wow---I read the article also----and like Pat said----half of the symptoms are related to me also----
So myabe I will do some spitting ---very interesting---
I did have a bout with thrush,back in 04, and GP put me on SWISH and SWALLOW--cleared it up--lottsa meds. being in hospital and then home~~
BUT the weirest thing is---there are many mornings when my tongue has this gross looking crud on it----I brush the tongue and then I use this scraper???
Well *spit* test here I come too--
Barbara
the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control
tex wrote:It's not easy to diagnose - at least not in conventional medical circles. Check this support site. It has a couple of free tests you can try, yourself:
I don't know anything about their recommended treatment programs, so I can't endorse those. The tests are legitimate, though, as far as I can tell.
Tex
Hmmm... I saw no mention of getting your blood tested for candida antibodies. Isn't this a valid and good test? I was tested and it was found to be negative. Also my stool test found candida (which does live in healthy folks) though in nonpathogenic levels.
Apparently, the common blood tests for antibodies to candida are too ambiguous to be of much value. The stool test is much more accurate.
• Serum Candida antibody levels (IgG, IgM, and IgA). Will not be definitive since the body's ability to defend against Candida is limited due to its position in the gastrointestinal tract. Positive or negative responses are difficult to interpret. Candida IgE may be helpful. However, a test of IgG blood antibodies to Candida albicans in conjunction with a direct yeast culture stool sample evaluation is recommended.
• Direct stool exams for chronic intestinal candidiasis. A gram stain for yeast along with direct microscopic examination is a very accurate diagnostic tool for Candida. This method avoids quantification inaccuracies that appear with cultures.
However, this serum test may be worth considering:
• CECA (CandiSphere Enzyme Immuno Assay Test) diagnoses candida by detecting antibodies against cytoplasmic proteins of the invasive fungal yeasts. The test is claimed to be 95% sensitive and 92% specific for Candidiasis.
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.
Thanks, Tex...I'll go in tomorrow armed with this info and see if I can't get them to do a test or two. I did the spit test, but am unclear as to exactly what I saw, especialy since my husband's looked even worse than mine!
This study was designed to investigate the effect of heating, storage, and ultraviolet exposure on antimicrobial activity of garlic juice and its bacteriocidal activity against common human pathogens. Antimicrobial activity of fresh garlic juice was tested against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus hemolyticus B, S. hemolyticus A, Klebsiella sp., Shigella dysenteriae, and Candida albicans using the disc method. The dilution method was performed by addition of garlic juice to broth media to obtain 1-100% concentrations as vol/vol or wt/vol. Garlic juice was used after 24 hours of storage at 4 degrees C, heating to 100 degrees C for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, and 60 minutes, heating to 80 degrees C for 60 minutes, and 4 hours of exposure to ultraviolet light. Re-culture of specimens taken from garlic-induced negative media was performed in fresh broth free of garlic juice. Results showed that all the isolates were sensitive to fresh garlic juice; the most sensitive was C. albicans, and the least sensitive was S. hemolyticus A. Heating to 100 degrees C for 30 and 60 minutes completely abolished the antimicrobial activity, while heating for 5 and 10 minutes, storage for 24 hours, and 4 hours of ultraviolet exposure decreased it. Garlic juice was bactericidal at concentrations of 5% and more. Thus garlic juice has marked antimicrobial activity that makes it a potential agent to be tested in clinical trials. The antimicrobial activity was compromised by storage and heating; therefore it is advisable to use fresh garlic and avoid boiling it for more than 5 minutes during cooking.
