YEAST OVERGROWTH
Overgrowth of yeast organisms (Candida albicans) within the intestines is a common and frequently overlooked medical problem. Factors which can cause this to occur include frequent or prolonged antibiotic use, excessive sugar consumption, use of cortisone to treat other medical conditions, chemotherapy and radiation treatments, immune suppressing drugs, excessive environmental chemical exposure, allergies, chronic viral infection (HIV, Epstein-Barr, Hepatitis B or C), parasitic infection, under active thyroid function, adrenal exhaustion, major surgery and diabetes.
Yeast are a normal part of the bowel’s inhabitants, along with the much more numerous and health promoting Lactobacillus species of bacteria. When the normal balance of organisms within the bowel is altered towards too much yeast, a series of toxic reactions occur within the body. The lining of the intestines becomes inflamed and “leaky”. This allows large molecule food particles to be absorbed into the blood and often causes food allergies to start. Toxins released by the yeast can directly damage the immune system and lead to frequent infections. These circulating toxins can impair bodily function everywhere. The most likely place is the GI tract, which may have irritable bowel symptoms, oral thrush, heartburn, excessive gas, indigestion and other symptoms. The respiratory tract may develop sore throats, sinus problems, asthma, and recurrent colds. The reproductive tract may develop PMS, irregular or abnormal periods, infertility and other problems. The brain may be affected with any number of mild to severe malfunctions. Vaginitis, prostatitis, cystitis and sexual difficulties can occur. Skin problems such as acne, hives, psoriasis, eczema and rosacea may be caused by excessive yeast. Arthritis, joint pain and muscle pain may be triggered by yeast. The list of other possible complications is too long to list.
Diagnosis is made by a careful clinical history, stool cultures for yeast, stool antigen tests for yeast, Candida-specific intestinal IgA stool test, and Candida blood antibody test. Even if tests are negative, if your clinical picture strongly suggests yeast overgrowth, a trial of therapy is worthwhile since treatment is safe and inexpensive.
The most important change to treat and prevent recurrence of the problem is to change the diet to one with whole foods and low in sweets. Taking supplements of acidophilus/bifidus can regenerate the normal healthy bowel bacteria. Your body needs nutritional support to heal so a yeast free high quality multivitamin is important. Taking Nystatin, which is a prescription antifungal drug that is quite safe to take, can kill the yeast in the bowel. The yeast die-off phenomena can release a large amount of the toxins made by the yeast when you first start on the Nystatin. This can lead to a temporary worsening of some symptoms. Your doctor can advise you on how to treat these symptoms.
If you have a suspicion that yeast overgrowth is a problem for you, consult your physician. If he/she is not knowledgeable about this problem, consult a practitioner who is so that you can be evaluated and treated. This is a curable condition and can greatly improve how you feel and function.
Daniel Blodgett MD