Over the years, I've corresponded with Cincinnati neurologist R. Scott Heath, M.D. Dr. Heath has subscribed to the theory of a candida/autoimmune disease connection:
Sometimes I've felt sort of like a voice in the darkness ... just as you have felt. Yet, I have seen a number of people who have unusual symptoms, including fleeting numbness, transient problems and vision complaints. In such patients, I often can't find anything wrong neurologically. Obviously my concern is simply this: Do they have MS or don't they?
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| Treating Yeast Infections |
I've been impressed over the years that people with MS who do not have spots on their brain generally do well on the antifungal treatment. Also, when people DO have spots and we make a diagnosis of MS, they do better, too. They have fewer exacerbations ...
Today if a person is seriously ill with an exacerbation, I'll put them on Diflucan. Then once they're off the prednisone or ACTH, I'll switch them back over to nystatin. The problem is it's kind of hard to judge exactly what I'm doing ... I'm sort of a lone wolf in my group of 15 neurologists. None of my colleagues give it a whole lot of credence,
Dr. Heath also suggests people with autoimmune diseases may have exceptionally sensitive immune systems:
There's something peculiar about MS patients and/or some of these CFS/CFIDS patients, as well as people with other autoimmune diseases. In such patients, whatever the reason, the immune system is very sensitive. I don't yet think we have the answers. I do believe that the yeast factor is at least part of the answer ...
Other physicians, like Zoltan P. Rona, who practices nutritional medicine in Toronto and is past president of the Canadian Holistic Medical Association offers a theory about what might be taking place. He notes that Dr. Truss thinks much of the harm done by candida comes from its waste product, acetaldehyde:
"... Few chemicals can create so much havoc in the body as acetaldehyde can ... acetaldehyde is a fungal waste product ..."
In addition, there is the theory espoused by some scientists that Candida albicans floods the system with an accumulation of its waste product - toxic acetaldehydes - which then poison the tissues, accumulating in the brain, spinal cord, joints, muscles and tissues.
The renowned diet doctor, the late Robert Atkins, M.D., has also made a connection. He recommends vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) to aid in the growth of friendly bacteria like lactobacillus bulgaricus and bifidobacterium. Dr. Atkins said, "In people with candidiasis, (vitamin B5 in the form of pantethine) fights off a toxic byproduct called acetaldehyde ... which, without toxic consequences can reduce cholesterol, counteract oxidation, stimulate the growth of friendly bacteria and fight allergies, inflammation, autoimmune disruptions and alcoholism."
In an article in the December 2001 issue of Let's Live, "Nutritional Rx for Multiple Sclerosis," nutritional expert Jack Challem said, "Conventional medicine can't do a lot for people with MS ... The solution may be to become your own healer."
He suggests that a simple, natural diet and specific supplements to help many people with MS, and he recommended a high-protein, low-carbohydrate "paleolithic" diet - Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamin B12. And in discussing food allergies and nutrient deficiencies he said:
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| Treating Yeast Infections |
The body's immune system generally ignores food proteins but reacts to foreign proteins (e.g., viruses and bacteria). Occasionally, in a process called molecular mimicry, harmless proteins are so similar to harmful ones that the body reacts to them. This accounts for many food allergies, and immune response to the casein in milk and gluten in wheat and other grains have been well documented in other diseases. A similar process occurs in some cases of MS.
Research has pointed to a lack of vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and other nutrients in those with MS. To find out more, you can check out Treating Yeast Infections.