Self-Defense Against Yeast Infection in IBS. The Hidden Connection That May Trigger Your Next Flare.
September 10, 2009
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort and bloating. But, there may be a hidden connection that triggers your next IBS flare-up.
There have been cases where candida and IBS sufferers have found relief from both conditions through a single treatment. Candida symptoms are often similar to IBS. They include:
| IBS Symptoms | Yeast Infection Symptoms |
|---|---|
| Changes in bowel function: Diarrhea or Constipation | Changes in bowel function: Diarrhea or Constipation |
| Intestinal Gas/Bloating | Intestinal Gas/Bloating |
| Mucus in the stools | Mucus in the stools |
| Food Allergies/Food Sensitivities | Food Allergies/Food Sensitivities |
| Dysbiosis (Disbalance in intestinal flora; excess of bad bacteria) | Dysbiosis (Disbalance in intestinal flora; excess of bad bacteria) |
| Fatigue and Feeling Drained | Fatigue and Feeling Drained |
| Depression, Anxiety, Irritability | Depression, Anxiety, Irritability |
Standard Medical Treatments
The standard prescriptions for a yeast infection include nystatin, diflucan and nizoral.These medications can effectively suppress yeast infections, but they may only be a temporary fix if an underlying cause is not dealt with. This may include food allergies, moldy foods, drugs, birth control pills. If these potential culprits aren’t addressed, once medications are discontinued, the yeast infection may come back.
This isn’t just empty rhetoric. I have observed this phenomena in a number of my own patients.
What is a Yeast-Free Diet?
With people who suffer from candida symptoms, the yeast that occurs naturally in their gut grows to unhealthy levels, which throws off the balance of good and bad bacteria in the intestinal tract. A yeast-free diet attempts to remove these excess levels of Candida Albicans.
While there are most likely variances in yeast-free diets, one example is to start off with a detox phase where you cleanse the system of the toxic byproducts of candida. You can use anti-microbial herbs to help revers the imbalance.
Yeast benefits from high sugar, alcohol and simple carbohydrate intake.
Foods to Avoid:
- Processed Meat and Fish (hot dogs, sausages, pastrami, corned beef).
- All Fruit Juices, Dry Fruits and Fresh Fruits (except berries).
- Coffee and Tea (except Pau d’arco tea).
- Fermented foods and alcohol (beer, wine, vodka, rum, vinegar, cider, root beer).
- Mushrooms, Melons, Peanuts and Pistachios.
- All Grains and Cold Cereal (wheat, rye, oats, barley, corn).
- Sugars (any sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses. fructose, maltose, glucose, sorbitol).
- Baked goods (breads, muffins, cakes, cookies, pastries).
- Cheese (cheddar, swiss, cream cheese, cottage cheese, macaroni&cheese plus any food containing cheese).
Foods to eat:
- Meat (chicken, lamb, turkey, veal)
- Fish ( salmon, cod, flounder, halibut, shrimp)
- Vegetables ( celery, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, sprouts, asparagus)
- Fruits ( blueberries, blackberries, raspberry, avocado)
- Eggs ( free- range boiled or poached)
- Dairy (plain yogurt with live bacteria: lactobacillus bulgaricus, streptococcus thermophilus)
- Nuts (not roasted or salted, just raw – almonds, cashews, filberts)
- Seeds (raw – sunflower, pumpkin)
- Oils ( extra -virgin, cold pressed olive oil)
- Beverages ( filtered water and pau d’arco tea)
Consume raw garlic with every meal.
I provided here general dietary guidelines, which I use for my patients with IBS. However, some people can have a hidden food allergy to some commonly eaten foods like eggs, shrimp, nuts. Those allergies can easily be detected by doing IgG4 Food Allergy Test.
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7 Responses
Hi Galina,
I have been looking over your website because I have been diagnosed with IBS, though I am not positive that this diagnosis is exactly what is causing the problems I am currently having. I am going to the health store right now to get some liquid chlorophyll because I have had bleeding after bowel movements for a few weeks now. I have had a colonoscopy, CT scan, ultrasound and an endoscopy and all appeared normal. I ended up in the hospital two weeks ago after intense upper abdominal cramping. I do suffer from constipation every so often so I am hoping increasing my soluble fiber intake plus using your tea recipe will help. I am wondering about these tests you are talking about though for testing for allergies and excessive yeast in your gut. How do I go about getting these done?
Thanks,
Stacy
Dear Stacy,
Your situation is rather typical. Some of my patients with IBS do exhibit symptoms of abdominal cramping and bloating while having the normal results of the following tests: colonoscopy, ultrasound and abdominal CT scan. But your abdominal distress is real and must be addressed.
Because you suffer from constipation and abdominal cramping modifying your diet based on the results of Food Allergy/Intolerance Test and GI Function profile should be a good first step in a program for your recovery.
I am in a process of making these tests available to my subscribers on my website; in the meantime, if you so desire, I can order these tests for you.
Please communicate to me via separate e-mail for further instructions.
However, you must consider that your problem is clearly a complex one and in order to be resolved once and for all it requires holistic approach and comprehensive program. Comprehensive program simply means addressing much more that food allergies.
For example, if the test shows that you are allergic to wheat simple elimination of wheat may not be enough to get rid of your problem but simple adjustments to your diet and introduction of some supplements could resolve your GI problems for good.
Therefore my recommendation is to follow these tests by an appointment with a qualified licensed health care professional who can not only interpreted the results of the test but more importantly, incorporate the interpretation into holistic program for you.
Best of Health
Galina Kotlyar MS RD
Meat and animal products are toxic not to mention cruel which causes IBS to be worse. A low fat plant based diet helps.
Hi Galina,
I am having problems getting my son’s IBS under control. We are now looking into the yeast free opption. He is 16 has been in pain sence March 2010 so almost a year now. He has had every test known done and all came back normal. tryed gluten free, tryed dairy free and now trying soluble fiber, which is all pasta, bread, apples, bananas. His stomach pain is only getting worse. How do I start the yeast free diet for him? and could you give me a list of foods he can eat? and what about milk? he is now drinking chocolate soy milk wont drink regular Soy milk. He is still growing,6ft. now, but loosing wieght.
Thank You for your help,
Pam
Hi Pamela,
I know how difficult it is to deal with teenagers, especially boys with IBS. Because you son continues to suffer stomach pain, modifying his diet based on the results of Food Allergy/Intolerance Test and GI Function profile should be a good first step in a program for his recovery. He might be eating and drinking foods which his body has a hard time digesting and absorbing properly. That could be one of the reasons he is loosing weight. Apples and bananas are healthy fruit choices for kids with normal digestion. But for some IBS patient those fruits are considered fermentable carbohydrates and eating them could trigger abdominal cramping, gas and bloating. If you have any further questions and need my professional attention please visit my consultation page at http://knowyourgut.com/consultation/index.html
Hi, I’ve an extremely complicated medical profile. A few of the diseased that plague me terribly and indeed may finally kill me are (experienced together) GERD, Chrohns, Diverticulosis, Diabetes, Chronic yeast systemic. In addition I have untreatable asthma, severe allergies to dust mites and other things, and inability to tolerate medications esp antibiotics. I have suffered from UTIs monthly and yeast infecs for past 7 mos.
Apparently the last antibiotic I took, a cephalosporin, gave me yesat so bad it has been in all oral cavities of my body; cant get rid of it and teh anti fungals made me deathly ill as did the antibiotic which I had to stop. I was give nystain for the thrush and had to stop it. Now yeast is back and I have cbronic diahrea cant eat anything and have had pus sometimes purulent from ane anal cavity. Been to the er three times and since they did not see the pus they sen tme home after iv rehydration. I brought up a sample and they refuesd it s it wasn’t in their own cup. I am a pre med grad and gave a sterile sample, as steril as poop can be for goodness sakes…I am at home s my GI doc will not see me until Nov its now Oct. I am suffering so much I may die here. The er is so inept where I live, I got a copy of my med recs and found the medication they listed is not what I am on but what my Mom was on when she was there..same last name. My PCP refused to help me because I dont go to boston for help. I cant as I have no one to take me and idI go by ambulance no way to get home. We checked with three hospitals and they will not send you home. So had all the local er records senet to PCP but they said I am out of the “loop” and so I have no help whatsoever. am suffering greatly and am trying to minimally find a diet so I may get some nutrition and try to make it to Nov. I am not finding any one body of nutritional info anyplace that can help me obviously. BTW I diagnosed the Chrohns, it could be somethign else, allI know is the pus has at times come of of me for hours and hours, all nite to be exact, the first and last time it was much much less. I just am too sick to know what else to to other than what I have stated. Boy if I make it thru this I am doing a will! Cher
Hi Cher,
Hi Cher,
Believe it or not most of your health problems (GERD, Crohn’s, Diverticulosis , Chronic yeast, UTI, asthma and severe allergies ) have 2 things in common – ABNORMAL GUT FLORA and severe food allergies/food intolerance. I know how to help people like you. It is not an easy road to wellness but it is possible for you to have a normal, healthy life.
Galina