Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Today's Tourette's Tidbit
I've been interested in the apparent connection between Tourette's tics and candida. Candida is the yeast that occurs naturally in our bodies. When it gets out of control due to antibiotics, bad American diets or any other cause, it can wreak havoc. I had a problem with it back in the late 90's because of a 30 year regimen of maintenance antibiotics to fight bladder infections (I have 1 kidney so they were trying to avoid infections). When candida becomes out of control, it can actually cause bacterial infections. So in the late 90's, I basically lived with a bladder infection about once a month. I got every bronchial infection that blew through town. I got ever sinus infection, as well. I was sick so often that most of my vacation time was used as sick days.

In 1999, I got help in the form of a great acupuncturist and his staff. They radically changed my nutritional intake (ie - bagged the American sugar-based diet) and gave me 2 to 3 acupuncture treatments a week for about 2 years. It took a while but I lost 25 lbs without changing my exercise habits, I was able to stay antibiotic-free for quite a few years. I stopped getting bladder infections, bronchial infections, sinus infections, stomach bugs, flu, colds. I mean, I would get maybe one malady a year.

When I first started trying to read everything there is on the web about Tourette's, one of the first things I noticed was quite a few articles on how many doctors feel that high levels of candida in the body can increase the severity of tics.

Dr. Bruce Semon has a short article (http://www.candidafree.net/resource_36.htm) that explains how the yeast may affect the chemicals in the brain. One could see how that might exacerbate the tics.

Another nutritional website (http://www.nutrition4health.org/nohanews/NNF06TicsAnd%20Tourettes.htm) mentions how some people have dealt with their family member's Tourette's with alternatives to mainstream western medicine. It mentions candida specifically.

There is one article I can't find that I read last year when The Boy was first diagnosed. It was by a doctor who documented a young man's case of Tourette's. His tics had gotten so severe that it made day to day living and social interaction near impossible. The doctor put him on an anti-candida diet and oral doses of nystatin. I remember reading that his tics were incredibly diminished. If I find that article, I'll put a link here later.

As part of my treatment back in 1999 & 2000, I was put on an anti-candida diet. It was the hardest thing I've ever done - I mean to really do it. You can find it out on the web in many forms but most are pretty similar. It's no processed sugar, no white flour, no fermented products (so there goes alcohol & vinegar - try finding foods without vinegar!), no yeast, no fungus (ie - mushrooms and be wary of foods that naturally have mold). They also took me off any carbonated beverages - no soda, no sparkling water. There's more to it. They put me on a very balanced diet, as well. I can tell you I have never felt healthier than those years I did that diet hard core. But it's hard to do in America.

The Boy was raised on an organic, anti-candida diet pretty hard-core until he was two. After that, he had very little processed sugar. Once he was off antibiotics - around the age of 4, we let him eat what he wanted. But since he was raised on very little sugar and lots of veggies and fruits as treats, he still eats amazingly well to this day. I am wondering if we unwittingly helped keep his Tourette's at bay or kept it less severe. I'd like to hope so.

I'll post more a little later. The boys just got home so I need to go be mommy.

7 comments:

Jane said...

Hi Lynette! I know there are experts who say that some of the symptoms of these disorders can be controlled and, in some cases, even eliminated. I think it's amazing and awesome that you went to the distance with an extreme diet. It's so hard, for me anyway, to find the discipline to do that. I've been reading for years about certain diets and how elimination of certain ingredients could actually help my son with his Aspergers. Maybe I'll have to do some more research.

Happy monday to you, beautiful woman!!

xoxo
Jane

Caryn Talty said...

Hi,
I am wondering the same thing today as you did last month. I also had kidney/bladder problems for many years and I have a darling son who was dx'd with a chronic tic disorder last year at age 4. I was on long term antibiotics as a child and used them on and off for chronic sinus/ear infections and reoccuring bladder infections. I was on antibiotics while pregnant with ds twice and I wonder if candida may play a role in his condition, as he has recovered quite well so far (after 7 months of treatment) on a gluten-free corn-free diet (organic as possible) and probiotics. I have also gone glutenl-free myself. Have you found any more research? I would love to hear about it!
http://healthy-family.org

Caryn Talty said...

By the way, I believe the article you read was:
http://www.nutritioninstitute.com/Tourettes_Syndrome.html

LEstes65 said...

Peepsmama - how do I get in touch with you????

JDN said...

My son developed a squeaking tic - he made squeaking sounds every 5 seconds except when he was around other people. It was amazing he could control them although they were just quieter. he also constantly cleared his throat. I read Sheila Roger's book and took my son to a Doctor of Nturopathy who adminsitered a live blood analysis and food sensitivity test. My son was found to have a candida yeast infection to the extent that he had a leaky gut, which meant the candida was leaving toxins in his bloodstream. He also had some parasites in his blood and food sensitivity to bananas, wheat products, dairy, chocolate, grapes, red meat and others.

He was put on a strict no wheat, no dairy, no red meat, no sugar, no fruit diet. this meant a kamut -no yeast bread, rice or kamut flakes for breakfast with goat's milk or brown rice milk, sprinkled with cinnamon and stevia. Lunch would be brown rice cakes with chicken or turkey slices and strawberries, brown rice chips, miso soup. Dinner would be chicken vegetables and brown rice. It is a good idea to buy a good water filter as boiled water is flat tasting and bottled water adds up in cost.

After a month, a second blood analysis showed a better result but still some candida. The supplements that had to be taken daily were fish oil, multi B, Vitamin C, digestive enzymes with each meal, probiotics, calcium/magnesium in liquid form and a liquid multi vitamin. Can't believe the results.

JDN said...

Didn't mention that the squeaks and constant clearing of the throat disappeared after 3 weeks. Of course, one is tempted to abandon the strict diet but my son, albeit, reluctantly realizes that another month would be beneficial to rid his body of the candida even though the tics have disappeared.

mommymayes said...

I am so glad I ran across this blog! I am doing some research for a neighbor, who son suffers with tourette's and tics, as well as ADHD and is on the scale for autism. I love researching candida symptoms, as I sell a product that actually kills candida without the crazy strict diet! It's called Probio5. (an AMAZING probiotic, designed to kill the overgrowth) It is definitely a very difficult thing to get rid of! I struggled with it for years with my severe anxiety (just another symptom of candida) You definitely feel amazing when you have it under control! Anyway, if you wanna chat I'd love to get you more info. IF you have an update blog I'd love to read it! I am not very blog savvy lol... i came across this is a google search :)