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Fibromyalgia
Yeast Byproducts in Fibromyalgia Patients
Contributing Factors
Most of the time the yeast are present only in the intestinal tract,
not in the blood and other organs. However, the tartaric acid and other
compounds produced by yeast in the intestine are absorbed into the bloodstream
and may enter all of the cells of the body.
Dr. St Anand noticed that patients with fibromyalgia had high amounts
of dental tartar on their teeth and speculated that similar deposits
in the muscles and ligaments might be causing the pain of fibromyalgia.
It's possible that tartaric acid is the compound found in the dental
tartar and that crystals of this substance may be causing the muscle
and joint pain, just as kidney stones cause kidney pain.
The two main causes of the yeast overgrowth are use of broad-spectrum
antibiotics and the high sugar and carbohydrate content of the American
diet (Figure 3). These antibiotics kill most
of the normal bacteria (germs) in the intestinal tract, but do not kill
organisms such as yeast (8-15).
As a matter of fact, some yeast grow faster in the presence of antibiotics.
The reason fibromyalgia commonly follows traumatic
accidents may be related to the use of antibiotics to treat trauma.
Sugar consumption is the second major factor in causing yeast-related
illnesses. The average American consumes 10 times more sugar than Americans
in the time of George Washington(about 150 lb per year). In a study
done in mice, those mice receiving sugar in their water had 200 times
more yeast in their intestine than mice receiving plain water (16).
Other factors that cause yeast overgrowth may include stress, birth
control pills, viral infections, and a weak immune system.
Figure
3 - Factors that Contribute to Yeast Overgrowth
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Testing - What to Expect, and How
it can Help
Some doctors assert that everyone has yeast in their intestine,
and if yeast were the cause of fibromyalgia, everyone would suffer from
fibromyalgia-like symptoms.
However, the important question is
not about the presence of yeast. The critical factors are the quantity
of yeast and the kinds and amounts of toxic products they produce.
To illustrate: everyone in our society has carbon monoxide
in their blood and can tolerate a low value. However, when the amount
of carbon monoxide increases, some individuals feel depressed, some have
headaches, some develop muscle weakness, some feel tightness in the chest
or angina, some experience nausea and vomiting, some become dizzy, and
some develop dimming of vision. As amounts of carbon monoxide increase,
symptoms may include convulsions, coma, respiratory failure, and death.
Individuals who recover from severe carbon monoxide poisoning may suffer
residual neurological damage. Different people will respond with different
symptoms to the same concentration of toxins.
So why would it be surprising that
exposure to a wide range of toxic yeast products--at different times and
at different ages--might produce different symptoms? No one would
challenge a suggestion of a connection between carbon monoxide and all
of the diverse symptoms associated with carbon monoxide exposure. That
connection is accepted because carbon monoxide is easily measured in blood.
The toxic yeast products were just discovered, but as knowledge
of them increases, acceptance of the yeast-related illnesses will increase.
As the philosopher Schopenhauer said, "All truth goes through
three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Then, it is violently opposed. Finally,
it is accepted as self-evident." Within five years, people who ignore
the importance of yeast-related illness will be in the same camp with
those in the Flat-Earth Society.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Yeast
Testing
What can I do about this problem if I have
it?
The yeast problem can be treated with a combination
of a low sugar/low carbohydrate diet, an antifungal drug to kill the yeast,
and probiotics, which are supplements of Lactobacillus acidophilus to
restore beneficial bacteria to the intestinal tract.
Malic acid and magnesium supplements will
help the patient until the yeast problem is resolved (which may take about
two months). The reduction in tartaric acid in urine following antifungal
treatment is illustrated in Figure 2.
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What other information will I get from your test?
The test evaluates inborn errors of metabolism
that can be detected with this technology (called GC/MS, such as PKU,
maple-syrup urine disease, and many others). In addition, we check for
other problems such as vitamin deficiencies and the abnormal metabolism
of catecholamines, dopamine, and seretonin
We currently quantitate 62 substances, but also
evaluate other substances that are not quantitated. For example, in
one report, high kynurenic acid indicated a need for vitamin B-6, and
an elevated glutaric acid indicated a requirement for coenzyme Q-10.
Even if you don’t have the yeast problem, our test may still be beneficial
to you!
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How do I get the test done?
A medical practitioner who is licensed to order urine
testing in your state must approve the test order. Regulations vary
from state to state so an approved medical practitioner could be a medical
doctor (MD), osteopath (DO), nurse practitioner, chiropractor (DC),
or naturopath (ND).
If you have difficulty in getting your physician
to approve the test, we can refer you to a physician in most locations
in the United States and in some foreign countries. The test is
reimbursed by most insurance companies but, of course, we cannot guarantee
reimbursement.
The test requires that a morning urine sample be shipped
to The Great Plains Laboratory, and results are usually available 48-72
hours later, including a recommendation to your physician for treatment.
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Will drugs or nutritional supplements interfere with
the test?
No, there is no interference from any known drug or
supplement. The malic acid and magnesium products will not affect the
test results.
However, if antifungal supplements or drugs are taken
before the test, you will probably get a lower value for the yeast byproducts.
We advise you to get the test first so that you will know what the starting
point is.
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I have been disabled due to the severity of my fibromyalgia,
but have not been able to get benefits. Could this test help me to get
benefits?
This test could benefit you if we document a defined
biochemical disorder. Of course, more important is the possibility of
reversing the fibromyalgia if the yeast problem is a significant factor.
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What can I do if my physician doesn’t understand the
test results?
We will be glad to help you and your physician develop
a suitable therapy based on your test results.
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I have an HMO, and they have to send the test to a
certain lab. Is that okay?
Unfortunately, no. There is no other laboratory that
routinely analyzes the same compounds as this laboratory (including
Labcorp, SmithKline, or Mayo Medical laboratories). If you do not specify
our laboratory, your urine will be sent to one of the large reference
labs which cannot accurately evaluate your condition. Most of these
labs only test for inborn errors of metabolism.
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What about reimbursement for Medicaid and Medicare?
We are set up for Medicare, but we do not yet have Medicaid
authorization.
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I don’t have insurance and can’t afford the price.
Can you help me?
We would be happy to work out an installment plan for
you. We can also accept MasterCard and VISA payments.
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Notes on Our Testing from the Book Detoxification
and Healing: the Key to Optimal Health
"Dr. Shaw’s work is very recent and as I write this
he has just opened a new lab… The reason for telling you about his work
is to ask you to think about the implications and watch as his ideas
develop over the next few years. As you will see...there is other evidence
to support these ideas and, if you understand the implications, there
are things you can do now that will reduce your risk of ill health while
continuing to watch from the sidelines."
Dr. Baker, the author of Detoxification and Healing, is a graduate
of Yale University School of Medicine and is board certified in obstetrics
and pediatrics. Dr. Baker was director of the Gessell Institute of Human
Development and has taught at Yale Medical School, and is the author
of dozens of articles and several books about health and nutritional
biochemistry. (Return to page 1.)
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References
- Crook William. The Yeast Connection Handbook. Jackson,TN,1997:34-35.
- "Tartaric acid." Microsoft Encarta 96 Encyclopedia
on CD ROM.
- Webster R. Legal Medicine and Toxicology. WB Saunders,
Philadelphia, 1930: 413-414.
- Shaw W, Kassen E, and Chaves E. "Increased excretion of
analogs of Krebs cycle metabolites and arabinose in two brothers
with autistic features." Clinical Chemistry 41:1094-1104, 1995.
- Mahler H and Cordes. Biological Chemistry. New York, Harper
and Row. 1966: 417-418.
- Holzschlag Molly. "CoQ10, malic acid, and magnesium may
improve CFIDS/FM symptoms." The CFIDS Chronicle, Summer 1993.
- St Amand RP. "Exploring the fibromyalgia connection."
The Vulvar Pain Newsletter. Fall 1996, 4-6.
- Kennedy M and Volz P "Dissemination of yeasts after gastrointestinal
inoculation in antibiotic-treated mice." Sabouradia 21:27-33,
1983.
- Danna P, Urban C, Bellin E, and Rahal J. "Role of Candida
in pathogenesis of antibiotic associated diarrhea in elderly patients."
Lancet 337: 511-14, 1991.
- Ostfeld E , Rubinstein E, Gazit E, Smetana Z. "Effect of
systemic antibiotics on the microbial flora of the external ear
canal in hospitalized children." Pediat 60: 364-66, 1977.
- Kinsman OS, Pitblado K. "Candida albicans gastrointestinal
colonization and invasion in the mouse: effect of antibacterial
dosing, antifungal therapy, and immunosuppression." Mycoses
32:664-74,1989.
- Van der Waaij D. "Colonization resistance of the digestive
tract—mechanism and clinical consequences." Nahrung 31:507-17,
1987.
- Samonis G and Dassiou M. "Antibiotics affecting gastrointestinal
colonization of mice by yeasts." Chemotherapy 6: 50-2, 1994.
- Samonis G, Gikas A, and Toloudis P. "Prospective evaluation
of the impact of broad-spectrum antibiotics on the yeast flora of
the human gut." European Journal of Clinical Microbiology &
Infectious Diseases 13:665-7, 1994.
- Samonis G, Gikas A, and Anaissie E. "Prospective evaluation
of the impact of broad-spectrum antibiotics on gastrointestinal
yeast colonization of humans." Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
37: 51-53, 1993.
- Vargas S, Patrick C, Ayers G, and Hughes W. "Modulating
effect of dietary carbohydrate supplementation on Candida albicans
colonization and invasion in a neutropenic mouse model." Infection
and Immunity 61:619-626,1993.
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