Chronic Prostatitis and Candida Albicans

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Candida Albicans (CA) is a commensal yeast which has two forms in the human body - budding (yeast) and penetrating (hyphal). It thrives on sugars and carbohydrates. It can cause diarrhoea, commonly after a course of antibiotics when the gut wall is depleted of competing bacterial organisms. It is becoming an increasingly important source of infections in hospitals. People speculate that this is due to the heavy use of antibiotics in the last 20 years combined with the change in our diets away from meats and fats to carbohydrate-rich convenience foods.

A significant number of men with chronic prostatitis have found relief ranging from a cure to welcome diminution of symptom severity after following an anti-candida regimen. The full science behind this phenomenon is incomplete at this time. It is uncertain whether a yeast overgrowth in the gut lowers general body resistance by attacking the immune system, thereby allowing dormant bacteria in the prostate to re-activate (proven science: CA toxins disarm elements of the immune system), or whether the effects on the immune system result in non-bacterial inflammation to the prostate tissue (and often the sinuses as well - another poorly perfused part of the body), or indeed whether the organism actually infects the prostate tissue directly.

Although the possibility of serious CA infections outside a setting of immuno-suppression is still very controversial within the medical community, a growing minority of physicians are offering treatment for the condition to patients who present with a perplexing list of symptoms which are unresponsive to conventional therapy.

You may consider yourself possibly suffering from candidiasis if:

* You have taken multiple courses of antibiotics for your prostatitis without relief;

* You have had prostatitis for longer than 6 months, and your urologist looks a little irritated or desperate when he sees you;

* You have a myriad of other symptoms along with the prostatitis. Read the list below, and if a significant number of symptoms sound familiar you may wish to embark on a trial one month restricted (healthy) diet. If the diet results in an improvement, even if slight, in your condition, a doctor may prescribe an antifungal drug like Nystatin, Diflucan, Lamisil or Sporanox to be taken in conjunction with the diet.

Here follows a shortened list of the associated symptoms which typically accompany a CA-induced prostatitis. If you have recently experienced many of these symptoms your likelihood of being helped by an anti-CA approach is increased:

Pain on or difficulty with urination Blood or albumen in urine Joint pain, often moving from joint to joint Aching muscles Jock itch Hives, dermatitis, eczema, seborrhoea, dandruff Unexplained rashes Psoriasis Pallor Difficulty swallowing, 'lump' in throat Painful lymph glands Unexplained, constant fatigue Increase in food intolerances and allergies Reduced urine amount Always catching colds and flu Nightmares, poor sleeping Dry, irritated, reddened eyes Blurred vision (episodic) 'Glue' ear - sticky canal, itchy Tinnitis (ringing in ear) Mental confusion, fogginess Pounding headaches Depression and mood swings Unusual irritability Panic attacks Forgetful Sleepy during day or early evening Sugar craving Bingeing on sweet foods Dark rings under eyes Cold hands and feet Burning or tingling in hands and feet Abnormal sweating Irritable bowel Constipation or diarrhoea Rectal itching Symptoms which mimic gall bladder, ulcer or appendix problems Bruise easily Vasculitis (blood vessel inflammation) Heart arrhythmias, pain or palpitations Belching, bloating, stomach-ache, bad breath Pain near right hip/appendix area Pain in upper right belly after eating Mouth ulcers Acid regurgitation Sinusitis, postnasal drainage, nosebleeds Bronchitis, asthma Reduced sexual desire

Lab tests to diagnose CA overgrowth can be obtained from :

Great Smokies Diagnostic Labs and Antibody Assays

Diet

For detailed instructions on a diet designed to starve the candida you should read one of the following books:

The Yeast Syndrome by John Parks Trowbridge, MD, and Morton Walker DPM, ISBN 0-553-27751-0 The Yeast Connection by William G. Crook, M.D. The Missing Diagnosis by C. Orian Truss, M.D.

Essentially the diet completely eliminates sugar in every form - alcohol, honey, all flours, pasta (complex sugar), and potato. You should follow a low carbohydrate diet for the full month - this means a diet of protein, fats, and non-starch vegetables. So meat, chicken, fish, cabbage, onion, garlic, olive oil etc.

Take a good multivitamin, an iron supplement, selenium, and enteric-coated acidophilus tablets as well.

Important Notes:

Within two weeks of starting the diet you may notice a sudden, dramatic increase in the severity of all symptoms: headaches, muscle pains, burning urethra, nausea, dizziness. If this occurs it is a welcome sign - it shows a die-off reaction is occurring, and the sudden release of material from the bursting yeast cells is making you ill. Persevere and the symptoms will subside.

A full cure may take up to 2 years, and depends on how strictly you follow the diet, how effective the antifungals are, and whether other predisposing factors (stress, environmental mold, cortisone medication) are eliminated. If the prostate is boggy at the start of the treatment, a few gentle self-massages to help relieve congestion is helpful. Ejaculate during or shortly after the massage to optimise drainage.

Links for further information

The Candidiasis Syndrome - An excellent site for general information

Yeast Talk - a chat forum

The Candida Page

The Candida Forum

Compiled by a patient who wishes to remain anonymous.

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and encourage and support research to find the cause and a cure for prostatitis.

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