'Gut Bug' Treatments
What does it involve?
Limiting sugar and other problematic foods/drinks and using natural, and or, prescription anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic preparations. 'Good bacteria' needs to be re-established and balanced which can be achieved through manipulation of the diet and the use of probiotics either in food or supplement form.
Good bacteria produce vitamins and enzymes that the gut and the body need to function well. Bad bacteria - yeast, bacteria and parasites, produce toxic by-products (yeast ferment!) as part of their life cycle. These toxins can effect behaviour, stools, appetite, sleep patterns, a whole myriad of problems commonly affecting children with Autism (and many of thier parents).
Some children being treated for 'gut-bugs' go through a period of worsening behaviours and symptoms known as 'die-off' or 'Herxheimer' reaction. This is the result of the bad bacteria dying off and producing toxins in the process and can be acute. Symptoms of 'die-off' can include hyperactivity, poor attention, agressive, compulsive and impulsive behaviours, diarrhoea, fouling smelling, odd looking stools, musty smelling cloudy urine, fever and flu-like symptoms. These effects may be minimised by beginning treatment very slowly.
Some practitoners suggest the use of oral Activated Charcoal which acts like a magnet and carries the toxins out in the stool before they can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Care must be taken not to give this too close any other supplements as the action is indiscriminate and they may be carried away too!
How might it help?
As with most biomedical interventions, the gains will vary with the individual. Marked mprovements are frequently reported in attention, focus, communication, mood, sleep patterms, appetite regulation, stools and reduction in hyperactivity and negative behaviours.
Is testing available?
Yes. The most commonly used tests are Urine Organic Acids Test (OAT) and Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis with Parasiteolgy (CDSA). Both tests are expensive and false negatives are not unknown. When bugs are identified, recommendations can be given for treatment that shoud be effective against that particular organism/s, these may be either 'natural' herbs or prescription medications.
Unfortunately treating 'gut bugs' is rarely a once only treatment. These children often present with leaky gut, poor diets and comprised immune systems, all of which make maintaining healthy gut flora (good bacteria) a time consuming task, but very worthwhile in terms of gains. Once nutritional status is improved, the gut is healed and detoxification systems are efficient and healthy, the problem generally resolves itself.
To further complicate matters, the bugs can become resistant to common treatments.
Many parents find, that after battling the bugs for a while, they are able to make links between behaviours and physical signs and a problem existing. These are the signs many report:
YEAST
Physical: Musty smelling urine, fluffy, sometimes pale mustard coloured stools, eczema, 'nappy' rash, sore genitals, distended belly, gas, dark circles under the eyes
Behavioural: 'silly' behaviour, acting drunk, waking at night, spacey, odd sounding laughter for no apparent reason, craving sugars and carbohydrates, spinning self, hands on ears
BACTERIA
Physical: Foul smelling sticky stools, bad breath, gas, poor appetite, dark circles under the eyes
Behavioural: Aggressive behaviours, self harming, pica, chewing, smearing, anxiety, mood swings
PARASITES
Physical: Loose foul smelling stools possibly with mucous, loss of appetite, distended belly, listless and generally unwell, abdominal cramps, gas
Behavioural: Agressive, implusive, compulsive behaviours, often cyclical (relates to parasite life-cycle) particularly around the time of the full moon!
Signs and symptoms will vary, a combination of gut bugs is common. Clinical and parental experience highlights this as a problem for the vast majoirty people with Autism.
Commonly prescribed medications might include Flagyl, Nystatin, Diflucan and Paromomycin. 'Natural' agents utilised in the battle of the bugs include GrapreFRUIT Seed Extract (GSE), Olive Leaf Extract (OLE), Oil of Oregano (OoO), Caprylic Acid and Laurcidin. What works for one child, may not work for the next.
The use of high quality digestive enzymes can help by reducing stool matter sitting in the gut. This would otherwise provide food for the bugs and is achieved through improved breakdown and absoprtion of foods. Digestive enzymes given between meals, partcularly Peptizyde, No Fenol and Candex help by breaking down the bugs directly.
Use of digestive enzymes in combination with natural agents, low sugar diet and high quality probiotics, has proven very effective in addressing the issues.
Further Reading & Resources
Terri Mykland's Blog on Treating Yeast
Dana on Yeast & Bacteria Indentification & Treatments
Intestinal Microflora and Probiotics
Differences between the gut microflora of children with autistic spectrum disorders and that of healthy children.
Parracho HM, Bingham MO, Gibson GR, McCartney AL.
J Med Microbiol. 2005 Oct;54(Pt 10):987-91.
Food Microbial Sciences Unit, School of Food Biosciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 226, Reading RG6 6AP, UK.
Children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) tend to suffer from severe gastrointestinal problems. Such symptoms may be due to a disruption of the indigenous gut flora promoting the overgrowth of potentially pathogenic micro-organisms. The faecal flora of patients with ASDs was studied and compared with those of two control groups (healthy siblings and unrelated healthy children). Faecal bacterial populations were assessed through the use of a culture-independent technique, fluorescence in situ hybridization, using oligonucleotide probes targeting predominant components of the gut flora. The faecal flora of ASD patients contained a higher incidence of the Clostridium histolyticum group (Clostridium clusters I and II) of bacteria than that of healthy children. However, the non-autistic sibling group had an intermediate level of the C. histolyticum group, which was not significantly different from either of the other subject groups. Members of the C. histolyticum group are recognized toxin-producers and may contribute towards gut dysfunction, with their metabolic products also exerting systemic effects. Strategies to reduce
clostridial population levels harboured by ASD patients or to improve their gut microflora profile through dietary modulation may help to alleviate gut disorders common in such patients.
PMID: 16157555 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]