My recent GI testing revealed I have an overabundance of yeast, and a deficiency of good bacteria. In other words, my gut is unbalanced. I wrote about it in this post a few days ago.
The yeast overgrowth is likely not the cause of my GI problems, rather a result of them. Getting rid of the yeast won’t solve my problems, but it may help me feel incrementally better. And I’m all for anything that helps in any way.
Unfortunately, yeast is a beast and it does not give way easily. It can take months to restore the proper bacterial balance in the gut, and the protocols typically involve supplements and diet modification.
My doctor prescribed a Gastrointestinal Restoration Protocol (GRP). Sexy, right?
The GRP involves five objectives, all carried out currently, as follows:
- Remove Therapy. In other words, kill the yeast using anti-microbial agents (i.e. herbal antibiotics).
- Reinoculation Therapy. Probiotics to add good bacteria.
- Replace Therapy. Often when your gut is imbalanced, you don’t produce enough digestive enzymes, so you replace them with supplements.
- Repair Therapy. Supplements to heal the mucosal lining. Again, sexy.
- Rebalance Therapy. This is support for the brain, as an imbalanced gut can negatively impact brain functioning.
Any time I’m given a new protocol like this, I need to introduce the supplements very slowly — usually one or two every three days or so. I start with a small dose and slowly work up to the recommended dose. I must do it this way because I am extremely sensitive to medication, and have had too many bad reactions to count.
I wasn’t too concerned about the supplements in steps 2-5, as they are pretty innocuous, but I suspected I would have trouble with the anti-microbials in step one, based on my prior history. My GI doctor prescribed three different anti-microbials, and I introduced them one at a time. I only made it about 5 days on half the lowest recommended dose of the first one before getting sick. No surprise. I’ve been in that movie many times.
My GI doctor recommended setting that one aside for a while, and moving on to the next one, which I’ve done. I’ve taken half the lowest dose for four days without incident, so I’m going to slowly ramp up the dose each day until I am at the highest recommended dose, or I get sick. Whichever happens first. Based on how things go, I will introduce the third anti-microbial somewhere along the way,
I will be on this protocol for several months, with check-ins along the way to see if I am making progress towards killing yeast and introducing more beneficial bacteria. My GI doctor said once we get the yeast under control there is other testing he wants to do, but he’s very methodical and wants to take it one step at a time.
I’m on board with that.
This is a perfect illustration of life with chronic illness. While you live in hope of resolving the root cause or your problems, you chip away at whatever is popping up at any given time. Right now, it’s yeast.
This is most definitely a marathon, not a sprint, and I will never, ever give up on trying to regain all I have lost.
Addendum.
I am intentionally vague about mentioning specific supplements and medications I take because I am not a doctor and I don’t want anybody doing anything based on my advice alone. But I know there are many people out there battling yeast, and I also know it can be a challenge, so I am going to share the specifics of my protocol in the event it might help somebody. But please use this for informational purposes only, and if you think something might be right for you, please talk to your doctor. Most of the supplements and anti-microbials in my protocol can only be obtained from a doctor, so I feel fairly confident nobody is going to run with scissors here.
Here we go:
- Remove Therapy. These are herbal antibiotics that are as powerful as pharmaceutical antibiotics, and sometimes more effective.
- Morinda Supreme (this is the one that made me sick at a very low dose), Candibactin-BR by Metagenics. So far so good on this one.
- GI-MicorbX by Designs for Health. Have not started this yet.
- Reinoculation Therapy.
- Ultraflora IB by Metagenics. Mega probiotic. 120 billion per day.
- Replace Therapy. Enzymes to help with digestion.
- Spectrazyme PAN 9x ES by Metagenics.
- Betaine and Pepsin by OrthoMolecular.
- Repair Therapy. Nutrients and phytonutrients for the mucosal lining of the gut.
- L-Glutamine Powder by NutraBio
- Zinlori-75 by Metagenics
- Curcumin BCM-95 by Progressive Laboratories
- Rebalance Therapy. This is support for the brain, as an imbalanced gut can negatively impact brain functioning.
- NAC-600 by NutriDyn
Additionally, I am on long term bone nutrients, as I have osteoporosis as a result of my severe weight loss:
- Bone Builder Active by Metagenics.
- OmegaGenics EPA-DHA 1000 (Fish Oil) by Metagenics.
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